The former Supergrass frontman and Britpop survivor returns to NZ as a politically minded singer-songwriter.
At the height of 90s Britpop, Gaz Coombes was young, he ran green, kept his teeth nice and clean … or so the song – his breakthrough hit, Alright, with former band Supergrass – went.
Now he’s wrangling two kids, doing the morning school run and leaving mixtapes in their bedrooms in an effort at “casual brainwashing” against the “incessant machine of vacuous, mind-numbing pop” on his local radio station in leafy Oxfordshire.
Of course, back in 1995, when Coombes and his childhood mates Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey released that teenage anthem, which told of his enthusiasm for brushing twice daily, it was his voice that was blaring out of car speakers around the world, rubbing parents up the wrong way and sparking back-seat singalongs.
Denne historien er fra September 22-28 2018-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra September 22-28 2018-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
