Here at the Watusi Country Club we tend to avoid politics; but sometimes, all you can say
is ‘Wow!'

It has been possibly the weirdest 10 days I can remember in my lifetime for politicians around the globe.

Consider the following...

America's ex-leader, a man with a unique relationship to the truth, has been indicted on 37 federal charges; Britain's ex-leader, a man with a unique relationship to the truth, resigned from politics under a cloud of scandal; Italy's ex-leader, a man once charged over holding ‘bunga bunga parties' with teenage prostitutes, died; and Scotland's ex-leader was arrested. Just a bad week for politicians I guess.

Sliding sideways from that, I wanted to follow up on last week's column which – like half the media these days – had a sideways glance at the misnamed but pervasively possible threat that is AI.

I had a couple of enquiries as to one source I was quoting, investigative journalist David Farrier.

I am a great admirer of his and by complete coincidence he originally hails from right here in li'l ol' Tauranga.

You may have come across him before. I believe Netflix has his TV documentary series, ‘Dark Tourism', which explores some of the wilder and weirder vacational activities one can pursue. He has also made two very good full-length documentaries: ‘Tickled', about the strange underground 'phenomena” of competitive tickling (yes, unbelievably, it really is 'a thing”); and ‘Mr Organ', about a New Zealand underworld figure, which is still relatively new and so alarming that it really should be essential viewing.

Last week

Last week – you can still find the column on the Sunlive.co.nz website – I was specifically quoting from his weekly newsletter ‘Webworm' (only a Google away), which won a Voyager Media Award last month for Best Team Investigation.

Also tying in with last week's column is a gig this weekend. As regular readers will no doubt know I try and avoid writing about things happening immediately but this week that policy is out the window. Just because.

I mentioned two music videos resplendent on YouTube, proudly made with AI by local punks Stunt Clown, ‘Home Is Where The Hate Is' and ‘This Statistician'. Tomorrow night, Saturday, June 17, they are playing at a giant-sized Totara Street bash called Dark Hearts, 'a raw mix of punk, rock and metal styles featuring some of the country's best kept secrets”.

What that translates to is 'it'll be really heavy and you haven't heard of any of the bands”.

For the record

For the record, they are: one from Auckland, Warm Leather; one from Hamilton, Static; and three of Tauranga's finest, Hoick, Six Twos, and the aforementioned Stunt Clown, a four-piece including members of several veteran local bands, with influences as varied as UK Subs, Killing Joke and Jesus Lizard. They released a full-length debut album at the end of last year, which is available on Bandcamp or at their shows.

Doors open 7pm; tickets are $20 via the Totara St website.

Also on June 17 as part of Matariki at The Village, the Historic Village hosts Whanau Day from 9am-2pm. It will include art exhibitions, market stalls, Kaupapa Maori performers, creative workshops, food stalls, Maumahara, remembrance tributes, and a bunch of music, including JENNA (previously known as BROWN-E), Asher McMahon, Tūmanako Farrell, DJ Ayesha, Bex Strickland and Lacey (aka Wildanes).

They'll be singing and playing from 9am onwards on both the Creative Campus Stage and the Taniwha Street Stage.

There'll be heaps going on, entry is free – what's not to like? A great way to start Matariki.