Time spent on the North Shore tends to amplify walls. In that they either grow larger – or sort of dissolve.
This situation illustrates the point perfectly. Sure, we’ve done some cool pieces with/on/about Steph Gilmore, Tom Curren, and Lee-Ann Curren over the years. There’s history there. But a quick conversation at Foodland, and we’re looking at a homemade spaghetti dinner at a house overlooking Off the Wall, and the room is filled with sound. An intimate jam session with more surf talent since The Surfers (who I silently rooted for…very hard. Kelly, Rob, and PK never should’ve gone acoustic. Flying Vs would have been a much better option from the outset) unfolds in front of us. From the looks of it, this type of thing happens pretty frequently in the Curren/Gilmore day-to-day. Instruments are strewn about the floor. Lee-Ann just picked up a tiny bass guitar at a flea market today. She’s almost giddy about it.
Lee-Ann Curren is the magnet. She brought this crew together, and she has a musical project called Betty The Shark that she pursues in her free time. Tom, with a hundred mile gaze, spiders his fingers around his fret board. He’s assertive. When a bridge approaches, he’s vocal about it. Same with a chorus. None of the songs have words. It’s all very rhythmic. Steph is smiling. She’s concentrating pretty closely on rhythm guitar. Tom is watching. And Steve Sherman, renowned portrait photographer, keeps the percussion steady.
They’re having fun. They’re a little nervous about their upcoming show at Turtle Bay in two days. They’ve only practiced together as a group a handful of times. But it’s working.
After an hour or two of jamming, the spaghetti wins out. And the surf should be picking up tomorrow, so band practice might take a backseat again. But, hey, Turtle Bay is their people. And two days later, when a giant crowd shows up to watch their surf heroes make melodies, the walls will dissolve again. The room full of music.