This Week's Bits

This week the Maori Party changes its tune on the Emissions Trading Scheme; palm kernel raises the ire of environmentalists and the case of the Bilbao 5 gets reopened.

Listen to Audio
MP3, 11m56s, 2.7MB

The Weekly Round Up

Featuring live songs from Graeme Downes of the Verlaines, Collapsing Cities and Troy, Duncan Grieves and Charlotte discuss music television and the VMAs.

Listen to Audio
MP3, 10m52s, 2.5MB

Kristen Darragh

The up and coming mezzo-soprano is staring in a production of Eugene Onegin, the opera based on Alexander Pushkin's novel of the same name. As you'd expect of a russian opera it's pretty full on and full of melodramatic regret, high society parties and a good old fashioned pistol duel.

Kristen has spent the last four years studying at the Royal Academy in London and is about to embark on a freelance career in Berlin. So what exactly is the life of the free lance mezzo-soprano and how does one get to that point?

Listen to Audio
MP3, 13m02s, 3MB

The Liberation of Albert Park

40 years ago a series of house raids, not unlike the terror raids of recent years, sparked off a series of events which culminated in the Auckland City Council marking Albert Park as a public free speech area.

Numerous protest groups at the time were involved including the Progressive Youth Movement. Barry Lee was a member of the PYM at the time and goes through the background to the "liberation" and offers some insight to the protest movement in the late 60s.

The anniversary was celebrated with a concert in Albert Park involving The Frank E Evans Band, Tigi Ness and Tim Shadbolt.

Further reading

Barry's website

Sue Bradford (who talked at the event) reminisces

Listen to Audio
MP3, 15m33s, 3.6MB

The Dentith Files

This week Matthew jumps into his book reviewer sli