June 9, 2025 • 10 mins
One of the worlds greatest George Michael tribute acts is on his way to Wellington and while Wellington Mornings' music man James Irwin is a fan of tribute acts, Nick certainly isn't. Are tribute acts good or a gimmick?
James also takes a look at the albums turning 25 this year, and upcoming gigs in the capital.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said b Higgs new releases and keeping
tabs on local artists. It's music time on Wellington Mornings.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Ja zand Oh, I know, I knew you were going
to say that.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I mean, I forgot what they record. I hate them
so much.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You're a music promoter, and you know real or nothing,
real deal. I know and and I have I have
a love hate relationship with tribute bands last week. But
there's different types of tribute bands, and there are some
very good ones. We've had some great ones in this town.
We've had some absolute shockers as well, like I Wonder
and I Got in Trouble a few years ago, saying
(00:53):
this with Queen's Got had the new singer was Adam Lambert,
Lambert Levine, Adam Lambert, Adam Lambert. Does that make Queen
a tribute band?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Now?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I got hate on the text machine last time I
said that, Maybe not, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Well it's still the same land.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Last weekend at Meao Nui there was a band called
Hail to the Thieves. They were doing Radiohead covers and
they're not trying to look like Radiohead. They just play
a note for note and radio hit. A pretty complex
band and if you like them, I've seen this band
before spectacular. So there's some bands like that that do
it really well. I've been doing a lot of research
(01:31):
around the internet. I've found some terrible Celine Dion tribute
artists that made you almost cry. I've seen a couple
of terrible Freddy Mercury ones. I know there was a
guy toured around New Zealand in the early two thousands
when I was involved in another radio station and I
was my ears were punished epping to listen to that
and one of those sort of small community theaters. But
(01:51):
then there's some really good ones. I think last year
and Ontington we had the Michael Jackson King of Pop
his Story tribute act. I didn't go to it, but
I knew some people who did and they said it
was spectacular.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I couldn't do that. Yeah, I could not do that.
I mean I'm a Michael jacks and fans.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Like if you had a kid who loves Michael Jackson
but never had the opportunity to see him. I think
if you go in with that mindset, it's it can
be really good. If you go.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Look.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
We know it's not the real person. The real person
was right up on the top of the pedestal. This
will be a step down, but it's pretty good and
I think you can experience if it's done really well,
if it's not done well. All right, Okay, so coming
up July, what is it July tenth. I'm pretty sure
at the Opera House we've got a George Michael tribute band.
(02:38):
And at first I kind of rolled my eyes when
I saw that, But I've gone through and I've looked
at as an English guy. I've looked at all of
his I've looked a lot of huge lot of cell
phone footage from the crowd. So it's not doctor, it's
not pr and it's pretty good. He looks that he
looks the type. He looks just like George looks, if
that's the right word of it. He looks just like
(02:59):
George Michael to the to the point where apparently this
this chap his name is Andrew Browning. He asked when
George Michael was alive to appear in a video with
that George Michael did with Mary j Bill Blige, and
they used three lookalikes for both of them. In this
music video, and so he is George Michael. He said
(03:20):
was was great, and so this guy's because he's got
the we've got something to listen to. Let's have a listen. Okay,
you know, I think it is this is your this
is your defense.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Coming up Mack. No, it's not here, one of the
Wigles singers.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
No, I think this is I think this is well.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I mean I could I could go.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
He's got a hellor backing band.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, I get that.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But no, yeah, sEH.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
We could disagree.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
I knew you were going to fight. Yeah. So he's
playing all the bangers now he does that. He does
the show where he changes him to so you know,
he does George Michael faith. He's wearing the leather jacket
with the studs on the back he comes out, and
the police cop uniform, which is a certain period of
George Michael's life that we probably won't want to talk
(04:22):
about on air. He does the dress up, he wears
the you know, back in the early days of Wham.
It's a fun show. From what I can see. I've
seen mind of stuff on the crowd. It's on at
the Opera House. It's a tenth of opera and you
know what, I'm gonna give away a double pass. Okay,
why don't you ring up? And then we can get
the listener on afterwards and they can give us a review.
I reckon it's going to be a Keller gig. I'm
(04:42):
going to go. Maybe me and you should go, Nick,
and we can have a dust up on the front row.
We could wear our George. You could wear a Choose
Life t shirt ring ethan. Now if you want to
double to this July tenth, because I reckon it's gonna
be a great shot.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Okay, Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. I reckon
I could do the George Michael dance the hell of
a lot better than that.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's gonna be good. So yeah, tribute X. But I
do understand what you're saying. I reckon this. I'm gonna
put my neck on the line and say this be
a good one.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Okay, okay, all right, all right, we'll give the tickets too.
We'll get them on the phone afterwards. The next condition
the condition of winning, all right, So we'll find out,
hopefully if someone's won those tickets shortly.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All right.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Albums that have turned twenty five years old and so
that means they were what the year two thousand, start
of the millennium, and I reckon. I listened to these
albums and all five of these albums had one killer
track on them, and and I reckon they didn't actually
have a lot else on this album. So let's have
listened to albums at turn twenty five years old this year.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Britney, Now we're.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Talking, Now we're cooking, Now we're cooking. I wouldn't mind
seeing a tribute out to Britney Spears.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I wouldn't mind seeing Britney Spears.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, true, Eminem came, I saw him. Yeah, Coldplay Parachutes.
Maybe this had a few extra tracks on it. This
wasn't just a solo my.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Son saw of Coldplay and Orkham's here unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah, I've heard that, unbelievable. Unbelievable because this was their
third album. Blue Song was breathless. Yeah, Irish Kylie, this
must have been her fiftieth album, Light Years lead single
and then You Two definitely the only hit off this album.
(06:26):
All that I Leave Behind about twenty five years ago,
twenty five years that made me feel really old. But
I watched the video of it this morning bono swaggering
around and leather pants you'd look good. And leather pants, Mills,
would you have owned leather pants? And you name you're
a promoter or a bit of a rock and roll guy.
Maybe a leather waistcoat.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
No, you no leather jacket, Aby.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Leather jacket. You don't need any of that actually, because
you're super cool without all of that. Hey, remember last time.
I don't know how much time we got left, but
I remember last time I said New Zealand Music Month
is now New Zealand Music. Yeah, here on the show.
So I've been listening to a new album that came
out this week and it's not a high profile artist,
but it's a Wellington artist and I brought it on
band camp. It's a guy called Lake South. He's got
(07:09):
a new album out called We Lived Our Lives on
Top of Us. He's got lots of references like the
Most and Street Laundry and high titles mentioned. There's a
whole lot of mentions in his previous albums of you know,
ra O Valley and the Likes. Now, this is the
cool thing I like about this album. It was recorded
in his garage out somewhere in the hut. But also
it was recorded in a dock hut near the Pinnacles
near Nawi and the Wider Rapper, So wow, I thought
(07:31):
that was pretty cool. He must have taken anything. Yeah,
let's I love the album. Let's have a listen. It's
kind of dreamy, bedroom pop. Come back to You.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Then comes with Strange and.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I Flount.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I came king for five.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Just faking excel sun.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So Lake South. He's playing June twenty seventh at Now.
I'm gonna go along to that because I really like
this stuff. I reckon dam pop, dreamy pop better Yeah,
kind of dream pop, you know, quite nice and ethereal.
He's a really good performer. I've seen him live before.
He's not a household name, but I reckon. He writes
some pop songs that you have got the you know,
(08:32):
if you know got the should be a household name.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
So gig's coming up.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah, Look, there's one I'm going to tonight called Mono
Neon Tonight at the sandfran Now. This was one of
the last guys to play with Prince. He's played with
George P. Funk Clinton, He's played with Mavis Staples and
he was called the greatest bass Player of All Time
by Flee from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That's gonna
be a fun gig at the sand Friend tonight on
Cuba Street. Well based on I'd love to see that. Yeah,
did I talk about ten CC TNCC. They are playing
(08:59):
July the eleventh Greatest Hits Tour. You know the band
that's Things We Do for Love, dreadlock Holiday Art for
Art's Sake, and this a lot of the original guys.
It's not you know, just the roadie and the lighting
guy who are now on the front. You know, Graham Goldman,
I think his name was original singer, bass player, guitar,
he played keyboards. He's one of those guys who flips around.
(09:20):
That's at the Opera House July eleventh. That will be
worthwhile going to I reckon it'd be great. You should
talk to him if he if he's if he's available,
because I think.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Simondella dubb Salmonella dub yep first first of November, first
of them, first of August at MAO, We've got the
Saints coming up, the Aussie band November the first at
Meal Lady sixth June twenty eighth, and the Fabulous Park.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
He Hards.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I don't know if you know these guys. They're a
Wellington band that they're playing Abandon Brewery twenty eighth to June.
And these guys have been around. I remember them when
I was at UNI.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So we've got to winner. Oh yeah, yes, winner is Averrill.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
You're always a pleasant Thank you very much. I gotta go,
but thank you very much. Averril is the winner. And
she gets a couple of tickets. And we've got part
of the conditions. You got to ring us and tell
us how good it was was Jamesie, Thanks James, appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said b Higgs new releases and keeping
tabs on local artists. It's music time on Wellington Mornings.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Ja zand Oh, I know, I knew you were going
to say that.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I mean, I forgot what they record. I hate them
so much.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You're a music promoter, and you know real or nothing,
real deal. I know and and I have I have
a love hate relationship with tribute bands last week. But
there's different types of tribute bands, and there are some
very good ones. We've had some great ones in this town.
We've had some absolute shockers as well, like I Wonder
and I Got in Trouble a few years ago, saying
(00:53):
this with Queen's Got had the new singer was Adam Lambert,
Lambert Levine, Adam Lambert, Adam Lambert. Does that make Queen
a tribute band?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Now?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I got hate on the text machine last time I
said that, Maybe not, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Well it's still the same land.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Last weekend at Meao Nui there was a band called
Hail to the Thieves. They were doing Radiohead covers and
they're not trying to look like Radiohead. They just play
a note for note and radio hit. A pretty complex
band and if you like them, I've seen this band
before spectacular. So there's some bands like that that do
it really well. I've been doing a lot of research
(01:31):
around the internet. I've found some terrible Celine Dion tribute
artists that made you almost cry. I've seen a couple
of terrible Freddy Mercury ones. I know there was a
guy toured around New Zealand in the early two thousands
when I was involved in another radio station and I
was my ears were punished epping to listen to that
and one of those sort of small community theaters. But
(01:51):
then there's some really good ones. I think last year
and Ontington we had the Michael Jackson King of Pop
his Story tribute act. I didn't go to it, but
I knew some people who did and they said it
was spectacular.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
I couldn't do that. Yeah, I could not do that.
I mean I'm a Michael jacks and fans.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Like if you had a kid who loves Michael Jackson
but never had the opportunity to see him. I think
if you go in with that mindset, it's it can
be really good. If you go.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Look.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
We know it's not the real person. The real person
was right up on the top of the pedestal. This
will be a step down, but it's pretty good and
I think you can experience if it's done really well,
if it's not done well. All right, Okay, so coming
up July, what is it July tenth. I'm pretty sure
at the Opera House we've got a George Michael tribute band.
(02:38):
And at first I kind of rolled my eyes when
I saw that, But I've gone through and I've looked
at as an English guy. I've looked at all of
his I've looked a lot of huge lot of cell
phone footage from the crowd. So it's not doctor, it's
not pr and it's pretty good. He looks that he
looks the type. He looks just like George looks, if
that's the right word of it. He looks just like
(02:59):
George Michael to the to the point where apparently this
this chap his name is Andrew Browning. He asked when
George Michael was alive to appear in a video with
that George Michael did with Mary j Bill Blige, and
they used three lookalikes for both of them. In this
music video, and so he is George Michael. He said
(03:20):
was was great, and so this guy's because he's got
the we've got something to listen to. Let's have a listen. Okay,
you know, I think it is this is your this
is your defense.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Coming up Mack. No, it's not here, one of the
Wigles singers.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
No, I think this is I think this is well.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
I mean I could I could go.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
He's got a hellor backing band.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, I get that.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But no, yeah, sEH.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
We could disagree.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
I knew you were going to fight. Yeah. So he's
playing all the bangers now he does that. He does
the show where he changes him to so you know,
he does George Michael faith. He's wearing the leather jacket
with the studs on the back he comes out, and
the police cop uniform, which is a certain period of
George Michael's life that we probably won't want to talk
(04:22):
about on air. He does the dress up, he wears
the you know, back in the early days of Wham.
It's a fun show. From what I can see. I've
seen mind of stuff on the crowd. It's on at
the Opera House. It's a tenth of opera and you
know what, I'm gonna give away a double pass. Okay,
why don't you ring up? And then we can get
the listener on afterwards and they can give us a review.
I reckon it's going to be a Keller gig. I'm
(04:42):
going to go. Maybe me and you should go, Nick,
and we can have a dust up on the front row.
We could wear our George. You could wear a Choose
Life t shirt ring ethan. Now if you want to
double to this July tenth, because I reckon it's gonna
be a great shot.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Okay, Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. I reckon
I could do the George Michael dance the hell of
a lot better than that.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's gonna be good. So yeah, tribute X. But I
do understand what you're saying. I reckon this. I'm gonna
put my neck on the line and say this be
a good one.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Okay, okay, all right, all right, we'll give the tickets too.
We'll get them on the phone afterwards. The next condition
the condition of winning, all right, So we'll find out,
hopefully if someone's won those tickets shortly.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All right.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Albums that have turned twenty five years old and so
that means they were what the year two thousand, start
of the millennium, and I reckon. I listened to these
albums and all five of these albums had one killer
track on them, and and I reckon they didn't actually
have a lot else on this album. So let's have
listened to albums at turn twenty five years old this year.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Britney, Now we're.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Talking, Now we're cooking, Now we're cooking. I wouldn't mind
seeing a tribute out to Britney Spears.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I wouldn't mind seeing Britney Spears.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, true, Eminem came, I saw him. Yeah, Coldplay Parachutes.
Maybe this had a few extra tracks on it. This
wasn't just a solo my.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Son saw of Coldplay and Orkham's here unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah, I've heard that, unbelievable. Unbelievable because this was their
third album. Blue Song was breathless. Yeah, Irish Kylie, this
must have been her fiftieth album, Light Years lead single
and then You Two definitely the only hit off this album.
(06:26):
All that I Leave Behind about twenty five years ago,
twenty five years that made me feel really old. But
I watched the video of it this morning bono swaggering
around and leather pants you'd look good. And leather pants, Mills,
would you have owned leather pants? And you name you're
a promoter or a bit of a rock and roll guy.
Maybe a leather waistcoat.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
No, you no leather jacket, Aby.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Leather jacket. You don't need any of that actually, because
you're super cool without all of that. Hey, remember last time.
I don't know how much time we got left, but
I remember last time I said New Zealand Music Month
is now New Zealand Music. Yeah, here on the show.
So I've been listening to a new album that came
out this week and it's not a high profile artist,
but it's a Wellington artist and I brought it on
band camp. It's a guy called Lake South. He's got
(07:09):
a new album out called We Lived Our Lives on
Top of Us. He's got lots of references like the
Most and Street Laundry and high titles mentioned. There's a
whole lot of mentions in his previous albums of you know,
ra O Valley and the Likes. Now, this is the
cool thing I like about this album. It was recorded
in his garage out somewhere in the hut. But also
it was recorded in a dock hut near the Pinnacles
near Nawi and the Wider Rapper, So wow, I thought
(07:31):
that was pretty cool. He must have taken anything. Yeah,
let's I love the album. Let's have a listen. It's
kind of dreamy, bedroom pop. Come back to You.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Then comes with Strange and.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I Flount.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I came king for five.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Just faking excel sun.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So Lake South. He's playing June twenty seventh at Now.
I'm gonna go along to that because I really like
this stuff. I reckon dam pop, dreamy pop better Yeah,
kind of dream pop, you know, quite nice and ethereal.
He's a really good performer. I've seen him live before.
He's not a household name, but I reckon. He writes
some pop songs that you have got the you know,
(08:32):
if you know got the should be a household name.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
So gig's coming up.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah, Look, there's one I'm going to tonight called Mono
Neon Tonight at the sandfran Now. This was one of
the last guys to play with Prince. He's played with
George P. Funk Clinton, He's played with Mavis Staples and
he was called the greatest bass Player of All Time
by Flee from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That's gonna
be a fun gig at the sand Friend tonight on
Cuba Street. Well based on I'd love to see that. Yeah,
did I talk about ten CC TNCC. They are playing
(08:59):
July the eleventh Greatest Hits Tour. You know the band
that's Things We Do for Love, dreadlock Holiday Art for
Art's Sake, and this a lot of the original guys.
It's not you know, just the roadie and the lighting
guy who are now on the front. You know, Graham Goldman,
I think his name was original singer, bass player, guitar,
he played keyboards. He's one of those guys who flips around.
(09:20):
That's at the Opera House July eleventh. That will be
worthwhile going to I reckon it'd be great. You should
talk to him if he if he's if he's available,
because I think.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Simondella dubb Salmonella dub yep first first of November, first
of them, first of August at MAO, We've got the
Saints coming up, the Aussie band November the first at
Meal Lady sixth June twenty eighth, and the Fabulous Park.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
He Hards.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I don't know if you know these guys. They're a
Wellington band that they're playing Abandon Brewery twenty eighth to June.
And these guys have been around. I remember them when
I was at UNI.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So we've got to winner. Oh yeah, yes, winner is Averrill.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
You're always a pleasant Thank you very much. I gotta go,
but thank you very much. Averril is the winner. And
she gets a couple of tickets. And we've got part
of the conditions. You got to ring us and tell
us how good it was was Jamesie, Thanks James, appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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