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Posts Tagged Negative Theatre

Archive

May 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World

I think it took me over ten years to write this song. I know I started on the verses in 1980 after the demise of Negative Theatre. I’d read an interview with Steely Dan where they talked about mu major chords and I played the A, E, A, D, C#m, D, A, E, A pattern […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged #205, A Snakelike Life, Art, Castaneda, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Holloway Rd, Holloway Road, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Painting, Song, Songwriting, Spines, Steely Dan, Stop The World, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 205, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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April 23, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 204 The Set List

It was where we got our name from in the first place The Spines very first gig We’d been unable to decide from a long list of terrible attempts It was a packed University hall at lunchtime orientation Malcom McSporran was going to introduce us and he asked me what we were called I looked […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Ghost, Ghost Stories # 204, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Set List, Setlist, Songs, Spines, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 204, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 204 The Set List, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary4, The Set List, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories by Jon McLeary, War Stories by Jon McLeary # 204 The Set List, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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May 29, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 164 Me and the Don

The first time I saw Don McGlashan, well it might have been in the Plague or the Whizz Kids. I saw the Plague several times in the late 70s as they played some of the same gigs as Negative Theatre – Nambassa, Christchurch students’ art fest and I saw them in Hamilton and Wellington too. […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged #164, Alan Gregg, Art, Bands, Blam Blam Blam, Blams, Chris Sheehan, David Long, Don McGlashan, Drummer, Drums, Envy of Angels, Front Lawn, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Me and the Don, Mutton Birds, Nambassa, Negative Theatre, Ross Burge, Songwriting, Spines, the Don, The Front Lawn, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 164, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 164 Me and the Don, The Mutton Birds, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 164, Wellington, Wgtn, Whizz Kids, Writing ·

Archive

May 1, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 160 The Rodent Guys

There was a big group of them and I think they all went to Onslow College together. This was 1980 and, as half of Negative Theatre, I was working at the art centre as a songwriter/performer. Jonathan Zwartz was there as well as a bass player and we became friends. He was part of the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 80s, 90s, Art, Bands, Eelman Records, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hulamen, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Punch, Rough Justice, Spines, Sweet Lovers, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity # 160, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 160 The Rodent Guys, The Holidaymakers, The Primitive Art Group, The Rodent Guys, The Rodents, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 160, War Stories by Jon McLeary, War Stories by Jon McLeary # 160, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing, Your Body Stays ·

Archive

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 […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged # 159, Act Your Age, Andy Craig, Ant Donaldson, Art Centre, Braille Records, David Donaldson, David Long, Family Mallet, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Louise, Negative Theatre, Neill Duncan, New Deli Jazz Band, Primitive Art Group, Spines, The Braille Guys, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 159, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 159 The Braille Guys, The Spines, Thrashing Marlin, War Stories, War Stories # 159, Wellington ·

Archive

November 13, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 136 Weathered Lines

I feel the sun on a gentle breeze I watch it come I watch it leave But I never thought that I could ever get old Now the things my youth could buy me have already been sold I was working at Mystery Creek, just signwriting and doing some farm work. It was a fairly […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Cafe Reader, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jim Wilson, John McLeary, Jon Mcleary, Music, Mystery Creek, Negative Theatre, Ohaupo, Painting, Phantom Billstickers, Song Lyric, Songwriting, Spines, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 136 Weathered Lines, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 136, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Weathered Lines, Writing ·

Archive

September 27, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Sweetman Podcast: Episode 33 – Jon McLeary

Welcome to episode 33 of Sweetman Podcast brought to you by Phantom Billstickers. This is a conversation with Jon McLeary, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band Spines. Regular readers of this site – and/or Jon’s Facebook pages will know him for his weekly contributions here as the writer of The Ghost of Electricity: […]
Posted in Blog, Podcasts · Tagged Art, Episode 33, Hamilton, Interview, L'affare, Manslaughter, Negative Theatre, Novel, Painting, Phantom Billstickers, Podcast, Sculpture, Simon Sweetman, Spines, Sweetman Podcast, Sweetman Podcast: Episode 33 – Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity, The Spines, War Stories, Wellington, Writing, Yeastie Boys ·

Archive

August 21, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 125 The Musical Drama

Fair Warning – there may be some dodgy seventies lyrics in this story. The Musical Drama It never had a proper name and it was pretty bleak I got the idea in my head to write it when Negative Theatre passed through Wellington in 1979 There was a song I had written called Bloodnotes about […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Bloodnotes, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jasper, Jon Mcleary, Lorraine, Louise, Michael, Music, Musical, Musical Drama, Musical Theatre, Negative Theatre, Siddhera, Spines, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 125 The Musical Drama, The Jerk, The Musical Drama, The Spines, Theatre, War Stories, War Stories # 125, Writing ·

Archive

May 8, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 110 New Zealand Music Month

It’s always slightly depressing to me somehow – why we need one at all and who it’s for exactly. Growing up as a kid in the sixties most of the ‘homegrown’ music we heard was local cover versions of overseas artists songs – almost like a karaoke country or lamb dressed as mutton. There were […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Barry Saunders, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Body Electric, Dave Dobbyn, Fat Freddy's Drop, Flying Nun, Front Lawn, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jews Brothers, Jive Bombers, Jon Mcleary, Midge Marsden Band, Muttonbirds, Nambassa, Negative Theatre, Neil Finn, New Zealand Music, New Zealand Music Commission, New Zealand Music Month, New Zealand On Air, NZMM, Orchestra of Spheres, Radio With Pictures, Rip It Up, Shona Laing, Six Volts, Sneaky Feelings, Songwriting, Spines, Steroids, The Chills, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 110, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 110 New Zealand Music Month, The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival, The Spines, Tim Finn, TrinityRoots, Verlaines, War Stories, War Stories # 110, Writing ·

Archive

May 1, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 109 Bricks Theatre

1979: Our last year in Hamilton, Louise and I flatted in Wellington Street with my cousin Mark, his girlfriend Pam and soulless Eric. Mark was involved with the University drama club and wound up writing and producing the student revue. He had all these clever, talented performers working with him – David Peglar, Ron Kjestrup, […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Acting, Art, Books, Bricks Theatre, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hamilton, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Painting, Spines, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 109 Bricks Theatre, The Spines, Theatre, War Stories, War Stories # 109, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Writing ·

Archive

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 […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Act Your Age, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Lions, Lyrics, Music, Negative Theatre, Paranoia, Song, Song Lyric, Spines, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 106 The Lions, The Lions, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 106 ·

Archive

March 27, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 104 Cuba Street

It was the first place we played when we moved to Wellington in 1980 – Negative Theatre had a regular Friday night gig at Rawa House, a restaurant up the very top of Cuba Street. It was an Ananda Marga operation and vegetarian, they were a little strange but they treated us well and it […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged # 104, Art, Bands, Cuba Street, Gordons, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Painting, Spines, Springbok Tour, The Clean, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 104 Cuba Street, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 104, Wellington, Writing ·
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