Sweetman Podcast

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Margot's incredible passion and commitment to singing.

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.

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 Song Quest and other major events. We talked about all of this as well as some of her favourite books, authors and music.

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.