Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: All the cool kids were there

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  • Geoff Lealand,

    Sounds like a great night out. Finally viewed the YouTube version on Media7 and it will go to the top of my bookmarks.

    We are packing for a trip to Japan, to be out of town when the V8s take over the streets of Hamilton. Personally, I feel embarrassed that the Waikato's contribution to global warming is to burn up more fuel, sending overcharged cars around in meaningless circles.

    My first trip to Japan and it is panning out like Peter Carey's 'Wrong About Japan' ie my offspring are heading straight for Akihabura and the cos-players; Josephine and I are heading for the old temples (the 'real Japan') .
    But we are all going on a guided tour of NHK next Wednesday.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    Paul McKessar sorted it for me: Headless Chickens, circa 1984, he said.

    headless chickens myspace

    Headless Chickens formed in 1985 and performed for the first time as International Headless Chickens (I.H.C.) at the multi-media event The Nitpickers Picnic later that year.

    must have been a parallel universe

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • daleaway,

    Bon voyage, Geoff. Share your impressions with us when you return.

    Since Jul 2007 • 198 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    __Headless Chickens formed in 1985 and performed for the first time as International Headless Chickens (I.H.C.) at the multi-media event The Nitpickers Picnic later that year.__

    must have been a parallel universe

    Whatever; '85 then. The Nitpickers Picnic was memorable, even if the date wasn't.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    PS: It worries me how drunk a few people get in public spaces. Including people old enough to know better.

    If you mean the Kings Arms, at least there is the pulic bar for when they realise they are old enough to know better. And to be a nitpicker, isn't '85 circa 1984 anyway so Mckessar was right!

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    What made the gig a must was the fact that the first act up was a Mr David Saunders, who is remembered best as a member of the 3Ds; the one who sang 'Outer Space' and 'Hey Seuss'. No one could remember how long it was since Dave had got up on a stage and played music, but a decade is probably a good guess.

    He's been writing songs again, and doing a little recording. And when someone asked him if he'd like to do the gig, he said yes. Seated at the front of the stage with his guitar, he was palpably nervous at first, but there was no artifice about it. It all began to fall into place, as he played 'I See A Darkness' ("this song is by my friend Will -- when I first met him I'd been awake for 48 hours"), 'Outer Space' and new songs.

    Indeed, it clicked so well that he just kept on playing, and eventually finished with Neil Young's 'Powderfinger', with a mate of his on keyboards and Callum from The Checks volunteering himself mid-song on drums. The addition of the rhythm was nice, and I think Dave would go well with a restrained band around him. But only for half a set, mind: you still want him up there and vulnerable on his own.

    I think Dave's got something going here.

    Very, very, very, very interesting. I'm pleasantly surprised that David is giving music another go.

    Is he actually living in Auckland now, or was he just up there visiting? He's kept a very low profile around Dunedin since the 3Ds split, that's all. He was working flat-out for Vidmark for ages, but other than that, he pretty much laid low.

    The only time he's been on-stage, to the best of my knowledge in the past 10 years was when he played bass for a reformed Plagal Grind at the Dunedin Sound festival gig at Sammy's back in October, 2000. (Plagal Grind was Alastair Galbraith's amazing late '80s band. He was singer-guitarist, David Mitchell on guitar, Peter Jefferies on drums, Robbie Muir on bass, who moved to Wellington and was replaced by David S. Yes, they really were as astonishing as what that line-up suggests).

    I remember seeing the 3Ds play 'Powderfinger' in their early days.

    Hopefully he'll do a gig here soonish, plus, I live in hope of a solo album, I reckon it'd be mighty.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    Now all I need is for Blues to turn on a win for me at Eden Park tonight. I'm not holding my breath.

    Wise move that you didn't, as it turned out, eh? Still, at least your team sometimes shows the potential to win, unlike those *&^@$% Highlanders. Bah!

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Makes the Chiefs demolition of the Brumbies last week all the more sweeter! Bring on the Crusaders!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I remember seeing the 3Ds play 'Powderfinger' in their early days.

    Ah, that explains it. I pointed it out to one of my deranged buddies, who in reply was damned sure Dave would never play a Powderfinger song ...

    Hopefully he'll do a gig here soonish, plus, I live in hope of a solo album, I reckon it'd be mighty.

    Like I said, I reckon it's there. He should develop the storytelling part of the performance too -- I reckon that'd work.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Wise move that you didn't, as it turned out, eh? Still, at least your team sometimes shows the potential to win, unlike those *&^@$% Highlanders. Bah!

    I'm not even going to bother with pretend swearing. The Blues were fucking awful and if they hadn't been playing a fucking average team like the Brumbies it'd have been a blowout.

    Nucifora's strategic and selection decisions have been exposed, again. The backline play is directionless. Barely a player was put into space all night. And Flavell's performance was appalling: between stationing himself almost permanently in the backline and chipping the ref, he made a major contribution to the losing of the game.

    On the bright side, I was with some old friends and we still had a good time. And the best part of the whole evening was a former Navy helicopter landing on the pitch to deposit the match ball then taking off again. Those things are huge.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    And to be a nitpicker, isn't '85 circa 1984 anyway so Mckessar was right!

    in this case its an important distinction because prior to 85 there was children's hour, a very different sounding band, although sharing members.
    That band split in 84 and IHC formed in85 with a very different approach to music, all weird loops and stripped back delivery.

    it was an important transition and an important date for nz music and should matter if you're either a) a one time manager of the record label that released said records, or b) a music journalist wishing to establish ones credibility as expert in said field.

    otherwise, it doesn't matter at all.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    it was an important transition and an important date for nz music and should matter if you're either a) a one time manager of the record label that released said records, or b) a music journalist wishing to establish ones credibility as expert in said field.

    otherwise, it doesn't matter at all.

    Rob, could you possibly try and get the chip off your shoulder?

    I could point out that I know more about those bands than you ever will; I lived with them, toured with them and got out of my mind with them. I wrote a blog post on a Saturday and quoted someone saying "circa 1984" when in fact the date was 1985. Whatever. Stop trying to relitigate something that has had a more than fair run in several threads. You've been quite insulting at times, and I think I've been quite patient already.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    and quoted someone saying "circa 1984"

    A simple, "I didn't say it, he did" would have sufficed.

    re-litigate re-smitigate, whatever are you talking about?
    I'm not trying to be insulting, I'm trying to be blunt and to the point, say what I think or what I know directly. If you have a problem with that then hosting a blog with a comments section enabled would seem to be a bad idea.

    I could do without this mightier than thou bollocks you're putting in. .....lived with them, toured with them etc etc...... then you should know a defining point in their career if you were there and all, otherwise a simple "yep, I forgot that", or "not my field", that's be cool,

    toughen up, its the internet, its not like it matters.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    You've been quite insulting at times.

    true, I could be more polite but then you're quite condescending yourself, and to be fair you were the first stone thrower.

    lets try it again.

    Headless chickens didn't form till 85, (witty jab goes here)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Sigh ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Geoff - "Bring on the Crusaders!"

    Beware what you ask for.

    As for Headless Chickens

    - what about the Anita McNaughty video.

    - Bought the tape never saw them live.

    - Anguses Dad taught me a bit of Kultcha at Uni and was the Patriarch in charge of the Gender Studies nee Feminist Studies.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    And the best part of the whole evening was a former Navy helicopter landing on the pitch to deposit the match ball then taking off again. Those things are huge.

    I wasn't aware that Auckland's transport problems had gotten so bad that they had to fly the balls in rather than bringing them in via the motorway.

    Which reminds me of a game I once saw at Eden Park - Auckland during the Ranfurly Shield era I suspect - where both match balls went into the crowd and didn't come back down, despite the referee going and asking for the second one. In the end the announcer publicly shamed the twerp and he threw it back onto the field, and the game continued after about a 5 minute break.

    I could point out that I know more about those bands than you ever will

    Friend of mine rented a house in port chalmers which apparently housed various members of the 3Ds at some stage. I say this only to bring up the fact that I have, sitting beside my stereo right now, a tape with a typed sticker on it - 'Hellzapoppin By 3D's. Pre-release sample cassette." There were a dozen or so of them sitting in a box in the basement. Good album.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Well, I can top you all. Never heard of the buggers.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    Nitpickers Picnic

    I wouldn't have thought is was meant to be taken so literally.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Back in the unspecified (in case someone pops up and tells me what a terrible memory I have) day, I loved the 3Ds. Didn't they play at an Auckland University Orientation one year in the early 90s? That rocked.

    (Tangential theatre-question: how long does the Russell-Robbery-Off continue? It's been months now, hasn't it? I don't even know what the initial offence was! Russell, did you steal his mint condition vinyl AK79 or something? :) )

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Back in the unspecified (in case someone pops up and tells me what a terrible memory I have) day, I loved the 3Ds. Didn't they play at an Auckland University Orientation one year in the early 90s? That rocked.

    They rocked in a lot of places.

    (Tangential theatre-question: how long does the Russell-Robbery-Off continue? It's been months now, hasn't it? I don't even know what the initial offence was! Russell, did you steal his mint condition vinyl AK79 or something? :) )

    Best leave it, I agree. I was just trying to write about having a good night out ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Back in the unspecified (in case someone pops up and tells me what a terrible memory I have) day, I loved the 3Ds. Didn't they play at an Auckland University Orientation one year in the early 90s? That rocked.

    They did the whole set of orientation gigs in... 1993 for sure. Probably a couple of other years. There's posters over the road in Poppas Pizzas on Albany St, Dunedin which would tell you (or me, since I'm a little closer).

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    1993 for sure. Probably a couple of other years.

    I saw them play at Vic Uni Orientation in 1997 with Superette and Fur Patrol - definitely one of my top 15 gigs of all time.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    I saw the 3Ds play at Waikato Uni orientation in '93, but you know what I did? I left halfway through because my friend had spied alternahunk Evan Dando having a smoke outside so we went over and told him he was rad.

    Another significant 3Ds gig was their spot as the last band on the main stages (only stages!) at the first Auckland Big Day Out in 1994. That was thrilling.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    I saw them play at Vic Uni Orientation in 1997 with Superette and Fur Patrol - definitely one of my top 15 gigs of all time.

    I saw that too, it was their last ever gig, so count yourself lucky that you saw that magnificent band live.

    I didn't see their first gig, supporting the Go-betweens at Sammy's, Dunedin, in early '89, but I did see their second, playing at Alastair Galbraith's warehouse flat a few weeks' later. The other bands that played were [smugness on] Plagal Grind and the Dead C [smugness off].

    I saw the 3Ds in at least 11 different venues, let alone how many times I saw them at Sammy's or the Empire. If you ask me nicely, I can provide some trivia / an anecdote about their appearances at these venues...

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

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