#Linda Martini

[blu27nature]

Linda Martini - Silves Urban Music Pentax K1000, SMC Pentax-M 50mm f2 Fomapan 400 (pushed to 800), Rodinal 1:25

[dancerinthestorm]

[darkestmania]

Que se foda o panteão

Dou os ossos a um cão

Que me roa a salivar.

[maquina-semiotica]

Linda Martini, "Super Fixe" #NowPlaying

[headlinerportugal]

O último dia vestiu-se de preto - Dia 3 do Festival Ponte d’ Lima 2023 | Reportagem

Andrew Stockdale, uma figura impar do rock mundial | mais fotos clicar aqui Este último dia da I edição do Festival Ponte d’Lima, arrancou com os ponteiros dos termómetros a marcar máximas de 33°C graus e com uma onda quente de gente vestida de preto. 

Jepards abriram o palco 2, às 19h00, com “Naughty Behaviors” do seu último álbum ‘A Study on the Behaviors of the Inebriated’ editado em 2022. O quarteto anunciou, através das suas músicas, que apesar da atitude punk que ainda permanece, o seu som está mais crescido e soube amadurecer. 

Com as guitarras a gritar em sintonia, o baixo a segurar de uma forma criativa e a percussão de ritmo que não se deixa intimidar, Carlos, Dany, Pedro e Zé Pedro, abriram o dia para o punk rock. 

Mostraram com orgulho vários temas do seu último álbum mas também partilharam o seu mais recente single  “Cautionary Tales” passando igualmente por temas mais antigos do seu primeiro EP ‘Okay, Alright!’ de 2018.

Quase a terminar o concerto, recordaram o início da sua história com “Let 's Call It a Night”, do primeiro EP, fechando com “Beastie Boyz” single editado em 2022. 

Segue-se num ápice e, sem demora, o som que se ouve do palco 2, “Semente” a fazer apressar o passo para se ouvir Cassete Pirata, que logo enche o recinto. 

Um palco repleto de talentos nacionais, António Quintino no baixo, Joana Espadinha nos teclados e voz, João Pinheiro (SAL) na bateria, João Gil nos teclados e voz (o baixista dos SAL que aqui substituiu Margarida Campelo) e João Firmino na voz e guitarra.  

Cassete Pirata em palco | mais fotos clicar aqui A voz melíflua de João Firmino em “Pó no Pé”, do primeiro EP da banda de 2017,   derrete-nos e deixa-nos verter amor num pôr-do-sol perfeito com o público a acompanhar o refrão, “Sabe muito melhor quando vocês cantam connosco desde o início até ao fim!” confessa o vocalista da banda. 

E porque qualidade é o que mais tem este quinteto, faz-se a devida troca de guitarra pois,  “apesar de ser um homem de um amor só” diz João Firmino trocando olhares com Joana Espadinha, que de uma forma tão brilhante responde à altura nos teclados e voz, o público merece ouvir “Ferro e Brasa”, do álbum ‘A Montra’ editado em 2019, com a maior mestria possível. 

Um verdadeiro momento onde a realidade superou as expectativas, com um público rendido ao som reconfortante dos Cassete Pirata e a entoar na perfeição os refrões dos temas que aqui foram tocados onde nem mesmo os mais recentes, como é o caso de “Tanta Vida pra Viver” single lançado este ano, precisou de ensaio. 

Pir, o vocalista dos Cassete Pirata | mais fotos clicar aqui “Este sítio parece que foi mesmo feito para um festival” confessou João Firmino que falando também dos tempos esquisitos da pandemia, apresentou a música que surgiu para celebrar o fim deste período estranho “Só Mais uma Hora”, do álbum ‘Semente’ de 2021, e mais uma vez, o público mostrou a sua adoração pela banda entoando o refrão na perfeição “Vocês são lindos pessoal, vá muito obrigada!” 

Se gostamos de Cassete Pirata em disco então ao vivo ficamos a adorar, e é assim que se vê quanto são gigantes. 

Sem norte e a não querer ver o final, ficamos e porque o tempo foi curto para tudo, deixaram-nos com “Ser Diferente”, single de 2022,  aquecendo o público para as outras bandas que aí vinham…

Ouve-se, do palco 1, cantar, “Eu nem vi”, do último álbum ‘ERRÔR’ editado em 2022, e num cenário a preto e branco vão surgindo, na penumbra, os Linda Martini. Do palco, solta-se um grito e… André Henriques chama e o público segue. 

Hélio Morais, um dos melhores baterista nacionais | mais fotos clicar aqui Celebram-se vinte anos do rock de Linda Martini e nós, podemos aqui, desfrutar dessa viagem de duas décadas hipnotizantes. 

Um público totalmente siderado pelo som caótico melancólico que se ouve do palco, responde com corpos atentos e introspectivos, enquanto tocam o êxito “Boca de Sal”, single de 2018 e afirmam “Somos sempre muito bem recebidos quando cá estamos”.

O frenesim harmonioso que ouvimos de todos os instrumentos mostram que, pelo menos em palco, André Henriques na guitarra e voz, Cláudia Guerreiro no baixo e voz,  Hélio Morais na bateria e voz e Rui Carvalho (Filho da Mãe) na guitarra, estão totalmente de acordo e sintonia.  

O rasgo metálico entra-nos até na alma e depois quase que somos pendurados na incógnita entre intervalos melancólicos e hipnotizantes e entra “Amor Combate” do primeiro EP da banda, relembrando o quanto são bons desde o início. 

André Henriques e aquela vibração única | mais fotos clicar aqui “É sempre bonito ver o início de 20 anos…As palmas não são para nós são para toda a gente que está aqui” afirma o vocalista. 

O grito de “Taxonomia”, single de 2021,  fez o chão vibrar que, entre paragens, fez a plateia entrar em transe. 

“É um privilégio podermos tocar aqui todos juntos, partilhar o palco é partilhar a vida também” confessa Hélio Morais, e porque conciliar egos é sempre um jogo difícil, tocam “Se me agiganto”, do álbum ‘Linda Martini’ editado em 2018, num momento intimista de partilha de emoções e reflexões. 

A guitarra de Rui Carvalho fala, geme e grita tal como a voz de André Henriques em “O Amor É Não Haver Polícia”, do álbum ‘Olhos de Mongol’ de 2006, e anunciando o desfecho fizeram quase o palco cair ao tocar em “Cem Metros Sereia” de ‘Casa Ocupada’ de 2010, com o público a entoar o refrão, mãos e copos no ar. 

Cláudia Guerreiro e André Henriques sempre com aquela dedicação infindável | mais fotos clicar aqui Assim, saem do palco e o público entoa “só mais uma” e….voltam,  com Cláudia Guerreiro a agradecer dizendo que tinham mais uma para nós e o público vibrou com palmas e braços no ar e  “Dá-me a Tua Melhor Faca” fez-nos sentir o toque metálico dos instrumentos roçarem-nos a pele e arrepiar-nos…assim terminou. 

Rapidamente, do palco 2, já se ouve o som da festa, e sem hesitações testemunhamos a grande entrada de António Bandeiras, o furacão sensual que anuncia a chegada de David Bruno e com a sua dança, prepara o público, qual festa popular recheada de carrinhos de choque, à espera da grande atração. Entram em palco com grande estilo, David Bruno, Marco Duarte (Marquito na guitarra) e Mohammed da Costa (teclado) e começam logo a brilhar com “Praliné”.

No final da primeira música,  David Bruno inicia o diálogo gritando “Gondomar, Gondomar” qual comício hilariante e trocando o nome da cidade para “Ponte de Lima, Ponte de Lima!” aproveita para fazer uma rápida sondagem ao público para perceber quantos dos presentes seriam da cidade que os acolhe…ou de Barcelos…ou de Viana (recorde-se que mais de 60% do público veio de fora de Ponte de Lima) rapidamente conclui que “são de todos os lados mas podiam estar em muitos sítios, podiam estar em casa a ver o Papa, e só por causa disso vocês são demasiados gentis!”. 

David Bruno e Marquito dão um show bem animado | mais fotos clicar aqui E…passa-se a publicidade em “Mesa para dois no Carpa“ e entre coreografias sensuais, rosas vermelhas de plástico, projeções de vídeos de Valentim Loureiro e a cidade de Gondomar, Mac Drivers, roulottes, pombas brancas, cavalos e títulos animados género word paint cria-se uma lenda em Ponte de Lima. 

Com o público já há muito a vibrar, com direito a t-shirts dedicadas ao artista, tocam “Lamborghini na Rouloutte” com David Bruno a anunciar “Nem que me paguem 1 milhão de euros! Eu não gravo esta música, é um presente para as pessoas que vêm ver os concertos!”.

Com a “caminha já feita” entra o ilustre convidado Marlon Brandão, vestido à grande galã de cinema, para cantar“Tema de Guedes” e de luz vermelho sangue no palco, prepara-se o cenário para que se ouça a banda sonora da mais famosa áudio novela do momento “Sangue & Mármore”, álbum editado em 2022.

David Bruno e António Bandeiras junto do público | mais fotos clicar aqui Só quem conhece todos os costumes do nosso Portugal profundo consegue verdadeiramente identificar-se e sentir cada tema como se fosse nosso, se conseguíssemos conjugar tão brilhantemente as palavras certas e tão bem ordenadas com as batidas e sons tão bem conseguidos.  “Palmas ao outlet de Tui, esta música é dedicada a quem vai a Espanha” e tocam “Salamanca by Naite” onde Marco Duarte, na guitarra, arrasa e mostra o “porquê de ser o rei do tinder” enquanto David Bruno partilha o microfone com o público, qual garrafa que roda. 

Segue-se com “Bebe & Dorme” do álbum ‘Miramar Confidencial’ de 2019, que marca o momento mais sensualmente arriscado do concerto, onde António Bandeiras, qual boneco articulado sem vertigens, sobe até ao topo do palco, gritando de lá “Bebe e dorme!” e a plateia agarra os cabelos, deixa o queixo cair e suspira num autêntico momento de histerismo total. 

David Bruno e Marquito com um jovem fã | mais fotos clicar aqui Acalmam-se os ânimos assim que António Bandeiras desce ao palco são e salvo, David Bruno aconselha “Não vendam coisas roubadas, ok?” e inicia-se  “Interveniente Acidental”. Aqui, dá-se o grande momento que Tiago, um pequeno grande fã entre o público, estava ansiosamente à espera e por sorte, foi escolhido para partilhá-lo com David Bruno, que quando o chamou ao palco ainda nem imaginava que, coincidentemente, o pequeno cantor é de Miramar. Tiago brilha em palco, ao cantar na perfeição a letra da tão emblemática história de quem que foi chamado a tribunal por ser interveniente acidental e, no final, o público grita “Tiago, Tiago, Tiago”, reconhecendo o pequeno rei entre eles. 

Já um pouco pressionados pelos quinze minutos que restavam, tocam “Inatel” e o público responde com cartazes no ar, telemóveis a gravar e todo o recinto ao rubro que canta, salta e brinca com Bandeiras no mosh!

Apesar do tempo ser curto, ainda há tempo, para um concurso ao vivo de flexões no palco,  e de camisolas caveadas e colares dourados, óculos de sol do outlet dança-se sensualmente ouvindo-se “Festa da Espuma” do álbum ‘Raiashopping’ de 2020. 

“Obrigado Ponte de Lima! Aplausos para este festival! É melhor que o Marés Vivas em Gaia e eu sou de Gaia!” despede-se assim David Bruno. 

Bandeiras volta para distribuir rosas e assim termina a festa. 

O australiano Andrew Stockdale a rockar em Ponte de Lima | mais fotos clicar aqui Os muito aguardados Wolfmother, cabeças de cartaz do festival, romperam a noite com a intensidade dos agudos da voz e guitarra de Andrew Stockdale. Com uma energia eletrizante, digna do espírito de épocas passadas onde se vibrava com bandas como os Black Sabbath e os Led Zeppelin, Wolfmother iniciaram o espectáculo mais cedo que o previsto e tocaram menos do que estava programado. 

Numa tournée que passará por sete países, Andrew Stockdale, confessa-nos, que na noite anterior, tinham tocado até às duas da manhã e voaram diretos para Portugal, e muitos foram os que lhes disseram que não iam conseguir mas, o músico, em tom irónico, anuncia “lamento desapontá-los!” 

Dos êxitos do seu último álbum ‘Rock Out’, editado em 2021, o trio tocou também alguns temas mais antigos, iniciando o espectáculo com “Dimension”, do álbum de estreia da banda, editado em 2005 mas também percorrendo ao longo do concerto êxitos como “Woman” e “Apple Tree” igualmente desse álbum.  

Wolfmother a deliciar os seus fãs lusitanos | mais fotos clicar aqui A melodia da guitarra conjuga-se na perfeição com a voz de Andrew Stockdale,e o baixode Paul Dokman consolida toda esta vibraçãosem travar o ritmo alucinante da bateria de Jesper Albers quesegura o público e o faz vibrar com um solo arrebatador em “Colossal”, igualmente do álbum de estreia. 

Não se sabe se pelo fuso horário ou pelo cansaço, Andrew Stockdale agradeceu durante todo o concerto na língua de nuestros hermanos mas o público não se importou e tanto é que a vibração contagiou tudo e todos em “New Moon Rising” do álbum ‘Cosmic Egg’ de 2009 onde a plateia entoou na perfeição todo o refrão e com palmas no ar, dão o ritmo inicial a “Gipsy Caravan” de ‘Victorious’ editado em 2016.

Terminaram, como iniciaram, relembrando o álbum de estreia com o tema “Joker And The Thief”.

Moulinex (Luís Clara Gomes) fez-se acompanhar por GPU Panic (Guilherme Tomé Ribeiro) e Diogo Sousa na percussão para que juntos tocassem ‘Requiem for Empathy’  álbum editado em 2021 e não só…

Moullinex o alter-ego de Luís Clara Gomes | mais fotos clicar aqui Com “Running in the Dark” a abrir a pista de dança, o trio minimalista que  veste branco metálico, fez-nos sonhar e relaxar, e de olhos postos na lua, que se escondia por de trás das árvores das margens do rio Lima, ficamos leves e dançamos.

Entre jogos e brincadeiras sérias no sintetizador, Moullinex guia o ritmo para fazer crescer a bateria, GPU Panic pede palmas e saltos, e o público responde fechando os olhos e deixando-se levar, entre os sons eletrónicos e as vozes de Luís Clara e Tomé Ribeiro, não se deixou a empatia desvanecer. 

“Fomos recebidos como se estivéssemos em casa, é incrível como o norte sabe receber tão bem!” confessa Moullinex reconhecendo algumas caras entre o público de outros espectáculos dados aqui no norte. 

Moullinex Live em versão trio | mais fotos clicar aqui De “Minina do Céu” (com Sara Tavares na voz projetada) a “VEN” todos sentimos o calor reconfortante das suas batidas até quase arder em “See me Burning”, este último do álbum ‘Moullinex /\ GPU Panic’ editado este ano.

Despediram-se, iluminando-nos com “Luz” do último álbum e com boas energias terminaram o último espectáculo, no palco 1, desta primeira edição. 

Logo de seguida, sem pausa, começaram os Gin Party Soundsystem. 

Acordamos para o fim do século XX, e entre gins e uma multidão em palco, recordam-se tempos onde as pistas de dança eram autênticas comédias e exibição de passos de dança caricatos. 

Público júnior fã do gaiense David Bruno | mais fotos clicar aqui Dos Vengaboys aos 20 Fingers passando pelos Gala e mais uns tantos que fizeram da Eurodance um sucesso de abrir pistas, os Gin Party Soundsystem puderam ainda, em tom mais sério, agradecer aos bombeiros que ali perto combateram um incêndio, que da montanha se fez avistar do recinto e que, felizmente foi rapidamente controlado. 

E com sons saudosistas nos despedimos da I edição do Festival Ponte d´Lima que já deixa também saudade. Aqui, todas e todos nos sentimos em casa e com tão boa receção fizeram-nos sentir verdadeiras estrelas do rock.

Para o ano há mais e as datas já estão marcadas: 1, 2 e 3 de agosto prometem com nomes já confirmados - Mão Morta, Surma, Unsafe Space Garden e Kamikazes. 

Até para o ano!

Foto-reportagem completa deste dia: Clicar Aqui

Público júnior fã do gaiense David Bruno | mais fotos clicar aqui

Texto: Catarina Rocha Fotografia: Tiago Paiva

[musicaemdx]

Ao segundo dia de NOS Alive, um Ode ao Punk e ao mestre Palma. A reportagem fotográfica do dia.

[hollyslangblr]

my portuguese teacher is literally just promoting her son in law’s band i love her so much

[valkaryah]

Dá me tusa esse teu pavonear, o desdém e o descrer quase dão para entreter (...) Eu sou só podridão e nobreza

[fangswbenefits]

Genuine question, what type of music do you listen to?

I will listen to pretty much anything 😅

If you are asking about specific bands/artists:

Arctic Monkeys, London Grammar, Florence + The Machine, Hozier, MGMT, The National, Madredeus, Linda Martini, Bárbara Tinoco, Sufjan Stevens, Metallica, Ghost, Pearl Jam, Muse, Kings of Leon, Kings of Convenience, Franz Ferdinand, The Black Keys, Mastodon, Arcade Fire, Evanescence, The Pretty Reckless, Within Temptation, David Fonseca, James Bay, System of a Down, Coldplay, Adriana Calcanhotto, Norah Jones, The Weeknd, Lana Del Rey, Chloe x Halle, Vampire Weekend

[ladamedusoif]

Hi Rose, for the ask game 💕

17. name 3 things that make you happy

28. do you collect anything?

38. fave song at the moment?

Ooh, thank you Jessica!

17. Let’s see… A really good martini. Starting a fresh notebook. Clean sheets.

28. I collect acrylic jewellery! I have a frankly stupid amount at this stage but it does mean I get to be thematic. (Example: I wore a cowboy boot acrylic necklace when I went to see SWOL)

38. Currently on repeat: “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt. This changes regularly.

[realhousewives-fan]

The Memorable Moments of Season 4

What an amazing season this was for RHOSLC.

It was highly entertaining, comical, and ended with one of the biggest plot twists in Housewives history!

They wanted to prove themselves to the fans, that they don’t need to rely on the scandals that followed Jen Shah. And they delivered the best season yet for the show.

But most of it is thanks to the newbie Monica Garcia. Even without the Reality von Tease scandal. She brought so much to the show.

How will they go into season 5?

It’s clear that the women have gotten more comfortable with the game of housewives. And my hope is that they’ll just get better with every season.

Whitney Rose for instance has grown as a housewife and was throwing shady comments left and right, mostly directed at Meredith Marks, who’s patience has grown thin.

But it wasn’t until we were reintroduced to Mary Cosby that we get our first memorable moment, in my opinion.

Mary’s Phone Call to Trixie’s Motel

I know it’s controversial, but Mary’s return as a friend gave us such a comic relief and chaotic scenes that made me just laugh out loud in disbelief.

Her phone call to the reception at Trixie’s Motel to ask if they had Dom Perignon and food for them.

Her facial expressions and obvious disappointment made me laugh so hard. I’ve rewatched it so many times, it never gets old.

Monica's Scandalous Affair

The first real jaw dropping moment for me was when Monica told Heather Gay that she’d had an 18-month long affair with her brother-in-law.

It had led to her getting excommunicated from the Mormon church.

It was extremely refreshing to see someone owning the skeletons in her closet like that, but it also showed a chauvinistic judgment on women within the Mormon church.

“YOU. CAN. LEAVE!”

Their chaotic trip to Palm Springs was an experience to say the least.

From the uninvited guest who kept making snarky comments the entire time, to Lisa Barlow’s missing ring, Heather getting drunk on espresso martinis, and the hostess who quickly lost control of her trip, lost her patience.

Meredith’s “YOU. CAN. LEAVE!” will remain as one of the most iconic moments in the franchise. At least for me.

She was obviously intoxicated, mistook a waiter for one in their producers, and threatened with exposing “the rumorz and the nastinezz” about Angie Katsanevas.

It was so overly dramatic, chaotic, and comical. It was the work of a top tier housewife.

The Confrontation in the Van Ride

If there’s one thing that will create chaos with this group, it’s a van ride.

After Meredith yelled at Angie and threatened to expose the rumors and the nastiness about her husband, Mary decided that this was the right moment to confront Whitney.

She was upset about her comments about her and her husband during the reunion for season 2.

Heather simply tried to stay alive with her drunkenness while Mary and Whitney were arguing about the verbatims that were used.

Mother vs. Daughter

Another jaw dropping moment was the argument between Monica and her mother, Linda Darnell. I’ve never seen an argument between a mother and a daughter that are that volatile.

It was later revealed in a leaked video clip that they had planned their arguments, which is sadly another sign of Monica’s deceit on the show.

What was real and what was staged between them?

"Wake up, Bubblehead!"

Another sitdown that highly entertained me was the necessary conversation between Mary and Whitney.

It was seemingly going well until Whitney wanted Mary to take accountability for the mean texts she had sent her.

Comparing mean texts to accusing someone of being a predator on TV isn’t exactly the same, so I understand why it provoked Mary. Their conversation quickly escalated and was left unresolved.

It was chaotic, and like a rollercoaster ride, and every second of it was entertaining to me.

Fighting During the Sound Bath

The chaos that Monica and Lisa caused at Whitney’s sound bath event was both funny and a little provoking.

Lisa’s digs regarding Monica’s mother were a little cruel and uncalled for, but Monica gives as much as she takes.

And poor Angie in the literally middle of the women trying to calm them down and try to see eye to eye.

A Woman in Desperate Need of a Bathtub

Meredith accidentally took two sleeping pills on the way to Bermuda and didn’t look very well when they arrived. As the women stormed the villa in search of a room, Meredith was in no condition to run around.

She was left with the only room without a bathtub – and everybody knows how much Meredith loves her baths!

She was furious, and I couldn’t stop laughing about it. She’s so dramatic!

A Secret Meeting at the Beach

With the drama that went on in Bermuda with the strange DMs that Meredith and Monica had received about Angie, it all became irrelevant when Heather invited the OGs to a secret meeting at the beach.

One of the women in their group was an imposter, and they were going to confront that person during dinner.

Meredith’s dramatic reaction to the news became a meme and hilarious fanart. I didn’t know if I was going to cry with her or laugh of the soap opera dramatics of it all.

Meredith was the gift that kept on giving this season.

Monica is Reality von Tease!

Monica was the imposter. She’s not who we think she is, said Heather. She is… Reality von Tease!

This was an epic and iconic episode for RHOSLC and one of the greatest season finales in the entire franchise.

When RHOSLC is good, they’re exceptionally good!

This season proved that there’s potential for them without Jen. But is there potential without Monica? Only time will tell.

[maquina-semiotica]

Linda Martini, "Super Fixe" #NowPlaying

[ridenwithbiden]

Susi Newborn — one of the most skilled and effective activists in Greenpeace’s 52-year history — passed away on the last day of December 2023. She is remembered fondly by her beloved children, Brenna, Woody, and Naawie; her granddaughter Toody; by her ex-husbands, Martini Gotje and Luc Tutugoro; and by friends, colleagues, and shipmates around the world. 

In 1977, when Susi arrived in Canada for her first Greenpeace action, to protect infant harp seal pups in Newfoundland, she was already something of a legend. Journalistic tradition would have me refer to her as “Newborn,” a name that rang with significance, but I can only think of her as Susi, the tough, smart activist from London. 

Susi was born in London in 1950, from Argentine parents. Her mother had grown up among the Buenos Aires elite and knew famous artists such as Raul Soldi and Mexican muralist Don Sequeiros. Susi’s godmother was a founding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the UK, and a colleague of Bertrand Russell. Susi grew up meeting writers, philosophers, and artists. 

Susi’s father was an Argentine Embassy diplomat, whom she described as “a deeply spiritual man.” He told her about meeting Mahatma Gandhi and urged her to “work for peace.” At the age of five, she stopped her father from chopping down a tree near their London home, her first ecology action, and in 1970, at the age of 20, she attended the world’s first Earth Day protest in London’s Trafalgar Square.

Argentina at the time suffered under a series of military dictators, and Susi’s father quietly opposed the Junta headed by General Alejandro Agustín Lanusse. When her father died, the tragedy radicalised her and she embarked “on a personal journey of activism.”

Hosting the film star

Susi worked for Friends of the Earth in London for two years, and in the summer of 1975 she attended the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in London, where she met Greenpeace members Paul and Linda Spong. Greenpeace Foundation in Canada had spent two years planning our first global ecology action, after protesting US and French nuclear weapons tests for four years. We were tracking Russian whalers off the coast of California in a fishing boat, and our campaign depended on confronting the whalers during this London IWC meeting. 

Paul and Linda Spong informed Susi about the planned confrontation, and she helped organise London ecologists and media for the coming drama. In June, two days before the IWC meeting would close, we located and blockaded the whalers. The next day, we announced the confrontation by marine radio; and Susi, Paul, Linda, Greenpeace filmmaker Michael Chechik, and a team of activists stormed the IWC meeting with the news. 

In 1976, Susi met Greenpeace co-founder Bob Hunter in London. Hunter returned to Vancouver with tales of “the amazing Susi Newborn” in London. He called her “a hard-core, grassroots ecologist who could help lead the next generation of Greenpeace actions in Europe.” Six months later, she arrived in Canada to participate in a campaign to halt the slaughter of infant seals on the Labrador ice floes. Susi told me that the direct action tactics and Earthy spiritual style of Greenpeace appealed to her. 

In May 1977, Susi pitched her tent on icy Belle Isle, 32 kilometres off the coast of Labrador, surrounded by ice floes, awaiting the arrival of the Norwegian sealing ships. Susi and David “Walrus” Garrick explored frozen caves and wrote a “Declaration of Freelandsea,” a free-spirited manifesto of ecology.

Three days after Susi and the Greenpeace team pitched camp on the ice, French actress Brigitte Bardot arrived to help bring attention to the Norwegian infant seal slaughter. Bardot wrote in her account that she had been “terrified” flying through a storm in the helicopter, and she arrived at the camp stifling tears and clutching her frozen fingers under her arms. Susi made her a cup of hot chocolate, warmed her in the tent, and explained practical tips such as how a woman could pee at night on frozen Belle Isle. “They give me courage,” Bardot wrote in her journal. 

Rainbow Warrior

Back in London, Susi next wanted to disrupt Icelandic whaling. She recruited Denise Bell from Friends of the Earth and set out to find a boat to confront the whalers in the North Atlantic. I sent her a file of photographs from the nuclear, whale, and seal campaigns. Like us in Canada, Susi had no money. She started fundraising, using Michael Chechik’s documentary film of the first two whale voyages, which was aired on the BBC with an introduction by British naturalist David Attenborough.  Susi and Denise met Charles Hutchinson from London and Allan Thornton from Canada, and the group opened the first Greenpeace office in the UK at 47 Whitehall Street. Simultaneously, French activist Rémi Parmentier and Canadian David McTaggart opened another office in Paris, where they were protesting French nuclear testing in the South Pacific.

Susi and Denise Bell scoured maritime journals, looking for ships for sale. On the Isle of Dogs, in the Thames Docklands, they found a rusting, diesel-electric, 134-foot trawler that had been converted to a research ship by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. The Sir William Hardy was available to the highest bidder. Charles Hutchinson introduced them to the manager at Lloyds of Pall Mall bank. They received a bank loan, secured by the life insurance policies of Hutchinson and Bell. The Department of Trade accepted their bid of £42,725, and they put down a 10 percent deposit, £4,272, on the ship. This was the first ship that Greenpeace actually owned, and Susi sent us photographs of the sad looking trawler that within a decade would become one of the most famous ships of the 20th century. 

Newborn, Bell, and an army of volunteers cleaned the ship, stem to stern. Susi recruited her childhood friend Athel von Koettlitz and Australian boyfriend Chris Robinson to tackle the restoration. They clambered down into the pitch-black engine room with a flashlight. The hovel was a rust bucket, and the 800-horsepower engine had not been fired in years. They wiped moisture off gauge glass, tightened loose fittings, and got the two-stroke diesel engine running. Susi and the team removed trawling gear, scraped off rust, painted the ship, and shopped for second-hand parts.

In the fall of 1977, they negotiated with the Ministry to reduce the final price of the Sir William Hardy to £32,500, about £182,000 today. To raise this money, they toured Europe with the documentary, The Voyage to Save the Whales. In the Netherlands, the World Wildlife Fund financed a fundraising campaign. Bob and Bobbi Hunter departed for Amsterdam to accept the money for Greenpeace. On the way, they stopped in London to see the new ship, and there Bob Hunter gave Susi a copy of Warriors of the Rainbow, a book that had inspired Greenpeace in Canada, with a prophecy about how all the people of world — people of the rainbow — would come together to save the Earth from ruin. The crew later agreed to rename the ship Rainbow Warrior. The crew added rainbows to the ship’s deep green hull, a white dove copied from the book cover, and painted Rainbow Warrior at the bow, the vessel’s glorious new name.

Whales and nuclear waste

Susi saw Greenpeace as an integration of ecology, the Gandhian satyagraha she had learned from her father, Quaker direct action, and a deep respect for Indigenous Earth-informed spirituality. She was naturally inclusive and realised that the hard-edged punks of London appreciated ecology as much as the hippies, peace activists, and affluent conservationists. She recruited nuclear campaigner Peter Wilkinson, who had grown up around the South London docks, and had good relations with the dockworker unions, whom he convinced to “turn a blind eye” to the non-union Greenpeace team working on the ship. Susi built alliances with everyone. “Our gut reactions to injustice are the same,” she told her colleagues. 

By January 1978, the Rainbow Warrior was ready for its first ecological campaign, and on 2 May, they slipped down the Thames and into the North Sea. The seasoned crew included skipper Nick Hill; chief mate Jon Castle; Peter Bouquet, a mate off a tanker; cameraman Tony Mariner; and Von Koettlitz assisting Chief engineer Simon Hollander. Devonshire nurse Sally Austin served as medic, Hilari Anderson from New Zealand as cook. Bob Hunter and Fred Easton joined the crew from the Greenpeace Foundation in Canada. Remi Parmentier and David McTaggart joined from the Paris office; and Bell, Hutchinson, Thornton and Susi Newborn form the UK core of the crew. Others came from Holland, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland, and Australia. 

Crowds welcomed the ecologists in Calais, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Aarhus, Denmark, where Susi and the crew showed films from earlier Greenpeace missions. Greenpeace organisations emerged in some of these cities. Susi understood that to spread the ideas of peace and ecology we needed to not only take action, but also build the movement itself.

The Rainbow Warrior crew confronted Icelandic whalers, then put into Reykjavik to release film to the media. Pete Wilkinson joined the crew in the UK and told Susi he had found evidence that the European nuclear industry was dumping radioactive waste into the Bay of Biscay, off Spain. The crew decided to expose the toxic dumping scheme, and pushed south. They would soon blow the lid off one of Britain’s nastiest secrets.

At Falmouth Bay, Susi and Denise Bell returned to London to issue media releases and handle inquiries. Easton and Mariner travelled north to Sharpness, where the nuclear dumping ship Gem sat in port, loading large drums labelled: RADIOACTIVE WASTE. 

Later, off the coast of Spain, the Rainbow Warrior interrupted the dumping. A 600-pound drum dropped from the Gem and flipped a Zodiac, throwing Gijs Thieme into the water, as the film crew captured the event. Later, in London, Susi and the European media teams released the film and photographs and organised a debate with nuclear industry representatives on the BBC. The activists revealed that each year, approximately 80 kilograms of plutonium-239 had been dropped into the Atlantic trench. In a few weeks, the Rainbow Warrior team had opened a new era of scrutiny for the entire European nuclear industry.

Greenpeace International

For the summer of 1979, Susi and the London activists organised new confrontations with the Icelandic whalers and the nuclear garbage scow Gem. Susi, the alliance builder, offered the Rainbow Warrior to Amnesty International, CND, Greenpeace New Zealand, and to other activists for campaigns. When crews returned from campaigns, Susi later told the New Zealand Dominion Post, “it’s like they’ve been to a war zone. You feel like you’ve gone to some bloody killing field somewhere.” In 2015, she recalled, “I still have injuries from those experiences.” 

As Greenpeace became more famous, power struggles naturally arose, and in 1979, Susi fled London to get away from the conflicts. She retreated to the Greek island of Samos, but didn’t rest for long. In Ayios Konstantinos, she heard from fishermen about an annual massacre of Aegean monk seals in the Mediterranean. In her typical fashion, Susi organised “Greenpeace Aegean Sea,” recruited young environmentalist William Johnson, launched a monk seal crusade, and made an alliance with Dr. Keith Ronald from Guelph University in Canada, who brought in the World Wildlife Fund. The ad hoc group successfully ended the marine mammal massacre. 

I next met Susi in November 1979, when we gathered in Amsterdam to create an International Greenpeace Council to coordinate the fast-growing organisation. Susi arrived on the Rainbow Warrior with Jon Castle, Tony Mariner, Athel von Koettlitz, Pete Wilkinson, and others from Europe. The council included representatives from Canada, UK, US, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands. New Zealand, Denmark, Australia and Germany joined soon thereafter, and Greenpeace now operates in 55 countries.

Susi was a fearless activist, more interested in the ecological vision of Greenpeace than in organisational manoeuvring or who would have power. During the week in Amsterdam, I met with her frequently, and the talk was always about our next actions and what we might achieve with Greenpeace tactics. Susi was the real deal, an activist to admire and emulate.

Kia ora

Susi moved to the US and received a degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic in Maine. In 1985, in New Zealand, during a campaign to stop French nuclear tests at Moruroa Atoll in the South Pacific, the French Secret Service bombed the ship Susi had loved and laboured over. The bombing broke her heart. “Not in a month of Sundays,” she said, “would I ever have expected a major European country to blow up a peace boat.” 

In 1986, she moved to New Zealand (Aotearoa), where she stayed active in ecology and justice campaigns. In 2003, her Rainbow Warrior memoir A Bonfire in My Mouth was published by HarperCollins. 

In New Zealand, in the 1990s, Susi served on the Board of Greenpeace New Zealand. She worked for Oxfam as their climate campaigner, for the NZ Refugee Council, and for the film union. Susi was a poet and a grand storyteller. She loved to talk about her days with Greenpeace and the importance of nonviolent direct action in changing our world for the better.

In the late 1990s, she moved to Waiheke and remained active in campaigns from protecting sensitive ecological regions to supporting Palestinian civil rights. In 2014, Susi helped create a Climate Voter initiative, encouraging New Zealanders to use their vote to make change. The following year, she joined her friend, Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Bunny McDiarmid, in a march to stop deep sea oil drilling in the region. 

In 2022, Susi began treatment for breast cancer. “I know there is something in the world that is creating a giant cancerous tumour,” she said at the time, “that is tearing us apart, commodifying the air we breathe and the water we drink. I also know that this tumour is interspersed with flowers and song birds and the salty waters of the tears we shed.”

Susi Newborn passed away on 31 December 2023, at the age of 73. The Maori community of Waiheke hosted a memorial for her at Piritahi Marae on Waiheke Island, on the tribal lands of the Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Paoa Māori people. Piritahi means, fittingly, “coming together as one.” The community gave her a tangi, a Māori farewell. Friends who worked and sailed and battled with Susi over 50 years, attended and offered fond memories. 

“Susi, had a strong sense of injustice,” said McDiarmid, “and never gave up hope it was possible to make change in the world. She believed in the strength of people to make change. She was also really funny, clever and incredibly good company.” 

“Susi was brave and fearless,” said her friend Bianca Ranson, “but that was balanced with her kindness and her generosity. Susi showed us how to be fearless and brave and calculating. She taught us how to keep ourselves safe while pushing the line as hard as we could. What she was doing decades ago, if only people had taken that seriously then we’d be in a very different situation now.  She was a pillar, a pou, of the island community. What are we supposed to do without her?” 

“What I loved in the early Greenpeace years was the feeling that anything could happen anytime, anywhere,” wrote Rainbow Warrior photographer Pierre Gleizes Nicéphore. “On board, life was never dull, and Susi was part of that story from day one.”

“Susi and I have been the best of mates since we met in 77,” said former Rainbow Warrior cook, Hilari Anderson. She called Susi “a feisty sister Warrior.”

I corresponded with Susi and spoke with her by phone many times while she was in New Zealand. She always signed off with “Kia Ora,” a Māori greeting of wellbeing that means “have life.” 

Indeed. Kia Ora, dear Susi.