crumb #43

APRIL 2026

THE WORD

SEASONS AND MOMENTS

“To everything there is a season.” There are moments in our lives when the sun shines and other moments when it is cold.  They say there is a time to sing and speak and a time to remain silent.

A time to harvest and a time to sow. There is a time to stay at home and another time to go out. Sometimes it is not the time to embrace with a warm hug; other times it is. This is the joy of everything – the chocolate box of life – where we are blessed with moments of change, times of stability; moments of joy and nights of sorrow; evenings when we are gathered and evenings when we sit alone. We live in the midst of changing seasons but we remain firm in faith, fortitude and fearlessness.

You will find these moments of everything in the autumn season of open microphone action taking place just down the road from you. Don’t miss the moment; don’t let the season pass you by.

Capture the unfolding moments this month at all of your favourite venues in Takaka, Onekaka and Collingwood. This Thursday 2 April at NgAnga’s Gallery; every Wednesday at The Dangerous Kitchen and Thursday 30 April at The Mussel Inn where our guests will be my singer/songwriter friends from Wellington, The Haewai Collective.

Come on down to these little seasons of delight and watch the world turn around you. Love to see you there as always.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

 

 

Shadow of Autumn

The shadows of autumn
stretch down the field,
leave an orange coat,
a covering of leaves
on the ground

Reminds me, the low sun
is slower over the hill,
lower in the lavender sky,
less warm than before.

Peach leaves are falling
to the orchard floor,
fallen fruit litters the field,
buries another season.

Now a warm embrace
some laughter and a tear
a change in the light,
a shorter day, a longer night.

Oh long shadow of autumn,
how blue your sky yet,
but still I have wood
stored and stacked for
match and flame and firelight.

Mark Raffills

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE

ACOUSTIC ONE NIGHT ONLY

Dangerous Microphone goes Acoustic

They say it is getting a little quiet in here! But this Wednesday, 1 April, is no joke – THE DANGEROUS MICROPHONE will be going a little bit acoustic with a single microphone and a busking amp!

These will indeed be courageous performances and strong, silent community connections you can’t buy!  So make sure you line up for your quiet dose of entertainment, challenge and pure joy for the seasonal month of April.

Make the Dangerous Kitchen your go to place every Wednesday where the food and beverage service is fantastic and the hostesses and hosts make you feel right at home. Meet your neighbours and and enjoy the on-going connections with travellers and visitors – ‘…and the seasons, they go round and round…”

Performance list open from 5.00pm.
Remember, it’s open mic – all night!

Wednesday  1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 April 
DANGEROUS MICROPHONE 
Open Mic All Night 6.00pm – 9.00pm. 

 

 

ACOUSTIC ONE NIGHT ONLY

LIVE MIC ACTION

APRIL MOON IN COLLINGWOOD

with POT LUCK FEASTING

Moonshine on the Microphone with Pot Luck Feasting is happening this Thursday 2 April! The feasts have been fit for queens and kings and the poems and songs and discourses almost spellbinding! Seems the moon over Collingwood is smiling once again.

You are invited to come on down to NgAng’s Gallery in Collingwood. Bring some food to share, something to drink, a poem or two and a song to sing. Or if singing is not your thing, just try humming!

The POT LUCK FEAST will start around 6.00pm with open mic kicking in from around 7.00 pm.

Love to see you again if you can make it down from the valleys and down from the coast and down from around the corner.

Moonshine on the Microphone
Thursday 2 April 2026
NgAng’s Gallery
POT LUCK FEAST – 6.00pm
Open Mic – 7.00pm.
Koha

APRIL MOON IN COLLINGWOOD

GOLDEN BAY LIVE POETS

Haewai Collective plays AOTM

Golden Bay Live Poets presents
THE HAEWAI COLLECTIVE
featured guest at
ACID ON THE MICROPHONE.

The Haewai Collective are a bunch of fine musicians from Wellington. They will perform originals and selected covers in the folk/rock tradition at ACID ON THE MICROPHONE, Thursday 30 April at the Mussel Inn.

The programme will kick off with our open microphone sessions for all comers with poems, songs and stories.  These sessions are the heart and soul of who we are; they provide opportunity for performers to present their craft and opportunity for the audience to be part of the community building process. A strong community is like a mighty fortress and we like to think our open mic nights place another brick in the wall and keep the seasons turning,, one upon the other.

Following the open microphone sessions The Haewai Collective –  pictured left featuring Jack, Janine and kevin – will take to the stage for a 40 minute set. A beautiful CD of their songs will be available on the night too.

It’s going to be a good one so get yourself to the Mussel Inn – refreshing beer, tasty food, great company. Get together, build community, strengthen your heart, watch the seasons come and go. See you there!

ACID ON THE MICROPHONE
Thursday 30 April 2026
Mussel Inn, 7.30 pm. $5
Featuring The Haewai Collective

Haewai Collective plays AOTM

SOME OTHER GIGS AND EVENTS

SOME MORE GIGS

A barrel of fabulous live shows for the month of April

Wednesday 1 April, 7.30pm. $20 door
LIZ BRAGGINS (piano) AND JOHN WRIGHT (cricket bat guitar) 

Saturday 4 April, 8.00pm. $15 door
THE RIWAKA HIGH ROLLERS 

Monday 6 April, 7.00pm
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO with CRAIG DENHAM 

Thursday 9 April, 7.30pm
QUIZ NIGHT –  All welcome

Sunday 12 April, 2.00pm
MR FUNGUS – Thrillingly ridiculous silly show for kids of all ages. $10 tickets

Monday 13 April, 7.00pm
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO with CRAIG DENHAM 

Saturday 18 April, 8.00pm
THE KUGELS $20 door

Monday 20 April, 7.00pm
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO with CRAIG DENHAM 

Thursday 23 April, 7.30pm
QUIZ NIGHT –  All welcome

Saturday 25 April, 8.00pm
YOUNG MOON $20 tickets $25 door

Monday 27 April, 7.00pm
SINGALONG ‘ROUND THE PIANO with CRAIG DENHAM 

Thursday 30 April 7.00pm. $5
ACID ON THE MICROPHONE – LIVE POETS featuring THE HAEWAI COLLECTIVE. 

all the details can be found on the website, here:
https://www.musselinn.co.nz/Entertainment/entertainment.html

SOME MORE GIGS

WORD SAVVY POETRY GROUP

Every Tuesday, Takaka Library. 10.30 am to 12.00pm.
Write poetry, read poetry, bring your favourite poem and discover new poets with other poetry lovers.

SCRIBES ON THE MIC

Next SCRIBES ON THE MIC open mic at Revite Cafe in Motueka will be happening in May. More details in next issue of Crumb.

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.