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Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Music of the South Pacific

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If you’re interested in broadening your musical horizons, which is one of the the things we’re all interested in here (well, when we’re not wallowing in our nostalgic meanderings into the past) – then check out the link below. It’s an excellent and well researched piece about South Pacific music, on the always excellent Audio Culture website.

Growing up in NZ Polynesian music was all about Maori songs like Pokarekareana and Hoki Mai, and Howard Morrison doing his hokey act (all together now “I want to live in a Maori car, I want to live in a Maori car…”). In this clip he’s the handsome guy with the girl checking out the wonderful Maori Quin Tikis.

https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/pacific-romance-rhythm-of-the-islands-part-one?fbclid=IwAR1EB1t2QtbBaeehTtTYOQuZlmcdMH0LIEEyfDoJX_rXTsm6Wa8WJLTzbtA

Heavy Metal Haka

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Alien Weaponry are a young white metal band from New Zealand, who emerged a few years ago as winners of a couple of “Battle Of The Bands” type competitions – Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats, both huge events in NZ. Their combination of what sounds to me like typical heavy metal, Maori lyrics and trademark headbanging/hair twirling has been massively successful. I love that they incorporate the traditional New Zealand Maori haka into their performances, actually teaching it to the audience.

As you were…

New Zealand (jazz-)rocks!

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For a small and allegedly sleepy, backward civilisation, New Zealand’s musical community has great taste. Here are a bunch of Wellington musos who seemingly got together recently to perform a load of Mahavishnu Orchestra covers. Several have just appeared on YouTube. Hurrah!

The players are:

Hannah Fraser Johnny Lawrence Daniel Hayles Tyson Smith Shaun Anderson

The Mahavishnu Orchestra performed only two concerts in New Zealand (in their Mk2 version, in 1974). It seems their trip was not wasted.

Why do I not post here any more?

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I love this place, or I thought I did.

But somehow recently I have not felt inclined to post anything, either as a comment or starting a post.

It’s partly because I’m 12 hours behind (ie I am in Australia) – there are often wonderful raving loony conversations that I discover first thing in the morning and by the time I think of something vaguely worthwhile to say it’s all over.

But also, I don’t know, something’s gone, and I’d be the first to admit it’s “just me”, maybe I just don’t care enough about debating essential music questions of the moment. Or political or social questions. Or maybe I’m just too busy with having a life, which is not to suggest at all that the regular posters (the clique?) don’t.

That’s all. I don’t expect anyone to make any comment, I’ll quietly be my own thread killer.

I’ll still check in, cos I love you all.

But just wondering if anyone else feels anything similar.

Kraftwerk’s first gig – did the audience like it?

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i don’t really know much about Kraftwerk – I sort of like what they’re on about, and I quite liked “Bahn-bahn-bahn-der-Autobahn” back in the day.

But I love this footage. Serious German music fans from the 70’s, who really want to hear Somezink Mit Ein BEAT, they love to CLAP. But they also appreciate ze good art ya.

In the 70’s I was in New Zealand, and the UK for a couple of years. The look of the audience is familiar. They seem very – I don’t know, accepting? And also urging the band to play something exciting (which they sort of do).

I’m still confused, 40 years on…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv09NXOyOoU