Musical Memories
As we’ve said elsewhere, although neither of us is musically talented, we embrace music wholeheartedly and are in awe of those who are—from musicians and vocalists to, last but by no means least, the songwriters who create the magic that moves us.
We have seen many New Zealand artists live including Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn, Dragon, Hello Sailor, Mi-Sex, Peking Man, Sharon O’Neil, Split Enz, Th’ Dudes and The Dance Exponents to name just a few. Unfortunately, we’ve never managed to be in the right place at the right time to see our country’s most successful band, Crowded House.
One of our favourite ways to unwind is settling into a local pub to sample local brews while listening to local musicians—something we’ve enjoyed in many of the wondrous places we’ve found ourselves. Those moments have led to some unforgettable experiences: chatting with a couple of wonderful musicians in a bar at the end of Beale Street in Memphis and in Lafayette having Abi Claire, a young female artist, come over to us for a chat after she had entertained us while we experienced genuine Cajun food for dinner. She was gobsmacked when we mentioned we’d seen Stevie Nicks in San Francisco a month earlier—and utterly awed when we added that we’d seen Bowie live. Twice!
International Artists We Are Lucky Enough To Have Seen
Alphabetical Order - Click on the Album Cover for One of Our Favourites
Alan Parsons Live Project – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2017
Alanis Morissette – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
America – Matakana Country Park – 2013
Anastacia – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2020
Australian Crawl’s James Reyne – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
Bachman Turner Overdrive – Matakana Country Park – 2013
Billy Idol – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2020
Bonnie Tyler – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2017
Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders – A Day On The Green Tour – Alana Estate, Martinborough – 2010
Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin – 2017
Cold Chisel – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 1982
Cold Chisel – Pascal Street Stadium, Palmerston North – 1982
Cold Chisel – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams Tour – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 2016
Creedence Clearwater Revisited – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2020
David Bowie – A Realty Tour – The Cake Tin, Wellington – 2004
David Bowie – Serious Moonlight Tour – Western Springs, Auckland – 1983
Debbie Harry and Blondie – A Day On The Green Tour – Alana Estate, Martinborough – 2010
Dire Straits – Love over Gold Tour – Athletic Park Wellington – 1983
Everclear – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2025
Fleetwood Mac – Unleashed Tour – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 2009
Fleetwood Mac – An Evening with Fleetwood Mac – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin – 2019
Florence and the Machine – Spark Arena, Auckland – 2018
Foo Fighters – Everything or Nothing at All Tour – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 2024
George Thorogood & The Destroyers – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
Goo Goo Dolls – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 2024
High Flying Birds, Noel Gallagher – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 2019
Hunters & Collectors Mark Seymour – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
Icehouse – Pascal Street Stadium, Palmerston North – 1984
Icehouse – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2017
INXS – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 1982
INXS – Pascal Street Stadium, Palmerston North – 1982
Jefferson Starship – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 2019
Martha Davies and The Motels – The Studio, Auckland – 2013
Meatloaf – Last at Bat Tour – Mt Smart Supertop – Auckland – 2016
Melissa Etheridge – Western Springs, Auckland – 1995
Men At Work’s Colin Hay – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
Men At Work – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
Mental As Anything – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
Midnight Oil – Spark Arena, Auckland – 2022
Midnight Oil – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
Nickelback – The Cake Tin, Wellington – 2006
Pat Benatar – Matakana Country Park – 2013
R.E.M. – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 2095
Stevie Nicks – Chase Centre, San Francisco – 2023
Stevie Nicks – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin – 2017
Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
The Angels – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
The Eagles – Hell Freezes Over Tour – Western Springs, Auckland – 1995
The Orchestra (“ELO”) – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2018
The Rolling Stones – A Bigger Bang Tour – The Cake Tin, Wellington – 2006
Toni Child – Whitianga Waterways, Whitianga – 2019
Toto – Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth – 2019
U2 – 360° Tour – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 2010
U2 – The Joshua Tree Tour – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland – 2019
Ultravox – Sweetwaters Festival, Pukekawa – 1982
Shows We Have Enjoyed
Alphabetical Order
Given our mutual love of music, it was probably inevitable that when Carolyn ended up working with a chap who was also the stage and/or production manager for the New Plymouth Operatic Society—an amateur musical theatre company—we’d end up getting involved too. For many weeks each year, across a number of years, Carolyn found herself happily absorbed in the wardrobe department, while David took his place up on the fly floor.
Shows we have worked include:
That same love has also led us to seek out live theatre whenever our travels put us within reach of a show we’re keen to catch. Shows we’ve enjoyed, some more than others, include:
