Dunedin at 5.45am

We got to see the Verlaines play a few songs and spend what seemed like hours waiting around for the tv people to give them the nod at the ‘National Anthem’ down at Otago University on Saturday night. Still a great time had by all etc.

On Thursday night I got to get my own guitar out of the cupboard to join in the fun at Arc Cafe where Tristan Dingemans was having some kind of going away show before he leaves for Wellington.

Anyway, I got to join in a kind of free jazz/electronica session with a few people I’d never played with before. All very self-indulgent and great fun. The last time I’d played with Tristan was about ten years ago when we had a kind of hardcore band . . . maybe I’ll dig up one of those old tracks sometime and mp3ify it. TD went on to great things with HDU who are still rolling along by all accounts.

I didn’t get to see the Bats who were playing in the weekend, one of my very old favourites, as the movies called. The Day After Tomorrow – hamfisted, over the top, and probably just the right type of crude propaganda that could convert the wide-awake sleepers that elect the ‘Dubyas’ of the world to high office. But that’s another story.

King tides and howling winds in coastal Otago these days.