Chart-topping Macy comes to town

It's the big one: soul r'n'b chanteuse and last year's unexpected sensation Macy Gray will play in Auckland and Wellington in late April.

Gray's debut album, On How Life Is, recently topped our charts for four weeks after a steady climb over a period of months.

Her unique blend of soul, r'n'b and hip-hop combined with distinctive vocals made her album a critics' choice last year but it took the hit single I Try to help her break through to wide public acceptance. The album had sold only 5000 copies before Christmas; today it has sold more than 30,000.

Gray - who was the subject of a TimeOut cover story four weeks ago - has been acclaimed as "the anti-Whitney" and her album was No 5 in the TimeOut critics' ranking of the best albums of last year.

She was nominated for two Grammys and picked up best international newcomer and best international female artist at the recent Brit Awards.

Gray plays the North Shore Events Centre, Auckland on Wednesday April 26 and the Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington, Thursday, April 27.

Tickets on sale from Ticketek, Real Groovy, Sounds and Tracs from Friday.

* As predicted here a few weeks back, the Prince of Perspiration, Tom Jones, will play at the renovated Civic. Date is now confirmed too: Monday, June 5.

Tickets are priced around $100 and the lower bar area will be set up - as it was for Engelbert - as a video lounge where you can have a drink, watch the show and dance along. Price for that room is $45. Tickets from Ticketek on Wednesday.

* American hip-hoppers Naughty By Nature are scheduled for a Logan Campbell Centre show on Wednesday, April 5.

The New York-based outfit were loosely affiliated to the Native Tongues posse (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Queen Latifah) but married their hard-core style with addictive and sometimes attractive melodic hooks.

Because the concert has been arranged through Australia booking details and price are at present uncertain. We'll let you know what we know when we know it. Knowha'umsayin'?

* And California's chopped and channelled speed rockers Fu Manchu, who were forced to cancel their show last year because of illness, will play the Powerstation Wednesday, April 26. Support will be D4 and Rock'n'Roll Machine.

* The big shows coming up ...

Tonight (Saturday) skateboard/surf punk band Sprung Monkey play the Kings Arms with Kitsch and Rock & Roll Machine. (The Monkeys play Hamilton Sunday.)

On Sunday Japanese drummer Akira Jimbo plays a free concert in the Auckland Town Hall at 6 pm and there's a hip-hop jazz night with Relaxomatic and others at the Classic.

On Tuesday British jazz legends trombonist Chris Barber (see interview Arts on Monday) and trumpeter Kenny Ball play the Auckland Town Hall with their respective bands.