Welcome back to 2014, there's a lot to talk about.

Not like a famous day back in 1930, Good Friday of that year to be precise, when the evening news broadcast started on the BBC (radio, obviously, this being pre-TV times) only for listeners to be greeted with the words: 'Ladies and gentlemen, there's no news tonight so here is some music.”

Yes, on that historical date, listeners were treated to ten minutes of light piano music, because it was adjudged that nothing had happened.

That's clearly not the case here, where much has, and continues to occur. I've been keeping an eye on the Bay and have some titbits to share.

And I've also been glancing at the rest of the world. It seems like a bit of a mess. For instance, there was a Gallup poll revealing that 46 per cent of Americans agree with the statement: 'God created humans pretty much in their present form at one time in the last 10,000 years or so.”

46 per cent? I'm speechless (or whatever the literary equivalent is). I guess they regard science as just someone's opinion. And we all know that everyone's entitled to their own opinion – isn't that what freedom's all about? So what makes science so important anyway? Who needs facts when everyone's got an opinion?

Actually there are interesting things, mostly not as scary as that last nugget, you can learn from Gallup polls in America. For instance, for the first time, in 2013 those favouring the legalisation of marijuana were in the majority at 58 per cent. Does that mean that more Americans now favour relaxed marijuana legislation than New Zealanders? That America is actually more liberal than New Zealand? Colour me surprised.

(Just as an aside, Gallup found that residents of Colorado were the least likely in America to be obese. Whether that will change now pot has been legalised there has yet to be determined...)

But back to the Bay.

There's a lot of good stuff to report. Over the next few weeks I'll look into all this in greater detail but it's heartening to know that there are now more radio stations in the Bay (and not just Mount Maunganui's Kiss-FM), more recording studios, more gigs, and more albums and music planned for release in the next year than I can remember in any recent times. With a few advances (better venues, more radio, etc) we might yet make it onto the national map.

Baycourt has - for the first time and in a move that I don't quite understand but will write about at greater length when they get back from holiday and I can actually talk to someone from the organisation – come on board with the Arts On Tour programme, meaning that a whole lot of smaller New Zealand acts, Delaney Davidson and Tattletale Saints being just two, will be through here this year, a significant and exciting development.

More immediately, however, the Art Gallery are hosting a concert on Saturday January 18 and it'll be a doozy. Beyondsemble are as difficult to describe as their name is to remember but if you can get over those two things then they really are worth seeing.
The band is a four-piece out of Auckland - Craig Denham, Jon Sanders, Chris Koole, and John Ellis - who between them play accordion, piano, whistles, guitar, bouzouki, ukulele, percussion, bass clarinet, and saxophones. They sing in harmony too. There used to be another member who played fiddle but she has obviously departed.
And the music? Well, they launched their latest album at last year's WOMAD, which seems appropriate as they do a bit of a lot of things, from jazz and gypsy swing to folk and country and stuff that sounds like Klezmer to me. And they do it all very well, with good humour and virtuoso skill.

Tickets are $30 for adults or $25 for students. It's at 7pm. And, if you missed the Hipshooters' powerful electric blues at Driver's Bar last week, they're back! After touring the North Island they return to The Funky Lizard Cafe in Paengaroa for one last gig, kicking off at 2pm this Sunday (January 12).

I hear it's a great spot for music, especially if the sun is shining and it's outdoors.


Beyondsemble will play at the Art Gallery.