By Frances Grant
Mikey Havoc and Newsboy went to the Big Day Out and Sweetwaters festivals to record the proceedings and no one was safe from their advances.
Certain viewers at home were wooed early in the piece. "And a special good evening to those with People-Meters," Havoc said warmly at the
start of the pair's three-part series giving us their unique take on the events.
Soon after, this courtship became more serious. "It looks like we've been lucky enough to have another season, maybe three or four if everyone gets behind us," he said, sternly eyeballing us down the barrel of the camera.
Such shameless plugs for the Havoc show, which returns soon to TV2 ("within three months" is the official word), could have been offensive.
But it's easy to forgive self-promotion in a man who congratulated shock rocker Marilyn Manson on his new look with this kindly comment: "It must be nice to have some nice designer gear, looking a bit flash and a bit modern, sort of Bowie in the good years."
The Havoc approach left Cowboy Junkies' lead singer Margo Timmins flabbergasted. It would have been cruel if, once she got her breath back, she had not seemed so amused.
To his great credit, the incorrigible Havoc proved his bravado away from the relatively safe environment of the cloistered interview room.
The punters in the packed stadium were baying for the big act but this didn't deter him from coming out on stage to take a poke at one of the opposition channel's feelgood-telly shows.
"Good afternoon, young Auckland. I have been given the very, very high distinction of being allowed to have my dream come true," he bellowed, ignoring the restive crowd's boos and rude gestures.
Back in interview mode, he and Newsboy were busy taking the names of our rich, famous or notorious citizens in vain.
International stars were asked to respond to questions purportedly from letter-writers called Doug Myers, John Hawkesby and Simon Poelman. The latter's question - "do you get hassled going through Customs?" - struck a chord with Courtney Love.
The scary rock goddess was alone among the pair's targets in looking for a moment as if she had the upper hand. "I'm just looking for a husband, how about you?" she asked Newsboy.
The proposal from the famous widow might have seriously disconcerted a more impressionable young man, but he rallied from the shock to politely inform her: "I'm fine at the moment, thanks."
The pair are admirably democratic. Their gags include little-known people as well as television personalities, politicians, big-name retailers and the like: "New Zealand has its own feral folk and we met them at the housetruckers' corral."
But there's more to Havoc and Newsboy than just taking the mikey. The results of their refusal to toe the usual lines of inquiry in their interviews with the stars were as enlightening as they were entertaining.
Their antics at Auckland's big music events bode very well for Havoc's new season.
This is the opinion of a viewer without a People-Meter who, therefore, cannot be accused of succumbing to any special attention or flattery.
By Frances Grant
Mikey Havoc and Newsboy went to the Big Day Out and Sweetwaters festivals to record the proceedings and no one was safe from their advances.
Certain viewers at home were wooed early in the piece. "And a special good evening to those with People-Meters," Havoc said warmly at the
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