Hard News by Russell Brown

Lawrence Arabia plays as part of Late Night Art at the Auckland Art Gallery next Tuesday

...and playing Chc Darkroom Gallery on Sat 17 October. That show has sold out but he's up for a Sunday show if he gets, and I'm sure he will, enough likes on the Facebook page :-)

Here's Just Sleep, Your Shame Will Keep from Newsworthy on Tuesday night.

Oh, that SJD + strings gig at the Paramount was absolutely fabulous. You're really in for a treat. Get along if you can

I went to see Lawrence Arabia at the Cabana in Napier last night. I was full of flu and nearly didn't go but glad I did. It's a bumbling, charming and funny show. Some cool new songs too. Unfortunately my flu seemed to enjoy it, too. It awoke this morning with a spring in its step and renewed vigor.

Strung out…
Every body’s doing it it seems
- Neil Finn does Wellington & Chchch Oct 13, 14

…compare and contrast to the solo tour poster from 2001 (2nd pic)
(also of interest to followers of the UCSA building thread!)

Left this out of post in my hurry to finish, but Average Rap band released four videos for their really good EP this week. In order ...

…some great photographs (Basket Cases)

Russell, sorry I haven’t got back to you re this, I haven’t met up with Paul or found the box with my early days stuff in – I know we have the proofsheets that Jane had copies of that these came from.
I think if Sally’s memory is correct (which it will be I’m sure) these photos were taken by Peter Towers* and the brick wall is that of Mollett Street – where Peter lived during the ‘punk club’ days – the pix were to record the patchwork denim clothes Olly was making then (years ahead of the later vogue) other pictures I’ll find (hopefully) record the efforts of SPOGBAM (The Society Of Guitar Butchery And Machining – a shed or room at any flat Olly had) which helped create Paul Kean’s Bass (I think) and several other innovative guitars – a double necker and a detachable triple-necker!!
The solid steel drum kit (later used by the Androidss) was also a product of the shed work…

I can’t find any of the old Star and Press poster type collage posters we used to sneak up around town for Cases/ Hemroid gigs at the Gresham – I did find the one above which was part of the art for a generic poster (Get yours at: (venue) underneath) it was ‘borrowed’ from an old Listener cover at the time – insensitive youths that we were…

the old colour Basket Case photos in that story (Jane drumming & Jane, Paul & Alister) are mine (Photo credit?) and taken at the Gresham.

I’m glad the old Punakaiki corrugated sound shell pix surfaced again – I think I turned 21 that weekend, not that I told anyone…

*PS: Peter if you are out there PLEASE do something with all your photos from Mollett Street before it is to late!! I’m sure people would love to see them… someone give him a nudge or some money…

About that 1965 Loxene Gold Disc - I sat next to Billy Kristian and his wife at the music awards last year, had a lovely chat, about when he produced Herbs, played trombone in a band in the middle east in the 70s... fascinating gent.

He told me about when Ray Columbus and the Invaders were inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame back in 2009, Ray finally let Billy have the Loxene Gold Disc, and Ray took home the Hall of fame trophy.

Billy rang up Dave Russell in Sydney (the other surviving member of the Invaders) and told him Ray had finally let him have the Loxene after 44 years. Dave asked “When do I get it?” Billy replied, “In 44 years”.

I think if Sally’s memory is correct (which it will be I’m sure) these photos were taken by Peter Towers* and the brick wall is that of Mollett Street ... the old colour Basket Case photos in that story (Jane drumming & Jane, Paul & Alister) are mine (Photo credit?) and taken at the Gresham.

Ah, thanks muchly for that. I'll draw Simon's attention to those details.

Peter if you are out there

Found him! In Geraldine and still taking photographs.

If this leads us to the Christchurch equivalent to Sara Leigh Lewis's amazing Auckland punk photographs, Audioculture definitely owes you a beer, Ian..

If this leads us to the Christchurch equivalent to Sara Leigh Lewis’s amazing Auckland punk photographs

I tried recently to get Cera who were looking for interesting histories of various empty blocks in town in contact with him, to no avail… please do persevere he may believe it, if it comes from someone else, I’ve been nagging him (when possible) for decades…

the original 50 cents!
I’ve had a quick trawl through some posters near the surface here at the Silverfish Ranch…
…and came across this Gresham poster that is contemporary or even just before the Basket Cases days – Porkchops played the University (both Town Site and Ilam) often as well – along with bands like Baby (also at the Gresham at times) and The Grimes Street Gang …
Porkchops included artists Rick Reid (who did this poster with the Vampirella borrows) and Chris Grosz who had his own inimitable style…

Russell, the Jimmy Bo Horne track is excellent, but when I listen to it I have to have the North Korean Juche as the video:

Average Rap Band

impressive

That Jonathan Bree clip is quite wonderful. We must find more ways to show off the wonderful eyebrows of Hamish MacEwan.

Ah, thanks muchly for that. I’ll draw Simon’s attention to those details.

Credits all added - thank you Ian. I love the way we can keep on adding detail to these pages.

I shared Mollet St with Peter Towers around 1980, he had the back part as a darkroom, and I used the old punk venue part as a screen-printing studio, then Peter decided to move his bed into the part I was using, and he didn't like the noisy nocturnal company I would bring up there, so as he had the lease from the Longhorn Leather guys down below, he gave me notice. I moved into a store room above Stewart Dawson Jewellers, Level 2/222 Cashel St, and one of the first people I bumped into up there was Alister Parker, who had a painting studio adjacent to my studio.