Finger on the pulse? Selling-out? Keeping it real?
Frankly thats all wank.
Hell, I aint got my 'finger on the pulse'. I'm thousands of miles away.
But I do know that I have met plenty of NZ music supporters that arent into jam packed, sweat drenched, smoke filled rooms. If you dont have the imagination to work out that there are just as valid ways as going to gigs that you can find out about and support NZ music, then its your problem, Mana, and not mine.
Also I dont think I have ever heard an Anika Moa song so Touché.
>ah yeah whatever. I didn't say there were 'imcompetencies' merely that I experienced it at the time. I'm not suggesting he is unqualified. I am suggesting that a figure such as Bomber with his approach is always (and quite rightly) gonna cop a lot of flack. And I think thats righteous.
You're right. I dont really think we have a huge difference in opinion here. It's definitely true that Bomber should expect (and does expect) to cop flack with his approach. I do however think that the vitriol in this case is a little pre-emptive (yes, just been watching the presidential debate). I really dont think there will be any huge change in direction or sudden drop in quality of RIU. Their owners wouldnt let it happen. I also think that Bomber is capable of the job and is commited to NZ music. I would have thought that was what we would all want most for RIU.
and...
>'imcompetencies'
Well, it seemed like a real word at the time. Hey, I'm in America...everybody speaks like that here...aint you heard the prez?
>Bomber should expect a lot of "vitriol" when he is a highly opinionated person in a broadcasting role that reaches many young NZers.
yes, woe betide anybody prepared to express an opinion, huh? And, Dust, please do point out the glaring incompetencies at craccum that makes him unqualified for RIU for us non orklanders.
>I never see him at any gigs. Unless by NZ music you mean the Feelers.
Sure thing. Its so true that unless you're seen at gigs you clearly dont like NZ music. Fuck, I'm sure you havent seen me at a gig lately. What does that say about me?
Whoopsie daisy. I think I am mistaken about Sicoffthecat's political leanings. Sorry dude.
Everything else stands, tho....
I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the outburst of vitriol regarding Bomber as new RIU editor. I suspect, though, that this is by folks who know nothing about his print journalism skills. Plus, its not like RIU has much room for political content so I very much doubt that RIU is going to turn into 'Socialist Worker' anytime soon. Plus if I'm not mistaken, the guy that announced this, Sicoffthecat, comes from the other end of the political spectrum. Would he be "delighted to have him on board" if Bomber was going to use RIU as his lefty rant rag?
It's pretty clear that Bomber loves NZ music, which would be the number one thing that folks on this list should care about in a new RIU editor. Surely?!
Maybe we should at least see what the next couple of issues of RIU are like before shooting our mouths off about how its all going downhill.
Just a suggestion. Huh?
Yeah, Emm. I think its fair to say that they have pretty much decided to pack in anything outside of NZ/Aust. I dont imagine that they will ever release anything or play live outside of NZ/Aust again. Except, maybe for some expats in the UK.
Just like Jordan Luck.
Mt. Maunganui is not too far away from Hamilton, eh? Happy new year! :)
I have to say, I'm a little sad. The reversion to Shihad represents to me that they have decided that they have climbed as high as the'yre going to go and they've pretty much decided to do the same things, play to the same audiences etc. Same goes for bringing in GGGarth again. I thought they are better than that and that they could take things further.
Oh well, at least they tried.
There's always Mount Maunganui on new year's eve for the next decade. Hey, it worked for Jordan Luck.
I think you must have been sitting in a kiwi corner of the gig, cos from where I was sitting it was american accents all round.
I'm also not sure how much (of any) of the fare was put up by NZ government agencies.
We-hell
It's been a quiet year so far for NZ artists playing at this little corner of Amerrikkka, but the first NZ artist in Boston (area) for 2004 has been just announced and its the Datsuns at Lollapalooza. To my knowledge its the first NZ group to play Lollapalooza. It might actually prompt me to go.
The Datsuns Lollapalooza dates are...
Sat 07/17/04 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Thu 07/22/04 Ventura, CA Ventura County Fairgrounds
Mon 07/26/04 Englewood, CO Coors Amphitheatre
Thu 07/29/04 Tinley Park, IL Tweeter Center
Mon 08/02/04 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Thu 08/05/04 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre
Mon 08/09/04 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
Thu 08/12/04 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post
Sat 08/14/04 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center
Mon 08/16/04 New York, NY Randalls Island
Wed 08/18/04 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center At The Waterfront
Sat 08/21/04 Atlanta, GA Turner Field
Tue 08/24/04 Dallas, TX Smirnoff Music Centre
Its....
Johnny Wharton
Boston University Medical Center
80 E Concord Street K412
Boston
MA 02118
Thanks dude! I'm in NZ in September, and will be trying to track down Rhian and Jeremy (50hz) for a spot that I'm doing...will be trying to find you then.
Yaay for Rhian!
Go on Mikee, please sendus a copy for the 'Sofa Sessions' on WTBU in Boston, MA. Pleaaaassssseeeee!
This is awesome, guys. I hope you do some more US dates! If not, I am going to try my best the be there in Chicago!
Looks to me (from my little computer in Los Angeles) like the tour is all off. Is this true? I'm very sad if its so. :(
> oh. do scientists go to bars? :-)
Havent you seen me down at the Matterhorn in my lab coat?
Speaking as a scientist (albeit a mad one)...I have to say it really pisses me off when clearly a large chunk of the arguements against GE (including many of the above) are essentially not about GE at all, but against captialism. Please people - recognise the enemy. I am not the enemy.
I believe in GE. I believe that in the hands of underpriveledged(sp?) nations this could be a great tool for raising the standard of living and quality of life in many ways. But, funnily enough in the hands of big multinationals - like so many other things (eg oil, medicines, pesticides) - it can really suck.
Banning GE is not going to stop big business from fucking up the world - I dont think it would even slow it down.
So why has this discussion not been moved to the bar yet?
I'd have to say bollocks too! I live in a place where the bars have been smokefree since the beginning of the year. (Boston, USA) and if anything, the amount of gig goers have increased. The feel of fresh air at a gig is such a beautiful thing. My feeling is that this is an excuse and not the real reason. I think that it is quite understandable that running a place like the Temple where the margins are wafer thin might put you off continuing that risk, but give us the real reason - it is such a cop-out to blame the government!
They toured with Yo La Tengo about 2 months ago. I dont know the sales stats, but I imagine it was a decent size but not as much as, say, Pacifier.
What is odd about this whole article and discussion is....nobody said that NZ music was big in the US. I'm not in NZ so I dont know what the media has fed you folks lately, but it has always been the case that the big breakthroughs by the D4 and the Datsuns were in the UK. I have thought that the Datsuns, the D4 and Pacifier had a good chance to breakthrough this year in the US, but to date this hasnt really happened.
Padifier in partichlar seems to have been badly managed and I personally think they could have done a lot better in the US than they did. I'm especially sad that they have given up on their stated aim of the last two years to keep pushing in the US until theyre too old to rock.
The D4 and Datsuns have definitely made good inroads into the US. They have built up audiences and are getting radioplay. I'm of the firm belief that if either band makes an album at least as good as their current ones they will be able to extend further their popularity here in the US. While the nu-rock may be a fad, I think that those groups that have a quality about them (like I believe both bands do) will be able to last beyond it. I should think that their respective record companies would be pretty happy with progress of late even with overstocking of CD's (the CDs themselves cost virtually nothing to produce).
So, overall I'm pretty optimistic that the D4's and the Datsuns can still do it. My fingers are crossed that they can.
Its a few days away from King Kapisi's New York city gig (along with Greg Johnson, Pine, and Wai 100%). A few months back there were comments along the line that the king would be doing a few more shows while he was in the neighbourhood...but I have heard no more about this.
Does anybody know?
Thanks
One more from me...
>//Also I dont think I have ever heard an Anika Moa song so Touché.
>She sings in Dimmer. (one of your favorite bands?) but you'd know this if you had seen them live recently. >Touché
Well, I guess I should have spent all my extra $$$ to travel 8999 miles to see a Dimmer gig. As I said 'my finger [aint] on the pulse' (whatever that means).
I'll just open up my CD, whaddayouknow, its right! She's on the album! Who wouldda thought those bits of paper that come with the CD are informative? Well, clearly Dimmer is no longer cool. I better go and burn all my Dimmer records/CDs.
Oh, but hang on, its a fucking wicked album. Maybe I shouldnt. Even if it has Anika thingy on it.
I guess I'm just not as cool as you eh, Mana.
Who would want to be?
(distance courtesy of indo.com)