Southerly: Summer of The L.e.d.s
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Spooky - my mate Andy was just telling me how cool Blair Parkes' new band was, and now here it is. Nice.
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Great post! Most enjoyable. Keep it up, David. But while Auckland's dysfunctionality smells, it is still the most culturally diverse city in New Zealand and while it can't compete yet with Sydney on this level, it is still our most multi-cultural city, and that's a huge plus. And I'm saying this as a Wellingtonian.
Actually the soundtrack of my summer has been the Marie Antoinette soundtrack - a melange of post punk hits and tinkly instrumental bits. Isn't it great that the Gang of Four, Bow Wow Wow, the Cure, Adam and the Ants, New Order are having their day in the sun again? And let's face it, I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow could be the sound of any summer - even a shabby wet one.
PS You'll need to get a dart gun for those ducks.
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Charles:
You're quite right about Auckland's multiculturalism being another big point in it's favour -- and something that I really missed when I moved to Christchurch.
But, of course, as the South Pacific's biggest city, it's yet another reason that I wish Auckland's architecture and town planning had a little more X-factor.
To raise a more cerebral subject -- I'd nearly forgotten about Bow Wow Wow. You've got to respect a band who dares to put out an album called 'See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah! City All Over Go Ape Crazy'. In my youth I spent a lot of time looking at that album cover.
I seem to remember 'Sexy Eiffel Towers' a little better, but I see that YouTube has the video to 'I want Candy':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDJdRGug5o
Still raining in Christchurch...
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Isn't it great that the Gang of Four, Bow Wow Wow, the Cure, Adam and the Ants, New Order are having their day in the sun again?
Not to mention the rather lavish tribute being paid to some of them by the current crop of new bands ...
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I love the staid bustle of Lambton Quay and the Wellington waterfront. I love the trolley buses, and the cable-car to the botanic gardens. I love the green belt that swaddles the city. And I love the commuter rail system -- public transport that actually works! Wellington feels like a proper city: the sort they have in other countries. In comparison, Christchurch and Dunedin are merely towns, and Auckland is just an oversized suburb.
Brilliant! Can I steal that as a tagline for my blog?
We are the L.e.d.s.
Great stuff. I quite liked the Thomas:Parkes album, but I like this even more.
Isn't it great that the Gang of Four, Bow Wow Wow, the Cure, Adam and the Ants, New Order are having their day in the sun again?
What do you think of the Nouvelle Vague albums?
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I went to a cricket game at the Cake Tin once, by train. I was awestruck by the ease and efficiency of Wellington public transport. Despite the fact that the Black Caps lost (shock horror etc) the queue for the train afterwards was good-natured and fun.
Man, I wish I was in Wellington right now. Mostly because my kids are in Christchurch and it's still bloody raining.
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I'm really interested in this baritone concertina. Where did you get it?
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Given Auckland's natural features it should be the most beautiful city in the world, but it's only mildly pretty at best.
Nailed.
Given that great tracts of it have been built in a disposable fashion, how might you go about remaking it, I wonder?
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David, how about a stadium where all those cranes and containers are?
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What do you think of the Nouvelle Vague albums?
the first one was great when it came out a few years back, but I think the second, aside from the great Heaven 17 cover, is a case of overstaying your welcome...the joke only worked once.
They've done some quite tasty original stuff elsewhere though....
Given that great tracts of it have been built in a disposable fashion, how might you go about remaking it, I wonder?
it's about to get worse when the, should be listed, old council workshops in Nelson / Cook Sts, get knocked down for a new "lifestyle mall".
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By the way, I just spent the weekend in Auckland, protect the domain, won't you...It's a treasure.
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Tom Beard wrote:
Brilliant! Can I steal that as a tagline for my blog?
By all means (if it's not too long for you) -- I'd be terribly flattered.
And I totally agree that 'We are The L.e.d.s' is a real progression from 'Thomas:Parkes'. I really like the addition of Helen Greenfield's slightly wavery vocals -- particularly on the album's last track 'Ready'.
David Slack wrote:
Given that great tracts of it have been built in a disposable fashion, how might you go about remaking it, I wonder?
I'd start by lining all the streets in greater Auckland with trees. That'd take the edge off some of the architectural monstrosities, give the regional council a few carbon credits, as well as lowering the air temperature in summer by a couple of degrees. I'd also consider blanket heritage restrictions for existing suburbs of architectural merit.
If I were having an Albert Speer moment in the city itself I'd shift the library to the waterfront -- declare it to be the library of the South Pacific -- and house it in a really spectacular structure. A massive pyramid might not go amiss (useful also for housing the bodies of former mayors). Then I'd build a park round it, close down Tamaki Drive, and have a continuous line of parklands stretching out to Mission Bay. With a bit of fiddling you could just about join it to the Domain as well.
I wouldn't mind knocking down the Aotea Centre and putting something decent there either. Anyone know what Frank Gehry is doing at the moment?
And returning from my delusions of grandeur…
Marcus Turner wrote:
I'm really interested in this baritone concertina. Where did you get it?
Assuming that you're not taking the piss, I can tell you that it's a 'Jack' concertina designed by Wim Wakker in the Netherlands. It was purchased here:
http://www.concertinaconnection.com/jackie-jack.htm
It's actually extremely pleasant in tone -- not that I can play a note on it myself. To me its lower range sounds rather cello-esque, although it's clearly not an instrument designed by optimists. I’d never realized quite how mournful a light-hearted ditty such as My Shining Hour could become in the hands of a skilled concertinist. Judge for yourself here:
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David, how about a stadium where all those cranes and containers are?
I quite liked the Volcadium, you know...
If I were having an Albert Speer moment in the city....
...and I like every part of this.
A pink stucco building about halfway along Tamaki Park would be nice, too.
David, how old is the concertina? Have you checked inside for American banknotes?
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Delusions of grandeur are great, especially for muggy Friday afternoons at work.
I would remove two lanes from Queen Street and replace them with an electric tram system, at grade, ala San Francisco. Give the system traffic priority, extend a branch across Grafton to the Domain at one end, and to the Viaduct at the other. Trams run at 2-3 minute intervals, one can just hop on and off. Traditional bells signal the arrival at stops and alert j-walkers. Fantastic, quiet, and pedestrian friendly. Possibly even romantic.
Britomart needs to double in size and become a through-station rather than a terminus. If Wellington has 8 platforms, then Auckland should have at least that much. Extend the lines west under the city and out to the western suburbs, and north over (or under) the harbour. Get the Germans to build it, they know how to do these things properly.
Oh, and I second a stadium close to the CBD....not such a silly idea.
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raffe, you don't have to loose two lands of traffic to get your trams.
did i already get gushy about melbourne?
oh yeah...
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Perhaps not Che, it's partly my reaction when I try to cross Queen St - I get frustrated by the traffic volumes, coming from j-walking Wellington. I was thinking there could be a dedicated bus/tram lane at either side adjacent to the footpath, and the central two lanes for cars.
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David Slack wrote:
Have you checked inside for American banknotes?
A tempting idea (even though it would involve destroying the instrument) -- Jennifer is playing Jerusalem as I type...
Raffe:
Love your thinking. We've become way too timid with our engineering in this country.Oh... and I bet we could get the Germans to immigrate at the same time. I know a couple of German engineers who'd jump at the chance to move to Auckland.
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I have this theory that because so much of New Zealand's national identity is based around mountains, rivers, and oceans, we tend to ignore cities. They aren't considered important, so we just build any old crappy buildings.
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Totally, and ironic given how highly (sub)urbanised our population is. We are also a young culture, and building cities well is one of the most technically difficult human endeavours. That's no excuse, however.
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I have this theory that because so much of New Zealand's national identity is based around mountains, rivers, and oceans, we tend to ignore cities. They aren't considered important, so we just build any old crappy buildings.
Our colonial planners did try in some cases. They had a lovely design for Auckland, which was roundly ignored. But urban design requires theory, which is not something we've been so hot on over time.
Anyway, here's a thought: imagine how cool it would be to still have a tramway connecting K Road, Ponsonby and Queen St ...
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Anyway, here's a thought: imagine how cool it would be to still have a tramway connecting K Road, Ponsonby and Queen St ...
Yes! The Link bus is cool, but there's something really personal and friendly about light rail that buses just can't offer.
I get the feeling that Auckland's hilliness tends to be overlooked by many people. Hills don't really matter if you do all your travelling by car, but if you do a fair bit of walking, you soon come to realise just how hilly Auckland is. Good public transport helps.
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Hills don't really matter if you do all your travelling by car, but if you do a fair bit of walking, you soon come to realise just how hilly Auckland is.
I recall being quite shocked at that very fact when my bike finally arrived from London. There are hills where you don't even feel them in a car ...
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Bravo dude. That was beautiful. Viva la rumba.
I get frustrated with Orkland the way I get frustrated with the Yanks. The Yanks, once reaching the pinnacles of liberal western thought thanks to the likes of Jefferson, etc have now devolved to the current primate. Orkland, with so much natural beauty yet shrouded in gaudiness. So much unrealised potential.
Orkland could well do with a few volcanic eruptions to wipe the slate clean. Say, the waterfront. I'd be happy with an eruption of cheers from Carlaw Park even. A lahar of light rail would do wonders, even it was a piddly thing linking the North Shore with the rest of the slopatropolis. If only someone could give a fuck.
I broke my lobbying virginity at the Brothels and Commercial Sex Premises Bylaw hearing up in Orkland when Banks was there. I happened to make the acquaintance of many fine ladies, as well as former city councillor Jon Olsen. We had much in common. He co-owned the building that had Showgirls, my favorite strip joint.
To paraphrase his thoughts on not standing for the last local bodies, he could only do one job well; his business or his public life. He could achieve more public good through his private life than anything within Auckland City Council.
This is not entirely the fault of the ACC. The Local Government Act 2002 has lumped a heap of paper and compliance crap at the local body level without giving them a fair model on how it's all going to be paid for. So they screw you where they can, regardless of fairness. Rates, parking wardens and service fees for Africa.
Everyone's got a million ways to spend money. Pity the poor buggers who have to foot the bill. Orkland needs some serious infrastructure investment and I can't see the ratepayers saying yes to increased rates to pay for it all.Consequentially Orkland remains a jellyfish instead of growing a backbone.
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Wellington feels like a proper city: the sort they have in other countries. In comparison, Christchurch and Dunedin are merely towns, and Auckland is just an oversized suburb.
I mostly agree. But if there's only one very important thing Wellington's missing, it's an airport runway.
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The real problem with planning in NZ not just Auckland is that it is always influenced by these pesky things called elections. Our planners do come up with some pretty cool ideas but they are too this or too that and the pollies with their self interest to the fore as always wont go for it. Were a banana republic in waiting.
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