CRUMB #34

MAY 2025

THE WORD

strength in community

Sometimes it is our own voice that opens the door to the light. Sometimes belief in ourselves holds back the darkness. Sometimes it is our presence in places where the community gathers that adds strength to those we gather with. And I’ve been thinking, what a community of love and support our open microphone events have proved to be. They have been a catalyst of hope, a creator of confidence and a pool of encouragement for performers and audience alike.

The open microphone continues to hold a place individually and collectively for performers and audience; it has become a garden of nourishment and strength; a field of laughter and joy and amazing treasures.

This month the open microphone features a pot luck meal at NgAnga’s Gallery in Collingwood, three beautiful acts at The Dangerous Kitchen and some stunning words and songs from locals Leigh Strange and yours truly at The Mussel Inn.

Love to hear your voice and be in your presence sometime this month at an open microphone event near you. All the details are on the following pages.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

through the grey shadows

At the top of the valley
A crowning sheen of cloud
As thin as white lace
Drapes itself over
The mountain tops
And steep slopes
It covers them
As in a dark cupboard.

Here the falcon flies
Brown eyes seeking
A landing place
Caught in the breathless
Downdraft
Plummets earthwards
Through the suffocating
Darkness of forests
And  tall trees.

Yet in the morning
A golden thread
A ray of sun
Weaves itself through
The layer of lace
Opens the cupboard
Breathes in deeply
The sweet taste of grace.

Mark Raffills

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

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

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

SONGS AND POEMS LIVE!

ash, poem and song

 Poems & Songs by

MARK RAFFILLS & LEIGH STRANGE

Thursday 29 May 2025
Acid on the Microphone
Mussel Inn

The soulful voice and late-night piano of Leigh Strange meet the star-spangled poems of  Mark Raffills to create moments of sadness and joy; of  despair and redemption.

This one-hour show, originally crafted for the Nelson Fringe Festival 2025, brings together one local musician in Leigh Strange and one local poet in Mark Raffills. Their collaboration came about after an open mic session at the Mussel Inn a couple of years back where Leigh was singing Janis Joplin and Mark was telling poems and thinking these voices might work well together.

“It took some time to get organised,” says Leigh, “but having the courage to commit to a deadline, like the Fringe Festival, helped us turn our music and words into dance partners.”

The resultant show of mostly original songs and poems has a relaxed and intimate feel about it. Nothing rushed or too urgent. It’s lounge-room setting allows the audience to sit back and soak up the words and music created by Leigh and Mark.

As one observer noted, ‘their voices fill the space where the lonely wander, where the moon filters through the dark shadows in thin rays of light; where a small coin is sufficient to buy back a soul grown cold.’

Another opportunity to catch our own community in action. Love to see you there.

Ash, Poem and Song
Leigh Strange and Mark Raffills
Thursday 29 May. 7.30 pm.
Mussel Inn
$5 at the door.

 

 

ash, poem and song

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

COMMUNITY STRENGTH ON SHOW

July @ Aroha Ahora

July @ Aroha Ahora

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.