Congratulations to Opshop members for winning the APRA Silver Scroll last night for the song “One Day”.

And here’s my ‘one-degree-of-separation’ story.

Years ago I lived in Christchurch (1979 – 1985).

  • I got involved in the music scene with Pete Rainey (Smokefree RockQuest founder).
  • Pete had a Big Band, called the Pete Rainey Big Band.
  • I was the vocalist.
  • Pete left university and became music teacher at Hornby Highschool
  • Many fine musicians came through that school, under his guidance
  • On our trip to the Gore Gold Guitar Awards in 1991 we used some of Pete’s ex-students in the band – Skinny La Veal and his Fat Band
  • One of those ex-students was Bob Kennedy, now Bobby Kennedy of Opshop fame…

Pathetic to be using someone else’s fine and well deserved success to blow my own trumpet. This is not my intention.

Merely to say that the world, and New Zealand, is a very small place, and so it’s easier to bask in other people’s glory and feel like you have a closer connection to it, other than buying the CD or getting carried away by the music.

I spoke to Bobby earlier in the year, albeit very briefly, when Rockquest celebrated their 20th birthday in Wellington. He remembered me, which was nice. He also told me he had finally been able to give up his day job and devote his time fully to making music.

We went to Gore in 1991. 17 years later he now has a full-time job making music. That’s dedication. That’s devotion. That’s having belief in the fact that music can offer you a real career – now more than ever.

Congratulations Opshop. Congratulations Bobby.

Here he is with the rest of the band…he’s on the drums.

And if you want to see Bobby playing in 1991 go here: he appears about 46 seconds in.

One thought on “Opshop wins Silver Scroll award”

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