ENTERTAINMENT SYMPOSIUM

Rip It Up, Issue 14, 1 August 1978, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENT SYMPOSIUM

L.B. Sands

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Alastair Riddell has formed a new group to be known as the Alastair Riddell Band. The band includes Ruth Hall (vocals), Gavin Beardsmore (bass), Lisa Marsh (keyboards), John Treseder (guitar), and Noel Lamberton (drums) together with Riddell. Alastair Riddell’s new album is nearing completion and should see mid-August release . . .

Sunday, September 3 will witness a first for the NZ Entertainment Industry. At Trillos in Auckland an all-day symposium to discuss problems in the Entertainment Industry has been organised and financed by the NZ Entertainment Operators Association (NEOA). The symposium, which begins at 9am and will run through to 9pm, is open to anyone involved in any way with entertainment on TV, radio or stage. As many entertainers, actors, TV or radio personnel as possible are urged to be present to air their opinions and grievances.

Speakers will include the The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet, Kevin Moore of TV2, Des Monaghan of TVI, Tim Murdoch representing the Phonographic Federation, as well as representatives from both private and public broadcasting, QEII Arts Council and the Entertainment Unions. All speakers will be open to questions from the floor.

Living Force have finally quit our shores. We are informed that the band flew out of Auckland for Honolulu in mid July. They will rehearse in Hawaii for a couple of weeks and then fly to Manila in the Phillipines for a week of concerts. From there it is hoped a tour of Japan will be organised. The band is being financially supported by a Phillipines promoter ... Flight 7-7 is a new group whose better-known members include Smartie (ex-Neutral Smith and Father Time) on drums Jeff Clarkson, (lead vocals) and Warwick Keay (ex Forever, Gasworks Band) on bass . .. Th’ Dudes have reached a management agreement with Charley Gray, proprietor of the Island of Real. Their IZM Radio Workshop will be broadcast on August 13 . . . meanwhile our roving reporter espied well-known-man-about-town Johnny Volume of The Scavengers at the Windsor watching Th’ Dudes. Seems he was so moved by the sight that he approached the stage, ripped up vocalist Peter Uhrlich’s song list and then proceeded to gnaw on the microphone cable ... The IZM Pop Quest was won by Lip Service with runner up being Johnny and the Hookers. The show was ”a disappointment in terms of crowd response but the musical standard made up for it “... Citizen Band went south in July to film sessions with Radio with Pictures and Ready to Roll. It appears likely that the group has landed the Graham Parker support which should coincide with their album release. Citizen

Watches are now sponsors for the group and apparently the marriage is ‘‘working just fine” ... seems likely that Radio with Pictures may alter somewhat under its new producer. They could be on the look out for new talent. It’s understood those submitting bios and demonstration tapes could be considered . . yeah meant to mention while we were talking about Citizen Band that the boys received a mucho enthusiastic call for an encore at the end of their three night stint at the Island of Real last last month, reports proprietor Charley Gray . . . Rick Steele’s new single will be the Rick Nelson standard ‘‘Lonesome Town”. Release date is September 11 ... ex-Rockinghorse drummer Steve Garden to join Bamboo . . . Spats were in at Harlequin Studios in Auckland putting down demos ‘‘in the prevailing new wave sound" . . . it’s rumoured that Schtung have lost their drummer Geoff Bowdler . . . the Auckland rock scene shrinks even further the Globe Hotel is closing for renovations, at this time the manager is unsure whether

bands will be used when the hotel reopens ... the Exchange Tavern has stopped having live entertainment . . . just a little warning that Rough Justice will be embarking on a South Island to ur between the end of August and the beginning of October. The tour will take in such metropolitan centres as Christchurch, Barrytown and Blackpool . . . The Suburban Reptiles are out of action till late September as vocalist Zero has joined the cast of The Rocky Horror Show. But the Reps second single "Saturday Night- Stay At Home” will be released in early September. Written by Buster Stiggs and produced by ex-Enz member Phil Judd, the single will be released in a picture sleeve and the first 40 million will be pressed on a special edition of black vinyl . . . watch out for Henderson’s answer to the Travolta disco coloured lights multi dimensional polydynamic disco-as-in-the movie and all that bullshit nightclub. It’s called the Penthouse and it’s out of sight. . . well from here it is anyhow . . .