Bullet For Your Gun

“I am not a bullet for your gun
I cannot erase the things you’ve done
I am not the drug you need
Can’t stop the cuts that bleed
I am not Jesus for your cross
Can’t give back what you have lost
Can’t make your problems disappear
I am not the answer, the answer to your prayer”

Bullet For Your Gun – Black River Drive

I blog a lot about New Zealand being a small country with a relatively small music industry and how bands gather a small but dedicated following from our beautiful country when they first start out. While this kind of music industry might not make a band from Auckland or Christchurch or Feilding the number hit on the US Billboard charts, it does mean those of us who attend shows get up close and personal with the band – so close you can touch –at gigs and on interact more on social media sites. For example, Taylor Swift may be one of the biggest act in music right now, but you would never see her having a beer with her band mates after a gig and replying to every single comment left on a Facebook page. The biggest muscians in the world use their Facebook page for nothing more than publicity of themselves, whereas our local Kiwi bands are great at keeping in contact with their fans.

I first discovered Black River Drive when they opened for Seether last year, then heard them again when they opened for Luger Boa a few weeks later. I thought they were cool, I bought their music and I “liked” them on Facebook; you could say I became a fan. I wasn’t a crazy stalker find everything out about the band kind of fan, but rather a fan of their music and their style, much like, I would assume, a lot of their Facebook followers. I love the way Black River Drive use their Facebook page for more than just publicising their music to encourage people to buy it. I have spent a lot of time reading through posts where BRD have asked their fans about where their music should head next, what covers they should do, even how they should raise money to produce a new album without having to sign up to a major record label. They answer all questions and comments, thank their fans for their interaction and, knowing people are probably having a bad day, post videos of roosters. It makes me want to like them more than I already do; I want to go to their shows and I want to listen to their music.

I’m deliberately writing this musing over Facebook posts during New Zealand Music Month as I feel connectivity is a large part of what makes NZMM, and I think local bands are fantastic at connecting with their fans via social media. We are encouraged to go to shows and discover new talent, and while this is a great thing, it takes time and money and effort on the listener’s behalf. We give them money, they give us music, we give them our effort getting to the show and they give us their effort playing a fantastic live set, and we give them our time to know them, and they give us their time by responding to their fans.

Gutter Black

“Lying in the gutter
I cut the cord from my mother
She pat me on the head and say
Go to sea boy, get to sea man.

She comin' to my house
Trouble trouble trouble
Go to sea boy, get to sea man

My luck in the gutter black
I guess I'm running back
To you 
You in my brain; you in my heart”

Gutter Black – Hello Sailor

I feel it necessary to take a look back at the bands which were this New Zealand Music Month. A lot of time and energy in May is spent discovering new talent, but the month is also a cause for celebrating all eras of New Zealand music. I must pay tribute today to one of those leading figures of New Zealand rock Dave McArtney of Hello Sailor who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Hello Sailor were an iconic band for New Zealand and I feel they had a series of firsts for our music industry. Their self-titled album was the first NZ made record to be certified gold and it became a gateway for rock bands to come. They toured the country with their music but failed to take it overseas, the unfortunate fate for many New Zealand acts. And they made a 21^st century comeback in two ways: firstly when Gutter Black became the theme song for Outrageous Fortune, and secondly with the release of their 2006 album When Your Lights Are Out, and more recently 2012 album Surrey Crescent Moon. Hello Sailor proved a band never reaches the end until the end of one of its members with a memorable 22 year career coming to an end in April.

Dave McArtney’s contribution to New Zealand music was more than fronting Hello Sailor and we remember him fondly for giving back New Zealand’s emerging talent. He taught at Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand for a number of years before his death and, prior to this, had roles in directing and composing music for New Zealand media productions. Dave was an important part of New Zealand music and I think the tribute which flowed from social media sites from the public are testament to that.

Of course, McArtney is only one figure who achieved greatly in New Zealand music. I bet you could name another five off the top of your head (dead or alive) and their successes and contributions. I feel now is a great time to pull out their old tracks and have a listen for what could be the first time in years. It’s New Zealand Music Month and we are celebrating success of musicians not only from today and tomorrow, but across generations of New Zealanders alike.  

Dirty Love

“You got me good
I saw the blood in your eyes
Bang, bang, baby, leave me dead or alive
Now that wind is howling for the same old lies
I know what you're asking for
I'll give you what you want and more
Your dirty love”

Dirty Love – Gin Wigmore

As is common on a Thursday night, my flatmate and I sat down to watch Bones a couple of weeks ago. Near the end of the show was the “chase scene” where Booth and Brennan ran after their suspected killer and tackled him to the ground. This was accompanied by the music in the video below and about half way through this scene my friend said to me “is that Gin?” I said “I thought so too, but I think it’s actually Duffy”. We asked Google and I was to be proved wrong – Kiwi girl Gin was indeed had a song on Bones. I was so excited a New Zealand artist was featured on a huge television show and felt proud of our homegrown music.

However, not long after watching Bones and hearing Gin I started to wonder why it was I was surprised to see a New Zealand song on an overseas television show. The New Zealand music industry is not an unknown factor to overseas markets: Crowded House* were covered on Glee, Flight of the Conchords had their own show, Bret McKenzie won an Oscar for his song work on The Muppets Movie and Kimbra recently co-won a Grammy.  I realised I had no reason to be surprised of Gin’s or any other New Zealand artists success. I really do believe the New Zealand music industry is much stronger than we give it credit for and it is celebrated globally.

The success of New Zealand music has to begin at the roots to build awareness of artists and a fan base of followers, and then it can go from strength to strength. This is why May is such an important time for Kiwi musicians. New Zealand Music Month aims to fund and increase the knowledge of all types of New Zealand music through gigs and album releases. It’s about New Zealanders and it’s for New Zealanders – whether it is the acts that already have international fame or that small indie band that opened for a major international artist or that guy who is making electronic tracks on his computer late at night, May is the time to celebrate New Zealand music for a 31 whole days.

So, happy New Zealand Music Month my wonderful blog readers; I’ll be jumping aboard with three more Kiwi blogs to come this month on varying topics which tie in with May. And while I’m thinking up my weekly post do let me know what you love about New Zealand Music Month and Kiwi Music in general.

*Crowded House is, and will always be, a New Zealand band. Don’t argue.

Dreaming

“I was down and out 
struggling
wondered how I'm gonna make it thru
I got a dream (I got a dream)
Holding on (I'm gonna hold on)
I can't let go cos you gotta make it come true”

Dreaming – Scribe

In New Zealand a large number of young people dream of making it into one of our national sports teams. Those who make the teams are given a lot of credibility, whether they be our world champion All Blacks or competition winning Breakers, our less than average Blackcaps or those Warriors (because the sportsmen in these teams are still the best of the Kiwi best and they deserve their credibility).

As Scribe raps about in Dreaming the road to the top isn’t easy for many New Zealanders. There’s a lot of hard work and dedication, overcoming the struggles of growing up in the bottom of society’s pecking order and putting aside personal issues. But when a sportsman or sportswoman reaches the top and achieves their dreams, it must all seem worth it, and as a nation we celebrate alongside them.

So why then, after all this hard work and smelling the sweet smell of success, are a number of our sportspeople throwing away their chances? When the story broke late last week that Julian Savea was due in court on the Monday for domestic abuse charges I went from disbelief to feeling frustrated, and angry, as there is something sickeningly wrong in our elite sports teams. Savea joined fellow up and coming rugby talent Zac Guildford in the dog bin after Guilford’s problems with alcohol. And it’s not just rugby; there is Blackcaps’ Jesse Ryder’s problematic past and Doug Bracewell’s issues to know there is a problem with New Zealand’s young sportsmen. They work so hard to deserve their opportunity to shine, just to throw it all away in one reckless moment.

I have a theory on this matter, and I must stress this is just my opinion gathered from my own observation and research, but to me it is one thing to reach these dreams and another all together to sustain them. When these young sportspeople have met their dream and played for their country they have it all, and yet they have nothing left at the same time. They have the whole country behind them but they feel so lonely. They experience the greatest highs when they win, but when they lose they feel an inch tall. It’s a hell of a lot a young and inexperienced sportsperson to take on mentally and, coupled with the “macho male” status these players carry, it’s no wonder they are cracking and making the wrong decisions. I am not accepting nor forgiving their mistakes, but I understand where the problem may be coming from.  

There have been, and there will still be, countless other articles and opinion blogs on this issue, stating what is right and wrong and what should be done. I have thrown my two cents in because I feel this is an important issue, and I wish someone can come up with a solution to these issues. I care about this country and I care about these young sportsmen who hold our sporting future, and all those younger whose professional rugby career is still in its dreaming stage. 

This Song Saved My Life

“I was broken 
I was choking
I was lost
this song saved my life
I was bleeding stopped believing
could have died
this song saved my life
I was down
I was drowning
but it came on just in time
this song saved my life”

This Song Saved My Life – Simple Plan

At first listen Simple Plan songs seem nothing more than a bunch of Canadians having a whine about how hard life is. And generally, this is the truth for majority of their songs. But as I blogged about last week Simple Plan manage to hit the note with a few of their songs and go places where no other lyrics have quite gone yet. Previously I talked about how happy I was many years ago when I heard a band finally say I’m not perfect. This week, I’ve picked out another Simple Plan song which says what hasn’t yet been said as blatantly as above: music has the ability to save our lives.

This song was written for Simple Plan fans after the band received numerous messages that their songs had touched the listeners and not only changed, but saved their lives. Without doubt it is possible to connect so intensely with a song it pulls a listener out of their dark patch. Music may not cure complicated personal problems, but music does show there are others out there suffering the same problems and things will be okay. And music inspires us to lead better lives and seek change, thus saving what could have been a mediocre life experience into a worthwhile change. Below is the video for This Song Saved My Life which depicts the awful lives of slavery some people are forced into, but by sharing this story Simple Plan have, hopefully, influenced people to save a life.

While researching this blog I came across Music Saves Lives. They are a charity who’ve realised there is a connection between young people wanting to make a change and the inspiration which music can bring, and fused the ideas together. They educate society about the importance of blood donation and transfusion in a way which speaks to people from all walks of society. This isn’t the only way in which music has been used as a fundraising medium. From charity songs – my favourite still being Feel Inside by Flight of the Conchords – through to music festivals which raise money and awareness, music is, all around us, helping benefit people to lead a better life.

I’ve thought about writing this blog for a long time now, and I held off until I was sure I could successfully write about this song. It’s a risky area to talk about the themes in this song, particularly the parts which touch of depression and suicide, and it’s a song which means a lot to me. I thought this blog would be more sombre as I touched on these topics, but instead I feel more at peace than when I started, as though the thought of knowing there is always a way to be pulled from dark spaces and inspired is incredibly satisfying – and life saving.   

This is the video depicting slavery

And the official music video 

Perfect

“'Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late and
We can't go back
I'm sorry
I can't be perfect”

Perfect – Simple Plan

Simple Plan are the target of a lot of criticism, and most of it is justifiable. They are said to be whiny, over dramatic, immature and simplistic in their music. While catchy at times, their songs haven’t really moved forward throughout the years and it’s all a bit repetitive. I agree with these points, and have mostly moved on from listening as obsessively as I did during my early teenage years. There’s the odd guilty pleasure from their first album and I can’t fault their latest on the catchiness factor. But, in my opinion, Simple Plan have bought out two songs throughout their career which are the only songs I have heard stand up and say what no other artist has yet managed to. Song one is today's blog and the second song is the topic of next week's post.  

Amongst Simple Plan fun, pop rock tracks on their first album No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls was Perfect, and it became one of their biggest hits. When it came out when I was about 12 years old and entering that awkward teenage stage of life where everything seemed tough. I remember hearing this song in year seven and taking it to heart and for the past ten years Perfect has been my favourite song. It has average backing music, an average lead singer and is in an average genre, but the best message I’ve heard.

Finally, someone had stood up and said “I’m not perfect”. And that’s not easy to admit. Making mistakes, coming anything but first and not being the favourite is tough to stomach. I grew up doing competitive sport and I hated not winning. I hated going through school and failing assignments. And I hated disappointing others because I just wasn’t able to reach perfection. But Simple Plan got the message across – there are other people who are looking for you to be perfect, and they disapprove when you can’t make it. It’s not through a lack of trying or a lack of will power, but simply because getting to that level of perfection, no matter how hard we push ourselves, is beyond what is capable for this one person.

I don’t believe in perfection.  And I’m not sorry I don’t. I think the problem society has is we are so busy striving for this perfection we think mistakes and failure are the epitome of terribleness. I make mistakes every single day – in my working life, with my social circle, in decisions and in justifications and actions. And I have failed more times than I can count. But from these mistakes and failures I have learned and grown and tried hard not to make the same errors again. These lessons, coupled with drive and a trying nature to do the best we can, is far more beneficial to us than attempting to gain perfection and crawling away defeated when we can’t reach it.  

Play the Game

“Play the game everybody play the game of love
This is your life - don't play hard to get
It's a free free world all you have to do is fall in love
Play the game yeah play the game of love
Your life - don't play hard to get
It's a free free world all you have to do is fall in love”

Play the Game – Queen

Life is said to be like many things – a box of chocolates, a party, a coin which you can only spend once, a great big canvas or just like a game. If you play the right hand, roll the dice perfectly, make the smartest moves and align with the best against the enemy, you will win, right? But just what game are we talking about here.

Is life like a game of Scrabble, where if we choose the right words we get the highest points? Or is it more like Monopoly – the best thing to do is own property, build on and take a chance every now and again while avoiding jail. How about The Game of Life, which makes living seem like plain sailing through university, easily getting married and securing top notch job. Or is life the murder mystery that is Cluedo or the bluffing nature of Poker, the strategy and chance of Risk or even a puzzle like a jigsaw? Is it, in fact, not based on a bestselling rainy day activity, but something sporty? Is life the brutal force of rugby, the precision of golf or the patience of cricket? Is life like a game show where the point is to answer the right question and win the money?  How about life being like a drinking game – drink with your mates until you forget and you will be merry.  Or is life just a stupid game someone invented and if you think about it, you lose (you just lost the game).

And even if we did know which game to play in life, do we play the same game for each part of our varying lives? I can see scrabble going terribly wrong if you use the wrong words with the one you love. And imagine trying to take over different departments of your job like in Risk. Then there are the rules: everyone has different ideas of the best way to play. For example, when I partake in a game of Circle of Death each card represents something different each time. And finally, the biggest question of all: who do you choose to play your game with?

To me, if life is a game and you have to play it, I feel you should play your own game. Call me cliché but if all the games above can be invented by someone, then surely your own life’s game can be invented to. From all I’ve read and heard over my years, we should play by our own rules and form alliances based on our own opinions and most importantly abstain from cheating our through life.