Category Archives: video

Fighting Things I cannot see- Rachel Garland

Fighting things we cannot see

Hi friends we find ourselves in a blended reality where no one knows what the next move is in the proverbial chess game where the powers have us playing chequers.

In the lockdown Jan Bille has fashioned three videos. Jungle. Love button. Happy Isles. Three songs – two of which are very recent. Jungles much older and I wrote it as a gentle opt out call at a progressively dehumanising system. This was about ’84 and we were relatively free then! People had time to listen . There was this nice window of tranquility before thumping vodoo beat electronic music took over everywhere.

Continue reading Fighting things we cannot see

Luke Hurley - jungle video

Thinking about a lockdown video stream

Hi friends.

Prior to LOCKDOWN Jonathan Woodford Robinson called with a novel request. He wants to do a live stream for me in two weeks time and wondered which app would work best. I don’t know but someone reading this does so please if you be that person then get in touch so we can invite you into the project. It’s something to do during LOCKDOWN thats all the fun of a gig but without leaving home. Perfect!

Continue reading Thinking about a lockdown video stream

Live from Lyttleton

Live from Lyttleton

Last weekend in Lyttelton. Livestreams special thanks to Murray Kennedy, Jan Bille, Ian McAllister and all the people who came along last week.

Live from Lyttelton

Posted by Luke Hurley on Friday, August 30, 2019

Songs
1/ Mona Lisa
2/ Make Room
3/ River of Life
4/ The Sound

More live from Lyttelton

Posted by Luke Hurley on Friday, August 30, 2019

5/ Green Painted Fields (Based on poem by Caroline Armstrong)
6/ Duvalier (off Reha)
7/ Two Degrees Out (Erebus)
8/ First Civilian
9/ Life out There
10/ Before the War (new)
11/ Japanese Overdrive
12/ Betty May (new -title TBC)
13/ In the Shadow of the Factory
14/ Not Easy To
15/ Wanna Be Good

More live from Lyttelton

Posted by Luke Hurley on Friday, August 30, 2019

16/ Colour of your Skin (new)
17/ Fait Accompli
18/ Follow Me
20/ Albatross
21/ Pascal’s Song.

The guitar started life as a Takoma but has been extensively rebuilt by luthier Steve Barkman of Dunedin. Thanks Steve.

Albatross – Song Stories

This was my first song.  It started out as a campaign piece to support the opposition to the Aramoana Aluminum smelter can you imagine how mental that proposal was?

Building such a thing in close proximity to the only albatross colony that is close to a city it would have snapped the golden thread of Dunedins environmental appeal.  It would have been an environmental catastrophe; like the one in bluff that exudes lethal toxins over a massive area and kinda puts the kibosh on other potential industry and all for what?

We run at a loss to support the vandals – enough said.

Anyway, the song became more about comparisons between man & machine vs nature. We can fly high and fast but the envirocost is incalculable.The albatross is loyal and faithful and at one with nature and entwined with mystery.

We by contrast are living by logic and tempered by greed. It’s not logical to shit in our own nest but the ghastly fiction of LTD is our operating system and our psychopathic justifier.

It’s totally nuts but because it’s common practice sanctioned by a crooked legal mechanism – alls well that ends badly.

It’s a good song, tho i say so myself and in fact probs my best song; I should have quit while i was ahead ha ha. Here is a live version from last year. Played on a baritone guitar (Tacoma Thunderhawk) rebuilt by Steve Barkman.

The line that i was proud to find was “every day is your judgement day”.  I feel that a good song is there to be found. It’s like it existed already. All i had to do was chip away the junk around it and reveal the message that was waiting to be found.

It’s like that playing live also the audience can draw new things out of the performer and link their search (with the song.)

Anyway the campaign to stop the madmen from building a smelter was a huge success and I wasn’t directly part of it.  The leader of it was some years later gunned down by David Gray.

I really want to know more about this Save Aramoana issue and write more about it.  Anyone out there remember anyone who was involved with the movement to stop the smelter? (Comment below please.)

The people involved deserve the equivalent of the Victoria cross for environmental heroism.  Dunedin owes them a huge debt of gratitude if only there were more people willing to front up and appose the Licence To Destroy (LTD) merchants.

Listen to another version of the song and buy if you like it ( below.)

What a gravy train

Last night my good friend Nev Copland gave me a very expensive ticket to the Eagles at Mt Smart. A highlight was when the crowd chimed in on Hotel California and seemed to know every word of it.

The ticket prices were insane. I had no idea that the showbiz world had managed to schmoooze so much hard earned bread out of ardent punters. Would you pay 700 plus for a ticket? Even a cheap seat was close to 150.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing.
The Eagles are no doubt gifted musicians but their management is pure genius in being able to persuade 70 thousand people to pay HUNDREDS each for a ticket 6 months in advance.

What a gravy train! All costs returned and a MASSIVE profit IN ADVANCE. Two nights could return close to 20 million excluding merchandise and sponsorships etc. It’s nuts.

It don’t take Einstein to work out that there is something overshadowing music here.

I think I will apply for a job like that. Let you know how I get on.

Anyone got the chords to Hotel California? I understand there is plenty of room there. Book me in please.

Want to say a big thanks to Jonathan G for making videos of my songs. If you have time have a look at his work. Here they are below.   Update: Unfortunately Jonathan’s channel and clips seem to have disappeared.

Two Degrees (Out)

Japanese Overdrive

Pascals Song

Auld Lang Syne

Fait accompli (studio version)

First Civilian

Still not a lot of work out there so am keen to play at yours. Any excuse is ok. Just throw a NO REASON AT ALL PARTY and I come play for you. Originals only but I will do you a cover of Hotel California for a donation of 20 million in advance to give me six months to learn the song.

Seriously tho, if you require my services please text me/phone 02102592919 and I will come play for you. Teach you my songs. Read you stories. Anything.Conditions apply. Ha ha.

Anyway – I have to go but I ask of you to PLEASE give us some feedback. Really want to write this blog frequently and if you respond then its gonna give me the input I need to keep cranking

Have an awesome day then write in and tell me about it.

Bye for now

Luke