Halfway Through NZ Music Month 2005

Wednesday 18 May

Halfway Through NZ Music Month 2005

With a staggering number of events and activities having taken place so far this May, it's hard to believe that they've all taken place inside two weeks, bringing us to halfway in NZ Music Month 2005. This seems like a good point to take a quick breather, recap on the last couple of crazy weeks, and look ahead to Music Month's home straight. So far this May:

With the support of Vodafone, Shihad opened NZ Music Month 2005 with a free show in front of over seven thousand wet fans in Auckland's Aotea Square. C4's broadcast of the concert came within a hair's whisker of being as exciting as the show itself. Steriogram rocked the House (of Parliament), with an energetic performance on and off the stairs, and an audience including appreciative MPs, wagging schoolkids, construction workers across the road, and a majority that fell into none of the above descriptions.

The annual challenge that is Hon. Judith Tizard's Music Month Parliamentary Quiz was issued to MPs, with the result being a three way tie - congratulations to Hon Steve Maharey (Labour), Murray Smith (United Future) and Pete Hodgson (Labour). NZ Music Month T-shirts were made available to the public for the first time through Hallenstein's stores nationwide, and look great on those of you we've spotted wearing them so far. Still to come in NZ Music Month 2005:

Voting has closed, and the counting begun for the 2005 b.net NZ Music Awards, to be held Friday May 27th. Results will be available online at www.bnet.co.nz shortly after the awards wrap up.

Speaking of awards, the Vodafone NZ Music Awards take place in October but nominations need to be made online in less than a month's time. More info can be found at www.nzmusicawards.co.nz.

The Checks play their first UK show on the NME New Music tour tomorrow, with more to come over the next weeks. Exclusive photos from the tour will be turning up on www.nzmusicmonth.co.nz very shortly. Keep checkin' back. Two more weeks of NZ charts remain for the month.

Will Fat Freddy's Drop claim the number one album spot for the third week running?

And will Savage's 'Moonshine' stay at the top of the singles charts? As May comes to an end we'll look back and see just how much of our homegrown music was on the radio during the month. Will we top last year's 25% local content?

Make sure you get out of the house to catch some of the very fine live music around the country. Nationwide tours underway include The D4 with The Fanatics; Steriogram with 48 May and Goodnight Nurse; Subtract and WW4; Katchafire; Emu and Emerald Green. The gig guide at www.nzmusicmonth.co.nz has information about these tours, as well as other shows happening around the country.

For more information contact Steve Newall at the NZ Music Industry Commission

ENDS

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