More Than a Band Aid: How the Use of Popular Music Helped a City Recover After Disaster
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MORE THAN A BAND AID: HOW THE USE OF POPULAR MUSIC HELPED A CITY RECOVER AFTER DISASTER Kris Vavasour Student No. 29112239 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Cultural Studies University of Canterbury March, 2016 Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iv List of Illustrations ...................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 6 Popular music ......................................................................................................................... 7 Popular culture of disaster.................................................................................................... 11 Disaster songs ....................................................................................................................... 12 Music use after disaster ........................................................................................................ 15 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 21 Chapter 3: Methodology ........................................................................................................... 23 Research approach ............................................................................................................... 23 Positionality and research methods ..................................................................................... 27 Chapter 4: Music as fundraiser ................................................................................................. 37 Earthquake Relief.................................................................................................................. 38 Televised events ................................................................................................................... 40 Live events ............................................................................................................................ 42 Releases and remixes............................................................................................................ 62 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 72 Chapter 5: Music as psychosocial salve .................................................................................... 73 Music and memory ............................................................................................................... 73 Remembering the Dux .......................................................................................................... 76 Empty spaces, missing places ............................................................................................... 84 Music and community after disaster .................................................................................... 87 All Right? ............................................................................................................................... 93 Gap Filler ............................................................................................................................. 101 The long road to recovery ................................................................................................... 112 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 118 Chapter 6: Looking back, moving forward .............................................................................. 120 Chapter 7: Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 128 References .............................................................................................................................. 133 Discography ............................................................................................................................ 136 Appendix 1: YouTube Playlist .................................................................................................. 139 ii Appendix 2: Consent form ...................................................................................................... 140 iii Acknowledgements To all those who have ever played or attended a music event, or have made or bought music that was raising money for disaster victims anywhere – thank you. To those who have written about music, musicians, community, communitas, and to those who have made all the projects, events, and special moments happen – thank you. To the management, crew, and supporters of Gap Filler and All Right?, especially Coralie, Ryan, and Ciaran, for everything you have done, and will do for the city – thank you. To Eric Pawson, whose interest, encouragement, and (deservedly) pointed reminders have kept me vaguely on track and helped me over the finish line – thank you. To Tom, without whose undying love and support this whole research endeavour would never have got off the ground – thank you. You get your wife back now. Abstract The combination of music and disaster has been the subject of much study, especially star- studded telethons and songs that commemorate tragedy. However, there are many other ways that music can be used after disaster that provide benefits far greater than money or memorials but are not necessarily as prominent in the worldwide media landscape. Beginning in September 2010, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, has been struck by several major earthquakes and over 11,000 aftershocks, the most destructive of which caused 185 deaths. As with many other disasters, music has been used as a method of fundraising and commemoration, but personal experience suggests many other ways that music can be used as a coping mechanism and aid to personal and community recovery. Therefore, in order to uncover the connections, context, and strategies behind its use, this thesis addresses the question: Since the earthquakes began, how has popular music been beneficial for the city and people of Christchurch? As well as documenting a wide variety of musical ‘earthquake relief’ events and charitable releases, this research also explores some of the more intangible aspects of the music-aid relationship. Two central themes are presented – fundraising and psychosocial uses – utilising individual voices and case studies to illustrate the benefits of music use after disaster at a community or city-wide level. Together the disparate threads and story fragments weave a detailed picture of the ways in which music as shared experience, as text, as commodity, and as a tool for memory and movement has been incorporated into the fabric of the city during the recovery phase. iv 1: Street art, Christchurch A YouTube playlist has been compiled to accompany this research (full text link and playlist details are in Appendix 1): Click here to launch: More Than A Band-Aid - thesis playlist v List of Illustrations All photographs taken by the author, in Christchurch, New Zealand, unless otherwise noted. 1: STREET ART, CHRISTCHURCH ....................................................................................................................... V 2: DANCING FOR CANTERBURY – WHITIREIA STUDENTS FUNDRAISING IN CUBA MALL, WELLINGTON (MARCH 2011) ....... 44 3: BAND TOGETHER, HAGLEY PARK (OCTOBER 2010) ........................................................................................ 57 4: WAITING (FOR PROGRESS) IN CASHEL STREET, LOOKING EAST (MAY 2012) ......................................................... 60 5: WAITING (FOR THE CROWDS) IN CASHEL STREET, LOOKING WEST (MAY 2012) ..................................................... 60 6: THE EASTERN & FRIENDS PLAY FOR THE CROWD AT ST. ALBANS PARK (MARCH 2011) ........................................... 62 7: 'SAVE OUR DUX' DUCKS, MONTREAL ST FENCE (JUNE 2011) ............................................................................ 79 8: THE LEAFY DUX DE LUX COURTYARD, LOOKING THROUGH THE SAFETY FENCE (APRIL 2014) ...................................... 81 9: DUX LIVE! STREET FRONTAGE, ADDINGTON (APRIL 2014) ............................................................................... 82 10: DUX CENTRAL, SURROUNDED BY CONSTRUCTION & EMPTY SPACE (MARCH 2016) .............................................. 85 11: A HITLAB EMPLOYEE DEMONSTRATING THE CITYVIEWAR APP, CITY MALL (MAY 2012) ...................................... 86 12: LINDON PUFFIN PERFORMS IN A COLOMBO ST GAP (APRIL 2011) .................................................................. 102 13: PEOPLE GATHER FOR THE SOUND GARDEN OPENING (OCTOBER 2013) ........................................................... 103 14: THE SOUND GARDEN OPENING (OCTOBER 2013) ...................................................................................... 104 15: THE PALLET PAVILION AT NIGHT (JANUARY 2013) ....................................................................................