He brought hard-won experiences, fragility or gravitas to his small but respected catalogue of sometimes appealingly unpolished folk and altcountry songs for his bands the Grifters and Thin Men.
"I'd wanted to be a musician since I was a kid and played a lot of folk music in my teens," he said in 2011. "But by the time I was 20 I just couldn't do it any more. I felt too exposed." Griffen grew up Catholic in Wellington, sang in the church choir, picked up the acoustic guitar, and like many of his generation, was swept up by rock music.
He played in folk clubs, lost confidence but found drugs ("I always covered my fears with alcohol or narcotics"), served two terms in prison and in the mid-1970s left for Melbourne, where he played in bands.
He then spent six years as a commercial fisherman off remote Karumba in northwest Queensland.
When he returned to New Zealand, he and friends established Progressive Music Studios in central Auckland and made music, notably with the appropriately named Pleasure Boys. However, drugs were still the prop.
Denne historien er fra August 26, September 1 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra August 26, September 1 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.