Latest news with #FlyingNun
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Gleeful buyer taken back to his youth
Bryan Gellatly was like a seagull swooping on a discarded chip on Saturday. As hundreds of people flooded into the Regent Theatre in Dunedin for the third mid-year music sale, the Ashburton 54-year-old could not believe his eyes, or his luck, when he spotted a Flying Nun compilation record in pristine condition. "It's a compilation I've always loved," he said. "I had it on tape when I was at university, and I got it on CD at one point too. "But I lost the CD, and the tape is too old to play now. "So, it's something I've been hanging out to find for a long time." Bryan Gellatly shows off a Flying Nun compilation record he chanced upon at the Regent Theatre Music Sale on Saturday. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH The album popped out at him from the thousands of others on display, and seconds later, it was in his hot little hands. It was a case of being in the right place, at the right time, he said. He only attended the sale because he was visiting a friend in Dunedin, and they suggested they go take a look at what was on offer. The album includes hits by The Verlaines, Straitjacket Fits, The Chills, Look Blue Go Purple, and Sneaky Feelings. Mr Gellatly was delighted with the find, because playing it took him on a journey down memory lane. "I'm not sure if we would call them glory days, but it certainly takes you back to the day — the good times when I was at the peak of my youth." He said the first thing he planned to do when he got home was give it a clean and then pop it on the turntable. A large crowd sifts through thousands of records, CDs and cassettes at the sale. Sale co-ordinator Mark Burns said there were thousands of records, CDs, cassette tapes, DVDs, video games, musical instruments, sheet music, music books and other musical paraphernalia up for grabs. The most expensive item was a Pātea Māori Club record for $150, featuring Poi E which hit No. 1 in New Zealand in 1984. Mr Burns said it was valuable because very few copies were made in the first instance. "It's pretty rare. And I'd be very, very surprised if it's ever been re-released. It has historical value too." Poi E and the Pātea Māori Club were closely linked to the closure of the Pātea freezing works in 1982, which created significant economic hardship. The song became a symbol of community resilience and cultural revival, he said. All proceeds from the sale will go towards Regent Theatre projects and maintenance.
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The Bats Announce New Album Corner Coming Up Plus New Single/Video'Lucky Day'
New Zealand indie rock royals, The Bats, have recently had their heads down recording new music and have today announced their 11th full-length album, 'Corner Coming Up', out on October 17th via Flying Nun Records. The new album strikes a very distinctive and familiar chord that exists in the fuzzy-loving hearts of fans all round the world. Throughout their 40 plus years of existence, and now with 'Corner Coming Up' ready to share with the world, The Bats have stayed true to their roots, creating timeless music that continues to resonate with fans old and new. 'Corner Coming Up' was recorded at Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers by Flying Nun legend, Tex Houston, and is out digitally, and on peach or black vinyl LP and CD on 17th October 2025 via Flying Nun Records. The Bats are Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant. Since their inception in Christchurch in 1982, The Bats' music has earned a devoted following around the world, and they remain one of New Zealand's most cherished and enduring exports. The band has a phenomenal ability to create melodies that linger long after the record has stopped spinning. Today the band have also shared their brand new video single 'Lucky Day'. Shot out of a suitcase by Marc Swadel, Julian Reid and Kermath, while on work trips, the accompanying lo-fi psychedelic video was shot in Florence, London, Tokyo, Doha, Taipei, Liverpool, Zagreb, Manchester and Hong Kong with the band filming themselves in Christchurch. This is the fourth Bats video by director Marc Swadel (who has previously worked with Crowded House, Thurston Moore, The Datsuns, Jonathan Bree, Sparks, Liam Finn, Duran Duran, Head Like a Hole and The Chemical Brothers) "When I heard the name of the song, I thought - lucky cat! The Japanese name for this creature is Maneki-Neko - and in their folklore the Bat is a sign of good luck - the Bakeneko - so it felt like a random but fun idea, to take a cat along on work and shoot as we go." - Marc Swadel The Bats formed in Christchurch in 1982. The quartet — Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant — has held the same lineup for over four decades, perhaps making them the longeststanding unchanged band in Aotearoa history. They first emerged on the Flying Nun label in the early '80s, blending jangly guitars and rich melodies that would come to influence alternative rock in New Zealand and around the world. Their debut album, Daddy's Highway (1987), remains a masterpiece of the genre, paving the way for subsequent albums like The Law of Things (1990), Fear of God (1991), Silverbeet (1993) and Couchmaster (1995). After a decade-long break starting in 1995, they returned with the acclaimed At the National Grid (2005), infusing fresh energy without losing their trademark sound. Since then, they've released The Guilty Office (2008), Free All the Monsters (2011), The Deep Set (2017), and Foothills (2020), each offering new facets of their signature jangle-pop while preserving their melodic core. Critics and fans alike praise their consistency, but the band insists their sound has naturally evolved—even as it remains uniquely recognisable . In April 2025, after a fiveyear wait since 2020's Foothills, The Bats unveiled a new single 'Loline'. The single was accompanied by a warmly nostalgic video of the band cycling through Ōtautahi lovingly mixed in with live performance footage from the last couple of years. 'Loline' hinted at the first taste of their forthcoming album, serving up the signature high quality songwriting that fans have adored for over 40 years. 'Loline' blends bright-eyed romanticism, fuzzy guitar textures, soaring harmonies, and a sense of nostalgia. Still playing live and recording, The Bats remain a testament to loyal craftsmanship, melodic depth, and enduring friendship—their newest work a glowing chapter in an already remarkable story.
Otago Daily Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Musician's death ruled suicide
A celebrated former Dunedin musician was experiencing "cultural dislocation" at the time of his death, a coroner says. Hamish Robert Kilgour, 65, died in Christchurch's red zone about November 27, 2022, after more than six months of mental-health struggles after returning to New Zealand from New York. Coroner Allie Cunninghame, in her recently released findings, ruled the death a suicide. Mr Kilgour was born in Dunedin in 1957 and 21 years later founded the band The Clean with his brother David. The influential group, under the Flying Nun label, became synonymous with the "Dunedin Sound" movement. The Clean were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2017. A psychiatrist who treated Mr Kilgour before his death said he "should be remembered as the gifted musician and artist that he was, and not who he may have become". In New York, the separation from his wife left him "alone and homeless", prompting his return to his homeland in 2022, the coronial findings said. Though he started a new relationship with a Christchurch woman, the coroner said the wrench of leaving family and friends in the United States and the "cultural dislocation" that came with that could have been a factor in his death. Mr Kilgour initially saw a doctor in March or April that year, complaining of low mood and poor sleep. He noted he had witnessed traumatic events in his lifetime, including the September 11 World Trade Centre attack and the Christchurch earthquakes, the findings said. Friends became concerned about Mr Kilgour's increased alcohol use and shortly afterwards he was admitted to Burwood Hospital as an informal patient. After being treated with medication and clinical psychology, he was discharged a month later, but it was only a few days before he was readmitted because of his spiralling mental state. "He continued to remain dependent and morose on the ward," the coroner said. Mr Kilgour was briefly made a compulsory patient after attempting to abscond the hospital. In the three months before his death, things appeared to improve. Mr Kilgour used Burwood Hospital as "a base" and increasingly spent overnight leave with his girlfriend. "He began painting again and as time progressed, the content of the paintings became less dark," the coroner said. His medication was reduced and his depression was considered to have been treated. Just days before his death, Mr Kilgour was described by his partner as "forward thinking" — they had dinner, watched a movie, and when they parted on the morning of November 27, his demeanour appeared "normal". He was found a week later by a member of the public walking through the red zone. Nearby was a notebook in which he wrote about feeling "stuck", and a laptop on which he had emailed his ex-wife, referring to his emotional struggles, distress about problems with his teeth and his belief that medication was not helping him. The coroner said she was satisfied there had been no departure from a reasonable standard of care by mental-health professionals, and there were no suspicious circumstances. Mr Kilgour's problems had piled up following his return from the US, but the coroner said it was unclear which was the primary factor precipitating his death. "The evidence before me does not allow me to pinpoint the reason why Mr Kilgour decided to take his life," she said. Need help? Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust: 027 240-0114 Need to talk? 1737, free 24/7 phone and text number Healthline: 0800 611-116 Lifeline Aotearoa: 0800 543-354 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828-865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Samaritans: 0800 726-666 Alcohol Drug Helpline: 0800 787-797 General mental health inquiries: 0800 443-366 The Depression Helpline: 0800 111-757
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Fans react to Lorde's new album
Tomorrow is a highly anticipated day in pop music - it's release day for Lorde's fourth album 'Virgin'. The promotion around the record has been huge. Events have been popping up all around the world, in London, New York, Sydney and here in Aotearoa. Last night, Flying Nun record stores around the motu held early listening events to give fans a sneak peek, Jesse finds out how the album was received.
NZ Herald
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Listener's Songs of the Week: New tracks by Jazmine Mary, Tami Neilson, Jenny Mitchell and more
My Brilliance Recently playing among the all-star line-up of Atomic 2.0, a women-in-rock tribute touring show alongside Flying Nun labelmate Vera Ellen, Jazmine Mary is a couple of weeks away from releasing a third album entitled I Want to Rock and Roll. It comes with a cover photo which requires us to interrupt this review to remind readers that riding a motorcycle in gumboots isn't safe, and neither is smoking near a bike's
