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I ran into a friend from Wellington the other day. “Tauranga’s getting quite the reputation,” she said.
I’ve heard that phrase over the years and it’s usually not good. Reputation for what? Peaceful parades being blocked by bigots? Surely our traffic woes aren’t so bad?
No, turns out it’s Tauranga’s alternative music scene making waves. The number of enviable shows here is being noticed around the country, be it Loserpalooza festivals or bashes under the harbour bridge.
Next weekend brings a veritable feast of alternative treats, three gigs in two days.
False Waltons. Photo / Supplied
False Waltons is a band everyone is talking about. After a couple of years impressing with the hard-hitting fuzz-attack of their live shows they released a debut album The Purpose in October to strong reviews.
Local acclaim
There was local acclaim, winning Best Local Release in the prestigious Tauranga Music Sux 2025 Alternative Music Awards – the TMSAMA as they are known internationally – while Muzic.nz raved, saying: “These boys have got the goods, spinning chaos into gold, dropping humour, and earned life experience into the pot and brewing up a tasty, tuneful stew of unhinged alt-rock goodness that’s loud, proud and perfect”.
False Waltons is a guitar trio, known for playing loud, though one of my favourites on The Purpose is the plaintive Train To Your Town. What is a False Walton? Who can tell...
On Saturday, March 7, they play at The Jam Factory. Even better, they’re joined by wonderfully unpredictable improvisational local indie heroes Club Meds and Hamilton-based Bitter Defeat. There may be door sales.
Aggressive, metal-like
That gig is the icing on the alternative cake. The appetiser is Friday night, March 6, when the Mount’s Palace Tavern hosts Wanaka band Powder Chutes, playing aggressive metal-like music. They will be joined by the loudest little duo in the land, The Boondocks, and Hamilton’s Haast Hunter.
The main course comes between those gigs. Japanese Kings of Jet Rock, Guitar Wolf, is touring New Zealand and as per tradition will stop to play under the Tauranga’s harbour bridge. They are a “have to be seen to be believed” band. Think hyperactive Link Wray after a pound of P.
They will be joined by locals Skonk; it’s a midday start as Guitar Wolf play Waiheke Island that night. Luckily there’s plenty of time to catch them and False Waltons later.
Totara Street is also busy with three interesting shows.
Laid back blend
On Friday, March 6, Australian singer Adi Manaia performs solo, fusing Island reggae, folk, rap and country with Polynesian Cultural stories. Next night, March 7, Jinan, originally from Whakatāne
returns home for his first headline show at Totara Street bringing a four-piece band. He plays a very smooth laid-back blend of roots reggae, soul, and funk. Support comes from Iz Waddid Iz, Wildlanes, and Wheriko.
Finally, it’s a Wellington double-bill on Sunday, March 8, of Tahini Bikini and Sig Wilder & Friends, the former a funky seven-piece with horns and a feisty frontwoman, Mads Taylor, the latter a meditative alt-country band for whom Mads plays drums. Both bands are great, though it seems an odd combination.
Hear Winston’s latest Playlist: