Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: And we may never meet again ...

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  • Hadyn Green,

    WAAAAAaayyy off-topic but I really like the new beer-based economy you set up.

    one third the price of a Ponsonby Road beer... one fifth of the price of a Sydney beer

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    Russell, I remember reading your H & C cover story for RIU, really enjoyed it. I liked H&C's '80s stuff, but not their latter stuff. I eventually saw them in Dunedin in '92 or so and thought they were bloody dreadful, just this very bland, overly-slick upbeat pop / rock act. There was none of the innovation or edge of their earlier material, I was so disappointed.

    Regarding down-loading songs, I think it simply comes down to cost and efficiency; money always talks, doesn't it ? Rightly or wrongly, d/loading songs is just the equivalent of taping a record on to a blank tape - it was simple and it didn't cost too much.
    I remember in the mid '80s the music biz ran a "home taping is killing music" campaign, which, of course, was ignored and the music biz still exists and rakes in the big bucks.
    I also think it's a bit hypocritical of musicians to complain about d/loads, given that every single one of them's taped a record / bought a bootleg / burnt a cd at some stage in their life.

    The music biz needs to embrace the internet, not oppose it or be petulant about it.

    (Incidentally, I say all of the above as someone that has bought and still buys loads of records and cds).

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan,

    The thing about living in this itunes world is that you have sooo much music you can forget about some favrouite artists for some time and then rediscover them all over again… So Missy Higgins welcome back to my play list!




    On topic...

    Can I play a flat rate and get access to a media companies categloue all month?

    I'd chuck sony or warners 50 bucks a month each if i could listen to or watch all i wanted during that month. Is this business model not enough money or are they just stuvk in the past

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Davidson,

    H&C's last official gig before breaking up was in Hagley Park, Christchurch, as part of the City Council's Summertimes program. It must have been about 1996 or 97 I think. My flatmate at the time did a interview for TV with them and asked me to write some of the questions for him:

    "A question for Mark... You're an international rockstar, one of the biggest bands of your time with a string of top-10 hits and millions of record sales. You tour the world playing some of the biggest stages. How does it feel to be the brother of that person?"

    Sydney • Since Mar 2007 • 59 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Oooh! Oooh! A copyright thread!! :-D

    I don't download anything I can buy and bugger all that I can't. I have more CDs than I can listen to and plenty of DVDs that I bought to watch "someday" already - I don't really need that many more. Maybe I'm a nostalgia freak but I just don't need the newest latest band or TV show as soon as it's broadcast ;-)

    It pisses me off when the maximalists insist that those of us who talk about changing copyright to better reflect the digital age just want everything for free. I pay where I have to and don't where I don't (unless I want to, which does happen now and again) and that applies to just about anything - music, film, vegetables or clothes.

    There's plenty of material available under Creative Commons or in the Public Domain and I do download a lot of that. Jamendo is a great music community and you get to hear a wide variety of music. And a ton of video at the Internet Archive and other places. I don't actually need to download anything.

    I've used torrents precisely twice in my life and blew my data cap by inadvertently seeding a copyright-free movie that chewed through 10GB overnight. That and a deeply felt unease about letting just anyone access my computer for any reason keeps me away from that stuff the cool kids do. Colour me old ;-)

    That said, there are occasions when I do download. When I need a piece of out-of-catalogue music or sound that just is not available for sale anywhere, I will find a source (often a movie) and rip just that bit. NZ doesn't have a fair use law (we need one) and fair dealing doesn't always cover that. But, if I could buy it, I would.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • st ephen,

    Back in the day I bought a Hunters and Collectors album specifically to get Throw Your Arms... - but it was a studio version, not the live version that student radio had been thrashing. So if I ever get around to illegally downloading the live version, that's my justification.
    I also remember Chris Knox dismissing H+C from the start as just another over-rated Aussie pub rock band. I think it came down to whether The Slab was as authentic as Jennifer's Veil (but guess what Chris - we can haz both!).

    dunedin • Since Jul 2008 • 254 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Higgins,

    So many versions of "Throw Your Arms Around Me'. A good guide
    here

    Auckland • Since Aug 2008 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi, in reply to Peter Darlington,

    Like Melissa Lee, I enjoy a good mixtape...

    Boom! Roasted.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Anonymous Author,


    What is it with the 80s and horns in Australia?
    'Cacophony' was surely coined around 1983 to describe the incongruous wind section of a rock band.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2010 • 64 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Dave Patrick,

    Gary Young was in Jo Jo Zep after Daddy Cool
    I think their big hit here was Walk on By

    (added) and looking at the other clips available - who knew that Jane Clifton sang with them?
    I thought she was reporting in Wellington back then, I remember her at boozy lunches with folk like the late Warren Mayne in the early NBR days...
    I suspect they are not the same person...
    ;- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ross McA.,

    I love the immediacy of downloads (legal), cos I can hear or think of a track I want and get it there and then. Latest and top of my pops is Left By Soft by David Kilgour. Layers of yummy guitars.

    Since Mar 2010 • 51 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Peter Darlington,

    On a side note, I was at a friends 50th party a few weeks ago. He had his decks set out and when he dropped the new James Blake single (Limit to your love) on brand new shiny vinyl and that big bass drop kicked in, we all fell about high-fiving like teenagers. Music isn’t a digital commodity like blocks of cheese, it’s best sampled personally and properly.

    Testify, brother.

    And that James Blake anecdote make me even more determined to replace the turntable that broke a while ago. I’ve still got quite a lot of vinyl, just nothing to play it on at the moment.

    I really noticed how much better my vinyl records sounded through a PA system then my iPad did when I DJd a wedding party in February. Although Gary Steel mentioned a digital-to-analog converter that you can buy as an iDevice accessory -- it bypasses the built-in converter and the results are apparently very good.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Dale Griffiths,

    I think this might be the reference to Karen Hay. The only INXS song I like and I still remember Karen’s comment when this video finished “I never knew Australians’ had so much class!”
    I was on iTunes playing around the other week when the Hoodoos popped up, that will be another trip back for the future.

    Te Wai Orea • Since Nov 2006 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Dale Griffiths, in reply to Dale Griffiths,

    Try this:

    Te Wai Orea • Since Nov 2006 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Dale Griffiths,

    Try this:

    Unfortunately, the YouTube short URLs don't work with our auto-embedding. You have to use the youtube.com ones. But I fixed you t'other one.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Tristan,

    Can I play a flat rate and get access to a media companies categloue all month?

    I'd chuck sony or warners 50 bucks a month each if i could listen to or watch all i wanted during that month. Is this business model not enough money or are they just stuvk in the past

    Believe it nor not, this is starting to happen in some European territories, most notably with ISPs taking out a Spotify licence and offering ad-free Spotify access as a premium for their customers. Some are even offering free downloads to account-holders. And it actually seems to be working pretty well.

    I know Independent Music NZ signed a Spotify licence ages ago, and that they'd be bloody delighted to co-operate with that sort of scheme. Not sure about the majors ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Is it me, or does this Icehouse gem feel very... Wellingtonian?

    A lot of the MP3s in my personal collection are rarities that have long since gone out of print, or were otherwise released only in a couple of markets.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    I went through a H&C spell a while back. Is it very wrong of me to like this?

    Err, how does one embedded again? This is the first time I've tried to do this...

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    oh! it did it automatically! Wunderbar!

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington, in reply to Russell Brown,

    And that James Blake anecdote make me even more determined to replace the turntable that broke a while ago. I’ve still got quite a lot of vinyl, just nothing to play it on at the moment.

    Turntable's all good but it's speakers for me, sounding loose and aged. Was embarrassed just how good Rob's setup sounded at his party.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Peter Darlington,

    Turntable's all good but it's speakers for me, sounding loose and aged. Was embarrassed just how good Rob's setup sounded at his party.

    I've got a great pair of Wharfdales that I got ages ago for 25% of original retail. They were hopeless TV room speakers -- apart from anything else, they're rear-vented and shouldn't be placed against walls -- but they have now been liberated as our deck speakers. A bit heavy to move around, but gee they sound fine outdoors.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    A lot of the MP3s in my personal collection are rarities that have long since gone out of print, or were otherwise released only in a couple of markets.

    Hipster.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey, in reply to Russell Brown,

    A bit heavy to move around, but gee they sound fine outdoors.

    I'm glad that you're in Albert-Eden Ward and not Waitemata. :)

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    Can someone please e-mail me and explain in very simple terms, how to post 1) a youtube clip and 2) a link ? Sorry for my dumb-arseness. (I realise there's the basic explanation below, but I've tried with it and failed).

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    Christopher, True Tears is brilliant, love it.

    Every Hunters discussion must include a reference to the Holy Grail... reckon this could be for the All Blacks... but it's more likely for the Saints

    Anyone remember the Finn/Sports Cafe RWC song circa 2003? I love it, it reminds me of getting up to watch games in the Northern Hemisphere!

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

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