Hallelujah Picassos - Rewind the Hateman book - Amplifier

on that track. One of my all-time favourites –
easy and as a kid that was in love with the 2
Tone movement - tracks like Lovers Plus were,
for me were as a good as anything that The
Specials came up with. Their blend of styles was
what helped open my musical world a lot.
I don’t even know where to begin with the live
shows. They were such an intense experience.
The first time I really experienced them was
the BFM Summer Series in 1995. That was a
great summer, and Steve and I had just started
working on the music TV channel Max TV.
Through Max and also bFM I’d gotten to meet
the members of the band, and for some reason
Harold/Roland really liked me and Steve. He
became like an older brother to us and would
get us into gigs. We’d go hang out with him at
Rupans or DKD and he generally treated us like
cool young folk, rather than pesky kids.
Anyways, he took us along to that gig at
Albert Park. Harold, who in my eyes was
the coolest guy in the world, taking us to
his gig. It was funny cause although I was
in awe of him, he was quite intimidating at
first. With his Dutch accent, sometimes you
wouldn’t understand him, and his clothes,
his whole vibe. That was until I met [Picassos
soundman] David Hornblow, who then became
‘intimidating guy number one’.
But then, Harold became our friend. He was
such an inspiration. One of the main reasons
I got into dance music in the first place was
because of Harold. I remember I used to sit
in Harold’s room in this apartment on Elliot
Street and listen to incredible ragga and proper
jungle, and that influence and Harold taking
me to early Jungle parties at places like Bob’s
Bar, Papa Jacks and The Box was what inspired
me to take up DJing the music myself.
Anyways, that show – that Summer Series,
1995. Up until that point of my life it was
the best and most intense show of my life. I
remember Steve and I being up the front in the
moshpit most of the time, although I got my
Semi Lemon Kola t-shirt ripped to shreds and
had to go and get a bFM tshirt from the merch
tent.
It was rowdy. If I remember correctly, there
were fights, angry security, but that was the
thing about the Picasssos. One minute it was
this push and shove like your life depends on it
mosh, the next it was this blissed-out happyskank.
I think Steve got punched that day also,
and I ended up in the fountain with a couple of
girls I’d met from Epsom Girls.
It honestly was the happiest day of my life.
There were other shows, but that Summer
Series gig was the standout for me.
The Picassos were the soundtrack to that
special and chaotic time in my life. They
represented everything that I loved about
music, about New Zealand, about being young,
about life. I’m really proud and happy that I
was able to witness that Auckland band scene in
the early to mid 90’s because it was incredible,
and the Picassos for me were at the epicentre.
The Picassos will always remind of me of an
era – where anything was possible, anything.
Any dream was achievable, and we’d do it by
running amok, having fun, not giving a damn
and not sleeping much. That was my youth, and
those few years with the Picassos weaving their
way in out of that time, will always be so very,
very dear to my heart.
95bFM Summer Series,
Albert Park, 1995. Photos:
Mark Walters. Nick’s mate
Steve is getting squashed
down front, in the middle.