Dub dot dash

Auckland City Council wiped out BPM Records
Local music svengali Simon Grigg has a long involvement with the music scene here in Auckland, from running a record label to co-owning the wonderful Box and Cause Celebre nightclubs. So, naturally, he has been taking an interest in the latest brainfart from the Auckland City Council, on severely limiting the opening hours of bars and clubs across the city. Thankfully, after a huge outcry from the affected bars, this silly idea has been dropped. You can read Simon's thoughts on the Council's approach to our city's nightlife over here.

snip... "Norman Jay and I were talking a few weeks back about the first time we'd met, many years back, when we bought him to NZ. He'd said how much he'd enjoyed the wide and invigorating nightlife in the city after his time in Australia. We talked about the talent our adventurous nightlife had nurtured....OMC (out of South Auckland but via the city), Nathan Haines, P-Money, Che Fu, Emerson Todd, Mark de Clive Lowe and so on. It's launched radio stations that define large parts of the city..George FM, Base FM and fed talent to 95bFm.... We have wonderful late night eateries and hang-outs that bubble and do so much for the soul of the city.  And all of this exists despite the Auckland Council..."

Simon goes on to talk about his own run-in with the Auckland City Council, which wiped out his shop, BPM Records. It's a grim story.