Day 18 - Amount Raised - $8755, days to go - 13

It’s been a few days since my last blog and a lot has happened! We reached the target over a week ago now which is astonishing. You’re all amazing. We’re a breath from the finish line and still aiming to raise an additional $1240 to have enough to master the album as well. We’ll see how it goes but I’m so happy with having hit the target at all. THANK YOU!

The reason I’ve not been blogging is that I’m in Wellington visiting the NZ International Arts Festival as part of my new mahi. In the last few days I’ve seen 4 shows and had a chance to catch up with the talented people who made them.

The Performance Arcade.

The first night down I went along to Wellington’s gorgeous waterfront to see the opening of the Performance Arcade, an installation of performance artists and their work. Even on a cold, wet night the warmth of this installation was present in the skewered treats of fruit and pastries being offered by curator and team. The works themselves are interactive and provocative, inviting and confusing at the same time. Closes tonight so get along if you can.

Birds with Sky Mirrors.

This work from MAU Company and the visionary Lemi Ponifasio is sublime. I’m embarrassed to say this was my first time seeing MAU and their work but it certainly won’t be the last. The commitment of performers and dancers to their narrative and powerful delivery left me on the edge of my seat, much like a child seeing something exciting and new for the first time. The movement was fine tuned and spoke with a sharp subtlety, as did the cry for environmental responsibility that underpinned the entire show.

Masi.

An intimate insight into the life of writer and performer, Nina Nawalowalo. I loved this piece, which combined theatre, dance and the magic of illusion to present the remarkable story of her parents’ love. Quiet, charming, and with a lilting stillness that spoke volumes of the humility of the writer.

Michael James Manaia.

A one man work performed by Te Kohe Tuhaka and directed by Nathaniel Lees at Downstage, this was an epic piece of theatre. Filled with pain and tragedy but delivered through energetic truth and the cushion of humour. It broke my heart. The audible gasp that engulfed the theatre at the climax of the show made me glad for the karakia that opened the performance. Ultimately a show about love, this is a powerful work.

TU.

Coming straight from seeing Michael James Manaia at Downstage to Pipitea Marae for TU was an interesting way to transition from one story to another that dealt with a similar thread of the effects of war and separation on the capacity to love and generational cycle of loving through pain and loss. This is a beautiful love story, delivered by an incredible cast. I love the way theatre and good storytelling can access parts of your emotional fingerprint without asking your permission. Words and phrases that have powerful resonance for us all that dropped delicately in your lap force you to acknowledge all your inner workings. “Wider than the mightiest sky.” A line that keeps revisiting me.

There are more shows to come and I’m looking forward to them all, The Maori Troilus and Cressida, Walk a Mile in my Shoes, Words in Motion. I love my new mahi!

http://festival.co.nz/theatre/tu/

Day 12 - Amount Raised - $8280 TARGET REACHED Days to go - 19

WE MADE IT!!! Still registering the fact that in 10 days you all raised the target to mix the album! There are still 19 days to go now which means that anything earned above and beyond will be put towards the cost of mastering the album which comes in at around $2000. Regardless however THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Right. 3 days worth of blog in one and having just seen Silo Theatre’s “Top Girls” open last night at Q Theatre, I thought I would write about some of my favourite girls in the world. There are a lot.In fact as I sat down to type 95bFM was blasting one of my favourites…Kate Bush.

She may have contributed to the slightly kooky kinks in my otherwise smooth rationale but when I was about 7 or 8 there were two 45’s that were in regular rotation. The Wombles and Kate Bush. Suffice to say, Kate through longevity and persistence won out.

Favourite Kate Bush songs: And Dream of Sheep, Cloudbusting, Kite

There are two Nina’s in my life, my Grandmother and Nina Simone.

I queued for 3 hours to get a ticket to see Nina Simone play her last show in New York at The Beacon Theatre with two of my dearest friends. Only one of them came to the show, the other stayed to have a catch up and then departed once we had our tickets. It was one of the most incredible concerts I’ve ever been to.

Nina was Queen and that was that. We did what we were told for fear she might wander off stage and not come back on again. We applauded when she indicated it was time to do so and were silent when she gave the look that can only have been developed over many years of having to be tough. I’m glad in my lifetime I got to see her perform.

Favourite Nina Simone recordings: Pirate Jenny, Black is the Colour, Four Women, Come Ye, For A While, See Line Woman

The first time I saw Mahinarangi Tocker was being interviewed by Liz Gunn on an early incarnation of Good Morning. She had just released her self titled album and played “Boundaries of Safety” on an electric keyboard. I was an instant fan. The timbre of her voice, the sparkle in her eyes and the depth in her lyrics. I’m still a fan and miss her dearly.

Favourite Mahinarangi songs: Make Up, Love Me As I Am, Rain on the Roof

If you have time, go and see Top Girls and celebrate the women in your life.

Dave Mason laying down some drums

Day 9 - Amount Raised - $7355 Amount Remaining - $580 Days to go - 22

One of my best friend’s has always talked to me about collaboration. Collaboration is key he would say down the phone. It was usually about that time in the conversation that I would find distraction somewhere else, look around the room, check the computer, anything but listen to the value in what he was saying. The young egotistical and somewhat fearless version of me, believed that ultimately if you wanted something done properly, you had to do it yourself. Well that’s one way of doing things.

I have since (and many times over) learned the value of working together.

This album as with all my others, is a result of working with some beautiful people.

David Mason and The Catch 22 of Groove.

Writing songs that groove need a groove to begin with. Dave brought all of that into this album. He would get a feel for a song and lay down some initial ideas and then build on it from there. In some cases it completely altered the initial song ideas, in structure and certainly in text, so it provided a new foundation for me to work from. Of course this is no new idea to most people, but it was an enjoyable experience for me and welcome respite from sitting at the guitar strumming ditties and wondering if they might go well with a fast beat attached.

Day 8 - Amount Raised - $7035 Amount Remaining - $900 Days to go - 23

Today’s blog is dedicated to the people of Christchurch, who one year on are still experiencing the trauma and hardship of facing a major tragedy. My heart goes out to all of you affected by this devastating earthquake.

I was born in Rangiora and lived in Kaiapoi until I was 10. My mother is a Christchurch girl and my Grandparents lived there until they passed away a few years ago. My Grandmother had a biscuit jar that was as full of biscuits as she was of love and my Grandfather tended the garden with as much care as he devoted to all of his family. The garden was immaculate and fruitful, and the pantry was brimming with sugary treats.To me they were Nina and Dida.

My father taught at Papanui High School for many years and the city is an important part of the person I am today. I saw my first opera in Christchurch at the age of 10. Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote - The Magic Flute” with the recently passed Christopher Doig. I had my first Souvlaki at the Arts Centre with my Grandmother and some time after experienced the joys of a pork bun at the same place. I saw Charlie’s Aunt at The Court Theatre and biked through blossoms in Hagley Park. Christchurch gave me more than passing attractions though. I started learning to read music there, and my mother taught Flute at the CSIM. I learnt to swim, coached by Doris Ward and trained in the winter at QEII Aquatic Centre and I had my first hydroslide there too. I also had my heart broken for the first time in Christchurch. I was probably only 8 years old.

Tomorrow when I’m going about my day, I’ll be thinking of you Christchurch and saying thank you for all that you’ve given me, and figuring out a way to adequately give back.

Day 7 - Amount Raised = $4415, Amount Remaining = $3520, Days Remaining = 24

Well over halfway now with the fundraising and getting more and more excited about the impending mixing! Aaron Nevezie arrives in the country very soon from New York and we are both looking forward to getting onto the next stage of this album. Still have to raise those remaining funds to get there though!!

In addition to starting a new album and blog, I’ve started working out at a place called SpecForce. I started about a month ago and have been going almost every day. This in itself is remarkable given that I managed to get out of having to do Physical Education at High School by doing Correspondence music. Apart from being on the swimming squad, I really didn’t enjoy doing PE at school. It wasn’t the teacher’s fault, I just didn’t like it. I thought there were a million more interesting and fulfilling things I could be doing. This Nek Minnit lasted 20 years.

At the risk of sounding like some patronising recent exercise convert, SpecForce has changed my life for the better. I was taken along by a friend of mine who convinced me with one statement…”Dude, I have abs now!”. My journey to abs is going to take significantly longer, but the progress I’ve made so far is the reason I keep going back. The classes are an hour long and never the same. They exhaust and challenge but never bore. The other people in the class are all at different levels and all encourage each other to achieve greater results. Scott and Dan who take the classes are committed to changing the way fitness and exercise are viewed. I’ve been going to gyms for years with varying degrees of results, but I have never enjoyed exercising as much as I do now or had as rapid results as I’m experiencing.

www.specforce.com

About three days before I left NZ to go back to New York I went online to see what shows and gigs were going to be on while I was there. Having not been a tourist in that city for so long it was a fairly strange experience to have to go looking for gigs but imagine my joy and surprise when the first concert I saw advertised was for Feist at BAM! Boom!

I pulled my Credit Card like a pistolled gunslinger and booked the very last ticket available for the show! Only $30!!

Feist, Steph Brown, Emily King and Paul Taylor.

The night of the show I called a dear friend Steph Brown to catch up beforehand and it turned out she was going and had a spare ticket. I immediately called my friend Emily and offered her the ticket I had bought so we could all go and see this magical artist. Turns out her drummer was none other kiwi Paul Taylor who had I met a few years back when he was just getting ready to move to Berlin.

I couldn’t have been more inspired to see him take the stage with one of my favourite artists.What followed was a somewhat spiritual experience. The Gilman Opera House transformed from recital hall into Feist’s lounge and we were all invited to progressively break the wall between artist and audience until the night ended with a 60s love in, and 70 or so people sitting on the stage during the encore, much to the annoyance of the sound man who had to finesse the fact that someone had sat on a cord and unplugged the whole setup. It was a magical night. The music had depth and purpose and Feist made us all feel like we were free to be ourselves and brave enough to do so. 

Day 4 - Days to go - 28. Amount raised - $2385. Amount to go - $5550.

Fear of rejection is an ever present fact in the daily life of an artist, a human for that matter. Last night I had a conversation about Accepting friends on facebook. Have you ever Friend Requested and then been denied/ignored and wondered why? The fragile ego substitutes all manner of reasons for just such an occurrence, apart from the obvious….I don’t know you…yet. I have both been the denied and the denier (is that a word?) and it’s weird either way. Starting this pledgeme project was like that. Will anyone click accept? Will anyone share? And so on.

The Brave Creative.

Once you have honesty with yourself about a project, a desire or an idea, finding the courage to tell other people about it is the tough next step and ultimately the most liberating. Of course you may not always enjoy the response you get. Does this shirt make me look fat?

Joy in your decisions will set you free. Not a shirt. Is this shirt as awesome as I feel?

Waiotahe Beach in Opotiki

Day 2

Another remarkable day where the generosity of others provides inspiration and motivation. With all this excitement about making an album I thought today’s blog should focus on the songs themselves.

Inspirations.

The last time I recorded an album I spent a great deal of time forming ideas about the concepts surrounding the material. The songs came in rapid succession over the course of 2 or 3 years and all had a resonance of the same kaupapa around them. It was easy therefore to group them under the banner of “Sir+Plus and The Requirements”. This time however was far more abstract a notion.

I wanted to make an album that sounds like the coast. Hmmm….okay then.

Opotiki is my hometown and the Tairawhiti region houses all my iwi so the first coast that I am referencing (at least in my head) is the East Coast. I love this place and every time I’m back there I think it’s the most beautiful place in the world, not because it looks like something fancy on a postcard, but because it has a rich and rugged quality to it. The other East Coast for me is New York City, just as rugged and beautiful in its own way.

Musically then I wanted to make something that could show its beauty without having to be pretty, not that there is anything wrong with being pretty.