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KiaOra

Check out demos on your preferred music service
Check out the you tube channel for limited array of clips
Follow link to previous noticeboard posts    Link
Trace artists listed on spotify  playlist  Conkradio - current




t.L.I.P.

BigEars says : Burning Spear - shining rasta light check it.
TitBit : Fortunate enough to catch this legend in the intimacy of the PowerStation J.F.A. land
Nandor Tanczos the maraujana party MP took great pride in introducing him to the stage.
Much less hassle smoking reefer in the mosh in those days.
Last Wailers gig in the same venue - security were marching people out left right & centre !
You are being watched - Orwellian.








T.G.I.F.

BigEye says : Dumpling check it on your screening service
TitBit : Thought I was about to watch another heartfelt version of Precious from the preview.
Astounded when I recognized little miss Amorica ;the friendly bombshell  ; Rachel when she appeared.
Not a huge fan of those RomComs she is Queen of - really need to find the mood for them.
Must admit I probably would have flicked past it if I had realized she was in it.
The hand of fate -& the discovery of a gem as well as a new found respect for the Hollywood Icon.
More to the nipple than meets the eye -She CAN act
I have come across a snippet on how she was once keen to be a Bond girl.
No brainer move for her camp - a disaster move for the franchise .
She would have simply sucked the oxygen out of every scene she was in.
There needs to be a certain mystique to a bond girl.
Someone that has already touched the world with such a successful sitcom
simply won't cut it - the catch 22 for the management orchestrating her career .
Check out her recent speech inducting her pal Sandler at the
People's Choice Awards
Definitely not a gong show guy but this is cool chic .
 
Link


The SilverFlame -there for Streisand & up for an award herself a week later
S.A.G. awards


Huntington Beachoney
Drop to all platforms March 1 st




BigEars says : Bonnie Rait  check it
TitBit : Queen of slide - I've heard Joan Armatrading marvel at her skill while
interviewing her in a BBC radio show .Kick myself to this day for missing her tour date here
with Sheryl Crow.
A vast slew of collaborations but check out her performance with Lowell George &
the Feat fellas.
This is a  link to a live performance for PBS this week end .It won't become available on the site
until after the performance so keep into consideration down under we are a day ahead So think Tuesday .
Austin City Limits

BigEars says : Listen up
Oh my how the tide has turned .The studio is dead & long live LIVE performance.

 
These bugs famously took shelter in the studio once their live gigs became  such a
screaming joke they couldn't even hear themselves playing !
Paul Weller has lamented the way new acts seem satisfied with one successful bite of
the cherry instead of camping out in the studio as the JAM used to ( they were prolific though ).
The tidal wave of daily releases with the streaming model sees an industry awash with product.
Magic royalties a thing of the past.An artist has to sing in front of an audience for a pay checque.
Max Norman producer/ engineer of note  " There's no point in making world class records anymore .
the future is in live music "
Personally I have always gravitated to live lps as a measure of an artist.
My old fart gripe these days - the absolute forest of cell phones always makes me think twice about
forking out my hard earned cash now.
Caught Jack White at the Jackie Gleeson theatre in Miami .
He told the audience to put their phones away & the stage was bathed in a UV blue.
Checking the idiots I phone next to me the screen was just blued out.

Live the moment stretch your mind memory.


Rick Beato
Check out his channel on U Tube for in depth muso analysis.
Walkin' the Walk tribe.

BigEars says : How do improve on a well cut & polished diamond ?
You let Sheryl Crow cover it of course .
By no means up there with a Kate Bush collaboration and one could be forgiven
for asking well why bother ; it doesn't stray too far from the original
to which the petite nightingale would answer - it is very personal to HER.
Digging in the Dirt the Peter Gabriel anthem off So. Revived.
Her band would cane this Live !
Check it.


Link

t.L.I.P.  Karl Wallinger - whiz kid behind World Party passes .
TitBit : Lot of respect for this guys body of work.



Real World sessions with Peter Gabriel at his side.
Spot the kiwi connection in this clip.
Big Ball Project - Karl & Peter
Live - radio performance
Big Blue Ball
Whole Thing



T.G.I.F.


Rare pic of Sinead in heels ??
Happy St Patrick's Day
In Your Eyes

BigEars  says : Godfathers check it
TitBit : Late 80's grooves no filler release from the suede heads of London town cool.
Always really liked the album art for this - didn't last long though
someone ddin't get the right permissions (stateside )
I assume the same nightmare the stones had with the initial
cover art for Some Girls  in  78

 
Link
Live @ one of my old stomping grounds -Town & Country Club
Kentish Town - London

Big Ears says: Slade - Alive check it .
This LP was always accompanied with a be considerate to your neighbours advisory sticker.
Only to be played LOUD.
TitBit : That live gig/studio contradiction rears it ugly head yet again..
Their manager Chas Chandler recognized the problem  he had.
Glam Rock darlings with a string of singles chart success
that bore no resemblance whatsoever to their Metal live sound.
This is the guy that brought Hendrix to London  to let him loose upon the world
So you count on his solution to the problem to be inventive.
He organized a series of club gigs over London & recorded them.
Invitation only - a control on the hysterical element to their Glam Rock fan base.
Hence the tuxedo mosh.
This album alone reached out from the drivel of top forty wasteland
to grab you by the balls/coochie & stake their claim as Heavy Metal titans.
This early 70's release stands the test of time .May be a bit of a sham gig but hey
the evidence is on the vinyl.
The original issue single LP packed a real punch the swathe on the re -issue somewhat overkill.
Despite numerous attempts these guys never found a footing in the States.
Dee Snider covered a later single of theirs Cum Feel the Noize with Quiet Riot
which pulled a rotation on MTV.

Link - Doco



tL.I.P. Bruno

Blast fromthe Past : Memory of Bruno Lawrence Kiwi celluloid/ muso icon.
TitBit : Darling of that hippie Psychodelia era of the 70's.
Pounding the skins most of the time for bands I was fortunate enough
to catch him in a backstreet bar stretching it out on a saxaphone .
He faced the drummer with his back to the audience  through the whole gig.
Ran in to him several years later in an overcrowded sleepy suburban pub.
I shouted him a beer & he was gracious with his time nothing
but a wry smile peeled across his face as I recounted the story.
Huge dark saucer size eyes  & course baritone voice projected himself
way beyond his slight physical stature.
His onscreen presence - the stuff of legend.
He passed away not long after.
The short lived crocodiles with Bruno & Jenny Morris : Link - Tears
The theatrics of Blerta : Link - Come dance around the world

Bizarro: cringe factor off the charts :the Easter appearance of my mate Panda .
From within the depths of an old abandoned / neglected suitcase ( a relic in itself )
with only old athletic prizes & a series of college rugby first XV photos to call company .
All the women came & went but Panda is still  here.
I am NOT even interested in what a shrink has to say.

  
Nearly a 60 year gap.
We have had Jack Black popping up all across the media busting out his Kung Fu Panda moves.
even hitting the stage to do a number with Dave Grohl  & the Fooz
Link Jack Black/Fooz
Link PandaRing

BigEye Says : the Kill Room check it.
TitBit : If by chance you haven't already stumbled across this - worth the time.
Ringing the Taratino bell in much the same vein as a Guy Richie production does.
Uma Thurman as only she can pull off a scene with Sammy L lurking in the background.
Thurman amongst the extended list of production credits that get these projects across the line these days.
Job security as the content war rages



BigEars says : Peter Wells  -Everything you like trys to kill you - check it
TitBit : Good old Oz pub rocker with Rose Tattoo connection. t.L.I.P. no longer with us unfortunately.
Only ever had a cassette copy of this ( one of the very few rescued from the bin ) & it's not available on any
streaming service so a treasure for those vinyl hounds.The copy of  The Meaning of Life that is available -a little wanting.
Wore this out in the early 90's Infectous slide with a rustic vocal His version of Rock n Roll outlaw trumping the Rose's.

   
Link ; Betwwen the Saddle

BigEars says : Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs - check it
TitBit : Hard to believe it's 50 years since it's release in April 1974.Every Sunday evening a radio station from  the closest
city would feature an hour long show  produced by the BBC in London U.K.It would always feature  the latest releases from
artists that would never make it to our local  radio playlists. The added intrigue was that the reception would only come in crystal
clear at night and our car radio was primo - so it was a late night mission out  to the garage at  for me. My parents thought I was crazy.
This propelled the hard working trio into sold out arena shows stateside, May be it was the obvious Hendrix comparisons or the sea change
against that stadium rock but I don't think Trower ever got the recognition he deserved.His early gig with Procal Harum gave no hint
whatsoever  to his virtuoso brilliance as a guitarist..Absolutely bummed to have missed him play the final gig for the Golden Bear ,
HuntingtonBeach Ca in the late eighties before it was torn down .Expected that to be my lost chance to witness him tear up
the fretboard .But he is still touring & releasing new material to this day ! All the better for it - often smaller more acoustically
sensitive venues .I've seen him twice in Sth Florida in the 2000's .Make the effort if he is gigging near you. !!

 

Link Rockplast performance 2005  



LestWe Forget
the scourge of war and a deep sense of LOSS 

BigEars says :Deep Purple - Made in Japan - check it.
TitBit : First released in April of 73 What is termed as the mark 2 line up of band members and for alot of fans
the definitive line up .Captures them live & on top of their game  The first of several departures of Gillan & Glover
at this point raise more than a few eye brows .These are the guys that resisted smoke on the water being released as a single.
They pushed themselves towards brilliance only to be quite dismissive of the results.
I want to say Gillan was involved with a production of Jesus Christ Superstar  sometime over this period too.
That Gillan scream - a moment in time a child as it were ( couldn't help myself)
This band seemed to be always a tumbleweed of political egos & agendas wrapped in a dollar bill.
Ritchie conspicuous by his absence  from their Hall of Fame induction .
Caught them mid 2000's  but for Steve Morse on the fretboard a MarkII lineup. 
that scream  dampened to an echo of it's former glory.

 
the anniversary re issue features an extra lp & a bold black outline

 
Machine Head

Link Child in Time
Link Jesus Christ Superstar



T.G.I.F.
must be time for this guy to come in from the cold now ?

BigEye says : Vengeance a B.J.Novak puppy - check it.
TitBit :If left field is your comfort zone then indulge yourself if not just for the John Mayer cameo which he pulls
off brilliantly.Most musicians struggle for an on screen presence like a fish out of water. Can't put my finger on it
but I felt like I was  being led through a Woody Allen dialogue or was it just the New York thang ?
Amusing quirk enough not to be a yawn from the writer/director/star.
Where do I know him from again ?
Link - Trailer

t.L.I.P. : Dicky Betts Allman Bros axe man.
TitBit :More of a curiosity on my own radar I actually prefer the edge of Govt. Mule as a go to for that
Whiskey sound of the south with Haynes the connection between the two bands.
I have caught Widespread panic at the Jackie Gleeson theatre in Miami .
The lineup of these Florida bands seem to inter mingle in a similar way the Seattle scene
meshed musicians. The improvision  of their live shows reminiscent of Garcia & his west coast crew.
 A bit technical perhaps for the average  music fan but this fantastic interview with Beato shines a light.


Link ; Warren Haynes

BigEye Says : the Diplomat a netflix series - check it.
TitBit ;Been around a while now but worth a mention but for the fact I'm on my 3rd revisit & I will rarely watch anything
more than once.If three dimensional chess & the room full of mirrors of the world of the politic are your bag - jump in.
I am surprised not to see more coverage of the series .
Keri Russell really owns her part  blooming from her role in the Americans series as does Rufus Sewell from the Man in the High Castle.
In fact the casting is pitch perfect with some really interesting characters to develop
While the den of iniquity that is the world of the politic  is fertile ground to harvest from
the team of writers for the series manages to impress . Americans crashing into that English
divide always a source of amusement Hasn't been sandbagged by Netflix
so another season is in production.Check out the movie Page 8  for a weaker comparison. & it's  tinker taylor affect.

BigEars says : Reb Fountain tripping through GodZone over the end of the month - check it.
TitBit : Cover of Pauli's smash How Bizarre released to coincide.Minimalist lacking any sort of punch of the original
which is not all bad - serving that exquisite  moody vocal she has perfected. I'm loathe to do this but I'm drawing a parallel
with the Cowboy Junkies haunting cover of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane. Pissing with the big boys now from the Tuning Fork
on to the  Powerstation for her Auckland fan base.



Bizzaro : The Rickenbacher A 22 the worlds first mass produced solid body guitar affectionately known as
the frying pan.



TitBit : George Beachamp - a Texan & leader of a Hawaiian band wanted his lap steel guitar to be heard
above his fellow musicians .Teaming up with Rickenbacher this was the patented result that snowballed  on to the world .
Midieval to Metal : the art & evolution of the guitar .
Whirinaki Whare Taonga  till  September.
Small exhibition on loan from the National Guitar museum stateside.

Iommi 's signed SG a feature.
for the curious.

  
AcestralGroove
Dropping to all platforms July 12

   
theManu
Looking for a mid August release date


T.G.I.F.



Hot ticket if you are livin' onthe fault line - double vinyl release party - Saturday.
TitBit : Set to impress since Wellywood Loop days in the late 90 's Moody Groovsters
Quinessence - the real winner for me .
theNOMAD

BigEars says : the way they were - Kristofferson shines a light .


Interview
Janis - Bobby McGee



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