Timetable

Happy Thursdays

$5 Jugs, Food, Music, etc

Bar opens 4pm Thursdays, R18

Student Centre on Harbour Tce

Starts Thurs 8th March

Tuesday 13
· UNIPOL-Clubs & Societies BBQ, free lunch, Student Centre

Wednesday 14
· Lunch entertainment: Banjo Stu, Student Centre, FREE

Thursday 15
· Eating Competition - Round 1, lunchtime Student Centre

Saturday 18th
· Pacific Heights, $11 with Parole Pass, (Backstage), R18
· OSCC Autocross, Have-a-go motorsport, $30

Monday 19
· StudentCard on campus from today

Tuesday 20
· First Day Parade (6.15pm Dental School), Greeting and Band, Cambio, in Octagon (7.00pm), FREE
· Toga Party: Odessa , The Tweeks, Aviators, $20*, (Union, 9pm), R17
· After Party: Hayman, Retrophonic Funk, Charlie Ash, $5*, (Refuel 121.30am), R17

Wednesday 21
· Eating Competition - Round 2, lunchtime Student Centre FREE
· Clubs & Socs Day (C&S Albany St)
· Class Rep Meeting (Bayrooms)
· Gig: Concord Dawn, Minuit, State of Mind, $25*, (Union, 9pm), R17
· After Party: Drop, North Shore, Pony Club, $5*, (Refuel, 12.30am), R17

Thursday 22
· Hypnotist, $10*, (Union, 7pm & 9pm), R17
· After Party: The Mint Chicks, Collapsing Cities, The Situations, $20*, (MCR, 10.45am-2.30am), R17

Friday 23
· Gig: Hollie Smith, Open Souls, Vibrasics, $25*, (Union, 9pm), R17
· After Party: Basement Cuts, $5*, (Refuel, 12.30am), R17

Sat 24
· Rugby & ELEMENOP, Highlanders vs Stormers, buses leave OUSA 3.15pm, kick-off 5pm, $15*
· Gig: Blackseeds, Andrew Moore Trio, D Dub, $30*, (Union, 9pm), R17
· After Party: Thomas Oliver Band, Soundclash, Soundsystem, Kraft & Stonyer, $5*, (Refuel 1am), R17

Sunday 25
· Southern Festival of Speed motor-racing – special student tickets $10 only at OPSA

Monday 26
· Comedy Night: Mrs Peacock, Brendan Lovegrove, Pantsoff Time, $10*, (Union 7 and 9pm), R17
· Mayoral Cycling Challenge, 6:30pm (Logan Park – see www.hcn.co.nz for map)

Tuesday 27
· Eating Competition – Grand Final, lunchtime Student Centre

Wednesday 28
· Lunch entertainment: Dragonfly, Student Centre, 12 noon, FREE
· Gig: Katchafire, Koile, Renegade Sound, $20*, (Union, 8pm), R17

Thursday 1 March
· Gig: Shapeshifter, Taliband, Vanadis, $25*, (Union 8pm), R17

Friday 2
· A Low Hum Tour: Disasteradio, So So Modern, My Disco, Frase + Bri, $15*, (MCR, 8pm), R17

Saturday 3
· Rock Dunedin: Darryl Baser, The Dry, KFTP, Gestalt Switch, $10*, (Refuel 8pm), R17
· FUNQ, Queer Disco, 9pm Arc Café, R18

Tuesday 6
· Maori Student Meeting (Bayrooms)

Wednesday 7
· Student Services Day, 12 noon (Student Centre)
· International Student Meeting (Bayrooms)

Thursday 8
· The Famous OPSA Quiz feat. QM Baxter & Gregor, prizes, bar opens 4pm, Quiz starts 5.30-ish, R18, Student Centre, FREE
· Pacific Student Meeting (Bayrooms)

*Presented by our good buddies OUSA

Venues
Student Centre: On Harbour Tce, opposite the main Polytechnic campus.
Union Hall & MCR: Located on the University campus, access from the grassy area opposite the Museum, through the archway on Cumberland St.
ReFuel: Downstairs from the Union Hall.

Alcohol
Alcohol can certainly be fun, but if you drink too much there’s a good chance you’ll regret it later. And no matter how much you drink, don’t forget to drink plenty of water during the night.
All OPSA events where alcohol is available are R18. Some OUSA alcohol events are R17 with special conditions for 17 year olds - like absolutely no alcohol whatever. This might sound a bit mean - but it’s better than not being allowed in at all, right?

Sex
Don’t forget the simple rule: no glove - no love. Even if it’s the lead singer you’ve been dreaming of scoring since you were 15...
Remember no means no, not ‘maybe later’ and certainly not ‘maybe if I get more pished...’. Sexual harassment will not be tolerated at any OPSA/OUSA event. If you have any hassles see the staff immediately.

Well that’s about it - have a great Orientation and if you have any questions or problems throughout Orientation or the year, ask us at OPSA. That’s what we’re here for.

Mark Baxter
Student Liaison Officer

The Acts

The Black Seeds
(reggae funk-ish)
The Black Seeds is one of the headliners for this year’s Orientation. A perennial tour band, they are always on the move. This year their calendar contains concert dates throughout Europe and the USA. We’re lucky to have them right here, right now. We last saw them here on their Dojo album release tour, when they played to a packed out Union Hall with top biller Hollie Smith (appearing at Ori this year in her own right) at the end of a long cold winter. Their music’s that kind of Aotearoa reggae funk that makes you feel you’re part of something special just by being in Newzild. It’s a musical message that overseas countries just lap up. Melodically, they’re a tight band, and you’re in for a very cruisy, no-aggro, night where the vibe is in charge.

Katchafire
(Maori reggae)
I like the story someone told me about Katchafire - that immediately before going on stage they gather everyone in the green room together for a quick karakia. They make everyone around them part of their family, and it’s exactly the same on stage. They spread out and sweep you up in their all-embracing music. It’s not just the Mäori reggae vocals, it’s not just their generous stage presence - you are part of a massive world music experience, and you know it. They say it best on their website: “Katchafire’s unique, proudly New Zealand reggae style envelopes cross-cultural and cross-generational audiences in the revitalising vibes of healing music, encouraging sing-alongs and regeneration of soul.”
While other bands are tackling the US and Europe, Katchafire is playing to packed houses in Fiji, New Caledonia, and Hawai’i.
You can go in all hard and cynical about those mellow reggae beats (you’ve paid for it on your Parole Pass, you’re thinking, so you might as well go), but you’ll come out of there transformed, my friend, and in love with the world. I guarantee you.

The Mint Chicks
(rock punk)
The Mint Chicks are THE act to see this Ori. Don’t believe me? You’ll be the only one staying at home, then, with that scratchy old Barry Manilow record for company. They’re a New Zealand band. And their sound? Chuck together a pot load of the Ramones, add a bit of Buzzcocks, layer in a few slices of Green Day, season with some Toy Love and you’re coming close. They’re a foursome from Up North, and say they’ve “climbed all the P.A.s, back flipped off all the drum risers, bloodied all the fingers, scrapped all the haters, broken all the hearts, ripped all the clothing, bashed all the microphones and smashed all the bottles” in preparation for the release, last year, of their newest “and most exciting” record: Crazy?Yes!Dumb?No!.
They list their turn ons as: the Buzzcocks, comic books, A Clockwork Orange, Refused, speedfreaks, Devo, At the Drive-In, Flying Nun Records, Public Image Ltd, bright colours, black, the Beach Boys, Naked Lunch, Slayer ringtones, Pro tools, Miles’ electric period, Grand Theft Auto, Black Sabbath, ring mod pedals, psychedelia, Roy Orbison, and the Locust.
And what do they have in common with Gestalt Switch, another Ori act? Apart from frenetic sounds that make no apologies, both were invited to Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest music festival in March. Only, right, the Mint Chicks can afford to go. They’re off right after Orientation. Here’s your chance to see what they’ll be wowing the States with - TAKE that chance!

Shapeshifter
(just weird)
If you’re new to Shapeshifter, prepare to be deceived. Like their name suggests, their songs never end the way they start. Instead they fold endlessly in and out, changing shapes, bringing you to different states of being, different moods. There’s a bit of the Salmonella Dub thing going on in Shapeshifter, but also far more. They describe themselves (always the best way) thus: “ [They] seamlessly blend the essential elements of live band performance, with the excitement and energy of dance music culture. Drums, synthesizers, keyboards, guitar, horns, percussion, samples and vocals are fused together live, on stage to create a totally unique and electrifying experience.” I can add no more. Dress to expend energy.

Concord Dawn
(drum & base)
Matt Harvey (aka Matty C) and Evan Short (aka Kiljoy) astound as Concord Dawn, and their Drum ‘n’ Bass magic is as fresh as it was when you first heard it as a spotty school kid. (Wasn’t that only last year?) They are a blend of stunning stage show and mesmerising electronica. Every track has its own feel. Some take you off to isolated lands, others to mythical pasts, and still others ground you right where you are, twisting and turning on the constant beat.

North Shore Pony Club
(‘70s retro disco but not)
Needing little introduction, the North Shore Pony Club have been student radio favourites since they came onto the scene a couple of years ago. They’ll pick you up, shake you around, throw you back into the corner with beats that demand your full attention, and I mean your FULL attention! The NSPC defies pigeonholing - there’s a bit of everything and they take their genre-bending mantra very seriously. Layer upon layer of retro tunes vie for dominance, and still the music unfolds around you in swirls of coloured messiness, spitting your disco daze back at you. Whoever you listened to when you were growing up, whatever’s in your parents’ collections, you’ll find them here, crying out to you for help. Brilliant stuff.

Hay Man!
(mad Japanese rock & covers)
Try to translate those mad Japanese game shows into musical form and you start to get some idea of the rampant insanity that is Hay Man! Hay Man! was formed by three Japanese students a few years ago, but has now re-formed with four members, including founding member Kentaro Wada on vocals. A local band, they play regularly at local venues and pack out every one, with people turned away at the door. It’s rock - but not like any rock you know.

Southern Festival of Speed
(Motorsport)
A day of Motorsport at Dunedin’s historic Oval street circuit
New Zealand’s premier event for classic and historic cars. The event started in the 1950s and has been attended by many international motor-sport stars. This year will see Rim Richards, Classic & Historic racers, Drifting, Superbikes, and more.
SPECIAL STUDENT TICKETS – $10 – Available only from OPSA (no student ticket sales on the day).

Brendhan Lovegrove / Mrs Peacock
(Comedy)
Brendhan Lovegrove was (nearly) crowd favourite at the Speight’s Comedy Debate last year. He’s lewd, crude - and very very funny. If he doesn’t have you laughing until you nearly puke, the problem isn’t him - it’s you!
Mrs Peacock call themselves “New Zealand’s most offensive comedians”, and they may have a point. They were the winners of the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards’ “most offensive gag” and are in there (along with nine others) for the Billy T. Award. If you like “poo jokes” - and I just bet you do - you will LOVE Mrs Peacock. As the boys themselves (Dave Smith and Jarrod Baker) say on their blog “poos and wees are nothing to be embarrassed or uncomfortable about. Everybody does them”. Oh, and they sing a bit as well. Quite tunefully, actually. In fact, if you weren’t listening to the words, you’d think they were warbling on about flowers and trees and stuff. But they’re not.

Koile
(Maori/ Tokelau reggae)
Koile, supporting Katchafire, are Dunedin’s response to the Aotearoa reggae revolution. The band’s name is a Tokelauan word and refers to the coconut seddling. Every gig begins with a Tokelauan a capella to harmonise the voices of the nine members, and then they’re into an act of good old fashioned true to its roots reggae. Let the sunshine in!

Hypnotist
Guy Cater
(rude & damn funny)
GUY CATER is a fully trained and qualified Hypnotist and presents probably the funniest show you will ever see! Using just his voice and some beautiful music he gently lulls the volunteers into a hypnotic state ... AND THEN THE FUN REALLY BEGINS. You just will not believe the crazy antics your friends get up to in their sleep like state. The next couple of hours are a riot of fun and laughter.
During the show Guy will have his subjects riding a horse in the Melbourne Cup, meeting an Alien, playing musical instruments, laughing at a funny movie and crying at a sad one, becoming Elvis, Madonna or Michael Jackson, thinking they have won Lotto, watching a fast game of tennis, thinking their shoe is a delightful little puppy and some will think they are Mr or Miss World and all will just love looking through Guy’s X-Ray glasses! At the end of the show, all Guy’s subjects awaken feeling calm and relaxed but also refreshed and they remember all that has happened.

Vanadis
(drum n base)
Vanadis, the final support band for Katchafire, was formed last year by members of the legendary Subz n Breakz Kru. You can check out what they’ve got on offer at:

Gestalt Switch
(mad nosiy rock punk)
Gestalt Switch is a local band but this could be your last chance to catch them before they head for the crazy lights of Auckland some time this year (or so they say!). I have to say I’m a fan. Gestalt Switch represents all that’s good about Dunedin music - an energetic hard edged sound with a chainsaw-guitar tempered with enduring haunting melodies. It’s rock as wild and razor sharp as the outer hills of the Peninsula on a stormy day.
Are you wondering about the name? Put simply, it’s a revolutionary ‘switch’ to your thinking when you’ve been working on a tricky idea that’s been plaguing you forever, after you suddenly see what’s in front of you in a different way.
Gestalt Switch - your best introduction to the local music scene that’s gonna sustain you through the long Dunedin winter.

Open Souls & Hollie Smith
(funk, vocal, jazzy, hip hoppish)
The Made in Newzild theme to this Orientation continues with Holly Smith performing along with the Open Souls. The Open Souls, who played at the Big Day Out this year, have a whole lot of funk going on. Tyra Hammond has a vocal style reminiscent of ’90s new York funkster Kier Kirby (Lady Miss Kier) from Dee-Lite and the band demonstrates a pile of singing styles ranging from full on groove through staccatto hip hop to intense reflective ballads. Have a listen to their stuff on myspace.com (navigate from ) and you’ll see where I’m coming from. They’re one of the ‘must sees’, I reckon.
We loved Hollie Smith when she was here with the Black Seeds last year. She was also on stage in Fly My Pretties, a collaboration of musicians who experimented with music as a virtuoso expereince. If that doesn’t convince you of her musical credentials, she was in Brazil last year as part of a Loop recordings concept to have a group of New Zealand musicians record with local Brazillian artists. (The result of that trip, Bacardi B-Live OE: Brazil, is out now on Loop.) And that Don McGlashan penned song ‘Bathe in the River’? Uh, huh. That was Hollie Smith singing there. The girl got Voice!

Vibrasics
(hip hop)
They’re supported by Vibrasics, a seven piece hip hop band based in Dunedin.

Minuit
(kind of rockyish)
Minuit, playing support for Concord Dawn at this year’s Orientation, know how to pack out a venue. Check out the standing room only in reFuel pics on their website! www.minuit.co.nz The ethereal and slightly mad voice of singer Ruth Carr wends its own way around the room, while the rest of the band pound out massively danceable music. Minuit are the ‘Cirque’ of the music world, the Midsummer Night’s Dream. They’ve been on student radio charts a few times, most notably with ‘Except You’ two or three years ago, and are indie music scene favourites.
Also supporting is State of Mind.

The Taliband
(ska/funk/rock)
The Taliband is another of those bands that keep the lighter aloft for local music. As always, their own description sounds better than my own - so if you go see them supporting Shapeshifter, you’ll get “a ska - funk - rock - reggae - punk masterpiece of unending glory and eternal happiness”. There are many musically minded Dunedinites who’ll be going to the gig just to see The Taliband and who’ll be saying “Shape -who?” And after you’ve seen them once, you’ll be one of those people.

OdESSA
(R&B)
OdESSA is playing the Toga Party this year, along with Aviators, and The Tweeks. OdESSA, from Wellington, is a full on R&B grooving on down act, just the thing for dancing about in your toga. Like most bands, they have a page on myspace.com, so you can look the up and have a listen. And most of their band is called ‘Matt’. Go figure.

The Aviators
(funk)
Also playing the Toga Party is The Aviators, from Wellington They play “a very hot mix soulful funk”. An 8 piece band with a horn section, they get off on James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai. Funkadelic baby!

The Tweeks
(britpop/grunge)
Whatever became of Dunedin band The Gladeyes? They’re now The Tweeks - and they’re also up there in the Toga Party lineup. Their bag is guitar-pop melodies, with influences from Sixties English pop, Eighties Dunedin and Manchester bands, Early-nineties Britpop and grunge, and Indie bands from the US and Canada of the last 15 years. That’s every good piece of music from the last forty years! You lucky, lucky Toga people.

Autocross
(Motorsport)
So you want to race your car around a paddock legally? No problem - the Otago Sports Car Club has the thing for you - Autocrossing, a fun, easy and affordable way into motor-sport.
There are a couple of rules of course. Your car must have current WOF and be in WOF condition (eg, plenty of tread on the tyres, no wobbly seats, etc). You must have a valid driver’s licence, 100% cotton overalls and a motorcycle helmet that’s not too old or abused). And bring plenty of petrol and most importantly - a good attitude.
Autocrosses are planned for Feb 18 and March 18th. See www.oscc.co.nz for more information.

DDub
(funk)
Continuing the Ori theme of big band sounds, dDub is a lively six-piece from Auckland. They’ve just been confirmed for WOMAD 2007, an international music festival that takes only those who most excel in the craft. In their music box they boast guitars, drums, saxophones, trombones and trumpets. Just what you need in the lead up to The Black Seeds!

Retrophonic Funk Machine
(funk)
And still the funk continues! The RFM is a nine member fusion band (so a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, a bit of... no... that’s it), based here in Dunedin and newly returned from a North Island odyssey. They’re marking their return by playing support to Pacific Heights at the Backstage Bar on Feb 17th, and this is your second chance to see them.

Charlie Ash
Whatever image this band’s name puts in your head, throw it away and start again! This band is hot, hot, hot! Brilliant, energetic, theatrical, and completely over the top, Charlie Ash is made up of three women, two guys and - according to all the reviews - oozes sexuality. For a full on, high octane, never to be missed experience, go to... oh, you’re already lining up at the door...

DJ Drop
(drum n base)
Letting you down easy after the energy high of North Shore Pony Club is DJ Drop. A local drum n bass scene member, he has played nearly every club in town, and supported such luminaries as Storm Metalheadz and Roni Size. You couldn’t come floating back down to the ground in any better way.

The Situations
Supporting the Mint Chicks, along with Collapsing Cities, The Situations is a guitar based poppy foursome from, oh, kind of around bits of the North Island. They played support for the White Stripes in Oz last year, and released their first album. They are good keen blokes, that they are.