Hard News by Russell Brown

It's a sad day here in Dunedin, Russell. I first met Roi in the late '80s and last spoke to him only late last week in George St.

The first words he ever spoke to me were "Are you going to Snapper tonight ?". I was and they were superb, of course.

In the early - mid '90s and, after I came back here, in the early '00s, I was lucky enough to hold the fort at Records Records if was on holiday out central or away for a few days or whatever.

A rather considerable proportion of my record collection was bought at the shop. My friends and I always used to marvel at how cheap they were, compared to what you'd pay in Auckland or Wellington.

He was, of course, a font of knowledge about music - and often hilarious anecdotes about various NZ musicians - but also about sport, too.

Thanks Roi, you were one top bloke.

He was, of course, a font of knowledge about music – and often hilarious anecdotes about various NZ musicians – but also about sport, too.

Yep. He was a funny bastard on a whole panorama of topics.

I treasured an article that Roi wrote in a 2003 edition of The Listener, about the amazing musical career of Wing. I couldn't find a link to that story, but he wrote another lovely generous story about her here.

End of an era

R.I.P. Roi...

Wonderful reminder Ian. The 'ghost' of Snapper ( as I like to think of them) Colt 45 happen to be playing tonight at New City Hotel with The Terminals. I'm sure there'll be a story told, a beer or two drunk and tears shed in Roi's memory tonight.

I like the little of Bressa Creeting Cake I have heard but they must qualify for The Worst Band Name Ever Award.

Bressa Creeting Cake - must qualify for The Worst Band Name Ever Award.

Mushroom Records (then Flying Nun's parent company) made them change to that from Breast Secreting Cake
- Aussies, eh!
What are ya gonna do?

Simon Ogston has just posted a trailer for his Bill Direen film (see last week's Friday Music) A Memory of Others:

Here’s Roy’s wonderful Clean piece from Rip It Up used in the limited edition ’Boodle Boodle Boodle’ fold out press kit…
(large file size)

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PS: I’ve also popped a couple of Progressive Studio RIU ads (by Chris Knox) on last week’s Friday Music Post as well…

Here's a piece from Roi going back to 1972 - review of the Led Zeppelin show at Western Springs. Roi and friends got primed for the show on laughing gas!

Murray Cammick posted Roi's review of the Enemy's first ever gig. Amazing.

In the days before email, when even toll calls were prohibitively priced, we would write each other letters. Rambling affairs, typed single-space (yes, some of us had typewriters – we weren't cave people) and full of news, gossip and extravagant ironic abuse. I wish I'd kept my letters from Roi Colbert.

What about bulletin board services? Or was that more an early 1990s thing?

What about bulletin board services? Or was that more an early 1990s thing?

This was the early 80s, Matthew. The veritable dawn of time.

Aaaaand Audioculture has published some more of Roi's Rip It Up reviews.

What about bulletin board services?
... The veritable dawn of time.

After the last Carrier Pigeon was shot on the roof of the Tinwald Railway Station in the late ‘70s, inter-island communications entered a ’sketchy’ phase.
Marvellous results could occasionally be achieved with a Stenographer and Ham Radio Operator. (CQ ’80s?)
Contrived contraptions combining electrostatic resistance, methylated spirits and revolving drums had a brief vogue – but mostly it was mail, large canvas sacks and railway carriages, ferries and bikes.
Modern-post… when designersaurs roamed the earth.

What a genuinely lovely man. I spent most lunchtimes in 1980 and 1981 traipsing up and down the hill from Otago Boys' High School to find rare and not-so-rare musical treasures at Record Records. Roi was always happy to share his wisdom with the scruffy school kids who flocked to his shop. His writing and advice; and the guidance of Rip It Up's George Kay who taught history at OBHS (and ran the famed record club) made for a wonderful musical education for many kids - and adults - in the deep south.

Contrived contraptions combining electrostatic resistance, methylated spirits and revolving drums had a brief vogue – but mostly it was mail, large canvas sacks and railway carriages, ferries and bikes.

When I spent a summer back from London in 1988-89, home fax machines had become all the rage. Doug Hood, as I recall, was a prolific faxer.

On the KLF, I used to sneak out of the folks place in the early 90's and meet up with some older mates and go to that club located in Chase Plaza (as it was known) - I can't remember the name of it, but you went up a travelator from the odd mid building forecourt, and the DJ booth overlooked the dancefloor. Anyhow, they used to play KLF's "its 3am" at - you guessed it - 3am. Can hardly stomach the thought of being out that late these days ...

Thanks for this lovely article. I met Roi in 1994 on my first trip to New Zealand. I promptly went into Records Records, bought a ton of vinyl, and got a job. Roi hired me to work on days he was off--I'm sure he used the opportunity to take time off. When I wasn't working I would still go in for tea and biscuits some afternoons. When I had to return to the US in 1995 we kept in touch via email. I printed those off and saved a stack of them. I've been reading them over and there is some funny stuff there.

I ended up moving to New Zealand in 1996 and stayed until 2000 so I got to spend some time with Roi during that period, but once I moved back to the states there were only to be two more visits with Roi in person. Both times my daughter, Ella (who was born in NZ) was with me, and Roi and Ella bonded right away. Our month-long trips back were in 2007 and 2014 and we spent as much time hanging out with Roi as possible, always meeting at cafes, having lunch, feeding the birds, talking and laughing, and shopping. Both trips were around Christmas and both times we helped Christine put the Christmas tree up. Of course, a fabulous meal and plenty of wine was served.

I have many fond memories and, of course, these emails. I will treasure all of them. Roi was unlike any other and I'm going to miss him terribly.

go to that club located in Chase Plaza (as it was known) – I can’t remember the name of it, but you went up a travelator from the odd mid building forecourt, and the DJ booth overlooked the dancefloor.

Cactus Jack's! For at least some of the time it was open… the door-man was Richard O’Brian (who wrote “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and appeared as Riff-Raff in the movie) some decades earlier.

What about bulletin board services? Or was that more an early 1990s thing?

there were BBSs in the US in the early 80s (when I moved there in '84), none I knew of in NZ when I left. Buying stuff from overseas, especially computers, modems was hard in the Muldoon years (was there a 40% input duty on computer hardware?) and tough exchange control (because Muldoon was screwing our economy by secretly borrowing from overseas).

I do remember Oz showing up on usenet (before NZ) - they used to email weekly mag tapes across the pacific ...

Cactus Jack's! For at least some of the time it was open… the door-man was Richard O’Brian (who wrote “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and appeared as Riff-Raff in the movie) some decades earlier.

I think Cactus Jacks was adjacent to the club. A bit of curious googling has thrown up the name Candio's, but thats not really ringing any bells - clearly not as memorable as Alfies!

A bit off the track but I did a Bookmarks session on RNZ with Jesse Mulligan yesterday, found at http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201852471/bookmarks-with-geoff-lealand
Didn't get a chance to play all the music I had lined up (Elbow, The Felice Brothers) but I did get Al Green's "Belle" in there.