Hey there, here’s a new set of recordings — more from the files of ‘The Richard Poems’. You’ll remember I have shared two previous times reading, as I try to get to grips with these new poems, and work on the idea of creating an actual show: And, if you’re playing at home, I like to give you the option to read along — so below are the poems featured in this podcast in their print/text ‘readings’. As always, very happy for your feedback. Will take your silence as some proof I’m on the right track...
Jun 07, 2024•6 min
I’m a huge fan of Jon Ronson. I’ve been following his work for around 25 years now, and when I wrote a short piece here recently plugging his upcoming Wellington gig , I could never have believed I might get to actually talk with him. First of all, I couldn’t believe my luck that he was coming to NZ. I was trying to work out how to afford a trip to Melbourne… Anyway, this podcast episode — my first ‘proper’ podcast chat in a year, finds me rusty, but eager. And hoping from here to be able to do ...
May 31, 2024•32 min
An in-depth phone conversation with Henry Rollins. We promo his then-upcoming (2023) NZ tour but also talk about his move to Nashville, after 40 years of living in LA. We talk about his childhood, his recent return to travel, the Covid Lockdowns, his acting, his writing, his radio show. The works. Henry weighs in on America and politics, and previews the type of talk he'll be doing on the stage. Thank you for reading Sounds Good! . This post is public so feel free to share it. Sounds Good! is a ...
May 27, 2024•46 min
You’ll remember that last month I went down to the Fringe Bar and read some new poems: I’ve decided I’ll try get along and read some more of the new “Richard” poems. I’m trying to learn to sit in the moment with these poems, to let them hang. I’m bantering away between them because there’s tension, then release, and hopefully some relief. There’s not a lot of relief from these poems, so that’s where the banter comes in to save. But I’m also trying to provide a wee bit of context, and to still le...
May 02, 2024•6 min
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...
Apr 04, 2024•4 min
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 ...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 33 min
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...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 10 min
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
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 57 min
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
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 25 min
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/su...
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 21 min
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 acces...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 56 min
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...
Jul 30, 2021•2 hr 55 min
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.s...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 27 min
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 l...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 42 min
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
Jul 08, 2021•20 min
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 ...
Jul 01, 2021•2 hr 11 min
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 ...
Jun 23, 2021•2 hr 4 min
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...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 38 min
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 hindsigh...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 52 min
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 sa...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 29 min
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 fu...
May 24, 2021•2 hr 1 min
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...
May 19, 2021•2 hr 13 min
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...
May 14, 2021•58 min
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...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 42 min
An in-depth conversation with Matthew Pender - he's the singer of Wellington band Odessa. But our conversation here is mostly about the influence of Prince and our shared Prince fandom; in fact our friendship was formed through mutual Prince appreciation. This conversation is our wee tribute to Prince, marking five years since his death. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 48 min
An in-depth conversation with the writer and journalist Steve Braunias. We plug his new book of crime reporting, Missing Persons. But we go back to how he fell into writing and talk about his life and work. We talk, too, of other writers; poets, journalists, novelists, the writers that he's met and interviewed, the role models and heroes. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 29 min
An in-depth conversation with Hawke's Bay jazz singer Margot Pierard. We talk about being born into a musical family and growing up with music as the "sport" in the house. We talk about the great jazz divas and falling under the spell of singers like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. We talk about performance and anxiety and the barriers to success when life and work gets in the way. We talk about communicating songs - selling the story of them while telling the song's history. And we talk through...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 15 min
An in-depth converstion with Mike Blue - aka 'Dr Blue'. We talk about music and poetry and he performs some of each live. We talk about his life in England and the musical and poetry he discovered and saw live over there. Then to his move to NZ - and the Covid Lockdown he experienced in his new home. We talk busking and gigging and a live spent in love with music and the travel and time dedicated to making a hobby a job and a lifelong passion. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.sub...
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 20 min
An in-depth conversation with actor and singer Mere Boynton. She studied opera and was then cast as Mavis, the karaoke singer in a pivotal scene in NZ classic, Once Were Warriors. Since then she's worked on stage and screen around the country and indeed around the world - with theatre a key passion. She also works in arts administration and has a new role as Director Ngā Toi Māori for Tāwhiri, the organisation that produces the New Zealand Festival of the Arts, Wellington Jazz Festival, Lexus So...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 13 min
An in-depth conversation with Auckland-based actor, voice talent, DJ, artist, stone carver, glass blower and storyteller Greg Smith. We chart his life as a series of happy accidents moving from one town to another, one girlfriend to another, one story to another - threaded through it a tale of drugs and art and happiness. We talk about his time as a glass blower, actor, voice talent, DJ and musician signed to Flying Nun Records. Greg finishes this podcast with a spoken-word yarn of his own. Get ...
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr 39 min
