Juggernaut Season 2
About 9 months ago we had The Spinoff's Toby Manhire in to talk about a new podcast - Juggernaut It took us inside David Lange's 4th Labour government and ended up being one of the years surprise hits. Toby's just announced that work has started on season two - this time looking at the 4th National government... That's the Jim Bolger & Jenny Shipley era and they want your leads and tip offs.
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The Spinoff
9 hours ago
- The Spinoff
National Poetry Day, hikidashi and Austen adapted: The Spinoff event guide
The Spinoff's top pick of events from around the motu. Here's the week 21 – 28 August. Welcome to The Spinoff event guide, your weekly, curated selection of gigs, events and exhibitions happening across Aotearoa. If you want to pitch your event for future guides then please use this handy form. Nationwide Literature: National Poetry Day Friday, August 22 Poetry! Live! Check out the calendar of events to see what's on near you. It'll cure what's ailing you. Tāmaki Makaurau Music/talk: Liz Pelly In Conversation With Martyn Pepperell + Q&A Whammy Bar 6pm Tuesday, August 26 $18 New York-based music journalist Liz Pelly, the author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, talks with Martyn Pepperell about the book. Twelve schools and Kura Kaupapa Māori from across Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato and Te Tai Tokerau showcase their excellence in Haka Theatre (a blend of kapa haka, theatre, haka movement, and storytelling). Tauranga The launch of a new picture book with face painting and other activities for tamariki. Coromandel Sky Stadium 11am –4pm; 6pm–11pm, Saturday–Sunday, August 22–23 $47–$150 The big beer and food fest at the stadium. Blenheim Theatre: Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen and Penny Ashton Boathouse Theatre, 7.30pm Wednesday, August 27 (opening night) $25.58–$40.95 An adaptation of a classic staged to celebrate Austen's 250th birthday. See a ranking of Austen's novels here, and film adaptations, here. Ōtautahi A return, last-chance hit from the Dunedin Comedy Festival.
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- The Spinoff
Secondary teachers walk off the job as government digs in
Teachers say an offer of 1% a year is an insult. Ministers say they should be at the negotiating table, not on the picket line, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. A full-day walkout Secondary teachers are off the job today, with classes around the country cancelled as members of the Post Primary Teachers' Association stage a one-day strike. As Lyric Waiwiri-Smith explains in The Spinoff this morning, the action follows teachers' rejection of the government's offer of a 1% annual pay rise over three years – an increase the union described as 'the lowest in a generation'. Teachers had sought a 4% yearly rise to cover inflation and stem the loss of staff overseas. Today's walkout is just the beginning: rolling strikes are scheduled for mid-September, when teachers will refuse to teach particular year levels on successive days. Meanwhile, primary teachers are holding paid union meetings this week to consider their next steps, after also voting to reject the 1% offer. Teachers say they're worth more For many teachers, the issue is about more than headline figures. In a widely shared essay for The Spinoff, Auckland teacher Connor Murphy describes the government's offer as 'an insult disguised as an offer', pointing out that 'teachers entered into these negotiations with a set of very reasonable demands. Instead of making a reasonable counteroffer, the government ignored our requests and crafted an offer seemingly purpose-built to make things worse.' Teachers argue their pay has fallen far behind comparable professions, with Australian starting salaries now up to $31,000 higher than New Zealand's. Murphy says that while prime minister Christopher Luxon has talked about keeping New Zealanders at home with good, well-paying jobs, the government hasn't followed the rhetoric with action, and teachers are instead eyeing better pay across the Tasman. Ministers dig in Education minister Erica Stanford has urged the union to return to negotiations, calling today's strike 'premeditated' and 'deeply unfair' for parents and students. Public service minister Judith Collins went further, labelling the walkout a 'political stunt' and accusing unions of having 'little tantrums' and using children 'like their shuttle boards' [sic]. The government has tried to highlight what it says is a strong deal: public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the latest offer came 'on top of a further 3.9% to 7.7% in pay increases already built-in for each of the next three years' and that the package would deliver pay rises of between $2,500 and $7,000 a year, when annual progression is included. But Collins herself was forced into a rare backtrack yesterday after she wrongly claimed that teachers with 10 years' experience earned $147,000 a year. As Stuff's Bridie Witton and Glenn McConnell report, she later admitted she had 'mixed up [her] messages', clarifying that only a small number of senior deputy principals in large schools would reach that figure. The gaffe further inflamed teachers already sceptical about the government's grasp of their pay and conditions. What teachers actually earn So what do teachers really take home? As Nik Dirga writes in a comprehensive explainer for RNZ, the base salary for a newly qualified teacher begins at just over $61,000, rising step by step each year to $103,000 at the top of the scale. The Ministry of Education puts the average secondary teacher salary at around $101,000. Extra responsibilities – such as running a subject department or serving as deputy principal – attract management units and allowances, which can boost pay into the $110,000–$140,000 range. But only a handful of teachers reach the $147,000 Collins cited, and most are in senior leadership rather than classroom roles. For new teachers, the current offer of 1% a year translates to an increase of less than $12 a week. That, say striking teachers, is why they're on the picket lines today, and why more disruption is on the way unless the government comes back with an offer they can live with.
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- The Spinoff
Infinity Sessions, reviewed: Neil Finn, Don McGlashan, The Beths, Tom Scott and LEAO
Roundhead Studios is midway through a 10-night livestreamed musical extravaganza to help Make Us Feel Good About Life. Here are reviews from those who were in the room for the first week. Watch the next five Infinity Sessions live on The Spinoff from 7.30pm this Wednesday-Sunday. Night one: Don McGlashan with Motte and SJD The Mufgal express roared out of the station on Wednesday night with an intimate, uplifting performance by one of Aotearoa's most beloved and brilliant songwriters. Don McGlashan treated a room full of reverent Roundheadheads to a sweep of treats from a shimmering 'Lucky Stars' and a haunting 'White Valiant' to the soulful beauty of 'Anchor Me' and the twisted beauty of 'The Heater'. Master of bathos, of extracting the profound from the ordinary, McGlashan – expertly accompanied by Anita Clark aka Motte – was very clearly having a bloody good time up there. He was joined by host/impresario Neil Finn for 'Andy', The Front Lawn's hymn of personal loss, and then came that other great song of inexplicable loss, of national tragedy, the Mutton Birds' 'A Thing Well Made'. Overwhelming. Motte began the night with a perfectly stalactite set, and SJD delivered a mesmeric synth followup. Appearing with all three was drummer-genius Chris O'Connor. This latest, epic series of Infinity Sessions takes place in the downstairs studios at Roundhead, but what is lost in in-the-round dynamics and chandeliers is more than made up for in intensity and intimacy: across two rooms, for a couple of weeks in winter, this is New Zealand's most exciting place to be. An exquisite start to a very special fortnight. / Toby Manhire Night two: Neil Finn with Vera Ellen Neil Finn misses David Bowie. 'The world went to shit when he died,' he said after opening his set on Thursday night with 'Quicksand', an esoteric epic from Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory. Following Vera Ellen's tight opening set, Finn moved on to simpler sentiments, the crowd joining him for a cover of Carole King's 'You've Got a Friend'. Swapping guitar for piano, Finn aired out the lesser-known track, 'Faster than Light'. Everything, he said, has to be reinvented daily, including old songs. Long-time collaborator Victoria Kelly joined him on mellotron for the achingly beautiful 'Gentle Hum'. With the mood elevated, Finn had no trouble getting us to do our part and the room hummed along soulfully. From Kelly's entrance onward, the stage filled with musicians. Finn could easily settle into elder statesman mode, but instead, he was impish, clearly relishing the chance to share the spotlight with Ellen, Ben Lemi, De Stevens, Tiare Kelly, Audrey May Banach-Salas, and Joshua Worthington-Church. By the time 'She Will Have Her Way' closed the night, it's hard to know who's having more fun – us or the extraordinary assembly in front of us. At the start of the night, Finn dedicated the evening to 'the innocent victims of war'. The Infinity Sessions are his bid to make us feel good about life; 'little acts of goodness', he calls them. In a world gone 'to shit', it's tempting to be cynical about that, but after weeping through Don McGlashan the night before and bouncing around at Finn's show, there's something urgent about the rallying cry underpinning these sessions. Music won't end war, but it does grow our capacity for joy and appreciation, and tolerance of other people. Sometimes, it really feels like those muscles are atrophying. Neil Finn isn't having a bar of it. / Anna Rawhiti-Connell Night three: The Beths with Chelsea Prestiti What an absolute treat to see The Beths in such a cosy setting on the eve of an album release and world tour. Chelsea Prestiti warmed up the crowd with jazzy, samba-inspired beats and a captivating, semi-psychedelic vocal number. Chlöe Swarbrick then took the stage for a surprise intro – 'When it feels like there are no words left, there is art, there is music, there is joy and there is… THE BETHS.' The band ripped into the show with the eponymous track from their soon-to-be-released record 'Straight Line Was A Lie'. But not before telling us they were kinda nervous. 'No Joy', another new one, came soon after and featured a few recorder solos (unexpected, amazing). The Beths, lead-vocalist Liz Stokes said, were not only debuting new music for us but also testing out their world tour gear. Well loved tunes 'Silence Is Golden' and 'When You Know You Know' had the crowd jumping up and down, getting sweaty and head bang-y. 'Now that everyone's excited, let's play a sad song,' Stokes said as the rest of the band left the stage for a huge vibe shift, 'It's not sad, just complicated … it's called 'Mother Pray for Me'.' It was beautiful, totally rocked me. I cried four distinct tears and heard many sniffles. 'Mosquito' was similarly heartfelt, calling to mind the Auckland floods. The emotional range of the night was lovely, the crowd was friendly and considerate, even if a few super fans sang a little too loudly. 'Thanks for coming to this weird thing,' Stokes said towards the end. I'm so happy I did. It really did make me feel good about life. One of the younger people in attendance said it was her very first gig. What a stellar start to a world tour, and that young person's life of live music. / Liv Sisson Night four: Tom Scott with Sarvi 'You never know what you're going to get with Tom [Scott]' said the guy wearing a black parka standing next to me in the reception area. On one side of us, there was an old statue of a cheetah. On the other side, a cougar. The paint was flaking off both. Past the decorative pinball machine and inside the downstairs live room, the small crowd was treated to the mellow sounds of Sarvi (who also happens to be Scott's partner). Accompanied by a four piece band, Sarvi effortlessly delivered six tracks that transported you to a nondescript jazz lounge in the mid 20th century. During the changeover, the crowd was ushered into the lobby, where Scott and Roundhead Studios owner Neil Finn provided their musings on life, politics, and knocking on your neighbour's door looking for your lost cat. Back inside the live room, gold ribbons shimmered light as Scott confirmed the sneaking suspicions that he'd be debuting music from his new album. Titled Anitya – which is Sanskrit referring to impermanence or transience – Scott likened the album to his first daughter. 'I don't rap on any of this', he warned, before letting out a small vocal scale. The music was a mix of muted drumming, stabbing warped guitar solos, back-up vocals with high autotune pitch from the likes of Lui Tuiasau, and Scott's singing. It's different for Tom Scott, but then again, it's also not. There are lines about 'cheap small talk' with a father-in-law, falling out of love, and knowing when it's time to leave. For those familiar with Scott's catalogue, Anitya is just another seemingly inevitable evolution. / Liam Rātana Night five: LEAO with Neil Finn and Hun Lynch There's a comfort in a band having a truly distinct sound, so much so that even though LEAO opened their set with two new songs, they felt immediately familiar. The twang of the slide guitar and the energetic strumming from frontman David Feauai-Afaese got the intimate session off to a warm start. Feauai-Afaese introduced each song and complained about the heat (it's stuffy in the small studio and someone had fainted already during opening act Hun Lynch, who was great despite the delays). For anyone unfamiliar with LEAO's sound, I'd recommend catching a live gig as an introduction. There's just no way to hear 'Taeao' for the first time performed live and not fall in love. The recorded singles are strong but singing live, with dual microphones for the layered vocals, and the bass turned up add something intoxicating to the Samoan rock sound. All that helped by Feauai-Afaese's affable nature and yelp for joy when the band 'nailed' a new song. At the end of the set, Feauai-Afaese looked exhausted and happy to set his guitar down. But his mum was in the front of the crowd and called for an encore. 'If mum says it, we have to do it,' he laughed as he picked the guitar up again. LEAO ended on a joyous rendition of 'Musika Malie' and, as is the law of Samoa, got a siva circle going in front of the stage. A beautiful way to spend a cold Sunday night. / Madeleine Chapman
