No more reunion gigs

Opinion

You know the years are passing when the pop idols of your youth are back in the news, this time in the obituary column. Last week we heard that Davy Jones, late of the Monkees, had sung his final rendition of Daydream Believer. He was just 66, not a great age at all, and his passing was neither a dramatic nor historic event. Yet it warranted a mention in newspapers and media around the world.

Davy Jones was a Monkee, one of the four members of the band formed deliberately, so the story goes, to compete with the Beatles. They did not come close, but having Manchester-born Davy work with three American lads was a clever marketing ploy, reaching, as it did, the tens of thousands of American girls who loved the British accent in any form. That they considered him "cute" did not hurt the Monkees' brand either.

The main marketing thrust was in the form of a TV show, which served as a vehicle to introduce their latest songs and to keep their ever growing repertoire fresh in the minds of their fans, guaranteeing packed houses whenever the band went on tour. Davy Jones, along with Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork became household names wherever their TV show aired and their music, consequently, sold well.

The Beatles were never threatened, although the Monkees scored a few number ones, thanks to a strong song-writing team in the persons of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. They never got over their synthetic origins and were forever labelled The Pre-Fab Four by their critics. Of course it did not help that there was not a lot of real musical talent in the group, with the exception of Mike Nesmith, who, eventually, went solo and proved he could write memorable pop songs and hold a tune, and Peter Tork, who, like Nesmith, started off as a folk singer and is proficient on many instruments.

To be fair, Jones (and Dolenz) were hired as actors, not musicians, when the TV show was auditioning possible Monkees. Kiwi audiences had seen him playing the grandson of Ena Sharples (Violet Carson) in early episodes of Coronation St and he had stage success as the Artful Dodger in Oliver! in London and on Broadway.

When the TV show was archived and the Monkees in their original form were no more, it was Davy Jones who made himself available for every reunion tour that was - with Boyce, Hart, Dolenz and Tork coming and going throughout the various tours. Right up until last year, Davy Jones was touring in a Monkees revival show, along with Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork. Just three weeks ago he was at an autograph signing session in California, by all accounts looking healthy and happy. He died of a heart attack last Wednesday at his home in Florida. Many fans will mourn his passing, but many will see his death as the loss of another piece of their own youth.

I attended a Castlecliff meeting last week and, once again, was impressed by the community spirit and the desire to get things done for the good of the suburb and, by extension, Wanganui.

Chaired by Annette Main, attended by three district councillors (Anderson, Bullock and Wills) as well as council staff and police, the meeting looked at issues raised over two previous meetings. Residents and representatives of community organisations spoke to the assembly, expressing concern about various "problems" and often offering solutions. The mood was positive and those present agreed to further regular meetings. This is something other suburbs could look at with a view to solving their own problems. Mind you, too many of these meetings and Mayor Annette will have to delegate and send a representative.