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The Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School are putting on a variety show at Blue Smoke.

Ticket price includes bubbles and nibbles.

You will hear the brilliant and talented senior Music and Drama students perform a range of repertoire ranging from rock bands to dramatic pieces, chamber music and possibly even a sneak peek of what is to come in July for this year’s musical.

This exciting evening of sound, food and networking will raise funds for the IT Dept at Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School. Come along, sip a complementary glass of bubbles and celebrate our special school!

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Presenting the first ever Radio Hauraki Brewery Tour!

Over 10 days, the Hauraki team will host seven parties in seven cities. All of which, naturally, are free!

Shihad frontman Jon Toogood will be providing the tunes and Bhuja will be broadcasting their Drive show from on location.

All thanks to Jack Links!4/

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JORDAN LUCK BAND ANNOUNCE WINTER TOUR 2018.

Kiwi icon’s The Jordan Luck Band announce the 18 date ‘Why Does Love Do This To Me?’ NZ Winter Tour 2018, trekking across the country from Friday May 18th to Saturday August 4th.

Jordan Luck is the lead singer and songwriter for the New Zealand rock band The Exponents. The Exponents, had a staggering 18 Top 40 singles over the years, and Victoria was recently voted by public as the 8th greatest New Zealand song of all time. At the 2007 APRA Silver Scroll Awards on 18 September, Jordan Luck was named as the first inductee to the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

The Jordan Luck Band NZ Winter Tour 2018 will feature all the crowd favourites; from Why Does Love Do This To Me to I’ll Say Goodbye, Who Loves Who The Most to Victoria, Sink Like A Stone to Whatever Happened to Tracey’….and many more.

Tour support comes from Ekko Park. Following notable European success, including their first Italian tour in 2017, the Auckland foursome have just finished recording their highly anticipated 3rd album.

The Miltones will return to Blue Smoke this June for the release of their highly-anticipated new single “Disappear”.

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Support from Emily Fairlight

This is the bands first new song since releasing their award-winning self titled debut album.

Praised as the “freshest sound in New Zealand popular music right now” (New Zealand Herald) the band was recognised at the Taite Music Awards last month where they received the Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Album award.

“Disappear” is a soulful ballad that “tells a tale of the being caught in the same monotony of a loveless relationship,” says Milly Tabak, lead singer. “If you’ve ever been in a place where you’ve wanted change but felt stuck, you will relate.”

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The Lovers Again Tour finale live at Blue Smoke! Primed from seven shows in nine days, Monty Bevins & Fraser Ross will complete their run of South Island shows to cap off the 13 date nationwide ‘Lovers Again Tour.

“Lovers Again was a song I wrote about on an older couple I met in Arthurs Pass whose three girls have all since moved out into the world. Mum and Dad left at home in a big house. I went round to see them the day they were moving south to a smaller place, pointing to the spot on the floor their eldest daughter had taken her first steps, and the etched height markings in the door frame…” -Monty Bevins

Known as a touching, spirited performer, whose soul-folk songs ask the big questions while telling the small stories, Bevins has built a loyal following throughout his homeland. With a warm rich voice and articulate guitar grooves, he digs out and distills themes of tenderness, personal revolution and adventure. Perpetually touring (at a pace that allows encounter) Monty draws inspiration from the stories of the people he meets.

Monty will be joined for this show by eccentric-folk musician Fraser Ross, described by Capital Times as ‘New Zealand’s best kept musical secret’. No stranger to touring himself, Fraser will be launching a single of his own called ‘Marseille’ from his upcoming album ‘Life is Magic, Where is my Rabbit?’, due to be released in July, 2018 through Home Alone Music.

Adam McGrath is road testing a raft of new songs this winter, catch him at Blue Smoke on June 2nd with support from Foxtrots.

Described as “two parts Woody Guthrie, one part revival meeting and one part group hug” a McGrath show goes straight for the spirit level in all of us. Looking deep for the heart and hoping to reach the thinking part of the brain all the while strumming his three chords like his life depended on it. Which of course it does, as of course it should.

His songs have gathered a clutch of good reviews in NZ and overseas, he’s been nominated for a couple of serious music awards (including the Apra Silver Scroll).

Barry Saunders from The Warratahs simply described him as “The Truth”.

“NZ’s toughest minded songwriter”-Graeme Reid

“One of the best modern roots artists, from any country”-No Depression magazine

“A national treasure”-Radio NZ National

With THE EASTERN and solo he has shared stages with and opened for Fleetwood Mac, Steve Earle, Paul Kelly, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jimmy Barnes and many more. But he takes the most pride in getting up and putting it down, in both small towns and big, choosing real gigs over showcases and the joy of shaking hands and sharing beers with the folks met along the way.

A people’s player, he works his ass off for any audience he finds himself in front of. Through, yarns, ballads and barnstormers, he goes looking most nights of the year for that deep well of magic that threads through the humble folk song.

THE CAVELL LEITCH NZ INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL PRESENTS: JAZZ JAM WITH SUMO JAZZ

To celebrate the end of another great festival, this after-party jam will be a highlight of the week. Sumo Jazz take the reigns as house band and will be joined, throughout the night, by many of the local, national and international musicians who played at the festival. The perfect end to a perfect week of jazz and blues in the city.

Bringing the funk and the soul, Bad Gin Sanctuary presents Soul Train, a show that marries together two bands and a DJ, Junco Partner, Carmelita Toots and Soul Mates, for an evening that’s all about the music and groove of 1972. Expect high kicks, smooth licks and a guaranteed good time!

Featuring: Elmore Jones (guitar), Liam Quinn (bass), Jak Harris (drums), Matt Davis (alto saxophone), Rachel Travaille (tenor saxophone), Greg Knowles (trumpet) and your frontman, Adam Hattaway (vocals).

THE CAVELL LEITCH NZ INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL PRESENTS: DARREN WATSON | TOO MANY MILLIONAIRES LP RELEASE SHOW

Gaining a reputation as the nation’s most original, contemporary blues voice in the 90s, after his earlier fame with the Chicago Smoke Shop, Darren Watson plays an intimate acoustic guitar session for the launch of his latest recording Too Many Millionaires.

“Darren Watson is New Zealand’s finest practitioner of the blues – a singer and guitarist who can give you goosebumps with the passion and intensity of his playing. He’s also an original songwriter of rare skill and imagination.” Nick Bollinger | Radio New Zealand

HE CAVELL LEITCH NZ INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL PRESENTS: FANTINE WITH OVAL OFFICE

Sensational singer of Russian and Dominican descent, Australian-based Fantine, has a musical style that is all her own. Described as a performer who fuses jazz, indie and electro soul, with a ‘swampy yet sultry’ voice, Fantine has captivated audiences the world over. In this concert, she joins renowned funk, soul, jazz, blues powerhouse Oval Office for a night of hard hitting grooves, explosive horn lines, enticing, soulful vocals and pure raw energy.

Richard Pickard (bass), Andy Genge (guitar), Gwyn Reynolds (saxophone), Daniel Kennedy (drums),

Darren Pickering (keyboards), Scott Taitoko (trombone) and Fantine (vocals).

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Being, Soaked Oats and Ha the Unclear will celebrate their new split release Corduroy Cape: A Persnickety Mixtape with a circus in May across four dates in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

The Corduroy Cape Mixtape is a peep into each band’s sock drawer, lint filter and vacuum bag. A potpourri of songs from New Zealand indie bands Being., Soaked Oats, and Ha the Unclear containing covers, unreleased material and special demo cuts, a whiff of the familiar and a niff of new noises. It is pop-hearted and indie-scum, hard cheese and the morning muesli, all glued together with a collegial spirit and a like-minded lilt.

The seed for the split was sown during an overzealous post-show conversation when everybody involved shared a bill at Auckland’s Whammy Bar. Composed mostly of hand gestures, yelling and disproportionate body language it was ordained and somehow communicated that said split release should contain both a cover (LCD Soundsystem, Best Coast, Split Enz) and an original from each band. The Corduroy Cape Mixtape was conceived.

Direct from South Africa, the incredible voices of ZULU LOVE return to New Zealand in Autumn 2018.

Come for a pre-show meal! We believe great music should be paired with hearty soul food so in addition to our normal Blue Smoke concert menu we’ve decided to serve a SEASONAL ROAST MEAL from our beautiful AGA kitchen. 5pm onward..

Blue Smoke open from: 3:00pm
Serving AGA Roast from: 5:00pm
Doors Open: 7:00pm
Show Time: 7:30pm

“As soon as people saw them, they were bowled over by their incredible talent, infectious enthusiasm and pure joy” – Nelson Mail

Zulu Love is a group of amazing musicians based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The singers are truly world class and have sung at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They have also starred in global touring productions of major South African musicals such as Stimela the Musical and Spirit and Bones.

Their unique ‘Isicathamiya’ singing style – a type of African acapella music – shot to world-wide fame largely thanks to Paul Simon, who collaborated with the Durban based group Ladysmith Black Mambazo on his 1986 Graceland album. LBM then went on to carve out a highly-successful international career winning numerous Grammy Awards.

Isicathamiya is a Zulu word that translates as ‘in a stalking way’ or ‘cat like’. The singing technique that takes its name was born in the South African mines at the turn of the 20th Century when Zulu workers living in hostels or all-male dorms would secretly sing to each other in low voices. Post-apartheid, it is now sung loudly and proudly and focuses on achieving perfect rhythm and harmony between the singers.

Don’t miss the return of this incredible music and musicianship from South Africa. Come and celebrate the soaring voices of Zulu Love at the Blue Smoke.

The Christchurch Faerie Circle Presents: The Star Wars Ball – An elaborate dress up party with a live band and prizes!

Prizes ( $50 Prezzy Cards)

Most Creative Stormtrooper

Best Princess Leia

Best Dancer

Best Light Saber (points for creativeness)

Best Droid

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Dillastrate team up with The Settlers and The Response to triple headline at Blue Smoke on May the 4th for Music Month. The three bands have just come off a massive run of shows including Northern Bass, Electric Avenue and touring with the likes of Home Brew. This show is not to be missed as it will be action packed and high energy. All bands have new music to showcase and tickets are cheap so get in quick!

DILLASTRATE just can’t sit still. Driven by a passion inspired by the life and works of J Dilla, they’ve toured New Zealand a staggering four times in their 14-month existence, tackling staple music festival stages including Northern Bass and Electric Avenue. Born in the dirty south of Aotearoa, the duo’s previous collaborative efforts have included ahoribuzz and Soulsystem, as well as individual engagements with an intimidating host of national and international acts.

Andrew and Victoria Knopp are the duo that make up New Zealand based indie-pop act, THE RESPONSE. Their dynamic live show has allowed the duo to share the stagewith such acts as Baio (of Vampire Weekend fame), Deep Sea Diver (Seattle), Big Scary (Australia) and Kate Boy (Sweden).

After releasing their third full length album ‘North of Nowhere’ in 2014 the pair packed a suit case and headed for Canada where they released a number of singles including ‘You Wanted to Go’ and ‘Hours’. Now back in New Zealand, The Response are excited to announce the release of their new EP on November 17. The ‘What Are You Waiting For?’ EP has been produced independently, with all duties undertaken by the resourceful pair.

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Nomad’s signature lush vocal layers, heady harmonies and infectious, indie-pop hooks have been winning over unsuspecting live audiences and on April 6 they release their debut studio album, ‘Can You Feel It?’.

Recorded as 19-year-olds, Producer Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, Pop Strangers) describes it as a “process of discovery”.

To celebrate the release they have announced a string of shows to follow their appearance at Homegrown 2018. They will return to Christchurch’s Blue Smoke on April 28.

Auckland’s Alae will be joining them as special guests.

Aasha Mallard, Will McGillivray and Cullen Kiesanowski formed nomad at school and their very different musical tastes collide to shape their alt-pop sound.

“They were looking for their individual voices and also a combined musical identity” says Healy. “This shared musical world is most audible in the harmonies, a communal voice comprised of Will’s deep baritone, Cullen’s midrange rasp and Aasha’s breathless falsetto.

But their shared language is also in the album’s ambition, in nomad’s desire to grow, and in the emotional rawness and honesty”.

The album features songs from each of the members and two written with Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), was recorded and mixed by Healy at his studio and mastered by Jared Hirschland.

nomad made their mark on the New Zealand charts with the undeniably catchy singles ‘Oh My My’ (gold sales and a nomination for Best Newcomers at the Music Awards) and ‘Love Will Call’.

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Everybody’s favourite thrash-party rockers DZ Deathrays are celebrating the launch of their new record ‘Bloody Lovely’ by touring Australia and New Zealand in April/ May 2018. Joining them on the road in New Zealand will be three of the most up and coming bands of the moment; Wax Chattels (AKL), BEST BETS (CHC) and Hans Pucket (WLG).

The record saw the band go back to their roots to make a strong, good old fashioned party rock record that still displays just how much their songwriting has developed since their two previous ARIA-Award winning records.

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“Ebony Lamb’s standing as one of the country’s coolest, most sultry voices” The Listener

Supreme sweethearts of New Zealand alt-country, Eb & Sparrow bring their highly anticipated third record SEEING THINGS on tour throughout New Zealand with curated visual installation – Don’t miss this special one of a kind show folks!

“This is the sound of your new favourite band” Simon Sweetman, Off The Tracks.

On the back of their previous release Sun/Son (2015, Country Music Award Finalists for album & song 2016) Eb & Sparrow have gained national recognition and have become renowned for their self-carved niche and unique musical style in the ever- widening scope that is New Zealand Americana.

Seeing Things is written by front-woman Ebony Lamb and arranged by Eb & Sparrow, recorded in the historic homestead Ahiaruhe, in the heart of the Wairarapa January 2017, with Tui award winning producer and sound engineer Brett Stanton (NZ/Melbourne) who co-produced with the band. Utilising vintage recording equipment and instruments in the large wooden building to take advantage of the lush textures and presence, the band has pulled out all the stops.

The rhythm section, consists of new drummer Justin Barr (Golden Awesome) Chris Winter on bass, keys & trumpet, Ebony Lamb on electric guitar Gram Antler on electric guitar and bass & Bryn Heveldt on lapsteel.

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James Kenyon is a Victorian singer-songwriter and composer. He has established himself as one Australia’s new wave of songwriters and performs regularly in Australia and internationally at both festivals and on extended tours.

Following up his critically acclaimed 2012 debut album ‘The North Pole’, Kenyon spent over 2 years crafting his sophomore release ‘Imagine you are Driving’, which was released through Little Lake and MGM records on October 7, 2016. Kenyon has been touring nationally to critical acclaim and the album appeared in numerous 2016 ‘best of’ lists including Radio National’s Inside Sleeve and Timber and Steel.

In the last 18 months, Kenyon has completed a 10 date tour of the UK and Europe, a 20 date tour of New Zealand and 3 tours of Australia, including 27 date tour single launch tour in November 2017, and been included in the Contemporary Music Program for the Melbourne Festival.

As a composer, Kenyon most recently collaborated with Nick Huggins to create the soundtrack for the New Zealand Feature film ‘The Inland Road’, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2017.

“Australia’s most underrated Songwriter” Gareth Evans, Timber and Steel

“Exploring the creative potential of soundscape in songwriting, he places the listener in the landscapes he depicts with sensitive artistry. A meditative, authentic journey that is genuinely in tune with its subject.” Jessie Cunniffe. Sydney Morning Herald – Four Stars

“What a great Songwriter..it’s not hyperbole to suggest he follows in the footsteps of Paul Kelly and Don Walker” PaulGough, The Inside Sleeve, ABC Radio

National “What a beautiful songwriter” Nkechi Anele, Triple J

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After a huge year that saw the Sydney singer-songwriter release his self-produced EP “Lost in a Dream” and stage some 100+ shows across the globe, Mark Wilkinson doesn’t look to slow down in 2018 as he unveils his much anticipated full length record “Wasted Hours” (out Feb 9) and returns to the road.

“He truly has a gift for poetic lyrics…There’s a glow of warm around him and a richness to his supreme voice, sending shivers down spines as he pulls you into the soul of him.”— Hazel Buckley, TheMusic.com.au

Don’t miss the chance to catch one of his powerful and moving live performances Blue Smoke, as he showcases songs from his new album alongside many familiar fan favourites.

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New Zealand cricketing great John Wright and his band The Sou’westers are touring New Zealand this April.

Catch them at Blue Smoke on Friday 6th!

John Launched his debut album Red Skies at a concert in Motueka in 2017 and returns to the stage in 2018 with his insightful songs and stories about travelling the world as an international cricketer and coach.

The first New Zealand test batsman to score 5000 test runs in first-class cricket, John went on to coach both the New Zealand and Indian cricket teams. He is currently coach of the Derbyshire cricket team and is involved as a scout for the IPL Mumbai Indians.

Backed by The Sou’Westers his songs and yarns tell of his many tours of duty as a high profile international sportsman, observer and solitary songwriter.

The Sou’Westers is a songwriting collective featuring Aly Cook, Liam Ryan and Dean Hetherington. The band began playing together in 2010 and has released one highly successful album – Going West.

Expect an evening of fine musicianship, rich harmonies and tales from the road.

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Returning to Aotearoa after tearing up Splore (Auckland) and San Fran (Wellington) back in 2016 with an extended visit to our shores for a full six date headline tour .

SEE THE CUBAN BROTHERS live at Blue Smoke this March!

An unstoppable, infectious force of nature, The Cuban Brothers’ unrivalled funk and soul review blends sexy, soulful music with jaw-dropping b-boy action and riotous comedy. Born of the loins of seventies Havana, nurtured on a diet of soulful, sexy tunes and inspired by Cuban historical fact and mythology – their fresh approach to live entertainment whips up a frenzy at every opportunity.

Despite much inappropriate touching, the band’s delirious rhythms, lightning wit, and gentle ribbing of world famous artists has seen them personally chosen to play by Elton John, Robbie Williams and Richard Branson. Off stage, their acclaimed debut album, Yo Bonita!’, which took the skittish dynamics of their live show into the studio, and TV & film appearances, including Ill Manors, Cuban Fury and Sunshine on Leith continue to expose them to new audiences worldwide. Allow it!

Get out, up and at ’em for a not to be missed live show experience this coming March with the Cuban Brothers .

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In support of their anticipated Second Album ‘Blend Inn’, out February on Farmer & The Owl. via Inertia Music.

The album is Hockey Dad’s boldest output to date, a natural progression for the two as they face the tribulations of young adulthood, a theme reflected across the record. “Homely Feeling” emerges as an ode to their roots; “Join The Club” relays the struggle for self-identity in the face of societal expectation, whilst lighter moments like “Sweet Release” see the duo experiment , showcasing Fleming on vocals for the first time.

Hockey Dad came 54 in Triple J Hottest 100 with ‘Homely Feeling’ (first single from “Blend Inn’), sold out a National tour across Australia and Debuted at No. 6 on the Aria charts

They’ll be joined on their NZ tour by Brisbane rockers, Good Boy.

The past 18 months have seen the duo embark on sold out national and regional tours, perform at Falls Festival Lorne and on the main stage at Splendour In The Grass, plus tour extensively across the US, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, the UK. Returning home, they hit the road as main support on a 25+ date tour with iconic Aussie rock band Grinspoon, and most recently, wrapped up a run with Dune Rats and Wavves playing in some of the country’s biggest rooms.

Landing in Seattle, the recording of Blend Inn began with renowned audio engineer and producer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Cloud Nothings, Death Cab for Cutie) at Robert Lang Studios. The studios, supposedly haunted, echo with their iconic past – housing many of rock’s legends over its time including Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and most notably, Nirvana, who recorded their last song inside – the mic used in Kurt Cobain’s final studio recording still hanging in tribute. Here, Hockey Dad found a home away from home – immortalising their time in the album artwork, which depicts the house in a film photo captured by Fleming.

Whilst the momentum of Hockey Dad lies in their consistent execution of their undeniable brand of rock-pop on both the stage and in recording – the true heart of the band exists in their long standing, personal friendship – having first met as kids, growing up together two doors apart.

BLUE SMOKE OPEN ALL DAY FROM 10AM SERVING FOOD & DRINK – LIVE MUSIC FROM 2PM!

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The Tannery are celebrating St Paddy’s Day and the onset of Autumn with a Market. There will be sale tables, store specials and local crafts & designers selling their wares.

Blue Smoke will be open all day, serving an autumnal slow cooked menu from our AGA kitchen, we’ll have hand crafted drinks, barrister coffee and plenty of live music to enjoy.

Brendan Gregg will be performing a Celtic buskers style set in the Tannery atrium from 11am.

And then local brother, sister duo, Amiria Grenell & Oakley Grenell will be playing live on the Blue Smoke stage between 2pm and 5pm.

This is perfect opportunity to bring the family out for an afternoon of fine fare and festivity

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Four world class New Zealand songwriters on one stage!

CANDICE MILNER, EMMA CAMERON, MATTY SMITH & MICHAEL MORRIS.

Candice Milner is from the seemingly sleepy hollow that is the port town of Lyttelton. Her debut album ‘Evergreen’ recently made her a finalist for the 2018 NZ Folk Album Tui.

Emma Cameron is the lead singer and of Christchurch rock band, Decades. It’s not very often this voice gets heard with the subtleties of an acoustic backing, so it’s a rare treat for her to be joining this line up for a stripped back set of Decades tracks.
Matty Smith is a singer songwriter who writes from instinct, often ignoring conventions of song structure and form. His rich and abstract lyrics give us a glimpse inside the mind of this very talented young artist at the beginnings of his solo career.

Michael Morris is a psychedelic songwriter and a veteran of 10+ national tours, an Australian jaunt and a critically acclaimed album release with his band The River Jesters, Michael now branches out as a solo act on his first tour alone, visiting 20+ NZ destinations. He is currently recording his debut album Slow Loris which is expected for release late 2018 after he relocates to Europe.

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Honouring the old-school Motown sound and working it into something of their very own, Melbourne four-piece, The Teskey Brothers, stunned many in 2017 with their gorgeous debut album, HALF MILE HARVEST.

With support from The Butlers

A raw combination of soul and blues, the record has warmed the hearts of listeners all around the world. After a string of sold-out shows in Australia, US and the UK, as well as opening for Angus and Julia Stone on their current NZ tour, The Teskey Brothers will make their New Zealand headline debut in March 2018.

Written by all four band members, the album was recorded in their own home studio, self-produced and released independently.

Listening to the record, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the work of Stax Records alumni in Memphis circa ’67 rather than a group of 20-somethings from the Yarra Valley just outside of Melbourne.

On stage, singer Josh Teskey’s smoked whiskey voice defies expectation, flooring audiences. The band around him is in dynamite form building an irresistibly tight groove around heartfelt soulful melodies.

Don’t miss your chance to see this incredible band live at Blue Smoke.

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Kerikeri actor and musician Troy Kingi has recently dropped his sophomore album of galactic funk and soul, Shake That Skinny Ass All The Way To Zygertron, and will be hitting the road this February for a summer tour with his live group The Galactic Chiropractors and pals Electric Wire Hustle. Joining the fun will be Wellington beat producer Borrowed CS and Christchurch songwriter Mark Vanilau. Get ready to boogie your butt into outer space.

Fresh off their NZ tour with British band Alt-J, Clap Clap Riot will be hitting the road in February for four dates across the country.

They’ll be bringing their critically acclaimed firecracker of a live performance to the main centres of New Zealand – Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington.

They’ll be joined on the road by some close friends – announcement to follow.

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Auckland based singer-songwriter Ciaran McMeeken is excited to announce his

Which Way Shall We Go? Summer Tour!

Ciaran will be stopping at a massive 16 kiwi centres in January and February in support of his self-titled debut album which was released in August. Performing solo, he’ll be delighting fans with his incredible voice and classic singer-songwriter vibe – with support from solo artist and friend, Jasper Hawkins.

Starting his career in Dunedin, Ciaran self-released his debut EP The Valley in 2014, followed by 2015’s Screaming Man. In 2016 Ciaran was invited to join Avalanche City and Ronan Keating for their New Zealand tours and more recently was on the bill as support for American singer-songwriter Andy Grammer’s Auckland show.

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Sometimes it is necessary take opportunities when they come knocking, especially when they come in the form Esther Swift

“Swift is one of the UK’s most innovative and exciting contemporary harpists. In her composition, songwriting and performance she creates a music which is profound and daringly vulnerable whilst drawing on influences which range from contemporary classical, alternative pop and the Scottish tradition”.

It has come to Blue Smoke’s attention that Esther Swift will be passing through Christchurch on Monday the 12th of February (yes that’s tomorrow), so we felt it would be remiss of us not to gather our resources and throw an impromptu, last minute and intimate, folk family gathering for her.

Adam McGrath & Jess Shanks of THE EASTERN were lucky enough to meet Esther at the Auckland Folk Festival a few weeks back and have therefor taken her under their wing. They’ll sing some songs also, by way of introduction, before handing her the stage.

Blue Smoke will be open from 7pm and the show will start 7:30pm sharp. Tickets are $15 (or whatever you can afford) on the door.

Esther Swift writes songs about her homeland of Scotland, drawing on her folk roots and taking inspiration from nature and the people she meets along the way. An eclectic blend of jazz, folk, classical and everything in between Esther will share with you her stories and musical experiences from around the world.

“What one notices immediately is how contemporary her sound is. The harp is used by Swift as less a heavenly instrument and more a bold alternative to the acoustic guitar. Swift’s voice is sultry, settling and sensuous as she sings with confidence and a wry smile…Over the sombre vocals of The Scots Pine and breathless Pinus Silvestrus, Swift takes us on a journey through the Scottish landscape that is draped in traditional stylings. There’s an organic quality to her playing as she veers dramatically from poised, fluid and precise movements to those rich, dark and sweeping bass notes.”

Blue Smoke hosts The Nostalgia Fest After Party featuring Lisa Tomlins, The Presidents Of Funk and Jed Parson & Friends.

Featuring vocalist Lisa Tomlins, The Presidents Of Funk perform an authentic program that will take you back to the 60’s & 70’s, paying tribute to one of the true icons of Soul; The Godfather, James Brown. As well as having esteemed vocalist, Lisa Tomlins fronting the band, she is backed by some of Wellingtons finest musicians.

With members from groups such as Hollie Smith, Richter City Rebels, The Jac, Lord Echo and The Rodger Fox Big Band, this lineup is sure to bring the funk.

Prepare your ears and your dance moves for some of the most soulful songs on the planet. Incorporating tunes such as ‘Sex Machine’, ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’, ‘I Feel Good’ and ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’, this show has something for everyone! Don’t forget your dancing shoes.

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You want me to tell you the secrets to good times?

Believe you can live in the Deep down real soul of life.

This is the organisation, the law of passion.

SOUL TRAIN.

Bad Gin Sanctuary bring to you again, the night of your life.

Filled to the brim with pelvic swings, high kicks and smooth licks.

Featuring DJ ALEMENTAL. & SOUL MATES.

Sax offenders welcome.

SOUL TRAIN

STRICTLY FUNK AND SOUL, GUARANTEED GOOD TIMES.

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Nick Dow celebrates his new single with support from our very own, soulfully talented Emily C Browning.

Equal parts Jeff Buckley, John Mayer and James Blake, Nick has been heralded as one of New Zealand’s ‘most promising new artists’.

His music will weave an emotive thread through your heart, landing down at your tapping feet. Auckland born, but having spent most of his primary years in Christchurch, this album release show is bound to be special! With a five-piece band behind him, Nick Dow’s show at Blue Smoke will range from heart-breaking ballads through to high-energy jazz inspired grooves leaving you wanting to hear more from this exciting new voice.

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Cassels & Sons are excited to present The Richter City Rebels live at Blue Smoke!

The Richter City Rebels will be releasing their highly anticipated 2nd studio album, HARD WORK HARD MONEY at Blue Smoke on Saturday 20th January.

Cassels & Sons feel that this is worth celebrating, therefor they have decided to launch their new ‘Nostalgia Summertimes Ale’ to mark this most auspicious occasion.

The Richter City Rebels are NZ’s FIRST and FINEST second line band and HARD WORK HARD MONEY is rammed with their signature explosive beats and good-feel vibe; another joyful and juicy plate of strong, rich New Orleans fire!

The ‘Nostalgia Summertimes Ale’ will be the cooling tonic to a frenzied dance floor and will carry with it a ‘happy hour’ price tag and a taste of good things to come.

This year Cassels & Son’s are proud supporters of the Nostalgia Festival, which will take place in the Ferrymead Historic Park on February 10th, 2018. Cassels’ limited edition ‘Nostalgia Summertimes Ale’ is a seasonal brew inspired by the long golden days of summer and the joyful revelry that comes from hearing live music.
Revelry indeed! The RICHTER CITY REBELS promise to bring the ultimate Mardi Gras party to Blue Smoke! They have a sound that blends RnB, soul, hip-hop, jazz and funk with the heart and soul of New Orleans brass band music. Incorporating trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone, and percussion with stylish original melodies and shouts, funked-up pop tunes and bouncing hip-hop, the Rebels’ sound embodies the musical melting pot of Louisiana.

“The music swaggers, it’s big and it’s bold. It’s like a hug from grandpa” – Stuff

“The Rebels are brilliant, they fill the room every time. Wild, wild party music, New Orleans second line is alive and well in Wellington!” – Gwilym Waldren (Rogue & Vagabond)

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After bringing down the house at WOMAD 2017, JUNO-Award winning Canadian trio The East Pointers announce their return to New Zealand in January 2018 for a run of dates with NZ luminary, Mel Parsons.

Dazzling musicianship and wild live shows have connected The East Pointers with audiences across the globe, making original roots music the hippest thing going. Currently on a world tour, the trio released their second album, What We Leave Behind in late September.

Having charted in the iTunes New Zealand Top 10 earlier in 2017 after their first (and only) NZ appearance at WOMAD NZ, the band are looking forward to reacquainting themselves with some of their most enthusiastic crowds yet.

‘We can’t wait to get back to New Zealand,’ says Koady Chaisson, who plays banjo in the trio. ‘It is such a beautiful country and we’re so grateful we got to see what we did when we were out for WOMAD NZ – but we’re looking forward to getting a little further afield. We’re also so lucky to be touring with Mel… she reckons she’s a pretty good tour guide.

As a follow-up to 2015’s internationally acclaimed, JUNO Award-winning debut Secret Victory, What We Leave Behind reflects on the traditions of East Coast Canadian Celtic music, but also takes giant strides in new directions. With a captivating balance between their traditional-sounding instrumental tunes, and radio-ready songs, The East Pointers reach out with open arms to a wide range of listeners, inviting them to discover a love for a new style of music.

The trio write about real life, sketching out its joys and sorrows in vivid strokes. That palpable authenticity makes their instrumental tunes practically cartwheel and infuses their lyric-driven songs with poignancy. Listening to The East Pointers’ brilliant second album – produced by superstar East Coast-bred songwriter/producer Gordie Sampson – is akin to meeting up with an old friend – and then going out for twenty drinks.

Mel Parsons has strong connections with the Canadian music scene and says “I’ve seen The East Pointers lift the roof off various festival venues overseas, and I’m super stoked they’ve managed to squeeze in a NZ run into this world tour. I’m so excited for audiences here to see the show and discover their music – the live show is really next level”. Parsons, who is currently working on a new record, will join the trio for the Christchurch, Wellington, and Paekakariki shows.

The flip side of What We Leave Behind – and of The East Pointers’ electrifying concerts – are scorching instrumental tunes that yank the freewheeling, Celtic past into the present.

“Traditional music has always been at the core of what we do as a band,” explains Jake Charron. “There’s something powerful about a style of music that has been passed on for generations around the world.”

New Zealand fans of the trio can see them live when they touch down for their tour with Mel Parsons in early 2018.

The trio’s first ever show in Christchurch is not to be missed!

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Two of New Zealand’s finest songwriters together on stage for an evening of yarns, ballads and barnstormers.

Barry Saunders of The Warratahs and Adam McGrath of THE EASTERN are both known for the rolling, rambling, spirit raising atmospheres they project in their respective live shows.

So it seems only fitting that Saunders and McGrath will be coming together this December for an evening of good old fashioned folk singing and Christmas hope building; bring along a children’s toy or gift to donate to Birthright Christchurch (a not for profit organization that provides support to solo parents). All gifts big or small will be gratefully accepted and much appreciated.

http://www.birthrightchch.org.nz/

McGrath has been described as; “NZ’s toughest minded songwriter” – Graham Reid

And as simply “The Truth” – Barry Saunders

And Saunders himself is truly a New Zealand icon, with a career that has spanned thirty years.

“Barry Saunders sings about the changes that happen around us, changes we can do nothing to prevent, as well as the ones that take place inside. And he does it better and more recognizably than just about anyone” – Nick Bollinger RNZ

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An intimate soulful performance from an acoustic guitar sensation.

Winner of three New Zealand Music awards Paul Ubana Jones, born in London to a Yorkshire mother and a Nigerian father, Paul was playing guitar by the age of 11. Three decades and nine albums later, he continues to perform throughout New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the USA.

Paul has shared the stage and toured with the best: BB King, Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, Norah Jones, Keb Mo, Crowded House, Tuck and Patti… He has delighted Festival audiences at the Dublin Blues Festival, Byron Bay Blues Festival, Vancouver Island Folk Festival, Blues at Bridgetown, and many others across Europe.

¨A national treasure, Paul Ubana Jones is so much more than one man with a guitar. He is a conjurer of unique and original folk songs, rooted in primal Blues and Soul.¨

¨Trying to describe just how good Paul Ubana Jones is, is like trying to define why the Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world – words pale in comparison.¨ – Evening Post

MUSIC FOR THE HEAD, HEART & FEET

After a break of six years, the iconic country-roots band The Coalrangers gather from both sides of the Southern Alps to perform at Blue Smoke.

The Coalrangers are a hard act to pigeon-hole, as they have always comfortably straddled numerous musical genres. They have produced three acclaimed albums that showcase the eclectic range of this unique group.

Their first CD Coast To Coast won the Country Album of the Year at the 1996 Tui Music Awards. This was followed by Home Tonight which highlighted the songwriting talents of the band members.

In 2005 the popular Harbour Light Sessions was released. This live album was recorded at the Coalrangers’ annual Office Christmas Party held each December at the much-lamented Harbour Light Theatre in Lyttelton. A popular album that recorded the diversity, unmistakable musicianship and live appeal of this iconic South Island band.

“Their music is a reflection of each member’s tastes and influences. Besides the obvious country and blues, there’s also calypso, reggae and folk music as well as songs such as 36 V8 Ford, Louisville, Otira, Karamea Cowboy and West Coast

Bound, that positively drip with the imagery of where they’re from”. Audio Culture

Yumi Zouma return to New Zealand to support Lorde at her Christchurch release show for Melodrama and for three special shows off the back of a European, North America, Japanese and Philippines tour in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Willowbank.

The New Zealand leg of the tour will be a club night extravaganza rolling late into the evening with special guests, DJ’s, smoke machines, a disco ball and positive energy.

‘New Zealand is where we wrote Willowbank and where we will finish 2 and a 1/2 months of touring. Put your troubles aside, come and laugh, live, party and celebrate being alive with us.’ – Yumi Zouma

Live in Christchurch – Greg Johnson and Mel Parsons! A dream New Zealand tour of songs and swagger – hits our nation’s favourite concert venues November 9-26.

Mel and Greg will perform together and alone alongside their super-talented hybrid band featuring Ted Brown, Josh Logan and Jed Parsons.

For Mel, 2017 has been a busy year of touring New Zealand, Australia, and Europe in support of her highly acclaimed third album Drylands:

“We’re going to have great fun with each other’s songs. Touring around some of my favourite NZ venues on the cusp of summer with Greg and a great band – bring it on!”

Greg’s forthcoming EP ‘Low Frequency Word’ will be released prior to the tour and available on CD at the shows.

Expect plenty of songwriting gems from the pair responsible for the likes of Save Yourself, I Won’t Let You Down, Isabelle, Far Away, Don’t Wait Another Day, Get Out Alive, Now The Sun Is Out, and many many more.

PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT

“Channeling Roy Orbison at moments with a good sense of humor great songs and one of the best voices at Newport, New Zealand’s Marlon Williams.” – Bob Boilen NPR All Songs Considered

Marlon Williams returns with “Vampire Again,” his first new material since releasing his acclaimed debut album in 2015 and touring relentlessly around the world, including performances on CONAN, Later…with Jools Holland, opening for Bruce Springsteen and picking up both an ARIA Award nomination and two New Zealand Music Awards.

Following Williams’ recent performances at the Newport Folk Festival and Portland’s Pickathon, he’ll hit the road throughout the rest of the month supporting City & Colour throughout before returning home to New Zealand to play three intimate full band shows this November. These will be Marlon William’s first headline shows in New Zealand since March 2016’s sold out Powerstation show!

In creating “Vampire Again,” Williams returned home to Lyttelton to re-engage in the writing process and work again with producer Ben Edwards. Below he discusses the story behind the song. Watch the accompanying video, directed by Williams in collaboration with UK cinematographer Steve Gullick. It’s a tragicomic vignette of a societal outcast – misshapen, uncomfortable, humorous and a little touching.

Marlon says of new single Vampire Again – The germination of this song began in LA last year. It was indeed Halloween again, and I was bored, having spent a week locked away in an Airbnb by the airport trying in vain to write a song. Any song. Nothing came. So Halloween comes around and I figure, “Hey, I’m gonna go out tonight. Alone. Comfortably alone. Comfortably alone to see the LA Opera performing a new score to accompany my fave scary flick Nosferatu at the Ace Hotel. I’m gonna dress as the spindly creep himself. What’s more, I’m gonna get super blazed before I go. And be comfortably alone.”

So, off I go, having spent far too much on a last minute outfit, and step out of the Uber and onto the red carpet with a nauseating air of self-confidence. “This is my night. I am strong. I am human and it is my right to express myself how I see fit.” Turns out I was running late, and when I finally enter the theatre everyone was already seated and the overture had begun. What’s more, no one else was dressed up. Well they were, but in tuxedos and lovely dresses. And there was nowhere for stoned ole spindleboots to sit. So, I hunched and crawled my way down the aisle and sat on the floor like it was the most reasonable thing to do at an opera.

I made it through the whole film and then calmly turned tail, satisfied that I’d had a good time and sure that I’d heard whispers of “bad-ass” as I left the building. I’d like to believe that this was, at least in part, the catalyst for a whole new period in my life and my art. But that’s bullsh*t.

Anyway, here it is, my own demented tale of New Age self-affirmation; “Vampire Again.”

PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT

“Channeling Roy Orbison at moments with a good sense of humor great songs and one of the best voices at Newport, New Zealand’s Marlon Williams.” – Bob Boilen NPR All Songs Considered

Marlon Williams returns with “Vampire Again,” his first new material since releasing his acclaimed debut album in 2015 and touring relentlessly around the world, including performances on CONAN, Later…with Jools Holland, opening for Bruce Springsteen and picking up both an ARIA Award nomination and two New Zealand Music Awards.

Following Williams’ recent performances at the Newport Folk Festival and Portland’s Pickathon, he’ll hit the road throughout the rest of the month supporting City & Colour throughout before returning home to New Zealand to play three intimate full band shows this November. These will be Marlon William’s first headline shows in New Zealand since March 2016’s sold out Powerstation show!

In creating “Vampire Again,” Williams returned home to Lyttelton to re-engage in the writing process and work again with producer Ben Edwards. Below he discusses the story behind the song. Watch the accompanying video, directed by Williams in collaboration with UK cinematographer Steve Gullick. It’s a tragicomic vignette of a societal outcast – misshapen, uncomfortable, humorous and a little touching.

Marlon says of new single Vampire Again – The germination of this song began in LA last year. It was indeed Halloween again, and I was bored, having spent a week locked away in an Airbnb by the airport trying in vain to write a song. Any song. Nothing came. So Halloween comes around and I figure, “Hey, I’m gonna go out tonight. Alone. Comfortably alone. Comfortably alone to see the LA Opera performing a new score to accompany my fave scary flick Nosferatu at the Ace Hotel. I’m gonna dress as the spindly creep himself. What’s more, I’m gonna get super blazed before I go. And be comfortably alone.”

So, off I go, having spent far too much on a last minute outfit, and step out of the Uber and onto the red carpet with a nauseating air of self-confidence. “This is my night. I am strong. I am human and it is my right to express myself how I see fit.” Turns out I was running late, and when I finally enter the theatre everyone was already seated and the overture had begun. What’s more, no one else was dressed up. Well they were, but in tuxedos and lovely dresses. And there was nowhere for stoned ole spindleboots to sit. So, I hunched and crawled my way down the aisle and sat on the floor like it was the most reasonable thing to do at an opera.

I made it through the whole film and then calmly turned tail, satisfied that I’d had a good time and sure that I’d heard whispers of “bad-ass” as I left the building. I’d like to believe that this was, at least in part, the catalyst for a whole new period in my life and my art. But that’s bullsh*t.

Anyway, here it is, my own demented tale of New Age self-affirmation; “Vampire Again.”

Dunedin alt-pop bands Soaked Oats and Marlin’s Dreaming are having a joint release party at Blue Smoke this November.

Dunedin four-piece Soaked Oats describe their sound as ‘shoulder pop’, and while we’re not exactly sure what that means, their certainly serving up some sonic goodness. They write songs with thoughtful lyricism and guitar-driven indie-pop sounds.

Over the cooler months, the band have hunkered down – writing and recording new material, as well as playing a plethora of shows including opening slots for touring acts Tiny Ruins, Clap Clap Riot, and Ha The Unclear.

Soaked Oats are excited to perform new songs off ‘No Slip Ups’ as well as songs from their first EP ‘Stone Fruit Melodies’

Marlin’s Dreaming have just released their debut single ‘Cheeky Kids’. It has gained some great traction peaking at number 5 on the NZ VIRAL Charts on Spotify as well as appearing on over 20 international magazines/blogs

Have you ever unexpectedly stumbled upon a tune that you just cannot stop playing throughout your day? A tune that you can completely relate with that makes you happy? Here’s a little group from Dunedin, New Zealand with combined sounds of alt-rock and roll and psychedelic funk. Founded and fronted by lead singer Semisi and guitarist Tim, Marlins Dreaming new single ‘Cheeky Kids’ is an independent track indeed, as it makes us feel fresh and brand new. It’s music that you’d want to hear while making some of the best memories in your life. It’s a song full of independence and a motivator for you to get out and explore the beautiful earth on a sunny day.

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Matthew Smith returns to Blue Smoke this November support from Amarina Waters and H’man Kaa. Playing with his full band he will be performing songs from his debut LP as well as singing new material live for the very first time.

He has been writing new material for the last three months and these new songs will be on his next album to be recorded early in the new year.

Come and get a sneak preview. This will be a special show and one not to miss!

Matthew Smith has been writing songs from the age of thirteen and he is no stranger to the New Zealand music scene having performed for many years as front man for rock n roll outfit Von Voin Strum. In 2016 Smith embarked on a solo career and recorded his first self titled LP, released earlier this year.

His influences are wide and varied from Bright Eyes to Father John Misty and his blend of Indie folk and alt country are showcased with his soulful voice and heartfelt songwriting. Smith will perform with his all star band featuring; Tom Harris, Shaun Burke, H Kaa and Emily Browning, they have invited special guests Tom Maxwell to open the show.

Amarina Waters plays indie folk with dreamscape electric guitars, there’s a thread of redemption and gratitude about her songs. They are good humoured, delicate and melodic; romantic yet strikingly candid.

An active and much loved member of the Melbourne music community, sharing a stage with the likes of Kelly Day and Jane Hendry (Broads) Al Parkinson, Emilee South, James Kenyon, Brooke Russell, Ayleen O’Hanlon and Gretta Ray to name a few, she’s now bringing her music out into the limelight.

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GRAEME JAMES – WISH YOU WELL TOUR

Farewell New Zealand tour announced!

Graeme James is back with his raucous, foot-stomping new single Wish You Well; available to stream and download today.

http://www.graemejamesmusic.com/

A timely tune about saying farewell to a friend off to travel the world, Wish You Well has become a very personal and fitting song for Graeme, as he prepares to relocate to Europe for adventures of his own with wife Zoe in mid-2018.

Graeme is proud to announce a huge New Zealand tour before he moves overseas, playing shows in some of his favourite spots around the country to say goodbye to the local fans who have been instrumental in his success so far.

Graeme James started out playing violin as a seven year old with the desire to become a classical concert violinist.

However It was while he was at university in Palmerston North that he put down the violin and started learning other instruments, the most significant of which being the acoustic guitar which enabled him to start writing and playing his own songs.

In desperate need of some cash to repair his car while on a New Year holiday in 2012, Graeme hit the streets of Gisborne for his first ever loop pedal busking session and the response from the public was so positive he was back on the road in two days.

Graeme had always written his own songs, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he began performing them live and his original material was met with immediate interest from fans. His first single ‘Alive’ was released in late 2015 and ended up placing second in a major international songwriting competition and has gone on to accumulate nearly 2 million streams on Spotify.

His debut original album ‘News From Nowhere’ released in September 2016 peaked at number three on New Zealand album chart and number 26 on the Top 40 album chart. It was a finalist in the NZ Music Awards 2017 Folk Album of the Year. A collection of songs written while touring the length and breadth of New Zealand, the album drew inspiration from the beauty and immensity of Aotearoa’s famous landscapes, and is intensely visual in its writing and sound.

The News From Nowhere Album Tour featured a string of sold out shows across the country and was followed by a summer of national and international festival appearances cementing Graeme’s reputation as a captivating live performer and recording artist.

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Following the release of their debut album in June The Ahern Brothers have not slowed down. The talented duo sold out a string of shows across Australia on their album release tour, before heading back out on the road for 24 shows from Sydney to Darwin in support of Australian music icons Tex, Don & Charlie.

This October they are headed to New Zealand to play a run of shows in some beautiful, intimate venues across the country. The tour kicks off on Wednesday 18 October at the Portland Public House in Auckland, wrapping up on Sunday 29 October with a show at the Pigeon Bay Social Club.

The response to The Ahern Brothers debut album has been phenomenal, with four star reviews from Rolling Stone and the Courier Mail. Their live show has been called ‘a soothing sonic whiskey, indeed’ by The Music, speaking of big things to come from these talented singer-songwriters.

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Die! Die! Die! have announced a 5-date New Zealand tour to coincide with the emersion of their explosive new album, Charm. Offensive. due for worldwide release on October 6th on LP, CD and digitally.

Drenched in the storied history and traditions of post-punk, noise pop, shoegaze, lo-fi, and punk rock, Charm. Offensive. is the sound of a thousand different nights played out in dingy bars, ramshackle DIY venues, and decaying concert halls around the globe. It’s also the sixth full-length album from Die! Die! Die! Charm. Offensive. features the single ‘How Soon Is Too Soon (It’s Not Vintage It’s Used),’ currently #1 on the alternative airplay chart, and new single Bottlecaps and Phones (I Cant See You), released today. Both tracks are a telling reminder of why they’re one of the most enduring and unapologetic bands to emerge out of New Zealand in over a decade.

Banished Music and Under The Radar proudly presents

Die! Die! Die! Charm.Offensive. New Zealand tour

Legendary New Zealand band SNEAKY FEELINGS’ New Album PROGRESS JUNCTION LP Tour

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Released on Flying Nun Records August 2017

How do you explain a near thirty-year gap between albums? Perfectionism maybe

….. tardiness certainly…… but it is well worth the wait.

Sneaky Feelings, one of the original Dunedin Sound bands formed in the early 1980s return with a brand-new album of original songs. And they are going on the road to support it!

Sneaky Feelings was drawn to a wider variety of musical styles than most early Flying Nun bands and were one of the first to experiment in the recording studio. Perhaps what drove the band to push the limits of a pop band has been the fact that all four members write songs. And while the band may have not played much over the years, the individual members have continued to hone their songwriting skills.

The twelve songs on Progress Junction were recorded over two years in bass player John Kelcher’s Christchurch studio. There was no plan when the band began recording, the four members just had a bunch of songs that suited the Sneaky Feelings sound and feel. As the band put the album together they experimented by weaving in snippets of audio from New Zealand radio archives. Voices from the past started talking to the present.

True to the lost New Zealand egalitarian dream, each band member contributed three tracks, and although there was no grand design, each song reflects on an aspects of New Zealand life. The album starts with an invitation from the owner of a junk shop to inspect his treasures (Do You Like That Style?) and ends with Ghosts walking out of an abandoned town (Progress Junction). In between there are end of life decisions to be made at a retirement home (Castle of Dreams), celebration of friendship and summer (Summer Song), a warning against unnecessary entanglements (Other People’s Lives), a plea for academics to stay true to their calling (Don’t Come Down), and earthquakes……All the usual rock and roll subjects

…….. but are the band’s new preoccupations signs of maturity or symptoms of middle age decline? Do they amount to progress?

DISCOGRAPHY

1983 Send You Flying

1986 Sentimental Education

1986 Waiting for Touchdown (compilation)

1988 Hard Love Stories

1999 Positively George Street (compilation)

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The fans have asked (repeatedly) for it, and Anika Moa has listened. The beautiful, witty and talented singer/songwriter today announces four concerts for her grown up fans, and South Island dates for her Songs For Bubbas: Chop Chop Hiyaaa! show.

The In Swings The Tide 10th Anniversary Tour concerts will feature Anika and her band performing the album In Swings The Tide in full, along with brand new music and her biggest hits, with dates scheduled for Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. Anika’s producer and collaborator Jol Mulholland’s band Mulholland will be support act for all dates.

“I loved the idea of Shihad doing The General Electric in full so I am copying them basically.” Moa said. “I can’t wait to pour my heart out all over again and singing these songs that are 10 years old. Yay, I’m old! Speaking of old, I will be playing some of my new songs too – but who cares about that, let’s play In Swings The Tide!”

After a massive North Island tour in July and hundreds of requests from South Island parents, the Songs For Bubbas: Chop Chop Hiyaaa! show will visit Dunedin, Wanaka, Timaru and Christchurch this October School Holidays.

“I have genuinely loved taking this kids show on tour and I got so many death threats from mamas and papas from the deep South that I am touring down there for my personal safety (kidding). I’m just sorry it’s not more cities!”

Anika Moa with support by Mulholland

In Swings The Tide 10th Anniversary Tour

In celebration of Nick Cave’s 60th birthday – ‘The Boy Next Door’
FEATURING REB FOUNTAIN & DELANEY DAVIDSON

Beyond comparison, Beyond genre, Beyond dispute

Cave pens love eulogies that’ll sink you to your knees, performs like a revivalist, croons like a drunk, weeps like a banshee, mocks like the devil.

His undisputed musical genius has been drip-fed to the world over decades. In celebration of his 60th birthday we bring you The Boy Next Door – One night revelling in the majesty and wonder of Nick Cave’s songwriting prowess and performance spectacle.

Reb Fountain, Dave Khan, Ben Woolley, Dylan Storey & Logan Compaign channel the raucous, the brazen, the wisdom and the beauty of Nick Cave’s musical legacy with special guest Delaney Davidson. Collectively they have performed alongside some of New Zealand’s greatest musical talents including Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson, Don McGlashan, Dave Dobbyn and The Eastern.

Hear Nick Bollinger discuss Reb Fountain’s new album ‘Little Arrows’ here
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thesampler/audio/201855831/little-arrows-by-reb-fountain

Eb & Sparrow ‘To the West’ Single Release

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Supreme sweethearts of New Zealand alt-country, Eb & Sparrow, bring you their new single “To The West” from their forthcoming third album, due out early 2018. To accompany this single release, the band will be taking to the road; performing an exclusive show at Blue Smoke with support from Fraser Ross.

“The country’s coolest, most sultry voices” The Listener

On the back of their previous release Sun/Son (2015, Country Music Award Finalists for album & song 2016) Eb & Sparrow have gained national recognition and have become renowned for their self-carved niche and unique musical style in the ever-widening scope that is New Zealand Americana.

“Grand, cinematic, and rich with anticipation” Lydia Jenkin NZ Herald

To The West, written by front-woman Ebony Lamb and arranged with Gram Antler, was recorded in the historic homestead Ahiaruhe, in the heart of the Wairarapa in January 2017, with Tui award winning producer and sound engineer Brett Stanton (NZ/Melbourne). Utilising vintage recording equipment and instruments in the large wooden building to take advantage of the lush textures and presence, the band has pulled out all the stops. The rhythm section, consisting of new drummer Justin Barr (Golden Awesome) Chris Winter on bass, takes a big step up and Ebony Lamb and Gram Antler on electric guitars and Bryn Heveldt on lapsteel provide the drama throughout. Lyttelton’s Anita Clark (Motte, Devilish Mary & the Holy Rollers) returns as the brainchild of the string section.

One Waka and The Caffeinated Collective mash it up in a display of live roots reggae and hip hop coming out of the heart of Otautahi.

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Having teamed up for a scorcher last summer these two local crews meet once again!

For a night which migrates from the Caffs energy filled, pass the mic style hip hop packed with alternative beats and locally referenced lyrics. To the Waka’s renowned culturally infused style of grass roots reggae

Out of the expanse of the Canterbury Plains comes One Waka. A 7-piece Reggae Roots Cooperative bringing their take on rockers rhythms, up skanked tempos and harmonic vibes.

Inspired by the authentic roots sounds of the 60s & 70s and iconic kiwi reggae & dub greats like The Black Seeds & Katchafire, One Waka have set out to bring those vibes to the live audiences of Christchurch, New Zealand for the past six years.

The Caffeinated Collective are from the depths of the Pacific — Beats brought to life by Caramel Smooth Heaven and flows so smooth by Seb The Vegabond, YourBoyTuha, Jimmy K and Blaz.. for now

Devin Abrams brings the full band to Christchurch for an exclusive headline performance, featuring all of his most recent works, in the intimate setting of Blue Smoke on September 9th.

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Pacific Heights is the solo electronica project of Wellington-based songwriter, music producer Devin Abrams aka DJ Reno. Best known for the fifteen years he spent as one of the founding members of New Zealand heavy soul band Shapeshifter, of late Devin’s focus has returned to his solo work, heralding the arrival of a new album titled The Stillness. For Devin, The Stillness is a statement on the emotional state that led to the album. “It encapsulates some very deep personal trials and served as a vessel for those pains to be broken,” he explains.

Since he began recording as Pacific Heights in 2002, Devin has used his unique command of melody and atmosphere to carve out his own lush takes on jungle/drum & bass, deep house, soul, hip-hop, future beats and beyond. Release by release, and performance by performance, he’s continued to assert his importance to electronic music in New Zealand.

His first album in eight years, The Stillness features guest appearances from a small but perfectly formed collection of New Zealand vocalists including Deanne Krieg, Jen Turner, Louis Baker and Shaan Singh (Drax Project). “Collaborating with these beautiful and talented people on the album kept me human and provided some refreshing musical perspectives,” he says. The result is a work that pays homage to his musical past and gives him the freedom to present his own takes on tasteful art-pop and progressive bass music at the same time. “I’m deeply attached to this album but feel ready for it to take flight and move into its own space.” The Stillness, a moment of pause and peace above troubled waters.

Special thanks to Jacob Yikes for the artwork.

Reb Fountain Announces New Studio Album and Tour – ‘Little Arrows’ with support from friends Hopetoun Brown

Reb Fountain Announces New Studio Album and Tour – ‘Little Arrows’

“Songwriters don’t come much better than this.” Radio NZ, William Dart

“Reb Fountain’s voice demands attention no matter what she sings.” The NZ Listener, James Belfield

It’s here – 6 years in the making – Reb Fountain’s album LITTLE ARROWS is set for release September 1st with an exclusive 4 tour date to follow.

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On the back of the acclaimed release of her EP Hopeful & Hopeless, Reb Fountain releases the second of her stellar projects: Little Arrows.

“It’s as though we’re standing on the edges of some gypsy carnival. The tempos may be lively, still there’s a brooding darkness about songs in which Fountain reflects on trust, betrayal and survival in a hostile world. If there is dancing, it’s a serious dance, the kind performed to exorcise some malign spirit. And in her singing, too, she seems to be drawing – like the Spanish duende – from the deeper and darker parts of the soul.” Nick Bollinger, RNZ

Little Arrows is rich full of songs about grappling with relationships, both personal and institutional, and countering injustice by fighting back with self, song and community.

Little Arrows began in the music den of her Grandmother’s home in Vancouver. Full of musical instruments, trinkets and photographs not to mention two pianos along with a fold out couch for when family or friends stopped through … which was often; Reb found solace and reflection in her familial space.

Reb writes and sings as if she just burst into song telling tales woven together; multiple stories running through, often concurrently, creating a landscape rich, diverse and universal. Her recently released EP Hopeful & Hopeless revealed her mastery of the folk tale. Little Arrows contains both folklore and pop; illuminating all sides of Reb – the dark the light, the rock, the roll; the folk and the lore that awashes between.

‘Little Arrows’ holds the key to a moment in time that can never be recaptured. A beautiful, creative collaboration between three gifted songwriters – Sam Prebble, Dylan Storey and Reb Fountain – bound in deep friendship. Irrespective of the time it took to develop, Little Arrows seems to be fit for purpose right here, right now. Reb manages to transcend folk, punk Americana, and fill the well of the political with heart and soul. Reb is a strong, independent voice, bent on carving her own line, embracing the hopeful and hopeless and creating a reflective sound for our times.

Come and join the Big Band Extravaganza and help them raise funds to support the Rodger Fox Big Band in their effort to get to the Monterey Jazz Festival in September. Rodger and his band members have done a lot to support us here in Christchurch and we wanted to show how grateful we are by making a contribution to their tour fund.

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Entry will be by a minimum of a $10 donation (but more happily accepted for this good cause!) and there will be food and drink available for purchase at the bar.

Doors at midday. Please spread the word among all your friends and family – it will be a wonderful afternoon and your support will be so appreciated.

12.20 Chisnallwood Intermediate Big Band

12.50 All Girl Big Band

1.40 River City Jazzmen

2.30 Garden City Big Band

3.20 Rangi Ruru Big Band

3.50 Ellesmere Big Band

4.40 Sideline Swing

Below is some information about the invitation the Band has received:

The Rodger Fox Big BandBand has been asked to perform at the 60th Monterey Jazz Festival in the US in September.

Festival organisers have recognised the pre-eminent status of the big band and invited them to join the line-up in its milestone anniversary year. Musical Director Rodger Fox is delighted with the unexpected invitation -it reflects the overseas reputation he and his players have achieved over the 40 years the band has been running.

In rolling out the red carpet, CEO of the festival, Tim Jackson, says “It’s a great honour to invite New Zealand’s acclaimed big band” to join the line-up in a milestone year.This festival is renowned as one of the world’s pre-eminent longest consecutively running jazz festivals, which makes the invitation to Rodger Fox particularly special.

Their programmes for the festival will include performances with US blues guitar master Chris Cain and a featured programme of New Zealand music.In addition to the Monterey Jazz Festival invitation, Rodger has arranged performances on the West Coast of America and a recording session at the acclaimed United Studios in Los Angeles. United is where top artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick and Diana Krall recorded many of their celebrated albums.

Rodger’s 20-musician big band is comprised of Wellington’s leading young talent, including Lauren Ellis – drums, Ben Hunt – Trumpet, Eilish Wilson – saxophone and Oscar Laven – Saxophone are all seem around Wellington in bands such as the Richter City Rebels and the Mingus Ensemble.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime for Rodger and all of the musicians. However with these opportunities come significant financial challenges.The Rodger Fox big band is a not-for-profit society, and the total tour budget is set at a minimum of $128,000, which the big band has had only four months to raise.

The Christchurch Faerie Circle Presents; The Labyrinth Masquerade Ball

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This event is now SOLD OUT

Featuring; Jareth the Goblin King, Hoggle, Magic Battles, Good Faeries,Goblins
Music; Rhomboid with Rachael Travaille

Prizes; Best Faerie Costume, Best Goblin Costume, Best Jareth Costume, Best Faerie Wings, Best Dancer, Best Mask

Australian metalcore band IN HEARTS WAKE have announced a special headline show at Christchurch’s Blue Smoke Room.

Prior to joining Northlane on their New Zealand tour dates, In Hearts Wake will play one night only in Christchurch on Thursday August 24 in celebration of their fourth and latest album release, Ark.

Tickets are available now for what is a rare Christchurch show by a world-class metal act.

Albion Place with support from Skymachine and Horizone

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

In celebration of their brand new single Easier, Albion Place are hitting the road with a four date tour around the country.

With the grit and honesty of a cold, damp flat and the invincible energy of a full day street party, the Albion Place flavour has become the soundtrack to the world renown Otago student lifestyle.

in 2015 (and for reasons still unknown) their single “I Will Not Forget” exploded into the online stratosphere, bringing with it new fans from all over the world.
The band are now at the forefront of a wave of new Dunedin bands that includes GROMz, The Shambles, Soaked Oats and more, who have been making an impact on a scale perhaps not seen since the legendary Dunedin Sound of the early 80s.

Having raked up a total of almost 1 million plays on Spotify, there is an eager anticipation around NZ and beyond as to what the next offering may be. The first single “Easier” came out in May and the band are set to take their fresh, exciting new sound on tour this coming Winter.

SHAYNE P CARTER & BAND

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Shayne P Carter and his band (Gary Sullivan drums, James Duncan bass) make their only New Zealand appearances of the year with a series of shows through the main centres in August.

James will be disappearing for most of the rest of the year to the Northern Hemisphere and this will be the trio’s last chance to get out there and show one person at least how it’s done.

The tour will coincide with the vinyl release of Shayne’s Taite Prize finalist “Offsider” album on Flying Nun, a record given five out of five by Metro and described as a “a giant “fuck you” to shallow music currents, and a triumph of pure expression”, Metro said the record was “like a painting so intriguing, you find yourself moving back through the gallery to that same room each time”

Shayne and band will be performing songs from not only Offsider but also tunes across his entire back catalogue, the hits and also several that never bothered the charts.

Shayne has been battened down this year down in Aramoana at the powerful and elemental top of the Otago Harbour working on a memoir that will either be called “Degrees Of Existence” or “Dead People I Have Known”.

He has ventured out occasionally to reprise his acclaimed two man show with Don McGlashan that toured the Arts Festival circuit and New Zealand’s more far flung centres, and occasionally making a horrible/beautiful noise with his improv band Carter Morley Yeats with two members of the Dead C.

Shayne is also this years musical director of APRA Silver Scrolls , which will be held for the first time in Dunedin in September at the Town Hall, and he has been making like a less repulsive and less conceited Simon Cowell juggling the merits of bands.

He also be touring Korea in August with the Altamira Dance Company where he joins Taonga Puoro master James Webster and plays live guitar on the piece “Pango” that he also toured through Taiwan and China with the company last year.

Soaked Oats with support from Pickle Darling & Brian Tamaki and the Kool Aid Kids

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Dunedin band Soaked Oats are embarking on a nationwide tour this August to perform songs from their new EP ‘No Slip Ups’

The tour – starting in Christchurch – will then take them through Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin, as the band searches for a less icy, more fruitful climate.

Over the cooler months, the band have hunkered down – writing and recording new material, as well as playing a plethora of shows including opening slots for touring acts Tiny Ruins, Clap Clap Riot, and Ha The Unclear.

Soaked Oats are excited to perform new songs off ‘No Slip Ups’ as well as songs from their first EP ‘Stone Fruit Melodies’ and they’ll be joined by Brian Tamaki & the Kool Aid Kids and Pickle Darling for their show at Blue Smoke.

They’ll be joined by Pickle Darling & Brian Tamaki and the Kool Aid Kids for their show at Blue Smoke.

Presented by Brent Eccles Entertainment, in conjunction with The Rock

Decades at Blue Smoke with support Skinny Hobos, Dead Favours & Bakers Eddy

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Four of New Zealand’s most exciting and emerging rock acts hit the road this July, playing in five centres across the country.

Decades, Skinny Hobos, Dead Favours and Bakers Eddy are the newest generation of NZ rock royalty and kick off the nationwide ALL OUR TRUTHS tour in Hamilton on July 14, before heading to Auckland on July 15, Wellington July 22, Christchurch July 28, then winding up in Dunedin on July 29.

THE BADS – LOSING HEROS ALBUM RELEASE SHOW – with support from Flip Grater & Terrible Sons

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Doors are at 8pm show at 8:30pm.

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Auckland alt-country duo The Bads – Brett Adams Dianne Swann have announced a seven-date tour to celebrate the release of their new album Losing Heroes.
Set for independent release on 7th July, the 11-song album was recorded across the summer of 2016 with Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room Studios in Lyttelton and follows their 2013 release Travel Light.

The Bads’ touring band holds a mighty punch of talent and experience featuring core members; Dianne Swann (Tim Finn, Dave McArtney, Flip Grater & more) and Brett Adams (Tim Finn, Tami Neilson, Rodriguez, Mockers, Gin Wigmore, Jan Hellriegel, Exponents). Also on the tour bus will be frequent live collaborators; Wayne Bell on drums, who has played with a huge list of people including Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Greg Johnson, Gin Wigmore, Jan Hellriegel. Accompanying them will be the inimitable Dave Khan, a multi-instrumentalist who has played with Don McGlashan, Marlon WIlliams, and Tami Neilson amongst many others. New to The Bads’ touring troupe is Ben King on bass and golden vocals from bands; Grand Rapids, Narentines and Goldenhorse.

It’s been a four year hiatus since the 2013 album, Travel Light, was released. The album reached #3 on the NZ Music Album Charts and regarded by many as one of the best NZ albums of all time.

“It’s an accomplished, beguiling record, one that should appeal to fans of Wilco and Crowded House, and deserves greater recognition.”
– 5/5 – TimeOut, NZ Herald

“Adams and Swann confirm that when it comes to songcraft and delivery they stand among our finest . . . albeit in that world where they have to struggle for the mainstream attention they so richly deserve….it’s time to pay attention to the Bads. Who are very, very good.”
-Graham Reid, Elsewhere.co.nz
Expect to hear more before the album release, and as their current fans know, The Bads are a great time live!! More music and some tour dates to come!

Steve Gunn at Blue Smoke with support from Grawlixes & Candice Milner

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

On his first musical journey to New Zealand, New York-based guitarist and songwriter Steve Gunn will play four solo shows across the country. Former guitarist in Kurt Vile’s The Violators as well as collaborator with Vile, Black Twig Pickers and Mike Cooper, Gunn will be bringing the personal and evocative new album Eyes On The Lines to New Zealand this July, as well as drawing from his significant and prolific catalogue of critically acclaimed solo, duo, and ensemble recordings.

Gunn’s roots in the underground run deep, from his days in GHQ to his collaborations with Black Twig Pickers and Mike Cooper. He’s toured and recorded with Michael Chapman, and released two remarkable duo albums with drummer John Truscinski. His solo ventures, emerging over the past decade and culminating most recently the highly-acclaimed Way Out Weather, have been pastoral, evocative affairs. Here he embraces his urban surroundings through a series of songs that fully showcase his extraordinary ability to match hooks to deftly constructed melodies. Gunn is a consummate guitarist, that rare fingerpicker who can harness the enigma of the American Primitive vernacular without lazily regurgitating it. His playing is inventive and full of personality. His instrumental virtuosity calls upon a vast library of technical skills at will, but he’s never showy — his riffs and runs are always in the service of the song at hand

‘The guitar playing, which is superb throughout, feels inextricably bound to the structure and shape of the melodies.’ ★★★★ – MOJO

‘He’s the hipster-friendly guitar slinger of the moment, in the spirit of John Fahey or Robbie Basho, with a lovely sun-glazed lilt to his fluid fingersmithery.’ ★★★★ – THE GUARDIAN

‘By embracing the expanse, his music has gotten bigger, and more universal”
★★★★ – PITCHFORK

‘So intimate and so mysteriously distant all at once’
– WASHINGTON POST

Theia at Blue Smoke

Kiwi electro-pop princess Theia has announced her first headline tour of New Zealand to celebrate the upcoming release of her highly-anticipated debut EP.

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

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It will be the first time Theia has played shows for the public in Auckland, Wellington and in her home-town of Christchurch. Special guests will open for Theia in each city.

The tour marks the June 30 release of Theia’s self-titled EP, which contains her hit song ‘Roam’, as well as the soaring anthem ‘Champagne Supernova’ and her current single ‘Treat You’.

The six-track record captures Theia at a career-defining moment in time and establishes the young Kiwi singer as a rare talent with a glittering future ahead of her.

Over summer 2016 / 2017, Theia performed her first-ever lives shows, playing to thousands of holidaymakers in hotspots across New Zealand, on the Electric Coastline Tour with Broods and Kings. She then played her first Australian tour in April, supporting electro act The Kite String Tangle in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. She’s now just returned from Los Angeles, where she was invited to play an industry showcase at the prestigious MUSEXPO.

Don’t miss your chance to see one of New Zealand’s newest and brightest emerging this July.

The Wedding Present with support from The Bats & Motte

Legendary British post-punk/indie band The Wedding Present return to New Zealand on the back of their ninth studio album Going, Going…

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Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Having formed in Leeds in 1985 around the lovelorn songwriting of David Gedge, the band soon acquired a reputation for bittersweet, breathtakingly honest songs of heartache immersed in whirlwind guitars — a jangly-yet-brawny sound, played at impossibly breakneck speeds, that was introduced to the world on their debut LP George Best.

NME called the album “an unmitigated delight” and subsequently invited The Wedding Present to contribute a track to the magazine’s C86 compilation — a cassette release that has remained hugely influential upon generations of noisy indie rock bands.

Over the course of the next three decades the band would find themselves exploring all kinds of sharp left turns like trying their hand at traditional Eastern European folk music on the album Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela, enlisting the aid of the noise-mongering (and, at that point, relatively unknown) sound engineer Steve Albini for their 1991 album Seamonsters, and the time they released twelve 7” singles, one per month for a whole year — an experiment that paid off when they equaled Elvis Presley’s 35-year-old record for “most hits in one year”!

Today, The Wedding Present can be found at the top of their game — their 2016 album Going, Going… having been described as their masterpiece. AllMusic says “It’s hard to deny the brilliance of a band that can crank out an album as passionate, hook-filled and flat-out fiery as this.”

On this tour, The Wedding Present will be performing songs from throughout their career.

August Fields with support from Smokin’ Voodoo & St Peters Thursday at Blue Smoke.

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Doors are at 8pm show at 8:30pm.

Three of the best of what CHCH has to offer with regards to hard hit, sock em in the jaw rock n’ f**kin’ roll.

Anyone who has seen one of August Fields’ high energy shows will know that what they bring to the stage is crowd-engaging power pop tunes with foundations in punk, rock and gospel

Since forming their current lineup in 2014, Smokin’ Voodoo has been going hard in the christchurch music scene, playing show after show of hard hitting energetic rock. As national finalists in the 2015 Demon Energy Battle of the Bands and RDU Roundup Champions 2016, SV are well placed to make themselves known in the New Zealand Music scene.

St Peter’s Thursday is the love child of Grunge and Stoner Rock who hung out with James Brown from time to time.Rock band with aggressive guitars and pounding drums … with Grunty (sometimes smooth) vocals on top

Evan Dando at Blue Smoke

Emerging after The Lemonheads disbanded Evan Dando returned to music first with a solo tour and ‘Live At The Brattle Theatre’ then came his debut solo album ‘Baby I’m Bored’.

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Mature and autobiographical, ‘Baby I’m Bored’ is a stellar record that stripped Dando of his grunge label, seeing him lean more towards an achingly melodic alt-country rock sound. Self-deprecating, these are songs of decline and coming back from that.

“Dando has a flair for bruised melancholy that stands comparison with Gram Parsons and Alex Chilton” – Q Magazine
“A beautiful album of tender reflections on life, love and drug-induced folly set in soulful, country-tinged guitar pop.” – The Independent

In support of the upcoming deluxe reissue of ‘Baby I’m Bored’ on Fire Records for Record Store Day 2017, Evan Dando will stop by New Zealand as part of his World Tour playing two shows.

Nomad at Blue Smoke

Christchurch musicians Nomad, who made their mark on the charts with the undeniably catchy ‘Oh My My’, have announced shows in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

The band’s summer schedule was filled with shows and Festivals up and down the country, winning over unsuspecting audiences with their infectious hooks and heady harmonies.

They’ve just released a new single, the never-give-up-on-love song ‘I Won’t Stop’ and the 19-year-olds are already working on an album release for later in the year.

Aasha Mallard, Will McGillivray and Cullen Kiesanowski formed the band four years ago and their differing musical tastes collide to shape their alt-pop sound.

Hobnail at Blue Smoke

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Sensational fresh material from Hobnail as the band embark on a national tour in support of their new album “Blue Sky Songs”

Hobnail are on the road again, performing all over NZ to bring you their stunning new 7th album “Blue Sky Songs”, along with some of their past classic favourites. This is a live show not to be missed!

For the uninitiated, it will be a rare treat as one of the country’s best live acts tours the finest album of its illustrious career.

“When Hobnail takes the stage, they tear into their set with mucho gusto, injecting volume and energy into the evening with their illustrious blend of bluegrass, Celtic folk, pop, and rock’n’roll”. – Nelson Mail.

Tiny Ruins at Blue Smoke

“…One of the best acts to harness the power of dark folk…Expansive, experimental and exciting.” – Hhhhappy

Tiny Ruins embark on an 11- show tour of their home turf this Winter.

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Following her ‘Hurtling Through’ collaboration with The Clean’s Hamish Kilgour, and ‘Dream Wave’, a 7″ single recorded with film director David Lynch, Hollie Fullbrook returns with her spellbinding live band to bring a new set of songs to some of the most intimate and celebrated venues in the land.

Laying the groundwork for the release of their third album, now in its final stages of recording, the four-piece will be visiting small towns and big cities alike, showcasing new material alongside favourites from their award winning back catalogue Some Were Meant for Sea, Haunts, Brightly Painted One & Hurtling Through.
Tiny Ruins’ new material enters spaces more expansive and experimental than ever. Traversing early influences of folk and blues, Fullbrook’s songs are known for their unique lyrical flair and a wry humour that’s at times disarmingly confessional. Expect deftly picked guitar in alternate tunings reminiscent of 60s folk and psychedelic pop, matched with some of the best musicians in the country (Freer, Basil & Healy). Don’t miss out – tickets to all shows are limited.

The award-winning singer-songwriter is looking forward to returning to stages at these iconic venues, with the backing of a full band and support from Keith Preene: “Taking my band out on the road is a special treat for me after touring solo for so long. I’m really excited about bringing the full sound back to these songs.”

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Mel Parsons has spent the last few years dividing her time between touring the world and performing her solo show in some of New Zealand’s remotest woolsheds. But this May, the Kiwi singer-songwriter will embark on her first tour with a full band since 2015, taking in the country’s main centres.

Inspired by touring almost every inch of rural New Zealand with comedy duo The Bitches’ Box, Parsons will have special guests from the comedy world at each show, with and good kiwi bloke Keith ‘The Numbers’ Preene of Golden Goose fame joining Parsons for the Christchurch show.

Parsons – who was a Silver Scroll finalist in 2015 and the winner of the 2016 APRA Best Country Song Award – received critical acclaim for her last album Drylands. The album spent 41 weeks in the IMNZ Album Charts, peaking at #2 and established Parsons’ place as one of New Zealand music’s most respected songwriters. She’s also well and truly earned her reputation as one of the hardest working musicians on the live circuit, with a European tour kicking off in May/June 2017.

Don’t miss your chance to see Mel Parsons live with her full band. She will be playing songs from Drylands, as well as favourites from her back catalogue.

MATTHEW SMITH ALBUM RELEASE SHOW with support from The Imposters & Candice Milner

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

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Matty Smith has been writing songs from the age of thirteen and he is no stranger to the New Zealand music scene having performed for many years as front man for rock n roll outfit Von Voin Strum. In 2016 Smith embarked on a solo career and recorded his first self titled LP, set for release at Blue Smoke this May.

His influences are wide and varied from Bright Eyes to Father John Misty and his blend of Indie folk and alt country are showcased with his soulful voice and heartfelt songwriting. Recorded by Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room, Lyttelton his debut album is a true collaboration with a producer at the top of his game.

Smith will perform with a seven piece band and has invited special guests Candice Milner and The Imposters to open the show.

Gemma Ray(UK) brings her band and reverb drenched atmospheric sound to NZ this May, with shows in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

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Berlin based/Essex born, Gemma’s sound has been described as Gothic-folk,and pop-noir – a moody mix of psychedelic blues with a hefty nod to her sizzling cinematic side.

She has collaborated with Sparks, the recently departed Alan Vega (from New York legends Suicide), and Thomas Wydler, drummer from The Bad Seeds. She has also opened for the likes of Grinderman and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and was described by Jimmy Page upon seeing her open for Mott The Hoople in the UK in 2009 as ‘not to be missed’.

Gemma Ray’s latest opus The Exodus Suite (released on Bronze Rat Records in May 2016) is a dramatic 52-minute odyssey, reflects the personal-political themes of the songs within.

Gemma Ray’s lyrical explorations of love for all life, exile and relocation, nature’s sovereignty, technology, class and most of all the need for human empathy are unforgettable.

Don’t miss the opportunity to catch this show on May 7th 2017 at Blue Smoke, with special guest Gris-de-Lin.

Banished Music, Radio Hauraki and Undertheradar.co.nz present
The Chills Vigorous and Far-reaching New Zealand tour
With support from Anthonie Tonnon

Blue Smoke will be open from 5pm and serving up The Brewery’s wood fired pizza and hand crafted Cassels & Sons beer all night long.

Doors at 7:30pm.

Out on the tar sealed and gravelly roads this April and May, legendary Dunedin pop group The Chills have announced their embarkation on a vigorous and far-reaching New Zealand tour. Stopping in major musical centres Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as key outreaches such as Whanganui, Paekakariki, Queenstown, Napier, Raglan, Mount Maunganui, and a performance in Invercargill as part of the Southland Festival Of The Arts.

Fronted by the rare talent of Martin Phillipps, The Chills were originally formed in 1980 and had a revolving cast of band members with Phillipps remaining the only constant. His knack for writing fantastic pop songs led to chart hits back home and a cult following around the world. With early releases via the legendary NZ label Flying Nun, The Chills produced a number of critically acclaimed recordings such as the single “Pink Frost” (their first hit) from the compilation album Kaleidoscope World and “Wet Blanket” from the LP Brave Words.

The energy of their live performances is the central reason why The Chills are remembered fondly in all thirty-nine of the countries that they have thus far visited. It’s the combination of this and the consistent quality of their songs which have established The Chills as one of the most well-known New Zealand groups to date – particularly in the US,UK and Europe.

They are joined by fellow Dunedin alumni and SIlver Scroll/ Taite Prize finalist Anthonie Tonnon, who’s current live show combines a performance art-inspired approach to stagecraft, home-soldered technology, and dance moves.