Sweetman Podcast

I took myself down to Poetry in Motion’s regular monthly open-mic night. There’s always a feature poet, but a few slots for open-mic readings in the first half of the evening. Here is a warts-n-all live recording of three new poems from me, with a little context around the poems — and my return to open-mic reading after a lengthy absence. Finding my feet (and voice) with reading again. Hope you like. Happy for any feedback. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

Hi and welcome back to the podcast. I’ve had a huge break. This has been for a bunch of reasons – but really it was because of the pandemic. Lockdowns killed my flow, I didn’t want to just do phone and Skype chats. And then, ever since hitting ‘stop’ it’s been very hard to press ‘play’ again. Or in fact to hit ‘Record’.But here I am again, with the new sporadic approach to podcasting. Meaning, there’s no guarantee of a weekly chat or even fortnightly. I’m just hoping to get an episode up every now and then.And so, to episode 274 of Sweetman Podcast.The first podcast for the year. The longest break since I started this podcast.This conversation is a repeat guest. The writer Megan Dunn. I first spoke to Megan in 2018 (and you can click that link to hear the earlier chat). Megan had written her first book when I spoke to her a few years back. I asked her to come back when she completed her second book; it was going to be about mermaids. That book never happened. But there’s some writing about that topic – and we talk about that topic here and much of what’s in her second book, the brilliant Things I Learned At Art School, a memoir-in-essays.I’m a huge fan of Megan’s writing and it’s nice chatting with her – we geek out about pop culture and art.This conversation was actually recorded way back toward the end of last year – to date it I’m including a link to a New York Times article, Who Is The Bad Art Friend? We talk a bit about this in the podcast, this essay was doing the rounds at the time. That’ll give you a context for when this conversation took place. You can see how I never could have made it in the world of PR or event management. This is the biggest promotional lag ever! But it’s still a fun and relevant conversation. And the book is still available to buy. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

A phone conversationw with TV host and comedian Dai Henwood. We've never met and this is our first ever chat, so we talk lockdown and covid, and rap music, and we talk about his father, the late, great Ray Henwood (a wonderful actor). We do talk comedy, a bit. But this was more a getting-to-know-somehow chat. And I loved it. I hope you do too. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based actor, writer and producer Jean Sergent. We talk about her life and work, growing up in an acting family, her current show - Live Through This - her interest in reading Tarot and a whole lot more. Great chat! Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

A talk I gave at the 2020 Manawatu Writers Festival. I'm talking about blogging - and indeed all the writing I do and my journey towards it and through it. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based performance poet Tarns Hood. We talk about her style of work and she recites several poems - we talk poetry slams and performing in general. We also talk about sobriety, celebrate her recent 5-year (60 month) milestone. And she talks candidly about alcoholism. Her bottoming out. Her decision to work a program, to stay clean, to live day by day. And to channel into work and performance. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Andrew Gladstone, drummer for Garageland. We talk about the highs and lows of the band's career across the mid/late 1990s and early 00s and then Andrew's move to Hawke's Bay to hide from the music industry - where of course he went on to play even more drums (including with Fane Flaws - R.I.P.) We also talked about the upcoming Anniversary Tour where the original band members are reforming to play their classic debut record, "Last Exit To Garageland". Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with the writer and book-store owner Catherine Robertson. We talk art, books, music, movies - all the good things. Huge chat. We talk about Catherine's books - but also about writing in general; books in general. We talk through her life and influences and discuss book reviewing. And many other things along the way. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with poet and sculptor Sam Duckor-Jones. We talk about, and he reads from, his new book, Party Legend. But we talk about his life making and creating, the need to make - and the search to find and announce one's self through the work. We talk about not connecting with school and not writing - beyond poetry. We talk about finding your medium, about the IIML, about listening in on other conversations and reading in public. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Otaki-based actor Jeff Kingsford-Brown. He's currently - as you hear this - the lead role in the show Elling at Circa Theatre in Wellington. He's been a professional actor for many years and we talk about his life and work, talking also of great screen performances by many acting legends. We talk technqique, we talk about some of the funny things that can happen on stage, and we talk about his early life in musical theatre and the training he underwent to devote a life to the stage. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

A brief phone conversation with the legendary comic mind and author Ben Elton. We talk about his tour with a bit of looking back to when and how he made his name in the 1980s as a writer for legendary TV shows and creator of iconic characters. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

an in-depth conversation with Jo Marsh - aka JoJo Bellini. As Bellini, Marsh works across comedy and burlesque as a performer and MC. She has a background in theatre, singing and production and arrived late at burlesque via a life-threatening car crash. In wanting to start a dance class she found burlesque as the most accepting place. She now finds New Zealand as the most accepting place to live via a stint in the UK and having grown up in Australia. She was locked down here during the pandemic in 2020. And is not intending to leave anytime soon. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth chat over the phone with Richard Morris - aka Rikki Morris. He's a singer, songwriter, producer, engineer and former roadie to Th' Dudes and The Crocodiles. He's best known for his runaway hit single Nobody Else recorded and performed with his brother Ian under his solo moniker Tex Pistol. Rikki had been a member of The Crocodiles and would go on to pay tribute to his brother in the reunited line-up of Th' Dudes. He has provided live sound mixing and studio engineering for countless names in the NZ music industry and also had a stint as a TV host - including as co-host of after-school classic, 3.45 Live. He is about to release his first new song in 25 years Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Ben Tolich aka Mali Mali. We talk through his life and catalogue of music; discussing the need to work and be creative on the side. We also talk religion, mental health, Bob Dylan and many other things and to top it off there's a live performance of an as yet unreleased Mali Mali song. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Father Christopher Orczy, vicar at St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Christchurch. Chris didn't grow up with religion. He had an epiphany, an awakening, he felt a calling in his late-30s. He grew up a music man - including listening to death metal. He worked in a music store and was obsessed with prog and synth pop (still is). He was composing music and noticed it was moving more towards the spiritual and devotional - but can only see that now in hindsight. He quit his job and told his wife the (good) news: He would study to become a priest. With her support they moved to Australia and he studied - returning to his home of Christchurch, carrying the guilt of not being there during the earthquake. This was my first time ever meeting Chris but we have mutual friends and we chat via Facebook. We are fellow music nerds. I was interested in his spiritual journey and thrilled that he took the time to talk through it so candidly with me. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Wellington's Kate Spencer - aka CreatifKate. Kate is a poet and performer, a photographer, a producer - and to break the spell of 'P' words - she is an MC and organiser, both a talent herself and a talent wrangler. She moved to Wellington half a decade ago, from England, via a teaching stint in China and is a full-time creative. Two seeminly disparate communities keep her if not on the straight, then certainly the narrow: Her church and the queer community. So we sat down to talk about all of this and a whole lot more. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with fellow Bob Dylan fan Jonny Potts. Jonny is a comedian, actor, writer and has been a previous guest of the podcast (ep. 31) but here we talk Dylan. That's it. Just Bob. Our tribute conversation on the eve of Bob Dylan's 80th Birthday. For both of us - as is the case for many of you listening no doubt - Bob has been the one highest on the mountain with the brightest torch, speaking to the broadest church. Our way to say thank you. And to say Happy Birthday Bob. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Auckland-based singer/songwriter, musician and poet, Caitlin Smith. We talk about songwriting, covers, performing, being legally blind, the towering influence of Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, the brilliance of Joan As Police Woman, the determination and grit to make only great music. Huge conversation. Deep chat. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with filmmaker Florian Habicht. We talk about some of his past movies - particularly the doco he made about Pulp. We also plug his brand new film James & Isey, a must see. And talk through his background in film and photography, his childhood, a Queen obsession as a kid and then his Art School years, lighting the spark to move into cinema. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Mark Rogers - he's a DJ, publicist, promoter, music fan, bookstore owner and raconteur. From Wales, originally, Mark arrived in New Zealand over a decade ago via 20 odd years in London - some of them very odd: seeing Nina Simone live at Ronnie Scott's, meeting Johnny Cash, looking after Joan Baez and Emmylou Harris, compiling a seminal alt-country compilation. Amazing stories. And we got many of them here along with more recent reflections, including his weekly show on RNZ, Nashville Babylon and the time Jacinda Ardern visited his book and antique store, Bear Flag Books And Retro in Masterton's main street. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe