Venue:
The Northern Steamship Company, Quay St, Auckland
Date: 13/11/2017
Personnel: this was pretty much a scratch outfit, four expats who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Any fears that they might not gel were dispelled right away by a riff on a shared favourite album which came to no real conclusion but segued into a rollcall of favourite Afterword keywords: Bowie, Zappa, drummers, Stones, Depeche Mode, Stevie Wonder, H P Saucecraft, various aspects of politics, life stories, living in ANZ, and plenty of other things I can’t remember. Drink was taken, toasts were made, and bollocks was talked non-stop for about four hours.
[Interlude] Two nights earlier Nick and I found ourselves in a funky if hard-to-find basement on the edge of the Red Light District (allegedly) listening to a series of piano players doing their thing. Highlights included a young girl with the face of an angel playing Monk, a young Frenchman playing Mernk, and another young chap with a full range of blues faces playing an astonishingly difficult Scriabin piano sonata from memory. The main attraction though was none other than Mousey, playing selections from his Abbey Road album and chatting engagingly about how and when he came to write the pieces. Anybody who knows this album will know that an excellent time was had by all – if you don’t, you should. When he finished to enthusiastic applause we made our excuses and left; the event was scheduled to go on till 1am…[Interlude ends]
Having closed the first pub (a reflection of Auckland’s strange licensing laws rather than our behaviour, which was gentlemanly to a fault) we adjourned to the Fox for more riffage, and in due course were ejected from that too. The Fabbish Four went their separate ways into the night, swearing eternal friendship and whistling that old mingle jingle.
The audience:
Wasn’t that interested, to be honest. They spent most of their time putting chairs on tables and swiping glasses away.
It made me think..
How a shared interest in H P Saucecraft can engender instant companionship and good chat. TMFTL? I do hope so, perhaps on the other side of the ditch with a few more of the Oz mob next time.
Forgot to identify personnel: L-R @nickduvet, @mikethep, @mousey, @black-celebration. Here’s Mousey in action.
Great photo!
Ludwig Van Mousey.
Further to the Interlude – firstly thanks for the kind words @mikethep. I should add that young Zoe, the angelic faced Monk player, was also a singer and did a couple of jazz standards plus an excellent take on Joni’s Edith And The Kingpin (unfortunately Mike and Nick had – er, adjourned to a nearby watering hole for this part of the evening).
After my set I stayed to hear the wonderful Jonathan Crayford play a completely improvised solo set. Check him out, he’s done several albums of his own music, and a Monk album.
We found a nice watering hole just off K Rd (dodging the adult entertainment shops close-by) and so missed the Joni song, a favourite of mine but there we are. The rest of the show was terrific though, as Mike said.
Right, so let me get this straight, Nick – you and Mike chose getting blown by a crack whore over listening to a sensitive rendition of a Joni tune? I mean, if I’ve got this wrong, then apologies … but, you know, that’s how it’s looking to anybody with the faintest ability to read between the lines …
Doesn’t make us bad people, you know? You make it sound so sordid
Wait, you mean it’s NOT another Take That reunion?
Oldboyzone
*sniff*
Mike, did you get that transfer okay? Two mentions @ 10 Oz dollars per, right? Only I’ve been having a bit of bother with the bank.
Nope, no sign of it. Not that surprised, frankly.
Great to see that this thing came off..and they said it would never happen.
Look at that, the three of you are drinking beer, and Mousey is already on the neat vodka.
#respect
Er…it’s actually Pinot Gris. He may be an artiste to his fingertips, but he’s not a pisshead.
More of this!!!!!! Old men drinking and talking bollocks. A man on a plane from Detroit to Austin is kinda jealous.
What Mike said. Jolly good evening with fine gentlemen. Must do it again in this part of the world.
Indeed we must. Great that we could see you perform Mousey, that was a treat. BC and I didn’t have to venture very far on this occasion, whereas Peter flew from Sydney (to play music) and Mike from Brisbane (to talk bollocks with us). Good effort guys and looking forward to the Great Oz Mingle in 2018.
Sounds like a great night out guys – good to see that you lot in the Southern Hemisphere are as follicly challenged as we are.
Speak for yourself.
Are we going next year?
Lock up your big sisters ☺
Lovely write up of four hours that felt like four minutes. I am glad actual Auckland nightlife was experienced by the three lads. I was at a family wedding in the Other Island that night.
There was a self-imposed ban on looking up stuff on google which meant we couldn’t be absolutely sure who did what voices on Yellow Submarine. So here is that list in full:
John Clive as John
Geoffrey Hughes* as Paul
Peter Batten as George (uncredited)
Paul Angelis as Narrator / Chief Blue Meanie / Ringo / George
Dick Emery as Max / Lord Mayor / Jeremy Hillary Boob
Lance Percival as “Young/Old” Fred
*also played Stan Ogden’s lodger and fellow waste management specialist, Eddie Yates.
My, you are a handsome bunch of fellows.
Oh put it away, Tigger! Nobody’s interested in your winkie.
This is nice. Cockles warmt.