Aucklanders who dig art, fashion and live music undoubtedly have shared a little space with one of the city's most dynamic couples. They live in an old, wooden Grey Lynn house painted bright pink. They cruise the streets swiftly and silently on their electric bikes. In my experience, they dress sharper than anyone else in the room and may be the most effective barometer of an event's quality in this misty town.
If you see Doris de Pont or Tejo van Schie at a gig you're definitely in the right hall. Van Schie was at the finest venue in Newmarket last Monday, the Lucha Lounge.
He was wearing a splendid coat of exotic cloth. It may have been a cape. We both enjoyed Delaney Davidson's album launch with guest spots by Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson and Davidson's new collaborator Nicole Garcia who thrilled us with a soaring ballad in Spanish.
The show was intimate, magnificent and open to the general public. That is perhaps the key element to the style and grace of Doris and Tejo. They believe in our community. They foster the arts and participate. They're the first on the dance floor and they're generous hosts.
Many readers will already be familiar with Doris de Pont's work with the New Zealand Fashion Museum. I met her a few years back as she curated a show of clothes that told the story of our pop music history. Luckily, I had a perfectly preserved custom-made tracksuit from my teens when I played sax with Supergroove.
