Shane Gilchrist

New Zealand boy band Titanium might have just rolled off the competition production line, but Shane Gilchrist talks to one member who has been honing his voice and dance moves for years.

Dunedin author Neville Peat sure has a nose for a story, writes Shane Gilchrist.

A notorious Invercargill band with biker connections is about to ride again, Shane Gilchrist reports.

French-Canadian folk band Le Vent du Nord honours the past while kicking up a folk storm. The Otago Festival of the Arts act also boasts a hurdy-gurdy, writes Shane Gilchrist.

What do you do when your littlest goes to school? Carry on, Shane Gilchrist suggests.

Despite his impending departure, Purple Wiggle Jeff Fatt isn't feeling too blue about the prospect. After all, he'll still have children's songs to write, Shane Gilchrist reports.

Otago Festival of the Arts show Carnival of Souls might feature the occasional dead person, but the actors, musicians and sound-effects maestro are alive and kicking, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Ranging from bluegrass to folk to gospel, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson's new album, Wreck & Ruin, treads a traditional path. Its creation also offered the Australian country music couple a chance to escape domestic demands for a little while at least. Shane Gilchrist discusses harmony, in its various guises, with the award-winning duo.

Billy Bragg brings a swag-bag of songs, including his own and those of folk legend Woody Guthrie, to the Otago Festival of the Arts next month. Shane Gilchrist has a chat with the English songwriter cum social commentator.

Portraying the late rock singer Freddie Mercury might be weird at times, but it sure beats selling computers, Gary Mullen tells Shane Gilchrist.

American string band Old Crow Medicine Show prefers its songs to tell a story. Shane Gilchrist reports.

Every week, fortnight or month, New Zealand workers pack their bags and wave goodbye to family and friends to fly in and fly out of overseas destinations. Though they are lured by big money, there are a few caveats, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Isolation, trust and resentment are a few of the key concerns expressed by those involved in fly-in, fly-out work.

Damian Russel has been involved in fly-in, fly-out work, mainly in Australia, since the early 1990s.

Tim Popham, a geologist for a mining exploration company in the Solomon Islands, regards his current contract as short-term pain for long-term gain.

Kirsty Williams might be used to "running the show" at home but it still took her and husband Paul a long time to decide whether a fly-in, fly-out job would suit their family.

In Tatarakihi: the Children of Parihaka, director Paora Joseph contemplates a harrowing chapter in New Zealand's history, while also honouring a remarkable peace movement. Shane Gilchrist reports.

Peter Posa's career has been both up and down, a path that emulates his fast, fluid licks. Shane Gilchrist riffs with the New Zealand guitar great, whose latest album marks more than 50 years in the music business.

From the humorous to the harrowing, the New Zealand 2012 International Film Festival offers plenty for everyone. At least, that's the aim, says director Bill Gosden. Shane Gilchrist reports.