Standing Room Only for Sunday 15 May 2022

12:15 Music Through a Lens

For more than 20 years, Dave Simpson has been competing with other photographers to capture those split-second, unique images of music legends performing on stage.

Elton John, Alice Cooper and Robbie Williams are included in his extensive portfolio along with local talent include Benee, Six60 and Reb Fountain. 

RollingStone, Vanity Fair, Billboard, Getty Images, and several American and British newspapers are just some of the organisations who buy his photos.

Dave has also just judged this year's Music Photography Awards, part of the Auckland Festival of Photography 

 

12:30 Exploring Generational Change in Dhaba on Devon Avenue

Traditions under threat from changing attitudes and new generations who have different expectations,  is one of the ideas being investigated in a new play being presented by Auckland's Prayas Theatre company. 

In Dhaba on Devon Avenue a multi generational Indian family who run a restaurant serving traditional Sindhi food, are facing bankruptucy if something doesn't change.

But there's strong resistance from the matriarch to meddling with the cuisine.

Dhaba on Devon Avenue was written by American Madhuri Shekar and the setting translocated from Chicago to Wellington.

Lynn Freeman is joined by writer and director Sananda Chatterjee and actor founding member of Prayas, Amit Ohdedar.

12:45 Lucy Lawless

In 1995 a TV series not only established New Zealand as the fantasy location of the world, but it launched the career of its star.  The show was Xena Warrior Princess.  The star was Lucy Lawless.

These days Lucy Lawless is better known for upholding the law rather than breaking it. Her popular TV show My life is Murder is in production for series three in Auckland. 

But she's taken on many roles between Xena and Alexa including Lucretia in the Spartacus series, a recurring role in the American sitcom Parks and Recreation, she played Ruby in Ash vs Evil Dead, and is a popular voice actor.

Lynn Freeman caught up with Lucy Lawless to find out how filming is going.
 

1:10 At The Movies

Simon Morris tries to keep up with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, goes to Tibet in search of The Velvet Queen, and follows a family attempt to fix their daughter's android best friend in After Yang.

1:33 Live Concert featuring 3D Printed Instruments

In what's believed to be a New Zealand first, musicians have played all 3D- Printed instruments in a live concert.

The concert happened at Depot Artspace in Devonport, which is hosting an interactive exhibition of the instruments called "Synthesis" as part of New Zealand Music Month.

Lynn Freeman italks to Professor Olaf Diegel from The University of Auckland's Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing Lab, and one of the musicians from the concert Liam Barr Jones.

1:50 What might we find when we stop looking?

"What might we find when we stop looking?" 

That's what Ōtautahi sound artist Dr Jo Burzynska asks us, in her new multisensory exhibition. She recorded numerous walks throughout the city, guided by what she could hear, feel or smell, rather than what she could see.

With the help of a range of people, Jo also foraged wild foods and experienced life in the city for the visually impaired.

Her exhibition invites visitors to touch, smell, taste and listen the work. Lynn Freeman talks to her about her work.

2:06 The Laugh Track - Bailey Poching and Anthony Crum

If last year's Laugh Track was all about variety - the comedy scene in Aotearoa has never looked so diverse - this year seems to be about novelty.  Fresh new faces are popping up everywhere, and today is no exception.

Bailey Poching and Crum sound like a trio, but there are just two of them.  Bailey Poching is a Samoan-Maori writer/performer, but brought up in the UK.  And Crum - nobody uses the "Anthony" bit - is an improvisor and professional actor.

They're both members of the Bull Rush Improv group which is about to open a season at Ponsonby's Covert Theatre this week, as well as working on their own show Hot Filthy Garbage!  

Today's Laugh Track picks included Pete Holmes, James Acaster, Peter Kay and Taylor Tomlinson

2:25 Neil Feather the Sound Mechanic

It's been a huge year for ingenious instrument inventor and self styled sound mechanic, Neil Feather. The former Baltimore resident, who now calls Auckland home, combines experimentation, curiosity and physics to create his instruments for himself and bandmates to play. 

Since arriving in Aotearoa a couple of years ago Neil Feather's collaborated on several projects with local musicians, including Rosie Langabeer.

New Zealand will host the premiere of a documentary about Neil, called Sound Mechanic, and filmed in 2019-2020 just before he left the States.

SOUND MECHANIC documentary trailer from Skizz Cyzyk on Vimeo.

There's also an exhibition of his drawings and videos on show at the Audio Foundation in Auckland, and a double album called Instrumentory.

Lynn Freeman caught up with Neil to find out where the moniker "Sound Mechanic" came from.
 

2:40 Home Theatre

A collection of short stories which span more than a hundred years but are connected by a building, make up Anthony Lapwood's new book Home Theatre.

The stories are set in the Repertory Apartments.  In  their time they've housed an enticing range of people, as well as being home to theatre performances and workshops, to arguments and terror - and even time travel

Anthony sat down with Lynn Freeman.

2:49 Carry Me: 100 years of Handbags

The history of handbags over the past century is unpacked in a new exhibition in Upper Hutt via Italy, featuring more than 50 examples from the world famous to the curious and tiny.

Carry Me: 100 years of Handbags includes the Lady Dior made famous by Lady Diana, the Jackie and Kelly bags, the Baguette made famous on the Sex and the City TV show, and the Chanel Bag with shoulder straps that's described as one of the most iconic fashion creations of the 20th Century.

The handbags are all from Italian private collections but they're not all by famous fashion houses. And they're not all what you'd call practical.

I spoke to the exhibition organiser Dr Alex Susanna in Italy, and to Leanne Wickham from Whirinaki that is hosting the exhibition.

3:06 Drama at 3 - News Bomb

Today's Drama is Gary Henderson's pointed News Bomb. Is there nothing a TV newsroom won't do for ratings?

Music played in this show

Artist: THEME
Song: It's in the bag
Composer: N/A
Album: Television Music TVNZ themes 
Label: NEW ZEALAND TELEVISION ARCHIVES
Played at: 12.16

Artist: Wheatus
Song: Teenage dirtbag
Composer:  Brown
Album: Wheatus
Label:  Columbia
Played at:  12.28

Artist: Fiona Apple
Song: Paper bag
Composer: Apple
Album: When the pawn
Label: Epic
Played at: 12.58

Artist: Otis Redding
Song: Papa's got a brand new bag
Composer:  Brown
Album:  In Person:  Live at the Whisky a Gogo
Label:  Rhino
Played at: 1.07

Artist: Billy Strings
Song: Dust in a baggie
Composer:  Apostol
Album: Rock of Ages
Label: N/A
Played at: 1.42

Artist:  Rufus and Chaka
Song:  Pack'd my bags
Composer: Khan-Maiden
Album: Stompin' at the Savoy
Label: Warner
Played at: 1.58

Artist: Julie Andrews
Song: Feed the birds
Composer: Sherman brothers
Album: Mary Poppins
Label:  Walt Disney
Played at: 2.05

Artist: Pigbag
Song: Papa's got a brand new pigbag
Composer: Hamlin-Johnstone
Album: 12" 80's
Label: EMI
Played at: 2.58

Artist: George Baker Selection
Song: Little green bag
Composer:  Bouwens-Vissrer
Album: George Baker
Label:  EMI
Played at: 3.58