Posts by Mike O'Connell
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Hard News: Friday Music: Record Store Day, in reply to Grant McDougall,
Yes, I'll be aiming for a copy of that. There's also an Eastern/Beastwars 7" Record Store Day only release coming - what a combination! Wonder if they cover each other songs live? It has been done before, well half at least - Delaney Davidson does a cracking live version of Snapper's 'Buddy'.
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Over at The Civilian, Libertarians unsure whether to care about death of Margaret Thatcher
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Quite possibly the live highlight of the year, Lawrence Arabia, touring The Sparrow in July. St Michael's Church was the perfect setting for the Christchurch gig. Merry Christmas Russell and all contributors!
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Hard News: Music: In before Christmas, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Great to see Mr Direen back in Chch soon, The last time I recall he was down this way was a gig at the now demolished El Porto Santo in Lyttelton, Dec 2010. Mick Elborado is always good on bass accompaniment, Stuart Page of course on drums. What always amazes me is the dexterity Bill has and the sounds he gets from playing guitar without a pick.
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Worth it for the inclusion of the Playthings’ thumping ‘Sit Down’ alone.
Indeed, but right up there is Bill Direen's (The Builders) 'Russian Rug' and the Victor Dimisich Band's 'It's Cold Outside' :)
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They both look capricious and arbitrary
I wonder if this is becoming the norm for policing under Judith Collins? More capricious, arbitrary - and intimidating police behaviour where (low-level) cannabis use is ‘suspected’?
It made me think of Dakta Green and the Daktary. I checked their website and in the most recent blog (October 29), of which its veracity I can’t ascertain, they report this:
On Sunday, while the club was open, 3 cop cars drove by very slowly, but did not stop to visit. One of the cop cars stopped close to the building, turned the flashing lights on for about 30 seconds, sat there a little longer, then drove slowly away...What does that mean? A new form of surveillance? Testing the lights?...
It’s interesting that the Daktary remains open and is more explicit in its 'cannabis profile’ than SOG - people actually smoke the stuff there from what I understand.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Summer Live, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Yeah, I did realise about the first six and had a look around there last evening. They're restricted to what looks a container each just now - but great things start small. And after the sad demise of Al's Bar, I am looking forward to The Park.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Summer Live, in reply to Samuel Scott,
Not enough of these acts and bands make to the S Island unfortunately. In days of old, Christchurch would get 'spillover' from the BDO but that rarely happens now. We lack permanent sizeable venues, the quakes saw to that.
Wouldn't it be great though to have a mini-Laneways in Christchurch (in 2014), say, in the upcoming Tannery development in Woolston? It has a great backdrop with the Port Hills close behind and atmosphere – sometimes physically enhanced by the nearby industrial area! The Brewery Pub sits out front now, The old Smith’s second hand bookshop from Manchester St (a place I imagine Russell spent many hours trawling through on his visits south!) is one of the first batch of new tenants and I believe many other boutique and quirky businesses whose businesses were badly disrupted by the quakes will also relocate here.
This development could be in any case the new style of retail in Christchurch as it rebuilds. And a challenge of sorts to the ‘accepted order’ of Westfield-type malls. Can’t wait for it – set to open in February.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Summer Live, in reply to Judi Lapsley Miller,
The clip of Paranoid Russell's posted kicks ass. While no metal fan, there's the odd tune that resonates and this sure is one off 'em. Gosh I'm almost tempted to go ...it's the original band sans Bill Ward the drummer. And Ozzy looks and sounds pretty good as well!
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Hard News: Friday Music: Summer Live, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Yes, in that infamous light plane crash in 1982. I had quite forgotten Tony Iommi was left-handed. He lost finger-tips on his middle and ring finger but as result of an industrial accident but successfully compensated by using thimbles and lighter strings to play that signature style of Sabbath's.
And I also note he plays a Gibson SG as does our very own (left-handed) Shayne Carter. Well he did have one until some ratbag nicked it - not sure if he ever got it back. Does anyone know? I recall him on radio fairly recently about being in guitar heaven, visiting a (solely) left-handed guitar shop in Alberquerque or some such place.