THE WORD

GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT

“…I got to have a little respect…” sings Aretha Franklin.  ‘Respect’, the song was a massive hit for Aretha back in 1967 and established her as the ‘Queen of soul’. The respect stayed with her until her death in 2018.

Respect for friends and neighbours and community – a sentiment that goers a long way to harbouring strong and healthy relationships and keeping our microphone humming.

Respect for the Microphone makes it a special and unique thing. It is what makes our open mic events such wonderful nights out for all. Let’s keep them going!

Take the opportunity, if you desire, to stand up behind the microphone and respect the time allocation, respect the audience, respect oneself, respect other performers, many of whom are a bundle of nerves and need our total support. Respect builds strength, creates humility and pockets the pride.

Coming up in this month of June, we have a stack of  Microphone events  for your edification and enjoyment. Come on out when you can, bring your poems and songs and stories; support the Microphone, the performers, the audience – our community!

As well as the open microphone sessions check out Di Mackey’s photography exhibition opening at the Dangerous Kitchen on Saturday 3 June, 5.00pm and Craig Denham’s Monday Community Song, every Monday at the Mussel Inn.

Love to see you at the Microphones!
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

OF PRIDE &  HUMILITY

In the arrogant moments,
we craft ourselves
the Golden Calf
and burden our hearts
with the myth
of our own divinity.

In the humble moments,
we are captured
by the silence
of the early morning
that leaves us breathless
in the arms of beauty.

Mark Raffills

BELOW THE SURFACE

THE SHERIFF COMES TO TOWN

A better yarn was never had than that over the bar at the Cardrona Hotel in Central Otago. Proprietor Brian Gilbert could spin with the best of them, including  Kiwi icon and legend, Barry Crump. Crump was a regular at the Cardrona and Gilbert soon became a good mate – and he has Crump’s old hat to prove it.

Gilbert’s six years at the Cardrona gave him time and space to indulge his love of poetry. Pen to page was his thing.  He spouted of few of them to his mates from time to time but never much in the public arena.

“Nah,”  says Gilbert, I was never one for public speaking and the like. But I loved writing, both poems and yarns. That’s how come Crump gave me his hat. The deal was, I could have the hat provided I wrote my own book. That was 37 years ago but the book hasn’t been written yet!”

Garrick Tremain, another of the ‘Cardrona’ friends, has captured the rough exterior of this good Kiwi bloke in an engaging portrait that hangs proudly on the wall of his home in Ferntown. But beneath that surface, there is a depth of writing talent that showcases an understanding of the human condition and every-day emotion that, Gilbert admits, is not often shared outside of a tall glass.

But in spite of that, Gilbert’s delivery is calm, paced and quietly confident. His phrasing digs out all the shades and hues of the words and you find yourself ‘leaning in’ to capture every morsel of his poems.

This  former electrician, who has served his time in a number of adventurous ‘trades’ returned to the Bay 16 years ago. His Jade carving is exhibited in his Drift n Jade Gallery in Collingwood. And that long-promised book? Well, it may be a step closer after this, Gilbert’s first public performance of his poems.

Brian ‘The Sheriff” Gilbert
featured guest at this month’s
Acid on the Microphone

GASP OF DELIGHT EXHIBITION OPENING

Di Mackey Photography

Home after 15 years of world wandering Di Mackey is hanging her photographs at the Dangerous Kitchen to show some of the ‘beautiful’ she discovered in places not her own.

Her exhibition opening is taking place at the Dangerous Kitchen this Saturday 3 June at 5.00pm.

All are welcome to come on down and enjoy the images and hear a little of the stories behind them.

Singer/songwriter Peter Flynn will  playing from 6.00pm so its going to be a lovely evening out if you can make it.

GASP OF DELIGHT
Di Mackey Photography
Exhibition Opening
This Saturday 3 June, 5.00pm
Dangerous Kitchen

COMMUNITY SING-A-LONG

Hazy shade of winter

Winter is still sounding like a warm fire on a Monday evening at the Mussel Inn with choir master Craig Denham conducting the season!

Yep the fire is in the hearth, Craig is at the piano playing every song you ever knew. And the voices rise in seven part harmony to lift the roof just a little bit!

Happening every Monday evening from 7.00pm, this community gathering gives you a chance to sing all your favourite songs – and you can play along on your acoustic instrument too if you like.

Informal. family-gathering type of get together that is a lot of fun. Come and check it out.

Community Sing-A-Long
Craig Denham
Every  Monday
Mussel Inn, 7.00pm.

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.