Auckland Live at Lunch

Celebrate Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa New Zealand Music Month with us this May!

It’s time to say – Fri-Yay! Kick back in a beanbag and lean into the weekend at our free lunchtime gigs. Enjoy a bite to eat in The Civic with a side of live music performed by local legends Julien Dyne (Live), The Leonard Charles Group, and Romi Wrights & The Commotions. Plus, arrive early and be serenaded by Hudge, who will be spinning some sweet Kiwi tunes 30 minutes before and after the live performances.

BYO lunch or enjoy some tasty treats from Starks which will be open from 11.45am - 1.30pm each Friday during the Auckland Live at Lunch.

Proudly supported by Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate.

- Julien Dyne (Live) - Fri 10 May, 12.15pm
Born in 1979 (Montreal /Canada), Julien Dyne is a multi-talented Drummer, Producer, DJ and Visual Artist based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Best known for his solo output on Soundway Records (London), BBE Records (worldwide) and Wonderful Noise (Japan), he also performs and records with Half Hexagon, The Lahaar, Ladi 6, Avantdale Bowling Club, The Circling Sun, Some Other
Planets, New Farben and has recorded with Opensouls, Fat Freddys Drop, @peace, Tom Scott, Lord Echo, Eru Dangerspiel, Christoph El Truento, James Duncan, She’s So Rad, Nathan Haines and many other top acts, whilst touring locally and internationally with artists Kody Neilson / silicon/ Opossom and Lord Echo.

- The Leonard Charles Group - Fri 17 May, 12.15pm
Leonard Charles aka Jeremy Toy is a multi-instrumentalist and music producer from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. As a guitar player, Charles has performed music with international artists Randy Crawford, Hugh Masekela, Ronald LaPread (The Commodores), Lee Fields and the Expressions and Maynard Ferguson. He has also toured across the world with Pacific artists from Aotearoa, including Opensouls, Aaradhna, Bic Runga, Ladyhawke, and She’s So Rad.

- Romi Wrights & The Commotions - Fri 24 May, 12.15pm
Although she grew up on the sensibilities of US RnB and Hip-hop, when the Tokelauan singer-songwriter Romi Wrights shares her voice, it’s hard not to feel transported back to the spirit of the late 1960s soul/funk era by her incandescent melodies and stirring stories of love, loss and the confusion that lies in between.

Romi started writing diaristic poetry at age eight before beginning to set her words to music during her teenage years. After finishing high school, she moved to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to study music and pursue her dreams of being a singer. Several years later formed the gospel, funk and soul band The Elected, who spent three years performing at venues like Portland Public House, Kings Arms and Golden Dawn.

Over the last few years, she has been working alongside Mānuka Recordings co-founder Kenny Sterling and a cast of session musicians and backing vocalists, including Julien Dyne, Cory Champion, Olivia Wilding, JY Lee, her cousins, and Gareth Quinn Redmond from Ireland.