A brief history of music scandals rocking New Zealand politics

After Tamatha Paul was accused of ripping off Metallica, Alex Casey looks back at the many other times politics and music have collided. 

This week, Green MP Tamatha Paul hastily removed a line of new merchandise after facing questions about the striking parallels with Metallica’s infamous logo. A spokesperson for the Greens told Newstalk ZB that the T-shirts, which boasted ‘TAMATHA’ in a jagged, lightning-bolt font similar to that used by the heavy metal band, were “not intended to cause confusion with, or profit from Metallica-trademarked content” and were “removed to avoid confusion”. 

Intellectual property specialist Earl Gray, who might need to take a hard look in the mirror when Twinings comes a’knocking, also told NZME that “people will look at it and believe, or might believe, that Metallica has authorised this or supports her. If she hasn’t approached Metallica, then that’s potentially misleading”. A naughty bit of homework copying to be sure, especially from a member of a party that plugs itself as supportive of the arts and artists. 

Still, it’s far from the first time that politics has drawn inspiration from music, and vice versa. The history books are smattered with similar spats.

National vs Eminem 

Knees were weak and palms were sweaty in 2017 after the music used in the National Party’s election campaign ad was found to have “substantially copied” the artist formerly known as Marshall Mathers by the New Zealand High Court. The now-infamous ad, which depicted a sleek rowing team dressed in blue alongside a fumbling dinghy of red, green and purple, was found by the court to feature “indiscernible differences in drum beat, the ‘melodic line’ and the piano figures” to Eminem’s 2002 hit ‘Lose Yourself’. 

Speaking on behalf of the publishers, Joel Martin said Eminem was never approached for permission to use the Oscar-winning song (it was on the soundtrack of 8 Mile). “We find it incredible that the National party went to such great lengths to avoid responsibility for using a weak rip-off of Lose Yourself,” he said. “They knew we would not have permitted the use of the song in their political advertisement; however, they proceeded at their own risk.” The court also heard that ‘Lose Yourself’ was of “enormous value” and “a jewel in the crown of Eminem’s catalogue”.

Despite strongly rejecting all allegations of copyright infringement, claiming the backing track came from a third-party production outfit in Australia, The National Party were ordered to cough up $600,000 to Eminem’s publisher in damages. Mom’s spaghetti, indeed. 

National vs Katy Perry

In 2022, National pulled an Instagram post after using a Katy Perry song “out of context” in a video and once again rowing themselves straight into a copyright issue. As reported by Newstalk ZB, the now-deleted video piggybacked off a TikTok trend started by the delivery food company Just Eat, the original advertisement of which featured Katy Perry’s song ‘Did Somebody Say’. Incorporating various percentages showing the rising cost of food, the National video was captioned “Just be rich ft. The Labour Party”.  

Alas, National were soon contacted by Menulog, local operators owned by Just Eat, who flagged “an apparent copyright issue” and asked for the post to be removed. “Our social media team adapted a TikTok trend for Instagram reels, which used Menulog’s audio out of context,” a National Party spokesperson told Newstalk ZB. “Menulog asked us to remove the video, which we did immediately.” Wonder if you can order Mom’s Spaghetti 2.0 on Menulog? Just asking questions. 

Electoral Commission vs ‘Planet Key’

In the weeks leading up to the 2014 election, soul and blues singer Darren Watson released a satirical song called ‘Planet Key’ which charted the life and times of the then-prime minister. The song featured lyrics such as “I’m up here on Planet Key where the rich are free” and “immune to GCSB” and a music video with compelling cameos from a golf-playing Obama, Simon Bridges in a high-vis vest, and John Key playing a Māui dolphin like an electric guitar. 

A still from Planet Key

Although it didn’t bother Bridges, the electoral commission soon banned the song from iTunes and radio play, deeming it to be “an election programme and advertisement under the terms of the Electoral Act and the Broadcasting Act”. Watson challenged the decision all the way to the High Court, and in 2015 it was ruled that the song should not have been banned. He returned with another ditty in 2023 taking aim at Sam Uffindell doing the shopping.

Parliament protestors vs Baby Shark

In the midst of the anti-vaccination protests on parliament’s lawn in 2022, authorities took to blasting out increasingly agitating loud music in an attempt to disperse the crowd. The playlist included the oeuvre of James Blunt, Barry Manilow, and 1990s earworm ‘The Macarena’. In one particularly surreal scene captured here by the BBC, protestors took to dancing along to the viral children’s song ‘Baby Shark’, clapping their hands together like shark jaws while holding signs that read “NO MORE TWO TIER SOCIETY” and “END ALL COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS”. 

NZ First vs Chumbawamba

We all thought we were going to make it through the 2020s without a single thought of Chumbawamba, but Winston Peters had other plans. Clearly a die-hard fan of the band’s 1997 pub anthem ‘Tubthumping’, the New Zealand First leader kicked off his campaign launch in 2023 with this sage advice for party members. “Just repeat to yourself the words of Chumbawamba: ‘I get knocked down. But I get up again. You’re never gonna keep me down.’” 

In 2024, Peters’ Chumbawamba-mania reached dizzying new heights. Delivering his state of the nation speech, he walked out to ‘Tuthumping’ before comparing co-governance to Nazi Germany, recommitting to making English an “official language” and removing gender, sexuality and relationship education from schools. To close, he once again paraphrased Chumbawamba: “we got knocked down, but we got up again – and nothing is going to stop us now.”

L-R: Chumbawamba, Winston Peters (Image: Tina Tiller)

Alas, the feelings were not mutual. When contacted by The Spinoff about Peters’ use of ‘Tubthumping’, Chumbawamba said they had not given permission for it to be used, and had issued a cease and desist notice. Former Chumbawamban Boff Whalley said the song was one of “hope and positivity, so it seems entirely odd that the ‘I get knocked down…’ refrain is being used by New Zealand’s deputy prime minister Winston Peters as he barks his divisive, small-minded, bigoted policies during his recent speeches”. 

New Zealand First did not comment further, but safe to say the stoush was enough to drive anyone to a whiskey drink, and then a vodka drink. 

Don McGlashan vs National (and TVNZ)

After TVNZ used The Mutton Birds’ hit ‘Anchor Me’ alongside footage of National’s 2008 election victory, Don McGlashan wrote a furious letter to the broadcaster stating that he would rather “have sex with a very ugly crayfish” than let the party ever use his music. “”It was very upsetting at the time,” he told Stuff of the saga 10 years later. “No one breached copyright law – TVNZ has an arrangement where they can use anyone’s music for news stories – but I got all these people asking me if I’d licensed my music to the National Party and I had to clarify that I would never do that.” A very ugly crayfish could not be reached for comment. 

Don McGlashan vs Chris Bishop

Combining politicians in Fur Patrol T-shirts with pissed-off musicians always makes for a fun combo, and the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards was no exception. During Stan Walker’s live performance, he was joined onstage by people waving Toitū Te Tiriti flags, leading to a standing ovation from much of the crowd.The spectacle prompted National MP Chris Bishop, who stayed firmly seated, to utter “what a load of crap” from the audience. 

Don McGlashan, sans beautiful crayfish date, was sitting nearby. “I could hear an enormous amount of ranting, kind of against the whole thing,” he told RNZ. “After a while I turned to him and said ‘ah, shut up you dickhead’ and I looked at him and I thought, ‘oh, I know that face’. Then he said, ‘What did you say to me?'”. McGlashan then repeated “shut up you dickhead”. In a statement to RNZ, Bishop said that he should have kept his thoughts to himself.

Jacinda Ardern vs Westlake Boys and Girls

Not a huge scandal per se, but I still think about this searing musical moment in politics about once or twice a month. In 2018, Jacinda Ardern was reportedly sitting in an awards ceremony in Auckland when she “thought she heard her own name being sung.” Following the dulcet tones, she soon found herself in the centre of a harmonising choir comprised of students from Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools. 

To the tune of Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, popularised in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the young singers proceeded to serenade the then-prime minister in front of what appears to be a Wilson’s Parking Building. “Jaaaaaa-ciiiiiiiin-daaaaaaaaa…. ARRDERRRRRNNNN” they crooned, while she stood bashfully in the middle, DPS watching carefully from the fringes. “Claaaaarrke Gaaaaaayy-fooooooord….. FIRST MAAAAAAAN.” I still have chills. 

More Reading ...