KEY POINTS:
POETRY
The celebration of Kiwi poetry, Montana Poetry Day, is back tomorrow. Aucklanders can enjoy Poetry Central at the Auckland Central Library from 4.30pm. Poet Laureate Michele Leggott (pictured) will MC and there'll be readings by poets Bob Orr, Chris Price and
more. Here's an extract from Orr's Calypso: "On such a night as this/when the moon is a long boat/dancing between pohutukawa branches/shall we go sailing in it?"
Poetry Central - Ground Floor, Auckland Central Library, 44-46 Lorne St, July 18
ROCK
A band that needs no introduction plays the Auckland Town Hall as part of their nationwide Beautiful Machine tour. Shihad (nee Pacifier, nee Shihad) celebrate the release of their latest album and pull in the New Zealand Music Award winning Mint Chicks and new band on the block Luger Boa with them. There will not be a moment's respite from the entertainment with C4 joker Dai Henwood commandeering the microphone between acts.
Shihad - Auckland Town Hall, July 19
ROCK
If tours were judged by their graphic design, the Wild And Woolly Tour would be dead in the water - we never need cartoon sheep on a rock 'n' roll poster please! Luckily, the tour features three of New Zealand's hottest young bands. Worldly young North Shore band the Checks are joined by fellow Shore residents the Electric Confectionaires, and Dukes from Christchurch. They hit the Kings Arms tonight.
Wild and Woolly Tour - Kings Arms, July 17
FILM
From documentaries and drama to comedies, animation, retrospectives and live cinema, there's something for all tastes at the 40th Auckland International Film Festival (www.nzff.co.nz). Films to come include a doco about, and starring, Warwick Broadhead (pictured), a look at hip hop's B-Boy culture, and the biggest Brazilian hit since City Of God. The festival will also tour outside of Auckland over the next few months.
40th Auckland International Film Festival - multiple venues, Auckland, to July 27
FAIRS/MARKETS
It's always an amusing episode of The Simpsons when the Comic Book Guy is involved, and we imagine a similar atmosphere to his store at the Grey Lynn Community Centre this Saturday. Underpants On The Outside is your chance to check out comic books, trade paperbacks, Star Wars memorabilia, vintage toys, Dr Who paraphernalia. If you want to exhibit email swpameetmars@yahoo.co.nz
Underpants On The Outside - Grey Lynn Community Centre, July 19, 10am-2pm
DANCE
Tiki Taane, the man who was top of the charts last week with Always On My Mind, grabs the microphone and joins drum and bass duo State Of Mind for a raucous show tomorrow night. Albert St nightclub Zen is one of the biggest in town, and with State Of Mind in charge of music and Tiki on the microphone the place should be heaving. Special guests are DJ/Producers Chris Su and Jade from Hungary.
SOM Music with State of Mind - Zen, Albert St, July 18
THEATRE
What does it mean to be a young woman in New Zealand in 2008? A special insight, and possibly some answers to that question, can be garnered from a new piece of original theatre on now at the Auckland Town Hall. The Girls' Show has been devised by 11 women aged 16-20 years from various backgrounds. According to director Sam Scott the women have created a show "which is personal, raw and relevant".
The Girls' Show - Auckland Town Hall, 303 Queen St, to July 26
ROCK
In the depths of our rather tumultuous Auckland winter, why not take the opportunity to complement the dark weather with some heavy, epic, and Aotearoa-born instrumental rock? It has been 10 years since Hawke's Bay band Jakob began creating their epic soundscapes. They play their first Auckland show - it's been a while - tomorrow night, alongside Alphabethead and Melbourne's Grey Datura.
Jakob with Grey Datura - King's Arms, Newton, July 18