Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Getting Out

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  • Nick Melchior,

    The Specials didn't play Ghost Town in Melbourne either...

    Melbourne • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    This just in: Shayne Carter has announced two farewell shows from Dimmer -- KA May 24 and Bodega May 26 -- he's dissolving the band.

    Support for both is Beastwars, which is cool.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Cubey,

    Fresh off his Sundae Session, Tom Scott will bring some @Peace and HomeBrew to Kim Hill between 10 and 11am on Saturday Morning, and play some his faves. Guess the Beatles' tune...

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Graham Dunster,

    Sadly the Union Avenue link doesn't work for me.

    And no 'Ghost Town'? Wow, happy I didn't make it, now.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2009 • 184 posts Report Reply

  • TracyMac,

    @Graham - would you really consider paying for a concert ticket just to hear one song? Wow.

    Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    Just watched Media 7. Brilliant. Heartbreaking.
    I think that to many people it looks better to have tight structures with predictable outcomes. And to make this popular "they" focus on the extremes of criminals.
    (This is also reflected in Educational policy. Ignore the way that most people actually learn and have in-experts make artificial apparently "right" goals and then measure them to death.)
    Wouldn't it be great if prisons embarked on widespread all encompassing teaching of all prisoners to read and handle basic maths. But that would be a hard sell to the huge group of people who think all prisoners are scum and should be treated accordingly.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Graham Dunster, in reply to TracyMac,

    Good place to start!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2009 • 184 posts Report Reply

  • andin, in reply to Ian MacKay,

    But that would be a hard sell to the huge group of people who think all prisoners are scum and should be treated accordingly.

    That would be learned behaviour, this they can't or won't unlearn.
    Of course if you can learn to stop smoking this would be a stroll in the park.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Graham Dunster,

    Sadly the Union Avenue link doesn’t work for me.

    The site's not responding. I'd try again later.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Michie,

    Alive Inside

    C/- boingboing

    Auckward • Since Nov 2006 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Graham Dunster, in reply to andin,

    12.pdf

    Interesting article in today's NBR (paper edition) from Jacqueline Rowarth on education dissing charter schools (amongst other points). Likes the idea of schools actually teaching core competencies.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2009 • 184 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Graham,

    The Specials were great but the sound was not – bit of a hard shell and the stage had to be off-centre due to the posts which meant fewer people could be close to the stage, and what was the debacle regarding the bar all about?! – 40 minute queues and then they ran out of beer, not to mention the bar shutting down at 10pm which encouraged a pre-gig swill rather than a civilised drink.

    It’s clear our approach to incarceration is not working. We have a deep seated desire in this country for a punitive approach to wrong-doing and it’s all mixed up a with a f***ed up approach to drug use that is economic and social nonsense for the most part (and no, I’m not advocating drug use).

    Thanks for the downloads Russ.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Graham, in reply to Graham Dunster,

    I interviewed John Banks on my show last year regarding charter schools. His main argument in favour of their introduction was because we have 30,000 truants each day. He was remarkably bereft of a rationale as to how charter schools would solve this problem.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • John Armstrong, in reply to Tim Michie,

    Alive Inside

    Brilliant. Thanks for posting that.

    Hamilton • Since Nov 2007 • 136 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    The Specials were great but the sound was not – bit of a hard shell and the stage had to be off-centre due to the posts which meant fewer people could be close to the stage, and what was the debacle regarding the bar all about?! – 40 minute queues and then they ran out of beer, not to mention the bar shutting down at 10pm which encouraged a pre-gig swill rather than a civilised drink.

    Oh, I don't know; sounds about normal for Auckland large venues. ;)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay, in reply to Graham Dunster,

    Thanks Graham. Interesting though having touched on concerns, Jacqueline then moves on to the next topic, and the next.
    I do like her comment that constant interfering in teaching and learning from those who don't really know much, is a concern and may be a reason for confusion.
    And her note that so far exactly what a Charter Schools will mean has not been told. Can you see this Government allowing a State funded School to develop its own Curriculum? Ha!
    Politicians go home! Thanks anyway Graham.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    Maybe I was just easily pleased- understandable, given my tix were comps, and I wasn't cueing for a drink during the set. If that's the case, then yeah, that shit needs to be sorted out. As a venue, despite some problems with the sound, I felt the overall "feel" of the place was excellent. For a frist-time out, I certainly thought it worked. Certainly the Specials were excellent, even if this is the Dammers-less lineup, they were tight (no messing around between songs), buoyant and incredibly warm-hearted. And it was a good crowd there, it was the sort of nostalgic feel to it (not for me, so much, as I wasn't around the first time!) that didn't come accross as too self-satisfied or chicken in a basket. Terry Hall is still a pretty striking and intense dude, his voice hasn't aged much at all, while the banter was often amusing.

    And while they didn't play "Ghost Town", they played pretty much everything else from their first two albums (as well as the other two songs on the Ghost Town EP), plus the early singles- their versiosn of "Gangsters" and "Message to Rudy"was barnstorming. The stuff of the second album went accross pretty well, too, I thought- "Hey Little Rich Girl" and "Man at C&A" in particular (the former was dedicated to Amy Winehouse. I'm still not sure whether that was the right choice, given the song's lyrical content, although I get she performed it with them live several times. Cracking song, tho.) A fun night.

    It was great catching up, Russell and co. Shame I can't do that more often.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Pete,

    Lucinda did that "slow for the first half/rocky for the second" thing last time I saw her - I gather that it allows her to warm up her voice by doing gentler stuff at first.

    Earle was bloody good at Bodega last Thurs.

    Since Apr 2008 • 106 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    chicken in a basket

    you may need to elaborate.

    Shame I can't do that more often.

    move :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Dave Patrick,

    I went to see Shihad on Friday night. It was in a marquee after the original venue, The Bedford, had noise complaints in its first weekend of activity. It was a really good night, very good show. They started off with a small setup in front of a backdrop to play songs off their early albums (echoing the small clubs and pubs they played in to start off with), then half way through the show the stage went dark, the spotlights all pointed out in to the audience, and Jon Toogood appeared standing on a platform by the sound desk (also coincidentally about 1 metre from where I was standing) to do a song out in the audience while they expanded the stage, shifted all the gear around, raised the drum kit and brought out a whole lot more lighting - reflecting the bigger shows they play now. Then he wandered back up on to stage to finish the concert.

    It took a while for the crowd to get in to things, because most of them would have been in nappies when the first few Shihad albums came out (comment by a 20-something I overheard as I was leaving "No one knew the first few songs" pffft if you don't know Derail and Factory you really need to do some learning), but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening.

    I'd forgotten how LOUD some bands can play (quite possibly a stupid thing to realise AFTER a Shihad concert)- my ears are suffering a bit today. And it's funny how older minds think alike - there was a whole bunch of us mid-forties to mid-fifties people standing right in front of the sound desk - best sound, best view, and no idiots spilling drinks on you or trying to mosh you.

    Rangiora, Te Wai Pounamu • Since Nov 2006 • 261 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood, in reply to Dave Patrick,

    I'd forgotten how LOUD some bands can play (quite possibly a stupid thing to realise AFTER a Shihad concert)- my ears are suffering a bit today.

    I've seen Shihad nearly a dozen times (if we include all the times I've seen them at the BDO), and every time, they were punishingly loud.I think they almost always saved their best for the BDO, but one of their more intense performances was in '02 in Dunedin, shortly after the name change debacle. It was a proper backs against the wall performance, and Toogood couldn't help but grin when the crowd chanted "Shihad, Shihad" halfway through the set. They launched into a simply brutal version of "You Again" in retaliation. Magnificent.

    As for Sacha's query about the term "chicken in a basket" , it's used by Brits to describe acts that play the nostalgia circuit, usually at pubs or similar-sized venues, to small audiences and general disinterest. The Specials performance didn't have any of that- it was properly tight.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • peter mclennan, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    Hey Matthew – Amy recorded that song, and she had also guested with the Specials live on several occasions, as you mention.

    AK Central • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    Thank you. Had never heard that one.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    From the article. Thanks Graham

    Over the past 30 years, government control has diminished the university influence

    It happened in the UK and here. Politicians getting their sticky fingers into pies they know nothing about, except how to screw it up.
    I'm not saying university education is the answer, but those at the top end of the education system should have more say in education than politicians and businessmen.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood, in reply to peter mclennan,

    Hey Matthew – Amy recorded that song, and she had also guested with the Specials live on several occasions, as you mention.

    Thanks. Peter :). I assumed it was something along those lines. Otherwise, given the song's lyrical content, it would've seemed like a strange choice of a song to play in tribute. That said, it's a bloody good song.

    And I've just found a (somewhat sloppy) Amy Winehouse version.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

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