Billy Idol at The Outer Fields at Western Springs, Sunday January 19th, 2020 This was a good show. I can tell you that, standing near the front of stage at The Outer Fields at Western Springs, the vibe was relaxed…
FOR BILLY, READ BILLY AND STEVE
Author: Simon Mercep
Post Modern Jukebox at the Auckland Town Hall, October 12th: Great show, not great sound
(With thanks to Chris Zwaagdyk for the concert photos) You have to say two things in the same breath about this show from Post Modern Jukebox (PMJ): first, that it was a barnstorming concert, full of energy, humour, and good…
JOKER: chilling, disturbing, and compelling
This must be the darkest reading of a comic book character ever committed to film. Make that the darkest reading of any character, comic book or not. Some cinema goers, maybe many, will be genuinely disturbed by it. By devoting…
CRAWL – speaking of movies about animals…
I was going to start this review by mentioning Jaws from 1975 to evoke our collective love of being terrified by wild beasts, be they land or sea based. But then of course you can go back decades earlier, to…
The Lion King: Wondrous to behold, slow to watch
Let’s start with the good: this digital remake of The Lion King looks amazing. Truly. The landscapes, the attention to detail, and of course the rendition of the animals themselves, is quite astounding. And that’s the case watching it even…
Western Stars – Bruce Springsteen: Again, the call of the road
Simon’s followed Bruce Springsteen’s music for more than 40 years, and wanted to take his time absorbing the artist’s latest album, Western Stars. He’s glad he was patient. He finds it a richly rewarding work. Three questions lie in wait…
Film catch up: – The Old Man and his Gun
Simon’s just back from a short overseas trip and took the opportunity to catch up with a few films during his flight. One was a movie he’d wanted to catch on its release last year but missed. He reckons it…
GAME OF THRONES – preparing for the end
Shortly before its penultimate episode, Simon takes a breath to consider the final season so far, and what terrors are still to be revealed. I’m not expecting to be happy with whatever ending lies in store for Game of Thrones.…
BLACK GRACE, Whangamata, Friday May 10
They do indeed have grace. And vitality, and muscularity, and a sense of drama and of humour. They are Black Grace, and this five strong dance troupe of young men and women presented the crowd in the Coromandel town of…
Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, Auckland Town Hall, April 27
Review by Simon. Photos by Chris Zwaagdyk The size of an audience shouldn’t really have a bearing on a review, but in this case, it surely does. For on the very last night of their two year tour, Little Steven…