Editor’s perspective: Listen up

We are well into May, and also New Zealand Music Month. That makes it an ideal time to grab tickets to gigs and music events.

In spite of the weather turning sour, from time to time, we need to keep supporting local and New Zealand musicians.

During the last few years, Covid-19 wrecked havoc on the music industry, so now is the time to put some extra love (and dollars) back into it, if you can afford to.

New Zealand Music Week kicked off the celebration of Kiwi songs in the 1990s, in answer to radio personality Josh Easby’s question, “Why don’t we play more New Zealand music?”

Fast forward to today and it’s now a month-long celebration of Aotearoa’s vibrant and diverse music industry.

It happens every May, showcasing local musicians, bands, and artists.

To stay connected with the local music scene, tune into local radio stations, such as RDU or subscribe to Under the Radar for music news. These tools will help you get a taste of what musicians in Christchurch are whipping up in their garages.

Whether you’re into hard rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz, country, pop, indie or folk, there’s someone in our city doing it. Listening to what’s available locally will help you decide who to back and see perform live in future.

While you’re at a gig you might as well grab a drink, a snack, a souvenir CD, even a new band T-shirt, and show your support for home grown artists, and the local economy.

Check out Wunderbar, The Darkroom, The Loons Club, 23 Bar, Space Academy and the likes online to engage with what’s happening in our city. Who knows, you might even have the time of your life.