Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: Back to a thousand dances

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  • bob daktari,

    Shoom 25... don't mind if I do

    added bonus The Conjurors

    musical fun sorted - cheers, day made!

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    Warning - the following may contain traces of cantankerousoldgrumpitis:

    I'm surprised at how many people are excited by the JAMC re-heating Psychocandy. It's the very antithesis of what it was about at the time: boring, retro, nostalgia for "classic" acts.

    I thought it was - still is - a great album, but they quickly turned pretty dull after that, I reckon.

    I saw them in London in 1998 at the Royal Festival Hall at the John Peel-curated Meltdown Festival and it was one of the most mediocre gigs I've ever seen.

    And don't get me started on the even-worse Primal Scream...

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • bob daktari, in reply to Grant McDougall,

    middle aged people excited about music that excited them when they were still young and excited about music - while I agree and share your sentiments let them have their fun and good times... yeah?

    as a punk rock kid (not anymore) I really don't care about the (supposed) gravy train of classic lineups and albums wanting my money again* I spit in their face



    *except when I do care and then its WAHHHHHOOOOO

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report Reply

  • Nick Russell,

    I saw JAMC in England when they toured Psychocandy at the time it was released. This was after their initial notoriety when the gigs would only last about 20 minutes because that was all the material they could play, and usually ended in a riot. They played a full set, and while I don't recall them being great, they played well enough for it to be a great night. Or so I remember it...

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 129 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott, in reply to Grant McDougall,

    regardless, I'm pretty sure they won't be wanting the SJ Fits supporting them again - that bill turned out to be totally the wrong way round.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere,

    And she and her Milk Records friends went even further recently when they performed Patti Smith’s Horses album for the Melbourne Festival.

    ZOMG that was absolutely terrific! Thanks for the link - it's a must watch! Courtney Barnett really has had quite the impact on the scene - she's just brilliant.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 33 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Echo Festival promoter Paxton Talbot talks to The Wireless about what went wrong.

    <Resource consent issues forced him to move the event to Auckland’s Vector Arena under a new name, he said. However, once the event was relocated, tickets sales slowed to a drip.

    Talbot wouldn’t reveal exactly how many tickets were sold, but said it was “nowhere near” the 12,000 capacity of Vector.

    “Nobody came to the table. We had massive web traffic, loads of interest but nothing was turning into sales and it’s an extremely expensive project.

    I think there ended up being a trust issue there. On top of all the marketing for the McLaren Valley going down the toilet.

    “All the promoters out there are struggling at the moment because of low ticket sales. It’s a massive issue. Every single one of them. People need to get out there and they need to start supporting their local promoters and their local shows,” Talbot said.

    Not quite true. I know the Splore people are very happy with how they’re tracking. And even the relatively niche bill at Laneway will still do fine.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Moz, in reply to Nick Russell,

    Yeah, JAMC live in Christchurch were nearly as bad as Oasis in Wellington a few years later, drunk abusive lead singer, poor musicianship from the instruments, just meh. I recall Straitjacket Fits played before JAMC and were much better, even as someone who's not really into them. We left after a few songs when it became obvious that it wasn't going to get better, along with half the rest of the audience.

    I keep saying I'm not into boys with guitars but... and I'm going to say it again about JAMC. I like their later albums, and the less jangly guitar sounding songs. Darklands especially came together for me. Songs like Nine Million Rainy Days are just so melodramatic and self-involved that it's hard not to take it as satire, but it works for me both ways. "all my time in hell is spent with you", yeah, yeah, angsty teen boy, I get it, you're sad. Still good music though.

    Sydney, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 1233 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Russell Brown,

    It's not the same thing but Kiwiburn has sold out for the first time ever (1200 tix).

    Generally, as any fule kno, a multiple of people will click "Going" or "Like" on Facebook than will actually buy tickets. I think a niche gig will get a fairly predictable level of core support - booking this years name acts and hoping the mainstream hoards will buy your expensive tix is always going to be tricky (I'm surprised the acts' management didn't know this, but I guess NZ is a nice place to maybe go and there aren't that many other bookings on a Monday/Tuesday).

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    Joe Wylie also did the colour for Colin Wilson's modern era NZ super hero Captain Sunshine

    Great to see him get some more of the recognition he is due...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Moz,

    Songs like Nine Million Rainy Days are just so melodramatic and self-involved that it's hard not to take it as satire, but it works for me both ways. "all my time in hell is spent with you", yeah, yeah, angsty teen boy, I get it, you're sad.

    And in Jim Reid's case, 26 when when the record came out!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Joe Wylie also did the colour for Colin Wilson’s modern era NZ super hero Captain Sunshine

    That's a nice thing to be reminded of.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • llew40, in reply to Russell Brown,

    To be fair to Talbot, I'm a little surprised about the slow ticket sales for Echo, given a lot of people in Auckland are still on leave at that time, and its a pretty awesome line-up. As you say, maybe the relocation eroded the trust.

    I was still keen on going and supporting it (after all, without promoters willing to take the risk, how would we get to see the bands), so disappointed I now have to go through the laborious refund process (which has been complicated by the fact we still have the McLaren Valley tickets which we didnt seek refunds for yet, because the Echo team had told us we'd be able to use them at the relocated festival).

    Despite the fact that much of the issue is self-inflicted and related to the resource consent fail in Tauranga (and on that, his comments in the Wireless article about the consent were a bit strange), I've got a lot of sympathy for the team behind it. No doubt a lot of hard work and cost gone down the drain.

    Since Nov 2012 • 140 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    (I’m surprised the acts’ management didn’t know this, but I guess NZ is a nice place to maybe go and there aren’t that many other bookings on a Monday/Tuesday).

    All of these acts will have been available for a NZ show to or from Australia or Asia and it's a matter of whether a promoter can offer a guarantee that wins the act and implies a reasonable break-even. I'm sure some of the acts will be opening to coming – and that there's a serious flurry in promoter land as to which ones they are.

    At a guess, I think Kurt Vile will be one of them.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to llew40,

    I was still keen on going and supporting it (after all, without promoters willing to take the risk, how would we get to see the bands)

    This is true. Promoters do put their asses on the line.

    so disappointed I now have to go through the laborious refund process (which has been complicated by the fact we still have the McLaren Valley tickets which we didnt seek refunds for yet, because the Echo team had told us we’d be able to use them at the relocated festival).

    That's a bugger. I didn't buy until after the relocation and going through Ticketmaster means an automatic refund in the net few days.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Moz,

    Yeah, JAMC live in Christchurch were nearly as bad as Oasis in Wellington a few years later

    I saw JAMC at Town & Country Club in London, 1990 or 91. Not memorable, just very ordinary.

    Did anyone go to the Tame Impala shows? I went with the 18 yr old to Welly. He loved it. He was probably just under the average age of the audience - 19 I reckon! Some older punters for sure (and many no doubt drawn across town to Moon Duo) but I liked it a lot less. Impressive songs and slick production but it was all a bit too rock starry for my liking. Hands waving in unison, sing-alongs... or maybe it's just me and a touch of Grant's cantankerousoldgrumpitis!

    As punters we were also held back in the loos while we waited for the band to pass down a corridor from the dressing rooms to the stage. Maybe a move to keep the young things from mobbing the band? Dunno. Shed 6 ain't the best venue in town either by a long way. I like the band a lot but the live performance left me deflated.

    Bespin, filling in last minute for Silicon (damn, really wanted to see Kody), were an able support.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher, in reply to Russell Brown,

    “All the promoters out there are struggling at the moment because of low ticket sales. It’s a massive issue. Every single one of them. People need to get out there and they need to start supporting their local promoters and their local shows,” Talbot said.

    Going to a show to "support" it is the worst reason. A festival shouldn't have to relay on emotional charity to survive. If it's a good show, people will want to see it just because it's good, not because they feel obliged to "support local music".

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Elsewhere, John Seabrook in the New Yorker tries to convince Adele that she’s going to destroy Spotify (and thus the entire music industry) by not immediately releasing 25 for streaming. I think not.

    Adele doesn't even need to bother about streaming because she's shifting so many compact discs. The people who buy 25 are the sort who still listen to CDs and wouldn't even contemplate buying an album on iTunes.

    It's like after the first series of The X Factor, there were Jackie Thomas fans posting to Facebook in a panicked state, making sure that they'd be able to purchase her album on CD.

    As popular as the new J. Bieber album is, I bet it's not shifting anywhere near the percentage of CDs that Adele is.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Brent Jackson,

    I saw the line-up at Echo and was interested in going, but then saw it was at Vector and decided against it. I loathe that venue for gigs.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • Eediot, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I'd booked for Soulfest, Laneways, and Echo (once it was in AKL and I could book for just Flaming Lips and Jamie) and 1 out of 3 really isn't good enough.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 51 posts Report Reply

  • chris chris mauger,

    the Tame Impala show in Auckland was wrecked by all the same Logan Campbell problems from the old days; couldn't get a drink without a massive queue, couldn't drink it in the room where the band were playing,general bad vibe...
    Did anyone go in WGTN and have a great experience?

    auckland • Since Nov 2015 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Slightly off topic, but I suspect his might be of interest to more than a few on here:

    Cambridge University is running an on-going on-line study which (and I'm reading between the lines) appears to be investigating the links between the way music perception/ability and Autism Spectrum characteristics.

    The website is here.

    Their press release (and my hat tip to IFLScience) is here.

    You can run the tests on yourself and get the results. Not wanting to be self-obsessed or anything, but it's utterly fascinating.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,


    Lofty sentiments from The Chills…
    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • kiwicmc,

    I wonder how many headline bands SJF blew away as the support act, I saw them wipe The La's (you may remember "There She Goes", or maybe you won't) off the stage in San Francisco once.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Doug Hood, in reply to Moz,

    In their defence,they were pretty fed up with the NZ media chasing them for comments on a spate of goth/ youth suicides here that the media had played up as attributable to their music. But no doubt they were grumpy bastards both of them

    Kingsland • Since Oct 2009 • 44 posts Report Reply

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