Tribune Review: Judith Lacy on Peter Cleave

The Tribune, Sunday August 16th

It’s Cleave, live once more
By Judith Lacy

Palmerston North singer-songwrtiter Peter Cleave is stepping out from the computer screen to perform live again.

A chance encounter with a customer in Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts has seen him do two gigs at the gallery with a third to come later this month.

His set is mostly folk blues originals such as ‘nonsense song’ Idol which is popular on Youtube.
Some of Idol’s lyrics;
Way on down the hall Uncle Phil is asleep
You whisper to me about Dragon BallZ
And the Idol smiles
There is a door/window in the wall
The traffic stops and the rain begins to fall

Another of Cleave’s songs has more serious origins. Fascinated with anorexia-a ‘phenomenon of affluence’- he was part way through writing a song about the illness when long-time friend and Wellington street performer Sally Rodwell died suddenly. You’re Free became a song for her too.

You threw a stone into the sun, do wah,
Peace broke out and the war was won

Professionally Cleave is also not used to seeing his audience. He fronts several shows on Maori radio station Kia Ora FM including an 11am 12pm weekday slot.

‘You’re in there in a dark cubicle on your own.’

People contact was one of the motivations for regular performances at Café Vertex from 2002-7, with his appearances surviving three changes of ownership. Then during a period of rebellion against overly produced music he created the virtual Last Gasp Café with a philosophy of no ‘second take, no surrender’.

‘If you make a mistake on your one take, its just too bad: you’re dead and they’re laughing’.

He’s gone back to using computer production systems which adjust sound but says the one-take regime increased his confidence in live performances and he no longer feels he’s mumbling to himself and hiding behind his guitar.

A Pakeha who grew up in South Auckland, Cleave’s always sung and played the guitar. He is fluent in Maori and a couple of the 20 or so songs he’s penned are in te reo.

The former social work lecturer and secondary school teacher has a PhD in Social Anthropology from Oxford University.

He’s written about 15 books including the Oxford Picture Dictionary of Maori and The Sovereignty Game; Power, knowledge and reading the Treaty.
Cleave says the Taylor-Jensen performances are giving him back the chance to see people and be a human being.


Peter Cleave’s next performance is at Taylor Jensen Fine Arts is on August 25th at 2pm.