Peter gutteridge: The man whos life is in one chord. Dunedins real legend. No one has done it more honest that this man.

John Halverson: the guitar playing genius.

shayne carter: The song writing genius

bob scott: the nicest man in music

dino karlis: the nicest honest helper angel he makes HDU magic.

steve albini: says be honest at all costs no matter if everyone hates you.

Ian mackaye : dust says i wank about this man. He built something honest from music.

ian curtis: the greatest singer of all time.

Drunken, dirty ol' Kim Deal, and all the magnificent mess that is the Breeders/Amps back catalogue.

Basically, whenever I see a live act, I get inspired to get up and do something myself... But a few of the artists that have been big inspirations over the last couple of years, in no particular order:
Mogwai, HDU, Grandaddy, The Phoenix Foundation, White Stripes, At The Drive-In, Trail Of Dead, The Datsuns, and all the musicians I've been priviledged enough to play with.

Actually, I think my biggest musical inspiration has come from interacting with my band members. Taking each members inspiration and combining it with everyone elses and coming with one big inspired thing...

And... oh yeah... Mogwai...

With a name like mine you have to say big ups to Brendan, Joe, Guy, & Ian as the ultimate inspiration, but Radiohead are also way way up there. With Kiwis taking it to the world and showing 'em how its done, Nathan Haines is a class act. While I'm thinking Garageland, frightfully underated but they have taken their music to some amazing places.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE: I always feel inspired by this list of performers, but I could never nor would ever come close to making music the way they do... I feel weird even posting about this stuff.

Kevin Shields/Debi Googe (??) My Bloody Valentine. Words just can't... well you might know what I'm getting at already.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (spelling??). Amazing energy, flawless, pure...

John MacGlauchlan and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. I fully dig this band- technically adept to the point of almost complete chaos- I love their chaos! Awesome music for driving through the busy city in the rain.

Alastair Parker, Bailterspace. I will never forget the day I was listening to 'Get Lost' (Robot World) in the car on the way to work, and it all suddenly made sense... It was like this blinding, white light. I couldn't believe it was in there hiding from me for so long!

Page Hamilton, Helmet- specifically the last minute and a half of 'Milquetoast' from the album 'Betty'- they tap into something there that I have not heard anywhere else, both machine-like and trancendant.

Trans Am- keep an eye out for this band if you haven't already. Pure fuckin genius.

And finally just for fun, Keith Richards from the 'Stones. Oh, and Tom Petty- some might gasp at having them in the same paragraph, but these guys do similar things for me, it's Rock done properly.

I knew I should'nt have posted, I feel like such a dork... ah well, so be it.

DUDE what bands you guys in!?
i will have to come and see you play.

i will add to my list: john lydon. Simple genius.
and lemmy from motorhead: honest true rock

[ y ]

As a drummer, John Stanier (Helmet), Sebastian Thompson (Trans Am), Brent McGloughlan (Bailter Space). Plenty of others as well, but they my main three.
For musical value: Bailter Space, Trans Am, Guided By Voices. Did i mention Trans Am?? Too cool!

yer, but ya cant mention your own music and your own influences - well i guess ya kinda influenced by your past. RIP drainage, the best lil' exp electro-rock act ever.

best song ever

Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Cause I speak of the pompitous of love

People keep talkin' 'bout me, baby
Say I'm doin' you wrong, doin' you wrong
Well, don't you worry baby
Don't worry
Cause I'm right here, right here, right here, right here at home

Cause I'm a picker
I'm a grinner
I'm a lover
And I'm a sinner
I play my music in the sun

I'm a joker
I'm a smoker
I'm a midnight toker
I get my lovin' on the run
Wooo Wooooo

You're the cutest thing
That I ever did see
I really love your peaches
Want to shake your tree
Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the time
Ooo-eee baby, I'll sure show you a good time

Cause I'm a picker
I'm a grinner
I'm a lover
And I'm a sinner
I play my music in the sun

I'm a joker
I'm a smoker
I'm a midnight toker
I sure don't want to hurt no one

Wooo Woooo

People keep talking about me baby
They say I'm doin' you wrong
Well don't you worry, don't worry, no don't worry mama
Cause I'm right here at home

You're the cutest thing I ever did see
Really love your peaches want to shake your tree
Lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the time
Come on baby and I'll show you a good time

or you could just kill yourself now

Tom Waits~ fucking sound songwriter
Martin Phillips~ can write the most catchy tunes that will never sound dated..
Bill Direen~ NZ's forgotten pioneer
HDU~ fucks with your mind
Arab Strap~ on a par with HDU, but drives you to drink...
Ween~ for making music your parents detest

Negativity is a great inspiraton! hmm oh and bands like SOAD, sepultura/soul fly/nailbomb, blind melon, dead flowers, jon davis, dave mustaine, prong, baz, type o negative hugely!!

lest me not forget the absolutely awful NZ acts on the telly every 5 mins.. not to be uncharitable but Rubicon... please!!!!!!!! they're up there with the wiggles..

I get inspired by so many bands/artists. But it depends on my mood. But i find Radioheads older stuff, makes me wanna jam with some mates. especially my iron lung,paranoid android, no surprises etc..
radiohead is brilliant. But I find i go for a nice bit of rock here and there. LostProphets make me wanna smash up my guitar, and i love our countrys homegrown kiwi talent al the time. that gets me inspired wiht ease. I guess nz music is an inspiration all on its own. no matter whether it be pacifier or bleakhouse or tadpole it definately gets me going. gotta love it...