Sara Bareilles will be playing one show in Auckland on 26 September.
Sara Bareilles brings acoustic show to Auckland
Kenny Rogers to play in Hamilton
Did anybody gamble on Kenny Rogers playing in Hamilton
The country music superstar will perform at Claudelands Arena on February 15 next year.
Today’s announcement of Rogers’ show is the latest in what appears to be a snowballing roll call of musical luminaries coming to the river city.
Folk-rock legend Bob Dylan plays the arena on August 9 and 10, while Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin will grace the same stage on April 19.
In an ironic twist, a Kenny Rogers impersonator performed in Hamilton less than two months ago. Marty Edwards performed as one third of The Kings of Country at Founders Theatre on June 11, alongside Philip Bauer as Johnny Cash and Marion Deaton as Willie Nelson.
The real Rogers will tour Australia before heading to New Zealand in February for two shows. The Hamilton concert will be preceded by an appearance at Christchurch’s Horncastle Arena on February 13.
Murray Jeffrey, the director of Hamilton venue managers H3 Group, said the Hamilton arena’s surge in popularity was the result of about six years of behind-the-scenes work.
”We are finally getting some traction. The promoters now have the confidence that we can help them be successful.”
If people wanted to see more big names in Hamilton all they needed to do was buy tickets for the upcoming shows and the momentum would continue, Jeffrey said.
”We have got some more very big news coming over the next few weeks.”
Manolo Echave, the New Zealand promoter for Chugg Entertainment, which is managing the Dylan tour, said the arena was considered the perfect size by many artists and a handy alternative to venues like Auckland’s Vector Arena and the Logan Campbell Centre.
”Hamilton is so handy in terms of travel times from Auckland and … the management there are very proactive at promoting the venue. In years to come the arena will attract more and more big names.”
Since his last sold-out visit to these shores in 2012, Rogers has been honoured with an induction into the American Country Music Hall of Fame and the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award – his sixth Country Music Association Award.
He has also made his first appearances at Morocco’s world music Festival Timitar and the largest outdoor arts spectacle, the Glastonbury Festival, playing to more than 130,000 enthusiastic fans.
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Rogers’ earlier accolades include three Grammy Awards, eighteen American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and sales of more than one hundred and twenty million – one diamond, twenty platinum and thirty two gold albums, making him one of the top 10 best-selling artists of all time.
The 75-year-old’s career spans six decades and includes hits such as The Gambler, Coward of the County, Reuben James, Lucille, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Lady, She Believes in Me, Islands in the Stream, We’ve Got Tonight, Daytime Lovers, and Sweet Music Man.
The appropriately-titled Through The Years World Tour follows the release last year of Rogers’ 32nd studio album You Can’t Make Old Friends, which reunited him with fellow country star Dolly Parton and The Gambler songwriter Don Schlitz.
As an actor, Kenny starred as Brady Hawkes in The Gambler – five films which became the longest running mini-series franchise on American television and another movie inspired by Coward of the County.
Rogers will be supported by New Zealand acts The Bourbon County Brothers and veteran country musician Gray Bartlett.
Tickets for the show will go on sale at 9am on Friday, August 8 through Ticketek.
– Waikato Times
This is what’s delaying Big Bang Theory
Production on a new season of The Big Bang Theory is being delayed because of a contract dispute with its top actors.
The Warner Brothers Television studio, which makes television’s most popular comedy, said that Wednesday’s scheduled first day of work after the summer hiatus was postponed. There’s no word on when The Big Bang Theory team will be back at work.
The CBS series is heading into its eighth season, and the studio is trying to hammer out new deals with actors Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar.
Earlier this month it was reported that the stars are asking for US$1 million per episode.
Country superstar to play in Hamilton
Did anybody gamble on Kenny Rogers playing in Hamilton
The country music superstar will perform at Claudelands Arena on February 15 next year.
Yesterday’s announcement of Rogers’ show is the latest in what appears to be a snowballing roll call of musical luminaries coming to the river city. Folk-rock legend Bob Dylan plays the arena on August 9 and 10, while Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin will grace the same stage on April 19.
Murray Jeffrey, the director of Hamilton venue managers H3 Group, said the Hamilton arena’s surge in popularity was the result of about six years of behind-the-scenes work.
“We are finally getting some traction. The promoters now have the confidence that we can help them be successful.”
If people wanted to see more big names in Hamilton all they needed to do was buy tickets for the coming shows and the momentum would continue, Jeffrey said. “We have got some more very big news coming over the next few weeks.”
Manolo Echave, the New Zealand promoter for Chugg Entertainment, which is managing the Dylan tour, said the arena was considered the perfect size by many artists and a handy alternative to venues like Auckland’s Vector Arena and the Logan Campbell Centre.
“Hamilton is so handy in terms of travel times from Auckland and . . . the management there are very proactive at promoting the venue. In years to come the arena will attract more and more big names.”
Since his last visit to these shores in 2012, Rogers has performed at the largest outdoor arts spectacle, the Glastonbury Festival, playing to more than 130,000 enthusiastic fans.
Rogers’ accolades include three Grammy Awards, 18 American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and sales of more than 120 million albums – one diamond, 20 platinum and 32 gold albums, making him one of the top 10 best-selling artists.
The 75-year-old’s career spans six decades and includes hits such as The Gambler, Coward of the County, Reuben James, Lucille, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Lady, She Believes in Me, Islands in the Stream, We’ve Got Tonight, Daytime Lovers, and Sweet Music Man.
The appropriately-titled Through The Years World Tour follows the release last year of Rogers’ 32nd studio album You Can’t Make Old Friends, which reunited him with fellow country star Dolly Parton and The Gambler songwriter Don Schlitz.
Tickets for the show will go on sale at 9am on Friday, August 8, through Ticketek. [email protected]
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– Waikato Times
Rhythm and Vines lineup announced
Chart-topping British indie band Bastille will headline this year’s Rhythm and Vines music festival.
The line-up for the popular event, held at Waiohika Estate in Gisborne from December 29-31, has been released.
Bastille formed in London in 2010 when singer-songwriter Dan Smith decided as to form a band. Chris Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons complete the group’s line-up.
Their debut single Overjoyed was released in 2012. It was followed-up with the Bad Blood, which debuted in 2013 at the top of the UK album charts.
They’re sold over more than 2 million records in the UK and have been nominated for several Brit Awards.
Bastille has been nominated for several Brit Award, including Breakthrough Act and British Group.
The rest of the Rhythm’n’Vines lineup features Zane Lowe, London Elektricity, The Cuban Brothers, KiNK, Little May, Estere and Holly Arrowsmith.
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– The Dominion Post
Our musical guilty pleasures revealed
They’re the shameful songs you would never admit to knowing all the words to – but now Spotify has exposed our top 10 guilty pleasures.
The online music streaming service analysed more than 120,000 “guilty pleasure” playlists and found listeners were partial to a little bit of Lou Bega, with his 1999 smash hit Mambo No 5 coming out on top as the most streamed track.
Playlists were also analysed by gender, which revealed Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2012 earworm Call Me Maybe to be a favourite guilty pleasure of men. Women could not resist the dulcet tones of British boy band One Direction and their single, What Makes You Beautiful.
University of Groningen professor in cognitive psychology and neuroscience Jacob Jolij said guilty pleasures were typically tracks that required little brain effort to listen to, compared to more complex music such as jazz or progressive rock.
People’s guilt was led by what is culturally defined as “cool”, he said.
Top 10 Guiltiest Pleasures
1. Mambo No 5 – Lou Bega
2. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go – Wham!
3. My Sharona – The Knack
4. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
5. Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex
6. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive
7. Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
8. Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
9. U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer
10. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
Women’s Guiltiest Pleasures
1. What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
2. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
3. I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
4. Wannabe – Spice Girls
5. Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
Men’s Guiltiest Pleasures
1. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
2. I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
3. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
4. Toxic – Britney Spears
5. Wannabe – Spice Girls
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– Stuff
Barrymore’s sister found dead
Drew Barrymore’s half sister Jessica has been found dead.
Jessica was discovered slumped at the wheel of a vehicle with “dozens of white pills” surrounding her body, and a can of energy drink between her legs on Tuesday at around 6am.
The car was blocking a driveway to an apartment block in San Diego, reports 10News.
The tragic discovery was made by Marta Lopez, who tried to leave for work but found her path was blocked by the car.
The Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed Jessica Barrymore’s identity to the station.
The death comes on the eve of Jessica’s 48th birthday. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but an autopsy is scheduled.
Jessica is the daughter of actor John Drew Barrymore and Nina Wayne, his third wife. He married a total of four times and has four children.
The last Facebook post sent from Jessica’s social media account was on July 28 and is a cryptic message shared from a page called Mystera Magazine.
“Sometimes, life puts you in touch with the people you need to meet to Help You, to Hurt You, to Guide You, to Leave You, to Love You, and to gradually Strengthen You into the Person You Were Meant to Become,” she shared, before commenting “Yes”.
Drew, 39, has been open about the struggles she faced as a child growing up in Hollywood. Her battles with drink and drugs, starting in childhood, have been well documented.
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– Cover Media
Is Latta’s new show worth a watch?
New Zealand isn’t gifted with quality television. Our locally-generated content, especially our attempts at comedies, dramas, and reality shows regularly fall below what I consider worthy of my time.
Our selection of imported series and concepts also leaves a lot to be desired.
However, there is one genre that New Zealand broadcasters are excellent at producing, and that is investigative journalism and documentaries. Our small pool of presenters and producers don’t produce a great deal of content, but less, in this case, is more.
The series premiere of TV One’s ‘Nigel Latta’, presented by the man himself, screened on Tuesday.
Latta doesn’t appear on our screens often, but when he does, I have always found him interesting and easy to listen and relate to, and therefore worthy of my time.
Tuesday’s episode focused on equality and its relation to the economy. Latta presented a well-rounded, thoroughly researched hour which made a point of conveying the state of New Zealand’s economy and future prospects in an easy to understand format, backed up by a great selection of experts in their field.
Latta concluded that the gap between New Zealand’s rich and poor is widening, and is consuming a significant proportion of the population. He, and the experts he met with, believe that left unattended, without some tough decisions being made at government level, things will only get worse.
The hour featured stories from two families in poverty and also featured a highly qualified university graduate unable to find a job in her field of expertise. Surprisingly, Latta didn’t interview anyone in the senior age bracket for their thoughts.
I’ve been careful to avoid sharing my personal opinions of Latta’s findings in this piece because I believe it should be up to the viewer to draw their own conclusions. Latta has never been afraid to express his theories and opinions of the subjects he covers, and his work is often tailored to suit those, though he does an excellent job in this case of selecting a respected group of experts and sharing plenty of statistics.
I’d therefore recommend looking into further research and evidence if Latta’s own doesn’t paint what you see to be the full picture.
Latta has tackled New Zealand’s darkest criminals and given politically incorrect tips to parents of teenagers and grownups in his years as a television presenter, but if last night’s episode is of any indication, this series is fast turning out to be Latta’s best television work.
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