Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Grokking things by being places, in reply to Rich Lock,
Glass of wine? Don't mind if I do! Tastes like rocket fuel? That'll be the coating of paintfumes on your tongue. Why has daddy passed out on the floor after a few sips of red drink, mummy? Why is daddy posting random surreal rubbish on the interwebs? Just Say No to paint, kids.
Had to wait until I could stop laughing to post a response.
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Thanks for all your hard work guys, and thanks also to Matt Buchanan and his crew for going above-and-beyond to make Capture a special thing.
Yay!
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Another one, from reader Mike O'Connell:
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Aah, Flying Nun 30 year's old, hard to believe. My best moments would have to be seeing the DoubleHappys in their prime with Shayne (sans the P then) Carter at his caustic best, especially a show at the Zanzibar in Chch (a long defunct venue close to where the new Dux will emerge) where (as per Needles and Plastic) he ripped into the fat c*#ts in studded (and flashing light) belts, 'hanging out' on the dance floor for the Blue Monday, etc disco that followed in the same venue, Carter relishing the opportunity to have a crack - as he often did in those days. Wayne was quieter but his guitar was no less meaner!
The sad news from the N Island soon after meant no long anticipated return gig at the Zetland (also long defunct - scene of another fab double header round the same time from the Chills and Bird Nest Roys).
And they were just like that, no more. But there songs remain relevant - I still drag out the famous double B-side Anyone Else Would/ The Other's Way 7" and give it a blast when the opportunity arises! RIP Wayne Elsey.
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Another contribution, from Darren Hammond:
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Needles and Plastic
I first heard 'Needles and Plastic' soon after it was released, on Radio U, in Chch (which was still an AM station back in those days!). Something about it just grabbed me, the goofy but insistent guitar riff, and the lyrics (which confirmed my feelings about nightclubs) connected with me. I had to own this record, and that day I went into a shop in Chch (it may have even been the shop Roger used to run...) and bought it.
A few weeks later, I played it to my friends, and they all laughed at how ridiculous it was. It stung a bit, but I still loved it ...
The song stayed with me over the years, and is still in my top 5 songs ever to this day. I saw the Straitjacket Fits live a number of times, and Dimmer also, but had never heard the song played live, and I was resigned to that fact. But early in 2011, I heard that Shayne was playing some shows where he was going to play stuff from right through his career! I was very excited, and booked tickets almost as soon as they went on sale.
Later, at the Kings Arms, Shayne announced the song I had always wanted to hear live, mentioning that it featured a swear word in the first line. I suddenly realised that I had always thought the lyric was 'Fat gut in a studded belt...', but realised it was 'Fat cunt...' Oops!
Anyway the song and the show were great, and Shayne is still making great music, as are all the Flying Nun bands I used to listen to back in 1985 on Radio U. If I believed in knighthoods, Roger Shepherd should have one!"
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I've had several email contributions to the brief, and I'll post them here, starting with this one from Brent Giblin:
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Still Giving the Nun Love
So it was my Birthday on Saturday 19th where I turned something in my 40's (cough cough) . Nothing too unusal in that except I noticed that The Bats were playing. So I rounded up a few friends for a pre-match Flyining Nun vinyl only party and off we went full of bithday cake and Flying Nun IPA to the Kings Arms. While enjoying the strange pleasure that was Graeme Hill on the farfisa organ playing instrumental Nunhits lounge style (Pin Group, Gordons, Chills, Tall Dwarfs, Bats ) I decided it was time to see if I could get a momento of what was already a memorable gig.
In the old days i would have just ripped down a poster from the wall or cut through layers of posters on an outside billboard with a craft knife, but I decided I would be a bit more "good citizen' so I blagged one from the doorstaff.
Seeing my oportunity i asked Paul Kean if he would sign it since it was my birthday. Not only did he oblige he dragged me backstage got the rest of the band to inscribe and then proceeeded to play " By Night" during the gig expecially for my birthday.Now this is the kind of awesomeness that got me excited about seeing flying nun bands live in the first place. None of this NME never tour here, too cool for school stuff.
Here were bands I could buy records from and then see them live the same week. Maybe even bump into them in the beer queue. This kind of access gave me a total buzz in 1981 and still does. Thanks Flying Nun and The Bats for helping to give me a legal birthday buzz and I return the good wishes for your month long celebration.
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Nice.
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to 3410,
Michael Laws was off air yesterday and his radio employers would not say why.
Not there again today.Good.
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Here's a start -- The Alpaca Brothers' Legless EP, which is here on this MP3 blog until the glorious day when Flying Nun re-releases it. 'The Lie' is still one of my all-time favourite Flying Nun songs.
I ran into Bruce Blucher once, late in the day at the Big Day Out (yes, I was trollied) and gabbled excitedly to him about the record. I think he was appreciative but slightly taken aback.
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Actually, here's a challenge: can we work up a theoretical track listing for a FN Obscurities compilation?
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Hard News: Flying Nun: Thirtysomething, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
I woulda liked to have heard some Marie and the Atom, This Sporting Life and Naked Spots Dance on there, too – still I guess ya can’t bend the laws of time and space just to suit my desires
It might be a bit tricky to get all the permissions, but it would be great to do a really good compilation of the more obscure stuff. Naked Spots Dance's 'Governed By You' is on the 25th anniversary box set though, trainspotters.
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The Bats were really great on Saturday night at the King's Arms. The new songs sounded really good and it was apparent what a big part of them is Kaye's lead guitar and vocals. Lovely tones, the both.
They encored with (of course) 'North By North', which was blazing. 'North By North' is The Bats' 'Point That Thing'. Sayin'.
And also, I shot 'Fingers of Dawn' from the new album on my fancy new phone: