Sam[uel] Smith
@sgowsmith1988.bsky.social
I am a journalist, writer, and radio host/selector.
Hard to Find books will fight another day after securing a new spot. I spoke to owner Warwick.
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Long-running Auckland bookstore lives to fight another day after being forced to move
Hard to Find Books was faced with the prospect of becoming homeless but has secured a new location.
www.stuff.co.nz
February 9, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Hard to Find books will fight another day after securing a new spot. I spoke to owner Warwick.
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Nathan Haines currently DJing in Aotea Square. Summer Jazz all evening here and tomorrow arvo/evening. The city is not dead.
February 6, 2026 at 4:39 AM
Nathan Haines currently DJing in Aotea Square. Summer Jazz all evening here and tomorrow arvo/evening. The city is not dead.
Western Springs is the premiere outdoor venue in Auckland. It is currently under utilised. More gigs here please.
February 5, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Western Springs is the premiere outdoor venue in Auckland. It is currently under utilised. More gigs here please.
Geese killing it at Laneway. What a band.
February 5, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Geese killing it at Laneway. What a band.
Mokotron kicking off Laneway with some serious bass heavy stuff
February 5, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Mokotron kicking off Laneway with some serious bass heavy stuff
Laneway this Thursday. Very much looking forward to it.
A few years ago I wrote the history of the festival for Audioculture.
www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/st-...
A few years ago I wrote the history of the festival for Audioculture.
www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/st-...
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Auckland - Article | AudioCulture
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Silo Park, Auckland 2015 - Stella Gardiner
It’s hard to put on a music festival in New Zealand and maintain it for any significant length of time. One festival that has b...
www.audioculture.co.nz
February 3, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Laneway this Thursday. Very much looking forward to it.
A few years ago I wrote the history of the festival for Audioculture.
www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/st-...
A few years ago I wrote the history of the festival for Audioculture.
www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/st-...
I took a look at six Auckland construction projects set for milestone openings in 2026
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
The six Auckland construction projects set for milestone openings in 2026
2026 is set to be a significant year for New Zealand’s biggest city with the completion of some major projects.
www.stuff.co.nz
February 2, 2026 at 4:20 AM
I took a look at six Auckland construction projects set for milestone openings in 2026
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
The last dive bar of K Road. End of an era.
thespinoff.co.nz/society/31-0...
thespinoff.co.nz/society/31-0...
Last call: Legendary K Road watering hole Charlie’s shuts its doors
Inside the final days of the famous bar – and what's next for the family behind it.
thespinoff.co.nz
January 30, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The last dive bar of K Road. End of an era.
thespinoff.co.nz/society/31-0...
thespinoff.co.nz/society/31-0...
Reposted by Sam[uel] Smith
Reminder to all NZ musicians who released an album in 2025 that you have about 4.5 hour left to nominate yourself for the TAITE MUSIC PRIZE. You probably won't win, but you will get reviewed in The Spinoff when I do my annual thing of listening to the entire list. Do it. Do it now.
January 29, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Reminder to all NZ musicians who released an album in 2025 that you have about 4.5 hour left to nominate yourself for the TAITE MUSIC PRIZE. You probably won't win, but you will get reviewed in The Spinoff when I do my annual thing of listening to the entire list. Do it. Do it now.
Sly Dunbar. Quite the revolutionary. He had this uncanny ability to make all the tracks he played on swing. Those classic Grace Jones songs case in point. Very sad news.
January 27, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Sly Dunbar. Quite the revolutionary. He had this uncanny ability to make all the tracks he played on swing. Those classic Grace Jones songs case in point. Very sad news.
Geese: Trinidad (Live) - SNL
YouTube video by Saturday Night Live
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:46 PM
This week's show featured new music from Arctic Monkeys, Mitski, Snail Mail, Courtney Barnett and more. Sam also pays tribute to Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst who passed away last week.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
The Sunday Mixtape with Sam: January 25, 2026
This week's show featured new music from Arctic Monkeys, Mitski, Snail Mail, Courtney Barnett and more. Sam also pays tribute to Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst who passed away last week.
95bfm.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:14 PM
This week's show featured new music from Arctic Monkeys, Mitski, Snail Mail, Courtney Barnett and more. Sam also pays tribute to Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst who passed away last week.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
Reposted by Sam[uel] Smith
I wrote about Geese's upcoming SNL appearance, and the endless social-media outrage cycles the band attracts (and how it feels a little familiar), for @theringer.com.web.brid.gy.
www.theringer.com/2026/01/23/m...
www.theringer.com/2026/01/23/m...
Geese Is Ready for Its Close-Up. Are You?
This weekend’s ‘SNL’ musical guest has garnered tons of debate—which actually aligns the group with the very bands its critics are seeking to separate it from
www.theringer.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:23 PM
I wrote about Geese's upcoming SNL appearance, and the endless social-media outrage cycles the band attracts (and how it feels a little familiar), for @theringer.com.web.brid.gy.
www.theringer.com/2026/01/23/m...
www.theringer.com/2026/01/23/m...
The Poo Fighters
January 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM
The Poo Fighters
People sharing their 2016 pictures. It was a good year for me but I just remember the narrative at the time that it was the worst year ever lol
January 15, 2026 at 10:27 PM
People sharing their 2016 pictures. It was a good year for me but I just remember the narrative at the time that it was the worst year ever lol
Amazing Viagra Boys gig at the Powerstation tonight. Highly energised. Very political. And sweltering! It really was a punk rave.
January 14, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Amazing Viagra Boys gig at the Powerstation tonight. Highly energised. Very political. And sweltering! It really was a punk rave.
First show of the year today.
New music from Father John Misty, Dry Cleaning, The Lemon Twings, Sault and more.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
New music from Father John Misty, Dry Cleaning, The Lemon Twings, Sault and more.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
The Sunday Mixtape with Sam: January 11, 2026
This week's show featured new music from Father John Misty, Dry Cleaning, The Lemon Twings, Sault and more.
95bfm.com
January 11, 2026 at 5:26 AM
First show of the year today.
New music from Father John Misty, Dry Cleaning, The Lemon Twings, Sault and more.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
New music from Father John Misty, Dry Cleaning, The Lemon Twings, Sault and more.
95bfm.com/bcast/the-su...
This would go hard as an early 70s metal album cover
One of the coolest photos ever taken in New Zealand. RIP a true original.
January 8, 2026 at 5:15 AM
This would go hard as an early 70s metal album cover
Reposted by Sam[uel] Smith
It’s old-fashioned to defend mainstream journalism these days but some of the most reliable reporting from people actually on the ground will be the AP and Reuters the next 24 hours. Your Substack journalist writing takes will be using frontline reporting from them.
January 3, 2026 at 8:09 AM
It’s old-fashioned to defend mainstream journalism these days but some of the most reliable reporting from people actually on the ground will be the AP and Reuters the next 24 hours. Your Substack journalist writing takes will be using frontline reporting from them.
I wanted a quiet start to the year
January 3, 2026 at 9:40 AM
I wanted a quiet start to the year
My one hot take about Wellington since being here is that Te Papa is their Auckland Queen St Imax Centre in terms of design.
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 AM
My one hot take about Wellington since being here is that Te Papa is their Auckland Queen St Imax Centre in terms of design.
Can’t beat it on a good day
December 30, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Can’t beat it on a good day
if you want to see carols be butchered in front of the royals turn to tv one
December 25, 2025 at 7:19 AM
if you want to see carols be butchered in front of the royals turn to tv one