Category: Articles

Variety Entertainer Rutene Spooner, Rocky Horror creator and star Richard O’Brien, magician Mick Peck. Photo credit: Steve Bone Photography

The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand (VAC) brought the glitz and glamour to central Auckland on Sunday 9 November. Over 200 people attended the VAC’s annual entertainment awards held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to celebrate yet another impressive list of Aotearoa’s entertainment talent legends and newcomers, which included musicians, comedians, magicians, dancers, actors, and television personalities.

The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1966 to promote goodwill throughout the NZ entertainment industry. The club was established to foster loyalty, friendship, and cooperation among performers and industry professionals across the country. Each year the VAC hosts the prestigious Benny Awards, a cornerstone event on the NZ entertainment calendar. The awards attract many of the nation’s most recognisable performers and influential industry figures, celebrating excellence and honouring outstanding contributions to the arts.

The Benny Awards remain the only national honours recognising and celebrating artists across all genres and fields of entertainment in NZ.

The biggest award of the evening, the Benny Award for lifetime achievement went to NZ’s top female pop artist of the 1960’s, and Christchurch’s very own Queen of the Mods, DINAH LEE. In presenting the award VAC President, Tom Sharplin said that although Dinah had lived in Australia for many years she had never been forgotten by her homeland; that we are delighted to see her back with us and that the VAC is honoured to finally be able to present her with a coveted Benny.

Prestigious Scroll of Honour Awards were presented by David Hartnell MNZM, Patron of the VAC, to:

• RICHARD O’BRIEN, the creator of The Rocky Horror Show, the longest running stage show that has been performed in 30 countries, translated into 20 languages, and seen by over 53 million people so far for over 50 years. The film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is also the longest running film ever to play in global cinemas. Although born in England to where in 1964 he returned to break into the British film industry, he has called NZ home since emigrating here with his parents at the age of 10 in 1952 and where the seed of an idea started to grow for his global phenomenon while attending many late-night shows at Hamilton’s Embassy Theatre.
• TV commercial queen, songwriter of the cult anti-hit song Blue Monkey and famous for sayings like ‘ow my crikey,’ and ‘thousands of luminous spheres,’ a woman that “hasn’t worn heels since 1971” but is an adamant supporter of all kinds of NZ charities – SUZANNE PAUL
• TV Holmes show, Lost and Found and David Lomas Investigates, investigative journalist DAVID LOMAS also recognised for his inspirational work reuniting families.
• NZ’s first female television newsreader, and the first woman within the Commonwealth of Nations to present a prime-time news programme on TV2 – launched Monday 30 June 1975 – JENNIE GOODWIN
• One of the last living artists from the celebrated Māori showband era, WES EPAE was a member of Wellington’s Māori Hi Fi showband.
• HAMISH MOUAT, a director and choreographer of stage shows in NZ and abroad and a huge contributor to youth theatre.

The Agnew Award for Excellence went to musician STUART PEARCE. Stuart has been at the forefront of NZ music for over 50 years, having arranged and played on some of NZ’s most iconic songs such as E Ipo, Sierra Leone, Poi E, and I’ll Say Goodbye (Even Though I’m Blue), and in 2011, was inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame as part of Hello Sailor. Stuart was unable to attend the awards ceremony due to illness but his partner, Pauline Berry was there to accept the award on his behalf.

The Pacific Entertainment Top Female Artist Award went to JAEDYN RANDELL. Jaedyn performed to millions of viewers in The Voice Australia last year, finishing as runner up, has voiced the character Moana in the te reo Māori version of the Disney film Moana and has performed her own music on platforms including Waiata Nation and. Other nominees for this award included Georgia Lines, and Jenny Mitchell.

The Pub Charity Top Male Artist Award went to RUTENE SPOONER. Hailing from Tairawhiti Gisborne, Rutene is part of the Modern Māori Quartet, performed in the stage shows Chicago, Moana 2, Frozen, and B Like Billy – a tribute to Billy T James. He is the self-proclaimed love child of Prince Tui Teka and Shirley Bassey! His father, a Tairawhiti scrub cutter inspired him, and he dedicated his award to the scrub cutters of the night – those that “get in there and do the work.”  The other nominees in this category are NZ Idols Michael Murphy and Gold Guitar winner Jaydin Shingleton.

David Hartnell MNZM and fellow VAC Patron, Gray Bartlett MBE presented the VAC Patrons Award to one of NZ’s country music elite and winner of several MLT NZ Gold Guitar awards and an American Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, singer and recording artist KYLIE AUSTIN-WARD.

Jodi Vaughan presented the 2025 Top Group Award to rock/metal band BLINDSPOTT, whose members include Damian Alexander and Shelton Woolright. Damian Alexander dedicated the award to his father-in-law, music promoter and one of Radio Hauraki’s celebrated founding pioneers Ian Magan (RIP).

The NZ Promoters Association Ovation Award went to SIMONE WILLIAMS from LIBERTY STAGE, for her work on the Come Together concert series which joins all NZ musicians, venues and audiences and provides vital opportunities for musical collaborations that sell out some of Aotearoa’s biggest theatres. Layton Lillas, President of the NZ Promoters Association (NZPA) presented the Award.

The International Achievement Award went to internationally acclaimed choreographer and 4-time world Hip Hop champion KIEL TUTIN accepting via video link. Now based in LA, Kiel works with numerous international music stars like Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry, and our own Stan Walker.

The Top Showcase Entertainment Award went to international magician and comedian JARRED FELL, who previously won three VAC Awards and was the most nominated showcase artist this year. Jarred’s father accepted the award on his behalf with Jarred sending an acceptance from his current gig on the Crown Pacific Cruise ship.

The NZ Entertainment Academy Top Musician Award, presented by Gray Bartlett MBE went to a guitarist with 28 years’ experience playing alongside international jazz and pop artists such as Annie Crummer, Stan Walker, and Rufus Wainwright.  He won the Best Jazz Album award in 2020 and is director of Coke a Cola Christmas in the Park, DIXON NACEY.

The Rielly Comedy Award was presented to Wellington musician, actor, motivational speaker and comedian, and part of the Laughing Samoans, Taskmaster, Moana 2, TOFIGA FEPULEA’I, who in his speech said he never stands alone, because he always is with his family and his village.

International trumpeter, John McGough presented the Gary Daverne Classical Music Award to composer, recording artist and teacher, former NZ Music Classic Artist of the Year and former student at the Julliard School of New York, DR SARAH WATKINS.

The Pat McMinn Rising Star Awards went to 13-year-old singer, actor, and dancer from shows such as Mary Poppins, Kinky Boots, Matilda, and Lion King, ASHER WHITEHEAD. A second Rising Star Award went to the four-piece band of siblings and Smokefree Rockquest finalists DANIEL, MATTHEW, ASHLEY, and HANNAH HYDE from the group RUMPUS MACHINE.

The MC for the night was the hilariously funny MICHELE A’COURT and performers for the evening included former Trans-Tasman Country Music Entertainer of the Year winner, MELISSA O’CONNELL singing a raunchily ‘so Good, so good’ James Brown track and a country music medley with yodelling that showed a dynamic vocal range that was perfectly supported by her husband CHET O’CONNELL’S flawless guitar.

Irelands Best MC and Comedy Guild Award winner, NZ based ALAN MCELORY brought the laughs with “my favourite place in Australia is… Bali!” and “it’s all Aussies in Buggie smugglers where I can see the budgie, the beak and the feathers!”

Fresh off the 2024 NZ Secondary Schools Choir tour of China, Palmerston North singer, actor, musician JOSHUA WEBSTER brought Sinatra and the glam of New York New York.

Internationally renowned accordionist, GRAYSON MASEFIELD and the Auckland Philharmonia’s concert master, violinist ANDREW BEER played Piazzolla Tango, a jazz standard of Over the Rainbow and world music Balken dance track that could stop wars!

The VAC’s 2013 Top Male Artist PHIL MADSEN performed a John Farnham medley and his chart-topping track Dancing on the Moon and former VAC Top Musician Award winner, BRUCE FRENCH played saxophone to a beautiful original track written by DT DAVID THOMAS. Earlier in the evening Bruce also performed a soulful rendition of Celine Dion’s Immortality while the VAC honoured those entertainers who had passed away over the past year.

VAC 2025 AWARDS RECIPIENTS

The Benny Award – DINAH LEE
Agnew Award for Excellence – STUART PEARCE
Pacific Entertainment Top Female Artist Award – JAEDYN RANDELL 
Pub Charity Top Male Artist Award – RUTENE SPOONER
Scroll of Honour Presentations – JENNIE GOODWIN, WES EPAE, DAVID LOMAS, SUZANNE PAUL, HAMISH MOUAT, RICHARD O’BRIEN (Rocky Horror)
Patron’s Award – KYLIE AUSTIN-WARD
International Achievement Award – KEIL TUTIN
2025 Top Group Award – BLINDSPOTT (Damian Alexander and Shelton Woolright)
NZ Promoters Association Ovation Award – SIMONE WILLIAMS (Liberty Stage)
Top Showcase Entertainment Award – JARRED FELL
NZ Entertainment Academy Top Musician Awards – DIXON NACEY
Rielly Comedy Award – TOFIGA FEPULEA’I
Gary Daverne Classical Music Award – DR SARAH WATKINS
Pat McMinn Rising Star Awards x 2 – ASHER WHITEHEAD and RUMPUS MACHINE (Daniel, Matthew, Ashley and Hannah Hyde)

Everyone loves a good old joke.  And to prove it, here are without a doubt the oldest jokes you’ll ever hear in your life.  They come from an ancient Greek jokebook called Philogelos, The Laughter Lover, thought to date back to the fourth century AD.

The book contains 264 jokes and is credited to two authors, Hierocles and Philagrius, about which nothing is known.

Just like the jokes told by modern-day comedians, much of the humour in the collection is topical.  Unlike today’s stock lines concerning technology, the Internet and modern relationships; the subjects Hierocles and Philagrius cover included eunuchs, slaves and scholastikos, a stereotype roughly translating to a book-smart, street-dumb intellectual.  The scholastikos were the ancient world’s version of the Irish or Australian scapegoat character.

One section of the book concerns medical gags that we’d now refer to as ‘Doctor, Doctor’ jokes, and there’s even a prototype version of Monty Python’s iconic Dead Parrot Sketch—a man buys a slave, who dies shortly afterwards.  He complains to the previous owner and is simply told, “Well, he never died when I owned him.”  Other chapters concern drunkards, those with bad breath, misers, women haters and the undernourished.

With that, here are some of the better jokes from Ancient Greece.  I’ve left the verbiage as it is so you get the full effect.

A friend said to a pedant who was going on a journey, “I wish you to purchase for me two slave boys of fifteen years each.”  He replied, “If I do not find such, I shall buy for you one of thirty years.”

A pedant, a bald headed man and a barber were travelling together, and pitching camp in a wild area they agreed that each one should take turns to stay awake on guard.  It fell to the barber to watch first.  Desiring to play a trick, he shaved the head of the sleeping intellectual, and his watch being finished, he woke up the latter.  The intellectual, rubbing his head on awakening and finding himself bare, said, “What a worthless fellow is that barber, he has made a mistake and wakened the bald-headed man instead of myself.”

A certain person coming to a pedant who was a physician said, “Doctor, when I awake from sleep I have a dizziness for half an hour and then I recover.”  The physician replied, “Get up after the half hour.”

A man, just back from a trip abroad, went to an incompetent fortune-teller.  He asked about his family, and the fortune-teller replied: “Everyone is fine, especially your father.”  When the man objected that his father had been dead for ten years, the reply came: “You have no clue who your real father is.”

A pedant whilst swimming almost choked to death.  He made an oath that he would not go into the water again until he had first learned to swim well.

A man with bad breath asked his wife: “Madame, why do you hate me?”  And she said in reply: “Because you love me.”

A pedant seeing his family physician approaching, hid from him.  Upon being asked by one of his companions why he did this, he replied, “I have not been ill for such a long time that I am ashamed to meet him.”

A pedant was on a voyage when a severe storm arose and his slaves were crying out in terror.  “Do not weep,” he said, “For I have given you all your liberty in my will.”

A pedant was quarreling with his father and said to him, “You wicked fellow, do you not understand how much injury you have done to me?  If you had never been born I should have inherited my grandfather’s estate.”

A misogynist was sick, at death’s door.  When his wife said to him, “If anything bad happens to you, I’ll hang myself.”  He looked up at her and said, “Do me the favour while I’m still alive.”

Two parricidal pedants were complaining to each other because their fathers were living.  One of them asked, “What do you wish?  Shall each one strangle his own father?”  “By no means,” replied the other, ‘lest we be called parricides.  But if you are willing, you shall slay my father, and I will kill yours.”

So, next time someone asks to hear a joke, hit them with some humour from Ancient Greece and you’re bound to be the life of the party.

– Mick Peck
An Auckland Magician Whose Jokes Are Typically Less Than 1,600 Years Old
http://www.MickPeckMagic.com

Originally appeared in the May edition of Inside Entertainment, the monthly membership magazine of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc.

The Four Stages of Learning, or the Conscious Competence Model, is a psychological theory developed in the 1970s.   The concept is that we each go through a series of four stages when learning a new skill.

The good news—and why I think this is relevant and of interest—is that if you’re aware and understand the four stages of learning, it’s much easier to take control of them!  If you know where you are on your path to mastery you can hopefully save yourself some frustration and make your learning more enjoyable and, with any luck, easier.

Think of some examples from your own life as you go through the list.

Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence

Typically learners display excitement, enthusiasm and even over-confidence because they don’t know that they don’t know.  An example would be a guitarist who has learnt a few simple chords and suddenly thinks he’s God’s gift to the guitar.  He might, for instance, know nothing about feel or rhythm, but at this first stage of learning he doesn’t know that he doesn’t know!  A kid might wander into a magic shop, buy a bunch of tricks, and then rush off to get a business card printed saying ‘Experienced magician available for all occasions’.  We’ve all seen the god-awful auditions on American Idol and their shock-horror at being told that they don’t have good voices.

In my younger years I was involved with martial arts, and it was always the newbies that would be out in the carpark after the lesson trying to do flips and show off with flying kicks, despite only coming to one or two classes.  The expression “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” describes the Unconscious Incompetence stage perfectly.

Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence

In the second stage the learner knows that they don’t know.  They recognize that they are out of their comfort zone and that the skill may be more difficult than they originally anticipated.  In other words, they start to see themselves as the rest of the world sees them.  It’s in this stage that the learner may become frustrated or want to give up.  For teachers, it’s important to build confidence with continued mentoring and coaching in this stage.

Making mistakes are integral to the learning process in the Conscious Incompetence stage.  No learning of a skill can happen without passing through this initial frustration, because if you’re not clear on exactly what it is that you want to achieve, you won’t be able to work towards it.

Stage 3: Conscious Competence

The learner knows that they know.  An example would be a young child tying their laces who has to carefully concentrate so that they don’t make a mistake.  In time through experience the task becomes less challenging.  Another example would be playing a piece of music and having to concentrate on what chord changes are coming up, or acting in a play thinking ahead to remember the next line.  Because the task is serviceable at this level, many people chose to stop learning at the Conscious Competence stage.

Stage 4: Unconscious Competence

In this stage of learning, learners don’t know that they know.  The task becomes so automatic that they don’t even accept that they’re doing anything special or something that once challenged them.  Everyday examples would be riding a bike or driving a car, things that are done automatically without thinking, let alone appreciating that they once were challenging.

The masters of their craft have reached the level of Unconscious Competence—picture B.B. King playing a blues solo, or Robin Williams being able to go off on an unrehearsed tangent and make people laugh.  Ironically it’s at this stage that onlookers often think “oh, they’re just a natural” or “they were born with it”.  No, they put in tens of thousands of hours to achieve Unconscious Competence!

It’s in this final stage where the learner may experience the most growth, because they feel creative, intuitive, and are able to think outside of the box.  However, it is also at this stage where major mistakes can occur because there is a greater tendency to take risks, shortcuts, and get lazy.  If you’re stuck in a creative rut, you’re probably in stage four.  There’s also a tendency to undervalue one’s own efforts in this stage because it’s easy to forget about all of the hard work it took to get there!  This is why it’s critical to occasionally take stock of your own skills and talents.  See what other people see in you and accept your own skills as they really are.

We are constantly moving throughout the four stages of learning at any given time in our lives.  We may be in stage four of one aspect of our career, but stage one at another.  Realistically recognising the stages that we are in can help us make informed choices.

The Conscious Competence Model helps us in several ways – it gives us reassurance in the early stages, and helps us avoid complacency in the final ones.  It’s also an invaluable teaching tool as it allows us to see where others are on their own journey through learning.

Good luck on your path.

 – Mick Peck, An Auckland Magician and Entertainer Who is Always Learning
http://www.MickPeckMagic.com

Originally Appeared in the March 2013 edition of Inside Entertainment, the monthly membership magazine of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc.

Chances are that you’ve heard the Wilhelm Scream dozens of times without even realising it.

The Wilhelm Scream is a sound effect of a male screaming in pain.  It was first used in the relatively obscure 1951 western Distant Drums, starring Gary Cooper.  In the film an unnamed soldier is crossing the Everglades in pursuit of Seminole Indians when he is attacked and dragged underwater by an irritated alligator.  As he goes under he dramatically screams in shock.  Several slightly-different takes of the same scream were also used later in the film as the death cries of Indians.

The sound effect was placed in the effects library at Warner Brothers but wasn’t used again for two years, for The Charge at Feather River.  In this film another solider, one Private Wilhelm, is struck by an arrow and he too lets out the dramatic cry of pain.  It was because of its use in this film, the first by a named character, that the effect would later become affectionately known as the Wilhelm Scream.

Over the next few decades the scream was used in other Warner Brothers films such as Them! (1954), Land of the Pharaohs (1955), The Sea Chase (1955), Sergeant Rutledge (1960), PT-109 (1963) and The Green Berets (1968).  It appears twice in Judy Garland’s A Star is Born (1954).

Motion picture sound designer and aficionado Ben Burtt began to notice the common use of the same distinctive scream in Warner Brothers movies.  He sampled the effect from Distant Drums and began to use it in his own productions.  Several years later he was hired to work on Star Wars (1977), and included the Wilhelm Scream in a memorable scene featuring a Stormtrooper falling to his death in a chasm on the Death Star.  He also used it in each of the Indiana Jones films.  Following this exposure the over-the-top cry started to become somewhat of a cinematic sound in-joke.  Other sound editors picked up on it and it was included in Poltergeist, Spaceballs, Gremlins 2, Reservoir Dogs, Batman Returns, Toy Story, Disney’s Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, The Fifth Element, Pirates of the Caribbean, Kill Bill and dozens more.

By 2013 the Wilhelm Scream has been included in more than 225 films, television shows and video games.  Given half a chance, prominent directors such as George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino and our own Peter Jackson slip the Wilhelm Scream into just about every one of their productions.

For years the voice-actor who provided the scream was a mystery.  Due to the cult status of the effect Ben Burtt visited the Warner Brothers archives to try and discover the name of the voice behind the scream.  After reviewing a list of actors from Distant Drums and comparing their speaking voices to the scream, the most likely candidate emerged as Sheb Wooley, a musician and character actor who also appeared in the likes of High Noon (1953), Rawhide (1956) and James Dean’s final film Giant (1956).  Wooley is mostly remembered for his 1958 novelty tune “Purple People Eater”.  Which you just started singing in your head.

Here’s a compilation video of nothing but clips of the shriek from various film and television appearances.  Bonus point if you can make it through the entire clip without turning it off.

– Screamin’ Auckland Magician Mick Peck
http://www.MickPeckMagic.com

– Originally Appeared in the May 2013 edition of Inside Entertainment, the monthly membership magazine for the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Incorporated.

Chances are that you hate rejection.

It’s our nature – we want everyone to like us, accept us and say “YES!” – especially when we make an offer that’s clearly in their best interest.  Unfortunately things don’t always work out according to plan.  If we’re honest, we probably all get a lot more “no’s” than we would like.  But the best idea is to shrug them off and to keep asking.

The model to keep in mind is that icon of business, Colonel Harland Sanders.  At the age of sixty-five, Sanders had an old car, a pension worth $105 a month, and a recipe for chicken that some folks told him was pretty darned tasty.  So he hit the road to propose a deal with restaurants – use his recipe and for each chicken sold pay him five cents.  The first restaurant owner told him no.  The second said no.  As did the third.  The fourth.  The fifth.  And on and on …

Finally, after making 1008 sales calls with his proposal, a restaurant owner finally said yes.  And of course you know the rest of the story.  The lesson is dogged, determined, unreasonable persistence.  He didn’t give up.  He kept on going.  Day after day.  And he did finally make that first sale,  and many more besides – enough to create a fortune.  So a little rejection – well, that’s part of life and business.

Keep going like the Kentucky Colonel, and remember this little article every time you drive past one of his restaurants.

– Mick Peck, Finger-Lickin’ Good Auckland Magician
www.MickPeckMagic.com

– Originally published in Inside Entertainment, the monthly membership magazine of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand.

 

The custom of playing pranks on the first of April is observed in not only in British colonies but also in Northern America, France, Germany (where it’s called Narrentag), Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Russia (where it’s called Dyen Doeraka which means Dunce’s Day), and even in Japan.  In Scotland it’s known as Gowk or Cuckoo Day.

The precise historical origin of April Fools’ Day is unknown.  The earliest mention of an April Fools’ joke was found in a French source from 1508, and there exists a Dutch parody on the custom from 1539.  But these sources indicate that the custom was already well and universally established.

In France today, April 1st is called Poisson d’Avril.  French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs.  When the victim discovers the trick, the prankster yells Poisson d’Avril! – April Fish!

The traditional symbol of April Fool’s Day is the jester, or fool, who held a special place in medieval history.  They were considered insiders of the court, chosen for their sense of humour to provide entertainment for the king.

Jesters typically wore bright, eccentric clothing and distinctive cloth hats with bells on the end of each of its three points.  The points were a representation of a donkey’s ears and tail.  The jester also carried a sceptre which was a symbolic ornamental staff to represent authority.

Because jesters were given leeway to say anything “in jest”, they were sometimes the only members of the court able to voice an honest opinion about local situations.  While others fawned over the king, the jester was encouraged to speak the truth.  Because of his lower social status he didn’t pose a threat to the king’s power.  And because he was not part of the political intrigue of the court – he was after all considered a fool – the king often felt it safe to confide in his jester.  Because of this the jester had an important and influential role in medieval history.

The unique nature of jesters also contributed to their popularity among the general public.  Some became the subjects of stories and jokes, and some became famous in their own right.  King Henry VIII employed a jester by the name of Will Sommers, who gained such fame that he was the subject of literature and drama almost two centuries after his death.  King Charles I employed a jester named Jeffrey Hudson who gained the nickname “The Royal Dwarf” because of his height.  One of his infamous pranks, made possible by his stature, was to hide himself inside of a giant pie and then leap out, startling the people to whom the pie was presented.

The ancient traditions of the jester continue in modern times with the magician, the clown and the comedian.

Anyone for pie?

– Mick Peck, Full-Time Magician and Occasional Prankster
www.MickPeckMagic.com

– Originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Inside Entertainment magazine, the monthly membership magazine of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc.