NEW Zealand rock n roll will be celebrating 35 years of Its own series of concerts at Carlaw Park. Organised by Auckland promoter Hugh Lynn and rock writer John Dix(the concert series is based on Dix’s recent book, Stranded in Paradise on the history of Kiwi rock), Kiwi Rock Stranded in Paradise will feature a series of eight con certs starring many “famous old names.

It will coincide with the running of the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. First up, on January 13, will be The Devil’s Music RockS Godzone,starring the likes of Johnny Devlin, Dinah Lee, Maria Dallas and Tommy Fergusson,

The Swinging ’60s concert on January 17 will star Max ‘Merritt and the Meteors, Ray Columbus and the Invaders and The La De Dogs a combination of former members of The members of The La De Das and The Underdogs.

One January 21, The ’70s concert  the will star the reformed Street Talk, Hello Sailor and Mi-Sex. Blerta and Friends on January 23 will revive the ghost of the old hippie roadshow with Bruno Lawrence, Jenny Morris, Rick Bryant,The Croeediles,Mammal,Corben Simpson and Beaver getting together again.

On January 26, alternative music will be to the fore with The Best of Flying Nun and on January 31 The’80s will feature six acts of the last decade (still to be announced).

Local musical institution Herbs will feature in a retrospective on February 4, with Ten Years of Herbs. And the concert series will end on February 10 with Rocking Into the ’90s. The format is still to be finalised.

Southern  bands to make splash

Christchurch Bands DoIpIria. and the Catherine Wheel team up together for shows at the Venue this weekend. Both bands have tracks featured on Pagan Records’ recent left field music compilation positive Vibration and have made independent cassette good airplay on student radio.

Morris kicks off ‘Shiver’

Jenny Morris kicks off the New Zealand leg of her Shiver tour tomorrow night at Devonport’s Esplanade Hotel. Playing at the “Powerstation on Saturday, she then takes  a Christ-mas break before heading down country. The band includes Kiwi and former Mockers keyboard player Tim Wedde.  The former Crocdiles singer says  after  the Australasian travels to promote her latest album, which is still. in the top 10 here and across the Tasman, she could be heading to South East Asia for a promotional visit  then basing her self in England for a few months.

Morris says she’s already thinking of the next album: “Any spare moment I get I always thinking of new songs I don’t know when  the recording of that is going to happen.”  Morris is work, with INXS songwriter Andrew Farriss again on her third solo effort.  ”But he’s’  just started on their new album so we are going to have to be very clever with our time.”

Have a loud Christmas

Quite a few people.seemed to agree with Colin Hogg’s choices for the albums of the year, judg ing by the hundreds’of entries we got for our giveaway contest based on his selection either that OL people are desperate to have their Christmas gifts shopping done for them.

Anyway, the lucky winners receiving a dozen albums each in their choice of format are: Michael Harris of Mangere, J Subritzky of Mt Albert, and Mark Moss of Mt Albert, and Mark Moss of Devonport.

Congratulations to the winners, Your prizes will be couriered out to you during the next few days.

*Choice*

LIVE: Jenny Morris – Esplanade Dec 15 Powerstation.Dec 16. All the best Australian pop sters seem to be New Zealanders.

ALBUM:  Upper HuH Posse Against the Flow The first LP release for new label Southside Records,the -first New Zealand rap album. But it’s not only important, it’s good.

VIDEO: The Wizard of Speed and Time Delightful kooky comedy about a special effects genius which spoofs Hollywood while bubbling along with good old slapstick and crazy characters.

TELEVISION: Going in StYle (Saturday at 8.30pm on ONE) – three oldies turn to bank,robbery when boredom gets too much for them.

FILM: Young Einstein – Yahoo Serious’This – epic home movie is the funniest and most imagi native summer flick so far.

Herbs to Tour with UB40

By Simon Johnson

Herbs And UB40

Reggae band Herbs may tour with the English group UB4O later this year.

Herb’s manager Will Ilolahia says UB40 wants the Auckland-based band as its support group when ‘it tours Europe in November.

“But whether we can go hinges on finance,” says Will. “If we can get it organised,we’ll be off.” This year has been an exciting one for Herbs. Following hot on the heels of the UB40 request, is an Announcement from the Department of Foreign Affairs that Herbs has been chosen to represent New Zealand in the Asian Arts Festival.

Hong Kong is hosting this year’s festival in late October. Herb’s appearanee in Hong Kong will follow close behind their Pacific tour. The group is leaving for the Pacific on August 25 where it is scheduled to visit six Islands, ending with performances in Tahiti.

“We can’t wait to get up there,” says Ilolahia. “They think we’re all country musicians down here. They’ve only ever seen Brendan Dugan.”

Ilolahia believes the climax of the tour will be the band’s visit to Tahiti.

“We’re especially keen to get there so we can say what we feel about nuclear bombs on our doorstep and the burying of nuclear waste,” he says. “They say there’s no danger from this but talk to anyone up there.

They know it’s having effects.”

Polynesian Airlines are sponsoring Herb’s Pacific tour but the group still has to raise the money needed to freight its equipment.  To help raise this money and to finance the tour with UB40, Herbs is launching a support club. For an annual subscription of $6, the club offers members a free copy of Herb’s next single “Meteli”, and the chance to buy the band’s future records and promotion products at cost price.

“We’d like to see Herbs supporters get right behind us and help,” says Ilolahia. “They’ll be helping the whole New Zealand music industry.”

Ilohia says Herbs has been dedicated to developing a unique New Zealand sound in a Pacific context.

“Our melodies, guitar riffs and drumming styles are truly Polynesian,” he says. The group is now receiving  strong  interest  from overseas publishers and recording companies but, ironically, is still having trouble drawing the audiences it so badly needs back home.

Herbs is competing with bands prepared to pay $10,000, for the privilege of touring with UB40. Herbs are actually being paid $100 each time they perform with the English group.  Herbs and UB40 met

at last year’s  Sweetwaters  Festival and Ilolahia   says they immediately established a strong affinity with one another.

He says UB40 saw Herbs struggling with similar problems:  the fight for finance and the difficulty of creating its own authentic Pacific reggae sound.

Genesis follow lead of Phil Collins

Genesis : “ Abacab” ( vertigo).   Tony banks and Mike Rutherford are not stupid – or proud. If Phil Collins can be much more success ful than they are quick enough to capitalise on his success for Genesis.

If Genesis’s latest epic is not the son of  “In The Air Tonight” it’s at least the illegitimate offspring.   Those huge drum beats which  crashed out of Collins’s album echo in “Abacab,” although the irony is that it was the influence of ex-Genesis leader Peter Gabriel that got them on  to Collins’s record in the first place.

Instrumentation by the other two is kept to the minimum so as not to overshadow the vocals of Collins, while they even repeat his use of the Earth, Wind and Fire horns for “ No Replay At All” and his composition “Man On The Corner” could have been an “In The Air Tonight” track.

But the most important feature is that “ Abacab “ is much simpler than the normal overblown Genesis effort – again a Collins influence. They’ve actually tired to sound as if they are improvising too ( sample “Who Dunnit?”), something which will shock their fans who are used to the strict disipline of the old days.

They still write little Scenarios, which either iritate or spellbind depending on whether you are a dedicated enough fan (try “Me And Sarah Jane,” which goes on ad nauseum).

Genesis have managed to play safe. By repeating bits of Collins’s solo effort and at the same time put on abrave face of at  at least attempting to break the old ground rules.

That virtually equal amounts of “Abacab” fail and succed is due to what  seems to be at least an attempt to progress, throwing out various curves in the hope that a few are caught.   I can’t see it stopping the rot that set in a few albums back, but I at least salute their attempt in trying. Meanwhile when is the next Phil Colins solo coming out?

Time out Rock Music With Dave Rogerson

Herbs headed straight up

When “Pacific reggae” band Herbs formed late in 1980 after a musicians’ meeting  in a south Auckland classroom, they decided top plan for international recognition.

Time Out Rock Music with Dave Rogerson

Sure,  we’d heard it all before – there probably isn’t a band in New Zealand that hasn’t dreamed Of fame. But Herbs suceeded where many others failed.

Now, after four succes sive appearances at Sweetwaters, support gigs for Stevie Wonder,Black Slate and UB40 various singles, two albums, national tours ‘and two Pacihc itineraries (one including HongKong), the band can say it has achieved its aim.

And it shows no sign of quitting now. Herbs recently finished recording a third album “Long Ago”, at Auckland’s Mascot Studios, The album is for summer  release and the band is currently on a ” Long Ago NZ” national tour to publicise it.

Over the past couple of years, the band has had some line-up changes, but the founding duo of Dillworth Karaka (rhythm guitar, vocals) and fred Faleuauto (drums, vocals) is still there to provide continuity.

Other member  are Jack Allen (bass,Vocals), Tama Lunden (Keyboards, vokals) Carl Perkins (percussion , vocals), Willie Hona (lead guitar, vocals) and Morrie Watini (saxophone) Any song written and recorded by New Zealanders and released in this country between August 17, 1984, was eligible for nomination by record companies.

There were 26 nomination, which were for warded to all commercial radio stations, where local panels selected their top 10 songs.

]]> http://kiwirock.co.nz/2010/06/24/herbs-headed-straight-up/feed/ 0 viradoang Herbs headed straight up http://kiwirock.co.nz/2010/06/24/americas-bad-boys-are-here/ http://kiwirock.co.nz/2010/06/24/americas-bad-boys-are-here/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:08:29 +0000 viradoang http://kiwirock.co.nz/?p=607 ]]> The Waikata Times 15-Dec-1988

America’s bad boys are here

Rebellious hits shot raunchy rockers to top

By STEVE SCOTT

Guns ‘N’ Roses, America’s  bad boys of  hard rock who will perform in Auckland  on Monday night, are a  bunch of rowdy, raunchy, gut-level  rockers who live  on the streets  of Hollywood and put their experience to music.

Members of the band Duff  “Rose”  McKagan,  Slash, W  Axl Rose, Steven  Adler and  Izzy  Stradlin admit  that tension is part of  their daily lifestyle.

From the confinement of dressing  rooms to the luxury of hotel rooms  “mood swings”  can happen  at any  time resulting in bottle of vodka being thrwon  from  wall to wall as tempers  explode.

Somehow, their  tension, which forces lead singer Axl to travel  separately to and from concerts to avoid  friction, spills over into their music. And  It’ s the  Gunners’  rebel lious  music that in  October,  shot them to the  top of the Billboards album and single chart.

The album Appetite For De struction was originally released in  July last year, along with their single Welcome To  The  Jungle,  but both  were  rejected  by  American radio stations and MTV becouse they felt  the Gunners’  music was too hard.  Young people, however, began to buy the album and Guns ‘N’ Roses began to support  bands in- cluding  Alice Cooper,  The Cult, Motley Crue  and  Aerosmith.

Within  a  few months  MTV started  to change its mind and Welcome To The Jungle dominated music television.  It is also fea  tured  in Clint  Eastwood’s  latest  Dirty Harry movie, The Dead pool.

After  more than IO months on the Billboard chart,  Appetite For  Destruction finally broke into the top 100. Soon after  the  album  shot  to the top  where  it remained  for  three  straight weeks.

It has now sold over  five-and-a-  half million-copies  and  Guns ‘N’ Roses  has become  only  the fourth hard-metal  band  to  also  top  Billboards’ single  chart with  Sweet  Child O’Mine.

Slash, Izzy, Duff and Axl have, been  in  and out of bands since age 14 (about 10 years ago).

Guns ‘N ‘ Roses new  album  will consist of four  tracks from Live?!  Like  A  Suicide – their 1986 EP and four new  acoustic songs  including  I  Used  To  Love Her, But I Had  To  Kill Her – the title of which is bound to stir up controversy.

Izzy says “we don’t really care if people think we have a bad attitude.  We’re  the only  band to have come  out  of  LA  recently  that’s  real.  And the kid knows it.

“We’d rather be unknown and live in Idaho than  to have someone tell us what  to play  and how to make it.  We’re  working  on everything  we want our way….all the money,  all the power,  and all the control  over  everything.”

‘All-age rage’ to help street kids

Hamilton band Johnny and The Phantoms will headline a concert at Skateworld on Friday night.  The “all-age rage”, which in cludes performs Graham Brazier and Sonny Day, is to raise funds for street  kids.

The Phantoms,  who hope to  record  their debut  single  early next  year,  have  been  together – albeit 51  line-up  changes- for  three  years. The current  line – up is frontman  Ray Stroud  who  says  ”there are two  types of music,  blues and rubbish”.

On rhythm  guitar and keyboards  is John Stroud,  who also  writes the band’s original material. Drummer  is  Les  Beale  and  bass  player Ray Chaber. The Phantoms  have  been  resident  at  Highlights  Lounge  (Ziggy’s R & B Club)  which they formed, for  the  past  12  months.   The band performs  original  material  early  60s  British  R & B.

David Bowie teeshirts

“Fashion turn to the left, fashion turn to the right” – and these teeshirts are sure to be the lates fashion with David Bowie fans. The shirts have been printed by the Levin firm, Classic Textile print Ltd. David Bowie opens the New Zealand part of his seriuos  Moonlight Tour Tonight at Atlethic Park in Wellington.

David Bowie teeshirt

Mr Les Jensen (holding the finished teeshirt) and Mr Les Thomson worked around the clock to finish the order of 5000 teeshirt in two days.

Made in Levin

Special train for rock fans

When 250 David Bowie fans from the South Island arrive in Wellington for his concert on Thursday the train that brought them will wait in Picton to take them back

David Bowie TwoSheet Poster

for this is no ordinary train. It is the Otago Excursion Train – the only train in New Zealand that can be hired. Though hiring a train may seem a costly exercise, it is becoming increasingly popular clubs or large groups of people, according  to the Otago Excursion Train Trust.

It has carried Young  Farmers to their annual conference, Scouts to their jamboree, and now – for the first time – rock fans will be its passengers.  Seven years ago,it was impossible to hire a train in New Zealand. But train enthusiasts believed there was a market for private hire. So they got together to try e make their dream a reality.

It took three years of negotiation to get the unconventional idea of hiring a train “on the rails”, But it happened.  Since then the enthu siastic members of the Otago Excursion Train Trust have been working to renovate old carriages. Most of these were built about 1920 – some are as old as 1912. Many had been written off as too decrepit .But after months of work, and around $2O,OOO a carriage,each one of them gradually got a new lease of life.

Serious Moonlight Poster

The trust has 11 carriages and buffet car, and can carry 480 people in all. The trust’s home is the railway yards of Dunedin  Railway Station where it is hoped to build a cover workshop eventually. Now the trust is also building new carriages on old rail chassis. They are not as romantic as the old carriages, but a great deal more comfortable.

The latest venture is building a carriage for disabled passengers. This should be finished about Christmas and will be the first railway carriage for the disabled in the country. It has utilised an old for chassis, but is otherwise entirely designed and built by the trust.  Outside,  steel cladding is used for easy maintenance. Inside,it will look rather like a classy tour bus, with upholstered seats. There are large windows, lower than usual, for a wide view of the countryside.

But’there the resem blance to a tour coach ends. Some orthe seats can be removed to allow wheelchairs to be used. and anchored by a clamping device. If the disabled person person prefer to transfer from wheelchair to ordinary seat this is easy, too. The wheelchair can be taken away and stored for the journey.

A ramp gives easy access to a wide platform at the rear of the carriage. There are wide doorways into the carriage and there will be permanent paraplegic toilet fasilities. The carriage for the disabled is expected to cost $21,500. The idea for it come at the time of Telethon. Subsequently a Telethon. grant of $7500 was awarded to the trust towards the cost.  The buffet carriage, assesntial for the long journeys that the rainundertakes,was designed and renovated by trust members from an ol guard van.

The first big charter was three years ago wheh the Otago Excursion Train brought Scouts from the south up to Napier and Hastings for their jamboree. “This Was what made us look more closely at the charter business,” said Phillip Rowan, the only salaried, full-time worker for the trust.

Rock Fans Hire Excursion Train

When 250 David Bowie fans the South Island arrive in Wellington for his concert on Thursday the train that brought them north will wait in Picton to take them back.

For this is no ordinary train it is the Otago Excursion Train, the only one in New Zealand that can be hired.Though hiring a train may seem a costly exercise,  it is becoming  increasingly  popular for clubs or large group of people, according  to the  Otago Excursion  Train Trust. it has carried  Young  farmers  to their  annual conference,  scout  to their  jamboree,  and now – for the firs time – rock fans will be its passengers.

Seven years  ago  it was impossible  to hire a train in  New Zealand.  But  train enthusiats  believed  there  was  a  market  for private hire. So they  got together  to try, to make  their dream a reality. It  took  three  years  of negotiation to get  the unconventional idea of hiring a train “on the rails.”  But it happened.

RENOVATION

Since then  the  enthusiastic  members  of  the  Otago Excursion Train  Trust  have  been working to  renovate  old  carriages. Most of  these  were  built  about  1920. Some are  as old as 1912. Many had been written off  as  too decrepit,  But after month of work,  and around $20.000 a carriage, each one of them was  gradually  given a new  lease of  life.

The trust has 11 carriages and a buffet  car,  and can carry 480 people in all. Its home is  the railway  station, Where it is hoped to  build  a  covered  workshop eventually. Now  the  trust  is  also building new carriages on old rail chassis. They are not as romantic as the old  carriages, but more comfortable.

The lates venture is building a carriage for disabled passengers.  This should be finished about Christmas, and will be the first railway carriage for the disabled in the country. it has utilised an old  chassis,  but is otherwise entirely designed and built by the trust.  Outside, steel  cladding is used for easy maintenance  insaide,  it will look rather  like a classy tour buss,  with upholestered  seats. There are large windows, lower than usual, for a wide view of the country side.

But  there  the resemblance to a tour coach ends.  Some of the seats can be removed to allow wheelchair  to  be used and anchored by a clamping device. If the disabled person prefers to transfer from wheelchair to ordinary seat this is easy, too.  The wheelchair can be taken away and stored for the journey.

A ramp gives easy acces to a wide platform at the rear of the carriage, There  are  wide doorways into the  carriage,  and there  will be permanent  paraplegic  toilet facilities. The carriage for the disabled is expected to cost $21.500.  The idea for it came at the time of telethon.  Subsequently a Telethon grant of $7500  was  awarded to the trust towards the cost. The buffet carriage essential for the long  journeys that the train undertakes,  was desaigned and renovated by trust members from an old guard’s van.

FIRST TRIP

The first big charter was three years ago when the Otago excursion train brought scouts from the south up to Napier and Hastings for their jamboree.  ”This was what made us look more closely at the charter business,”  said Mr Philip, full – time worker for the trust.  “In fackt it is the excurtions that keep us going.  They really make local runs possible. We run about 40 trips a year, and are looking at the possibility of a regular,  scheduled run now,” Philip said.

“I think it is becouse we have such marvellous  scenery round here that an excursion train, like ours, has forged  ahead  and been so  successful. “After all, you go north of  Dunedin  and there’s all that spectacullar cliff secneray, South  is equally scenic, and then there’s the attractive country towards Alexandra.”

Mr Rowan is helped in the long task of renovation and building work by the Government’s P.E.P (project employment programme) scheme. Train buffs give their expertise in the evening or weekends, and they make up the local member ship of the trust.  “One of the most encourging aspects of our work,”  says Mr Arthur Rockliff,  treasurer and convenor of the operations side  of the trust,  “is thet we experience no vandalism  on the Otago excursion train.”

Mr  Rockliff works in the bulk tonnage section of the Railways. He is encouraged  also by the fact that the local community is behind the trust.  People obviously see the tourist potencial.

SUPPORT

A local company has just given  the trust $2500. The Lions Club has  promised  the proceeds from an auction. Since the trust is always in  a  state of penury – it tried to keep charges for day or weekend trips as low as possible – this local  support is welcomed.

“The major part of the cost of any excursion is the hire of the locomotive,  guard and loco crew from the Railways,”  Mr Rockliff said. ” All other personnel on the train are trust volunteers.” Enthusiasts come from all walks of life. Two of the executive commintee are women  -  Ruby Bamberry and Ruth Gamble. Ruby is active in organising the buffet and Ruth helps organies excursions. Many families are members.

Fourteen-year-old Anton Lorenzon’surge to quench his thirst landed him in Sydney last week for a private concert by rock star Jimmy Barnes. The Totara Heights choolboy was one of 24 New Zealanders who wen among 300 competition winners flown from around Australia and New Zealand for a private rock concert at Sydney’s Overseas Shipping Terminal, Circular Quay.

The gig was part of a’Summer under cap’promotion by Pepst-Cola, Participants had to collect bottle caps with the words moon,light and rock to enter. Despite a record number of entries to the Moonlight Rock competition Anton scored the jackpot with his collection of caps.

Although it was Anton’s second visit to the city it was the first time he had won a competition or seen Jimmy Barnes live in concert.

“It was good fun. He’s a pretty good singer.”  Before  the concert Anton and the other competition  winners,  one only six years old, were taken from their  hotel on Sunday to board a ferry for a twilight cruise of the harbour.

After the cruise, the guests entered the Overseas Shipping Terminal via a tunnel of lasers that provided a spectacular-lighting entree to the concert.

As well as enjoying one of Australia’s biggest acts this summer, Anton says the free food and drink was a highlight.

South Aucklanders  will have the opportunity to see the famous rocker during his forthcoming Barnestorming tour of New Zealand (sponsored by Pepsi) which features Iggy Pop, Knightshade and Choir Boys performing at Athletic Park,  Wellington on February 3.

As well as heaving this year’s b,st-selling instrumental album, guitarist Joe Satriani is a member of Mick Jagger’ band. EVE FLAIN spoke to Satriani by telephone in Melbourne about Jagger, the concert in Auckland this. Saturday and his solo career.

“You’ve always gotta be careful when you’re around Mick. You never know what he’s going to do, he may wanna jump on top of you,bite you – you never know.

So says ace guitarist Joe Satriani of working with superstar Mick Jagger on his Australian and New Zealand tour.Satriani is enjoying his time as a member of Jagger’s band and is I looking forward to their only New Zealand concert at Auckland’s Western Springs on Saturday. The iguitarist has never been to New Zealand…

Satriani says Jagger is’an excellent entertainer and band leader. “He’s very, in tune with the audience and it makes for a good snow. For us, he has a really good sense of timing, he can improvise any arrangement.

“Mick has really good energy and the bands stay creative because of that.

” A guitarist who has taught the likes of Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Steve Vai from David Lee Roth’s band, Satriani had to wait before getting the nod from Jagger. “Mick’s bass player, Doug Wimbish, met me in Chicago in the summer of ’87 and was the first one of the Jagger group to recommend me. He kept plugging away but it was not until January 1988. They decided to bring me in for an audition.

“Satriani said he has started a lot of friendships as well as professional relationships by working in the Jagger band. As for being invited to play on Jagger’s next album Satriani is not sure. “Anything’s. Possible but we’ve not discussed it. “Satriani achieved worldwide chart success this year with his second album, “Surfing With The Alien,The album, written, arranged and produced by Satriani, made the top 40 here and was in the top 100 in the U.S. for 46 weeks.A guitarist for 18 years and always with a leaning to the heavier side of rock, Satriani believes the current heavy metal/ hard rock revival is good for the’music industry.

“Any time music from the past, come to speak, comes back it’s healthy. Any time new music comes on the scene it’s also very healthy. I regard all trends as just a really good cycling of ideas.