The Ramblers Saga

From: timeouteditor@herald.co.nz

To: Graham Reid

Nice one pal, and congrats. There can't be too many journalists arrested at a P lab. The editor says fine with regard to writing a letter to the court on your behalf when the case comes up. He did ask though how come you didn't know - A guy called Speeder? A hidden shed in the back yard in West Auckland? Surrounded by dogs? He thinks your instincts for a story are slipping.

Anyway, after the case they want you to write a piece (maybe for news) about it. Suddenly the Ramblers will be famous!

Speaking of which. That guy Mo has been on to me and says they had actually finished recording when the cops arrived, so they got the tapes. A mate of theirs is banging off a few hundred copies and it will be out next week!

He seems to be under the impression, however, that we're running a cover story on them. I explained it might not be such a good look for us, given what just happened, and the fact they hospitalised you a few weeks back. But the guy won't take no for an answer. He keeps saying he knows where I live.

You seem to get on with these people - and after he decked you he probably owes you one. Can you tell him (I suggest by phone rather than in person) that we will do a short piece and an album review and that's it. Blame someone higher up if you like.

Thanks for sending those photos of the band anyway. Was that their idea to moon you?

I did a quick library search and we did run a small piece on them a few years back. The headline was Band on the Run. You can guess the rest. The police invited them to leave the Mount after a week of drunkenness, hooning around and some incident involving an air rifle.

They were called the Ramblers Blues Band back then. You'll love this quote from Dodge: "We weren't doing nothing and then suddenly these cops grabbed us and gave us half an hour to get out of town. They can't do that. I know my rights. But it's boring here anyway so were going to shoot through to Palmerston."

You sure can pick 'em.

I'll flick you the copy of the album when it comes in. And what about a short piece for next week? Then the review can run the following week.

I guess your hand is healing now. But I'm told the police dog took a fair chunk out of somewhere else so you aren't keen to sit at a typewriter for any length of time. Ho ho ho.

R

(PS. Do you want to follow a folk duo called Marg and Jason Rainbow from the Coromandel? You seem to have the knack of making something exciting happen when you hitch up with a band)