CRUMB #37

SEPTEMBER 2025

THE WORD

An accordion tune

The songs may play a little slower this September. The words may be spoken more softly than before as we gather around the microphone and observe the old accordion sitting on its own in the corner shadows of the room. Sadly, Patrick Riddett has died; he left his accordion behind.

This month the open microphone stands again at The Dangerous Kitchen in Takaka. It welcomes the monthly gathering of live poets and musicians to the Mussel Inn in Onekaka. And it prepares a feast of food, poem and song at NgAna’s Gallery in Collingwood. It bows its head in quiet respect and sadness.

You will find all the details on the following pages of this edition of CRUMB.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

In the long shadows

for Patrick

There is a gathering down on the corner
where he used to play

The tune of his accordion hovers there
above Commercial Street

The place where song and flute and tune
used to dance and meet

We mingle there now in the long shadows
of the slow and dying day…

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

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

FEATURED GUEST ACID ON THE MICROPHONE

NEAL BONNER – Steel Strings & Poems

Sometimes he takes a page from punk poet John Cooper Clark; other times he draws from his own deep well of prose poems and holds captive a hushed audience.

Neal Bonner, originally from the UK and now resident of Golden Bay, is a poet of some substance. His words tell stories against a back drop of some stunning original music. He weaves his words around the steel strings of his guitar and creates a strong and resonate tapestry of word song that dances to its own tune.

He will be the featured artist  Acid on the Microphone  on Thursday 18 September at the Mussel Inn.

Neal’s performances are as engaging as they are beautiful and impossible to ignore. Starting life as a musician- and still a talented one at that – Neal has found his voice as a poet, wrapping his words around the steel strings of his guitar.

Neal’s poetry and music speak from personal perspectives and what moves him. He says, “I’m enjoying bringing this ‘real Neal’ experience to intimate audiences.

Neal Bonner
Acid on the Microphone
Thursday 18 September 2025
Mussel Inn.
Open Mic: 7.30 pm.
Neal Bonner: 8.30 pm
$5 on the door.

NEAL BONNER – Steel Strings & Poems

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

30 Minutes of Glory @ the Dangerous Microphone

Wednesday 10 September THE GREY STRIPES

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE

Open Mic: 6.00pm – 7.30pm. 30 Minutes of Glory featuring The Grey Stripes,  7.30pm – 8.00pm. Open Mic 8.00pm – 9.00pm.

The Grey Stripes are Jeannette and Paul Marlow. They are recent settlers to Collingwood having moved from Nelson in Feb 2025. After playing music separately for years, lockdown, together with Jeannette’s desire to play bass guitar, brought them together musically. Open mike nights and busking in Nelson were starting points for honing their skills as a duo. Busking has also taken them to the towns of Mullumbimby and Nimbin in northern New South Wales. Their musical roots are mainly in JJ Cale, Neil Young, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd.

 

 

 

30 Minutes of Glory @ the Dangerous Microphone

Wednesday 24 September NEAL BONNER

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Open Mic: 6.00pm – 7.30pm. 30 Minutes of Glory featuring Neal Bonner  7.30pm – 8.00pm. Open Mic 8.00pm – 9.00pm.

Neal Bonner is originally from the UK now resident of Golden Bay, Neal weaves his original guitar music through his poems of personal experience, the human condition, and his love of how this strange world might possibly really work.
“I love how poets can talk about things that are often overlooked, or awkward in everyday conversations. Sometimes we are here to offer a new thought provoking perspective”, he says.
Neal’s performances are as engaging as they are beautiful and impossible to ignore.

 

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS 2025

Standing up for Golden Bay

These are the people who are standing in the upcoming local body elections.

Golden Bay Community Board:

Mark Raffills, Henry Dixon, Clarissa Bruning, Sunshine Appleby, Grant Knowles, Rodney Ward and Axel Downard-Wilke.
These seven people are vying for four positions on the Community Board.

Golden Bay TDC Ward Councillor:

Mark Hume, Julian Hall, Axel Downard-Wilke, Celia Butler, Rod Barker.
These five people are vying for two Ward Councillor positions.

You can meet all these wonderful people at
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Sunday 7 September at Collingwood Area School 2.00pm
Sunday 7 September at Takaka Senior Citizens Hall. 7.00pm

Voting papers will be delivered week beginning 8 September.
The actual election date is Saturday 11 October 2025.

if you don’t vote, the whole thing becomes a joke

 

Standing up for Golden Bay

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

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.