CRUMB #35

JUNE 2025

THE WORD

A SOUND OF JOY

We strike the match, we light the fire and pull up the chair to make the most of these cosy winter evenings.

We open the curtains though, let the moon glisten on the cold metal of the microphone. Then we hear it speak and sing. And the winter blues succumb to the sound of joy, to the warm heart dancing in the sweet embrace of this community thing that we have got going.

Let not this winter lock you away behind your front door. We have a few good things happening in the month of June. And our venues are always warm and always welcoming. So wrap up, step out and let the light of the moon lead you to an evening of song and poem at The Dangerous Kitchen, The Mussel Inn and NgAng’s Gallery.

All the details on the following pages.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

standing by winter

…light the fire in winter’s hearth
watch the spark leap and laugh
close the door, open the curtain
the moon outside is looking in
a cold tear slides down its face
a sad river, a heavy burden
won’t you button me in your coat
won’t you stand by me in the swirling rain
won’t you delight in my poem and song
tie me to the pounding of your heart
shun the misery of the broken stone
standing on bleaker street alone
shovel the snow from off the path
strike the match among the stars
and pull the dark, night sky down
within the reach of the dancing flame
eating wood with a crackling sound
rest easy in the old easy chair
hold the cracked cup of cocoa
in your shivering, shaking hand
and hope like crazy in the morning
that winter is just a red glow,
a spark still breathing in an old ash can
like how you once held my hand…

Mark Raffills

LIVE MIC ACTION

THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE in October

It’s day light saving time and we got to have some fun at the Kitchen with The Dangerous Microphone shining for all its worth!

Come to the DANGEROUS KITCHEN on Wednesdays, and be prepare to be entertained, challenged and informed by courageous performances and strong community connections.
For October the Open Mic Sessions will run all night on 1st, 15th and 29th.  30 Minutes of Glory spots will be on 8 October with Robin & Lauren Swafford and on 22 October with Andy Cole & Matt Murphy
Looking forward to Wednesdays at the Dangerous Kitchen where the food and beverage service is fantastic and the hostesses and hosts make you feel right at home. We pass the koha bowl to support our performers on the 30 Minutes of Glory evenings.  Here’s the programme – this page and next…

Wednesday 1 October
DANGEROUS MICROPHONE 
Open Mic all night: 6.00pm – 9.00pm.

Wednesday 15 October
DANGEROUS MICROPHONE 
Open Mic all night: 6.00pm – 9.00pm.

Wednesday 29 October
DANGEROUS MICROPHONE 
Open Mic all night: 6.00pm – 9.00pm.

PTO FOR 30 MINUTES OF GLORY PROFILES

 

 

THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE in October

LIVE MIC ACTION

30 Minutes of October Glory @ the Dangerous Microphone

Wednesday 8 October ROBIN & LAUREN SWAFFORD

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Open Mic: 6.00pm – 7.30pm. 30 Minutes of Glory featuring Robin & Lauren Swafford,  7.30pm – 8.00pm. Open Mic 8.00pm – 9.00pm.

Robin and Lauren have been playing together for many years in church, cafes and for dances. They  will thump, twang and warble their way through some well known ‘covers’ to sing (and dance) to.

Wednesday 22 October ANDY COLE & MATT MURPHY

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Open Mic: 6.00pm – 7.30pm. 30 Minutes of Glory featuring Andy Cole & Matt Murphy  7.30pm – 8.00pm. Open Mic 8.00pm – 9.00pm.

The A & M Radio Show comprises Andy Cole and Matt Murphy, assisted on occasion by helpful friends. The duo was conceived a couple of years ago. Both well into their dotage, Matt and Andy share a passion for making music that has only grown over the sixty odd years that have passed since their teenage years. Matt is an experienced drummer, while Andy coaxes big sounds from a beautiful Yamaha 12 String. His songs for the most part are unashamedly covers, but it is known he keeps a fair smattering of original numbers under his hat.

 

 

 

SCRIBES ON THE MIC

It’s on again! Revite Cafe in Motueka is inviting all poets, wordsmiths and spokenword artists to speak their hearts at the second instalment of their new open mic show.

SCRIBES ON THE MIC, this Saturday 4 October at the Cafe, 265 High Street (in the arcade), Motueka. 7.00pm. $5 entry. Come on down to speak some words or just have a listen, enjoy some tasty fare and beverages and mix in some delightful company – it would be good to see you there. MC for the night is NEAL BONNER.

MONDAY NIGHT SINGALONG IS BACK

Monday night sing-a-long with Craig Denham starts again at the Mussel Inn on Monday 13 October.  The sessions will run right through until Christmas. So bring your voice and love of song at 7.00pm every Monday. Acoustic instruments welcome too! And we might hear a story or two from Graig’s recently completed musical odyssey through Europe and Hawaii…

 

LIVE MIC ACTION

October Moonshine and Feasting

Here we go again with an explosive mix of pot luck feasting and moonshine on the microphone! It’s proved already that this is one kind of gathering we need and what a gathering we had last month. Come this Thursday, 2 October, we are dishing up another inviting pot luck feast along with poems and songs, at NgAng’s Gallery. 

The POT LUCK FEAST will start at  6.00pm. Bring some food and drink and hang out together and remind ourselves just how lucky we are to be in such a gem of a community.

And then, starting around 7.30pm, there will be the very fabulous and very intimate Moonshine on the Microphone open mic session.

Moonshine on the Microphone
Thursday 2 October 2025
NgAng’s Gallery
POT LUCK FEAST – 6.00pm
Open Mic – 7.30pm. Koha

October Moonshine and Feasting

LIVE MIC ACTION

ACID in October

 October’s edition of ACID ON THE MICROPHONE presented by Golden Bay Live Poets Society, gives ya poems, stories and music too!

Our Guest this month is universally-travelled story teller ROGER SANDERS – read about him over the page. Before Roger draws you into the magical world of story, the longest-running-ever open mic in Golden Bay will welcome one and all to tell the story of their own hearts through poem and song.

The open mic always uncovers  some unexpected treats as new and established performers present their work.  Participants can put their names on the performance list on the night. Musician alanjahjah will kick the evening off from around 7.15pm with dinner music to dine to.

ACID ON THE MICROPHONE presents
Open Mic from 7.30pm
Story teller ROGER SANDERS from 8.30pm
Thursday 30 October 2025
$5 on the door.  Mussel Inn

PS:In past years we have run a POETRY SLAM in October but this year we are taking a break from sending a Golden Bay/Nelson rep to the National finals which will be held in Wellington in November. We may be back next year depending on the level of spoken word performances our monthly Acid on the Microphone sessions throw up.

ACID in October

STORY TELLING MAGIC

IAN BROWN – unhinged improbability

Ian is a storyteller. He tells stories and he will be telling a few when he takes the guest spot at Golden Bay Live Poets Society’s June gathering.

Ian tells all sorts of stories –  myths, fables, fairytales, legends, yarns, parables, true story’s and of course fisherman’s tales .
Brought up in a working class town in Wales ( Cymraeg ) , Ian learned pretty quick the importance of being able to story your way out of or into a situation .
A lot of water under the bridge since then, a professional clown, a trained drama teacher and a busy Daddy. Ian tries, using often slightly irreverent mischief, to stretch the boundary’s of your inner world. He does this to highlight the archetypal magnificence of you in a world that is quite literally completely made of story’s and also as it happens (possibly not coincidentally) is completely made up.
Come and share an evening of unhinged improbability.

Note: This bio was NOT written using Artificial Intelligence

poet & story teller
IAN BROWN
Thursday 26 June
Mussel Inn
$5 on the door

IAN BROWN – unhinged improbability

COMMUNITY STRENGTH ON SHOW

July @ Aroha Ahora

July @ Aroha Ahora

LIVE AT THE MUSSEL INN

OCTOBER AT THE MUSSEL INN

Sat 4th
ALBI AND THE WOLVES – FUN RAISER TOUR.  tickets $20 door $25

Thurs 9th
QUIZ NIGHT – All welcome

Sat 11th
THE GREAT COMMISEBRATION –
Local council election day gathering. All sides welcome!  6pm

Sun 12th
SILENT MOVIES LIVE.  Charlie Chaplins “The Kid and A Dogs Life” accompanied by original scores. Tickets $30. 7.30pm

Mon 13th
He’s back!
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO
with CRAIG DENHAM – All welcome 7pm

Tues 14th
LORD ROCHESTER  –
Scotland’s Greatest Rock And Roll Band (Pictured left)
Tickets $30

Thurs 16th
ACID ON THE MICROPHONE
a BIG open microphone night

Mon 20th
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO
with CRAIG DENHAM – All welcome 7pm

Weds 22nd
ANTIPODES
$20 tickets $25 door

Thurs 23rd
QUIZ NIGHT – All welcome

Sat 25th TOO MANY CHIEFS
$30 tickets $40 door

Mon 27th
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO
with CRAIG DENHAM – All welcome 7pm

Fri 31st
THE RIWAKA HIGHROLLERS
$15 door

OCTOBER AT THE MUSSEL INN

Make Use of CRUMB

subscribe to CRUMB

In CRUMB you will find all the events sponsored by Golden Bay Live Poets Society plus a few other gigs and community happenings.

If you would like to be kept up to date with open microphone events happening around the Bay, then subscribe to CRUMB here

And you can even submit a gig or event that you want us to know about.

 

 

 

 

 

GOT A GIG, EVENT, NEW BOOK or RECORDING COMING UP ??

Got events or gigs coming up that you’d like to let CRUMB readers know about, please email the details, jpeg pics and jpeg posters to: mark@drycrust.com  or use the link below:

submit a gig or event 

And if you have a new book of  poems, stories coming out, or a new recording of songs, let us know and we can let our small but dedicated readership in on the action.