Bill Direen: Difference between revisions
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New Zealand-born (1957) writer of poetry, songs, fiction, plays and essays. Direen's work has appeared regularly since 1980. William Direen is also known as [[Bill Direen]]. It is under [[Bill Direen]] that you will find an article treating his songwriting and musical output. |
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==Bibliography== |
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'''20-9-1'''. Twenty song lyrics, nine short stories and a theatre piece (The Shell). Prototype. Christchurch. 1980. |
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In 1975 Direen formed several bands with bassist Stephen Cogle and drummer [[Peter Stapleton]]. They were joined by violinist Theresa McGuire in 1977, and performed under names such as Vacuum Tension Band, and Vacuum. Cogle and Stapleton left in 1980 to form [[Victor Dimisich Band]] and numerous other projects. |
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Examination of attempts to "refashion" existing oriental theatre forms (and myths) for the twentieth century western stage. The models: Japanese Noh (refashioned by W.B.Yeats), Indian Kathakali (by Jerzy Grotowski), Balinese dance-drama (by Antonin Artaud), Japanese Noh (by Bertolt Brecht). Christchurch. 1982. |
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Direen formed Six Impossible Things, who released a self-titled 7" on Sausage Records in February 1981. In March 1981 Direen formed an [[avant garde]] [[theatre company]] called Soluble Fish Ensemble. Soon after, the keyboardist for this ensemble (and who had joined Vacuum in 1979), Alan Meek, formed [[The Bilders]] with Direen. Their debut release was a 7" entitled "Solomon's Ball". Direen also formed another band called The Urbs, who supported [[The Fall (band)|The Fall]] on their New Zealand tour. The Urbs recorded some material which was eventually released as The Bilders' ''Beatin Hearts'' LP on Flying Nun in 1983. |
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'''Slices of Man''' Fragments Prototype. Christchurch. 1982. |
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In 1984, after a journey to [[Scotland]], Direen formed a new theatre company called Blue Ladder, and a publishing company called Full Moon. Direen's second LP, ''Split Seconds'', was released on his own South Indies label in 1984. |
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'''Three Farces''' Collaborative. Translations and adaptations from medieval French farces. Three from a repertory of eight medieval pieces, performed by Soluble Fish, Blue Ladder and What Bucket? theatre groups. [Other pieces by Jean Tardieu, Jean Cocteau, Hans Sachs, Antonin Artaud, W.B.Yeats, Hochwalder, Beckett, Shakespeare, and songs of Boris Vian were adapted/translated for different repertories.] South Indies. Christchurch. 1983. |
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In 1985 a new lineup of The Bilders emerged, with Stuart Page on drums and Greg Bainbrige on bass. The third Bilders album, ''CoNCH3'', was released by South Indies. This was followed in 1986 by the ''Let's Play'' LP. A trip to New York resulted in the recordings with Hamish Kilgour and Alan Meek that make up New York Sack, released 2006 by [[Powertool Records]]. European touring resulted in ''Human Kindness'' with Swiss label Corazoo. Further recordings between 1995 and 2006 have been mastered for a Powertool Records release in 2007. |
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'''Inklings''' Poems Nag's Head Press Christchurch. 1988. |
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In the mid-eighties, after studying the theatre-music works of Brecht-Weill and others, Direen realised several projects that wedded music and theatre. Among these were ''Raoul, Prince of Jeans'' (the story of the rise of a kiwi entrepreneur and media magnate from his suburban origins as a drug dealer), ''Dial a Claw'' (about a plague of disembodied claws that reproduce and spread thanks to telephones), Fawkes Alive (the life of a man as it flashes before his eyes during a fatal accident), and ''Cigarillo'' (an abandoned piece from 1994 which would become the novel ''Song of The Brakeman'', released 2006 by [[Titus Books]]). Other music-theatre work included an expressionistic interpretation of ''Bremen Freedom'' by [[R. W. Fassbinder]] and ''Les Cenci'' by of [[Antonin Artaud]] (called ''Bride of the Wheel'' this included four original songs by Direen). Some of the songs from these 'operas' or adaptations have appeared out of context, in LP or CD releases performed by Direen's various bands. |
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'''Innings and Outings''' Thoughts on sport gardening and eroticism in New Zealand poetry. Essay. 1989. |
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Various music-theatre pieces performed in Wellington or Christchurch, NZ, and toured nationwide. 1984-95. |
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==Literature== |
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'''Wormwood''' Novel Published in its entirety in Sport 18. Wellington. 1997. |
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'''A Memory of Others''' (edited/developed with Gordon Spittle & Alan Brunton) Bumper Wellington. 1999. |
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'''Evolition''' Poetry Nag's Head Press Christchurch. 1993. |
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'''Expatriation and New Zealand Poetry''' Essay 1997. |
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'''Sunshower''' Novella in first person in Landfall 196 Dunedin. 1998 Novellas, stories, essays, poems and casual thoughts have appeared in other New Zealand journals, such as Takahe ('The Mirror Story of the Princess of Nineveh' not published elsewhere), JAAM (poems about childhood not yet published elsewhere), and brief. Work also appeared regularly in NZ Listener, before the year 2000. |
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'''The Factory''' Short story translated into German DAAD Berlin. 2002 |
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'''A Freedom Tale''' Story-poem for young adults Brown Barrow Press Paris. 2000. |
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'''Crappings''' Poetry 5 to 12 Books Wellington. 1993. |
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'''Nusquama''' Novel comprised of two novellas and eight short stories (some in first person) about the extended familes (whanau) of a mediocre NZ pop group. Alpha/Addenda Christchurch. 2002 |
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'''Jules''' Novel Alpha/Addenda Christchurch. 2002 |
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'''Coma''' Short Novel Titus Books Auckland. 2005. |
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'''New Sea Land''' Poetry Titus Books Auckland. 2005. |
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'''Nusquama''' German translation by Arno Loeffler 2006. |
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'''Song of the Brakeman''' Novel. Titus Books Auckland & Paris. 2006. |
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'''Resentment in Katherine Mansfield, James K. Baxter, John Mulgan and Neil Roberts''' Essay & conference paper. 2006. |
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'''Percutio''' Journal of poetry, fiction extracts, translations, version, and historical essays relating to Europe and New Zealand, and to matters such as translation itself. (Editor) 2006 |
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'''A brief history of the French in New Zealand 1769-1938'''. Historical summary and transcribed oral history. 2006. |
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'''Identity and Identification in New Zealand culture today''' Essay and colloquium paper. 2006. |
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==Music== |
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==Discography== |
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===The Bilders=== |
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*''Beatin' Hearts'' LP (Flying Nun, 1983) - later reissued on CD |
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*''Split Seconds'' LP (Full Moon, 1984) - later reissued on CD |
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*''CoNH3'' LP (South Indies, 1985) |
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*''Let's Play'' LP (South Indies, 1986) |
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*"Ginger Jar" 7" (South Indies, 1986) |
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*''Cup'' EP (South Indies, 1978) |
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*''Divina Comedia'' LP (South Indies, 1988) |
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*''Life Behind Bars'' EP (South Indies, 1987) |
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*''We Are The Coolest Cats In The World'' LP (South Indies, 1989) |
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*''Cut'' LP (IMD, 1994) |
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*''Max Quitz'' CD (Flying Nun, 1993) - compilation of early material |
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*''Pyx (1985-1988)'' CD (Flying Nun, 1994) - compilation of early material |
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*''Human Kindness'' CD (Corazoo, 1997) New material from Direen's first (1994-95) European period. |
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*''New York Sack'' CD (Powertool Records, 2006) Twelve songs recorded live in two days in a Manhattan studio. |
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* Recordings 1995 - 2006 (Title to be advised) (Powertool Records, 2007). |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Recent work has been published by [[Titus Books]]. *[http://titus.books.online.fr] |
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*[http://william.direen.free.fr William Direen homepage] |
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*[http://www.powertoolrecords.de Powertool Records Germany] |
*[http://www.powertoolrecords.de Powertool Records Germany] |
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*[http://www.powertoolrecords.co.nz Powertool Records, New Zealand] |
*[http://www.powertoolrecords.co.nz Powertool Records, New Zealand] |
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*[http://william.direen.free.fr/music/ William Direen Music] |
*[http://william.direen.free.fr/music/ William Direen Music] |
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*[http://titus.books.online.fr/ Titus Books Literature Publisher] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:writers]] |
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Revision as of 13:33, 24 November 2006
New Zealand-born (1957) writer of poetry, songs, fiction, plays and essays. Direen's work has appeared regularly since 1980. William Direen is also known as Bill Direen. It is under Bill Direen that you will find an article treating his songwriting and musical output.
Bibliography
20-9-1. Twenty song lyrics, nine short stories and a theatre piece (The Shell). Prototype. Christchurch. 1980.
Examination of attempts to "refashion" existing oriental theatre forms (and myths) for the twentieth century western stage. The models: Japanese Noh (refashioned by W.B.Yeats), Indian Kathakali (by Jerzy Grotowski), Balinese dance-drama (by Antonin Artaud), Japanese Noh (by Bertolt Brecht). Christchurch. 1982.
Slices of Man Fragments Prototype. Christchurch. 1982.
Three Farces Collaborative. Translations and adaptations from medieval French farces. Three from a repertory of eight medieval pieces, performed by Soluble Fish, Blue Ladder and What Bucket? theatre groups. [Other pieces by Jean Tardieu, Jean Cocteau, Hans Sachs, Antonin Artaud, W.B.Yeats, Hochwalder, Beckett, Shakespeare, and songs of Boris Vian were adapted/translated for different repertories.] South Indies. Christchurch. 1983.
Inklings Poems Nag's Head Press Christchurch. 1988.
Innings and Outings Thoughts on sport gardening and eroticism in New Zealand poetry. Essay. 1989.
Various music-theatre pieces performed in Wellington or Christchurch, NZ, and toured nationwide. 1984-95.
Wormwood Novel Published in its entirety in Sport 18. Wellington. 1997.
A Memory of Others (edited/developed with Gordon Spittle & Alan Brunton) Bumper Wellington. 1999.
Evolition Poetry Nag's Head Press Christchurch. 1993.
Expatriation and New Zealand Poetry Essay 1997.
Sunshower Novella in first person in Landfall 196 Dunedin. 1998 Novellas, stories, essays, poems and casual thoughts have appeared in other New Zealand journals, such as Takahe ('The Mirror Story of the Princess of Nineveh' not published elsewhere), JAAM (poems about childhood not yet published elsewhere), and brief. Work also appeared regularly in NZ Listener, before the year 2000.
The Factory Short story translated into German DAAD Berlin. 2002
A Freedom Tale Story-poem for young adults Brown Barrow Press Paris. 2000.
Crappings Poetry 5 to 12 Books Wellington. 1993.
Nusquama Novel comprised of two novellas and eight short stories (some in first person) about the extended familes (whanau) of a mediocre NZ pop group. Alpha/Addenda Christchurch. 2002
Jules Novel Alpha/Addenda Christchurch. 2002
Coma Short Novel Titus Books Auckland. 2005.
New Sea Land Poetry Titus Books Auckland. 2005.
Nusquama German translation by Arno Loeffler 2006.
Song of the Brakeman Novel. Titus Books Auckland & Paris. 2006.
Resentment in Katherine Mansfield, James K. Baxter, John Mulgan and Neil Roberts Essay & conference paper. 2006.
Percutio Journal of poetry, fiction extracts, translations, version, and historical essays relating to Europe and New Zealand, and to matters such as translation itself. (Editor) 2006
A brief history of the French in New Zealand 1769-1938. Historical summary and transcribed oral history. 2006.
Identity and Identification in New Zealand culture today Essay and colloquium paper. 2006.
Music
See Bill Direen
External links
Recent work has been published by Titus Books. *[1]
Also...