Some soar to dohl drums, others left in musical doldrums

Perspective is a funny thing. One person's meat is another's poison, as the old saying goes.

The Regent Theatre was rocking when I popped outside to make a phone call during the Dhol Foundation's performance on Friday night.

Port Chalmers artist Rose Keller approached, looking visibly annoyed.

"Isn't this great," I ventured.

"No. It's rubbish," she snapped.

"They're only playing in one beat and the dhol drums are drowning out all the other Indian instruments. It makes my head hurt and my heart hurt."

I was puzzled by her appraisal, as I've never seen so many people dancing in the Regent.

But the next day ODT reviewer Marian Poole was beating on the same drum, describing the performance as "dumbed down".

I thought the show was great because, like most people there, I had never seen the dhol drum in action before.

But, Rose and Marian were disappointed because they have and know the instrument's abilities well.

To them, the Dhol Foundation's performance was populist and failed to truly plumb the depths of the drum's 500-year history.

It's an interesting juxtaposition of expectations, which had me thinking all weekend.

Some people want to see pure and uncompromised performance, while others are thrilled to experience something different and new.

It must be no easy task for festival organisers to find acts which manage to cater to both ends of the cultural spectrum.

Veteran entertainer Max Cryer goes back nearly as far as the dhol drum and returns to Dunedin today to launch the St Paul's at One lunchtime series at St Paul's Cathedral.

Cryer spoke the first words when New Zealand television was broadcast over the whole country for the first time and is still so busy his diary is booked up until December next year.

He has also just published his 10th book, but told me performing is still his first love.

"I love the communication. When everything you've learned and practised is flowing and you can feel the audience taking it all in.

"Applause at the end is nice, but the hour preceding that - when the performance which you're offering is being appreciated - that's even better," he mused.

"I hope my performance gives people a light chuckle and some enjoyment of verbal whimsy, underpinned with the first-class support of the estimable Terence Dennis."

St Paul's at One tomorrow showcases the talents of South African cellist Heleen Du Plessis, Michael Houstoun tickles the ivories on Wednesday, Thursday features Canada's Montreal Guitar Trio and jazz pianist Mike Nock wraps up the series on Friday.

I saw the world premiere of Dunedin film-maker Daniel Belton's Lines of Fire dance film at the Metro Cinema last night and will be popping along to the penultimate performance Le Sud at the Settlers Festival Theatre this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the very clever - and equally irreverent - Katherine Krohn (nee Leese) brings her "sarcastic pop songs" to the Montana Festival Club in the Dunedin Centre at 10 tonight.

Just to mix things up a bit, she will be accompanied by Opera Otago L'Orfeo lead Dan Carberg and conductor Matthew Leese (who also just happens to be her brother).

It should be very entertaining. See you there.

- nigel.benson@odt.co.nz