Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: History, motherfuckers

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  • Megan Wegan,

    I'm just poking my head up to say that I am real busy, but this is basically the best theatre ever.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye, in reply to Danielle,

    Indeed, that weird line between awkward & entertaining, like kitchen nightmares, except fake.

    I'm a bit busy to engage much further though, I need to go paint my nails and listen to Taylor Swift.

    I do feel kind of sorry for Sweetman now though, standing defenceless against the ravening lesbian horde of doom, bummer that all he's got is Dean Papa as his wing man.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye, in reply to Heather Gaye,

    I'm a bit busy to engage much further though, I need to go paint my nails and listen to Taylor Swift.

    .. Ach! wait - scratch that - computer programming job / Regurgitator. I guess that's how you can tell an aggressive feminist! Man brains. Pity I don't have a penis, then people would be able to take me seriously.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Lorde a few hours ago on Later With Jools Holland:

    She has presence.

    She did great! Perhaps a little hesitant at the start, but she owned it!

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Kyle Matthews,

    Her voice sounds like it’s struggling through, particularly at the beginning of the song.

    Nerves at the start, I think. It's quite a high-stakes thing to be doing. Otoh, Lana Del Rey on the same circuit last year got totally found out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    It’s quite a high-stakes thing to be doing

    I really love how much she can do with a low-key delivery. The comparison to Bjork stands up, I think.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • John Russell, in reply to Dean Papa,

    The validity of the statement that women think more with their hearts than minds, WITH RESPECT TO TASTE IN MUSIC, is totally and utterly irrelevant. The bone of contention here is whether me, Simon, or anyone for that matter, has the right to even suggest such a thing.

    Of course you do. You can say what you like, it's a free country. It's not consequence free, though. People who read what you, Simon, or anyone else writes are equally free to roll their eyes, point and laugh, or just sigh heavily and pull their hands slowly down their face while saying "Buhhhhhhh!"

    Why do they claim to be so offended? I am not at all offended by the statement, which applies equally to the male gender,

    "...and I, after all, am the anointed one, the golden child, the exalted archon who decides what is, and is not, offensive to others. Whereas you guys just, like, ASSUME you know what's what."

    I should have the right to speak my mind without being battered down by aggressive feminists. It is bullying, plain and simple!!

    I don't think anyone has suggested you don't have that right. You should cite where this happened.

    Go ahead, we'll wait.

    ...

    Anyway, I'm late to this party, but I've been pretty much indifferent to Sweetman's work forever - he appears to hate a lot of music genres just because, and his gig reviews are really bizarre. I remember reading a review of a gig that I was at (sadly, it was a while back, and I can't even remember the band .. an Amanda Palmer solo gig, maybe? Or the Dresden Dolls?) and it was an AMAZING night, it went off like a rocket, so naturally Sweetman's review was utterly negative. I mean, utterly. The band sucked. The opening band sucked. The sound was bad. The crowd were bored. His drink was warm. Someone was on his lawn. Milk doesn't come in bottles any more. Why does no-one READ these days? And so on. I read this review, and I genuinely thought the band had played a disasterous second gig. Sweetman's review, including his descriptions of the audience reactions to the music, was completely divorced from what I experienced and observed. I presumed that when he said by "the crowd" was him and his friends. Or, you know, just him.

    My current rule of thumb when reading his work is (literally, this is true) to assume that he is 100% wrong. I hadn't actually heard any Lorde tracks, but after reading this PA piece about his review, my genuine reaction was "Oh, Sweetman hates it? It's probably good." So I got the EP, and yeah, of course, it's fantastic. Royals has been stuck in my head for the last day or so.

    So, thanks for that, Simon. Turns out that if you're know a signpost will be wrong, it can still guide you home.

    Auckland • Since Aug 2008 • 17 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to John Russell,

    My current rule of thumb when reading his work is (literally, this is true) to assume that he is 100% wrong. I hadn’t actually heard any Lorde tracks, but after reading this PA piece about his review, my genuine reaction was “Oh, Sweetman hates it? It’s probably good.” So I got the EP, and yeah, of course, it’s fantastic. Royals has been stuck in my head for the last day or so.

    So, thanks for that, Simon. Turns out that if you’re know a signpost will be wrong, it can still guide you home.

    Heh. Word. :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Lilith __,

    Yeah, I reckon she did pretty well there too. I've seen a lot worse singing on Later. (I'm still a bit Do Not Want about the vocal mannerisms but I'm sure I'll get over it. :) )

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones, in reply to Heather Gaye,

    computer programming job / Regurgitator

    I thought we were builders who listened to Melissa Etheridge. Now I'm confused.

    The idea that anyone's faking outrage because we don't like Simon whatsit is nuts. I'd never heard of him, and I've only just barely heard of Lorde, but anyone writing about a 16 year old in those terms is prima facie a dickhead. If he wants launch a defence to that, he's welcome to, but I'm not going to assume he had a good reason, just because. Prima facie, again, it reads like someone who's secretly bummed he wasn't discovered at age 16 and decided to paper over the cognitive dissonance by assuming nobody is worth discovering then, and if you are, it must be because you're unfairly attractive.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye, in reply to John Russell,

    My current rule of thumb when reading his work is (literally, this is true) to assume that he is 100% wrong.

    I have to say, one of the very few pieces I've read that was positive, he was writing about Regurgitator. I was mortified.

    ..& yeah, he wrote about Dresden Dolls, which got pretty awkward for everyone involved when Amanda Palmer responded to the review. http://amandapalmer.net/blog/wellington-journalist-absolutely-trashes-our-gig/

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to B Jones,

    I think Aggressive Trendy Lefty Feminists don't actually have paid work. We just wander picaresquely around the internet pretending to be offended and meanly censoring innocent nice guys who are trying to tell The Truth About The World.

    (The bassist on this live version is kicking some groovy 70s ASS, incidentally. Hot damn.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Heather Gaye,

    My current rule of thumb when reading his work is (literally, this is true) to assume that he is 100% wrong.
    [...]

    ..& yeah, he wrote about Dresden Dolls,

    Heh, wow, so I had a little search for Dresden Dolls and it seems the "100% wrong" rule works quite well.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Dean Papa,

    It is a free country, and it’s not consequence free, and I’m not suggesting it should be otherwise. But the point here is that consequence free should not be an excuse for wanton character assassination. And that is EXACTLY what has occurred here. Don’t believe me? Well, if you have ever watched Fox News, and that grubby little con man HANNITY, then you should be able to recognise that what has occurred in here to poor Simon is EXACTLY the kind of thing Hannity would do. Whenever Hannity has a confrontation with a guest, the next day he will invariably regale his audience with the dirt he, and his team of trusty helpers working tirelessly overnight, have dug up on said troublesome guest. You know it is TRUE!!

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 31 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Lorde's talent endorsed by a fairly big name .

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh,

    And the louder you shout, the truer it gets.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

    I'm starting to wish I was elsewhere.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Dean Papa,

    consequence free should not be an excuse for wanton character assassination. And that is EXACTLY what has occurred here.

    Yes, this is what Sweetman tried to do to Lorde. And he is reaping the consequences.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Lilith __,

    Heh. The "consequences" are currently about twelve people in this thread saying "man, that was kinda dickish". Also: STALINISM. :)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard, in reply to Dean Papa,

    But the point here is that consequence free should not be an excuse for wanton character assassination.

    The consequence of being a dick is that people will point out that your character is, well, a bit dickish. Pointing that out is not "assassination".

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard, in reply to Danielle,

    Heh. The "consequences" are currently about twelve people in this thread saying "man, that was kinda dickish". Also: STALINISM. :)

    Snap!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones, in reply to Lilith __,

    Lorde’s talent endorsed by a fairly big name .

    Lena Dunham tweeted positively about her the other day. Someone else who is ridiculously talented for her age.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Lilith __,

    He loves Breaks Co-op too ;)

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye, in reply to Dean Papa,

    ...the next day he will invariably regale his audience with the dirt he, and his team of trusty helpers working tirelessly overnight, have dug up on said troublesome guest

    digging up dirt? So in this case you mean... his other reviews?

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Heather Gaye,

    nightsoil, they used to call it
    #dirt

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

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