Let’s All Fund A Film About Don McGlashan

Friday is fun, because it's about music. And there is a playlist or two. But this week something more serious than just fun. Let's put the 'fun' in FUNDING...

Shirley Horrocks is working on a film about Don McGlashan. This is a match made in heaven. She is one of our great documentarians. He is one of our great songwriters. I’d go further than that. I’d say he’s simply one of our greatest writers. (I’ve got an idea that there should be a book of Don’s lyrics – but it shouldn’t even be typeset as poems/lyrics, they should be written out in paragraphs; little stories).*

You’ll see there, above, the trailer for the potential Don McGlashan documentary.

I want to see that film!

Shirley needs our help. She needs your help. And anyone that is able. It’s always a lot, asking for help making art is the new way forward. All the old models are broken. I asked for help making a book of poems around three years ago. I was nervous to try. I was blown away at the response. Of all the crowd-funding models, I believe that Boosted is the best, well, it’s the best one I know.

You have to reach your entire goal – or else no one is charged. You get all of the money you ask for, or you get none of it. So the pressure is on.

If you want to donate to the Don film – give what you can via this Boosted campaign link. You’ll see by clicking on that link that some people have donated already. You’ll be able to read some names. Other people have chosen to be anonymous. So you can choose that for yourself if you are able and willing to support. Or you might just want to share this link with your network.

Shirley and her team are asking for a lot – because it takes a lot. Then again, they’re realistically not asking for that much, in the scheme of things.

I like what she says here in her plug:

We live in dark times, but this film will be a great morale-booster as the story of a creative artist who has survived many personal challenges and continues to produce great music!

I’ve been listening to Don McGlashan’s music most weeks for many of the last 30 years. I was blown away when I heard that first Mutton Birds record. Instantly. My god. What a band. And what songs!

Turns out I’d heard this guy before of course. I’m younger than Don, and many of his fans, so I didn’t quite grow up with The Front Lawn and Blam Blam Blam, but I knew them by reputation, and a few of the key songs. And as soon as I heard The Mutton Birds, I sure went back and collected up what I could find.

I also loved the music he made for An Angel At My Table. And this was right at the time that I was discovering that many of my favourite pop musicians (Peter Gabriel, Mark Knopfler, Prince) were film composers too.

Don McGlashan writes New Zealand short stories. I’m quite convinced of that. I put him up there with Owen Marshall in that regard. That he can then turn them into tunes, spinning musical gold from a variety of instruments, and always with talented musicians in support of his vision, is just another part of the charm, more strings to (and from) his bow.

I’ve seen Don play in a variety of contexts over the years. It’s always thrilling. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you may recall I reviewed a show he played last year and it was such a beautiful night.

The Mutton Birds were my favourite live act for a time. And I still have one of their setlists pinned to my wall. They played in Napier, one time when I was home for the holidays from uni. We drove over to see them and it was as good as it gets. But I always felt that way. They opened for the Violent Femmes a year or two before that, and I’m sure – to this day – that it’s possibly the greatest opening act I’ve seen.

The Blam Blam Blam reunion gig a couple of years back was positively electric.

And seeing Don with Dave Dobbyn or Shayne Carter or Neil Finn or anyone else is always a treat too. I watched him sing his version of Hone Tuwhare’s poem, Rain, in the Wellington Town Hall nearly two decades ago now. The room was silent. And the hairs on the back of my neck were giving a standing ovation while his euphonium mined a mournful melody.

But there’s also Don McGlashan the drummer and percussionist. Don McGlashan the TV and film composer. Don McGlashan the consummate performer and songwriter. I want to know more about all of these Don McGlashans.

I met him once. We spoke for my podcast. It was the most perfect thing. We met, and walked around Wellington looking for a space to chat. Eventually, we stood against a wall, sheltered (barely) from a classic Capital City wind. And for half an hour I did my best to not nervously FanBoy, and to get somewhere near to asking him a few things about so many great musical moments and projects.

A Thing Well Made, White Valiant, Andy, Dominion Road, Marsha, There Is No Depression in New Zealand, When You Come Back Home, Anchor Me, The Heater, In My Room, Claude Rains, Envy of Angels, Bathe in The River, Lucky Stars, I Will Not Let You Down.

These are some of the songs I instantly think about when I think about Don McGlashan. To see them written down is almost to hear them, to have them running through my mind. Such perfectly crafted musical wisdoms.

He doesn’t let us down.

And Shirley Horrocks won’t let us down, if we choose to support her and her film.

Please give – if you can. If you believe in supporting such work, such artists. And please share this – if you can’t donate yourself but know of someone that might be in a position to do so.

I want to leave you with a playlist of some of my favourite McGlashan Moments. Songs from across his career that move me to tears, that make me thrilled to think that I was given an opportunity to chat with the person that wrote such songs; that take me straight back to so many amazing live performances, and to times spent obsessing over the records.

He is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 40 years. I’m certain of that. We are lucky to have him. To be able to call him one of our own. Let’s further celebrate that.

I’d love to know – in the comments – what your favourite Don McGlashan song is.

And because this is a regular Friday post down here on the “Sounds Good!” farm, I also have our regular weekly playlist to share with you too. So that’s right here. Happy Weekend all. And please do share this Boosted link.

*I’m serious about the idea of a book of his lyrics – but printed as stories. I’d even happily donate an essay to try to contextualise. But, seriously, someone take my idea and run with it. Have it, claim it as your own, if you think you can make it happen!