Posts by Venetia King
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One definition of a character actor is someone whose face you're always glad to see, even if you can't quite put a name to it.
I've known who Frank Whitten was since he played the lead in the TV series Open House in the mid 80s (also really enjoyed Emily Perkins in that show). I seem to remember they showed us Vigil at school - something of a contrast. I always thought he was an excellent actor and I'm sad that we won't get the chance to see what he would have done next.
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Nearly forgot my favourite Julia Deans lyrics!
So you sailed across the ocean
making plans to meet your family
Clutching packages of photographs
of those you left behind you
And of those you left behind you
I'm the only one still waiting
for the photographs to find me
and the postcards to remind me
I'm not your girlFur Patrol, Not Your Girl (from Pet); artist my friend again
And...
I've been looking round the pantry for a box of sorries
Bic Runga, Sorry (from Drive); artist ummm... running out of ideas. Dick Frizzell maybe.
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Nice, Jo!
I too love the tiny triumphs though not in the matchbox car way.
Ok I spent way too long on this but enjoyed listening to loads of songs along the way. Had a lot more trouble coming up with artists than lyrics. Apparently I like artists that make comics better than painters... or possibly find their stuff easier to envisage on tshirts.
This one's my fave:
I'm shy about
opening my throat
A song might not fall outLucid 3, Smooth Machine (from Running Down The Keys); artist Flox
But there are so many possibilities!I'm never going out again
Or so i said last weekendCollapsing Cities, So I Said Last Weekend (from Elixir Always); artist Grant Buist
Been waiting all night, falling in love with my A.M. radio
And all the music starts a monotone crusade
Sets the clock in my chest at the right speedLucid 3, A.M. Radio (from All Moments Leading To This); artist Toby Morris
There is no depression in New Zealand;
there are no sheep on our farms
There is no depression in New Zealand;
we can all keep perfectly calmBlam Blam Blam, There is no depression in New Zealand; artist A friend of mine who paints awesome stuff
I wish I was in Wellington
the weather's not so good
The wind it cuts right through you
and it rains more than it shouldThe Mutton Birds, Wellington (from Salty); artist Tetyana Khytko
Threw coffee at the bouncer after a dress code dispute
He chased me round the block but he was too fat to catch me
Next day I woke up hung over,
confessed my undying love for her
She got surly and said
"Don't you think it's about
six months too early?"Collapsing Cities, Fear of Opening My Mouth (from Elixir Always); artist Dylan Horrocks
I can see it started years ago
And I recognise your pain
But I can't forget the innocence
That you've taken from meShihad, Bitter (from Killjoy); artist Stephanie Woodman
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I'm late seeing this post but had heard a slice of the slowed-down Bieber track on Kim Hill's show this morning. I honestly thought I was listening to something new from This Mortal Coil, possibly with Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins on vocals again.
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Never liked rugby, fancy dress or getting trollied so I don't participate in sevens mania, but agree Wellington as a venue just makes sense.
The main point for the fans seems to be partying, and does any other city have a sufficiently large party zone within walking distance of their rugby stadium?
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Seriously behind the times as usual, but I've ordered myself a copy of the Edge of Darkness TV series after all the reminders here...
Also, I read this in a comment of Craig R's (not here, under Graham's lovely post about Pauly Fuemana but it didn't feel appropriate to make mention of it there):
that really steams my sprouts
and wondered - has somebody been watching The Middleman?
Fiona, I've been meaning to pass on my thanks for your Listener piece on The Middleman when it started - it's the number one viewing option in our house at the moment. The most inventive TV show we've seen since, oh, Firefly? Of course it was cancelled after 12 episodes.
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I wish I had gone to The Veils ... but I think I was put off by my 16 year old daughter warning me that I would stick out in a crowd of Wintec mediia arts students sporting serious haircuts. But I do like their "Jesus for the Jugular" track.
Sticking out in the crowd - for not being part of the demographic - is part of the fun of going to gigs as I get older. Though I was slightly uncomfortable that time I went to Sneaky Sound System in my rock show gears & was surrounded by bright shiny young things dressed to sparkle, in not very much.
Sophia from the Veils writes a highly readable blog, thinking about stickers. She posted some great stuff on the experience of playing live - I particularly liked this note of appreciation to the crowd:
I don't know who you were. But thank you for coming. Especially thank you to the two young men front and centre who spent the show with arms around eachothers shoulders, sweating and yelling.
'PLAY CALLY-OPE!'
'PLAAAYYY CALLY-OOOOPE!'
'Uh, I think we already did.'Seriously, I liked those guys. There's something kind of....nice, about people who are clearly dilettantes in Veils-dom appearing in the front row. No doubt they really start to fuck you off, if you're, say, La Roux, but as a novelty...besides, watching someone embarrass themselves is always kickass. The looks from people around them were priceless.
Oh, and "Jesus for the Jugular" is fantastic live. I hope they play it tonight.
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I've never bought any of his albums, but like any kiwi am pretty familiar with the singles catalogue. I've seen him live a couple of times & know we're in for a great show.
Thanks for the tip, I was planning on getting there fairly early but didn't know there was no support act.
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Oops, didn't mean for that to get so long.
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Some of the sets at this year's BDO were painfully loud - especially Tiki Taane in the Boiler Room, I couldn't handle even one song. I use those ER-20 earplugs & they normally filter out enough of the volume but I had to resort to sound-killing foam things in the end.
I can recall the feeling of bass coming up through the floor and trying to take over my heartbeat on more than one occasion, but can't remember what shows I would've been at. Likely candidates for venue would be Wellington's Town Hall, Indigo/SFBH and James Cabaret.
The Cult wins my "hauling out the hits for the fans" award for their Town Hall show in 1995 (back when BDO headliners used to play side shows in Wellington). It was like a complete retrospective of their back catalogue. And Fur Patrol are kind enough to play Lydia for every audience - although in the early days Julia would fool around with the lyrics: "Am I, surprised, to see you've got chlamydia...". She wins the "best dealings with hecklers" too, always sharp and amusing though my memory's not good enough to recite any particular instance.
Sonic Youth in 96 at the Town Hall is the most bored I've ever been at a gig. Waaay too much guitar solo wankery. Considered walking out, but in those days there was no mobile to let my other half know what I was doing.
Best support - Primary before Tadpole, at Coroglen Tavern late 2001. Connie Mitchell, now of Sneaky Sound System, has great stage presence & the most stunning voice - wish she still did the rock band thing but can't begrudge the success, she deserves it. Thinking of that show reminds me of a great quote - Renee of Tadpole calling out that "this one's for all the rugby players out there!" before launching into 'Backdoor'. Hadn't laughed so hard in ages, but the crowd just took it at face value and sang along enthusiastically.
Audience memories... I remember a show in Auckland - actually I don't remember the show itself - where a terrifying-looking guy in seriously lived-in leather and denim loomed behind us. Missing teeth and a nose that looked as though it had been bitten off and sewn back on, and we were a little anxious till he gently made sure my much shorter friend was safe from the surrounding moshers.
Rudest crowd was for Bic Runga at the James Cabaret, I think she was touring her first album. The songs were fairly low-key, but beautiful and I was so angry when the punters treated it like background noise.
The audience for the two Sleater-Kinney shows at the Kings Arms in Dec 02 was generally pretty cool, everyone was clearly stoked to be there. The first night, I was in the front row between a lass who'd flown over from Melbourne and an excitable young guy. There was a bit of shoving and it looked like things were going to get ugly, but I managed to point out to each of them that the other was being pushed from the side and wasn't smacking into anyone deliberately. Then it was all sweetness & light. The aforementioned Carrie Brownstein told me the next night that it was nice to have someone like me at the front. Two of the best shows of my life and that was the icing on the cake.
Worst sound - main stages at Big Day Out, every time I've been, no question. But then I saw Neil Young and was gobsmacked. They can have sound of that quality???
Looking forward to the Veils at SFBH tonight & Dave Dobbyn at the St James tomorrow... getting old though & wish SFBH shows were as early as St James!