Posts by webweaver
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
I reckon these guys will be remembered in the end not for what they did, but for what they failed to do.
God help us if they end up being remembered as the ones who destroyed our national parks - because once they're gone YOU FUCKERS we can't get them back. Ever.
There's not much that would tempt me out of my comfortable life and back to my old days of non-violent direct action and protest, but the mining of our national parks sure as hell is one of them.
*scurries off to make plans for chaining myself to a tree for months on end - or whatever I need to do to stop the BASTARDS destroying my adopted heritage.*
*also bangs head repeatedly against the wall because I.just.cannot.believe they're planning to do this.*
-
...mining in national parks to go ahead with the establishment of a conservation fund from some of the proceeds as a sweetener.
I feel sick.
-
Ooops - FAIL in the drug-recognition stakes! Thanks Stephen!
And I certainly don't think you were being sensitive - I think you were focusing on the task in hand - playing great music well - and were more than a little pissed-off at being not only interrupted but physically threatened - and fair enough too!
All I'm saying is I think there are munters in every city, and that I hope a bad smurf experience in Welli wouldn't put you off wanting Welli to keep the Sevens for evah and evah :)
-
I'm completely un-torn.
I cannot believe that either Dunedin or Auckland (or anywhere else in the country for that matter) could possibly imagine they could put on a better show than Welli does for the Sevens. No way. Not possible, never in a million years.
I was with Stephen when he/we got monstered by a couple of very out-of-it smurfs who were obviously a little worse for wear on amyl nitrate - we were Batucada-ing along the waterfront at the time, having done our show at Waitangi Park, on our way to do our stint outside the stadium - but I guess a few munters is going to be par for the course wherever an event like that is held - and the vast majority of be-costumed people were happy, good-humoured, energetic and just plain joyful.
I think what's fascinating about the Wellington Sevens is the sheer scale of the audience participation. Remember no-one ever told Wellingtonians to get dressed up for the event - it's happened naturally over time, instigated by the crowd themselves - and each year more and more people get into the spirit of it.
This year as we were performing on the walkway approaching the stadium I specifically looked out for people not dressed up - and out of the hundreds who walked past us and cheered us and danced with us on their way into the stadium I saw precisely one couple wearing normal clothes. Two people! That's all!
I can understand that the IRB wants other cities to have a chance to pitch for the hosting rights - it's fair enough I suppose - but it surprises me that anyone else thinks they could possibly create the spirit of participation that we have here. It ain't gonna happen.
And if the IRB decided, for example, to give the event to Auckland because they have 20,000 more seats at Eden Park than we have at the Cake Tin, I think they'd be very disappointed in the change in atmosphere, level of participation and general awesomeness of the event. Anyone remember the David Beckham ticket sales in Welli vs Auckland?
-
Ah Sacha - you are so welcome!
Here, have a large portion of Gathering goodness complete with taikos
-
Heh. @BenWilson - well we don't generally play hours of it cos we'd all fall down in an exhausted heap, but yes, the guys in matching shirts who wear their drums are most likely the street Samba bateria native to your particular city.
Auckland has AKSamba, Welli has Batucada, and there are a couple of other smaller crews whose names escape me right now.
Batucada in Wellington play at a huge range of festivals, street parades, fundraisers and other gigs. We're funded by the City Council as a community group which means we are open to anyone, and we have regular beginners' courses throughout the year, as well as rehearsals for the main group at Thistle Hall every Sunday afternoon.
This is Batucada at last year's Cuba Street Carnival (we won Best Music and also the Supreme Winner award). You can hear us right from the start, and you get your first glimpse of our dancers at about the 38-second mark. It kicks into full gear at about 1 minute in.
...and waiting to begin the parade:
...and here we are leading the Sevens Parade
See you at the Sevens this year too!
More Batucada video and photos here in case you're interested...
-
Oh dude, you are SO dead to me now... :)
For some people (me included), drumming stirs something deep in the soul, that flows from the top of one's head to the tips of one's fingers and toes. Sitting still is not an option, movement in time to the rhythm is absolutely imperative and cannot be denied.
Whether it's the noodling of Take Five, African drummers of every persuasion at WOMAD, hippies on the beach or my very own beloved Batucada (hi Stephen!), drumming is what does it for me. Drumming (both playing and listening) has brought me so many moments of sheer, complete, total, utter joy and ecstasy, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
I feel lucky to feel so moved by something that it can take me away and transport me to another dimension. How wonderful!
Here's my favourite ever drum solo - Michael Shrieve of Santana playing Soul Sacrifice at Woodstock. AWESOME. Hippies galore - and proud of it!
Right. I'm off to Batucada rehearsal now. Enjoy!
-
Yup I guess I'd agree with you Islander - to a large extent, anyway. I'm making a distinction between doing drugs/alcohol for fun in some sort of moderation, as opposed to doing them to excess.
However, I'd still question whether every binge drinker on Courtenay Place (or as I like to call it, "Babylon") on a Saturday night is doing it to blot out the pain. I don't think it's that simple. I think there's a significant cultural/peer pressure influence at work as well.
-
I'd question the assumption that people generally drink (or take drugs) to take away the pain.
The official line from politicians and concerned citizens is often along the lines of "well you know it's people with depression/sad lives/living in poverty who drink to excess/do drugs in order to escape from their sad and crappy lives".
This perspective has always pissed me off to some extent - not because there are no people who fall into this category - I'm sure there are - but because it completely ignores the very large category of people who get high/get drunk/get wasted because it's fun - and who are quite capable of living normal and happy lives, making a decent contribution to society - as well as getting out of it once in a while. Not everyone who does drugs is a sad loser trying to blot out the pain.
Having said that, I do agree that the whole binge-drinking thing is Not A Good Thing. At all.
-
I'd agree with Russell and Islander - I've been told the same thing by mental health professionals taking care of someone I knew.
(Edited to be more discreet).