Global Crowd Management Leaders Unite for a Safer World

The Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) officially launched today, bringing together crowd managers, organisations, businesses, academics, and individuals with a shared interest in safety from across the globe.

The initiative, spearheaded by the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC) has Board members from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, and a list of supporters and advocates spanning over 15 countries on five continents.

GCMA is a not-for-profit organisation which will promote reasonable crowd management and crowd safety practices worldwide, leading to a globally recognised body of knowledge for professional crowd managers. The Alliance will also create and deliver learning opportunities for crowd management practitioners at all experience levels, in all geographic locations, and regardless of financial means.

The New Zealand founding board representative is Cary Caldwell – a seasoned events and safety professional. He said “New Zealand previously had the enviable situation where, because of our country's original border closures, we were in a position to continue to have mass-scale sporting and musical events and tours. With the Delta variant bringing a new round of lock-downs and the cancellations of multiple events, new government procedures and protocols are being put in place to get events back on track, thus creating new challenges for ingress, security, and crowd flow management while still maintaining a safe environment for attendees. The danger of 'forgetting' about other risks and safety aspects is foremost in the minds of all safety management teams. Having an international team of experts working towards a standardised level of safety protocols goes a long way to mitigating that"

This view was echoed by GCMA Chair Eric Stuart said, I am delighted to have been elected by the founding committee of the Global Crowd Management Alliance to serve as its first Chair. This organisation will enable us to expand the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience that will help keep people safe. While crowd plans are sometimes complex and need specialist knowledge, basic safety principles can be applied to many locations where crowds gather, and those principles can often be learnt and implemented at little cost. Most importantly, we should never forget that crowds are made up of people who expect to enjoy a pleasant day or evening out, then return home safely. Good crowd management can help achieve that simple, fundamental goal.

Now, as we emerge from the global pandemic that brought the events industry to a standstill, and which has seen a mass exodus of experienced workers, training and education is more important than ever.

Eric, who also Chairs the UK Crowd Management Association (UKCMA), emphasised GCMA’s commitment to diversity in both leadership and membership. We welcome everyone who wishes to enhance crowd safety standards across the globe, and who supports GCMA’s goals to Educate, Advocate, and Motivate crowd management professionals.

If you would like to know more about membership, collaboration, or sponsorship opportunities please contact us on hello@thegcma.com or by visiting www.thegcma.com

Ōtautahi-based Loopy Tunes Music release new music videos

Sister duo, Leah and Siu, of Loopy Tunes Music, rounded off November by releasing two music videos for their waiata, “Ngā Kaitiaki o Papatūānuku” and "Guardians of Papatūānuku". One reo Māori version, and one reo rua version - both waiata released in September, this year. The August lockdown delayed the initial date booked for filming and post-lockdown commitments further delayed production, but they persevered and are excited to finally share them with the world!

The duo collaborated with Ana Faau, a local kaihaka expert and kaiwaiata, who co-wrote the song, with Siu. Produced by another Christchurch local, Thom O'Connor, the waiata features a beautiful taonga puoro soundscape, provided by talented Wellington-based musician and writer, Ruby Solly. The music videos are produced by Luke Siaki of Lasskohl Visuals Ltd, a Christchurch-based videographer, and directed by Siu.

Both music videos follow the three wāhine in three different taiao settings (he maunga, he ngahere, he wai) with their tamariki, showing and teaching them how to embrace their surroundings, eventually leaving them to continue this role on their own, as we watch them pass this on to other tamariki. "Ngā Kaitiaki o Papatūānuku" and "Guardians of Papatūānuku" are two waiata that will resonate with all and will inspire a sense of pride and environmental justice for our beautiful whenua, to all who hear it. We can be, and all are, the kaitiaki of Aotearoa.

Siu and Leah want to thank NZ on Air Music for the funding they received that made this whole project possible. Listen, share and immerse yourself in these beautiful music videos. Check them out on Loopy Tunes' YouTube channel.

DAN SHARP RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘CHAOS EYES’

Bay of Plenty songwriter, Dan Sharp, is proud to release his latest single, ‘Chaos Eyes’, delivering another dose of authenticity, poeticism, and ‘stick-with-you’ chorus. Chaos Eyes was inspired by a moment where beauty and potential overcame struggle and doubt.

“The early steps of anything new are often fragile and tentative. An uncertain path often has many obstacles and pitfalls and everything about us is wired to avoid uncertainty as a means of survival.

It is in the chances taken though, where we risk what we already know, where we can find incredibly beautiful moments of growth, hope, and there is an overwhelming sense that one must now continue. 

Chaos Eyes was inspired by a moment where fear and resistance dissolved in the presence of a raw and indescribable sense of beauty and gratitude. It is a song about a crossroads and a decision made.”

The song hit it’s stride, with long-time collaborator, Joseph Thompson (Joseph and Maia), contributing to the writing. The deft production chops of Will Henderson also played a massive part in shaping the direction of the song.

Dan finished the song in his Katikati studio, utilising connectivity to overcome lockdown constraints. With drums recorded in Austin, Texas, and bass played in the UK, this was an international effort, helmed from a humble home studio on an orchard in Katikati.

The song is the first to follow up Dan’s first label release, ‘Water Went Away (EP, Tenfold Records), which saw him perform mainstage on festivals, open up for Dave Dobbyn’s coveted Black Barn show, sell out multiple shows on his own 18-date headline tour of NZ and feature live to air on Breakfast TV. 

Dan is currently finishing writing an album in London and having packed out a London show at Slaughtered Lamb, returns home on Nov 29th to festival performances and to record his debut album for 2022.   

MERV PINNY 'TOO MUCH WHITE, TOO MUCH RED'

Merv Pinny's latest track takes a light-hearted look at the excesses of drinking while in lockdown

Noticing how quickly supermarkets were running out of wine and seeing all of the empties piling up in bins around town, Merv Pinny felt inspired to write about the effect lockdowns have had on our drinking habits. Night after night of drinking too much white and too much red - there really is no escaping the dreaded hangover and sleep deprivation to come. Multiple cups of coffee are in order and perhaps some helpful drinking advice from a friend...

Continuing with his happy theme of late, Too Much White, Too Much Red has Merv's soulful vocals matched with a funky groove and a raunchy sax solo. Collaborating again with multi-Grammy award-winning engineers Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone, Pinny has produced yet another toe-tapping tune that his fans will love.

Listen here

New album set for release in January 2022

This latest single by Merv Pinny will feature in his brand new album, set for release in January 2022. Titled Dark to Light, the album follows Pinny's journey as an artist with songs that have captured the imaginations of millions from across the globe. War; humanitarian crises with children; refugee crises; the cruel world of love on the internet; and gun violence have been the topics that Pinny felt compelled to write about in the hope of invoking change for the better. Seeing the effects that both money and power had had on so many of these devastating events, Pinny used his songs to help give more meaning and donated proceeds direct to World Vision and Children in Crisis. Just this month, Merv performed for Kerikeri locals as part of a fundraising event for the Northland Rescue Helicopter, helping to raise more than $15,000.

Our entire world has now been affected since the pandemic started in 2020, filling lives with heartbreak and sadness as we all have learned to live in new ways. Merv recognised the importance during this time to have more positive and uplifting experiences, so he started writing new material that has been crafted to instill in everyone a much-needed feeling of joy and laughter, with the hope yet again of using his music to invoke change for the better. Dark to Light celebrates the significant journey of an artist who has evolved his music over the years, in keeping with the times.

Superari & Te Kahui 'Millions'

Auckland’s Superari teams up with rising Dunedin native Te Kahui to hit us with the high energy collaboration “Millions”.

Superari is a singer-songwriter & rapper who burst onto the scene in 2021 with an energetic blend of infatuating pop melodies and hypnotic rap flows that has seen him capture the attention of the underground melodic rap scene in New Zealand.

Trading bars with Te Kahui on their first collaboration, ‘Millions’ is a trap banger filled with raw emotion and determination. The cut tells the story of how these two up and coming artists are willing to put everything on the line to succeed, and can’t wait to share the fruits of their success with friends and family when they finally get there. From the spacey intro to the colourful flows and one-liners in each verse, Superari and Te Kahui give their all on ‘Millions’ ensuring there is never a dull moment for the listener.

Keep tabs on these up and coming hip hop stars as they continue to develop their sound and grow, with more collaborations on the way in the near future.

LILI 'WIFE'

LILI is for the listeners who have been eagerly waiting for a modern artist to bring back the passion and power of rock and blues music.

After hiking the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa, LILI has based herself in Christchurch, writing songs that reflect the realities and precious moments experienced as a woman in her 30's.

Death, conflict, marriage, aging, pressures and responsibilities are themes explored in a blatant fashion, complimented by raw, powerful rock influences from the likes of Beth Hart, Pat Benatar, The Police, Guns and Roses, Blondie and The Eurythmics.

Recently gaining an honorary mention in the Douglas Lilburn Composition Competition, WIFE is a blues rock ballad written to encapsulate the moment when a woman steps into the role of a wife.

You can hear the distinct blues influences of Tracey Chapman and John Mayer, with the mature, soaring, gritty vocals likened to Annie Lennox and Pat Benatar.

WIFE is the first single from a unique, bare-all EP due for full release in 2022.

Adam Hattaway and The Haunters release a luxurious double album ‘Rooster’.

Order Rooster Here

Where Woolston, Texas shone light on the shadows, ‘Rooster’ invites them in to break bread.

As Adam Hattaway and the Haunters’ (A.H.) fourth studio release and first double album, it is laden with a certain humility that demonstrates Hattaway’s burgeoning maturity as a singer/songwriter. By following a more organic process to producing the album, A.H. has captured the enigmatic allure that defines their live shows.

The natural follow on from the nostalgia of ‘Woolston, Texas’ - ‘Rooster’ is a hopeful, sprawling ode to possibility.

And after the forced pauses through 2020, A.H. felt pressed to release a build-up of creative energy while embracing more of the fervor and improvisational elements of a live performance.

In February 2021, just out of Kurow, Sublime Studios became the inner sanctum where Hattaway and Jones led the charge through four intense days of writing, rewriting, and recording. Live, the band stretch out and improvise more, especially vocally as Adam hadn’t been able to bring that spontaneity to the recording studio before - until now.

In true 60s style, the album was recorded to 4 track tape and co-produced by Hattaway and Jones on the fly. The resulting ‘Rooster’ emerged as what Hattaway describes as

“a rough and rowdy double album”. There is an air of transience to the album. With many songs on the album being shown to Hattaway in dreams, it holds the feeling of getting moving again after a long time in one place.

The album cover features art drawn in the 1930s by Adam’s great, great uncle, Rolfe, who spent most of his adult life in psychiatric wards. Due to the stigma surrounding his condition, he was largely removed from family history until recent times. His work has been posthumously celebrated in New Zealand art galleries. Hattaway remarks

“this drawing we thought really fit with the vibe of the record, and of course we were glad to be able to contribute in a small way to keep his memory alive.”

In celebration of their release, A.H are embarking on a 12-date (and level two friendly) National tour.

November 26 - Christchurch - Space Academy with Anthea De Milo

November 27 - Barrytown - Barrytown Hall with Al Park

December 01 - Wellington - San Fran

December 03 - Whanganui - Whanganui Musicians Club

December 04 - Hastings - Space Ship with Danica Bryant

January 02 - Nelson - The Space At The Free House

January 04 - Mapua - The Golden Bear

January 07 - Akaroa - The Grand

January 27 - Auckland - Wine Cellar with Kendall Elise

January 28 - Raglan - YOT Club with Mini Simmons

January 29 - Kūaotunu - Lukes Kitchen with Mini Simmons

January 30 - Leigh - Leigh Sawmill with Mini Simmons

Tickets at Under The Radar

Buy Tickets Here

Janine’s Crying in the Club is a raw tribute to the sudden loss of her father.

Award-winning New Zealand songwriter and producer Janine presents Crying in the Club - a song written after receiving the worst phone call you could ever imagine.

The recipient of the best Urban/Hip Hop album award at the 2015 Aotearoa Music Awards, Janine's latest single is a musical diary entry from the aftermath of the sudden passing of her father earlier in 2021.

"Out of nowhere my hero, my Dad, had left his body and our lives as we knew it were gone," Janine says as she recalls the heart-breaking moment her mother told her of their loss.

The genesis of Crying in the Club came while she was surrounded by friends and family in a late-night search for normality in an Auckland club, while still grieving.

"There I was in the club, crying, talking about death with my friends. While completely broken, I could still laugh about the location I chose to grieve that night. I feel like Dad would have seen the funny side amongst the immense pain.”

Ingrained with Janine's signature, smooth vocal and RnB stylings, Crying in the Club is a late night offering of catharsis for the broken-hearted.

Links