Once, actually about 4 times, I got to sing ‘Welcome Home’ on stage with Dave Dobbyn to rooms full of stranded New Zealanders. I’m not that nationalistic, and have a mostly impossible fear of flags (excluding probably the Tino Rangatiratanga flag and Union Banners world wide), but man it was pretty hard to not be moved by the big feelings and big tears coming back to the stage during those long hot nights. I had to keep kicking myself in the shins and wondering, “How did I get here? This cannot be my beautiful life? This can not be Dave Dobbyns beautiful wife standing beside the stage.” And yet there I was.
I’ve been lucky to do the same with a lot of my songwriting heroes, everytime is like what?
Barry Saunders, Lindon Puffin, Upper Hutt Posse, Luckless, and more, it’s a big list.
Last year or maybe the year before ( I dunno, folk singer time is weird, moving at once rapidly forward and backward all at the same time), I got to do the same with Jordan Luck as part of his backing band; an honor all us easterners got to share. It was big stuff and fun as fuck hearing every word of every song that’s in built into your NZ DNA coming back at you.
Jordan is wry and wise and deep and true and kind and wild and a man with the greatest song writing gifts as well as those of one of the greatest front people to ever do it. As a pretender to the outhouse throne of the temple of fronters and chancers I couldn’t help but feel THE AWE and the AW and of course THE AW FUCK YEAH.
It was great.
We’ve been waiting for a chance to Voltron and form up to get it done again.
This march that chance becomes a fine thing, and in service to the big things which makes it even better.
A Fundraiser for the Delta Community Trust, a great organization that go deep for the folks with the big needs, day after live long day.
This year they saw their major regular donation of food (which they shared with two other food banks) suddenly split between nearly 17 more.
There’s a few levels to this,
But the main ones are the big gut kicking pangs that they’re running short and the fact there are 17 (at least) food banks out there in Christchurch.
Its hard to feel patriotic about a land of plenty of not much.
It is however easy to feel patriotic about a land of folks who are down to come and get down and bring a bunch of food when they are called upon.
THAT’S YOU GUYS!
So c’mon and join us, we’ll do the heavy work, y’all can just sink a few and get busy down the front, while our pals count the cans (and weetbix, and toiletries and tampons and toothpaste and pet food) ya’ll are gonna bring with your cheap as chips tickets (just $15).
These tickets are to cover costs and we’ll pony up the profits to Delta but it’s the food we want! And the solidarity!
If you’re running late and won’t make the supermarket you can pay $35 (or more) for a ticket on its own!
Grab your tickets right here:
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Postscript:
The Reason ‘Welcome Home’ is such a mighty beast of a song, is one line, buried right there drawing very little attention to itself.
“You’ll find most of us here, with our arms wide open”
That’s beautiful and also very smart and aware
The key word being ‘Most’
Very smart Dr Dobbyn
I promise to get teary when we sell this sucker out and get to believing in the most of us again.
This a gig we’re excited about, but frustrated that it even needs to happen.
That said you are all welcome.
As always if the ticket money is tight send me a message we’ll figure it out.
Much love
Welcome home etc
