RobiNZ Personal Blog

Only one 'Like', but the best Like

The thing I like about Twitter is how direct and rapid, it is: Read more →

An evening with Pat Metheny | Auckland March 2020

I didn't know it at the time, but this could the last live event I see in 2020. It was early in the Auckland Arts Festival, itself was closed mid-way due to COVID-19 restrictions. It's the second time I have seen Pat Metheny, his second visit to New Zealand. The first meant a trip to Wellington, this time just to Auckland's Town Hall. They specifically announced "The artists request no photos or recording during the performance" so here's my only one from before. It was annoying to see a few people still trying, seemingly oblivious to the phone screen-glow which... Read more →

Ushuaian farewells, Hello Buenos Aires! | Antarctic Mission Log 13

The last meal, breakfast, was memorable. It was one of many farewells and the chance for all of us to thank the crew who've made this remarkable experience possible. It was great to see the 'behind the scenes' operational crew get as much recognition as the Hotel Crew and Expedition Guides who spent most time with us. They're all vital to making this expedition happen from cast-off to dock. Farewell Ortelius This vessel had been our safe haven in a wild and remote place. Our travels had not really tested her (so lucky with weather) but she had excelled. One... Read more →

Antarctic sounds and not sleeping on ice | Antarctic Mission Log 06

Sometimes procrastination is beneficial. Had I written this post closer to the time, November 2019, it would have been very different. As I wrote the initial draft, several months later, some sad news further increased the significance of this remarkable experience. It changed what I had to write, adding another storyline which strangely paralleled aspects of the first. I have abandoned and revisited this several times since then. Not the usual writers block of what to say, more not knowing how to express an experience which was the culmination of a near four-decade journey. That is why (although backdated to... Read more →

David Byrne, American Utopia in Auckland

Oh wow, David Byrne American Utopia Tour, so impressive. Kimbra opened, note the cables to instruments. None of that for David Byrne; entire 12 piece band used wireless connections, danced complex choreography while playing, the whole performance. Just astonishing Set list from www.setlist.fm I Zimbra (Talking Heads song) Slippery People (Talking Heads song) I Should Watch TV (David Byrne & St. Vincent cover) Dog's Mind Everybody's Coming to My House This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads song) Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song) Doing the Right Thing Toe Jam (Brighton Port Authority cover) Born Under Punches... Read more →

Jean-Michel Jarre’s Favourite Synths

Brian Eno tweeted this; Jean-Michel Jarre's Favorite Synths #EMS #VCS3 #ARP2000 #ARP2500 #FairlightCMI #MemoryMoog #Eminent310 #Mellotron https://t.co/iH3xPgup2g pic.twitter.com/QoVA6Cagfu— Brian Eno (@dark_shark) April 4, 2018 Two music heroes in one tweet! Direct link here: Jean-Michel Jarre’s Favorite Synths May 3, 2012 By Patrick Thévenin While numerous parties are to be praised for introducing synthetic music to the masses, it can be argued that the French composer and musician Jean-Michel Jarre was the first to really foment the electronic music revolution… Read more →

Vale Rudy Sunde

Sad to hear today that family friend and West Auckland identity Rudy Sunde died. I’d didn’t write ‘passed away’ as the Rudy I knew wouldn’t didn’t have much time for euphemisms. By profession he was a Horticulturalist who became an Entomologist specialising in aphids. If you meet a “Paradoxaphis aristoteliae Sunde” you’ll know where it got its name. Rudy’s passion was music, particularly folk music and sea shanties. A life of writing, organising, researching and performing around New Zealand and, via the Maritime Crew Sea Shanty group he formed, the world. It was during the organisation of one of the... Read more →

Vale Cilla Black

Today’s news reports of Cilla Black’s funeral and this random Windows desktop background selection (from thousands of possible images) seem worth a mention. Although not really my generation I grew up more than aware of Cilla Black. My parents liked, and often played, her music and gave her name to our rather feisty half Persian family cat. Cilla’s (the cat) mum was a pedigree Persian owned by our neighbours. Planned breeding with other pedigree mates mostly failed but she but was happy to hook up with passing strays. The result was a number of pretty half Persian/half unknown, and it... Read more →

TEDx Auckland — 2013 remembered, bring on 2014!

While buying my ticket to TEDx Auckland 2014 remembered I’d never gotten around to writing a post about the 2013 event. Earlier this year there was some flack about TED, prompted it seems by some ‘dubious’ TEDx events. From my experience at TEDx Auckland it certainly wasn’t one of those. The Aotea Centre was full, the speakers uniformly excellent and it covered a wide variety of topics. In his intro MC @VaughnDavis (below right) made a comment which summed up my TEDx experience. He said with TED on-line you tend to self censor, focus on the familiar, topics of interest.... Read more →

Radiolab Live: Apocalyptical and Amazing

I’ve heard all their podcasts—so expected the typical Radiolab brilliance—but this video of the Radiolab Live tour is amazing. I heard the audio version on Sunday and just watched the video. If you have any interest in science and/or art you must see this. Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad appear with comedians, musicians, video, that distinctive Radiolab audio mix and ‘live’ dinosaurs to tell of endings which changed our world. Radiolab Live: Apocalyptical http://www.radiolab.org/live/ Thanks to everybody who came out to see us on our 21-city tour! We had a blast, and we're so proud of how this show turned... Read more →