Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: After the King's Arms

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  • Russell Brown,

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    Oh – and this!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Kemp,

    The Silver Scrolls last night were amazing. That RNZ can manage to broadcast on TV via Freeview Channel 50, via YT & Campus Radio and whatever else they did is showing us all how to reinvent TV.

    John Campbell was in his element and the whole tone of the show was respectful and affirming all the way. The tribute to Moana and here speech was heartfelt. The songs performed by special ensembles on the night were all great.

    Steve Abel – NZ’s answer to Nick Cave was indeed a marvel. But then all of those song performances were just great. It has been a long time since I have seen a large music event that had so many happy shiny people.

    One of my friends watched along from Scotland and I know others viewed from all around the world. It is incredible when the main TV channels are such a complete waste of time that RNZ is now the actual real live “radio with pictures”.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Awesome show last night - a new Aotearoa New Zealand in bloom where honouring our founding cultures is a given, for everyone who picked up a microphone. Great curation by SJD on this cover of the classical winner, too.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Jason Kemp,

    RNZ is now the actual real live “radio with pictures”.

    great people, great leadership

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Mikee Loop,

    Good piece. SONY sign, under develop and ruin most of their NZ artists careers. 1 in 10 artists they have worked with in the past 10 years have been successful. The rest trapped in a contract and receiving no attention. They should close the doors as they are unhealthy for the NZ music scene.

    Auckland • Since Jun 2015 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Mikee Loop,

    Also - this from last night was epic!
    Yoko Zuna & Bailey Wiley perform If I Move To Mars

    Auckland • Since Jun 2015 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Mikee Loop,

    Yoko Zuna

    Yeah I can see why people have been making a fuss.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    RNZ is now the actual real live “radio with pictures”.

    great people, great leadership

    I've just started a project with RNZ (news of which presently) and I'm so impressed. Positive, helpful, pursuing high standards.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ken Double,

    There have been many times while packed into some crumbling holding pen with awful sound and terrible sight lines I've pondered why it is that classical music is accorded public funding for specialist venues while beat music (for want of a better term) puts up with whatever dive someone can sell enough beer to earn a crust from.

    The Powerstation is probably the closest thing to a proper venue we have and here in Wellington we're thoroughly envious of it. Why can't decent rock and jazz venues catch a break from the arts establishment? Money spent on good performance and rehearsal spaces is probably the best use of arts funding you could imagine.

    On the small matter of the Silver Scrolls, are we to discuss the Thomas Oliver room elephant? Are they serious? I know the Scrolls are a bit of a group hug but if banal professionalism is the only bar that needs clearing people need to ask some questions.

    Wellington • Since Dec 2012 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    My brief chat with the CEO at your Media Take filming was reassuring in terms of approach - to build Pakeha staff's cultural competence before recruiting more Maori journos into a currently very pale and therefore unwelcoming institution despite all personal intents.

    Hearing increasing use of te reo Maori on-air signals progress, and last night's event even moreso. Great work, Mr Thompson.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Ken Double,

    classical music is accorded public funding

    cos rich white folk are bludgers

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Ken Double,

    are we to discuss the Thomas Oliver room elephant? Are they serious?

    Saw similar talk on twitter. Please do expand.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ken Double, in reply to Sacha,

    He's the kind of guy people describe as a journeyman, which they mean as a compliment. His song is a piece of artistic gap filler drained of insight, nuance, vitality, tension and release. And it's tuneless. Like his equally dull template, Jack Johnson, his sheer competence is decadent and offensive. Or is that too harsh?

    Wellington • Since Dec 2012 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Ken Double,

    Ta.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Ken Double,

    Inoffensive sub-RnB (in the modern, wrong, sense of the term) I think. But we have to be nice coz he's from Wellington...

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Ken Double,

    I've pondered why it is that classical music is...

    I have to say I really enjoyed all 3 new 'classical' pieces on offer at the APRA Silver Scrolls - and the version of 'Rain Phase' played live.
    Also great to see Kenneth (Ken) Young still doing good stuff - he was at Cashmere High School at the same time as me, and I remember a fun piece he wrote then with a typewriter as accompaniment...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    I have to say I really enjoyed all 3 new 'classical' pieces on offer at the APRA Silver Scrolls - and the version of 'Rain Phase' played live.

    Watched that again last night – it was indeed very cool. As is Julia Deans.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

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    Something for your Chchch gig diaries…
    On the back of Blair Parkes’ excellent latest album – a kick-ass band has formed and will be debuting in Sumner on the same night as Bill Direen is playing in town (you could probably do both!), and then they are playing again at the Darkroom on Thursday the 20th.

    Make sure you get along so you can say you saw their early gigs, before they take over the world!!

    listen here:
    https://blairparkes.bandcamp.com/

    explore more here:
    https://blairparkes.wordpress.com/

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    If property prices dictate K rd, Newton and Kingsland turn into sterile inner city apartments hipster suburbs serviced by airspace then that is it what will happen. Just ask the owners of Fabric, the latest victim of London's unchecked property market.

    But with advent of decent PT, the late night music culture district doesn't have to be downtown or near downtown. Berlins nightlife isn't centralised. For example, it is just as easy to get to Onehunga for most people as it is to get to K'rd, now the train runs there and SH20 runs past it, and there is plenty of cheap places to rent and convert for venues. The thing is the council has to identify an area and encourage it to become a late night music culture district and that would require councils to spend less time listening to any boomers and fretting about the the children and recognise nightlife as organic to what makes city life worth living.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Ken Double, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    It never hurts to let the classics out of the concert hall. Anything to dial down the formality. A while back I went to a brilliant Orchestra Wellington performance of Strauss's Last Songs and Marc Taddei chatted to the audience as if it were an actual gig. It's like a conversation with strangers and you can't relax until someone swears.

    Wellington • Since Dec 2012 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Kemp,

    I do wonder why Phoenix Foundation keep being nominated but don’t actually win at Silver Scrolls. It was clearly a great evening but in retrospect the winner did seem to be a surprise.

    This > What the hell just happened at the Silver Scroll awards?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

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    a kick-ass band has formed and will be debuting in Sumner on the same night as Bill Direen

    Will be a scramble to get to both but worth a shot. Gosh, haven't seem Blair perform live in ages, old Dux, as The L.E.D.s.

    BTW, Cardigan Bay...a fine pedigree, I'm sure Shayne P Carter would agree!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Ken Double,

    Or is that too harsh?

    Simon Sweetman weighs in as well - http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/84820386/simon-sweetman-the-death-of-the-silver-scroll

    I have to say that when I first heard the 'Mars' song I immediately thought of another band with a kiwi connection (the O'Doherty brothers), from last century - back before auto-tuning vocals was a 'thing'...

    crossed with Maria Muldaur

    but I guess I'm just showing my age...

    I liked that Street Chant song

    But it just felt like they were channelling Minisnap ...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Mike O'Connell,

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    BTW, Cardigan Bay…

    they’re a tight knit band…
    more Fair Isle than feral.
    ;- )

    I believe there is a better publicity shot,
    I'll track it down for next week's Music thread.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Jason Kemp,

    I do wonder why Phoenix Foundation keep being nominated but don’t actually win at Silver Scrolls.

    It is TPF's destiny to be repeatedly nominated for all kinds of awards but never win them.

    It was clearly a great evening but in retrospect the winner did seem to be a surprise.

    It was odd in that the winning of the award the event is named for was kind of a side issue. It really wasn't what anyone but the winner will remember the night for.

    It is a shame that at least two really interesting and significant songs (by Street Chant and TPF) made the final five and were overlooked in favour of a lightweight ditty.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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