Cityscape Issue 01 - September 2017

CHRISTCHURCH CURATED

LONG GAME Kiwi chanteuse Hollie Smith jazzes up September

MAKING THE CHANGE(OVER) The Changeover with Stuart McKenzie

SEP 2017

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THE WAY WE WERE A pre-quake retrospective of the city in pictures

CITYSCAPE MONTHLY September 2017 Issue 01

CONTENTS

September 2017 In this issue

CEO/Director Andrea Rickerby Editor Isaac Wilson Sub Editor Ben Allan Creative Tristan Brehaut Darlene Mineault Account Manager Derek Thorp Accounts Administrator Claire Ross NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Editorial and Advertising Enquiries: 03 366 3340 info@somocreative.co.nz www.cityscape.co.nz

PUBLISHED BY

SOMO Creative Ltd PO Box 13 717 Christchurch

Cityscape is a division of SOMO Creative Ltd. Cityscape is subject to copyright in its entirety. Opinions expressed in Cityscape are not necessarily those of Cityscape. Editorial contributions welcome.

No responsibility taken for unsolicited submissions.

Prizewinners will be notified by phone and email. If Cityscape is unable to contact the winner within 14 days, Cityscape reserves the right to draw another winner. Cityscape reserves the right to use image/ name of competition entrants for publicity purposes.

International Standard Serial Number ISSN 2537-933X print, ISSN 2537-9348 online

05 10 16 18 24 Welcome to the bangin’ first issue of Cityscape’s awesome new monthly magazine, where you’ll find everything you need to rock September right!

ON THE COVER

HOLLIE SMITH Kiwi chanteuse Hollie Smith croons her way into The Great Hall @ The Arts Centre this month as part of her nationwide Long Player 10 Year Anniversary Tour. For more, see page 17. cityscape.christchurch

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

05 WORD ON THE STREET Tip-offs, trends and more.

10 FASHION FILES What’s hot this month.

12 CULTURE CALENDAR September’s highlights.

14 MAKING THE CHANGE(0VER) On set with Stuart McKenzie.

16 ART ATTACK Christchurch Arts Festival.

17 LONG GAME Hollie Smith comes to town.

18 HOMECOMING KING Eli Matthewson returns.

19 ART & ABOUT Exhibitions to catch.

20 THE GOOD SONS Catching up with Sons of Zion.

22 ENTERTAIN ME Watching, listening, reading.

24 THE WAY WE WERE A pre-quake retrospective.

26 FOOD & DRINK Eating and drinking in the city.

30 THE LAST WORD Cirque du Soleil’s Viktor Franyo.

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TIP-OFFS, TRENDS & MORE

Word on the Street CORI AND A PINT

Boo Radley’s is rapidly becoming a go-to venue for top quality New Zealand comedy, and the trend continues with another visit from 7 Days and What We Do In The Shadows star Cori GonzalezMacuer. A regular sell-out all over the country (including the last time he checked in at Boo’s), Cori’s selfdeprecating and deadpan observational comedy have won him plenty of appreciative fans since he hit the scene in 2003, racking up the Billy T James Award and performing all over the world in a long pro career since. Becoming a dad recently has added a new level of joy into his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped finding things annoying and stupid; New Zealand ‘socialites’, people who post inspirational quotes and reality TV ‘stars’ are all in for an epic takedown as he lets fire at the people he’s reeeeeeally hoping his daughter doesn’t turn into. Comedy enthusiasts (and just those in need of a good laugh) won’t want to miss this one.

Cori Gonzalez-Macuer Boo Radley’s Sep 7, 8pm booradleys.co.nz

BAD HABITS Showbiz Christchurch brings us another one of their feel-good musical productions this month in the form of Sister Act, the West End and Broadway musical comedy smash based on the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film. In 1977, wannabe disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, and is placed into protective custody in a place the police are sure she won’t be found; a convent. Hey sure, it’s a bit ludicrous on the face of it, but this is musical theatre, after all – it’s set to be another big ol’ fun-filled spectacular.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Fri 8 – Sat 23 Sep, showbiz.org.nz NEW & NOTABLE

CROWNED HEADS OF EUROPE

FLIGHTS OF FANCY Fashion retail icon Plume returns to the city soon, with fancy new digs in the McKenzie & Willis precinct at the corner of Tuam/High Streets.

FRESH PRINCE Shopping in the city steps up a notch with the arrival of the brand new FreshChoice City Market at The Crossing. It elevates the supermarket experience to new realms; you’ll find super fresh local produce, international cheeses, and a lavish wine selection alongside the region’s finest gourmet providers. freshchoicecitymarket.co.nz

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Fancy winging your way in business-classstyle to Paris, Berlin, Athens or Prague? The legends at Crowne Plaza Christchurch could have you covered with their awesome new promotion. Every time you spend $100 at their swishy new Market Place Restaurant (or book a room at the hotel through their Connect to Christchurch offer) and sign up for their database you’re in the draw to win return, business class flights for two to a select European airport of your choice! Hit up their website for all the deets. crowneplaza.com/christchurch

VIVA LAS VEGAS Drinking cocktails at some of the city’s best bars could snare you a trip for two to Las Vegas this month! Two legends have come together in the team-up between local hospo leaders Stealth Hospitality and Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky for Stealth’s annual cocktail promotion and giveaway, which runs until the end of the month. Some seriously good and seriously inventive whisky cocktails are on offer across Stealth’s fantastic Vic St venues – and better yet, downing one of these bad boys gives you the chance to win an amazing trip to Las Vegas.

Rockstar Pizza & Drink Parlour, Mexicano’s, King of Snake and The Dirty Land are each rocking their own individual suites of Glenmorangie-starrers; hit these venues now and start making inroads into the delicious line-up to score that dream Vegas wedding with Elvis-clone celebrant.

CATCH THEM LIVE

WE’LL IMPROVISE Christchurch hosts the first National Theatresports Championships in almost two decades this month, when the finest professional improvisers from around the nation converge on The Court Theatre for an epic contest of quips, zaniness and one-liners held across four big nights. Teams from Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, and Nelson will battle with local heroes The Court Jesters for the right to be crowned the fastest and funniest crew in Aotearoa. Theatresports has been a gateway drug to comedy and performance careers for many of the nation’s most well-known comedians, actors, and other performers, and the championships will see the format performed in top-flight form, with seasoned pro performers battling it out for supremacy, regional pride, and bragging rights. The Court Theatre, Heats: Sep 6, 7 & 8, Grand Final: Sep 9, courttheatre.org.nz

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WELCOME BACK, EDDIE It’s been a long time coming, but hospitality finally returns to Oxford Terrace with the opening of three new riverside venues at the Hereford Street corner this month, including a rebirth for pre-quake SOL Square icon Fat Eddie’s. Yuss!

/ WORD ON THE STREET

/ WORD ON THE STREET

TRY THIS

BEER BARRE The team at On Pointe Barre & Wellness Studio are launching a new Blokes, Barre & Beers class this month. This social night out aims to introduce the lads to the many benefits of barre, the celeb-endorsed fitness offering and super fun workout that fuses dance, pilates, and yoga to tone, define and chisel the whole body. onpointenz.com

Image: Lisa-marie Mazzucco

DYNAMIC DUO New Zealand’s most acclaimed pianist Michael Houstoun and equallyheralded Bulgarian violinist Bella Hristova reunite to bring us a feast of Beethoven over a three day mini-festival this month; take a deep dive into the great German’s Sonatas For Violin and Piano.

The Piano, Sep 1 – 3, chambermusic.co.nz

H (& M) Marks the Spot

Swedish retail giant (and world’s biggest clothing retailer) H&M opens as a flagship tenancy in The Crossing this month (look for local artist Joel Hart’s awesome coathanger piece), bringing not only their clothing lines to the city, but also their H&M Home range – a first for New Zealand. hm.com/nz

FOLLOW US 08

cityscape.christchurch

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Why we love …

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FASHION ROYALTY

Saben Matilda Holographic Bag (RRP $450) from Issimo

Fashion

Effortlessly cool, Karen Walker has been waving the New Zealand fashion flag since Madonna rocked her Killer Pants on MTV in 1998.

Despite being a favourite with the A-list echelon – from Charlize Theron to Anne Hathaway, Alexa Chung, Florence Welch, Lorde and Rihanna – Walker still remains a refreshingly down-to-earth Kiwi girl at heart, choosing her super cute old ladies’ lived-in hands and faces to model her jewellery and sunglasses, as well as other interesting models who defy the typical clothes horse archetype. Whether she’s vamping it up with brightly coloured wigs, pushing the boundaries of androgyny or out Tokyo-ing Tokyo (she’s pictured above rocking her own line at the opening of her new store in Ginza), it’s all done in her inimitable, signature style and at the razor-sharp cutting edge.

Files

STUNNING TRANSFORMATIONS Combining the experience and skills of a doctor, nurses, and beauty therapists, cosmetic medicine and beauty clinic the Transform Clinic offers cosmetic medicine treatments, varicose vein treatments, laser and IPL services, and beauty therapy, while its holistic approach ensures you have the very best treatment. transformclinic.co.nz

HOT IN THE CITY We’re getting all hot and bothered by Urban Decay’s blistering new Naked Heat Palette (RRP $91), featuring can’t-live-without amber-hued neutrals including warm browns, burnt oranges and rich siennas, and coming complete with a full size mirror and double-ended brush.

#WANT

We can’t wait for the flagship IVYBLU store in The Crossing to open this month!

Helmed by Christchurch style maven Bianca Astle, the new emporium of her glamorous, carefree and fun designs is sure to become a fashion hot spot. ivyblu.co.nz

HEAVEN SCENT In a beautifully packaged celebration of masculine and feminine, Prada’s new fragrances, Prada Candy Gloss EDT 80ml (RRP $203), with hints of vanilla, almond and musk for her, and Prada Luna Rossa Carbon EDT 100ml (RRP $166), marrying woody patchouli, green citrus and lavender for him, are perfect for the coming long, warm nights.

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THE MONTH IN CULTURE

The Absurdity of Humanity

CHRISTCHURCH ARTS FESTIVAL FESTIVAL The city’s own massive

biennial arts festival continues throughout the first half of September; see website for full programme details.

Venues around the city, Until Sun 17 Sep, artsfestival.co.nz

EXHIBITION New observational

works from a range of artists.

The Central, Until Sun 24 Sep, thecentral.co.nz

COCA – PAEMANU: NOHOAKA TOI NGĀI TAHU ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE EXHIBITION Follow the trajectory

of Ngāi Tahu visual expression from rock art to the present day.

CoCA, Until 26 Nov, coca.org.nz

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: TORUK – THE FIRST FLIGHT PERFORMANCE Cirque Du Soleil

put their own take on the highest grossing film of all time, transporting us to the world of James Cameron’s Avatar.

Horncastle Arena, Fri 1 – Sun 10 Sep, cirquedusoleil.com/toruk

CMNZ: BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, MICHAEL HOUSTOUN & BELLA HRISTOVA

MATAI THEATRE The Court hosts

LIVE MUSIC Renowned NZ

pianist Michael Houstoun is joined by violinist Bella Hristova for a mini-festival collaboration on Beethoven’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano across three days.

The Piano, Fri 1 – Sun 3 Sep, chambermusic.co.nz

CSO – BECA ARTIST SERIES: WOLFGANG EMANUEL SCHMIDT LIVE MUSIC Leading

international cellist Schmidt joins the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for Mendelssohn, Haydn, and Schumann.

Charles Luney Auditorium, Sat 2 Sep, cso.co.nz

Photos: Jesse Faatz Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2015 Cirque du Soleil

DON’T MISS

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Image: Dean Zilwood

THE CENTRAL: STILL LIFE GROUP SHOW

Pasifika theatre company Tulou Productions for this story of one young Samoan man’s journey to find a balance between traditional and modern life.

The Court Theatre, Fri 8 – Sat 16 Sep, courttheatre.org.nz

SISTER ACT PERFORMANCE The always

NATIONAL THEATRESPORTS CHAMPS COMEDY The Court Jesters blow

the conch shell and assemble the best performers from every improv company in the country for a battle royale to determine a champion.

The Court Theatre, Wed 6 – Sat 9 Sep, courttheatre.org.nz

HUDSON & HALLS LIVE! THEATRE Experience

New Zealand’s original and true great gay love story with this comedic, poignant and innovative theatrical work.

The Court Theatre, Wed 6 Sep – Sat 14 Oct, courttheatre.org.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

overachieving Showbiz Canterbury line-up another of their entertaining musical productions, this time the recent Broadway favourite based on the Whoopi Goldberg film.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Fri 8 – Sat 23 Sep, showbiz.org.nz

/ CULTURE

ROCK IT

Diaries out: we run the ruler over the must-sees, go-listens, and should-dos around the city this month.

Image: Oliver Eclipse

AFTERNOON OF ELECTION ANARCHY 4

OUR PICK

SPORTS Get a bit of live martial

MIDNIGHT OIL

THE DANDY WARHOLS

LIVE MUSIC The veteran Aussie

LIVE MUSIC The Portland

rockers have teamed up once again for their mighty The Great Circle world tour; their Christchurch stop will hit Horncastle Arena for what is sure to be a nostalgic night of their parade of hits.

Horncastle Arena, Mon 11 Sep, ticketek.co.nz

alt-rockers that took the new millennium by storm crank out their big hits such as ‘Bohemian Like You’, ‘Get Off’, and ‘We Used To Be Friends’.

The Foundry, Tue 19 Sep, eventfinda.co.nz

WWE LIVE

NZSO PRESENTS: PIANOMANIA WITH FREDDY KEMPF

SPORT/PERFORMANCE The lads

LIVE MUSIC The NZSO ropes in

CSO – LAMB & HAYWARD MASTERWORKS: TCHAIKOVSKY 5 LIVE MUSIC The musos hit us

up with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony as well as works from Elgar and Barber, joined

by British violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen for her CSO debut.

Charles Luney Auditorium, Sat 16 Sep, cso.co.nz

the acclaimed British musician Freddy Kempf as pianist and guest conductor for works by Handel, Mozart, Chopin, Gershwin and more in what will be a calendar highlight for classical fans.

Air Force Museum, Wed 20 Sep, nzso.co.nz

THE EXTRAVAGANZA FAIR FAMILY The unique mix of

market stalls, arts and craft, food, musical entertainment, circus shows, performers, and unique to NZ tiny homes rolls into town for two big days of family-friendly fun.

Richmond Playground, Sat 23/ Sun 24 Sep, extravaganza.co.nz

THE BEST COMEDY SHOW ON EARTH COMEDY The NZ Comedy Fest

presents this big ol’ comedy touring show featuring Rhys Mathewson, Eli Matthewson, Angella Dravid and more, with shows at 3:30pm and 7:30pm.

The Piano, Sun 24 Sep, comedyfestival.co.nz

Lonnie Hutchinson, Tanamonkey, 2017

and lasses of the world’s biggest “sports entertainment” franchise clothesline and suplex their way through an arena spectacular.

Horncastle Arena, Wed 13 Sep, wwe.com

arts action in: muay thai and kickboxing fighters compete across a number of bouts for an entertaining afternoon.

Proactive Martial Arts, Sat 23 Sep, fightentertainment.co.nz

KEVIN BRIDGES COMEDY Scotland’s overnight

comedy success makes his first ever visit to New Zealand, bringing the act that Billy Connolly has called “brilliant” to Horncastle Arena.

Horncastle Arena, Sun 24 Sep, ticketek.co.nz

WILMA AND FRIENDS AT CHRISTOPHER’S CLASSICS LIVE MUSIC Former NZSO

Concert Master Wilma Smith is joined by distinguished Melbourne colleagues for works by Walton and Brahms and a new work by pianist Andrew Leathwick.

The Piano, Tue 26 Sep, eventfinda.co.nz

THE CENTRAL: LONNIE HUTCHINSON EXHIBITION New works from

Auckland-based mixed media artist Lonnie Hutchinson.

The Central, Thu 28 Sep – Thu 26 Oct, thecentral.co.nz

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/ CULTURE

Making the Change(over) Cityscape caught up with co-director and former local lad Stuart McKenzie ahead of the release of his Christchurch-set film adaptation of the Margaret Mahy classic The Changeover – starring UK legend Timothy Spall and New Zealand’s own Melanie Lynskey, Lucy Lawless, and newcomer Erana James as protagonist Laura Chant – for a behind-the-scenes chat.

“I’m a Christchurch boy,” says co-director Stuart McKenzie, the New Zealand theatre and film industry veteran who co-directed The Changeover alongside his wife, actor and performance coach Miranda Harcourt.

It was this home-town background that was one of the things that drew him to the novel, which he was first introduced to when Harcourt performed an audio adaptation of the book in 1984. Already heavily involved with theatrical endeavours, McKenzie was grabbed by the possibilities of Mahy’s tale.

“With the sort of backgrounds we had, we couldn’t help but instantly think and talk about what a cool film [the book] would make,” he says.

Of course, bringing a great film idea to screen is often a difficult task. Enquiring after the rights in the early 90s, the pair found them tied up in Hollywood – little surprise given we’re talking about an internationally-acclaimed novel – and even when they became available again, pulling the project together was proving tough.

Fortunately McKenzie and Harcourt received some help from the best quarter possible – Mahy herself. “Margaret read some of our early drafts and really liked them,” McKenzie recalls. “She really paved the way for us to get the rights.” The project was on.

“I always felt it was important to film in Christchurch,” he says. “The story itself could be set anywhere, but Christchurch really feels like the spiritual home of the story.” The city post-quake offers a unique setting for the film which ties into the story’s themes, he adds. “Christchurch has gone through this significant trauma and has to put itself back together … Laura in the story is dealing with huge change and trauma as well. With Christchurch, there are these very wide vistas which are very cinematic – and then you have this slightly surreal quality of parts of the city that work with the supernatural elements in the story too.”

Part of the film was shot in the residential red zone near New Brighton, with the production specifically moving a house back into the area (which required special permission from the Prime Minister’s office).

“It’s quite beautiful there,” McKenzie says.

“You have this sense that something significant has happened, and of course nature is crawling back into the area. It has this sort of eerie, fairytale quality that has that classic setting for the hero’s journey.”

He’s quick to add that the film is “...not a Christchurch travelogue”, but just hearing him talk about the locations gets you excited to see the film’s version of our city.

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A good story’s nothing without a great cast, but have no fear there. Young debut actress Erana James has turned in what sounds like a performance to watch out for as Laura, while the cast is helmed by high-profile Kiwis Melanie Lynskey and Lucy Lawless and English actor Timothy Spall, who plays nefarious villain Carmody Braque.

“Timothy’s such a cool guy and an amazing actor,” says McKenzie. “We specifically went after him because we didn’t want a cartoon sort of evil, and Timothy’s revelled in it because he got to play what he called his most evil role ever.

He loved Margaret’s novel, and when he got a chance to see a rough cut of the film he’s really just been blown away by the setting and result, so it’s been fantastic to have him.”

Cast and crew naturally spent time exploring the city. One get-to-know-yourcastmates visit had a little bit of extra significance, with Melanie Lynskey taking her on-screen kids to the Margaret Mahy Playground for some bonding time.

“It doesn’t make it into the film, but it was nice to have that wee connection. We’re sad Margaret’s not here to see the film, but we’d like to think she’d be happy with the results.”

The Changeover opens on 28 September; see page 22 for more.

We’ve got a double pass to Kevin Bridges to giveaway.

To enter, email us at info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Kevin’ in the subject line and tell us why you need to talk about Kevin.

Entries close September 21.

We need to talk about Kevin

The biggest Scottish comedy export since Billy Connolly, Kevin Bridges is bringing his searing social commentary, astute observations and sharp one-liners to CHCH this month. It’s been a meteoric rise for the Glaswegian, who first started turning heads on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow in 2009, before recording his first DVD a year later in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000. From there it’s simply been success after success. His tour of the UK last year, for example, shifted 450,000 tickets; little wonder then that his first NZ tour is highly anticipated by local comedy fans. He’s been described by Connolly himself as “brilliant”, by The Guardian as “Positively exhilarating”, and by The Daily Mirror as “A mustsee act”; it seems he’s very much the Big Yin’s heir apparent. Catch a red-hot star at his very hottest!

Kevin Bridges, Horncastle Arena, Sep 24, kevinbridges.co.uk Image: © Andy Hollingworth Archive

CHANGING TUNE A new name and sound have made Christchurch rock band Decades, who recently dropped labour-of-love debut album The Truth and Other People, the Kiwi band to watch. The quartet (Emma Cameron, guitar and vocals; Liam Muir, guitar; Daniel Perry, drums; and Curtis Booth, bass) have spent the last few years refining their sound and building their profile following a chance meeting between Cameron and Kiwi producer (and Shihad drummer) Tom Larkin in a bar in Melbourne. Becoming their manager and producer, Larkin began to push the band in a new direction, beginning a killer colab that’s now resulted in the dynamic new release – an album born of plenty of blood, sweat, and guitar picks. wearedecades.com

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ART ATTACK / CULTURE

The Christchurch Arts Festival 2017 is as usual stuffed with amazing acts to catch.

But what to prioritise? Fear not; we’ve done all the hard work, even enduring the slightly retina-scorching colour scheme of this year’s programme so you won’t have to.

Here’s our pick of the many highlights in this year’s fest! To Sep 17, artsfestival.co.nz

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THE THINGS BETWEEN US The last time writer/composer Luke Di Somma was involved with a premiere musical at the Fest, it was to co-create (with Greg Cooper) the smash-hit Kate Sheppard rock-bio That Bloody Woman for 2015’s edition. This time he’s back with The Things Between Us, a new work again commissioned especially for the festival and billed as ‘a provocative and playful exploration of coupledom in the modern world’. Papa Hou YMCA, Thu 14 – Sun 17

HUDSON & HALLS LIVE!

DON’T MISS

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Image: NoLogo

Big laughs, rum-fuelled showdowns, and dubious cooking collide in this theatrical production that offers a glimpse into the lives and love of Peter Hudson and David Halls, TV celebrity chefs and the two halves of New Zealand’s original great gay love story.

The Court Theatre, Wed 6 – Sat 16 (post Fest season to Oct 14)

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Striking works of Trans-Tasman choreography are brought to us from Ross McCormack (NZ) and Lina Limosani (Australia) in this dynamic double bill from The New Zealand Dance Company that offers both McCormack’s Matter and Limosani’s Whispers from Pandora’s Box. One night only, dance fans!

Aurora Centre, Fri 15

VELVET Step back in time to an electrifying era of glamour and abandon; an international ensemble takes you on an electrifying journey into a world that’s a raucous, seductive fusion of disco, dance and circus. Dazzling acrobatics, disco divas and seductive chanteuses are mashed up into a heady world that you can’t help become starry-eyed at experiencing, if only because the glitterball keeps bouncing light into your face.

Groovy! The Piano, Wed 6 – Sun 17

UNDERNEATH Leading Irish actor Pat Kinevane turns in a powerhouse solo performance in this blackly-comic tale of a life lived in secret. Winner of ‘Best of Fringe’ awards in both Adelaide and Edinburgh, the show is a testament to the people who live at the margins; a look at the circumstances, cruelty and disappointment that can shape us, and the hope and happiness that can be found in human kindness. It’s much funnier than that sounds though too, and has been described as “a perfect 90 minutes”.

Papa Hou YMCA, Thu 7 – Sun 10

Image: Patrick Redmond

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TEN GIGS TO CATCH THIS MONTH PACIFIC HEIGHTS Blue Smoke, Sat 9, 7:30pm MIDNIGHT OIL Horncastle Arena Mon 11, 8pm (see p21) SONS OF ZION: EP RELEASE TOUR Winnie Bagoes Ferrymead Fri 15, 9pm (see p20) GINNY BLACKMORE Dim 7th Jazz and Whisky Bar, Sat 16, 7pm BOOGIE WONDERLAND 70’S NIGHT WITH D’N’D SHOWBAND North New Brighton Community Hall Sat 16, 7pm

HITTING THE HEIGHTS

If you know Shapeshifter, you sort of know Pacific Heights. The ocean-views-conjuring name is the moniker for solo work by talented producer Devin Abrams, one of the founding members of the iconic Christchurch drum and bass outfit. Abrams left Shapeshifter in 2014 to better pursue his solo work, dropping the second Pacific Heights album, The Stillness, last year. His command of melody and atmosphere has seen Pacific Heights carve out its own unique styles of jungle/drum & bass, deep house, soul, hip-hop, future beats and more, making him a bright star on the Kiwi electronic scene. The intimate setting of Blue Smoke will be the perfect spot to catch The Stillness live set from Abrams and a full band.

Pacific Heights, Blue Smoke, Sep 9, cosmicticketing.co.nz LOCK IT IN

LATIN PARTY – CHILEAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH DJ D-LATINO The Cuban, Sat 16, 10pm THE DANDY WARHOLS The Foundry, Tue 19, 8pm (see p18) MODERN MAORI QUARTET WITH ANNIE CRUMMER Aurora Centre for the Performing Arts Fri 22, 7pm STRANGE’S LANE 3RD BIRTHDAY – UPTOWN SHAKEDOWN & DJ NACOA Strange & Co, Sat 23, 6pm HOLLIE SMITH - LONG PLAYER 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR The Great Hall @ The Arts Centre, Fri 29, 7:30pm

LONG GAME

Cityscape caught up with NZ’s first lady of jazz and soul Hollie Smith, who’s celebrating the 10th anniversary of her album Long Player with a tour this month.

It’s hard to believe that it’s a decade since Long Player racked up ‘Best Female Solo Artist’, ’Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ and ‘Best Producer’ at the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards and topped the New Zealand charts.

“It’s funny really,” says Smith, “In some ways it seems like just yesterday that it came out. It can feel like there’s a bit of a hole in the space time continuum!” Ten years on, the singer is firmly established as one of our most recognisable voices, selling out venues around the country and collaborating and touring with other big names like Fat Freddy’s Drop, Anika Moa, and Boh Runga.

Dipping into the back catalogue is exciting, says Smith. “We haven’t played a lot of these in a long time, so we’re approaching them as a bit of an experiment. We’ve extended the band to more closely reproduce the feel we had back then – there’s a feeling of bringing this new energy to the songs, which is cool.”

There’s one anxiety-producing aspect of diving into the back catalogue though, she says: “I’m pretty terrible with lyrics, so I’ve been known to have a cheat sheet on stage, which isn’t very professional. But it’s really more of a mental aid – if it’s there I find myself remembering pretty well without really having to look, but if it isn’t I start getting stage fright and freaking out and forgetting things!”

The celebratory tour coincides with Long Player’s release on vinyl. Soundsmith/Warner Music NZ are including five bonus songs on the double LP. You can pick up the vinyl issue from the 8th – plenty of time to give it a thrashing before Smith’s gig at the the Arts Centre at the end of the month.

This comes just a week after the country’s general election. Labour leader Jacinda Adern is a mate, and Smith played a gig with a difference at the Labour campaign launch in August, backed by a full choir. “Jacinda is a good friend, so I might be a bit more happy or sad than usual at that gig!”

Hollie Smith: Long Player 10th Anniversary Tour The Great Hall at the Arts Centre, Sep 29, holliesmith.co.nz

We’ve got a double pass to catch Hollie Smith to giveaway. To enter, email us at info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Hollie’ in the subject line and tell us what your long game is. Entries close September 25.

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/ CULTURE

HOMECOMING KING

Cityscape caught up with former CHCH lad and funnyman on the rise Eli Matthewson, who returns to the city on The Best Comedy Show on Earth Tour with his new show The Year of Magical F@%king.

YOU’RE PART OF THE BEST COMEDY SHOW ON EARTH – PRESSURE MUCH? There’s no getting around the fact that this is a lie. Steve Martin and Joan Rivers will not be making surprise appearances at this gig.

BUT I can say with full confidence it’s one of the best line-ups of NZ comedians I’ve ever been on.

HOW WERE YOUR COURT JESTER DAYS? Those days were the best! My first paid job as a comedian. I spent so many nights doing shows in the Arts Centre then getting a beer at the Dux, and somehow ending up at late night Denny’s. It’s amazing to work with a comedy family – stand-up can be pretty lonely sometimes.

TELL US ABOUT THIS ‘MAGICAL’ YEAR YOU’VE HAD. Look – I came up with the title for my show 6 months before I ever did it. I’d been reading stats about how little sex millennials are having compared to their parents, and I wanted to try and catch up. Did I? You’ll have to see the show to find out.

HOW HARD IS IT BEING A GAY COMEDIAN? The most difficult part is how many straight people I turn gay with my evil gay agenda. To be honest, most NZ audiences are pretty cool with it! Won’t be touring to Uganda any time soon though.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT, AND WILL YOUR MUM BE IN THE AUDIENCE? You can expect things equally edgy and innocent. You’ll never think of the movie Frozen the same way again. My mum is always keen to watch, but I have to pretend she’s not there and go just hard.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE BACK IN THE CITY? They have this pinball machine at C1 which I’m obsessed with.

It’s the first thing I want to do whenever I get home. I know Hagley Park is lovely but it’s the pinball machine for me.

The Best Comedy Show On Earth Tour, The Piano, Sep 24, comedyfestival.co.nz

We’ve got a double pass to catch The Dandy Warhols to giveaway. To enter, email us at info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Dandy’ in the subject line and tell us why you need to get your bohemian self to the concert. Entries close September 14.

Fine and dandy

Defining alt-rockers The Dandy Warhols are bringing their signature long sets and witty on-stage repertoire back to the city, along with a killer playlist from an epic back catalogue that includes ‘Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth’, ‘Bohemian Like Me’, ‘We Used to be Friends’, and lots more besides. Taking bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys as their formative influences, the group dropped their debut in 1995, but it wasn’t until 2000 that the über cool four-piece truly surged out of Portland to take the world by storm with their third album, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. Seven more albums (including last year’s Distortland), multiple world tours, and a controversial and acclaimed warts-and-all rockumentary (2004’s Dig!) later, they’re back in New Zealand for the first time in nine years, hitting The Foundry at the UCSA. Original line-up Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Peter Holmstrom, Zia McCabe and Brent DeBoer have established a reputation as a can’t-miss live act and are still selling out shows around the world, and with the band a genuine icon of the alt-rock scene, this is one for music fans of all stripes to put on their radar. The Dandy Warhols, The Foundry at the UCSA, Sep 19, dandywarhols.com

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

Mic Check

The city’s buzzin’ open mic scene has something for everyone. Check out up-and-coming talent, or take the plunge and give it a go! Some good spots to head to:

COMEDY

Alvarado’s Mexican Cantina Alvarado’s free-entry comedy open mic comes around at 8pm every second Tuesday. Kick back with a beer and some chips and guac and check out what people have come up with, or dive in yourself via shenmansell@gmail.com.

MUSIC Carlton The Carlton’s dedication to local music includes music open mic nights every Tuesday. Slots are available from 6 to 9:30pm with solos, duos, full bands, and everything in-between welcome. Hit up zak@onthebeat.co.nz for a spot.

ART & ABOUT

Exhibitions to catch this month.

Boo Radley’s Boo’s open mic every Wednesday night (pictured) rolls from 9:30pm, with casual sign ups at the bar from 9pm. Originals, covers, it’s all good – and every performer gets a free drink!

RINGING TRUE BY KEITH MORANT – ONE YEAR REOPENING CELEBRATION

Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery THE BELGIANS HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN Waimakariri District

The Bog The Bog’s regular Wednesday night open mic from 8pm bloomed into their recently completed ‘Star of the Bar’ competition this winter. Jump in and get practising for the next one!

Council, Rangiora, 4 – 15 Sep

POETRY

Hurunui Memorial Library, Amberley 15 – 18 Sep

Space Academy The cool St Asaph Street space is the venue for literary journal Catalyst’s monthly open mic poetry night, held on the first Wednesday of every month. Get some culture midweek with your wine or beer, or release your own darlings into the world.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Art & About images: Top, Galina Kim, Bird2, at Bryce Gallery. Inset, Sasha Huber: Karakia – the resetting ceremony, 2015 (video still), featuring Jeff Mahuika (Kāti Māhaki, Poutini Kāi Tahu), at The Physics Room.

Strange & Co. Every Wednesday sees Strange & Co. host Strange Comedy. Support newcomers giving it a go or catch the more experienced trying new material.

The show starts at 8pm, with free entry. Email grandpafigs@gmail.com if you’re keen for a crack.

CREATIVE ART AND JEWELLERY TRIO POP UP XCHC, 15/16 Sep ARTS SHOWCASE HURUNUI

Canterbury Museum HĀKUI: WOMEN OF KĀI TAHU

Canterbury Museum SHARE / CHEAT / UNITE

The Physics Room (in association with Te Tuhi), 2 Sep – 8 Oct DON PEEBLES: RELIEF CONSTRUCTIONS Christchurch Art

Gallery, until Sep 3

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

WAYNE YOULE: LOOK MUM NO HANDS Christchurch Art Gallery

Bryce Gallery

until Sep 3

TO THE TIDELINE: CERAMICS BY KATE MCINTYRE Form Gallery, 6 – 26 Sep

BENEATH THE RANGES

PAEMANU: KA NOHOAKA TOI – NGĀI TAHU ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

YOUR HOTEL BRAIN

CoCA, 8 Sep – 26 Nov STILL LIFE GROUP SHOW

The Central, until 24 Sep LONNIE HUTCHINSON

The Central, from Sep 28 WHERE THE RIVER BENDS

Ilam Campus Gallery, until 7 Sep SASKIA LEEK & RICHARD REDDAWAY

Jonathan Smart Gallery

Christchurch Art Gallery Christchurch Art Gallery KUSHANA BUSH: THE BURNING HOURS Christchurch Art Gallery HENRI MATISSE: JAZZ

Christchurch Art Gallery BRIDGET RILEY: COSMOS

Christchurch Art Gallery LEN LYE: STOPPED BY WONDER

Christchurch Art Gallery THE WEIGHT OF SUNLIGHT

ANDY LELEISI’UAO: HOMONOIA PEOPLE PG Gallery 192, to 15 Sep

Christchurch Art Gallery, from 16 Sep

PAULINE RHODES: STAINED SILENCES – INSTALLATION

Christchurch Art Gallery, from 15 Sep

PG Gallery 192, 19 Sep – 6 Oct LYTTELTON REDUX

Canterbury Museum

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POSTCARDS TO ANTARCTICA

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

ABERHART STARTS HERE THE TEARS OF OUR ANCESTORS

Eastside Gallery, until 9 Sep FIRST STEPS

Eastside Gallery, 11 – 30 Sep

/ CULTURE

The

Good

Sons

The hard-working Sons of Zion are back on the road (again!) to spread the word on their new four-track EP, The Jukebox Suite.

We’ve got a double pass to catch Sons of Zion to giveaway. To enter, email us at info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Zion’ in the subject line and tell us why you need to catch the Zion lads.

Entries close September 13.

We caught up with vocalist Rio ahead of their Christchurch gig.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW EP. We’ve been working on those songs for a while – some of them one-anda-half, two years. We’ve got a new album coming up at the end of the year, and the songs on The Jukebox Suite didn’t quite fit with the album – we were experimenting a bit with them, trying that sort of Motown sound a little bit. So we thought instead of just flagging them, why not put these out separately? The reception’s been really good, so I’m really glad we did!

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS ON TOUR. DOES THAT GET TOUGH SOMETIMES? For me and the other boys who do vocals, the toughest thing is looking after your voice. We’re just back from Australia, and touring over there you spend a lot of time on planes and in hotels and the air conditioning is really not great for your voice, so you’ve got to look after it. But we’re

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still loving it – at the end of the day it’s awesome to be able to get up there on stage and do your thing for a couple of hours.

SONS OF ZION IS HUGE IN THE DIGITAL MUSIC REALM (12 MILLION STREAMS ON SPOTIFY, MORE THAN 10 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE). IS THAT SOMETHING YOU PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO? We do put a lot of effort into it. We actually just did a gig at Auckland Airport for Air New Zealand to launch their Spotify profile. To be honest, with streaming and so on, the return is financially not that great. Most of the money is in gigging, and we’re really primarily a live band. But we think anything that gets the music out there and more people hearing it is awesome.

However people get to listen to our music, it’s all good!

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

DO YOU THINK THAT THESE DIGITAL CHANNELS HELP TO SPREAD THE MUSIC FURTHER? SONS OF ZION HAVE POPPED UP ON THE CHARTS IN HAWAII, FOR EXAMPLE. Perhaps … we’ve been touring to Hawaii for 4 or 5 years now and I think what’s really helped us over there are some great Kiwi groups like Katchafire who toured over there a lot and really helped to open up a local appreciation for that New Zealand sort of sound, which is great.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR CHRISTCHURCH GIG? Christchurch always seems to produce epic gigs for us. The people are really friendly and always seem to appreciate us getting down there.

It can be quite expensive getting a band down to Christchurch and I think people know that and just seem to really enjoy that we can make it down. It’s obviously been tough times for the city as well after the quakes and so on and we’ve seen people really taking the chance to unwind and forget about things a bit and really get into it at the shows.

So I love playing Christchurch.

WHAT’S ON THE CARDS FOR YOUR SUMMER? We tour a lot during the year but we always make sure we’re back here then because, man, there is nothing better than that New Zealand summer! That whole period from Boxing Day through to about March is just epic. We’ll have heaps more festival gigs and shows all through then again this summer, and I’m massively looking forward to it as usual!

Sons of Zion Winnie Bagoes Ferrymead, Sep 15 sonsofzion.co.nz

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Image: Oliver Eclipse

Totally Schmidtten Described as “one of the leading cellists of his generation”, Wolfgang Schmidt is a highly sought-after soloist, chamber musician and conductor, appearing with some of the finest orchestras in Europe and around the world. This outstanding musician performs with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra this month; classical music fans won’t want to miss it.

CSO: Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Charles Luney Auditorium, Sep 2, cso.co.nz

THE OIL BUSINESS

If you’re wondering where monster Ocker-rockers and protest song writers extraordinaire Midnight Oil have been for 15 years, the answer may surprise you; over here it’s a bit easier to have missed frontman Peter Garrett channelling all that agitator-energy into an actual career in Australian politics. Leaving the band in 2002, Garrett put his money where his melodies were, serving as the Labor MP for the Sydney electorate of Kingsford Smith from 2004 to 2013, and as a government minister from 2007 – 2013. Select committees and parliamentary debates don’t leave a lot of time for rock and roll; Garrett’s new vocation created a long hiatus for the band, punctuated only by a brief reunion in 2009 to play some high profile charity gigs.

But with his political career now behind him, Garrett has dusted off his suitcase and rejoined his bandmates to embark on a new tour called The Great Circle. Kicking off in serious style with a gig at Sydney’s Marrickville Bowling Club in April, the reinvigorated rockers have since hit Brazil, the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa, and Singapore; they arrive here this month with plenty of frequent flyer miles racked up and ready to play their first New Zealand gigs in over two decades. Midnight Oil: The Great Circle, Horncastle Arena, Sep 11, midnightoil.com

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

/ ENTERTAIN ME

Watching

Our picks of the best flicks, music and stuff to read.

THE CHANGEOVER With a top-notch cast of Kiwis (including Melanie Lynskey and Lucy Lawless) joined by UK legend Timothy Spall, a post-quake Christchurch setting and Carnegie-medal winning source material from one of the city’s most acclaimed writers (Margaret Mahy), this is surely a movie that should set local theatre attendance records, and is looking like one of the biggest New Zealand films of the year full stop (with a hometown premiere scheduled, to boot).

OUR PICK

WIND RIVER IT Condensing Stephen King’s petrifying cult novel It down to a lean and no-doubt-mean 135 minutes, this new silver screen adaptation (released here on the 7th) follows a small town group of kids terrorised by an evil force who takes the form of malevolent, red balloon-bearing clown Pennywise. There’s some serious pedigree here; in addition to springing from the twisted mind of master fright-writer King, it’s directed by Andy Muschietti (Mama), and has a screenplay co-written by Cary Fukunaga, who kept the tension ratcheted up as the mastermind behind HBO’s True Detective.

Coulrophobia or not, this seems set to be a genuine armrest-gripper; plan to avoid circuses and children’s birthday parties for a while.

Set in the frozen wasteland of Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, this chilling modern-day western (with a nod to Silence of the Lambs) sees a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) teaming up with a damaged predator tracker (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the disturbing murder of local girl. Renner’s character is a masterclass in broody intensity, ably helping Olsen’s out-of-herdepth agent, who’s been flown in from Vegas. Actor-turneddirector Taylor Sheridan’s debut is an assured crime thriller based on a truly horrifying fact that will stick with you long after the credits have finished rolling.

WIN! We have 5 double passes to Wind River to giveaway. To enter, send us an email to info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Wind’ in the subject line and tell us why you need a night out at the flicks.

Entries close September 8.

DVD: PECKING ORDER Obsession, enthusiasm and the competitive spirit are all on fine-feathered display in winning Kiwi doco Pecking Order. Members of Christchurch’s own Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club deal with club politics during their preparations for the National Show, where ribbons are everything and those that don’t get results are in danger of ending up on the dinner table.

WIN! We have 3 copies of Pecking Order to giveaway. To enter, send us an email to info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Chicken’ in the subject line and tell us your fave feathered friend.

Entries close October 2.

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

/ ENTERTAIN ME

PLAYLIST

The killer tracks on high-rotation in the Cityscape office.

K.FLAY ‘High Enough’ Every Where is Some Where

Listening VILLAINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Many may have thought the team-up between Queens of the Stone Age and super-producer Mark Ronson (the man behind Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’ and Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’) a bit of an unlikely one, but the pairing pays dividends on the new Villains. Maxing out QOTSA’s long underlying tendencies to get a little bit groovy, the album sets the tone with the dance-floor swagger of ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me’.

The zippy ‘Head like a Haunted House’ is a crowd-pleaser, while high rotation radio single ‘The Way You Used To Do’ is the band channelled via The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.

Once again, the ever-evolving QOTSA make rock sound minty fresh.

THE TRUTH AND OTHER PEOPLE, DECADES

Reading

Decades’ major-label debut album tells the chronological story of a break up, a catharsis of sorts for band members Emma and Liam, who had both recently experienced heartbreak in

their own lives. It launches with the aggressive, riff-driven rock track of single ‘Terrified’, which sets the tone for the rest of the album; fresh, powerful, passionate and built solidly with walls of guitar, with Cameron’s vocals able to soar over the top to provide both gritty angst and delicate feeling as needed, offering the release that the album’s subject matter cries out for.

Rock fans will want to pick this one up; this is a Christchurch band bound for the top.

BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA, PINK Expect fireworks when Pink’s long-awaited (it’s been five years since The Truth About Love – five years!) seventh studio album, Beautiful Trauma, drops next month. The pop icon’s been taking a break to focus on her family, but new chart-topping single ‘What About Us’ shows that her skills have stayed sharp, and early talk of the album speaks of another fierce statement that will only further this musical force of nature’s rep for raw authenticity.

LORDE ‘Liability’ Melodrama

IMAGINE DRAGONS ‘Thunder’ Evolve

THE KILLERS ‘The Man’ Wonderful Wonderful

ALT-J ‘In Cold Blood’ Relaxer

THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS, ARUNDHATI ROY

WORKING CLASS BOY, JIMMY BARNES

Dipping back into the literary pool after taking out the Booker prize with her stunning debut The God of Small Things in 1997, Roy’s sublime storytelling is back in full force with this achingly humane novel of exceptional power and potency.

Cold Chisel frontman and Ozrock legend Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Boy is a powerful reflection on a traumatic and violent childhood; this is the warts-and-all rock and roll story of how Scottish immigrant James Swan became Jimmy Barnes.

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

Forget the new normal for a bit – get your nostalgia on as we take a look back at the old normal, remembering some much-missed prequake haunts and sights.

Some are now happily back in a new form and

BOULEVARD BAKEHOUSE

some are sadly confined to memory, but in both cases, it’s getting weirdly difficult

STICKY FINGERS

to picture the completely different urban environment we used to

CAFÉ VALENTINO

have. So allow yourself a few “Oh yeeeeeeah!” moments as Cityscape takes you back to our old cityscape for a bit!

THE GLOBE CAFÉ

THE TWISTED HOP

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BROWSERS CAFÉ

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

MINX

THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS

FAT EDDIE’S

DUX DE LUX

BAILIES BAR

PORTOFINO

LE PLONK

THE FISH & CHIP SHOP

LA PETITE CROIX

CONCRETE CLUB

ANNIES WINE BAR

RETOUR

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

SOL SQUARE

THE COURT THEATRE

CARTEL

YELLOW CROSS

CHINWAG EATHAI

TOP 5 THINGS TO EAT THIS MONTH

OUR PICK OF THE FIVE DISHES TO PUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR CULINARY TO-DO LIST.

01

02

Café Raeward’s The Boss Lady Salad

03

Belgian Beer Torenhof Café’s Breakfast in Bread

04

Honeycomb and Roasted Nectarine from 50 Bistro

King of Snake’s Duck and Lychee Salad

CHECK IT OUT

Food & Drink IN A FIZZ Louis Champagne & Oyster Bar offers 16 varieties of France’s finest, served up in suitably swanky surrounds under a 1.5-metre diameter Italian crystal chandelier.

WORD ON THE STREET

CHURRASCO DOUBLE DOWN BBQ Brazil Churrasco have been packing them in at their Papanui restaurant for a while now, quickly becoming a city favourite. The city has been crying out for more of their tasty goodness, and they’ve duly provided; their new city location is now open at 205 Durham Street South! bbqbrazil.co.nz

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

Nori and Sesame Crumbed Salmon from Chillingworth Road

/ FOOD & DRINK

REVIEWS

TMR Bar & Restaurant There’s a delightful intimacy in the mezzanine overlooking both High Street and down into the bar and dining room of slick new offering TMR Bar & Restaurant. That fab carpet – the dark crimson floral that’s been around so long its hyper-fashionable again – has survived The Monday Room’s relocation and transformation to its new digs, and made its way down from the walls and onto the floor in the process. It’s joined by shiny black metal post-quake supports, industrial lighting and exposed brick to create a cosy haven that’s conducive to both romantic dining and overdue catch ups with a bestie over a long lunch. Downstairs, larger tables are the order of the day, the former venue’s library makes a high-ceilinged appearance, and a well-stocked, impressive, and rustic lux bar holds court.

We watch manager Ryan Simonsen crest the carpeted stairs ferrying glasses of Black Estate chardonnay and Circuit pinot gris, fished from a cellar focussed on the region’s finest. We’ve taken his advice and opted for the Trust the Chef option – and given the culinary prowess of head chef Hannah Cooper-Grieve, that’s a no-brainer. First up we’re treated to the flavour burst of freshness that’s the spinach leaf wrap, an explosive combo of crisp Granny Smith, creamy avocado and edamame, all shined off with the nutty crunch of toasted coconut and the slight sweetness of a delicate coconut caramel. Needless to say, it does a magnificent job of setting the scene for the serious gastronomic goodies still to come.

The leaf wrap’s partner in crime is the seriously trending and oft-attempted (though seldom mastered) vegan buffalo wings, where chunks of cauliflower are totally transformed (by way of a

27

humming crispy coating) into some of the city’s most dangerously addictive morsels – and that’s before we pour over the chilli-spiked Szechuan sauce.

I’m savouring the light oakiness of cool sips of the chardonnay when our eye-widening mains arrive, with the perfectly-timed dishes ensuring we’re neither rushed, nor feel like we’re left waiting between courses. Taking pride of place is the porchetta, where fall-apart-tender meat punched up with peppercorns meets perfectly rendered fat encased in crackling. It’s cut through by the freshness of a silken apple and celeriac puree, and the cunning addition and slight chew of semi-dried apple.

It’s joined by the day’s market fish; perfectly pan-fried ocean-fresh groper, crisp on the outside and delicately just-cooked-through beneath. It’s winningly paired with fried red cabbage, pumpkin (in the forms of pickled, puree and dust), and a tangy dill aioli, its artful presentation mirroring its next-level flavours.

Admittedly our culinary adventure could easily, and happily, end here, but when the dessert menu is one of the city’s finest, that’s a potential regret that nobody can live with. We’re immediately drawn to the vegan snickers bar, a harmonious marriage of whipped cream, peanut and salted caramels that satisfies more than its confectionary counterpart ever did, allowing us to tap the vegan goodness at both ends of the menu.

161 High Street 03 377 5262 themondayroom.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

/ FOOD & DRINK

Sister Kong

It’s love at first bite. Sister Kong’s feisty signature saffron chicken bao is a pulse-quickening combo of super-crunchy SKB (Sister Kong Bao) fried chicken, tangy pickled red onion, refreshing bean sprouts, and the minty freshness of a killer slaw, all wrapped in a fluffy saffron bao. It’s a booming flavour hit to be sure, and a two-handed affair at that, literally bursting with flavours.

We take the GF option on the twice-cooked pork belly, which switches out the bao for a lettuce cup that wraps succulent, crispy-skinned pork belly piquant with hoisin sauce, tangy pickled apple and the fresh crunch of cucumber. It’s magic between sips of the chilli hum of the Crown Prince Li-Bi – the venue’s tricked up version of a margarita – and the crunch of the miso-grilled cabbage.

We’d followed the welcoming neon-pink pawed fortune cat to the city’s hot new home of bodacious bao. Channelling the pimped-out cool of a Hong Kong baijiu house, the Hoop Group’s (Sam and Sally Hooper) expansion of their Pot Sticker Dumpling empire brings the epic street flavours of Hong Kong and Taipei to the city. We’re surrounded by edgy cool – there’s bamboo scaffolding around the bar, rough plastered walls, and slick wooden tables where booth seating is flanked by a jungle of tropical plants, and flocks of red bird cages and lanterns hang from the ceiling.

Scanning the menu, which spans Something to Start, Dumplings, Bao, Ya Need Some Greens and The Sweet Stuff, we decide to end the torment the loaded fries incited after we saw them on Facebook, and go for sesame satay wontons as well. The golden crunchy fries are piled high with shiitake mushrooms, Kewpie mayo, toasted peanuts, spicy nori, and 16(!) herbs and spices, and are drizzled with truffle oil. Pulling out the fries while keeping the toppings intact is the tastiest game of Jenga ever, while the wontons’ plump parcels of pork and prawn are a massive hit. We’ve overdone it, but put the ice cream bao at the top of our to-do list before leaving.

123 Victoria Street, 03 421 6494, sisterkong.co.nz

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Baretta

The spoon cracks the burnt toffee surface of the crème brûlée and sinks into the custard beneath. Lightly teasing with orange and cardamom, the dreamy, creamy custard beautifully contrasts with the brittle, slightly bitter sweetness of the caramelised topping. Our only regret as we devour it is that we didn’t order two.

The broody intimacy of Baretta’s dining room sees guttering candlelight dance across the famous peacock wallpaper, which is juxtaposed with tactile, rough-hewn rustic tables and a wellstocked wrought-iron wine cage. It could easily pass for a Milan hotspot, and we’re happy to imagine given the chill outside.

We start the evening toasting flutes of Tuscan Leonardo Prosecco, its lush fruity notes creating a harmonious counterpoint to an exceptional duck and orange parfait. The parfait’s light citrus infusion cuts through its mouth-coating seduction and, when slathered on crisp slices of toasted bread with a healthy streak of beetroot chutney, it’s a flavour marriage of epic proportions.

Our mains selection is the legendary pork belly and the beef wellington special, which includes a carefully considered wine match. The pork belly, true to form, is a mouth-watering display; a halo of crackling protects fall-apart-tender meat, which crowns an indulgent parsnip puree studded with golden roast kumara, steamed broccoli, and a sharp apple and pear relish.

Similarly delectable is the beef wellington, where delicate pastry sits atop a medallion of smoky-grilled medium-rare beef. This meets its perfect match in a Church Road McDonald Series Syrah. Almost stealing the show though is a warm pea, pancetta and hazelnut salad; a brilliant combo of salty meat, fresh baby peas and the crunch of roasted hazelnuts ensures that not a single pea escapes back to the kitchen. We deliberate over the dessert menu, sipping chilled glasses of Santa Maria Limoncello and willing its digestive properties into action in a futile attempt to delay our departure.

174 St Asaph Street, 03 260 2600, baretta.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ September 17

/ FOOD & DRINK

Vesuvio

I enjoy the fiery potency of a Gunpowder Negroni – a careful bitter/sweet balance of orange zest-tinged heaven – as I take in the surrounds. They’re deliciously dark and intimate. Epitomising effortless cool and inimitable nonchalance, Vesuvio is home to a toe-tappingly infectious vibe, sweet live music, and next-level professionalism via a fun and friendly front of house. Our platter arrives, along with a funky Mediterraneanstyle ceramic jug and glasses, piled high with a gourmand’s wet dream selection.

There’s house-marinated Moroccan olives, glass terrines of creamy buffalo feta and sharp balsamic oil, stunning dual tapenades of olives with anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes with roasted cashew nuts, antipasti of chargrilled peppers laced with garlic and fresh basil, artichoke hearts with rosemary and lemon juice, a seductively spiced dukkha of nuts and roast spices, and smoky chargrilled Moroccan lamb.

Having been given a heads-up by staff that the chargrilled halloumi and pancetta parcels are a must try, we order these and scan the 50 or so wines available by the glass, looking for a good match. We narrow it down to four choices which we then leave to the experts, finally returning to the table with a carafe of Toa Karikari Peninsula 2007.

It’s a heavy-hitting, luscious tannic fruity number, and its toasty oak notes are the perfect accompaniment to the earthen plate of chilli infused, halloumi-engorged prunes wrapped in chargrilled, caramelised strips of pancetta. Spicy, smoky and humming with a spike of chilli, they’re soul-satisfyingly moreish, and simply sublime between sips of the velvety red.

Deciding it’s time to hit the hot cocktail options, I blow on my Hot Buttered Rum and feel its warming embrace as a bearded guy in the courtyard instigates a sing-along to the purr of Devilish Mary chanteuse Anita Clark’s interpretation of ‘Fever’; it’s obvious we’re not leaving anytime soon.

Carlton Courts, 4 Papanui Road, 03 355 8530, vesuvio.co.nz

Underground Coffee Roasters Cafe

The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee is like an alluring siren call on the late Saturday morning after a big Friday night. Perched at the entrance of The Colombo, Underground is the perfect recovery zone, all but demanding one settle back in the rustic comfy surrounds and order up a hangover-curing, piping hot-cup of signature Avant Garde coffee.

Having scanned the well-stocked cabinet fare atop the chunky wooden counter between sips of the full-bodied house brew, we decide it really is a job for a cooked brunch, ordering up the haloumi veggie stack and big breakfast with front-of-house legend Vivek (‘V’) Sharma. We’re making plans for the rest of the day when V brings over our meals, along with housemade tomato and jalapeno and tomato and chilli sauces.

The big breakfast more than lives up to its name; it’s an epic serve of soft-poached free-range eggs, crispy bacon, bratwurst, BBQ brisket, potatoes, creamed mushrooms, and grilled tomato, all topped off with a grilled cheese scone – we start feeling better at the mere sight of it. It’s a great all-rounder – we try and get a bit of everything on each forkful.

The haloumi veggie stack is similarly soul-restoring. We feel better with each mouthful of salty, grilled haloumi, which stars alongside soft poached eggs piled atop seasonal veggies laced with baby spinach and mushrooms, and a bangin’ cauliflower fritter. Given that plans for the day have turned to a major session in the garden, something sweet to finish on is easily justified – even if the selection is hard. Whittling down the super tempting array of pastries, cakes, muffins and slices, we decide on the blueberry and caramel slice, with its smooth caramel and deliciously buttery crust – as well as the nutty crunch and orange peel tang of an exceptional choc-dipped Florentine – before stepping out, suitably restored and fuelled-up for the day’s activities. The Colombo, 03 943 7360, undergroundcoffee.co.nz

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/ CULTURE

THE LAST WORD

Into the blue

Cityscape caught up with Hungarian acrobat Viktor Franyo, who gets to live in the best of both worlds – both on Earth and on Cirque du Soleil’s stunningly recreated Pandora (as the Na’vi Kekunan Chief) in their lavish adaptation of James Cameron’s Avatar in TORUK – The First Flight.

WHAT CAN AUDIENCES EXPECT FROM TORUK – THE FIRST FLIGHT? We have a wonderful storyline, which is rather new for Cirque du Soleil. We follow the story of the first Toruk Makto: the first Na’vi to fly a Toruk, the most feared creature on Pandora.

The show is great for all ages. Everyone can find something in it that suits them, and I feel like everyone should come watch it to be part of James Cameron’s incredible universe for two hours. After seeing the show, my friends said they felt like they were watching a movie live. It’s very special!

WERE YOU A FAN OF THE FILM BEFORE GETTING INVOLVED IN THE SHOW? Yes. I always loved James Cameron’s movies, especially Avatar. It’s very well done with amazing visual effects and a beautiful story of how nature and the Na’vi live together in harmony. We could take them as an example of how to stop destroying our beloved planet Earth. I also love the soundtrack. I like to listen to it before the show. We had the chance to visit Lightstorm Entertainment’s studios in LA, where they’re working on the sequels… I can’t wait!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO TRANSFORM FROM HUMAN TO NA’VI? It’s a process! First, I have to shave to put on the heavy make-up that we use for the show. In the beginning, putting make-up on my face took more than 2 hours! Now, after 2 years of practising, I can do it in 45 minutes to an hour. Then, we put on our costume. It consists of a full body suit with different accessories and headpiece specific to each tribe. If you add the warm up time, it takes a good 1.5 hours to transform into a Na’vi. Getting back into my human form is much easier and faster: 5 minutes to take off the make-up, and another 5 minutes to get out of the costume!

DID YOU HAVE TO LEARN ANY NEW SKILLS SPECIFICALLY FOR TORUK? Yes! Most of the cast are generalists, meaning that we are trained in many circus disciplines that we showcase during the show. However, during the creation of TORUK, I started to learn indoor kite flying.

And I actually became really good at it! So after a year of hard work, I’m now the backup for our Kite Specialist in the show, and I became the captain for that whole scene! I really enjoy it. It is demanding physically, but it is very different than any other acts. I also play the Kekunan Chief, who has a main part in the story line of the show, so I had to integrate acting as well. As a kid, I worked a lot in theatre in Hungary, so it was also a huge step for me to take this position and improve my acting skills.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY INJURIES IN REHEARSALS? Because of the level of the athleticism, there’s always a risk of injury, but we take precautions.

We’re all professionals who have been acrobats or athletes since a young age, so we know our bodies well. We all have our specific trainings every day, and we have validations every week where we check our acts with the technical team. There’s always a really good warm up before every show to make sure we are ready. We have two full-time therapists on tour as well.

WHAT’S THE HARDEST THING TO PERFORM IN THE SHOW? One of the hardest acts for me is at the start of the show. It is called The Giant Loom

Cirque du Soleil: TORUK – The First Flight Horncastle Arena, to Sep 10, cirquedusoleil.com/toruk

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and it’s a 7-metre high structure with a mix of high bars and monkey bars; we climb, dismount and somersault off it. Many of us are on the structure at once, and others jump from trampolines as well, so we have to pay attention! Another challenging moment for me is when we fly the giant kites. These giant traction kites are pulled only by our energy, so it’s a very fast run in the dark with many obstacles on set.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WITH YOUR DOWNTIME WHILE ON TOUR? I like travelling. I lived in the USA and in Europe for a long time. The furthest east I have been is Dubai, therefore I’m very happy to explore Asia, Australia and my all-time dream, which is New Zealand!

WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE: EARTH OR PANDORA? Good question. I wish I could mix the two up a little and take the good things out of both.

Actually, thinking of it, I’m lucky enough to have both right now!