Stories

World famous in NZ for his Flight of the Conchords’ appearances, Arj Barker is bringing his new stand-up show to Christchurch for the Buskers Festival. What can you tell us about your new show, We Need to Talk? It's awesome. I'm jealous of the audience for getting to watch it. From Christchurch and the Buskers Festival, you head to the Adelaide Fringe for a month and then the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for another month – you must get tired just thinking about it? It's not too bad. I mostly work about an hour a day. And don't worry, I am not complaining! How do you keep the show fresh on such a long tour? Do you mix it up along the way? Yes, the show will be slightly different each night, depending on many factors. But at the end of the day, the shops tend to close. You are well...

Nancy Barclay and Nenah Milne are the perfect team to help mothers and daughters navigate the treacherous teenage years. Both certified life coaches, the pair specialise in working with teenagers and they’re bringing their Mother & Daughter Workshop to The Tannery on February 15 and 16. Whether you think your mother/daughter relationship needs a little work or that it’s already extremely solid, this workshop will help strengthen it. Few relationships can be as fraught as that between mother and teenage daughter – navigating this can be confusing and overwhelming at times, as well as joyful and surprising in the best ways. Everyone wants to feel heard, supported and encouraged, and Nancy and Nenah’s powerful and unique workshop will help you to work on these feelings and push you to help your loved one feel the same. They will give you the tools to build more trust and respect on both sides...

What a fantastic show! Sven Ratzke’s performance of Where Are We Now, part of Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival, left the audience spellbound. If you're a Bowie fan (and who isn't!) this is a must-see; if you're not, you'll love it anyway. Ratzke, wonderfully accompanied by pianist Jetse de Jong, does a whole lot more than 'cover' Bowie, he reinterprets a selection of the great man's masterpieces, spinning a yarn or two along the way. It’s not an obvious selection of greatest hits either. Sure, he opened with ‘Let’s Dance’ and closed with ‘Heroes’ before coming back for two encores, but along the way was a beautiful rendering of the more obscure ‘Boys Keep Swinging’, from the hugely productive late 1970s Berlin Trilogy collab with Brian Eno. Everything fitted together to make a perfect whole. For Ratzke, who wowed Christchurch audiences with his Starman show in 2017, Where Are...

Acrobatics, dance routines in oversized balloons, tasteful nudity and loads of champagne is what you can expect at Blanc de Blanc, the headlining act for this year’s Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival. Not one for the kids, think burlesque meets cabaret then add a dash of whimsy and you’ll have a little of an idea of what to expect at the awe-inspiring show. This stunning spectacle offers plenty of sass and some “what!” moments as well. The French-themed cabaret show had a strong focus on champagne, with bottles getting passed around the stage and popped throughout the routine. The first half of the show provided the background story to set up the more intense second half, which started with a bang as three naked performers took to the stage and danced around – something to grab the audience’s attention. In the first half we meet host Romeo, who charms...

No. 4 on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing is to keep learning. The premise is to try something new – learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun. Here’s our tips on ways to learn around town. DP Herbals Learning can mean a new skill, or a little more about yourself. Deirdre Panapa is a clinical herbalist at the helm of DP Herbals, where they can do a live blood analysis and look into someone’s wellbeing. They’ll chat with you about what’s going on and offer some natural solutions to have you feeling like your best self. dph.nz SOLE Music Academy The cool cats at SOLE Music Academy want to pass their knowledge on to you. These guys can help you to smash your music dreams and teach you a thing or two along the way. There’s no better time to learn a new skill. solemusicacademy.co.nz...

Christchurch’s biggest annual fireworks display will bedazzle the city when Sparks bangs into action at Hagley Park on February 15. The sky will be lit up to the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and other special muso guests as your ears and eyes are treated to a free performance of classics and modern-day jams. ccc.govt.nz

Holi is widely recognised as a day to forgive, look ahead and celebrate. Throw some colours, dance to music from various DJs and enjoy traditional Indian games, cultural performances and festive Holi delicacies at Holi-Festival of Colours, a traditional Indian holiday. Grab your all-white attire and head to Hagley Park on February 29. FB/ChristchurchHoli

A selection of delightful drops to add to your summer sampling schedule. FIDDLER’S GREEN VINEYARD & BISTRO PINOT NOIR RESERVE 2018 This pinot noir was aged for 17 months in the barrel, with the last three months spent resting in a specially imported American oak barrel from Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The wine is elegant yet supple, with a silky texture, good acid balance and smooth tannins on the finish. fiddlersgreen.nz BLACK ESTATE TREBLE ROSÉ 2019 This co-fermentation of Riesling (53%), Pinot Noir (22%) and Chardonnay (12%), with a bit of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc in the mix as well, has resulted in a summer stunner from Black Estate. blackestate.co.nz PEGASUS BAY RESERVE BEL CANTO DRY RIESLING 2017 The orange zest aroma so characteristic of North Canterbury rieslings is here in abundance, and a small amount of spritzig from retained natural carbon dioxide adds extra liveliness. pegasusbay.com

You won’t find any men at Female Federation’s gyms, which are full of motivation and support so you’ll be looking good and feeling better. The belief at Female Federation is in working together to achieve a common goal – helping you to breath deeper in that yoga class and work harder when you’re in your gym sesh. These fitness gurus have top-quality gear and loads of group fitness classes. When you’re done sweating it out, you can stop by the onsite massage therapist. femalefederation.co.nz

The cool cats at Rhémy are changing things up with a female approach to leather accessories. Each unique piece is handmade and made to last, which reduces environmental impact. We love a conscious brand and Rhémy are passionate about working towards a more ethical, sustainable and transparent fashion industry – yas! All the dreamy belts, handbags and other goodies are made in New Zealand using European machines and techniques. rhemy.co.nz

Artist and writer Ruby Jones came to prominence in the wake of the March 15 mosque shootings for her illustration calling for unity. A Time magazine cover followed, and now Ruby has shared a book of heartfelt, hand-lettered artworks and messages, two of which we reproduce here. All of this is for You: A little book of kindness is published by Penguin. rubyalicerose.com

Bijou inner-city cinema Lumière will launch their exclusive Inner Circle this year. If you’re a cine-fanatic, you need to get in on this one. You’ll get loads of perks like exclusive screenings, every eighth film free and regular updates on what’s hot in new films. The theatre complex boasts a luxurious bar and ultra-comfortable reclining chairs. lumierecinemas.co.nz

Artisan small batch vapour infused premium gin is made at Lyttelton Distillery Co. It all starts with the making of their own alcohol from local grains and honey. It is delicious and full of flavour from carefully chosen botanicals including juniper, manuka, wild thyme and citrus. No artificial flavours are used. This is a gin of the finest quality. Keep an eye out for the soon to be released blackberry gin, vodka and limoncello range. This new and local brand is available at Vino Fino. lytteltondistillery.co.nz

Dunedin-born artist Frances Hodgkins’ works will take up residence at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū from February 15. Her breath-taking art is inspired by her travels, and her adventurous life can be seen in each piece. Renowned as one of NZ’s most influential female artists, Hodgkins is a trail-blazing modern painter. There will be 125 artworks on display, which feature influence from her travels through Morocco, France, Spain and Britain. “Travel was a huge influence in Hodgkins’ development as a modernist painter and a vital source of inspiration in her works,” says Director Blair Jackson. These vibrant artworks capture the spirit of the changing era that she lived in and includes early watercolour travel sketches and works in oil and gouache from her later life. You can catch the exhibition from February 15 – June 1. christchurchartgallery.org.nz Image credit: Frances Hodgkins, Wings over Water 1931–32. Oil on canvas....

Sour beers are the new thing this summer and perfect for a hot day, says Ralph Bungard of Three Boys Brewery. There are five basic flavours that we detect on our tongue: salt, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (savoury). Not all of them, however, have been using the same PR firm! Sweetness has had it all over the opposition and for good reason, because at an evolutionary level, sweetness tells us we are on to something packed full of energy – exactly the food you need when running away from lions on the Savanna, less important when sitting on the sofa! Sour taste, on the other hand, sends us an important signal that we are about to swallow some acid. Sounds bad when you say it like that, but it can indicate that we are getting some essential nutrients such as ascorbic acid, otherwise known as vitamin C. Recently, however, sour...

Brew Moon Brewing Company pour 16 of their own beers on tap with fresh and funky seasonal brews that sit alongside delicious classic styles. Oscar McCauley from the brewery tells Cityscape about their latest beer and grape fusion, which is part pale ale and part riesling juice, and what a typical working week looks like. What’s new at your brewery? In terms of production, we are scaling down our list of ‘core range’ beers and having a greater number of one-batch brews. We want both our trade and taproom customers to have a new and interesting experience every time they deal with Brew Moon, so it’s more variety and less of the same old. What’s your beer and food match for this summer? We’ve just made another of our beer and grape fusions, called Hop-over-Vine. Its 75% pale ale and 25% riesling juice fermented in a tank together. It’s fresh, slightly...

Master brewer Cameron Burgess is clued in on all things beer related and is one of the faces behind Southpaw Brewing Company. These guys know beer and have won a gold medal for their New Brighton Lager. Cameron fills us in on some interesting trends and what food will perfectly complement their award-winning ale. What’s new at your brewery? The brewery itself is new! We have only just purchased it and I am super excited about brewing on this awesome system. I’ve also got some new seasonal beers for summer including our new hazy IPA Stablemate, which sold out so fast I had to brew another, and our new Botanical Brut. What’s your beer and food match for this summer? Can’t beat a juicy, smoky cheeseburger from The Burger Joint matched with our Say Hey Kid IPA, or a spicy laksa at Level One Craft Beer & Coffee Bar with our...

Dicky Fyfe is brewing Capitan of buzzing hospitality hotspot and the only micro-brewery in the inner-city, Kaiser Brew Garden. He fills us in on what beers are coming out of the brewery in 2020 and what it's like to work in a small, tight-knit crew, who are always chasing the perfect brew. What’s coming in 2020 at Kaiser Brew Garden? Late last year we celebrated the opening of the new spiritual home for the Kaiser Brothers Brewery, the Kaiser Brew Garden. It’s a great spot upstairs in Riverside Market, and we’re loving being right in the heart of the city. We’ve got a couple of exciting styles coming up in 2020. We’re introducing a Saison especially for the Kaiser Brew Garden – this style really reflects this time of year and is about celebrating the Canterbury harvest. It’s a classic style with our New World Kaiser spin. Something different we’re bringing...