Posts Tagged Act Your Age

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September 11, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 179 On the Radio

It must have been Fishing – either the song itself or maybe Gillian. The first time I heard myself on the radio. Bryan Staff our producer was also a DJ and he played it on a late night slot on commercial radio It was a strange feeling – like hearing your speaking voice back on […]

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August 21, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 176 The Record Covers

I started buying albums in the 70s and it was a great time for the cover artwork. I have to admit that was part of the attraction for me – those Hipgnosis and Roger Dean images grabbed my imagination. It was an essential aspect to enjoying an album for me. By the time the Spines […]

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April 23, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 159 The Braille Guys

Neill Duncan was the first musician I hooked up with when I came to Wellington. He was at the Art Centre when Louise and I started there and played some flute and sax with us. He was part of what seemed to be a large group of interconnected alternate jazz players that were just starting […]

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August 28, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 126 Post Office

In early 1984 the band was on hold. I’d recorded Act Your Age in Auckland almost as a solo album and I had two children on the way – I needed to get a job. Michelle and I were living in the big warehouse on Wakefield Street and I had been doing a bit of […]

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May 22, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 112 Jayrem Records

It was Jim Moss and his Wellington answer to the South Island’s Flying Nun and Auckland’s Ripper or Propeller Records and yet it was totally different. Those other labels had their own style or ethos whereas Jayrem would release any type of music in any given genre – from the Upper Hutt Posse to the […]

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April 10, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 106 The Lions

Take me to Venus I’m fed up with Earth There’s a tightrope between us but anything’s worth trying I was living in a flat on Hawker Street in 1980, Louise and I had split Negative Theatre and I was looking at writing new kinds of songs – more based on reality than fantasy dramas. My […]

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July 19, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 68 The Solo Gigs

After Negative Theatre split and before the Spines formed I did my first ever solo gigs – I didn’t find it easy. Unlike Louise I wasn’t a natural performer outside the context of the songs – in between I would just mumble out the title of the next number and get on with it. The […]

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December 7, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 37 Act Your Age

Take me to Venus – I’m fed up with Earth There’s a tightrope between us – but anything’s worth trying – The Lions When the Pulsing with Punch tour wound up and Ross and Wendy headed off to do other things for a while, I set about working up a solo act. I had been […]