2010 feast for all?
Last night saw the launch of the 2010 programme for the NZ International Arts Festival (here's the official website).
The shindig featured a reasonably long speech from Chairperson Fran Wilde; a reasonable-length speech from Economic Development Minister Ge
rry Brownlee (there to hand over some money). Then there was an excruciatingly long speech from the festival's artistic director, Lisa Twomey.
It's Twomey's second festival - and the music from 2008 was a mixed bag: a lot of very average acts, churched up to sound flash but under-delivering. The worst show from last year's festival (and among the worst I've ever seen) was Meow Meow, a hackneyed cabaret send-up. I wrote this: This type of show bugs me - it is nothing more than a dupe for an eager arts festival audience, prepared to take the plunge, to believe pre-hype and to laugh along with lame antics all to justify having paid the price (in all senses) to attend.
No doubt 2010 will present its own versions of Meow Meow (though I certainly hope not).
But I'm here - in the form of this blog-post - to discuss the music announced for 2010, and to celebrate the highlights.
They assured us that there were more acts to be announced. This worries me: it makes it sound like they have struggled, possibly turned down some promising acts, probably not aware of what to book - I worry that the same person choosing wordless theatre, visual arts displays and postmodern circuses is really right to be choosing the music too.
Anyway, the 2010 Arts Festival does have some amazing acts. I was most impressed with the theatre and visual arts lineups, but this is a music blog, so let's look at the music.
First up: Rufus Wainwright. Book your tickets to Wellington, February 27, 8pm, Town Hall; this will be a stunner, I have no doubt about that. (I hope Rufus plays this.)
Other highlights - hopefully - will include the Ravi Shankar 90th birthday celebrations. Shankar will perform with his daughter Anoushka Shankar (Norah Jones's half-sister). Anyone who has seen the Concert for George DVD - or listened to Anoushka's albums Rise or Breathing Under Water - will know that a) she will probably carry this concert and b) she is more than capable of doing so. And still to even see Ravi - a living legend - will be something.
Branford Marsalis will play with his quartet. I'm happy with this. I like Branford - from his modern bop and blues albums like Trio Jeepy and I Heard You Twice the First Time to his cool-at-the-time forays into acid-jazz with/as Buckshot LeFonque; and his work with pop/rock acts like Sting and The Grateful Dead as well as working with jazz legends like Art Blakey and Miles Davis I have enjoyed a lot of aspects of Branford's career. I don't always agree with the festival's choice of jazz acts - but I think this will be a scorcher. Here's some great footage of Branford doing his thing with the quartet.
On the downside, Yellowjackets are also playing. This is the kind of spotless and underwhelming jazz that is so flawlessly played that it gives jazz (and its fans) a bad name.
But something to feel very pleased about is the return to New Zealand of Calexico; they'll play two nights at the Pacific Blues Festival Club, March 11 and 12. I missed Calexico when they played Wellington last, 2003, so I'm very excited about this one. Anyone who is not sure why Calexico live should be awesome will do themselves a favour by clicking here.
Djan Djan features kora player Mamadou Diabate (cousin of the great Toumani Diabate) teaming with Indian tabla player Bobby Singh and Australian blues guitarist Jeff Lang - it remains to be seen what sound they'll create together - could be good, could be woeful, but I'm keen to check this one out.
Irya's Playground could also be very good - click here for a sample - they're a Swedish indie rock group.
Don McGlashan will play a set of songs - his band is great these days, and he'll draw on all facets of his career. I first saw him doing the festival routine in 2002 (the first Arts Festival I covered as a reviewer) and he does a great job of mixing old with new, reinventing some songs, serving others faithfully from the records.
I'm surprised to see Jenny Morris as a drawcard - sure she sang with Prince and Paul McCartney as the programme keenly points out. But would you pay $58? This feels like clutching at straws. Why didn't they invite Jan Hellriegel? (Hey festival peeps, read my interview with Jan - she's got a new album out! Or why not book Rhian Sheehan - he recently performed Standing in Silence live.)
One thing I do very much like the sound of is Karsh Kale with Midival Punditz creating an all new score to the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon (I'm not sure what's wrong exactly with Lalo Schifrin's original, but this is the sort of multimedia Arts Festival show I can roll with - especially given the players involved).
Frisky & Mannish reinvent pop songs - see here - and they should be fun.
And then there's The Swell Season - yes, Glen Hansard from The Frames and his bird Marketa Irglova, both from the movie Once, will perform the songs from that film live, er, once (March 21, 8pm, $78, Pacific Blue Festival Club). Hideous! But I'm sure people will love this, I guess that makes it a smart festival choice; and one likely to sell out.
There is also some pretty amazing classical music - Mahler's Symphony No. 8 conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy being an opening-night celebration.
There are also other multimedia shows - circuses with music, theatre with music, cabaret-styled shows - and apparently more music to be announced. But that's the basic rundown for now.
Thoughts?
Anyone heading to Wellington from out of town for the festival? Anything you really want to see there? Or have you seen some of those acts already? If so, any you would recommend?
I found it interesting that Twomey and others talked about wanting to offer a broad appeal. I would have thought that with bands like Pixies and Pavement playing Auckland in March they might have figured that either of those would signify broad appeal? With 3Ds reforming to play The Laneways Festival they might have thought to include them?
What act would get you to the Arts Festival? Who would you like to see in this context? And what are your thoughts - overall - on the lineup?
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Jazz played flawlessly is terrible? Let's be honest and admit that anything involving the word "fusion" is utterly terrible, flawless or otherwise.
I agree about Jenny Morris, who gives a toss? $58? She'll be playing to three supportive family members at best. Jan Hellriegel is about as relevant. Aren't they busy raising families in some bohemian suburb by now? Or presenting cooking informercials like that nice Fiona Mcdonald?
There are lots of things to get excited about, with Calexico, Don McG, Rufus(!) and Ravi Shankar, but there's lots of inaccessible crap. Wordless theatre? Come on, who is going to go to that?
With specific respect to the musical acts that play the NZIAF it's the prices that put me off. It's impossible to know for sure, of course, but it does seem that the ticket price for an act at the festival is more than would be charged if they played a stand-alone gig at SFBH or the like.
As a result the only one I will certainly be going to will be one of the Calexico shows. Nothing else announced really attracts me all that much. A bit like it was with Over The Rhine at the last festival.
And I agree with you - why Jenny Morris? Why not someone more current, contemporary, explorative?
Ravi Shankar's got me interested! So has Mahler. The rest? Meh, wouldn't pay to see them.
Will certainly try to get ticket for the swell season, I found Once was full of touching and sweet songs, I bet they would be good live. And Mrs. Organs would love it too.
I get the feeling Calexico are playing because they are also coming to Womad in Taranaki a few days later. Or maybe vice-versa. Either way, Womad is the cooler, more fun and infinitely less (dare I say it?) pretentious choice I think. I can't believe how much some tickets for the festival stuff have been in the past...
Calexico last played Wellington on the 22 february 2007 at the Studio
"I missed Calexico when they played Wellington last, 2003,"
Agreed, I would have LOVED to see Rhian Sheehan's Standing in Silence show at this festival. Was one of the most beautiful shows I've seen all year (musically and visually). I can imagine it in front of a much bigger audience. International festival worthy show.
My thoughts? What a load of ol' bollocks! Nothing here at all of interest.
Oh, and I feel compelled to say that you are a heathen, Simon, for your continued dislike of 'Once'. Again.
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Don't you reckon that the international lineup reflects a bit of who is already on the festival circuit at the time?
The 2002 Don McGlashan show was my first chance to the see the man live. That Belgian tent was a great venue, and he didn't disappoint. My husband and I came from California for it. The show was my entree to all things SJD (he was the bassist/backing vocalist), too.
I have only heard wonderful things about McGlashan's current band, which he played with in the 2006 Festival. So, I was a bit surprised to see his name again. I have hopes that the "with friends" tag means that he might pull a Harry Sinclair/David Long/Six Volts out of his hat.
I think that festival offerings, by their nature, are hit or miss. They please some of the people some of the time (there will be a Yellowjackets contingent), but can't please all of the people all of the time. (I saw Marsalis with Sonny Rollins once and while Rollins' opening set was a thing of beauty, Marsalis' was a bebop nightmare. Maybe I was too young.) I think 2010's Festival offerings are on par with other year's. I can't tell if there's a huge difference between the Festival under Twomey versus Van Zon.
The Festival's pop/jazz music lineup, while solid, has never been too cutting edge. I did have shivers down my spine in the 2004 theatrical production of Geographical Cure, which featured the live music of Verona and the talented Janet Roddick and in the 2002 World's Wife, with McGlashan and Long providing the live score. The latest incarnation of Apollo 13, with Lawrence Arabia's soundtrack could be promising, too. Wellington is lucky in that many international acts come through anyway, so even if they are not part of the Festival, it's denizens are spoiled for choice.