THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: Blair Parkes

Among the many enjoyable local albums which have come out in the past few months, the new one by Blair Parkes out of Christchurch is the one which might struggle for attention against The Big Names.

But Elsewhere is going to say Parkes' Always Running – with Ryan Chin and Miss Mercury (see below) helping out – is a real find, a keeper and a repeat-play item. In our review we also noted the smart arc that the running order ascribes to these songs.

It is An Album album.

Parkes is an artist, photographer, writer and much more (see here for his broad body of work) but it seems life events, as they say, might prevent him from touring and so bringing this recent work to wider attention.

We are therefore here to help because we think Always Running and Parkes deserve another showing at Elsewhere . . . so we flicked him the following questionnaire . . .

The first piece of music which really affected you was . . . 
The cover of my dad’s Henry Mancini Album. 

Your first (possibly embarrassing) role models in music were . . . 
(my uncle) Alastair Newlands , Ballon D’essai

Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z? 
Mark E Smith, Steve Hanley, Peter Stapleton, The Seekers

If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .
art

The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .
heavy lifting 
how then should i see it ?
nothing

Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home...

wee boy and Nova, two acoustic guitars gifted to us by my  uncles Ian and Alistair. 

The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .
Bill Drummond : 17

If you could get on stage with anyone it would be?
Ryan Chin, Miss Mercury, Marcus Thomas, Luke Sole, Ben Baird, Bert Aldridge and Hayden Sharp.

The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . . 
Better they go for a long walk on the beach, have a swim…

my most recent downloads include…?
Schofield Spires - Belafonte
Ryan Fisherman’s forthcoming album 
life is minestrone volume 29

One song, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . . .

rumba The LEDs

The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .
my tastes change..so I'd go for a window on a West Coast beach

You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is 
in invisible ink

David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where and doing what?
like the last five years but with more fun, less illness and more holidays on the West Coast. 

And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”
cos the next one hasn’t come out