There are gigs… and then there’s ATOMIC.
If you’ve never heard of it, imagine some of Aotearoa’s most iconic wāhine musicians standing shoulder-to-shoulder, celebrating the women who shaped rock and pop. Blondie, Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks, Eurythmics, Pretenders, Pat Benatar, Madonna… the soundtrack that raised generations. Now imagine getting to play those songs with the very people you grew up watching every Saturday on the Top 20 Countdown.
This year marks my third Atomic, and somehow it just keeps getting bigger, louder and even more exciting. Every year the setlist gets better, and every year I find myself pinching myself a little more.
One of my favourite parts isn’t even on stage. It’s that Air New Zealand lounge before we fly out. Everyone’s hunting down the bacon and hash browns, coffee in one hand, quietly waking up before another weekend on the road. It’s in those moments that it really hits me. These are the women I grew up watching every Saturday on the Top 20 Countdown, and now I’m sitting beside them, sharing stories before we head off to another show together. It’s honestly surreal.
This year I get to tackle the longest guitar solo of the night on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. No pressure! And for the very first time I’ll be playing Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen.
That song has a special place in my heart. I was way too young to experience that era firsthand, but Mum’s stereo made sure I grew up on all those incredible ’70s and ’80s records. Those songs became the soundtrack to my childhood, so getting the chance to play them now is something I’ll never take for granted. There’s something really special about stepping on stage and breathing new life into these pioneering songs while introducing them to a whole new generation.
I still remember three years ago when I got to play Barracuda by Heart. Honestly? That was a bucket-list moment I’ll never forget.
But the best part of Atomic isn’t the guitar solos or the setlists.
It’s the audience.
After every show we’re greeted with so much warmth, aroha and gratitude. Some women have travelled for hours just to be there. Over the past three years we’ve built this incredible community where wāhine come together to celebrate music, dance, sing at the top of their lungs and just have one massive party. You walk off stage absolutely buzzing because you know you’ve been part of something much bigger than a concert.
As an all-female band, there’s something incredibly empowering about standing on that stage. You feel strong. You feel connected. You feel like you’re giving something back to the next generation of girls who might pick up a guitar because they saw someone who looked like them doing it first.
Boh Runga and I are the only Māori in the band, so representing te ao Māori in what has traditionally been a predominantly Pākehā rock space makes it even more meaningful. We don’t take that responsibility lightly, and we’re incredibly proud to stand there for our people.
If you love powerful music, incredible musicianship and celebrating the women who wrote some of the greatest songs ever made, come and experience Atomic.
You won’t just leave with a sore voice…
You’ll leave feeling like you can take on the world.
ATOMIC 3.0 Tour Dates
Christchurch
James Hay Theatre
Thursday 13 August – 7.30pm
Wellington
The Opera House
Friday 14 August – 7.30pm
Auckland
Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall
Saturday 15 August – 8.00pm
Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster
