TV3 IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL 2011
A spectacular line-up of theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts and special events, the Festival brings the world's best to Auckland over 19 exciting days.
Highlights include the enchanting Water Puppets from Vietnam, the dazzling Manganiyar Seduction from Rajasthan, a new production Smoke & Mirrors from the producers of last year's hit La Clique, and a passionate Latino retelling of Homer's Odyssey, La Odisea by Bolivia's pre-eminent theatre company.
For further information and booking details, please
visit
www.aucklandfestival.co.nz
THE FESTIVAL GARDEN & TV3 GARDEN STAGE - AOTEA SQUARE
From the 2-20 March, the Aotea Square will be transformed into the Festival Garden - the social hub of the Festival - and we'll be bringing visitors free musical performances every evening from the TV3 Garden Stage.
TV3
Garden Stage Free Music Lineup
Download the timetable here!
Performances on the TV3 Garden Stage include:
Bobbito Brazuka & Jennifer Zea,
Weds 2 March, 6-7pm
Hailing from Venezuela by way of Motown,
Jennifer Zea is one of the freshest vocal talents in Bossa and Latino soul.
She’s earned respect in her field by travelling the globe and notching up over
100 live performances, alongside world renowned artists of the Jazz and World
Music scenes. DJ Bobby Brazuka is the unofficial Brazilian ambassador of music
and culture in Aotearoa, with a distinguished palate for Samba, Soul, Funk and
Latin hip hop amongst a host of other styles. Together they create a unique and
truly legitimate Latin act which both bend and blend the traditional music of
their homelands with the modern sounds of here and now.
Flip Grater, Thurs 3 March, 6-7pm
Gliding vocals dance over the top of guitars picked
and strummed, and harmonies weave amongst the beauty of it all. Banjos, a bass,
and a minimal drum kit complete the picture and the songs soar and fall,
sometimes evoking sad feelings, sometimes stirring the heart with a gravelly
punch. Where do you put Flip Grater? Somewhere along the lines of an
alt-country songstress experimenting with indie music, and the grittier side of
pop. She has written songs that could prick the ears up of any that hear
them, and with traces of PJ Harvey, a sprinkling of Cat Power and a touch of
Suzanne Vega, Flip Grater's music has established her as one of our country's
beloved indie-folk artists.
Barons of Tang, Fri 4 March, 6-7pm
& 11pm-midnight
Lashing Tango, Rockabilly, Latin and Gypsy with
breaks, hard hitting guitar riffs, double kick blast beats and massive horn
arrangements, The Barons of Tang serve up their self described ‘gypsy
deathcore’. The catchy tunes and punk ethos all tie together to mean one
thing, dancing is inevitable! With accordion, double bass, saxophone and
bass clarinet to name just a few, the 7 piece Melbourne outfit use mainly traditional gypsy
and tango feels played in the most inappropriate ways. You’ll be hooked at the
first Snap!
Storehouse, Sat 5 March, 6-7pm and
11pm-midnight
Storehouse perform a uniquely raw and thoughtful blend of
blues, calypso and spirituals, designed for dancing yet with an ear for
artistic integrity and innovation - not the sleepy blooze sounds so often
associated with the genre. Their funky and improvisatory tour
through lesser-known backstreets of blues and roots music includes
unconventional re-imaginings of slave songs and street-preacher music, as well
as double entendre-laced tunes from the Caribbean.
Storehouse shows also feature choice cuts drawn from early female blues,
sung by Auckland
actress and singer Colleen Davis, highlighting the often stark and surreal
world of female blues expressionism.
Arte Kanela, Sun
6 March, 6-7pm
Formed in 1990, Arte Kanela is widely
acclaimed as the unsurpassed and most exciting force in the Australian Flamenco
music scene. “Flamenco troupe Arte Kanela consolidated burgeoning reputations
as the best concert act of their type in Australia” The Australian,
2009. Together with leading dancers, musicians and singers, Arte Kanela
offers an emotionally-charged performance, a new perspective to a conventional
art form that can be seen in the contemporary look, sound and feel of each
presentation, whilst retaining the essential flamenco experience packed with
extraordinary virtuosity, an emotionally charged execution, and an intimate,
visceral connection with the audience.
The Grant Winterburn Experience,
Tues 8 March, 6-7pm
Grant Winterburn is a maestro of the Hammond Organ
and a feverish exponent of improvised musical mayhem. He can rock, he can
swing, he can abandon all conscious thought and still play it sweet and nasty.
He is a highly sought after musical director in the theatre realm (Threepenny
Opera, Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Rent, Assassins) and a sensitive accompanist
to divas such as the Lady Killers and Jennifer Ward-Lealand. The Grant
Winterburn Experience is a power trio led by Grant on keyboards and
features Aaron Coddel on bass and Chris O’Connor on drums. Jazz and pop
standards are attacked with wild abandon - expect the unexpected.
Fondue Set, Weds 9 March, 6-7pm
Founded in 1997 by Graeme Webb (guitar/fretless
bass) Steve Gerrish (guitar) and singer ‘percussionista’ Caitlin Smith, The
Fondue Set draws from the deepest experiential and emotional well when
they play. They combine truly original arrangements and sensitive re-workings
of stunning songs with soulful musicianship and the heartbreaking immediacy of
Smith’s vocal delivery. As Mike Alexander put it “She’s got one of those
voices that imagination created.” It’s 2011 and Smith, Gerrish and
Gavin join forces to light the flame that ignites The Fondue Set – a melting
pot of musical genres and spellbinding musical genius.
Nigel Gavin, Weds 9 March,
11pm-midnight
At first a visitor, now a resident,
Nigel has long been a featured player in New Zealand’s music scene,
particularly in Auckland, playing guitars, banjo, mandolin, bass - indeed,
almost anything with strings - with the Nairobi Trio, the Fondue Set, Whirimako
Black, the Jews Brothers, the Blue Bottom Stompers, Below the Bassline,
Jonathan Besser’s Bravura,Trevor Reekie and Tom Ludvigson’s Trip Project and
his own Snorkel, among others. In parallel to extending his ‘pure’ stringed
instrument vocabulary, Nigel has pursued his deep interest in guitar-triggered
electronic and loop-based work which he calls collectively his ‘science
project’ - an array of electronics which, when addressed through his virtuosic
guitar creates impro- visations which are as ephemeral as they are mesmerising.
Cosmic Noise Expedition, Thurs 10
March, 6-7pm
What do a songwriter and an experimental noise
artist have in common? Cosmic Noise Expedition is an unconventional
musical conversation between Age Pryor (The Woolshed Sessions, Fly My Pretties,
Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra) and Chris O'Connor (Ecstasy Trio,
Urban Taniwha, Jonathan Crayford). No one, including the musicians themselves,
know where this will go. But somehow, underneath it all, lies a hint
of a new civilization being forged, a frontier where people of any artistic
background and stylistic leaning can meet on common ground to create their own
special cosmic noise.
Sean Donnelly, James Duncan
& Chris O’Connor, Fri 11 March, 6-7pm
& 11pm-midnight
This so new it’s still unnamed trio features Chris
O'Connor (Sjd, Don MCGlashan), James Duncan (Sjd, DImmer) and Sean James
Donnelly (Sjd, The Bell Birds). The three local-music legends are joining
forces to explore electro/kraut rock inspired grooves and sound-scapes.
Dr Colossus, Sat 12 March,
6-7pm & 11pm-midnight
Grown in a stinking vat during the darkest days of
the Cold War, the creature known as Dr Colossus was the abominable end
product of an ill-fated Soviet attempt to weaponize American pop culture. For
untold years the amorphous blob was force-fed a steady diet of plutonium,
melted Beach Boys records and powdered US film reels until finally,
enraged and bloated, it destroyed the research facility that housed it, killing
14 scientists and a baboon. Last seen in 1979 schlepping off into the Siberian
wilderness whistling the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, in
late 2007 the monster reemerged, fully recovered from the shame of Yeltsin and
ready to rip your face off. Lead by Leon
Radojkovic, the musical madman behind Festival show Live Live Cinema:
Carnival of Souls,local act, Dr Colossus’ gigs are legendry,
and the band has been described by the NZ Herald as “Balkan music
titans.”
Annah Mac, Sun 13 March, 6.30-7.30pm
Annah Mac is a
singer/songwriter with a dedicated and ferocious ambition; a sincere love of
performing; and a writing talent rarely seen in any country, Annah has achieved
much in her preparation. And at last she is ready to take her music to the
people. She has written a repertoire of truly insightful, evocative songs where
melody and words collide in mesmerizing fashion. Her
performance will feature her more intimate material. She has a long history of
solo performances and will give a captivating performance. Annah’s
performance is part of the Festival’s Family Day entertainment and follows her
performance Play It Strange’s Band of Strangers.
NZTrio, Mon 14 March, 6-7pm
NZTrio, this country’s leading exponents of
contemporary classical programming brings you “songs/dances” – an hour-long
exploration of their favourite dance-inspired music from around the world for
violin, cello and piano. Enjoy the sophisticated and sultry sounds of the South
American tango, some gritty Brazilian blues, cool New York club stylings, an
Australian ‘maninya’ and the Mediterannean/Kiwi vitality that comes from the
pen of NZ’s own John Psathas. Stylish, hip,
and unexpected: NZTrio.
Gimel, Tues 15 March, 6-7pm
Gimel (or
Gimel Kins) is the prolific composer pianist Jonathan Besser’s new music group.
Gimel is a trio at its core, Besser on piano with the vibrant Vibraphonist John Bell; brilliant Bassist Peter Scott, and now with the renowned drummer Chris O’Connor
joining in for their summer shows. Besser’s music is related to both
classical and jazz music - it uses notated counterpoint and flowing original
melodies with Jazz structures, which leave a lot of room for the performers to
improvise and for the music to come alive.
Lisa Crawley, Weds 16 March, 6-7pm
& 11pm-midnight
Lisa's sweet n sour brand of indie pop is in hot
demand – so much so that she's recently opened for both John Mayer, Paul Weller
and Jools Holland. She was the youngest member to perform in “Give it a Girl”,
alongside top songwriters Sharon O'Neil, Annie Crummer and Julia Deans. Lisa's
inspirations include Cat Power, Regina Spektor, Bic Runga, Feist, Beirut, and many more.
Most often seen dazzling crowds with her virtuoso piano playing, Lisa is just
as au fait with a variety of instruments including the guitar, melodica,
clarinet, glockenspiel, recorder and omnichord. With a sound that incorporates
elements of jazz, country, pop and indie, Lisa's music is a treat to be
cherished.
Andrew Keoghan, Thurs 17 March,
6-7pm
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew
Keoghan combines his classical training in singing and violin, with elements of
pop and folk – you could even call it chamber-pop. He will be previewing
songs from his much anticipated debut album Arctic Tales Divide, which
is released just a few days after his Auckland Arts Festival performance.
Andrew's joined by a fine live band which includes Wayne Bell (Greg Johnson,
Gin Wigmore), Ben King (Goldenhorse) and Victoria Girling-Butcher (Lucid 3)
andGareth Thomas (Goodshirt)
Grand Rapids, Thurs 17 March,
11pm-midnight
Grand Rapidsis the new band arisen from the ashes of Goldenhorse.
Writer/Singer/Guitarist, Ben King, who, as a founding member and songwriter in Goldenhorse,
saw the band through a decade of multi-platinum albums, sold out tours and a
handful of iconic New Zealand
songs, is back with Faintheartedness, the debut album from Grand Rapids.
Debuting at Nelson's Festival of the Arts in 2010 to rave reviews, this years
upcoming performance at the Auckland Arts Festival is in itself a debut, as Grand
Rapids will be performing at a full band for the first time, playing songs
from the album, Faintheartedness, which will hit the shelves (and of
course iTunes) in April.
LUPIN, Fri 18 March, 6-7pm
LUPIN is the solo project of Victoria
Girling-Butcher, best-known as singer /songwriter for the now-disbanded Lucid3
and who has, over 15 years, earned a reputation as one of NZ’s key popular
music composers. LUPIN’s debut album, produced by Wayne Bell and Jol
Mulholland, will be released in May and the Festival performances will be the Auckland debut of songs
from the record.
Phil Edwards Band, Sat 19 March,
6-7pm
This
six-piece band possesses a distinctive summer feel to their songs. Ranging from
warm acoustic ballads to blues numbers, the songs are all linked by honest,
emotive lyrics and Phil’s unique voice. The first single Crash opens the
album, a summertime anthem that has been gracing the NZ radio airwaves since
its release late in 2010. The Phil Edwards Band will be playing
tracks from their freshly releases of the album, Slow Borders (March
2011).
For further information and booking details, please
visit www.aucklandfestival.co.nz