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

Moonshine and Feasting

Here we go 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! Come this Thursday, 4 September, we are dishing up a 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 hosted by Mr  Mark Raffills.

Moonshine on the Microphone
Thursday 4 September 2025
NgAng’s Gallery
POT LUCK FEAST – 6.00pm
Open Mic – 7.30pm. Koha

Moonshine and Feasting

LIVE MIC ACTION

10th September THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE is on!

And just like that, winter walks slowly into the arms of spring and The Dangerous Kitchen stands the microphone, stage centre!

Yes, come next Wednesday 10 September, the Kitchen opens its doors and The Dangerous Microphone crackles and hums and bursts back into life.
This begins year number four where, on Wednesdays, prepare to be entertained, challenged and informed by courageous performances and strong community connections.
For this month the Open Mic Sessions will run all night on 17th  September. 30 Minutes of Glory spots will be on 10 September – The Grey Stripes and 24 September – Neal Bonner.
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 17 September

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

 

 

 

10th September THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE is on!

LIVE MIC ACTION

ACID in September

Singer, songwriter, poet Neal Bonner is our guest at September’s edition of ACID ON THE MICROPHONE presented by Golden Bay Live Poets Society.

Our regular open microphone session for poets and musicians will run from 7.30 to 8.30 pm.  The open mic always throws up 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
Singer, songwriter, poet
Neal Bonner
Thursday 18 September
Open Mic from 7.30 pm.
Neal from 8.30 pm.
 $5 on the door.  Mussel Inn

ACID in September

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

SEPT AT THE MUSSEL INN

Thurs 11th
QUIZ NIGHT – All welcome

Sat 13th
SHAUN KIRK
(pictured left)
supported by NICK HERBISON
8pm  tickets $25   door $30

Thurs 18th
ACID ON THE MICROPHONE
Open mic plus special guest singer, songwriter, poet
NEAL BONNER

Sat 20th
GENERAL KALA
8pm $20 door –

 Thurs 25th
QUIZ NIGHT – All welcome

Sat 27th
THE ORANGE BOX
Arts on Tour kids theatre show.
1pm. $10 tickets

SEPT 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.