DAVE GIBSON'S BLOG: New York, New York

Like many people I know I have spent many small moments in NYC. Usually on the way to some place or coming back from another, usually only for a couple of days and pretty much always as a tourist.

Don’t get me wrong, New York is just fine as a tourist and I enjoyed taking the elevator up the Empire State Building as much as the next guy but last year I got to experience another side of NYC not because I was no longer a tourist per se, I still was, but I guess the difference was my friends who were living there weren't.

New York City has become the home to a thriving pack of ex-pat kiwi’s doing quite exceptional things.

I stayed for two weeks on Tyson Kennedy’s couch. Tyson (of Stereogram & Fatboy fame) has basically become the unofficial back packers for kiwi’s passing through NY. Whether it’s Richard Kavanagh on his way to a fashion meet of some sorts, Byrce Casey & Sharyn Wakefield on their way to some radio junket, the boys from Mt Eden (Dubstep) or me Dave Gibson sometime lead singer, sometime b-side celebrity presenter, photographer, failed businessman - we have all called Tyson’s air mattress home from time to time.

But it was these two weeks on an air mattress in the lower east side that really got me hooked on the place. And it wasn’t just the romantic backdrop New York so easily provides it was the of course the people.

I met this guy LaRon on a roof top in Brooklyn - he has an awesome blog called www.mysmallstory.com with 100’s of small storys he’s filmed around New York City - you can see my one below.

My longtime friend & collaborator Justyn Pilbrow has been making solid music with a wide range of artists out of his Bushwick loft for over 3 years now - one of the bands he’s been producing has just hit its stride big time - full with a Zane Lowe blessing. They're called The Neigbourhoods and you can catch the video for their song 'Sweater Weather' below.

The Neigbourhoods - Sweater Weather

And of course Mr Tyson Kennedy taking over the world with his Fatboy hair product. Who does that? A hairdresser by trade, MC with Mt Eden by night, front man of Stereogram he can now add entrepreneur to his quite unusual CV - I’ll be revisiting Tyson in future blogs but for now check out what the NY times had to say about Fatboy here.

These a just a few of the people that inspired me to make a move to New York City & I look forward to telling more of these interesting tales in depth and from the ground up.

DG.