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The Verlaines: A Band Like No Other

Jim Mowat
The Riff
Published in
11 min readDec 8, 2024

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Poets, writers, philosophers, composers—Graeme Downes of Dunedin can relate to them all and even effortlessly incorporate them neatly into rock songs. Take C.D. Jimmy Jazz and Me, which references both Claude Debussy and James Joyce. His band, of course, was named after the dishevelled Parisian poet Paul Verlaine. In 1982, that signalled a rare talent and a manifesto of intellectual intent.

The Verlaines and I

Living in Dunedin and being an avid gig-goer and vinyl spinner of the local wares meant it was not hard to rub shoulders with the local musicians. No more so than when we were in our tidy Dunedin flat, up the hill from the scarfie squalor on the flat, when the news was out: long-time bass player Mike Stoodley was leaving the band, and a replacement was required fast. Must play bass, must know the songs, must be able to read sheet music, must want to be in a glorious but poorly paid indie rock band. Low pay, and hard work balanced by the bandleader, songwriter/composer is a musical tour de force.

In all of Dunedin it is a short list. Unfortunately, the best candidate, our mate who fitted the requirements to a tee, was out on the ocean seeking a new career as a commercial fisherman, starting at the bottom, deckhand on a trawler, gone for weeks.

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Jim Mowat
Jim Mowat

Written by Jim Mowat

Writes about rock and indie music. Long term music lover and follower of Indie-Alternative sounds, rock with an edge and a good lyric.

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