Public Address | Cafe | Speaker: Hall of Memories

Grant McDougall

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 11:54:24 +1300

3Ds/Puddle/Street Chant gig (flying nun 30th?)...I too remember being misty eyed seeing the Clean for the first time ever there (Vehicle album release),

The 3Ds' gig was their early 2010 reunion gig, but it was just them and Street Chant, the Puddle didn't play.

The Clean played their first ever…

Grant McDougall

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 11:39:43 +1300

I saw the 1993 Pavement gig Grant refers to and I beg to differ – they were bloody superb.
Unfortunately, when they came through a year later they were, indeed, pretty poor. In mitigation, the four NZ gigs were the last four gigs in a 100 gig world tour.
As…

Grant McDougall

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 11:36:43 +1300

I’m pretty sure Fugazi didn’t ever play at Sammys (they have an “all ages” policy for their gigs, so generally don’t play at licensed venues).

They definitely did play Sammy’s; I know, because I was there. I thought they were boring as hell and was mystified by the fact their…

Ian Dalziel

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 09:19:03 +1300

I’m pretty sure Fugazi didn’t ever play at Sammys
They were booked to play the Musicians Club in April 96 but two weeks at the end of that tour got cancelled due to illness of a band member – new dates were booked for Jan/Feb 1997 – can't see a…

Andrew Geddis

Sat, 21 Nov 2015 07:58:08 +1300

Fugazi and many many more

I'm pretty sure Fugazi didn't ever play at Sammys (they have an "all ages" policy for their gigs, so generally don't play at licensed venues). My memory of when they played Dunedin was that they were at the old RSA building on Moray Place.

Shaun Scott

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 23:42:25 +1300

Great memories, and a great post, Grant.
I do have some hazy recollections of it as a nightclub in the early 80's, and sneaking in as a 16 year old. But better memories are from later years.
I first met Rae outside Sammys, at a protest around 1989 when it…

Kyle Matthews

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 13:54:49 +1300

Faith No More played in Sammys in 1993 – which I have very happy memories of. But my best memory there will always be Munky Kramp's farewell gig, with the band playing the final song, Demarnia sitting off to the side of the stage right in front of me, crying…

Don Reid

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:23:51 +1300

Great post Grant, thanks. I remember the J &MC gig really well especially for seeing Straitjacket Fits as the incredible support act. Lots of other gigs to remember, the Chills playing around 86 (after Leather Jacket) was great, the Clean of course and of the overseas bands I remember Shriekback playing…

Grant Robertson

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 08:38:04 +1300

Fair enough. Now, can you get that R. D.Ponce manager fella to call off "the big guys"....

Grant Robertson

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 08:36:53 +1300

Ok, I think this is coming back to me more clearly now. It is Emily I owe the apology too as it was my 'enthusiasm' that led Toby to end up sitting on her hand. I couldn't quite remember if it was a Verlaines or Funhouse gig. I had thought…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 06:19:53 +1300

is reality created by observation or consensus...
Chicks is still going strong ...
nek minit
Chicks have just announced on Facebook that they’re closing early next year.
Could this be proof of 'Commentator's Curse' or 'Morphic Resonance'?

Paul Campbell

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 21:44:17 +1300

Chicks have just announced on Facebook that they’re closing early next year.

Yes today's ODT

Justin McLean

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 17:55:24 +1300

Great read, thanks Grant. It'd be remiss of me not to clear this up: Toby was the culprit. He sat on Emily's hand and broke her finger. It was definitely at Sammy's, however, and quite possibly at a Funhouse gig. Thanks for the memories and go in peace now. I'll…

Vivid

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:37:38 +1300

Chicks have just announced on Facebook that they're closing early next year.

Andrew Geddis

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 08:20:22 +1300

Chicks is still going strong – Shellac are playing a two night stand there at the end of the month!

John Farrell

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 07:36:43 +1300

It is.

Warren Clark

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 21:09:30 +1300

It's sad to see so many of my old drinking grounds no longer there. Gardies, Chicks. The Bowler all gone now. I do so hope the Crown is still there.

LIISA

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:33:01 +1300

The only time I was there was May 2005 for Radio One's 21st anniversary gig, featuring Gestalt Switch, Die! Die! Die! and (great excitement) Straitjacket Fits; all of which we recorded for Radio New Zealand (obviously didn't get online rights for SJF, darn it). We were…

Marcus Turner

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 13:43:02 +1300

I'm fairly sure I saw Hoppalong Cassidy there. I think it was one of the shorts for a feature movie long forgotten.

Later, I saw the Pogues there. I only lasted one song before walking out. I really didn't like the performance or sound. As we strolled away, I remember…

John Farrell

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 13:42:05 +1300

Other large brick buildings in Dunedin have been upgraded – this one is just along Vogel St, opposite Vogel Street Kitchen.

Robbie Ellis

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 13:39:21 +1300

Long-time lurker, first-time commenter.

In October 2011, I was visiting Dunedin for the first time as an adult, scoping out a place to live during my Mozart Fellowship the following year.

Separate to that, Paul Smith of the Dunedin Fringe had found my name on a Theatreview write-up of a…

octopusgrrl

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 13:32:09 +1300

That's the so-called "Vogel St frontage" according to the real estate blurb... not exactly inspiring, but you can see the proscenium arch in the brickwork, which is pretty cool.

Great to finally see it with the lights on in the real estate photos – it's a pretty amazing space! I…

Andrew Geddis

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 13:08:06 +1300

Oi!

Just because traditional Americana is not to your taste is no reason to throw around epithets like "excruciating"! And the reason it was "barely discernible" is because we'd blown the speaker stacks the song before.

Paul Campbell

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:54:04 +1300

and it's built on fill

John Farrell

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:51:21 +1300

There are a lot of bricks in that building

Sacha

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:48:42 +1300

I think I almost cried when The Clean played 'Tally Ho'. I had never heard it live, and never thought I would.

Same experience when they played Chch while I was down there. Magic.

Russell Brown

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:39:53 +1300

Just to note that the consensus on Twitter yesterday was that the bargain price probably indicates a fair bit of earthquake compliance work is due.

Paul Campbell

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:30:26 +1300

I wish I had some experience to share here, I'm pretty sure I've never been to a gig there – though strangely I do have a decided memory of what it looks like inside .....

Mind you we really should have done this exact thread for the Cook .... though…

James Littlewood*

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:29:34 +1300

Shriekback

Aah, the 80s.

John Farrell

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:05:20 +1300

My memories are from much longer ago – being in a "Gang Show" at His Majestys, watching a troupe from the Royal Shakespeare Company play "A Comedy of Errors", attending various Capping Concerts, and a performance of "Hair".

This was before the foyer part of the building was demolished.

Public Address

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:05:20 +1300

Discussion from blog post.