New Zealand Fashion Week???

Here is exactly what happened…

I am at work and receive the text message….”Ring me ASAP!!!!”

Me: “Boss I have to make an urgent phone call” …thinking to myself who has died?

*ring’s Girl*

GF: Hi I need to know right now if you want to go to NZ Fashion week
Me: NZ has a fashion week?
GF: Yes hurry up do you want to go to Stolen Girlfriends Club or not?
Me: Not really…
….Two minutes later…*hangs up*…Boss, I have to go to New Zealand Fashion Week.

When my heart slowed down as I realised no one was dead, I started to think through what had just happened. Did that even just happen? How am I suddenly attending fashion week? What is a Stolen Girlfriends Club? Is there a bar? What will I wear? OMG WHAT WILL I WEAR TO A FASHION EVENT?

I needed to do some research and fast.

My first and only stop was the NZ Fashion Week site to check out the schedule and see what kind of horror I have got mysel…WHOOAAA hold up, there is a bar, multiple bars, and DJ’s such as Puzzles, DNNM, Kirk James, Gabriella G, Selecta Sam, Juan T, DJ Spanky and Jamie Newman. A pretty solid lineup, this looks like a party weekend to me!! Looking further through I discover beauty workshops, a photography competition, runway and static shows and even a garage sale offering last seasons fashion at mega reduced prices, a great way to pick up those items you have always wanted but never had the money for.

You will catch me front row at the Stolen Girlfriends Club checking out rebellion, rock and roll delinquency, pop culture and the power to do things differently apparently. This looks like the one not to be missed and my pick of the bunch from my extremely limited knowledge (I also did not have a say in this pick).

This event looks like kind of a big deal for the girls and wont be that bad for the guys so treat your girlfriends down there, buy her a ticket, you wont even have to trick her into sober driving you after drunken afternoon of staring at what the runway has to offer. If it wasn’t for other commitments that weekend I would definitely be attending more shows and making a day of it but right now am still struggling with what to wear….any ideas on what to wear please let me know below.

Party Party!! A Party With An Agenda?

Kim Dotcom has thrown the biggest party Auckland has seen on a Wednesday night for a long time! Aptly named the ‘Party Party’, this was obviously a pitch for his new project, the Internet Party, but was the crowd there for the party or the party??

I am not into political writing, I don’t know enough about it and/or don’t care too much for politicians so I will leave the finer political points for the pros and stick to the music and event itself.

When I first saw this show advertised I instantly thought the night was aimed at 18 – 25 year olds (purely based on the entertainment for the evening)….but the actual crowd told a different story, I arrived to find an crowd of moslty over 30’s and some upwards of 70. I was not expecting this considering the Electro Dance Music (EDM) and Hip-hop that was on offer, maybe I was a little bit short sighted in this early judgement.

The event was very politically orientated, with a lot of interviews, photos, posters and signage plastered over the walls. All of which the majority of the crowd was there to see, not me though. I was there for one thing and one thing only, the music.

Sons of Zion, State of Mind, Optimus Gryme, Kamandi, PNC, and L.A.B (Laughton and Brad Kora) were all on offer for the night and we kicked off with the unknown Kamandi playing his set of epic bass electro to a non existent crowd. He has a grimey deep dark sound sound mixed with electro funk. Some solid drops a great way to ease us into the evening, watch out for this guy.

A smooth stage transition followed to enter Optimus Gryme exactly as we know and love him, straight hard heavy hitting grime!! Deep, dark beat heavy tracks with some dubstep thrown in the mix. A standard set from Optimus Grime who again sadly played to an empty floor.

The crowds then filtered in for PNC who appeared with a bang ripping straight into all his classics. Rap was refreshing for the ears after two sets of heavy EDM. The crowds reacted well by instantly filling up the dance floor and bringing the party to life. PNC’s high energy set included covers of Kendrick Lamar and an epic freestyle to Iggy Azalea’s Fancy.

Brad and Laughton Kora now known as L.A.B then took the stage  and absolutely exploded into heavy Dub-Drum and Bass-House with a hint of that classic Kora sound still attached. This was my personal favourite set,  is was not at all  what I expected but Brad on the drums and Laughton in the mixing board worked a treat and absolutely bought the house down!

Kim appeared and said his bit, a short and sweet positive message for young Kiwis to vote and make New Zealand young, fresh and cool, the room then darkened and L.A.B continue with fresh unheard tracks to get the night blood flowing with Brad hammering drums and Laughton drinking straight from a bottle of Jamiesons. It just worked. It rocked.

Sons of Zion followed to bring everyone back to earth. A Kiwi fav these days, Sons of Zion performed their reggae beats as the older crowd slowly headed off to bed and the younger stocked up on drinks for the upcoming performance by State of Mind….This is when I left, but I have no doubt that State of Mind would of completely owned the stage.

Overall a great night, with amazing music. The entire event was well organised and seemed to just fly by. I was happy to see Kim Dotcom didnt rave on about the political aspect, he just wanted to party himself! The majority of the crowd possibly weren’t familiar with some of the music and seemed to be there in support of the political party but sure knew how to party.

 

Gold Mynd – Mynd Blowing!

Gold Mynd – Parris Goebel and The Palace Studio presented this full length show at the Vodafone Events Centre on Friday and Saturday night and wow…just WOW!!

I went along on Friday for the first show. I was anxious, a bit sceptical and didn’t know what to expect from the night as I had never been to an actual dance show before. This scepticism was put to bed instantly as Parris entered the stage front staring up at the crowd with eerie murmurings booming through the speakers. She introduced a 13 year old version of herself and this set the scene instantly. The story of young Parris then started with nightmares in the darkness and a scared child flashing torch light on to the “creepers” sneaking into her thoughts, this is when I knew I was in the right place for my Friday night and was in for an amazing evening.

Get Ya Skates On

Ice skating at Aotea Square, what will they think of next? This is pure Auckland! What other city thinks they have the right to do something like this?

This has been an annual winter family activity for a few years now but it wasn’t until last night I finally managed to get there.

Ellie Goulding – Vector Arena – Review

Ellie Goulding kicked off  her second New Zealand tour on Saturday night with a performance at Auckland’s Vector Arena .

Vector Arena was set up with a free flow crowd system where a ticket to the show got the viewer access to any seat and the entire floor area. Seats were on a first in first served basis and filled up fast. That left the rest of us to join the swarm on the floor which was good for the tall people, not so much for the shorties. There was plenty of room for fans to move and dance with no pushing and shoving, I am glad to see the event was not over sold.

Crowns up – The Royal Crusade

One great thing about Auckland is the amount of events that unknowingly happen each weekend. You actually need to search out events though, if you are not in the right circle or don’t know where to find out what is on then you will get left behind. I was fortunate enough to be in the right circle to hear about the Palace Dance Studio performing The Royal Crusade show.

This was a fundraising event for the three time world champions as they prepare to head back to Las Vegas to perform at the World Hip Hop Championships. All the crews from The Palace performed – Bubblegum, Duchesses, Sorority, ReQuest and The Royal Family.

DawnRaid Entertainment – 15 Year Anniversiary

After 15 years in the game, DawnRaid Entertainment threw together a celebration concert tour with a huge line up, including Savage, Aradhna, Sammy J, Che Fu, Deceptikonz, Monsta and Brown Hill. The Auckland concert was held in Studio Bar on “K” road and drew a great localist crowd from the home town of DawnRaid. 

Trying to impress my girlfriend Laura, I arrived at opening time…only to have to wait an hour to get in. The doors finally opened fashionably late and the crowd enter to witness DJ Peter Gunz laying down a great set of hip-hop and rap classics while mixing and scratching the decks 90’s style.

International Comedy Festival

I decided to attend the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival, not by choice but because Dizzee Rascal pulled the pin and left me high and dry on a Wednesday night I had already planned to spend in the CBD. A mad rush of event searching ensued, firstly on “event finder”….this was a dead end search and led me to believe there is NOTHING happening in New Zealand’s largest city on a Wednesday night, unless I wanted to attend a night class in French language or a pub quiz!

This got me thinking, how can this city be so dead?? Where is the traffic??….Topic for another day I think.

Only by chance I stumbled across the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival site and settled on “The Creeping Charlie Showcase” featuring Wilson Dixon, Urzila Carlson, Ewen Gilmour, Rhys Mathewson, Nick Rado, Jesse Griffin and Simon McKinney.