NZ Rock'n'Roll History

THE ENSIGN 21^st November

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 Continue reading ‘Rock Fans Hire Excursion Train’

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MANUKAU COURIER, Thursday, January 26, 1989 page 13

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.

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The Christchurch Star 3rd Nov 1988

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… Continue reading ‘Ace guitarist enjoying Jagger Tour’

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8′ O clock 9 July 1983

IT’S A CASE of South Auckland cabaret singer meets streetwise Polynesian reggae band.

By: WAYNE MUNRO

In  a slightly unlikely marriage of musical styles, Herbs and Willie Hona have joined forces. The 29-year-old Hona, who reckons he’s played probably every pub in the country – plus a heap of clubs – in his 13 years in the business, shapes as a new front man for the re-formed Herbs.

It seems the promise of a confirmed tour of Polynesia in August, HongKong dates set for October and a possible European  tour with UB40 beyond that, is keeping Herbs

alive. The Hona addition is only one of the major changes to the group’s lineup, after two unsettling months when the band teetered on the edge of a permanent split.

In the new Herbs (this must be Mk 3) Hona is playing lead guitar and saxophone, original member Fred Faleauto remains on drums, Jack Allen stays on bass while the two temporary additions to the band made for its South lsland tour early this year, percussionist Carl Perkins and keyboards player Tama Lundon are now permanent.”

They all share the vocals. Gone it seems are Spenz Fusimalohi, Dilworth Karaka and Mori Watene. For Willie Hona the timing of the Hona/Herbs linkup seems poor:  after all this time in the business, he’s he’s only just had his first single-a self – penned ballad, She Needs You released by WEA.

But  then, the man from Rawene, Northland, has switched from groups to solo performer throughout his career. He began with Mark Williams’band Face,in Dargaville, witched to , playing guitar behind Auckland cabaret, acts, became a solo artist with his.. own floor shoW … then, four years back, formed his own group the Hona Band.

For two years he’s been back as a solo performer doing, as he says, “everything, mate. I do the works actually.” Hona believes he has to offer Herbs all ability to together a better on stage presence, his vocal and instrumental abilities – plus his song-writing talents.

Although Hona has been doing only three originals in his act and hasn’t recorded anything until now he’s been writing songs for years.

Already he’s written three reggae-style numbers for Herbs. He’s hoping the Herbs association will get him to Europe and to the break through with a record, much faster than he could as Willie Hona, solo night club performer.

Besides, the band has agreed to do his new single and another as part of the Herbs act – and to let him do solo work that doesn’t clash with its gigs.

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Source: The New Zealand Herald, 3 January 1989

BY GRAHAM REID

As the man said: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” but any year that sees Run DMC, Miles Davis and Townes Van Zandt, Mick Jagger at the Gluepot and Pink FIoyd at the Springs has got to have something going for it. Davis was widely considered one of the best of times, the Neon Non Picnic scheduled for last summer one of the worst.

It was the year of the bimbette (Tiffany, Kylie Minogue. Debbie Gibson), of When The Cat’s Away (live, on the tele and in the Music Awards – everywhere in fact) and ageing rockers like Pink Floyd and Bryan Ferry still pulling crowds. In the late 80s even James Taylor and Don McLean got audiences in Auckland. And it was the year of cover versions, too.

Kiwi music came of age, again. Radio was still slow to catch on but the Holidaymakers, Tex Pistol, and Ardijah all got their well deserved time in the sun – Bailter Space, Headless Chickens and Straightjacket Fits all charted, too. despite an absence of airplay on stations which claim a lot for themselves but give away money to induce people to listen. The Fan Club did well.

Campus Radio and Aotearoa Radio tried to keep everyone honest and among radio’s finer moments in ’88 was hearing people ring up Aotearoa and sing to them. That’s a whole new ballgame. as they say.

And in spite of the small size of the potential audience in Auckland, the diversity of music on offer was extraordinary.

Little-known American artists like Butch Hancock and Steve Young pulled dedicated followings, the folk scene began the year with a couple of good concerts in the Art Gallery (but faltered thereafter) and the Gluepot and Rising Sun hosted the so-called Cassandra’s Ears, Bitumen Waltz, The Jean Paul Sartre Experience and, most recently, Sartre Experience and, most recently. Stephen – all working before audiences which knew what they wanted to hear and were seldom disappointed. Continue reading ‘Kiwi music came of age … again’

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