Nights for Friday 1 December 2017

7:07 Sonic Tonic - Games

I am still Colin Meads. It doesn't change too much for me. On official occasions it perhaps does, but in the general walk of life I am still just an old rugby player from King Country. Colin Meads

Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life. Billie Jean King

I've learned over the years that if you start thinking about the race, it stresses you out a little bit. I just try to relax and think about video games, what I'm gonna do after the race, what I'm gonna do just to chill. Stuff like that to relax a little before the race. Usain Bolt

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan

One afternoon when I was 9, my dad told me I'd be skipping school the next day. Then we drove 12 hours from Melbourne to Sydney for the Centenary Test, a once-in-a-lifetime commemorative cricket match. It was great fun - especially for a kid who was a massive sports fan. Hugh Jackman

8:12 Something for the Weekend

Tonight we talk to Jody Hare (aka maDD Honor) from Swamp City Roller Derby ahead or their very special bout this weekend. The Next Breast Thing is a charity game to raise money for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ which sees The Itty Bitty Tittes skating against The Over Shoulder Boulders.

8:30 Spotlight 

Formed in 1973 by David Harrington, the Kronos Quartet has released over 60 albums of extraordinary diversity and creativity and have recorded a number of collaborations with some of the world's most adventurous composers and artists. Despite being classically trained musicians, they have often been described as 'genre-defying', producing music that challenges 2 violins, a viola and a cello. For their most recent project, Kronos have recorded an extraordinary new album with the Trio Da kali, 3 Griots from Mali, featuring vocalist Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, balafon master Lassana Diabaté (of AfroCubism) and bass ngoni vistuoso Mamadou Kouyaté (son of Bassekou Kouyaté). As it is written in their press release: Combining the spirit of fearless exploration with expert craftsmanship and skill, Trio Da Kali's original repertoire has been taken on a fascinating journey, giving a new voice to timeless sounds. Trevor Reekie talks to David Harrington, the founding member and violinist of the Kronos Quartet about this new record called Ladilikan.

9:07 Country Life 

Tonight Country life serves up fresh goats cheese from the Drunken Nanny run by Wairarapa sheep and beef farming couple Amanda and Lindsey Goodman.  Also in Wairarapa, Wairere Rams is one of New Zealand's biggest ram breeding operations where the tough Hill country and a carefully managed breeding programme produces hardy rams that can cope with most conditions the New Zealand country-side throws at them.

10:17 Late Edition

A roundup of today's RNZ News and feature interviews as well as Dateline Pacific from RNZ International.

11:07 The Mixtape

For the latest series of The Mixtape, RNZ Music invites guests to compile a C60 of local sounds, and talk us through their selections.

This week, artist Dick Frizzell.