Hard News by Russell Brown

It was pretty cool swimming in the ocean with Mr Scruff playing tunes through a giant PA on the beach. Great festival. Cat Empire were terrible!

Trinity Roots were great, the new lineup with Ben Woods taking over the drums and Ed Zuccollo adding extra keys works great.

It was pretty cool swimming in the ocean with Mr Scruff playing tunes through a giant PA on the beach. Great festival.

It was a shame our little public conversation couldn't go ahead, but apart from that, Sunday was a sunny, happy day for me.

Cat Empire were terrible!

What even are they? I don't get it.

Trinity Roots were great, the new lineup with Ben Woods taking over the drums and Ed Zuccollo adding extra keys works great.

Gah. And I missed them ...

Dismission creep…?

Too bloody zany for me, mate.
and
What even are they? I don’t get it.

Careful Russell, that way lies Mike Hosking / Paul Henry territory…
;- )

so on board with you re Cat Empire, utter utter kak. and (boo) I missed Roy, was busy threading LEDs through some angel wings, bloody Splore, which promptly fell out when the missus shrugged them on. I was well happy.
my best time was catching MC Slave's DJ set at the beach hut, that was a jolly good time for people needing a jolly good time. and I enjoy Earl, but sometimes really wish he'd shut up. we know what dub section of a 12'' when we hear it without the lecture. v pleased I saw him at Conch a few days earlier.
as for Scruff, my tune of the day was Quincy Conserve's, Alright in the City. at volume.

but mate, I was over dragging myself up hills and standing at the back of queues all night. and a big board with the program on would be mighty handy. good vibe to the place though, very kiwiburnish.

Trinity Roots were very very fine. Warren Maxwell is some kind of serious muso, I'd imagine he and Roy Ayers would have a lot in common. He certainly seems to have jazz sensibilities.

Missed Phoenix Foundation alas (in fact, part of the challenge of Splore is the impossibility of trying to see all the things you want to see).

And really, often the most delightful things are the less expected (like watching the young boy doing his best to sync in with the Wet Hot Beauties).

Was OK with Cat Empire - sound wasnt great for sure, but thought they did a good job of readying the crowd for later, better acts. A bit lite.

Thought the Correspondents were outstanding. Sheer infectious energy, and the right thing at the right time for many.

Also enjoyed Earl Gateshead's banter "heavy yeah yeah, this one is warrior reggae, but dont see too many warriors out there"

Spent a lot of time in the Living Lounge this year as opposed to the Beach Bar. Saw some reasonably strange and wonderful things in there.

Our teenagers were totally enthralled by Tinashe. Not quite my thing, but they were all completely buzzing and grinning from ear to ear after spending the whole gig right up against the front barrier.

And Mr Scruff worked - as you say, a great soundtrack to the end of the festival.

Also enjoyed Earl Gateshead’s banter “heavy yeah yeah, this one is warrior reggae, but dont see too many warriors out there”

His rewind style was a laugh -- just push the needle back across the record to roughly where that "amazing" bit was.

Our teenagers were totally enthralled by Tinashe. Not quite my thing, but they were all completely buzzing and grinning from ear to ear after spending the whole gig right up against the front barrier.

I wish I'd seen her! Heard lots of good things.

and Earl's salemanship – this one’s eight minutes long, you might find it boring…yeah yeah, that’s it, that’s all there is…is it boring? yeah yeah.

Oh, and Roy Ayers, was in front of that and someone shouted at me "its like being at a Commodores concert". Ten minutes later, "its more like a James Brown concert". etc etc, He sure fits in a lot of references.

Forgot to mention, Mr Scruff is offering a download of his Splore set via his Facebook page.

Can't say I agree with ANY of that but hey, there was enough other stuff to keep me happy.

Most ironic moment for me was getting sick of innocuous but clever mixing from Mr Scruff so headed up to the gypsy caravan only to hear his actual song Get a Move On being played by another Dj.

That was better. Dj sets often don't really do it.

Earl Gateshead, a mad, brilliant, chatty old white guy steeped in sound system culture.

A visiting English friend found his "yeah yeah" refrain really annoying, didnt bother me tho.At Ruapuke highlights were Jungle Fari, Table Suede(yay funk!) Jonathon Crayford Trio who was joined on stage by Brian guitarist from Cornerstone Roots. And those Sound Systems.Lion Rockers especially. Love those horn designed box's all facing inwards creating a dance/dub arena, the morning yoga. And limited tickets meant just enough people. Cool.
Then back in the unreal world saw Brains son on X Fuckta who was really good, who had those non entities who call themselves judges simpering over him. Well hardly surprising with that musical background. But good on him anyway giving those morons credibility they dont deserve.
While the population is insulted and assaulted with those oversized bus ads of them looking all serious and smouldering. Just EFF OFF wuld ya!

Tinashe was there? She's pretty hot poop right now. A bit urban for Splore I'd have thought but that's no bad thing. All we get down here is Ciara.