Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
Station of the Year
NZ Radio Awards 2009
20 March, 2010
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The Blerta Years
A four-part New Zealand music profile, researched, produced and presented by Keith Newman with sound design by Jeremy Ansell for Radio New Zealand National.
The BLERTA bus and entourage on the West Coast of the South Island summer 1971-1972. Photo by Helen Whiteford.
You can hear The BLERTA Stories (the spoken content of the radio programmes, without the music) right here. Click on an episode link to listen to the audio.
- Part one: BLERTA is coming (duration: 19′55″)
In the summer of 1971 the nation was plastered with brightly coloured posters announcing 'BLERTA is coming'; who or what BLERTA was remained unclear until an antique bus covered in psychedelic images and an entourage of up to 50 minstrels and multimedia pioneers trundled into town.
It was 35-years ago that BLERTA (Bruno Lawrence's Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition), set off down the highways and by-ways of culturally challenged New Zealand with their own brand of theatrical rock and legendary kids shows.
Voices in this programme: Producer/presenter Keith Newman, Veronica Lawrence, Corbin Simpson, Tony Littlejohn, Bill Gruer, Geoff Murphy, Kemp Turirangi, Beverly Morrison A.K.A. Beaver.
- Part two: Chaos in Christchurch (duration: 20′06″)
BLERTA, a madcap merging of rock and jazz musicians, actors, film makers and cultural revolutionaries was determined to offload its shock troops on the population of New Zealand at the dawn of the 70s.
Their first South Island Tour taught Bruno Lawrence, Geoff Murphy and their hippy troupe much about living off the bones of their arts and winning the trust of locals who's hackles were raised at the sight of the big red bus and its colourful entourage spilling out into their communities.
The BLERTA Years Part Two covers chaos in Christchurch - the concerto for motorcycle and rock band, kids shows in Queenstown, living on the bones of their arts, the first music videos, a 30 foot dragon and the birth of Dance all around the World.
Voices in this programme: producer/presenter Keith Newman, Bill Gruer, Geoff Murphy, Corbin Simpson, Veronica Lawrence, Beverly Morrison A.K.A. Beaver, Kemp Turirangi.
- Part three: Dance All Around the World (duration: 20′44″)
With Dance All Around the World becoming a Kiwi anthem and the hippy entourage of musicians, actors, movie makers and cultural revolutionaries criss-crossing the country with their wildly anarchic stage shows, the BLERTA phenomenon was well established in the nation's psyche.
A new line-up, the craziest song ever to be played on radio, explosions that backfired, naked at Ngaruawahia, the lost album, an invitation to Australia. There was more focus on the mini dramas as band leader Bruno Lawrence looked for new ways to push musical and cultural boundaries. In Australia the unit played the university circuit and teamed up with top jazz musicians to record a controversial album with Renee Geyer.
Voices in this programme: Producer/presenter Keith Newman, Ian Watkin, Fane Flaws, Geoff Murphy, Bill Gruer, Corbin Simpson, Rick Bryant, Patrick Bleakley, Veronica Lawrence.
- Part four: This is the Life (duration: 17′39″)
After a two year break from New Zealand BLERTA, Bruno Lawrence's Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition, headed home to the Waimarama commune to prepare the best they had to offer for the final tours.
With many of the old crew back on board and an album about to be released BLERTA hijacked the Avalon TV studios for a chaotic six part television series, Wildman the movie was made and the musical, acting and film making careers of many of its founding members went mainstream.
Voices in this programme: Producer/presenter Keith Newman, Geoff Murphy, Veronica Lawrence, Beverly Morrison A.K.A. Beaver, Fane Flaws, Patrick Bleakley & Corben Simpson.
Information
The BLERTA Years producer and narrator Keith Newman talks to Geoff Murphy (trumpet player, singer, film maker), Bill Gruar (philosopher, mechanic, roadie, set builder), Tony Littlejohn (bass player and founder of the early band), Corben Simpson (singer, rhythm guitarist), Veronica Lawrence (Bruno's wife), Beaver (singer, actress), Patrick Bleakley (bass player), Kemp Tuirirangi (guitarist), Ian Watkin (actor) and Fane Flaws (guitarist, songwriter).
Find out more about Bruno Lawrence's Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition
BLERTA's lead singer Corben Simpson on the first nationnal tour, 1971. Photo by Helen Whiteford.
BLERTA actors Bruno Lawrence and Tony Barry ham it up in a keystone cops role, with the contents of the loot bag appearing to be copies of the controversial '70s underground magazine Cock. Photo by Helen Whiteford.