THE WINTER WORD

A crackle and a spark

The fire burns in the hearth with a crackle and a spark and you think you’ll maybe look for the flame that could somehow brighten up your heart, that could ignite the beat of a worn-out love, that could warm your fingers and your toes, that could keep you young when you think you are old.

All the joys and hopes and restfulness of winter come alive at fireside where the poems are told and the songs are sung and the stories are re-lived through the open microphone.

And the fire burns bright at the Dangerous Kitchen, the Mussel Inn and the heater whirrs away at NgAng’s Gallery where all good things surround us with the warmth of a community that not even (Siren) gold can buy.

Some special guests again this month –SIÂN CLEMENT speaks about the story behind her book, Heart of the Protest, RAZ presents his poems and one-liners and KABRA KADABRA  burn up some gypsy grooves  in our 30 Minutes of Glory sessions at the Dangerous Microphone throughout June; and CALLIE CRIDER & KUSHLA KOZELUH  feature in Acid on the Microphone on Thursday 25 June at the Mussel Inn. Details further on.

So don your winter clothes, break the rules, venture out –  would love to see you during the month of June at one of these breath-taking open mic events.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

A winter thought

Here’s to winter
and to the mountain
clothed in a white snow gown
of rock and lace.

Gatekeeper of the place
where we dwell,
this mountain range
this main street
field and picket fence,
this one people
with frosted breath
and song and silence.

Here’s to the season,
the polished crown
and the white snow
falling without a sound.

Mark Raffills

OPEN MICROPHONE

BEFORE THE WINTER BREAK

We are heading into the last month of The Dangerous Microphone for the season as The Dangerous Kitchen will be closing on Friday 4 July for their well deserved winter break. So make the most of our June evenings .

Come on down, meet your neighbours around the fire and  enjoy the on-going connections with travellers and visitors as you devour a night of great pizzas,  splendid entertainment and warm company. Here the food and beverage service is fantastic and the hostesses and hosts make you feel right at home.

We have three 30 MINUTES OF GLORY sessions this month featuring SIÂN CLEMENT , co-author of the book Heart of the Protest; poet, stand up and Dangerous favourite, RAZ and KABRA KADABRA presenting their new line up. We will pass the hat round for these guests on the night. See profiles to the right.

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Wednesday 10 and 24 June ’26
Open Mic 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Wednesday  3 June, 17 June and 1 July ’26
Open Mic 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm
30 Minutes of Glory after 7.30 pm  featuring SIÂN CLEMENT (3 June), RAZ (17 June) and KABRA KADABRA (1 July)
Open mic 8.15pm – 9.00pm

30 Minutes of Glory in June

Come and hear SIÂN CLEMENT speak about the story behind the book, this Wednesday 3 June. Following the success of the documentary River of Freedom, the powerful new book — Heart of the Protest — takes readers behind the scenes of one of New Zealand’s most significant uprisings. Co-authored by filmmaker GAYLENE BARNES director and editor of River of Freedom, and writer SIÂN CLEMENT,  Heart of the Protest features personal accounts and researched details around the events and motivations that shaped the 2022 Parliament Protest.

RAZ (Martin Erasmuson), with his keen wit for one-liners and his poetry of place and time, is pretty much a favourite at the Dangerous Microphone.  A lifelong writer, he published BusStops and Driftwood in 1991, co‑founded the Hokitika Live Poets Society in 1993, and co‑produced the acclaimed anthology Wild Food for the Soul in 1995.
Raz  writes on two fronts: knowledge and information management at stratsim.co.nz, and geopolitics at therazfiles.com. Beyond writing and performing, Raz creates wood art from salvaged native timbers and photographs the landscapes of Golden Bay, showcased at razart.co.nz.

Kabra Kadabra is a lively local gypsy-folk band weaving together the musical threads of the Balkans and beyond. Fronted by Golden Bay vocalist Hera Livingston, joined by the rhythmically-nimble acoustic guitar of Rye Morgan and a rotating cast of musical friends. On this occasion Mónica Naudín singing with latino soul and Julian Briggs on  percussion and guitar . This spirited ensemble brings the fiery pulse of Eastern European folk traditions to life. You may not understand a single word, but that hardly matters — the rhythms speak for themselves.

THE MOON SHINES ON THE MICROPHONE IN JUNE

and POT-LUCK FEASTING abounds

Thursday 4 June ’26 sees the moon shining on the microphone at NgAng’s Gallery in Collingwood.

You are invited to come on down to NgAng’s Gallery in Collingwood with some food to share, something to drink, a poem or two to speak and a song to sing. Or if singing is not your thing, just try humming!

The POT LUCK FEAST will start around 6.00pm with open mic kicking in from around 7.00 pm. Looks like we will continue to gather indoors as the winter months make their presence felt!

Love to see you again if you can make it down from the valleys and down from the coast and down from around the corner.

Moonshine on the Microphone
Thursday 4 June, 2026
NgAng’s Gallery, Collingwood
POT LUCK FEAST – 6.00pm
Open Mic – 7.00pm.
Koha

SOME OTHER GIGS AND EVENTS

SOME MORE GIGS

SOME MORE GIGS

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.