Spare Room

Gig Guide 3 — 9 September 2010

Steven Shaw — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:45:22 +0000

Nathan Haines & the Dream Band

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Lady Diana and Other Choice Links

Ana Samways — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:05:03 +0000

Controversy: An underwear ad in China using an illustration of the late Lady Diana has outraged people in the UK. Unveiled on the 13th anniversary of her death, the campaign at Shenzhen airport in southern China mortified some British travelers with the tagline, "Feel the romance of British royalty"... (More after the jump)

Devil’s Elbow — Sand on Chrome

Steven Shaw — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:42:54 +0000

Devil's Elbow Sand on Chrome

The debut album from Hawke's Bay duo Devil's Elbow is an absolute delight. Frontman and guitarist Alec Withers sings gritty, swaggering vocals, backed up by solid drumming and fine harmonies from former Garageland stickman Andrew Gladstone. The result is some very catchy desert rock with occasional cow-punk and even folk leanings...

John Key in a Waterbed

Ana Samways — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:04:58 +0000

NZ On Screen has procured a gem of a clip from an early version of Close Up (1987) featuring a baby-faced 25-year-old 'senior forex trader' with Deidre Barlow glasses who plays squash in teeny tiny stubbies. His name? John Key...

Dancing At The Movies

Ana Samways — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:30:47 +0000

A brilliant montage of dance scenes from 40 movies. Footloose was one of the very first movies I saw at age 14 (there was no movie theatre in Balclutha). It was on a school trip to Dunedin to the bread factory and I feel deeply in teenage love with Kevin Bacon. (Shame about Swayze and the fags)...

The Expendables

Steven Shaw — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:45:12 +0000

The Expendables Directed by Sylvester Stallone. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Randy Couture

How we laughed. I'm not a huge fan of Sly Stallone, half the time I can't understand his lines and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone there. That said, he's relatively articulate in this shit-kicker of an action film about a crack team of mercenaries. The Expendables -- with a name like that it's as if they're willing the mission to fail -- are played by Stallone, Jason (The Transporter) Statham and a few others including...

Hilarious Bollywood Action Scene

Ana Samways — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:02:18 +0000

From the 2009 award-winning Bollywood box office hit Magadheera.

Headline Lies and Other Choice links

Ana Samways — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:41:38 +0000

Calling bullshit on this Cancer scare: Spotted this at the supermarket…”Oh, no! Miss Universe 1983 has Cancer? How awful!” But a quick scan of the actual story from the NZ Woman's Weekly reveals that the former Dancing with the Star winner Lorraine Downes hasn’t got the big C, but that she’s doing some charity work with children with cancer and building her public profile. Talk about crying wolf!... [Choice Links after the jump...]

Gig Guide 27 August — 2 September 2010

Steven Shaw — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:49:10 +0000

Western Line Trio, Sunday at La Zeppa

Click through for listings...

Warren Storm from Lil’ Band O’ Gold

Steven Shaw — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:08:06 +0000

When it comes to phoned interviews, You can't get any more real than talking to a Louisiana-born legend of swamp-pop. Warren Storm is 73 and has been playing drums and singing soulful vocals since the 1950s. Back in 1958, his version of the old country tune "Prisoner's Song" and its flip-side "Mama Mama Mama (Look What Your Little Boy's Done)" met with chart success, selling a quarter of a million copies... [Keep reading for the chance to win tickets to Lil' Band O' Gold....]

Bronze Pole Dancer and Other Choice Links

Ana Samways — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:41:35 +0000

Tasteful gift: Trade Me auction for this Bronze Pole Dancer. “Has Gold sequins on panty area.” (Hat tip: Jeremy Parkinson) More choice links after the jump...

Tour News: The Fall Return to New Zealand

Steven Shaw — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:29:02 +0000

The Fall, playing the Powerstation in December

Seminal English post-punk band The Fall are returning to NZ to play one show only, at the Powerstation in Auckland on December 13....

I’m A One Track Lover

Ana Samways — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:59 +0000

Sensational lyrics, a salmon long-sleeved shirt, rain on the window pane, candelabra ... all rolled up into a wonderfully over-wrought, synthed up parody of a 1980s power ballad.

Father’s Day Cards and Other Choice Links

Ana Samways — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:16:56 +0000

Dad's Day: The Stroller series of cards from Modern Toss are 70s looking and use macho black humour.... Choice links after the jump...

Genuine Psychopath Caught on Camera

Ana Samways — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:44:03 +0000

UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP! Slow to start, but worth the build...Using this CCTV footage from Sacred Heart School in Coventry interested parties are trying to identify the woman featured. More after the jump...