Some operators want permission to use bus lanes in heavy city traffic.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
NZ Trucking Association chief executive Dave Boyce warns the real cost of the current fuel shortage has not hit consumers yet, as the industry considers ways to reduce the impact on operators.
Boyce told RNZ’s Checkpoint that many operators were not able to absorb the rising fuel prices and were now starting to pass on those costs to customers.
“I don’t think the average person has felt the full effects of this yet,” he said. “They’re paying more at the pump, but a few more weeks of this and they’ll start paying more for their groceries and services.
“That will really hit home hard for a lot of people.
“Operators are running low-margin businesses, so they don’t have the ability to absorb the increase in the fuel. They’re putting a fuel adjustment factor onto their rates… and that’s having to be passed on, not only to consumers, but our exporters as well.
“When mum and dad start paying another $100-200 a week for their groceries, it will really hit home for everybody.”
“The problem is a lot of the warehouses, supermarkets, shops etc just aren’t geared up to take trucks at night,” he said. “Labour is part of it, but also resource consent.
“Some of these businesses are in residential areas or areas where there are hotels around them, and they don’t want noise at night.
“There’s certainly a lot of freight moved at night and I think most transport operators are trying to do what they can to minimise trucks during the day, but I wish it was that simple.
“Driving hours are legislated at the moment and you wouldn’t want to increase the hours drivers are doing, because you have to manage fatigue and safety.”
On Friday afternoon, the average cost of diesel $3.80 per litre, a 24 percent increase over the past four weeks.
Mainfreight chief executive Don Braid told Morning Report that KiwiRail should increase its services to help reduce truck use.
He also called on Auckland Transport to allow trucks into bus lanes to avoid burning up fuel, while navigating heavy city traffic.
“I know Mainfreight do use rail a lot and are probably one of the biggest customers of rail at the moment,” Boyce said. “I can imagine his frustration, if he can’t get more trains to move his freight.
“Part of the issue is how freight moves around the country. There’s about 92,000km of road network, but only about 4000km of rail network, so rail doesn’t go everywhere that roads do, especially if you’re talking about the backbone of the NZ economy – the rural economy.
“There’s just no rail-lines into those places and you’ve got to use trucks.”
Boyce insisted the trucking industry continued to search for ways to overcome growing fuel costs.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve maxed out productivity,” he said. “Certainly, industry is in discussion with government about changes to vehicle dimensions and mass rules, trying to get some more weight on some of the trucks, so they can carry more and use less trucks to do the same role.
“I think a lot of it is prescriptive legislation, rather than legislation that’s fit for purpose. Damage to the road, yes, but a lot of it is covered with the axles and suspensions and brakes that are there at the moment.”
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When it’s time to pack up at the end of the day, do you just close the lid of your laptop and pop it in a bag, or do you fully switch it off?
Many of us may be in a habit of leaving the computer on to avoid the time it takes to start up again, or in case there’s the chance to cram in some more work.
While modern laptops are generally good at saving battery life and keeping cool when not in use, extended periods in sleep mode could still be putting a strain on them over time.
Even when a laptop is in sleep mode, the computer components are still quietly humming away in the background.
Unsplash / Greg Rosenke
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Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle claimed she has been “bullied and attacked” on social media every day for a decade and was “the most trolled person in the entire world”.
The 44-year-old former American actress made the comments during the couple’s four-day tour of Australia, as they both addressed a roundtable discussion with young people associated with an Australian mental health organisation.
“Every day for 10 years, I’ve been bullied and attacked,” Meghan told the youngsters on the third day of the visit in the southern city of Melbourne, adding “but I’m still here”.
She urged those in attendance to remember that social media was a “billion dollar industry that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks”.
“That’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that,” Meghan said.
Meanwhile at a separate event, Harry, 41, revealed he had felt “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless” during his life, as he opened up about the impact of losing his mother, Princess Diana, as a boy.
In a discussion after delivering a speech at a leadership summit, King Charles III’s youngest son said following Diana’s death when he was 12 that he felt like he wanted to cast off his role as a senior royal.
“It killed my mum and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years,” he said.
“Eventually I realised: well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?
“And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective.”
Harry and his wife stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later relocated to North America amid a bitter royal family rift.
They are raising their two young children in California, as Harry now seeks to repair relations with his father — who remains the head of state in Australia.
During the couple’s Australia tour, Meghan has also filmed a programme for MasterChef Australia due to air on Sunday.
She will also take part in a “girls’ weekend like no other” at Sydney’s InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel, according to organisers.
The event features yoga, sound healing and dinners as well as disco dancing at a ticket price of A$2699 per person, about NZ$3300.
Those willing to pay even more get access to the “VIP experience” — which includes a group table photo with Meghan and a goodie bag.
The pair is also due to visit the capital Canberra, national broadcaster ABC said.
They have been warmly greeted during their stops so far, but the visit has drawn criticism, with Victoria state opposition leader Jess Wilson condemning the use of taxpayers’ money to provide protection for the pair.
– AFP
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Finance Minister Nicola Willis.Samuel Rillstone/RNZ
The Finance Minister has joined international counterparts in calling for a return to free and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Nicola Willis is currently in Washington DC for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings, along with other finance ministers.
The finance ministers of United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Poland, and New Zealand have released a joint statement calling for a “swift and lasting” negotiated solution to the conflict.
Despite ongoing negotiations over ending the war, the United States has blockaded the Strait, completely halting economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea.
The ministers called for free and safe transit that mitigated impacts on growth, energy prices, and living standards, for the poorest and most vulnerable in particular.
“Renewed hostilities, a widening of the conflict or continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would pose serious additional risks to global energy security, supply chains, and economic and financial stability. Even with a durable resolution of the conflict, impacts on growth, inflation and markets will persist,” their statement said.
Ministers also welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire, and called on all parties to implement it in full.
“The past weeks have brought unacceptable loss of life and significant disruption to the global economy and financial markets, and the ceasefire will be crucial to protecting civilian populations and the security of the region,” the ministers said.
They acknowledged that their balance sheets were restrained, and committed to “fiscally responsible and targeted” domestic responses.
The New Zealand government has repeatedly said that any support would be “timely, targeted, and temporary,” with the prime minister last week reluctant to say whether that support would be expanded.
Willis and her counterparts also reaffirmed their commitment to open and rules-based trade on energy products.
“We commit to avoiding, and call on all countries to avoid, protectionist actions, including unjustified export controls, stockpiling and other trade barriers in hydrocarbon and other supply chains affected by the crisis. We commit to promoting cooperation and integration to support regional and global stability,” they said.
“We will also continue reforms that strengthen resilience and accelerate long-term energy diversification, including through the clean energy transition and improved energy efficiency. We welcome any steps countries may take to achieve these objectives.”
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He was described by Police Scotland as being six-foot-tall with short hair and a dark beard. He spoke with a New Zealand accent and was last seen wearing a white robe, police said.
A police spokesperson told RNZ on Wednesday evening the search for Evans was ongoing and continued overnight (NZT).
However, the Diocese of Aberdeen in Scotland, put out a statement saying the search for Evans, who they called Brother Ignatius, had been called off.
“The Diocese has learned with deep sadness of the disappearance and presumed death of Justin Evans, also know as Brother Ignatius, aged 24, a member of the Redemptorist community on the island of Papa Stronsay.
“It is believed he came to harm in conditions involving the sea,” the statement said.
It said local police and coastguard services had now called off searches.
“Brother Ignatius was known for his humility and charity, and our prayers are with his community and family at this difficult time.”
He felt the situation “must be a terrible worry” from the distance of New Zealand and wanted to reassure Evans’ loved ones that the community was looking for him.
He said the couple of hundred residents were keeping their ears to the ground and would continue to do so.
“Everybody is doing their best here and that’s how small communities are.
“We saw people were out looking for the lad and we’ll just keep looking. Let’s keep him in our prayers.”
Father Michael Mary – the founder of the traditionalist Catholic order which owns the monastery – said the situation was “utterly tragic” and suspected Evans had been suffering from long-term hypothermia before his disappearance.
“We are a close community and this has hit us all very hard and is deeply hurting. We hope to find him and hope that the sea will give him up soon.”
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Labour says it would be at least investigating following Australia’s lead on the fuel crisis if it were in power, but the circumstances in each country are quite different.Quin Tauetau
Analysis – Labour says it would be at least investigating following Australia’s lead on the fuel crisis if it were in power, but the circumstances in each country are quite different.
Regardless of whether the government could or should be doing more, it is important to understand the different circumstances and how that affects the response.
Hipkins’ criticisms
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said if he was in power he would be seeking advice on responses already enacted in other countries.
The government should be considering support for diesel users, he said, as well as support for foodbanks and the most vulnerable families; and in the long term, support to keep other families from reaching that point.
He was careful, however, to avoid pitching those solutions as election policy.
“We don’t have access to that advice right at the moment, but were we in government that is the sort of advice that we would be asking for,” he said.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Later in the day, following Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s media conference on the latest fuel supplies data, Hipkins issued a press release criticising the government for failing to explain the details of fuel rationing that would kick in under higher phases of the national fuel plan.
With a subject line saying the government was “asleep at the wheel”, he said New Zealanders “deserve to know what the plan is, but two months into this conflict, there isn’t one”.
“This is the second update in a week showing New Zealand’s supply of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel have all gone down. Most alarming, there’s now less than three weeks of diesel in the country, which is critical for the economy,” he said.
“Dealing with the fuel crisis should be this Government’s top priority. Instead, they’re sitting back and hoping for the best. Hope is not a plan, and it won’t keep fuel flowing for households and businesses.
“Other countries are already acting decisively. In Australia, they’re pulling out all the stops. Our government needs to step up.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to media about the latest fuel stocks update.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Australia’s approach
Australia’s Labor government has taken far more extreme measures in response to the fuel crisis than New Zealand has to date.
However, it should be noted Australia also started with a worse supply problem, and a stronger economy – making those interventions more affordable and more urgent.
Australia is at the second point of escalation in its four-point fuel plan, with reports of hundreds of service stations running out of at least one type of fuel every day since late March, and at least six fuel shipments having been deferred or cancelled.
The federal government has already dipped into its emergency national reserve, releasing about five days worth of diesel.
The situation is bad enough that Western Australia has also purchased its own strategic reserve of 4 million litres of diesel owned by the state to address the acute fuel shortages there – though the state’s opposition leader has warned that would last just six hours.
The federal government has also halved fuel excise for three months, reducing tax on fuel by 26.3 cents per litre, while states have also pitched in – shaving off an extra 5.7 cents.
That makes fuel cheaper for consumers and can curb inflationary pressure, but the cheaper prices also mean they are less incentivised to try to save on fuel than they would be otherwise.
Another support measure in Australia is a three-month elimination of Road-User Charges (RUCs) for heavy vehicles.
In New Zealand, diesel vehicles, EVs and hybrids all pay RUCs per kilometre and according to weight. Petrol vehicles are taxed at the pump through excise, but diesel is not.
With diesel costs traditionally being lower than petrol costs, this seemed fair – but the fuel crisis has led to diesel prices overtaking those for petrol.
Electric vehicles had been exempt for several years to encourage uptake, but were brought into the RUC scheme so all drivers would be contributing to transport costs. The government plans to eventually scrap petrol excise entirely in favour of universal RUCs, but that may take a while.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has ruled out either cutting excise taxes or broad reductions or exemptions for RUCs, saying these did not fit the government’s self-imposed criteria for any supports during the crisis of being targeted, timely and temporary – a recommendation that came from reviews in the wake of the Covid-19 response.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
She said those approaches were likely to benefit those on higher incomes more.
However, the government does appear likely to match the moves taken by the state of South Australia to allow heavy vehicles to carry more.
After the government consulted on interventions suggested by the public and industry, the Ministry of Regulation is looking at regulatory changes it can make – and Luxon on Wednesday confirmed that would include “common-sense things like allowing heavy vehicles to carry heavier loads”.
Two Australian states have also offered free public transport, another measure both Labour and the Greens have urged the government to look into – but which has also been rejected as untargeted.
Just beyond South Korea’s famed Hangang River, where visitors specifically stop for steaming hot convenience‑store ramen, the scent of flat whites and freshly baked mince pies drifts from a small inner‑suburb shop.
A logo illustration of a finger heart (popularised by K-pop idols) holding a fern in one hand and a pie in the other greets customers wondering: “Is this really New Zealand pies?”
Offering expats a slice of home and locals a new flavour, Auckland Pie Garage owner Kristine Kim welcomes them in: “Kia ora!”
Auckland Pie Garage’s interior is filled with the Kiwi vibe.
Supplied / Auckland Pie Garage
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Statuesque black standard poodle Anton has made history at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The four-year-old dog, with hair worthy of a glam rocker, won back-to-back best in show prizes, making him the second dog to ever do so at the annual show’s 203-year history.
It was a 4am start for Anton and his owners on show day on Sunday, floofing and poofing his pom poms to perfection. The day before, another five hours went into preparing for his outing in the show ring. (It can take up to 10 hours, Anton naps through most of it.)
It all paid off for Anton and his handler and co-owner James Bennett, as they took out the top prize for the second year running. As a result, Anton is the first dog in more than 90 years to win back-to-back crowns in Australia’s biggest canine competition.
“He’s a normal dog, just not on the weekends,” Bennett told RNZ’s Nights.
“He’s just a big black standard poodle, with a typical haircut with pom poms on the legs… and a shaved butt that everyone makes fun of and laughs about – and all that hair.”
Bennett is a third-generation competitor who grew up in the world of dog showing. He tried his hand at other things, but fell back into the profession.
Bennett says show dogs get better the older and more mature they become – reaching their peak between three and six years old.
“He’s kind of peaking now,” he says of Anton.
“He had an amazing year last year, but this is a big year for us.”
Anton celebrated his win by “running around rolling around the grass… maybe a lick of champagne with everyone else.”
He is now off to Italy to represent Australia at the World Dog Show in June.
A Fox Terrier named Jerry Ideal, owned by a W Polley, was the first dog to win back to back best in show in 1933 and 1934, the Guardian reported.
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Justin Evans, 24, is missing from Papa Stronsay in Scotland.SCOTLAND POLICE / SUPPLIED
The founder of monastery on a remote Scottish island where a New Zealand monk disappeared said it was believed he had been suffering from “long term hypothermia”.
Justin Evans, 24 and originally from Christchurch, was last seen within the Golgotha Monastery on Papa Stronsay, Orkney shortly before midnight on Saturday.
Do you know more? Email melanie.earley@rnz.co.nz
Evans was described by Scotland police as being six-foot-tall with short hair and a dark beard. He spoke with a New Zealand accent and was last seen wearing a white robe, police said.
Father Michael Mary who is the founder of the traditionalist Catholic order Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, which owns the monastery, said coastguards, helicopters and police had searched the island for Evans.
“The situation is utterly tragic,” he said.
Mary said Evans went by the name Brother Iganatius Maria while at the monastery and had lived there for about two years.
“We suspect he had long term hypothermia [before his disappearance],” Mary said.
“We are a close community and this has hit us all very hard and is deeply hurting. We hope to find him and hope that the sea will give him up soon.”
Evans had three brothers who were all monks, Mary said, and two of them also lived on the island which at the 2022 Census had a population of just nine.
“Brother’s family are in New Zealand which only adds to the pain of loss and separation.
“This is our biggest tragedy since our arrival here in 1999,” Mary said.
In a message sent out to members of the order, seen by RNZ, the order said Evans had left his “monastic cell” and had been missing since.
The vicar general of the monastery, Father Anthony Mary said he had been the last one to speak to Evans hours before and he had been “fortified with confession” the night before.
“We have no explanation of why this happened,” the message said.
A spokesperson for the order in New Zealand, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists, said everyone in the order knew and loved Evans dearly.
“Our hearts are completely broken with the loss of this beautiful man. He loved being part of the religious family and probably would have become a priest.”
‘Hermetic’ lifestyle
A worker at a shop in Orkney, said monks from Papa Stronsay would come to the area to use the post office but had lived a more “hermetic” lifestyle in recent years.
She said they had their own boat which she suspected was the only way to get off the island.
The temperature of the water at this time of year was still very cold, the woman said and swimming was not recommended.
While the island was small, a local councillor earlier said it was not entirely isolated.
Dr Stephen Clackson was the Orkney Islands Council member for the North Isles Ward, which includes Papa Stronsay, he said he visited the monastery last year.
Stephen Clackson (C) and his wife Ute in the refectory during a visit with The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer on Papa Stronsay.Supplied / Stephen Clackson
“We enjoyed a tour of the island and of the monastery and were made to feel most welcome. It is impressive everything that The Sons have achieved in the quarter-century their order has been present on the island, and all that they currently do and have planned for the future,” Clackson wrote in his regular newsletter to constituents.
“They are often seen on the ferry travelling back and forth to Kirkwall (Orkney’s capital), e.g. to do shopping in the supermarkets or en route to travel further afield. They have a house and chapel on Stronsay in the village of Whitehall and engage with the community there.”
Clackson said he hoped Evans was “found safe and well soon”.
The Transalpine Redemptorists were founded in the 1980s and had links to New Zealand, including a monastery near Geraldine.
Back in New Zealand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, confirmed it was aware of reports about Evan’s disappearance but for privacy reasons, no further information could be provided.
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America’s most internet-famous festival, Coachella, has wrapped the first of two massive weekends of live music in the Californian desert.
This year skewed towards big pop headliners, namely Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Colombian star Karol G, but there were plenty of surprises beyond the top billing.
With seven stages available to stream online for the first time this year, it cemented Coachella as an event that was as much for those at home as those who made the trek.
Sabrina Carpenter gave Coachella a splashy farewell on its opening night.
After a busy year performing a “half-hour of power” at international music festivals, Auckland indie band The Beths spent the summer back home mixing their upcoming album.
Here’s a few highlights and talking points from three packed days of live music action.
Sabrina is on top
Last time Sabrina Carpenter was on a Coachella stage, she told the audience she’d see them all back here when she headlined.
Two years later and this manifestation has worked. By the end of her show, it was clear top billing was where she belonged.
After a chilling opening short film starring Sam Elliott, Carpenter emerged from a classic car set up on one of the two stages that made up her set and barreled through tracks from her Man’s Best Friend and Short n’ Sweet albums.
Her glossy, sleek, ultra-horny earworms were undeniably infectious and unabashedly sunny.
While the budget for her sets and costumes must have been staggering, Carpenter also proved her natural star power in spades: her step count must have been enormous, and even with all its deeply choreographed twists and turns, the whole things came together with finesse.
It featured perhaps one of the least-expected cameos of the weekend. Susan Sarandon delivered the bleakest moment of a decidedly sunny set, her monologue as a somewhat jaded older Sabrina as compelling as it was incongruous.
Will Ferrell was as powerful, but it’s rare that he’s not funny and just having him and his physical comedy in the moment felt like a power move. By the time we got to the pre-recorded message from Samuel L Jackson, it just felt like Sabrina was showing off. But that’s kinda her thing.
She closed out the set in typically ostentatious fashion, back in that classic car. This time its seat was a dozen feet in the air as water gushed from its trunk. A silly, fun way to close out a set that few could deny was a dynamite display of all the things that have made Carpenter so endearing.
Justin Bieber stokes mixed reactions
Justin Bieber’s headline performance at Coachella this weekend has drawn mixed reviews.
Kevin Mazur
It’s safe to say there was fevered anticipation over what Justin Bieber would do in his first official Coachella performance. And the Canadian pop superstar was not planning to play by the standards set by previous headliners.
In stark contrast to memorable sets from Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and even Sabrina Carpenter the previous night, the Biebs intentionally avoided spectacle in favour of a pared-back set.
Besides a few special guests — The Kid LAROI for mega-hit Stay; Afrobeats stars Tems and Wizkid; collaborators Dijon and Mk.gee — Bieber largely performed alone inside of a stark sunken-bowl set.
For one stretch, he sat alone at a stool, pulling up YouTube clips on the jumbo screen, singing along to old music videos for hits like ‘With You’, ‘Sorry’, and ‘Where Are Ü Now’. He even shared footage of concert mishaps and his “it’s not clocking to you” meme.
Some reactions have already criticised the performance, pointing out that Beiber’s reported US$10 million performance fee could’ve been used to budget for more. Visuals, dancers, something beyond just a laptop and an ad-free YouTube subscription.
Despite the air of low-key spontaneity, Bieber’s performance was more of a career statement on a grand scale. And that shouldn’t surprise anybody who caught the warm-up: performing solo — in boxer shorts and a guitar — at the Grammys.
The image of Bieber looking up and singing harmony with his 13-year-old past self on the biggest of festival stages was a way of reflecting the past but also exorcising it. He concluded the set turning back to the hookiest moments from SWAG and SWAG II — the pair of hazy, indie R&B surprise albums released last year.
Your mileage may very much have varied based on your investment in Justin Bieber’s redemptive arc. But you didn’t necessarily have to be a Belieber to appreciate the subversive attitude, or offer valid criticism.
Coachella’s biggest special guests
Coachella always features a bevy of unexpected special guests — usually in person, sometimes as holograms — and you could have put together a whole other festival line-up with those who showed up over the weekend.
And headliners Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber weren’t the only ones using their star power to bring some big names the party.
While many were hoping UK star PinkPantheress would have Swedish collaborator Zara Larsson onboard at her set, they had to settle for actor Tyriq Withers, hyped producers Horsegiirl and The Dare, and an excellent turn from bassist Thundercat.
Thundercat also joined up with his old band Suicidal Tendencies on the final day of the festival, while Horsegiirl also popped up with Wet Leg on the final day of fun.
Teddy Swims gave Vanessa Carlton her deserved flowers at his massive main stage set, which also featured Joe Jonas, while David Lee Roth joined in on a version of Van Halen’s Jump.
The incredible Jennifer Lopez proved a highlight of David Guetta’s Saturday night set, Kehlani sang Folded with Giveon, and Californian icon Snoop Dogg joined Hugel for a take on The Next Episode.
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan made his first ever Coachella appearance as a guest of Sombr, who performed classic 1995 track 1979.
Khalid jumped up with Disclosure to perform his 2019 smash Talk, Lizzo ducked into both KAYTRANADA and Sexyy Red’s sets, hip hop icons Clipse brought out Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, and M.I.A. and Diplo seem to have buried the hatchet, as the two reunited for a version of Paper Planes during Major Lazer’s main stage set.
One of the biggest moments of the festival came very early, as global girl group KATSEYE brought out EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, the three voices that make up fictional K-Pop group HUNTR/X from the inescapable K Pop Demon Hunters.
The two groups smashed through a rendition of Golden that felt like one of many victory laps after that song’s dominance in the past 12 months.
Nine Inch Noize refreshes Nine Inch Nails
One of Saturday’s most buzzed-about sets came from Nine Inch Noize, essentially a raved-up refresh of Nine Inch Nails between project mastermind Trent Reznor and German dance producer Boys Noize.
Having worked together on the 2024 film score for tennis love triangle drama Challengers, Nine Inch Noize’s Sahara tent debut was an extended version of a mini-set they’d incorporated into a recent NIN arena tour.
Reworking cuts from the band’s industrial rock songbook (e.g. The Downward Spiral’s Heresy and Closer plus cuts from political concept album Year Zero) into pulsing dance jams animated by filthy synths and throbbing beats.
Reznor was joined on vocals by wife and creative partner Mariqueen Maandig and flanked by NIN bandmate Atticus Ross and Boys Noize manning keys and electronic stations.
Augmenting the experience of attending a vampire’s nightclub was an intense light-and-laser show that bathed the audience in reds, blacks and strobing effects.
The quartet were bunkered at the centre of a brutalist architectural structure over which a cadre of white-painted dancers writhed, frog-marched or lay disturbingly lifeless. The most striking moment came during the carnal Closer, where the bodies clawed their way up toward Reznor and dragged him into sliding down the concrete structure.
Geese live up to the hype
One of the most hyped indie rock acts of recent years, Brooklyn quartet Geese were guaranteed to pull a massive crowd to their sundown slot. The “saviours of rock” accolades have been powered by Getting Killed, the band’s thrilling third album, and frontman Cameron Winter’s critically adored solo album Heavy Metal.
Even fellow acts Sabrina Carpenter, David Byrne and Jack White migrated to watch Geese deconstruct classic rock inspirations and re-forge them into strange, intoxicating new possibilities.
What makes Geese special live is they have a synergy that cannot be faked. Never mind that they’ve been touring relentlessly — including eight Australian shows in a week around Laneway festival — these 20-somethings have been jamming together since they were young teens.
On songs like ‘100 Horses’ and the caustic ‘Trinidad’, with its explosive chorus of “There’s a bomb in my car!” it seems their wiry energy could fall off the rails any moment. But they don’t, and are able to funnel the same chaotic energy into sing-along moments like the sentimental ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’, gorgeous ‘Cobra’ and cathartic ‘Taxes’.
Oh, and they even cheekily snuck in their cover of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ amid the rock-pocalypse spasms of prog-leaning original 2122. The result is the kind of set and band that’ll have future audiences boasting “I was there”.
Ninajirachi, Ecca Vandal did Aussie proud
Besides The Kid LAROI popping up in Bieber’s headline set, there were many homegrown acts flying Australia’s flag in the Californian desert.
One of them was Ecca Vandal, cutting a fascinating figure at the Sonora stage. Mixing metal, hip hop and pop to dizzying effect, she showcased tracks from her forthcoming album Looking For People To Unfollow.
Much like her fashionable patchwork outfit, Vandal’s music fuses unlikely elements together into a stylish whole. She can be growling and spitting over distorted riffs one moment, soaring to a candy-coated chorus melody the next.
She’s primed to be the breakout genre-mashing star following in the successful footsteps of Genesis Owusu and Ninajirachi.
The latter, a multi-ARIA and J Award winning electronic producer from the Central Coast, is clearly breaking through in the States.
Ninajirachi’s Coachella debut had as much energy as one of her hometown shows, the crowd singing loudly along to the fizzy hooks of EDM pop bangers like ‘I Love My Computer’ and ‘Infohazard’.
In a full-circle moment, Porter Robinson, one of Ninajirachi’s biggest influences and idols, joined her onstage to debut an unreleased collaboration titled ‘WannaCry’.
It was a cherry on top … Ninajirachi didn’t need the co-sign to prove herself as one of the most exciting names in electronic music right now. Already in high demand, tickets for her upcoming US and Australian tours are certain to be the hottest in town now.
On the final day of proceedings, The Chats delivered a flawless set of their breakneck punk rock, Eamon Sandwith proudly flying a Queensland State of Origin flag on his amp and encouraging those in the tent to call everyone watching online “a dickhead”.
Nobody moves like FKA Twigs moves
INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (NOT TO BE LICENSED FOR ANY STANDALONE OR SPECIAL INTEREST BOOK PUBLISHING USE CONCERNING THE COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL AND/OR STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL) FKA Twigs performs at the Mojave Tent during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2026 in Indio, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella)
Arturo Holmes
British visionary FKA twigs has a penchant for wild choreography and bracing stagecraft. Her Sunday set did not disappoint.
Beginning her set lying on a bed, it was an intimate start to what swiftly escalated into a steamy, elaborate show packed with multiple costume changes and expressive, escapist dance moves.
Twigs herself brought some of the most elaborate body geometry, exhibiting sexual liberation in ‘Drums of Death’ or stylishly gyrating through ‘Sushi’ before having a red-dreaded wig installed onstage.
Combining mercurial melodies with experimental beats, FKA Twigs’s music has always been cutting-edge. But the dancier injection of last year’s excellent EUSEXUA album, along with more bumping moments from 2022 mixtape CAPRISONGS, has really levelled up the engagement. And sweat factor!
FKA twigs also provided a platform for diversity and expression. There was a whip-cracking dancer, a woman spinning on chains and authentic nods to ballroom culture in several club-inspired transitions and an entire mid-set stretch dedicated to frenetic voguing from a cadre of dancers.
Whether decked out as gothic royalty but singing like an angel for ‘Eusexua’ or inducing a “body high” for the ’90s ravetronica of ‘Perfectly’, FKA twigs delivered a mainstage-worthy performance.
How to watch Coachella
If you missed out on the fun this weekend, the festival does the whole thing all over again next weekend.
New Zealand and Australia will be able to stream most of the same sets as this weekend via the festival’s YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for confirmed times during the week.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand