Posts by Mike O'Connell
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Hard News: Friday Music: The merry month…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Certainly was a great night. Excellent range across the back catalogue right up to the newbies. That Syd Barrett dedication was superb. What was it called? Dan Destiny and the Silver Dawn impressive too. Just home following a second outing of the night to the Darkroom. Princess Chelsea ethereal at times but alas no second album on sale.. Was meant to be the new album release tour...
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Christchurch City Library has a 7pm Music Month launch this evening featuring a solo set from Martin Phillipps,
Can't wait for it! Here's Night of Chill Blue from a Windsor Castle gig in 1985
Ooh! She's So Rad, have also done their version of Night of Chill Blue. As have American 90's indie faves Superchunk on their singles compilation their Incidental Music 1991-1995 - on which they also do the Verlaines' Lying In State.
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Having been offline a couple of days, there's much to digest here. In watching the trailer for The House I Live In, the sound bite comment that struck me was that the war on drugs is like 'the Holocaust in slow motion'.
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Hard News: Anzac Day II, in reply to David MacGregor,
I must watch the Sam Neill doco, Damn, I had to go out when it was on.
Anyway, it would indeed be interesting to see what was cut re: Armenia. Robert Fisk has written at length over the last week including these must read pieces in the Independent on the Armenian genocide: Armenian genocide: Turkey's day of denial amid remembrance for a genocide in all but name and On an Istanbul street, have I just witnessed a positive step in history?
Russia has now called the 1915 mass murders a genocide with Putin personally travelling to Armenia at the weekend to say so. Meanwhile the US and Obama refuse to use the 'g' word.
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There are worse ways to spend $12.50 than to give it a try, believe me.
It's brilliant, It's one of those absolute standouts which will stand the test of time. Tono's a great storyteller both in his lyrics and the banter between songs.
Thes lyrics from Water Underground are particularity poignant for me. With a scientific background, having worked for this organisation when 'they were taken down' and soon thereafter drawing the short straw, they resonate strongly.
called it a national crisis
you were in bed with the press
you understood from experience how to
make it fast and hard to digest oh you
left them dumbfounded, unemployable
chose their replacements yourself
all their science from the cities couldn't keep you
from the water undergroundCouldn't find a clip for Water Underground, but damn it, I could choose anything - Successor's that good. Here's 'Sugar In The Petrol Tank'.
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Hard News: This Anzac Day, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
…they also died because of very bad leadership and planning, is Key putting his hand for honouring that as well.
Hands... I recall James K Baxter's 'The Gunner’s Lament' (1965), about a dying Maori soldier in Vietnam - which he concludes with these burning lines:
‘And go and tell Keith Holyoake
Sitting in Wellington,
However long he scrubs his hands
He’ll never get them clean.’The Gunner's Lament is by the way on the The 9th, Sam Hunt and David Kilgour's upcoming release - brought to my attention earlier today over at Friday Music Put: the band in a lounge - hat tip to Matthew Goody!
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In Dunedin, there's a great exhibition Rule of Law and War at the univeristy's law library, a special display highlighting interesting legal matters of contemporary relevance.
Worth having a deeper read on just how extreme was NZ law’s reaction to the First World War in Andrew Geddis' post on Pundit, Lest We Forget (cross-posted from the University of Otago Law Library) - the forced conscription, jail for sedition and heavy restrictions on 'enemy aliens'. Even visiting the pub was no easy matter.
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For Ian... Martin Phillip(p)s plays in the Garden City twice within a week! Martin '3 p' Phillipps (The Chills) at the Peterborough St Library on May 1. And Martin '2 p' Phillips - a guitarist nonetheless - plays at the Darkroom this Saturday with his band God Bows To Math - with River Jones and Transistors in support.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Record Store…, in reply to Matthew Goody,
Thanks for that Matthew. Sheep Effect... ah, I'm pretty sure Rex Visible played guitar in place of an absent Alister Parker. They were pretty raucous. Also notable for Nocturnal Projections and Children's Hour playing their first S Island shows, the latter doing a second set in a small tent across from the stage.
Otis Mace 'guitar ace' also played. He's still active going by these recent performances in Auckland. I see he's played with John Segovia - a product of many Christchurch 80s bands. Here's an old interview with Andrew Schmidt I came across.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Record Store…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Nice. His solo sets at a couple of Chch libraries were a highlight of NZ Music Month in 2011. Will be good to hear these translate to a fourth album.
I also came across The Wastrels' The Jenner Affair and was reminded how fine a song Angels in Silence remains (with intro by Sharon Crosbie):