Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Rockin' the Casbah?

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  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    They'd been taken into Durham Lane West, and turned into the wallpaper in the about to open Zwines, where The Scavs were the resident act. Ta guys...

    Were you there for the balcony collapse?That was a bit of fun Ahh, the good ol' daze :)

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

  • Simon Grigg,

    I'm pretty addicted to Wax Poetics these days, mostly dealing with all sorts of obscure rhythmic stuff in an obsessive way that makes me all hot and bothered.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    If I could write and play bass lines even half as great as those on Something, Come Together, Drive My Car I'd be happy. As it is I don't even pick my bass up and play it as often as I should.

    I know it's the ultimate Beatles cliche to talk about this, but it still staggers me how melodic McCartney's basslines were. No one in that area, with the exception of maybe James Jamerson, comes within spitting distance of him when it comes to that.

    Just listen to those huge chimes of sound during the chorus of "Rain". It's climactic.

    And in regards to the McCartney critical reappreciation, there's a good argument to say it began with Ian Macdonald's authorative song-by-songl assesment of the Beatles,__ Revolution in the Head__. While I don't agree with all of Macdonald's conclusions in the book, or indeed his increasingly pessismistic outlook he had towards the future (no doubt, sadly, influenced by his deep depression), I can't deny the work is a mighty achievement- he gets so much about the band right it's practically the last word on a band that has inspired more words than any other.

    Erm, what were we talking about again? :)

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I can't deny the work is a mighty achievement

    My favourite Beatles book, hands down. Nerd alert: I have played all the songs in order while reading each entry. And that was when I had just the LPs, so it required a bit of jiggery-pokery.

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

  • Peter Ashby,

    @Danielle

    Mull of Kintyre is only tolerable because of the bagpipes. I like the bagpipes.

    Dundee, Scotland • Since May 2007 • 425 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Were you there for the balcony collapse?That was a bit of fun Ahh, the good ol' daze :)

    I watched someone leap off the balcony into the pinball machine on the floor below on opening night.

    It didn't work after that.

    Don't recall the balcony collapse but was always dodgy. It was a bit of a weekend haunt for quite some eight months from Feb 78 onwards. I think our visits became more sporadic after that and not at all in 79.

    Dunno if you've seen this?

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Bruce Wurr,

    The Quietus is an excellent magazine and (I believe, but could be wrong) closely related to the Stool Pigeon, which is pretty much the only music magazine worth reading that I've found in London....it's free, and very much has an '80's rip it up feel. Less of the editorial and more of the actual interest in the bands they feature, interview and review. Plus it's free!

    Mathew Hyland was criminally underrated as a writer (not as a musician though, he's excellent), and I remember came in for some flak at the time for being too highbrow. History seems to have vindicated that though.

    In terms of magazines there doesn't seem to be much. I can't comment directly as I haven't been home for the last few years but Real Groove was always excellent, setting and maintaining high standards. There have been some excellent books recently though, two on the fall (Renegade and the Fallen) and Simon Reynolds has been producing some great stuff too.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 97 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Dunno if you've seen this?

    Thank you.
    BTW the Chris Knox with mike gaffered to head poster appears to be missing a credit. Like the lovely black & white Terrorways further down the page, it's definitely the work of Terry Hogan.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    My favourite Beatles book, hands down.

    I love the book too but thoroughly disagree with large parts of what he says. He comes across as a McCartney apologist which I think is rather unnecessary at any time. And he's not at all good on Lennon, so much so I've slammed it down in some disgust more than a few times, with vocal rant to myself about how he's missed the bloody point. But for all that he says it very very well, and not many books on music can do that to me (trying to track down my copy of The Dark Stuff right now....)

    It's a failing of McCartney's..he always needs to over-compensate for the criticism..witness the Barry Miles book and his "I was the arty one" nonsense. He should be satisfied with being Paul Fucking McCartney for heavens sake, with perhaps the greatest body of pop music in the last century under his belt.

    But I guess that need to continually prove himself has been the driving force behind The Fireman and the Nigel Goodrich collabs.

    My favourite Beatles books are an obscure fanboy thing from about 77 by Nicholas Schaffner, called The Beatles Forever, about growing up as a kid in Beatlemania, and a book he ghost wrote with Pete Shotton, Lennon's boyhood friend and PA in NYC, In My Life.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    it's definitely the work of Terry Hogan.

    Oversight, esp since Terry sent me the JPG to replace my scan of my battered copy. Will fix now.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    New Music/Culture Media...
    I like this new model internet mag format - diverse content mix Disco Underworld
    NB: opens at start of Jody Lloyd article, read thru, vote, then check it out from the front - articles on Anita Ratcliffe Kiwi Music Photographer and others, a random grab bag of cultural artifacts...
    - I'm digging the nifty page turning effect and zoomable High Res pages, plus interactive click thru for video and stuff, but feels like a mag, not over slick - yet still funky...
    ..nice

    yrs periodically
    Randy Hearst
    Mine's a Rose-Bud-Lite!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Certainly, compared to Sight & Sound, which shares the same publishing house, it feels disappointing. For one, S&S seems to deal with "the now" while still retaining a robust and intelligent dialogue, not to mention covering an extremely wide range in styles and eras

    (Presuming we are talking about the same Sight & Sound):
    I agree. I treasure my 20+ year old collection of S&S but I would argue that they pay bugger-all attention to film from the South. I was recently wandering through back issues, and it very apparent that there has been very little written about Australian and NZ film (wrote them a letter about this but they never published it.


    So, does anyone else read The Word?

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

  • 3410,

    He should be satisfied with being Paul Fucking McCartney for heavens sake, with perhaps the greatest body of pop music in the last century under his belt.

    But if he was satisfied with being Paul McCartney, he wouldn't be Paul McCartney. :)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Dunno if you've seen this?

    Thanks Simon, bookmarked now.May I just say,That was a nice little trip down memory lane. I grew up in Durham Lane with my parents being part of a group that started The Browns Mill Market next to Babes of which was used for many a hippy fashion parade from the weavers and printers etc out of the Mill.I just loved how the lane was dead end, up and down. I vaguely recall when the guy lay around in zwines for the night and very few I was with even noticed anything unusual about that. I think we were slightly moved,Charming(not).Still, I wouldn't change any of my delinquent past. Thanks :)

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

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    I agree. I treasure my 20+ year old collection of S&S but I would argue that they pay bugger-all attention to film from the South. I was recently wandering through back issues, and it very apparent that there has been very little written about Australian and NZ film (wrote them a letter about this but they never published it.

    That is true, and a very strange oversight for such a magazine- I could only put it down to patronising colonialism, it being a British publication and all ;)
    I think they've got better at this over the last few years, but you're right, I'm surprised they haven't dealt with Australian and New Zealand film in more detail as a whole, rather than just key directors.

    That said, the writing and coverage of virtually every other area of film is so good that I can forgive them. I even like the way they deal with blockbusters from time to time, if only to look at what the success of certain films actually means.

    (There was a great essay last year from former Village Voice writer Michael Atkinson, which examined why a superhero such as Batman seemed to chime in more with the GWB-era, than, say, Superman.)

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • Samuel Scott,

    I have to agree with Simon on Revolution In The Head. It's an amzing book no doubt, and generally insightful. But he rips apart Across The Universe and various other Lennon gems...oooh it makes me so made. I love the throwaway nature of something like I'm Only Sleeping.

    As much as I love McCartney its the things which Ian MacDonald doesn't like about Lennon that me think Lennon is the vastly superior songwriter.

    I've still read the bloody book twice though.

    I also concur that Wax Poetics is great. Where else can you read about people like Mahmoud Ahmed?

    Has anyone seen this site Fly Media it's a bit of a fancy shmance online mag, but they had a whole issue on Nonesuch records which I thought was pretty cool.

    South Wellington • Since Feb 2008 • 315 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    That said, the writing and coverage of virtually every other area of film is so good that I can forgive them.

    Yes, very much so. The August 2009 feature on the gangster figure in American films is superb. I also read all the reviews, even for films I may never see.

    What other film mags do you like? Film Comment is often good but I have gone off Empire in a big way--too full of puff and promotion.

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

  • Simon Grigg,

    I vaguely recall when the guy lay around in zwines for the night and very few I was with even noticed anything unusual about that.

    There was a very dark side to the whole Auckland punk scene.

    Yeah, I remember that night pretty well. It caused quite a fuss over the next few days. Poor bugger, but those was nasty a Terry Clark created shadow over those days and there were more than a few casualties. I was chatting to someone the other day about poor Sarah Findlay (Martin Findlays' daughter), smart, absolutely gorgeous, and quite lovely to be around before the smack took hold....and dead by 1981/2. Don't know if you knew her? There were lots more.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    There was a very dark side to the whole Auckland punk scene.

    Twas. A friend of the time was thrown over the railing into the carpark at uni, ended up in a wheelchair permanently and I never understood that. Bloody skinheads.Yes I think it was a tough crowd at times with an out of it lot.

    Don't know if you knew her?

    Neither do I to be honest.One person I do remember was Rob from the MeeMees had a sister who I am sure was called Jo (then again I could be wrong). She was cool.We were quite young then. I'd even forgot about the State Theatre until your link.Would that be where Toy Love first played? I got to Oz pretty quick (16) but still managed to skoot around Ak alot before I left.Well, enough to have experienced the local bands of the late 70's.I'd go out for the bands,not overly for the scene.

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I remember Tich.

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

  • Simon Grigg,

    One person I do remember was Rob from the MeeMees had a sister who I am sure was called Jo (then again I could be wrong).

    Maybe Rob Schrieber, whose sister was Sue. He wasn't a Meemee but around. Or maybe Tony from The Screaming Meemees. His elder sister married Adolf Soeteman who was the singer with Rebel Truce. They were both Zwines regulars.

    I can't remember where exactly Toy Love first played as TL, but their first gig in AK as The Enemy was the one I think where your friend was thrown off the railing. The AK skinheads were on a mission to get The Enemy that night, for some puerile reason and it all went very pear shaped. It happened all too often.

    I have a faint memory that the State gig may well have been the first TL gig. This is the poster, but there are no dates on it, although Friday 9 means it must've been March 9, 1979 which fits.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Grigg esquire, punk detective.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Grigg esquire, punk detective.

    and I quote....

    a faint memory

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    a faint memory

    Much appreciated.So what was the place up past the Ak library where Proud Scum used to play?, not the Island of Real Cafe which was another haunt. Geez I am glad my parents were Hippies and thought I should get out and experience the music.:)Thinking last night that I didn't leave NZ until my 17th birthday.I was 2 weeks into it and without Simon that would be archived.

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Punks 'n' gunsels, quake...

    Grigg esquire, punk detective

    Kinky Friedman watch your back...
    there's a new wave of
    music private eye in town!
    More Marlowe than Mahler,
    less hammered than Hammett...
    There's gotta be a series in it...
    ...or at least an entertaining one off.
    To the Noir-Mobile and away...
    this is a job for Chad Taylor!

    yrs hard-boiledly
    The Incontinental Op
    gabba gabba hey!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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