Reuben Bonner on risk, discovery, and building the world of Strange Universe
Few people have shaped the path of independent touring in Aotearoa quite like Reuben Bonner. Through his work with Banished Music, Bonner has spent years bringing adventurous international acts to local stages while championing artists from across the country. His latest venture, Strange Universe, expands that vision into a loose constellation of shows scattered across Tāmaki Makaurau’s favourite venues.
In this conversation, Bonner reflects on the fragile state of live music, the thrill of discovering new artists, and the simple idea that sits at the centre of Strange Universe: gather bands you love, place them in the right rooms, and let the unexpected happen.
You have been involved in the Aotearoa music scene for years. What feels different now from when you first started?
Just when I think I have picked up an inkling of what works and what doesn't I am again bamboozled! So, I don't know if anything feels different or the same as when I first started. BUT what's changed?
I have so much more grey hair. I am outlasted at the after party by the younger and more powerful. But I still think I get as much of a kick out of the music as anyone in the room when it hits right!
What excites you most about where live music in New Zealand is heading next?
I am nervous about live music in New Zealand if I am completely honest. Festivals tipping over, slow ticket sales, LATE ticket sales. People saving their dollars for stadium shows, rather than necessarily getting out for Friday night on K Road. People don't have so much disposable income to support grass roots shows en masse. That's just a symptom of the times. I hope and wish that people find their way back to small venues and early discovery of fantastic artists.
What sparked the idea for Strange Universe, and why did this feel like the right time to build it?
In 2019 Matthew and I combined his Strange News and my Banished From The Universe to create something fun together which we had been threatening to do for years. Because of Covid, Strange Universe Mark 1 was pulverised, but the idea stuck around. The concept was always simple though, pull together a group of bands we love, trap them in a loosely connected show or series, and let them run wild through some of our favourite venues. When touring started becoming a real thing again it felt like the right moment to unleash it properly.
How do you choose artists for Strange Universe. What makes someone fit this world you are creating?
It’s largely driven by what bands are coming through Australia on their touring circuit. If someone amazing is already flying all the way down here we want them to make the trip to NZ too. Then we start building the world around them. Incredible local bands jumping in as supports, sometimes stepping out into their own headline shows, and suddenly you’ve got this little constellation of gigs orbiting around each other.
This lineup blends global acts with local voices. What role does that mix play in shaping the identity of the series?
The mix is everything really. International artists bring a certain gravitational pull, but the local bands are the lifeblood of the scene. When you place them in the same room you can find a wild and wonderful collision. Someone might come along to see a band they know from overseas and walk away obsessed with a local act they’d never heard before. Or vice versa, even better. That’s the dream outcome.
Many of these shows sit in small, intimate venues. Why does that kind of space matter to you right now?
Small rooms are where the magic lives and it is the beating heart of our music community. There’s something about being crammed into a sweaty venue where you can litereally look over and see everyone else in that room while a band tears the place apart.
What has surprised you most while putting this Autumn edition together?
Just as always, discovering amazing new music to listen to. So many amazing artists were already heading down for festivals like Golden Plains and suddenly the calendar opened up in all the right places. It meant we could assemble a lineup that feels a little bit ridiculous and contradictory in the best possible way.
You called this lineup “even more crazy than before.” What risks are you willing to take as a curator in today’s climate?
The biggest risk is always just doing it in the first place. Touring is expensive, audiences have a lot of options, the economy is in a crummy place, people are struggling to pay their bills, so its really a mug's game! Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But I think if you only book the safest possible shows the whole thing becomes a bit dull. The fun part is throwing together artists that feel slightly unexpected and seeing what happens.
How does Strange Universe reflect your wider vision for Banished Music and its place in the community?
Banished and Strange News has always been about building a world around the artists we love, and the ones that we can convince to work with us. Take what we can get, but that is usually some insane bands that are amazing on stage, and fun to hang out with when they come to town. Strange Universe is really just an extension of that philosophy.
Lastly what do you hope audiences will feel when they see the Strange Universe name on a poster?
Curiosity and a strong sense that something strange but great is about to happen. And a thirst for musical discovery from curators they trust!
To find out more check out Strange Universe.
