From The Observer 8 March

Any chance of the royal pop concert that swinging Auckland is staging later this month for Prince Charles and Princess Anne turning into another Isle of Wight?

Hardly, say experts on the New Zealand pop scene—Western Springs stadium where it's all going to be at is more suited to motor racing and Fijian firewalking spectaculars.

What is there for the Prince and Princess, then? Five professional pop groups, 30-odd semi-pros and some amateurs dotted round the sheep-stations. They are all as hairy as the ones back home, but they've got names like early Elvis—'The Rebels' and 'The Avengers', for in-instance. 'The Formyula' are currently No. 1 in the NZ charts. The best female group consists of three jovial, married, Maori ladies whose singing resembles the Beverley Sisters, and there's a favourite disc jockey called Neville Chamberlain, who's jokey and fortyish.

Right now everyone's dancing The Crunch. Highlight of the New Zealand pop year is the Battle of the Bands, which starts at the Auckland YMCA and has a first prize of $500, a 50-watt amplifier and a return ticket to Australia.