 |
Music Plus with |
A lot of new music is being released, and a bunch of old music – today we have both.
Nigel Masters, Boatshed Studio boss, Kokomo bass player and multi-instrumentalist, has just returned from Katoomba, Australia, where he was launching a new album, with old friends and an ex-Split Enzer.
‘You’re In Luck’ is by The Masses, who are Nigel and Stephen Bradley, once of Tauranga, now of Sydney, though with family here. Stephen writes and sings while Nigel does pretty much everything else. I’d call it slightly esoteric electro-pop.
What I find as appealing as the music is that this stems from a lifelong friendship. Increasingly I realise how rare such things are.
Fearsome reputation
Stephen first met Nigel playing primary school cricket. He still remembers Nigel’s fearsome reputation as “the Dennis Lillee of Tauranga under-10 bowling”. Later they went to Ōtūmoetai
College, then at Victoria University Stephen became the “lighting guy” for Nigel’s new-wave band The Puppetz. Now after 50 years they’re still making music together.
The Masses debut album ‘A Relative Fact’ came in 1995; ‘Who Are We?’ followed in 1998. More than two decades later Stephen was making regular trips to New Zealand and the pair resumed work, firstly on epic eight-minute single ‘Finland’ then the new album.
The Masses. Photo / Supplied
So Nigel headed to Oz with his guitar and a hard drive containing many layers of keyboards, backing to be played at the launch on computer. ‘Guest’ Masses were Howard James, once The Puppetz bass player, and Split Enz original drummer Malcolm Green.
All three albums are now available digitally, with a stack of videos on YouTube.
Think. Photo / Supplied
And an old album featuring mercurial Tauranga stalwart Ritchie Pickett has finally been reissued on CD and vinyl. Think was a 1970s prog-rock band fronted by Rotorua singer-bass player Allan Badger. Also on their sole album, ‘We’ll Give You A Buzz’, are drummer Neville Jess, keyboard player Don Mills, and guitarist Phil Whitehead. Ritchie is credited with lead vocals, FX and effects. In reality, he mainly sings harmony and I have no idea what the FX and effects are!
Ritchie Pickett with Think. Photo / Supplied
Silly and magnificent
But the band...they are simply fantastic. This is definitely an artifact of its age with extended proggy solos – often in harmony – and some of the longest drum fills in history. It’s both silly and magnificent, with a touch of Steely Dan – on ‘Big Ladies’ – ELP, Doobies and more.
Over Sharin. Photo / Supplied
The CD adds eight extra tracks and manages to get many of the credits wrong. It makes me very happy.
There’s also a Tauranga band I completely missed last year. Over Sharin is a five-piece comprising singer-songwriter-guitarist Wayne Lambert, drummer Amy Hill, bassist Mike Shorter, Darren Woodward and Don Ackland on guitar. Their latest single is March’s ‘Viking The Great’.
BB & The Bullets. Photo / Supplied
Also new, the first single from recent Tauranga visitors, Whanganui blues-rock band BB & The Bullets. ‘Something In The Water’ is a tough outing featuring excellent guitar and a solid groove. With the band signed to France’s Dixie Frog label one imagines big things ahead.
Hear Winston’s latest Playlist: