Groove Books - Three great books from Publishers Austin MacCauley

The wonderful people at  Austin MacCauley have sent me three books to review.

An Artifact of Interest by Steve Rogers

The ploy on this one is fast and furious, perfect for a long train ride or a plane trip.  Summer hols are coming so get this one on your readership list.

The body of a young female anthropologist is found in the Australian outback.  Initially it was thought that it was an accident but it's not long before suspicions are aroused.  A murder investigation ensues and it transpires that the scientist has come across a mysterious artefact, on the evening before her death.  Could this item be the fatal cause? Because of the cleverly interwoven story, it would be unfair to break out the plot synopsis.  Spoilers are never tolerated.   But let's just say that  the twists and turns in this one are a little different to your average PD James.

This is not an Indiana Jones movie book.  On the surface, it does all seems like a Lara Croft game plot but I have to admit Rogers can really suck you in.  And so I must agree with others when I say this is a  'can't put down' read.  I was held to attention, just like an epic film until the last pages.


Click below for more and reviews on 'Praying For Strawberries' by Gail Simpkins and 'Downside Up' by Ron Prehn Palmer.

The Groove Book Report - Two Steps Forward - By Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist Text Publishing $29.99

After hiking 2038 kilometres in 87 days in 2011, Anne Buist made a decision to worry less, write more.  Graeme Simsion picked up an abandoned screen script that became The Rosie Project, the international bestseller of late-blooming first love.  Six years later their path to personal reinvention has resulted in a collaboration, Two Steps Forward, a novel of mature love and self discovery set against the scenic backdrop of the pilgrims' walk.

If you hit Google, you'll bring up a pretty healthy list of literary couples.  You've got Percy and Mary Shelley; Virginia and Leonard Woolf; Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and maybe even Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Of Course, we also have Katherine Mansfield and John Middleton.  But, curiously, none of these duos ever wrote and published a book together. Whether that was due to differing writing styles or maybe just too much ego in the room, either way cohabitation and co-writing is a pretty rare thing to find.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Graeme Simsion a few year's ago for Groove.  He is the internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect and The Best of Adam Sharp.  His partner, Anne Buist, is also an author (writing the Natalie King thriller series) - Both are published by Text. They live together in Melbourne.  Two Steps Forward is their first published collaboration.

The novel is structured into short, first-person chapters: the initial strand, entitled “Zoe”, is written by Buist, the second, entitled “Martin”, is written by Simsion. The two narrators alternate to tell the story of two middle-aged, middle-class strangers who embark on the 2000km pilgrimage — called the Camino — from Cluny in France to Santiago de Com­postela in Spain.

In 2010 The Way (an American drama film directed, produced and written by Emilio Estevez) was released starring his father Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt, Yorick van Wageningen, and Renée Estevez.  It honoured the Camino de Santiago and promoted the traditional pilgrimage.  It was hugely popuar and inspired a great deal of 'walking' tourism in the region.  It has been said for centuries that walking “The Way’’ brings great positive, personal changes and an opportunity to reinvent oneself.
But for Biust's character, Zoe and Simsion's character, Martin walking is a personal and not so united experience.  She is grieving for her husband, who died only three weeks earlier.  Whilst he is recovering from a messy divorce and a strained relationship with his teenage daughter.

Martin is also motivated by another reason: he's engineered a prototype of a buggy designed specifically for long-distance walkers and plans to sell it to a German company. The 85 day/three-month journey is designed, in his mind at least, to test the efficacy of the buggy over rough terrain.

Right from the get-go it’s obvious that our two pilgrims are not the best matches - always the plot of the best RomCom's.  Zoe is a loud, upfront American (aren't they always?).  Martin is a reserved English gent.  She's a bit hippy-trippy and unsure if she truly wants to walk this trail.  Martin, on the other hand is an obsessive, over-prepared - he's even marked out his route on a GPS.  Zoe's on a limited budget and (at one point) must give massages to tourists to pay her way. He, on the other hand can afford fancy hotels and the best restaurants.  Like I said - perfect RomCom material.

Post Modern Jukebox – Wellington Opera House – 3 October 2017

On Tuesday night internet retro-sensations Post Modern Jukebox wrapped up their all singing-all dancing glittering showcase in the Capital to a maximum house and rapturous applause.  The well dressed, well-heeled mixed age crowd had really taken to he event, dressing in their best 1940's frocks and hairdos; some in twinset and pearls; some in tweed jackets; others in waistcoats and silk ties.  There were even a few highly waxed moustaches to be seen.   The place was packed, right up to the ‘Gods’, with nary a seat to be found.  Not that many were to stay in those seats for long.

"Wellington, How Ya Doin'" Shouted out the tall and very present Lavance Colley, who had settled himself in as compared for the night.  Right of the bat he introduces PMJ's 'heart throb', Vance Smith, who croons Broadway-style through a very sweet swing-version of Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me, Maybe.  Dressed in a skivvy, braces, tight trousers and a boater hat, all that was missing from his Mississippi Riverboat Showman garb was a striped blazer and cane.  He later gave us a fully theatrical version of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River, complete with falsettos, multiple octave changes and other theatrical twee embellishments.

The very suave Ms Sarah Niemietz may be the youngest and newest cast member (the longest serving being the fabulous Maiya Sykes, who's toured here four times, previously) but that didn't stop her belting out a fantastic version of Gloria Gaynor's 1978 disco hit I Will Survive - only the gal made it into a 1930's torch song dripping with sultry innuendos.  Marlene Dietrich would have been proud.  Her powerful, husky alto voice was absolutely stunning, and downright sexy to boot.  Dressed in flapper dress, short bob haircut and with gams the just won't quit she was the real deal!

Also on fire tonight was the show's spectacular tap dancer, Sara Reich.  Tap is a talent that pretty much goes under the radar, these days.  Ridiculed as something only the uncool kids do, Reichstag put on a show that proved she was certainly no geek.  The best part was her 'beats battle' with drummer Dave Tedeschi, who played out a number of d'n'b tattoos on Reich's tap-board and 'attempted' a few amateur stunts. Of his own  One of them almost ended in a disastrous crash into the front row.  In reply Reich tapped up a storm in reply, mixed with a bit of hip-hop and traditional tap dancing.  It's hard to really capture it all accurately on paper but suffice to say she was definitely one of the highlights of tonight! 

Lavance Colley/ Sarah Reich

Tap dancers are all part of the great PMJ show experience but I wonder what else they can bring to the stage.  Last year we had a really entertaining performance with Casey Abrams and Adam Kubota simultaneously playing the double bass during PMJ's signature covers tune All About The Bass.(Meghan Trainor).  Later, Abrams did a few tricks with an ironing board and a beer, purloined from the front of house bar. Perhaps future shows could include more of that zaniness, or maybe a few some jugglers and conjurers.  That would really liven things up.

I was very happy to see Maiya Sykes back.  This strong, soulful black female has an amazing range, almost overwhelming at times.  If she ever performed on one of those TV shows like The Voice the rest of the contestants would most likely quit in defeat.  Her intense rendition of Radiohead's Creep was simply sublime, scaling at least four octaves at times but full of pure, raw energy.  Spine-tingling.  That said, nothing can compare to her 'jazz' interpretation of a medley of Biggie Smalls' tunes (most notably Juicy) sung in the style of Ella Fitzgerald and Cassandra Wilson, complete with scat and yet more octave-defying gymnastics.

Also back is Hannah Gill.  She did a few numbers but most memorable was an upbeat swing version of Gotye's Somebody I Used To Know.  She delivered it with such confidence and passion that Kimbra would most definitely be rethinking her own version in a live act!

Hannah Gill

Perhaps less featured this time was our old friend Lavance Colley, who was happy to let the others do the bulk of the material by he did give us some gloriously camp falsettos on Adele's Halo.  This is a song that I Once had appreciated as a Pretty good pop tune but done Colley's way you can well imagine it being used in a remake of Pricilla Queen of the Desert.  Another highlight for me.

When I recently talked to Scott Bradlee in an interview, he confided that he doesn't like to tour, instead preferring to stay in LA, reworking the latest tunes and making YouTube clips.  Many of the performers featured end up going on tour.  At present, there are three tours in full swing - A European tour, a North American tour and an Asian Australasian tour, which was just winding up.  To fill in for Bradlee on that leg Logan Thomas took over the keys.  Like Bradlee himself, he's a quiet but exceptionally capable player who communicates mainly with dry quips, nods and the occasional facial expression.  He's part of the main team with musical director Adam Kubota ("The Bass Whisperer") and enfant terrible Dave Tedeschi (drums and misguided stunts).  Also helping out, a small brass section - Nick ("The Shark") Finzer on trombone and Chloe Feoranzo on sax and clarinet.  She also came down to the front to give us another Radiohead's tune and No Alarms No Surprises.  The surprise was her huge voice - coming as it was from her small, petite stature. 

Post Modern Jukebox are already an institution on the web.  They've built up a reputation of shows that showcase exceptional talent, performed in the tradition of those old-time variety musical shows - but with modern music.  

Hannah Gill / Maiya Sykes / Sarah Niemietz

There's something uniquely 'American' about their delivery.  So, I was surprised to see no mention of or references to the recent tragic events in Los Vegas or the passing of Tom Petty. PMJ's agenda chooses to transcend reality and their motives are pure and simple: to put of a show that will knock your socks off!  There are many artists that would have chosen to dwell on recent happenings but PMJ chose to remain timeless.  They wanted to bring hope and joy so if you look at it this was then their finale version of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off spoke volumes. 

PMJ's final encore number, Such Great Heights (The Postal Service) came with many bows, cheers and a mass group selfie that involved all the road crew and theatre personnel as well on the stage.  Once again, PMJ had delivered a night to remember.  Wrapping up, Colley promised that they'd be back again.  Here's hoping they will.

All photos by LeVic Visual / Ambient Light - http://www.ambientlightblog.com/

The Groove Book Review - Big Data: How The Information Revolution is Transforming Our Lives - By Brian Clegg (Allen & Unwin $22.99)

Big Data - Brian Clegg

It's hard to avoid 'big data' - but we've lived in an information age for decades. What's changed?

An easy to absorb tour of this transformative technology, finding out how big data enables Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you.

Less positively, we explore how companies are using big data to benefit from smart meters, use advertising that spies on you, and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed at the whim of an algorithm.

Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? With big data unquestionably here to stay, a bright future beckons if we can embrace its good side while guarding against its bad. This book reveals how.

The first time I heard the term 'big data' was at an exhibition of ESRI GIS data whilst working at the Ministry for Environment on a Climate Change Project.  Large amounts of data was used not only to map the change of tree growth but also to map the change of land use over an entire country (NZ) for 150 years starting from the earliest survey results right up to measurements taken from satellites and drones only 3 weeks prior to the modelling exercise.  All big data, my friends.

Data has been with us since we first made marks on clay tablets, but big data takes information technology - and its impact on our lives - to a whole new level. The combination of four key pieces of tech - the internet, advanced computers, smartphones and sophisticated algorithms that manage and interpret huge flows of data has made our systems worryingly powerful.

The Groove Book Report - The Library - A Catalogue of Wonders - by Stuart Kells (The Text Publishing Company) $40.00

The Library - A Catalogue of Wonders
 - by Stuart Kells

Libraries are filled with magic. From the Bodleian, the Folger and the Smithsonian to the fabled libraries of middle earth, Umberto Eco’s medieval library labyrinth and libraries dreamed up by John Donne, Jorge Luis Borges and Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stuart Kells explores the bookish places, real and fictitious, that continue to capture our imaginations.

This is a fascinating, engaging and really enjoyable exploration of libraries as places of beauty and wonder. It’s a celebration of books as objects and an account of the deeply personal nature of these hallowed spaces by one of Australia’s leading bibliophiles.

My 8 year old daughter thinks that Kells, She is herself, a book worm.  Her library is already threatening to eat our house.  My collection nearly has!  A leading Australian bibliophile, has THE DREAM JOB.  Starting at a young age he buys and sells rare books and first editions.  His collection puts him in touch with some of the most fascinating libraries, book shops and traders in the world.

For this book Kells goes on a tour of thousands of libraries. The result isn’t a punchline but in fact a book that mixes love with history and facts.  This volume draws together his scholarly essays on a range of different topics related to the storage of books, reading in general and different methods of communication through history and is an intriguing skip through the history books.  Along the way we discover places that are so much more than a mere storeroom.  They are shrines to the written word and publishing.  For many people libraries possess a heart and soul and are a delightful sanctuary, a solace and comfort.  They ARE civilization.

I always find it fascinating that despite the presence of Google and the internet Libraries and books still rock on.

The Groove Book Report - The Pool House by Tasmina Perry (Hachette)

Someone lied. Someone died…

When you’re invited to spend summer in the Hamptons with a group of new friends, you agree – who wouldn’t? But then you realise you’re taking the place of another woman, a woman who died in mysterious circumstances, just the summer before. Your housemates tell you her death was an accident. But which of them has something to hide?

Frivilous, glamourous, fast paced and slightly off setting.  This is the grown up version of "I know What You Did Last Summer" - Set in the Hamptons.

Jem and her husband Dan have moved to NYC from London to live the dream and Dan to pursue his career in publishing. When they are invited to house-share a beach house in the Hamptons with three other couples every weekend in the summer, they jump at the chance. Not quite able to believe their luck, they settle into their new lifestyle quickly and all is well until Jem discovers that the couple who had the room last year didn’t have quite so much luck when Alice was found dead in the swimming pool. With the group reluctant to discuss what happened last summer, Jem – with the help of neighbour and famous thriller writer, Michael Kearney – sets out to uncover what really happened that night, but it seems she may be meddling where she’s not wanted…

This is a dark, often twisting novel from the bestselling writer Tasmina Perry and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's perfect fodder for anyone who's just finished SKY's boxsets: The Affair (Showtime TV).  It's gripping pace and brilliantly written. Snap one up for your BFF's upcoming Xmas stocking.  It'll go well with some Champs and a beach chair.

Tasmina Perry

Tasmina Perry left a career in law for the more glamorous world of women’s magazine journalism.

She has written on celebrity and style for many national magazines including Marie−Claire‚ Glamour and Heat and was most recently Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine. She has also found time to launch her own travel and fashion magazine Jaunt. All of her four novels have been Sunday Times best-sellers and her books have been published in seventeen countries.

She lives in Surrey with her husband and son.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!! SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX ANNOUNCE NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES BRINGING THEIR VINTAGE TWIST ON MODERN POP SONGS BACK TO FANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!! SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX ANNOUNCE NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES BRINGING THEIR VINTAGE TWIST ON MODERN POP SONGS BACK TO FANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY 

New Zealand loves Postmodern Jukebox!! 

The Coffeebar Kid interviews Scott Bradlee 

Following two successful tours over the last two years, Nice Events is proud to announce Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox will return to New Zealand in September 2017 for another mammoth national tour. Friday 29th September Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland Sunday 1st October Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch Tuesday 3rd October Opera House, Wellington "We're once again excited to bring our vintage universe of pop music performed by some of the greatest talent in the world back Down Under! Dress to impress and plan on having a night to remember!" – Scott Bradlee. 2016 was another big year for PMJ! They completed a 75-city sold-out European run in June 2016 and a 45-date North American tour from September to November 2016, which included their first-ever performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In 2015, PMJ sold out their first Australasian tour, prompting high praise from media. The West Australian said the show had the audience “clapping, cheering, singing, dancing or simply gathering our collective jaws off the Astor’s carpet,” while Time Out wrote, “It’s fun. It’s funny, and it’s bringing a fresh take to pop tunes of this century with musical forms made popular in the last one!”

Created by Bradlee, the rotating collective of Postmodern Jukebox has spent the past few years amassing more than 600 million YouTube views and 2+ million subscribers, performed on “Good Morning America,” topped iTunes and Billboard charts and played hundreds of shows to packed-house crowds around the world. As NPR put it, they’ve done this by “taking current Top 40 hits and re-imagining them as coming from older eras of popular music.” In one such remake, Bradlee and Postmodern Jukebox turned Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” into a doo-wop ditty that’s garnered over 16.4 million views. Last year, they envisioned Radiohead’s alt-rock hit “Creep” as a torch-like ballad that’s racked up over 25 million views and was named one of the “9 Best Viral Cover Videos of 2015” by People magazine. Multi-Grammy winning artist Lorde praised Postmodern Jukebox’s vintage take on her hit single, “Royals,” which has been viewed over 17 million times, as her “favourite.” They recently performed a ‘30s jazz remake of Elle King’s “Ex’s & Oh’s” for MT.V UK – click HERE to watch. The group's accomplishments has earned them praise from a plethora of media outlets, including Mashable, who wrote, “Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are all about reimagining music and framing it in beautiful new ways.” Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Scott Bradlee’s group is known for retro-fying modern hit songs into viral success.”

Yahoo! Music added, “if you’ve been on YouTube in the last couple of years, then you’re familiar with the everything- new-is-old-again brilliance of the viral phenomenon known as Postmodern Jukebox.” Since beginning their touring career in 2014, Postmodern Jukebox has consistently played in bigger venues each time they’ve returned to a market. In 2015 they played two sold-out shows at the 2,100-capacity PlayStation Theatre in New York City. This year, they returned to the Big Apple on October 7th to play a sold out show the historic Radio City Music Hall. In 2017 they add the iconic Sydney Opera House to their list of venues – a major international milestone in the touring schedule for Scott Bradlee’s troupe of performers.

Bradlee, the mastermind behind the group, has turned Postmodern Jukebox into a juggernaut by building an incredible grassroots movement around the act. He continues to pick the songs, create the arrangements and shows, and puts together the performers - which includes some notable names alongside phenomenal "undiscovered" talent. The group releases a new video every week, each one shot in the casual environment where he can often be seen playing piano in the background. A very busy man these days, Bradlee splits his time between producing new videos in Los Angeles and traveling the globe to manage his tours. "I posted the first video in 2009,” recalls Bradlee. “I was broke and living in Queens, NY. Seven years later, we have over 2 million subscribers, we’ve sold out shows across four continents and we’ve become a showcase for an incredible group of performers. Every single one of our cast has unique superpowers. I take pride in putting together the right powers and personalities to create a unique and amazing experience for our fans. We want them to escape reality and join us for the most sensational 1920s party this side of The Great Gatsby. We want them to experience what it was like to be at the New Years' Eve show that Sinatra would have hosted in the 1940s. We want them to feel the excitement of hearing the greats of Motown live and up close. Our goal is to give our audiences their favourite show again and again and still have it feel like the very first time."

Postmodern Jukebox is certainly a rebuke to the contention that ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’ - and there’s something truly special about witnessing their musical magic live. To echo Bradlee’s own invitation: “Dust off the turntable, fix yourself a stiff drink, and get comfy. Welcome to the world of Postmodern Jukebox.”

TICKETS ON-SALE TUESDAY 28TH DECEMBER
Friday 29th September - Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland
Sunday 1st October - Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
Tuesday 3rd October - Opera House, Wellington

Tickets available via www.wearenice.com.au http://postmodernjukebox.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/postmodernjukebox

Sprinting to the polls: Suffrage Day's 124th anniversary

Reproduced from http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/339690/sprinting-to-the-polls-suffrage-day-s-124th-anniversary

Kate Sheppard
Photo: Archives New Zealand

Opinion - So keen were they to exercise their right to vote for the first time in 1893, the women of Greymouth literally raced each other to the polling booths.

A Mrs McPherson won the sprint, becoming the first woman to cast a vote in the town's voting booth on 28 November, 1893. It had been just 71 days since women's right to vote in general elections in New Zealand became law, on 19 September, 1893.

Today, that remarkable historical event marks its 124th anniversary.

Celebrations will take place this year as New Zealanders go to the polls in what is unfolding as one of the most dramatic and closely fought contests in New Zealand's history, and one in which gender has provided critical drama.

Who stands for political office and what political womanhood means remain matters of novelty and controversy.

Was this what political activists in the 1890s imagined of the future?

Kate Sheppard, leader of the campaign for women's right to vote in New Zealand, argued that women going to the polls was simply "just". The "foundation of all political liberty", she explained, was "that those who obey the law should be able to have a voice in choosing those who make the law".

Parliament "should be the reflection of the wishes of the people". A "government of the people, by the people, and for the people", she argued, "should mean all the people, and not one half".

Such arguments were radical in the 1880s and 1890s. Dangerous even. That they succeeded points to 1893 as a very significant moment in New Zealand's history, and in our ongoing national life.

New Zealand's 1890s experiments with democracy can be seen in various arenas.

At Pāpāwai (Wairarapa), Waipatu (Hastings) and other marae, women and men of the Kotahitanga movement met in gatherings of the Paremata Māori (Māori Parliament). A movement of unity and independent political debate, the Kotahitanga movement was also a place where Māori women sought specific representation.

In 1893 Meri Mangakahia presented a petition to that parliament on behalf of all women seeking the right to vote and be represented in the assembly.

Women, like men, she argued, had interests and knowledge of land and its fate; but women might also be more effective in making a case to Queen Victoria for redress of wrongs as she was a woman, like them.

The success of the suffrage campaign in New Zealand is something we can feel rightly proud of. It speaks of a sharp difference in political culture to that of Britain or the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was not until 1919 that women in those places won the right to vote.

Even then, it was initially only British women over 30 years of age, those who were married or those with a university degree who could vote. Only in 1928 did British women enjoy the right to vote on the same terms as men.

We know that New Zealand women took to the polls with zest in 1893. In that first election 90,920 women cast a vote: a turnout of 82 percent - far exceeding the 70 percent of registered male voters. Fears that polling day would be unruly, and that women would be deterred from voting by rowdy behaviour at polling booths, were not borne out.

History offers us a mixed balance sheet in women's quest for full citizenship, in the aspiration to be persons rather than 'roles'. The right to vote was a beginning rather than an end point. Equal pay and economic self determination, freedom from violence in home and family, and peace in the world were all issues on the National Council of Women's agenda from the date of its formation in 1896.

All portents indicate women are going to the polls as eagerly in 2017 as in 1893. They do so with a historical knowledge that this was a right hard won, and in which they are exercising a national right of longest standing anywhere in the world.

Charlotte Macdonald is a professor of history, philosophy, political science and international relations at Victoria University.

Alma Johnson - The first woman to appear on New Zealand television - Dies

The first woman to appear on New Zealand television, Alma Johnson, has died.

Alma Johnson, who was married to the newsreader Tim Evans Freke, appeared on our screens some 56 years ago.
And at that time no one had any idea how popular TV would become.
When Ms Johnson auditioned to be the first woman in New Zealand television, the then -radio announcer had no idea what she was in for.
"The audition consisted of my standing at one end of an absolutely totally empty studio with a camera at the other end and Ian Watkins standing beside it and just firing I think three questions. And they said, right. You've got the job."
The year was 1961 and Ms Johnson was to become the first woman on our screens, as a continuity announcer.
"Continuity announcer was simply to act as a hostess and it was to say 'good evening' everyone and welcome to tonight's programmes, and I sat behind a desk with my nameplate in front of it - nothing but that," she explained in an interview before her death.
"I had no idea - I don't think any of us had any idea of the impact of television. And it was the blind leading the blind you know. Even in the early days there wasn't an awful lot of response because very few people had sets, the reception was so awful it was all snow -nobody could see you anyway."
But that all changed by the mid-60s, and Alma Johnson had become a household name.
"People would stop you in the street and say 'no, you mustn't wear floral, it doesn't look right'," she said.
"Hair was important - it became a thing - and it was very buffont in those stages and people were very quick to tell you what they thought of that."
On top of a glowing career presenting TV shows in the 1960s and '70s, Alma Johnson was also a highly regarded teacher of speech and drama - a passion she continued into her final years.
"I'm just so lucky to be working at my age. And there's a sense of performance about it. You know. Once a performer always performers don't you think?"

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2017/09/first-woman-on-new-zealand-television-alma-johnson-dies.html

WOMAD NZ - 16 -18 March 2018 - is thrilled to deliver its first artist announcement for WOMAD 2018, with the classic chart-topping Kiwi hitmakers; DRAGON

Dragon who since forming in 1972, have produced a stack of rock anthems including April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough, Young Years, and Rain. Their WOMAD 2018 performance will be a  homecoming of sorts as  Dragon founding member Todd Hunter,  and his late brother Marc, were born and raised in Waitara, Taranaki. The Hunter brothers spent many long summer days on holiday in New Plymouth at their Aunt’s place across the road from the stunning 55-acre Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands; the home of WOMAD NZ for the past fourteen years.

Todd has advised WOMAD festival goers to be "prepared to sing your hearts out with a bunch of happy human beings".

Emere Wano – Programme Manager, Event Director says "A legacy born out of hard work, these timeless Kiwi rockers will get you up air-guitaring and singing, and as one reviewer put it, 'if they don’t then you need your pulse checked'."

WOMAD NZ 2018 will see the festival celebrate its 14th anniversary in the stunning 55-acre Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth 16-18 March 2018.

Over the years, WOMAD NZ, has rightfully gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful outdoor festivals in the world and after going on sale with early-bird tickets on July 10th, 2017 WOMAD made a new record, with early-bird tickets selling out in record time!

Festival tickets are on sale now - for all ticketing info please go to www.womad.co.nz

The main stage is set at the base of a natural amphitheatre and not only provides a stunning setting, but an acoustic experience second to none. The other three stages are located throughout Brooklands Park, with every square inch oozing the vibrancy of WOMAD.

The maximum capacity for WOMAD is 15,000 ticket holders per day so you’ll never feel like you are in a mosh pit – in fact bring a blanket and enjoy refreshments in stylish chill out areas, watch a cooking demonstration or explore the stalls and workshops. The kids will be entertained at Kidzone with workshops especially for them spread over the weekend. WOMAD is not just music! There’s plenty of other things on site to discover, come along and soak up the warmth of the WOMAD vibe.

The WOMAD campsite is situated next to the festival within the New Plymouth Racecourse and TSB Stadium. The festival site is also located a short distance from New Plymouth’s centre, if you book early you could even get a motel or hotel or house close enough to walk.

https://www.womad.co.nz/

Groove Book Report: The Great New Zealand Robbery: How gangsters pulled off our most audacious robbery - Scott Bainbridge (Allen & Unwin $32.99)

It should be remembered as New Zealand's answer to Britain's Great Train Robbery: in the dead of the night, robbers broke into the Waterfront Industry Commission's offices and made off with an audacious loot equivalent to almost $1 million today. This 1956 heist, which eventually came to be known as the Waterfront Payroll Robbery, was executed with military precision and the robbers left nothing but a smoking office and an empty safe behind them.

The crime was eventually pinned on small-time crook Trevor Nash. When four years later, Nash made a brazen prison-escape attempt, he rose to notoriety as a kind of anti-establishment hero.  But to this day uncertainty remains about whether Nash alone was responsible for the waterfront heist. Could he really-cunning as he was-have pulled it off all by himself?   And what happened to the money?

Bainbridge's writing on this is almost forensic at times.  He dives deeply into the case notes, mixes it with newspaper articles and even a few interviews.  But better yet his delivery is far from dry.  He uses a lot of the language of the day in his descriptions.  He resurects long forgotten terminologies (used by insiders of the day).  Terms like 'Soup Job' - the practice of cutting a hole in a safe with a  acetylene torch to get at the contents.

The Northern Steamship Building which
held the Waterfront Industry Commission Offices

The robbery of  the Waterfront Industry Commission's offices was undertaken like no other crime of the time.  It was meticulously planned.  At a time of no internet or even a reliable phone service, Auckland Police did well to learn quickly that the job had been planned using inside information to search and locate electrical cables for specific alarms, to hone in on the location of the payroll safe, to understand the potential contents and even how to launder the money after wards.  Along the way we learn of the intricate details of a string of big and small characters that made up the 'gang' who helped Trevor Nash, if indeed it was him, and what their roles were.

This setting was 1950's Auckland, conservative, yet divided along wealth and class lines, not quite colour, as Auckland didn't seem to have the demographic and ethnic mix that it has today. It also talks of a time, when the criminal fraternity in Auckland, if not New Zealand was "run", by colourful characters, mobsters, enforcers, powerful families, yet so far removed from the aggressive "drug", and gang culture crime of today.

Groove Book Report: A Killer Harvest: A Thriller - Paul Cleave (Upstart Press $34.90)

Apparently, this book was conceived as a YA novel but it really creeps you out.  It's not quite as good as his previous one, Trust No One about a novel writer with Alzheimer's who starts to reveal secrets about it's still very good.  Christchurch is still very prominent here.  The plot on this one is a bit weird but go with  it.
This one concerns a blind teenager who receives a corneal donation and begins to see and feel memories from their previous owner—a homicide detective who was also his father.

Joshua is convinced there is a family curse. It’s taken loved ones from him, it’s robbed him of his eyesight, and it’s the reason why his father is killed while investigating the homicide of a young woman.

Joshua is handed an opportunity he can’t refuse: an operation that will allow him to see the world through his father’s eyes. As Joshua navigates a world of sight, he gets glimpses of what these eyes might have witnessed in their previous life.

What exactly was his dad up to in his role as a police officer?

There are consequences to the secret life his father was living, including the wrath of a man hell bent on killing, a man who is drawing closer and closer to Joshua.

Joshua soon discovers a world darker than the one he has emerged from…

Every chapter finishes with a cliff hanger.  Every Chapter keeps you guessing.  Fast paced and relentless.  A bit of violence but moreover, slightly disturbing.  The plot premise is part fiction-part Sci-fi and part comedy.  It's like being trapped in a Trent Reznor song.  Well recommended if you want a bit of a freak out.  And best of all, it's set in Sunny Christchurch!