When you think of bingo, images of sweet old grannies and granddads hunched over a bingo card trying to win a meat pack in the town hall come to mind. The meat pack’s still there, but the rest of the stereotype is about to be shattered by Tineke van der Walle, the creator of Auckland’s latest craze, Bitchin’ Bingo. It takes place in bars around Auckland on Wednesday nights, and people as young as 18 show up to hear ‘bingo mistress Viv’ call out phrases like “B4, my cousin Tracey’s a whore, B4”. debate chats to Tineke about why she started to revive bingo and why it’s a big hit with the youth of today. How exactly did you come up with the concept? Do you remember a bar called Schooner Tavern? We used to go to Howzie there and there was this big Samoan guy who used to run it and he was really awesome and we had a great time. But then it closed down and we couldn’t go anymore because no one else was doing it in Auckland. I remember talking to my friends one night when we were out on the piss in Parnell and they were like “you should think about approaching bars with [bingo]”… and I thought “what a great way for me to do something fun with my friends”. I kind of started it off for a laugh and just wanted to see where it went. I didn’t just want to do bingo. I wanted to have a great character, which is what bingo mistress Viv is, she’s her own personality.
BITCHIN’ BINGO
LatinAotearoa LatinAotearoa are known for blending the unique and authentic sounds of Latin with local flavour so you get the vibe of South America, without stepping foot out of Auckland. Vocalist Jennifer Zea hails from Venezula and her bossa and Latino soul talents have seen her perform all over the globe with world renowned artists of jazz and world music. Together with DJ Bobby Brazuka – the unofficial Brazilian ambassador of music and culture in New Zealand – and Open Souls trumpet player and producer Isaac Aesili, the trio combine sultry singing with beautiful beats to create Spanish renditions of Kiwi favourites. They transform Ladi6 and House of Shem hits with their palate of samba, soul, funk and Latin hip hop and they are sure to have people on their feet dancing into the night; the perfect atmosphere for a summer carnival. LatinAotearoa will be performing at the AuSM Carnival in Hikiwai Plaza on Friday, March 4 from 7pm
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What is bingo mistress Viv’s personality? She’s a bogan westie from Henderson… I do a little spiel before the show, who she is, where she’s from and her family, what she likes to do and then I go into the show. A lot of the calls are based on her background so it’s a whole other character. At half time I go out and I mingle amongst the crowd in character, which can be really funny because some people think that I’m
like that or whatever and I’ll go backstage and get changed and I’ll come out and people won’t recognise me, because it’s a different persona than what I portray. What type of crowds do you have going each time? Normally my crowd ranges from 18 to maybe 40s. So sometimes I get businessmen come in, I get gaggles of 30-year-old women and sometimes I get the real young idiots – I love ‘em to bits – but they come in and get wasted and they heckle Viv and she gives them shit back, so it’s quite a broad range. Have you had any older people come? Yes, I had this really cute, old Asian couple and I was really concerned because some of my calls can be quite rude and they sat right up the front when I did a show at The Drake a couple of months back. But they loved it and they won. Why do you think people like Bitchin’ Bingo so much? Retro is very in right now and I think a cheap night out while you’re having drinks with some friends is always going to be popular. It’s great because it’s fast and it’s furious. It’s over within an hour and a half and it’s done. It’s not like a three hour long pub quiz. It’s really fast paced. It’s very dramatic high and lows; you’re one number off winning and someone else wins it and you’re like “fucccckkk”. Or you win it and you’re like “Yeaaahhhhh”; you don’t care what the prize is, people just want to win. Are you excited to play orientation? I’m really excited. Students are always great; I’d much rather a rowdy crowd than a quiet crowd. Some of the hen nights I’ve been on I’ve been like “come on, bitches! Drink, get rowdy”. They’re way too quiet. Bitchin’ Bingo will be on at Vesbar on Wednesday, March 2 at 7pm.
DJ SPRAGGA
MC CYPHER
DJ Spragga – aka Andrew Spraggon – is a busy man. He’s been DJing since the turn of the century in clubs around New Zealand, and has even ventured across the ditch on a few occasions as well. He’s spun tunes on local radio station KFM, before moving to Base FM, where he hosts a regular Friday slot, the Spragga Selection, as well as a weekly breakfast show on the same station. He performs every third Friday of the month at Verona on K’ Road, and if that’s not impressive enough, he’s released two EPs and four albums under his other, perhaps more well known name, Sola Rosa, for which he’s been nominated for three New Zealand Music Awards. His influences include hip hop, funk, reggae and a dash of Latin – the perfect sound to end the perfect summer.
Cypher’s unique style has seen him become one of the country’s most sought after MCs in recent years. His conscious lyrics and cascading flows have resulted in numerous performances at events throughout New Zealnd and Australia alongside some of the world’s finest selectors, such as Noisia, BSE, Chase & Status, Concord Dawn and Klute to name a few. Raising the bar without exception, Cypher injects energy into each and every set by complimenting the ride and connecting the dance floor to the DJ. He brings a memorable performance to the mic every time. He’s one to watch on the drum & bass circuit so make sure you catch him this orientation. Catch MC Cypher at Vesbar on Thursday, March 3 from 7pm.
DJ Spragga will be performing at Vesbar on Thursday, March 3 from 7pm. issue 01 2011