Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Deprived of speech, he sang without words

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Chris Knox is a 2009 Arts Foundation Laureate.

    Announced today, but the family got the news just a few days after his stroke. Cool. Very cool.

    And also $50k they're gonna need.

    QFT -- but I wonder if some folks are quietly wishing, with 20/20 hindsight, that Witi Ihimaera hadn't been called around the same time. I really hope HIS $50K will be going to the authors he plagiarised.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    musician Chris Knox

    I thought describing Chris as 'merely' a musician didn't begin to cover his contributions to many areas of NZ arts and culture.
    I was surprised at The Herald's restraint in not mentioning his Max Media connection, and I now see they've given a more in depth overview in today's paper

    Foundation executive director Simon Bowden said the selection panel chose Knox not only for his work in music, but also for his contributions to film, video and television and for his art work and comic drawings.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    I'm with Islander, on many of the nobels on the Arts Foundation Patron list. I run into a few of them from time to time but always diluted by larger numbers of interesting people.

    I'm hesitant to be too harsh on Witi, his persona is so charming.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Further consumer intelligence:

    Stroke is $24 on iTunes NZ, but only $22 for the double CD on Amplifier, or $19 for the MP3s.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    I'm not one for Karma but it is interesting that of the 12 'Worthies' imortanlised in bronze in Christchurch.

    Margaret Mahy has a recent drunk driving conviction.
    Don Bevan was burnt to death in a home fire.
    Miles Warren building caught fire, major damage was from the sprinklers (he was on the board to put this in place & paid for it too)
    Robertson Stewarts son was convicted of a sex crime.

    Richard Hadlee, Tipene O'Regan, & Diana Isaac I wish you all a safe and happy life, but memorials are for the dead.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2271419/Local-worthies-in-the-bag

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'm hesitant to be too harsh on Witi, his persona is so charming.

    Well, I'm not harshing on the man (who I barely know) but the artist. While you can hardly blame the Arts Foundation for not having a psychic on staff, when you put a self-confessed plagiarist on the same stage as a man who, IMO, it's not hyperbole to call one of the fabulous freaks of New Zealand culture... Well, let's just say it isn't Chris Knox who comes off second best.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    Stroke is $24 on iTunes NZ, but only $22 for the double CD on Amplifier, or $19 for the MP3s.

    It's fantastic value to get that full 35 song set for $19.95. Possibly the purchase of the month I reckon. The only thing that might've improved it would be if they'd included a PDF of the liner notes.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    Younger and more forgetful readers may not know that Joe is the director of the brilliant animated video for Toy Love's 'Bride of Frankenstein.

    Wahey! That was certainly an iconic part of my yoof, and I had no idea it was Joe who'd made it. Well done chap!

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    12 Heads on pikes at The Arts (& Food) Centre

    12 'Worthies'

    I think that fatuous exercise was an easy way out for the Arts Centre to say they were promoting public 'art' (as per their charter)

    major damage was from the sprinklers

    and gawd forbid there was a fire at the Arts Centre - after they took out the fire escapes and put sprinklers throughout the place, the water damage would be horrendous I think...

    - apologies for thread jack - as you were...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    This poster of Joe's is also an 'iconic' classic!
    IMHO :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    I think that fatuous exercise was an easy way out for the Arts Centre to say they were promoting public 'art' (as per their charter)

    Including the living is downright weird. While I don't know much about the suitability of most of the deceased, including the late Bill Sutton is like Disney World appropriating Picasso.

    and gawd forbid there was a fire at the Arts Centre - after they took out the fire escapes and put sprinklers throughout the place, the water damage would be horrendous I think...

    It's been known to happen.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Simon - I'd agree about the Enemy/Toy Love Dunedin/Auckland thing .... but then the Cook was a very very different place than it is now - Fri/Sat upstairs was the place to be in the late 70s/early 80s for all those bands and you didn't have to be a national headliner to get in any local band that could wow a crowd could get a gig - downstairs in the front bar was where the artists and poets hung out and snarked at each other depending on which CP splinter they were currently following - now days it's just another booze barn - so sad

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    I sure wish I knew who Blogs Canterbury Heritage.
    99% brilliant.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Hey, has anyone else bought Stroke from iTunes and noticed something weird with the songs on disk 2?

    With my download, tracks 1-9 are duplicates of tracks 12-13!

    So instead of Boh Runga singing "Not Given Lightly" the track with that name is the Tokey Tones doing "Round These Walls", and so on.

    I've had a listen to these tracks on the iTunes Store preview and it still seems to be set up like this. I've reported these nine tracks to iTunes, so hopefully this'll get sorted.

    O where is my Don McGlashan?

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    I've reported these nine tracks to iTunes, so hopefully this'll get sorted.

    Good luck Robyn. My experience with Apple on iTunes is that they simply don't care and are rather unresponsive to any issues you may or may not have with the store.

    It may pay to speak to the aggregator..maybe Amplifier/ DRMNZ. They are a thoroughly decent bunch and very helpful.

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

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    So far I've had one (1) song refunded, and the promise that it will be investigated and that I should try downloading again in "a few weeks".

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So far I've had one (1) song refunded, and the promise that it will be investigated and that I should try downloading again in "a few weeks".

    That's really unacceptable.

    Presumably, a great many other people have bought the same faulty version of the album as you did.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Update: I've had 3 songs refunded, and the 6 other ones available for me to reupload.

    I had to report each faulty song individually, and it seems that my 9 reports were handled by 4 separate people, who each dealt with the issue in a different way.

    I've also contacted Amplifier to see if they can help.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That's really unacceptable.

    Also pretty shitty because if people are put off by ITunes' crap customer service, it's Chris and Barbara who end up losing out in the end. Also, indirectly, big snarky ups to ITunes crapping on everyone whose time and effort were (pun intended) not given lightly but with enormous generosity and affection.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    A few weeks???
    Geez, I'm glad I have nothing to do with all that iStuff. You would think, in a digital age and Apple claiming to be "Up There with it" they would have that fixed in the bat of an accountants eye. Truly appalling. I, for one, do not welcome our digital overlords.
    Apples are for eating and Macintoshes are for wearing in the rain. It's just not PC.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Apples are for eating and Macintoshes are for wearing in the rain. It's just not PC.

    and a Dell is to know a vale - of tears :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    and a Dell is to know a vale - of tears :- )

    HP, Lovingly crafted. But using the cart rages of Cthulhu can be R'lyeh expensive
    Innit.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Well, the Stroke launch gig was an extraordinary evening. Lots of people, whole lotta love -- rounded off by Shayne Carter, who played 'Needles and Plastic' and 'Joe 90' and even Wayne Elsey's 'Some Fantasy'.

    But the most extraordinary moment came from Chris Knox. He took the stage with The Normal and sang wordlessly, brilliantly, furiously while the crowd went mad. Just one, wild song.

    I was a bit overcome at the time (I wasn't the only one) and I'm still struggling for words to describe it, but it was like some rock 'n' roll dream.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    it was like some rock 'n' roll dream.

    Indeed it was. Or at least an Acid fuelled flashback, at times I couldn't figure what decade it was or what the hell I was doing in this mosh pit. Faces looming out of the crowd like spectres from a Kiwi rock 'n' roll fantasy, faces and voices and tunes from discrete points of the past mashing into a single moment of magic madness.
    If Chris were any less of a humble man his head would be the size of a planet this morning, what a guy, what a legend, what a night.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Last night on twitter, those who cared but couldn't be there were relishing in the gleeful tweets from those at the King's Arms.

    Also, 'Needles and Plastic'!!!!!

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

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