This year’s Paekākāriki FM infamous disco on Saturday February 15 (7pm-11pm) features an unusual village debut: Beats by Bingo: seated bingo (dancing optional) based on recognising snatches of songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. Jude Galtry introduces your host: new resident Mistress Viv
After googling Tineke Van Der Cam prior to our ‘interview’, I was expecting to greet a woman with a big black beehive hairdo. I was starting to feel like Dame Edna Everage’s sidekick Madge wondering what outfit I had that might establish rapport with this out-there Dame. None.
There was a knock on the door and the dog started barking. Instead of the woman with the beehive, I met a very tall, striking woman with short pink hair, large green eyes and bright pink lipstick – larger than life, but not in the way I expected . I probably should have guessed that someone who has an alter ego called Mistress Viv would not be predictable. In fact Mistress Viv is only one of Tineke’s personae.
I thought the ‘Beats by Bingo’ or ‘Bitchin’ Bingo’ Queen who runs a company called Rattle the Cage might ask for something stronger than tea or coffee. But she went milder: a herbal tea of whatever kind I had. She probably needs a peppermint tea as, along with her career, she has a seven- month- old baby son, a six- year old daughter, a partner and a greyhound in a newly acquired Pingau Street house that apparently needs work. It has one of the best views in the village across Campbell Park to the island and northwards up the beach. The previous owner had two huge dogs and the new owners are still digging up “‘a graveyard of enormous bones”’ from the garden. Husband Sean might even build a cow out of them, if he ever has a spare moment between work, family and house. He is also a signed up member of Paekākāriki Potty Potters.
Tineke comes from a creative family and has a radio, performance, and improv background. She describes herself as a ‘once boring Jaffa’ who has migrated with her family from Orks’ North Shore to Paekākāriki after serendipitously falling in love with it en route to an intended new life in Nelson. After a short stint of dog sitting in Paekākāriki – a place they had never heard of – they decided this was it: “‘magical”’,” ‘a pocket universe”’ and all the other clichés we use. A later trip to Nelson confirmed the village’s obvious superiority.
The longer I talked to this multi-talented Valkyrie, the more I realised she’s got more acts up her sleeve than the Hindu god Vishnu has arms. One is the show called Bitchin’ Bingo presided over by the Mistress Viv character who, she recounts, talks and acts like an Auckland Westie or that “‘drunk big mouthed aunty at the family Xmas who you wish would temporarily vanish although you do love her so””, drinks cask wine, and has a hubby called Wayne, an amateur tattoo artist. She started this show over a decade ago and has performed for corporates, personal events and parties, school and other fundraisers.
Another show in Tineke’s kete, premiering here Saturday February 15 at St Peter’s Hall is Beats by Bingo. A musical bingo show that has different period genres. In other words, bingo without the numbers, but with the first line of a song. This can be adapted to all demographics, with some sets based on the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s. Tineke is now working on ye olde 1960s lines and another set for the super youngies, musical lines from 2010 to 2020.,
Tineke also has two regular Beats by Bingo slots on Paekakariki 88.2 FM – Saturdays at 3pm and Tuesdays at 11am.
She will be interviewed on Te Pae on Sunday at 6pm. I suggest you listen in. She is captivating.
On Saturday February 15, Tineke is performing at St Peters Hall. There is a vinyl fair between 12 and 3pm, and in the evening a Disco and Bingo run by Mistress Viv. At 7pm DJs start, and at 8pm sharp there is Beats by Bingo and, for those who are game, a disco at 9.30pm. Tickets are sold at Paekākāriki Fruit Supply. Find Tineke on Instagram at Bitchin’ Bingo