CRUMB #48

SEPTEMBER 2026

THE WORD

A TIME TO PLANT

We live in cycles. We plant, we harvest. We sleep and we wake. We sit and we stand. We go to work. We come home. The sun hangs high. The sun hangs low and the moon turns from quarter to half and from new to full. We have seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow. We move around the sun one year at a time. By spring, summer, autumn and winter we are sustained. We are held by these cycles. They make some sense of time and our daily routines. And they keep our vegetable gardens producing what they should, when they should!

Our Open Microphone events have their cycles too. We are entering our  fifth season this month at the Dangerous Kitchen and NgAng’s Gallery and our 33rd (I think) year at the Mussel Inn. That’s pretty cool when you think about it; pretty cyclic!

We have two 30 Minutes of Glory sessions at the Dangerous Microphone in September featuring Hannah & Sachi and The Pete Flynn Project. And at Acid on the Microphone  we have the Golden Bay/Nelson Poetry Slam (email: mark@drycrust.com to enter) taking the stage. Pot Luck Tea with feasting is back at Nganga’s Gallery in Collingwood.

You can read all about these community-planting, open -mic events in the following pages. You would certainly be most welcome at any of these events. Love to see you there.

Peace
Mark Raffills
Golden Bay Live Poets Society

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Time

The old men and the coal star

 

Planting spring seeds,
calculating the risk
yet of frost,
we are the old men,
seedless now.

We tend our gardens,
backs stooped
to the shovel,
our hands polished
by the push and pull of the hoe.

And in the evening,
the coal star
hovers in our night,
sparkles in our eyes,
the seed pushes against the dark.

 

Mark Raffills

 

 

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OPEN MICROPHONE

we are back full time

The DANGEROUS MICROPHONE is back for its fifth year of  courageous performances and strong community connections that money just can’t buy!

This month we have two 30 Minutes of Glory Sessions at which we will be passing the hat around. On Wednesday 9 September sees the return of Hannah & Sachi with their dynamic vocal harmonies and engaging performance. Wednesday 23 September its the sweet acoustic folk-rock of the Pete Flynn Project. We will have more info on these two acts shortly.

So, grab your friends and family and come on down for a weekly night out. Pencil Wednesdays in your calendar as the evening to meet your neighbours around the fire (even though it is officially spring!) and  enjoy the on-going connections with travellers and visitors as you devour a night of great pizzas,  splendid entertainment and warm company. At the Dangerous Kitchen the food and beverage service is fantastic and the hostesses and hosts make you feel right at home.

On 30 Minutes of Glory nights our open mic is split into two sessions of six performers each – one set before 30 Minutes of Glory and one set after. On the other nights is is open mic all night featuring up to 18 performers. All open mic performances are limited to 7 minutes, so performers, time your selves at home!!

Performance list open from 5.00pm.

DANGEROUS MICROPHONE
Wednesday  2, 16, 30 September ’26
Open Mic all night from 6.00pm to 9.00pm
Wednesday  9, 23  September ’26
30 Minutes of Glory with Hannah & Sachi and Pete Flynn Project respectively. Open Mic 6.00pm – 7.00pm and 8.00pm – 9.00pm

 

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we are back full time

OPEN MICROPHONE

MOONSHINE IN SEPTEMBER

with POT-LUCK FEASTING

This Thursday 3 September ’26, beneath a full-moon on a fresh spring evening,  the microphone will be humming at NgAng’s Gallery in Collingwood.

I know sometimes time is tight and sometimes getting out is a bridge too far. But sometimes it is a good thing, once a month, to bolster one another as we build this little bridge of community support. A bridge built n peaceful times will be strong and sturdy when it is needed in not so peaceful times.
You will find us, down-town Collingwood at NgAng’s Gallery where the craic is good and the food healthy and hot. So come on down and bring some food to share, something to drink, a poem or two to speak and a song to sing. Or if singing is not your thing, just lend your support with a rousing round of applause to the array of performers.

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
This Thursday 3 September, 2026
NgAng’s Gallery, Collingwood
POT LUCK FEAST – 6.00pm
Open Mic – 7.00pm.
Koha

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MOONSHINE IN SEPTEMBER

POETRY SLAM

POETRY SLAM GOLDEN BAY

THE GOLDEN BAY/NELSON REGIONAL POETRY SLAM GOING TO BE HAPPENING LIVE AT THE MUSSEL INN ON THURSDAY 17  SEPTEMBER.  ENTER NOW BY EMAILING: mark@drycrust.com

Nelson Live Poets  will be joining us too, so its gearing up to be a wonderful night of spoken word performances!! 

A POETRY SLAM is a spoken word event where poets ‘slam off’ against each for the honour of representing the Golden Bay/Nelson region at the National event in Auckland in November.

Competitors come armed with three original poems, each no more that three minutes long. No props are allowed – just your voice performing your poems from memory.

The event is run over three rounds, with competitors dropping out until three are left in the final round. Each round is judged by random audience judges who mark each performance out of 10. After round one, the top scores go through to round two and from round two the top  scores go through to round three.

The winner will flown to Auckland to represent Golden Bay/Nelson in the National finals in November. So the winner must be prepared to travel to Auckland to represent the region.  Airfares will be provided by Golden Bay/Nelson Live Poets Societies from our Creative Communities grant money.

Sound like you?  Enter the Slam now by using the comments section below or by  emailing: mark@drycrust.com

You can enter on the night but from an organisational point of view it would be preferable for me to know beforehand.

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POETRY SLAM GOLDEN BAY

OTHER THINGS

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.

 

 

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The Pete Flynn Project

Live at The Dangerous Microphone’s 30 Minutes of Glory session on Wednesday 23 September….

The Pete Flynn Project is an Indie Folk/ Rock band based out of Nelson. Combining music and storytelling with infectious melodies they perform original songs drawn from life’s ebbs and flows. Whilst mainly performing locally throughout Nelson and Golden Bay, they have been touring further afield having recently headlined the Wunderbar in Lyttleton. Their Dangerous Kitchen session promises an entertaining evening of  fresh music and engaging performance with a couple of observations of our human condition woven throughout the lyrics! It’s going to be alright!!

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SPRING EQUINOX

spring equinox

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September at The Mussel Inn

Tues 1st 
ACOUSTIC TUNESDAY – afternoon concert 2pm.  Pay what you can
Sat 5th 
SUENA ORO – Te Reo Maori Spanish fusion $15 door
Sun 6th
THE EARLY BOBS  do BLONDE ON BLONDE approximately $25 door
Mon 7th 
SINGALONG around the piano with CRAIG DENHAM. 7pm. All welcome. koha appreciated
Thurs 10th
QUIZ –  7.30pm  All welcome
Mon 14th 
SINGALONG around the piano with CRAIG DENHAM. 7pm. All welcome. koha appreciated
Thurs 17th 
GB LIVE POETS – ACID ON THE MICROPHONE – presents the Golden Bay/Nelson Regional Poetry Slam. Email mark@drycrust.com to enter or turn up on the night by 7.00pm. All welcome $5 door
Sat 19th
SPRiNG EQiNOX BalanCE RiDDiM ‘n DANCE witH alanjahjah and Band 6pm  koha appreciated
Mon 21st 
SINGALONG around the piano with CRAIG DENHAM. 7pm. All welcome. koha appreciated
Thurs 24th 
QUIZ –  7.30pm  All welcome
Sat 26th
GUTTERLOVE + GAMMY KNEE $15 door
Sun 27 NIGEL GAVIN & SONIA WILSON$15 door
Mon 28th 
SINGALONG around the piano with CRAIG DENHAM. 7pm. All welcome. koha appreciated

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

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