auckland boat show

the auckland international boat show had serious dollar signs oozing from every orifice. there were specialists from every boating supply niche imaginable - from gold plated cabin fixtures, to universal antifouling systems. big game fishing chairs, to pristine polished porta-potties. woolen captains hats, to 40 tonne anchor winches and hydraulic davits. and the boats....
millions of dollars worth of boats and accessories were on show.

i particularly liked the old sailing skooners with bronze winches, square sails, intricate rigging, and vanished wooden body work. these old vessels are so elegant and beautiful. the countless hours of elbow grease and ingenuity scream out from every meticulously scrutinised detail.

also, the floating, moveable, outboard powered gangway was a nice touch. this cut off the piers that show boats where docked to -which made it feel a bit more special and elite- whilst retaining functionality of the viaduct for members and public.

i would like to have seen a bit more emphasis put on the boats as apposed to the businesses (not to exclude the corporate aspect but to retain focus on the supposed stars of the show) and some interactive displays would have been a welcome addition too.

all round it was quite an enjoyable experience, and after a day of exploring the cream of aucklands' nautical elite in the scorching heat of the late summer sun, a cold brew in the viaduct was just the ticket.

KINGS OF MELON

so, the first cultural experience i enjoyed for semester one, 2009, was a audio visual extravigansa by those sweet, shy south americants, the Kings of Leon.

the band played their songs very well. especially the newer songs which i suspect were written with big stadium performances in mind. i remember seeing them play at the Big Day Out a few years ago and the sound quality just pailed in comparison. ...

when i first saw the stage set up my heart dropped into my left shoe. nothing special there as a far as i could see. ..however, when the boys started busting out their tunes the hidden lighting rig spewed into action. the syncronisation of the lighting effects and the song dynamics was perfectly executed and really enhanced the experience.

the vocalist, Caleb something-or-other (whom it turns out is loved dearly by the group of thirteen year olds who where sitting behind me) stuck to those tryed and true rock n' roll cliches in place of whitty stage banter. this didn't seem to put off the capacity crowd too much (the place erupted whenever anything was mumbled into the microphone), although i would have liked a little something more.

dont get me wrong they were very good, but where were the smashed guitars, bleeding fingures and the synicle in jokes that everyone seems to think they understand?