A week of it

Scott Kara. Photo / Natalie Slade

MUSIC

Tonight, trippy and fiery two-piece Cairo Knife Fight play the Kings Arms, and across the valley Nightchoir play the Wine Cellar on K Rd as part of their national tour.

On Friday Jazz supremo Nathan Haines and the Dream Band are at the Masonic in Devonport; come Saturday it's stay-up-all-night time at Our: House at Alexandra Park (you should check out Bulletproof); and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - aka the Capital City Strummers - return to Auckland with their mean licks and mini riffs to play Juice Bar in Parnell on Tuesday.

TV

Having followed wine toff Oz Clarke and Top Gear's James May on their previous drinking expeditions around France and California, come Saturday night I'll be sitting down with my six pack of Tetleys (hopefully they sell it in New Zealand) as the pair go in search of the drink that defines Britain. Oz and James Drink to Britain (7pm, Prime) sees the unlikely pals cruise around the Motherland in their faithful Rolls-Royce quaffing everything from whiskey and wine to lovely warm bitter and some "extreme" beers.

Meanwhile, for something heavier, Blur bass player Alex James has put his heady days of champagne and cocaine behind him, but in documentary Alex James: The Cocaine Diaries (Documentary Channel, Tuesday, 8.30pm) he travels to Colombia at the invitation of the country's president to see first-hand what impact the cocaine industry is having on his people.

MOVIES

With names like Stallone, Willis, and Lundgren, among many others, The Expendables promises to be one of the most action-packed action movies ever made. Well, it's not (see the review).

But knowing old Sly, just because the first movie isn't that good there are bound to be many sequels meaning there's always room for improvement - after all, Rambo II made more money than the first Rambo. Still, if you don't go into the theatre with too many expectations, and wear your bandanna and war paint, there still might be a bit of chest-beating fun to be had.

Also opening this week is Australian action adventure film Tomorrow, When The War Began (see story) and Drew Barrymore stars in romantic and sometimes raunchy comedy Going The Distance.

OR...

Don't know about you but I'll be stubbornly waiting in bed on Sunday morning for someone to bring me bacon and eggs on toast with a couple of slithers of avocado and tomato too, please. Yes, it's Father's Day, so as well as breakfast, don't forget to lavish him with pressies too.

- TimeOut