Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Friday Music: Back on the K

16 Responses

  • Hugh Wilson,

    Big ups on some of the reggae links above Russell - I've got that Augustus Pablo album, and find all of the historical stuff super interesting. Will digest over the weekend, when I get a minute. The Trojan catalogue is deep, and there are certainly a tonne of comps out there (personal softspot for those put out by Heartbeat, back in the late 80's).

    And Gregory, the smooth ruler - this is one of my favs:


    Curiously a few reggae bands have sprung up in Melbourne of late and clearly they're all big fans as there have been some fantastic and unexpected covers. Earlier this year I was floored to hear 'Cry Tuff' being done live, and last Saturday night - in addition to John Holt's 'Riding for a fall' - we got Hemsley Morris's 'Strange Things' .. under the golden moon shines a silver light ...

    Hopefully this works ... 30 seconds of 'Strange things' by the Moonhops

    http://yooying.com/p/1295740447242971140

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Ken Double,

    Augustus Pablo! It's not even spelled properly on the sticker. Awesome. (Never gonna quibble about that apostrophe.) I think people cherish this stuff because slickness is so easy to come by these days.

    In further news, anyone who watched Spray Tan Mussolini give his conquest speech this arvo needs to watch this immediately afterwards. God I pray this woman sticks around.

    Wellington • Since Dec 2012 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    fuck me I need some musical resuscitation after Trump's harangue-athon. waiting for the vocoder version over some doom metal now.

    nurse, the wine, stat.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

    Attachment

    Some of us die-hard Cure fans went to see Robert Smith and his band on Friday. Seriously, whatever concert she was at, I only looked at my watch in the hope there was another encore.

    In the middle of the set they played an unreleased song that friend Matthew and I hadn’t heard, and I looked at him and said ‘that is really good!’. Like, Disintegration good.

    And FWIW I give zero fucks about any opinions of his angst and Gothic schtick. The song is for his mum, who passed away last year, and for me it shows that after 40 years he is still one of the best song writers of our generation.

    Don’t @ me. :-)

    ETA: The Setlist.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Hugh Wilson, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    I saw the Violent Femme's in the early 1990's at Auckland Town Hall, but it might have been the tour after that for which you have the poster Ian (I have vague recollections of them coming out quite often for an OS band at the time) ..

    And on the bonus beat, came across a radio show special on the Cool Ruler himself, the mighty Gregory Isaacs:

    https://www.mixcloud.com/ReggaeRevolutionRadioShow/reggae-revolution-7-19-16/

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Hugh Wilson,

    I saw the Violent Femme's in the early 1990's

    Their first tour here was in I'm pretty sure 1984. A blinder of a show at least at the Sandridge in Sydenham - with Chills and Sneaky Feelings supporting. I remember clearly the closing number - which brought the house down - Dance Motherf*cker Dance

    They also had a crazy interview on RDU before the show including Brian the bass player making a quip about our 'exotic delicacy' Kiwi bacon, imagining how the little fella would jump up from the fire - into the frying pan!

    Just reading Roger Sheppard's book, he doesn't mention the VF but they were here not long after that first (and memorable) Doug Hood Looney Tours orientation shows. Does anyone recall who brought the VF out in '84? It was about April/May.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell, in reply to Mike O'Connell,

    Their first tour here was in I’m pretty sure 1984.

    1984 would be right. Great gig. I don't remember The Chills or Sneaky Feelings - for some reason I thought it might have been The Great Unwashed - memory can play odd tricks.
    The Sandridge was a funny venue. We smuggled in a mate who couldn't get a ticket through a toilet window. But VF were on fire. I seem to remember hearing they did some busking round town beforehand. For a stripped back 3-piece they were very danceable.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Mike O'Connell,

    Does anyone recall who brought the VF out in ’84? It was about April/May.

    It was Doug. I remember hanging out with them at the house in Summer Street.

    When they returned in 1986 he even managed to get them into one-day cricket!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    New song from Shaft is kinda mellow 'indy-pop' Meteor in your mind
    Should be something they play Friday night at the Darkroom?

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Nice track, should be a good night Rob, I'm in...the event is Darkspace, 6 bands across two venues, Darkroom and very near neighbours across the road, Space Academy.

    A pretty damn fine local lineup: Shaft + Minisnap, Dance Asthmatics, Nakey, Wurld Series plus the Situations down from Auckland - whom I note do a version of the Bluestar's Social End Product - plus I love their short and sharp (1:09) new single No Worries.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Sold out :( At least it looks that way.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Attachment

    1984 would be right. Great gig.

    11.04.84 at the Sandridge (from The Chills definitive gig list)
    Looney Tours would've been acting as the NZ leg for Aussie promoter Zimblis
    (I found this poster from Melbourne on line)
    Lees and West did subsequent VF tours including the inaugural Big Day Out

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    My memory serves me well! Great digging Ian to confirm that.

    And Rob, yes, the 80s were the days when one could get in to gigs through toilet windows. And fake tickets if need be (my cousin did just that for Jonathan Richman at the Gladstone a couple of years later). I remember the LCR/Ballroom at Ilam had a number of suitable ingress points, not exactly suitable for those desperate young punk girls in short skirts.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Mike O'Connell,

    And fake tickets if need be

    The perils of hand drawn tickets became clear at the reconciliation of tickets after The Fall's University gig - a completely hand drawn facsimile of Chris Knox's ticket design - all done in biro on matching coloured card showed up - How we laughed, I think even Doug was impressed - kudos for the effort!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.