Kiwi stars share their homegrown favourites

New Zealand singing legend Dave Dobbyn. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Auckland Museum launches its 2015 Late series next week with the new season of talks centred on Auckland in its demisemiseptcentennial year. The first event focuses squarely on music.

MC-ed by Russell Brown, a panel will discuss the people and performers behind our city's vibrant music scene. Speakers include Phil Bell (DJ Sir-Vere), Dave Dobbyn, AudioCulture creative director Simon Grigg, and television writer and producer Rachel Lang. There will be performances from Dobbyn and Emma Paki.

We asked those appearing about their defining Auckland music memory ...

Dave Dobbyn

A state house, Auckland childhood, filled with longing and music. Across the glen, the hymns of choral rehearsals mixes with lawn mowers and Hendrix. The neighbour's stereo plays endless Elvis gospel songs. I'm glued to the valve radio, listening to BBC World Service, sounding so far away.

Simon Grigg

I guess my first "Auckland music" experience was as a kid. I fell in love with two records by a band called The La De Da's. I had no idea that How Is The Air Up There and Hey Baby were cover versions of other records, all I knew was that the band's name was irreverently cool and they looker even sharper in the pages of The Listener. Then I found out that they were from just down the road - The La De Da's were from otherwise drab Henderson - we drove past their school every day.

And, thus, like The Beatles with Liverpool, these five were ours. More than that, they were recorded by an Auckland record label - they were totally local. From then on I was obsessed by the music of the city I was born in.

Rachel Lang

It's a tough call. But I remember back when I was a Wellingtonian hearing Andy by the Front Lawn. Hearing a lyric that featured Takapuna Beach was mysterious and wonderful.

Phil Bell (DJ Sir-Vere)

My favourite "Auckland song" would be Chains Remix by DLT feat. Che Fu. In this actual original version Che refers to Ponsonby, his original home, in the line, "They took the Gluepot, now they coming for me." This speaks volumes about the gentrification of the suburb, and also the tight link that famous venue had to the community.

And in terms of memorable Auckland gigs, I think the Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit I ran with Ali in Auckland was a real moment in time. Scribe had released The Crusader and even though we had international artists on the bill, the Kiwis were the ones garnering the most attention. That was an incredible weekend.

Emma Paki

Neil Finn is my Auckland music hero. He produced my Greenstone song, thank God. But the song that best represents Auckland to me would be Harbour Lights by Boz Scaggs. When I first got to Auckland in an independent sense, that had sentimental value to me. And Sharon O' Neill's Maxine is on the pulse of Auckland Central, for me. Otherwise Mahia Blackmore's Little Tui.

- TimeOut