RIP: Ben E King
Ben E King, one of pop music’s finest vocalists and songwriters, has passed away at the age of 76. In addition to singing lead for The Drifters on hits like There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me, King also recorded solo hits Spanish Harlem and Stand By Me working with Leiber […]
Watch Marlon Williams’ 13th Floor Video Session
What better way to kick off NZ Music Month than to spend a little time with Marlon Williams? Marlon releases his much-anticipated self-titled debut album today. The golden-throated singer is no stranger to The 13th Floor, and he stopped by once again to talk to Marty Duda about the making of his new album. Additionally, […]
Mick Harvey to Play Great South Pacific Tuning Fork, Wednesday 20 May 2015
Vector Arena is proud to present Aussie veteran of brooding song, Mick Harvey live at The Great South Pacific Tuning Fork this Wednesday 20 May! A founding member of blood-soaked punk act The Birthday Party, a Bad Seed alongside Nick Cave for decades, and a long-time wingman for British goth-ette PJ Harvey, Mick Harvey’s CV […]
Dennis Locorriere – ASB Theatre
Dennis Locorriere kicked off his Dr Hook Timeless World Tour at Auckland’s ASB Theatre treating long-time fans to just about every Dr Hook tune they could think of, along with a few choice tunes from his solo career. If we’re being honest, Dennis Locorriere is not exactly your stereotypical rock star…he looks like an average […]
Watch Princess Chelsea at The 13th Floor
Princess Chelsea releases her second album, The Great Cybernetic Depression, tomorrow and she is touring New Zealand right now. Chelsea stopped by The 13th Floor to talk with Marty Duda about the new record and her latest music videos. Here are Princess Chelsea’s tour dates: QUEENSTOWN – Thursday 30th April – The Sherwood CHRISTCHURCH – Friday 1st May – […]
Watch Trinity Roots’ 13th Floor Video Session
Trinity Roots is back with their new album, Citizen. The band, featuring Warren Maxwell, Rio Hemopo and Ben Lemi, paid a visit to The 13th Floor where they played two songs from the new album and spoke to Marty Duda. Save Save Save
Watch Don McGlashan’s 13th Floor Video Session
Don McGlashan has just released his latest solo album, Lucky Stars, a record that provides further proof (if it is necessary) that he is one of New Zealand’s finest songwriters. Lucky Stars was produced by Don along with his former Muttonbirds band mate David Long and features Tom Rodwell on guitar. Don and Tom visited […]
Demi Lovato – Vector Arena
If we’re being polite, we’ll call Demi Lovato’s first New Zealand concert “stripped down,” if only because it’s more charitable than “can’t be bothered,” which, based on last night’s performance, wouldn’t be entirely fair. In a show that finished well under ninety minutes after Lovato first walked onto the Vector Arena stage to a wall […]
The Dickies – Kings Arms April 26, 2015
It was a gathering of the faithful on this Sunday night in Auckland…the punk rock faithful who turned out to see California’s self-proclaimed bubble gum punk rockers The Dickies at The Kings Arms. In the grand scheme of things, The Dickies, who formed in 1977, haven’t really made a huge impression on the history of […]
Watch Jody Direen Perform at The 13th Floor!
Kiwi country singer Jody Direen has just released her new album, Breaks Out, recorded in Nashville…of course. Jody and her band stopped by The 13th Floor to perform a few tunes from the new disc and to have a chat with Marty Duda. We’ll have the complete session edited and posted soon, but in the […]
Ace Frehley – The Studio
Former Kiss axeman Ace Frehley offered up a set of somewhat generic, mildly entertaining, but ultimately unlistenable hard rock to The Studio in Auckland. To be fair, it wasn’t necessarily Ace’s fault that his music was unlistenable… that charge should be levelled directly at the sound man. Don’t get me wrong, I love a loud […]
Napalm Death and Carcass 23 April 2015
Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere you are likely aware last night was the final show of the Deathcrusher NZ tour, and I have no need of my (blood and booze stained) notebook to declare it gig of the fucking year. The Kings Arms was more packed than I have seen it […]
Sam Smith – Vector Arena April 22, 2015
Despite only releasing one album, albeit one with five singles, 22-year-old Sam Smith played the first of two shows at Auckland’s Vector Arena. Unfortunately the need to accommodate so many fans here trumped his musical needs resulting in his intimate, soulful songs being lost in the big room. But I was possibly the only one […]
Watch Mel Parsons’ 13th Floor Video Session
Mel Parsons has just released her third album, Drylands. Currently Mel is touring New Zealand playing 23 dates over the course of the next month. Mel recorded a video session at The 13th Floor on the eve of her nationwide tour, performing three songs from the new album, and chatting with Marty Duda Save
Win Tickets To See The Dickies!!
Bubblegum punk rockers The Dickies tour New Zealand for the first time this month. The 13th Floor has a pair of tickets to giveaway…for any of the four NZ dates. To win, just be the first to name your favourite Dickies cover tune. Click here for more info about The Dickies and their NZ tour. […]
Delta Rae: Carolina’s On Their Mind (Interview)
Delta Rae is a six-piece band formed around three siblings from North Carolina. In addition to Ian, Eric and Brittany Holljes the band features Elizabeth Hopkins as their fourth vocalist along with Mike McKee (percussion) and Grant Emerson (bass). The band has just released their second album, After It All. Delta Rae has just recently ventured […]
Jimmie Dale Gilmore – The Tuning Fork April 20, 2015
Anyone who has spent any amount of time taking in the parade of artists that have played at the Tuning Fork over the past year or so might easily think that literally everyone and his brother who was born and raised in the American South can sing, write songs and pick a guitar. The latest […]
Watch Don McGlashan Play ‘When The Trumpets Sound’ at The 13th Floor
Don McGlashan released his latest solo album, Lucky Stars, last Friday.
Dr Hook’s Dennis Locorriere: Timeless Tunes (Interview)
Dennis Locorriere has been singing the songs of Dr Hook & The Medicine Show ever since he joined the band way back in 1967. Those songs…Sylvia’s Mother, The Cover Of The Rolling Stone, Sharing The Night Together…have become New Zealand family favourites for those brought up during the 1970s. Dennis and Dr Hook parted ways […]
Jakob – The Kings Arms
The role of the artist is a question posed by artist and audience alike, in an attempt to seek the purpose behind creativity and its cultural celebration. Ambiguous in nature, it can be difficult to underpin the exact purpose of the artist in an oversaturated market of “art” for entertainment value- a shallow reading of […]