CRUMB #29

3 NOVEMBER 2024

THE WORD

LONG ROAD, SHORT ROAD

Here’s another crumb falling off the table. A little sustenance for the month ahead in terms of open microphone action somewhere close to you.

Some revamped plans for the Dangerous Microphone as we kick into year number three at the Dangerous Kitchen. We want to keep Wednesday evenings as fresh as we can so we outline a modified programme over the page somewhere.

Golden Bay Live Poets Society celebrates 30 years of spoken word with a jam-packed anniversary concert of poems and songs. The concert will be happening at the Mussel Inn on Thursday 14 November. Over the page somewhere you will find all the details.

Sometimes a little quietness is what we need; sometimes you can find that at NgAng’s Art Gallery where you can engage in a low-hum conversation. Moonshine on the Microphone has got that feeling. Details over the page.

There are not too many long roads around here, so not too far to travel to make it to one of these decidedly invigorating sessions. Hope to see you somewhere down the end of a short road!

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

The long roads of America

Down the long roads of America
A solitary star quietly winks at me
And I am bound by my heart
To travel in the beam of its one headlight
Singing the song of the highway
Rolling down the New Jersey turnpike

Good morning America how are you
I’ve just woken from the longest dream
Where every song I ever learned
Was like a bag of silver in my hand
And I spent every single coin
Paid my fare through the promised land

This is the voice of America
This is the throne of God left alone
Where the prayers are as cold
As the etchings on the bullet shells
Clattering on the empty streets of promise,
Dallas, you hide your secrets oh so well

You won’t find America in a politician’s eyes,
It’s lying somewhere down the road
In the words of a poet
Written in the dust on the ground
There hope is measured by a dropped stone
And a little faith can still be found

Down the long roads of America
Looking for redemption from a life of crime
I sing the words of every stolen line
That sweet song of salvation flees
from the chains of the broken law
What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is free.

Mark Raffills

ACID ON THE MICROPHONE

GB Live Poets Society celebrates 30 YEARS OF SPOKEN WORD

Way back in 1995, the late Mr Joe Bell commenced Golden Bay Live Poets with a little help from his friends. Joe led the monthly gatherings of poets at the Mussel Inn for 17 years before his death in 2012.

After Joe, pictured left, Mark Raffills held the space until he moved north for a while. Then Sacha Horton performed the duties before Mark returned and resumed the MC role running the monthly gatherings under the name Acid on the Microphone. Admin duties have been carried out by Rose Michel von Dreger and Jane Dixon from the Mussel inn who have secured very valuable support over the years from Creative Communities Funding.

During the life of Golden Bay Live Poets, guests have come from all over the country to perform. Sam Hunt, David Eggleton, Brian Turner, Bernadette Hall, Fiona Farrell, Apirana Taylor and Vincent O’Sullivan have been among them. And there have been many more – a veritable list of who is who from the poetry world.

Regional poets with a national reputation have also featured, including the late Rachel Bush, Gordon Challis, and Panni Palasti, along with Jessica Le Bas and Cliff Fell. And an array of local poets too have held the microphone on different evenings including, in more recent times, Jude Zwanikken, Murray Rogers, Penny Hall, Sam Blanchard, Redwood Reider, Emma Callaghan and The Sherrif.

continued over…

GB Live Poets Society celebrates 30 YEARS OF SPOKEN WORD

ACID ON THE MICROPHONE

continued

A special anniversary concert will be held at the Mussel Inn on Thursday 14 November 2024, starting at 7.00pm. $5 on the door.

The life blood of Live Poets has been the local performers who have fronted up to the open microphone month in and month out, written words until their fingers bled and their hearts almost burst. These warriors of the word set about to entertain, and to be encouraged by, the ever-present audience.

Over the years, first-time tentative readers have developed into accomplished performers, scrawled pieces of paper have become published collections of poems and performers have gone on to represent the region at the national Poetry Slam, won poetry awards, performed at festivals and toured their own works around the country.

And there have been many voices we will not hear again. In 1996 Golden Bay Live Poets published a book of collected poems called On Cloth of Gold – a selection of original poems from those who helped the momentum in those early days. Many of the poets are still in the Bay, others have faded into the shadows of time.

Now, as it was and always will be, the role of the poet and poetry is an ever-brightening light in a gathering darkness. The spoken word affords opportunity to light a candle, plant a flower and speak its mind. Thirty years of Golden Bay Live Poets has been a fruitful season indeed. It has given great exposure to poetry in the Bay, and introduced people to an art form they might never have considered before.

The format of the anniversary concert will include invited performances by those who have been part of Golden Bay Live Poets over the years, invited singer/songwriters will share their music and a roll of honour section where poems from some of our late, great Golden Bay poets will be read.

Love to see you there!

LIVE MICROPHONE

MOON RISES ON THE MICROPHONE

Come Thursday 7 November, the moon will rise on NgAng’s GALLERY as MOONSHINE ON THE MICROPHONE settles in for another night of poems and songs.

Come on down with your thermos flask of hot tea and a picnic basket of sammies and chill for a while among friends. Super casual. Super friendly. Super connected.

And let’s have a chat about how we may add some spice to the future Moonshine on the Microphone gatherings. Come with any suggestions for getting the moon to shine brighter!

MOONSHINE ON THE MICROPHONE
NgAng’s GALLERY
THURSDAY 7 November
LIVE MIC :7.30PM. KOHA

THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE

MORE DANGEROUS; MORE ALIVE!

To everything there is a season. Remember the Byrds? Got to be quite old to recall those deep sounding words of wisdom and intrigue! Anyway, we are entering the third year of the Dangerous Microphone and we are wanting to keep things fresh for the new season. In the last Crumb, we asked for some comments and suggestions on what people wanted to see at the Dangerous Microphone. We received quite a few thoughts and have made a plan accordingly.

New Format:
• There will be two live mic sessions each night with six mic slots each.
• The live mic sessions will run between 6.00pm and 8.00pm.
• On the first Wednesday of the month we will have the Mix It Up Jam session from 8.00 pm led by David Dwyer.
• On the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th and 5th Wednesday of the month we will feature an invited performer in a session called 30 Minutes of Glory.

Performance Protocols:
• Performers can register on the night from 5.00pm for one of the live mic slots.
• The live mic slots will be 7 minutes, excluding set up, allowing for a 15 minute break between sessions.
• In consideration of all performers, the seven minute time frame needs to be
respected.
• In consideration of the audience, variety in the programme will be encouraged.
• With that in mind, tt may be necessary to ‘bump’ performers to another night in
order to keep the programme fresh.
• General rants will give way to thought-provoking songs and poems and other artistic
expressions.
• During the 30 Minutes of Glory performance, a ‘busker’s hat’ will be passed around the room with the aim of giving some financial support to the performer.
• Respect for the microphone means no talking during performances and rousing
welcomes and endings should be the norm.

MIX IT UP JAM
This Wednesday, 6 November. Open to all musicians. Bring your instruments and make music under the excellent baton of Jam Master David Dwyer. Tune into each other, be sensitive, mostly acoustic, spacious. Going to be a whole lot of fun going on!

30 MINUTES OF GLORY – NOVEMBER

13th – Barrett Newton
20th – Bing Brabant
27th – Mihi

We will publish a monthly list of the 30 Minutes of Glory performers here in Crumb, on a poster to be displayed around the place and on the Dangerous Kitchen social media sites.

Let’s see how all this evolves. It’s going to be alright!

30 MINUTES OF GLORY

30 Minutes of Glory performers

Barrett Newton
Born to a musical family in the small town of Little River, NZ, Barrett Newton’s passion for travel and culture led him on a 13 year journey of discovery and learning around the world. Since picking up a ukulele and a harmonica in 2017 while volunteering in a circus school in Western Australia, he has been developing his style of emotive folk with his distinctively unique, soulful voice. A favourite at the Dangerous Microphone (and one of the founders), Barrett’s 30 Minutes of Glory performance on Wednesday 13 November is not to be missed.

Bing Brabant
Bing Brabant has been labelled Golden Bay’s balladeer, a tag he doesn’t mind at all. Bing first started playing and singing in the early days of Golden Bay Live Poets and in more recent times has been a regular at the Dangerous microphone. His interpretation of well-known standards, along with a couple of originals, make for an enjoyable and relaxing set. Bing will be joined by his good friend, singer/songwriter, Rolf in his 30 Minutes of Glory performance, Wednesday 20 November.

Mihi
Mihi is a natural born performer with a voice that echoes across the heavens. As well as performing at the Dangerous Microphone, Mihi gigs around the country and featured at the last Golden Bay Light Festival. Her distinctive R&B styling is alive and current and she owns any stage that cares to make her room. Hear Mihi in her 30 Minutes of Glory performance, Wednesday 27 November.

ESSENCE OF AROHA

POSSIBILITIES CENTRE

Events:

Friday 8 and Friday 22 November
DJ LKM Dance nights!! Playing World Beats and Organic House. 8pm onwards. See you here! $5 entry : ) Bring friends and dancing feet!!

The Monthly Schedule:

Mondays: 11am -10pm: Mahjong games night from 7pm
Tuesdays: 10am -10pm: Stories/workshops/book venue for hire
Wednesdays: 10am -6pm
Thursdays: 10am -10pm: Games night from 7pm.
Fridays: 10am -10pm: DJ/dance nights
Saturdays: 10am -10pm: DJ/dance nights/book venue for hire
Sundays: 1pm – 6pm: Poncho making workshop- get in touch if interested.

Café

Open everyday: Yummy Vegan, GF, DF food and drinks.

Community Hub

This Community Hub Venue is available to hire, for birthday dinners, special events, meetings, group activities etc. We also have a Healing room to book a session with us or run your own sessions. Come check it out! See you soon”,

Talk to Aroha on 03 5256111/ 027 2317447 to book a space, book dinner or to offer help in running an event.

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.