Posts by Grant McDougall

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  • Hard News: Music: The Passing of Vega,

    I too was lucky enough to see Suicide in London, in '98 at a gig at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the John Peel-curated Meltdown Festival.

    An excellent electronica trio, Add N To (X) opened up, then Suicide followed, playing all of their debut, plus a few songs from their very under-rated second album. They were bloody amazing.
    Unfortunately, they were followed by the Jesus And Mary Chain who dull as hell.

    As an aside, my mates and I noticed a guy down the front with really long hair and wearing a tie-dyed Hendrix t-shirt. We all agreed we recognised him from the NZ music scene, but we couldn't quite put our finger on it.
    Later, on the bus home, the penny dropped - it was the ex-bass player from Wellington punks Flesh D-Vice...

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Hard News: Friday Music: The Curse of…, in reply to Hebe,

    Caroline Easther was drummer in the first half of the 80s for how long I don't know. (She was flatting with a friend.)

    Er, second half, actually. She would've replaced Alan Haig who left in '85 after the 'Leather Jacket' single, then she would've joined in '86, played on Brave Words in '87, left, in, '88 (IIRC) due to tinnitus, and was replaced by James Stephenson who drummed on Submarine Bells and left himself in late '90 or so.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Hard News: Ali,

    Norman Mailer's book The Fight is a superb account of The Rumble In The Jungle, too.

    Regardless of what you may think of Mailer as a person (personally, I thought he came across as a blow-hard) or anything else he wrote, it captures the lead-up, the fight itself and the key people brilliantly.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: The Teapot Moan Scandal…,

    The PM has described the monetary settlement as "a small amount".

    Obviously the exact figure is confidential, but I'd love to know what a ballpark figure for this amount is.

    Does the PM mean "a small amount for a multi-millionaire like me, so $50, 000" or does he mean "a small amount like $1000" ?

    Any punts on a figure, please ?

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Speaker: Data Love or: How I learnt to…,

    Ok, cheers, good to have that clarified. Whew !

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Speaker: Data Love or: How I learnt to…,

    Fascinating read, cheers. However, does Hillary have an Achille's heel ?
    I was talking about her chances the other day with a friend and he pointed out that she may still be arrested over the Libyan embassy fiasco. Therefore, this would prevent her from running.

    My friend may be wrong and have the wrong of the stick, but it'd be horrible if that was to happen, or even the threat of it.

    As for Trump, I would so love to be a fly on the wall when he either loses the nomination or the election just to watch the humungous tanty he'd throw.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Hard News: The flagging referendum,

    I'm voting to keep the current flag, mainly for two reasons.

    The first is that the proposed new flag just looks ugly and is a design nightmare. It looks like the sort of thing that a fifth form design student would rattle off when he / she had forgotten to do their homework last night.

    The second is - I'll be completely honest here - I want a free kick at the PM.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Hard News: Friday Music: You are among friends,

    I'm pleased a handful - as such - of Prince's NZ fans got to see him, but why in such a smallish (given his status / popularity) venue ?

    He could've packed out Vector Arena, surely ? I can only assume his management were badly advised as to potential audience size / popularity ?

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Speaker: A Better Man,

    Good read, thanks Grant.
    A mate of mine used to play club cricket against Brendon and Nathan's father and he said that at every game his two young sons would be there practicing their batting and bowling. Even that early you could see their talent and determination, he reckons.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Hard News: Mt Eden: Not a closing but an…, in reply to James Littlewood*,

    Ah, yes. Maybe not. Despite the bollocking we received, I believe the crater is both tapu and environmentally sensitive.

    Fair call. (In mitigation, I did this only once 15 or so years' ago whilst visiting Auckland).

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

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