It was so much fun to be involved in Tim and Sam’s radio show. The whole process of choosing songs, trying to find stories for each of them, burning them to CD.. and then driving off without the CD. As we were leaving Elphinstone, Tim drove off without an essential set of headphones. Then we got caught behind a learner driver, already behind schedule. Ah yes.. all part of the adventure.

The open mic can be a little terrifying.. even though we suspect there’s an audience of somewhere between 1-6 people. However these two wonderful people do their very best to make their guest feel comfortable. They are hilarious together, and are building up such a lovely new radio show.. i heartily recommend you listen in (fortnightly Wednesday evenings, wmafm.com).

Okay, here’s the set list i finally selected for Tim and Sam’s Junk City. Read the rest of this entry »

Been listening to Tim and Sam on Castlemaine community radio. They have a delightful session of stories about melancholy and joy, called Junk City. Each fortnight a guest will come on and talk about their top 5 songs in each category, songs that moved you or touched you in some way. Helen’s an artist in Castlemaine, and i loved her choices of Cat Empire, Paul Kelly’s Billy Baxter and yes Tim Deee-lite Groove is in the Heart.

..and now they’ve asked me to join them. The show is coming up: 9:00-11:00 pm AEST Wednesday 21 September. [you can stream live at

Isn’t this one of the most beautiful places on earth? The Rushall station bridge over the Merri Creek. If you’re cycling to Collingwood from Northcote, this route takes longer but it’s so much more lovely. When there’s been a lot of rain you’ll see the creek rise a few feet and spread out to the sides. Recently the water took a whole new path around a tree which used to be at the North bank. I like biking or walking across because it’s so far above the water, yet the trees are even higher.

via Rushall station bridge, Merri Creek – Photosynth.

i’ve been playing around with panorama shots on the iPod touch. You can use an app called Photosynth (microsoft app on an apple device). I took another one last week that was better, except the app freezes at 27% stitching. [You’ll need the microsoft thing called “silverlight” to view this shot.. but that lets you go full screen and move around the whole scene.]

I just caught the end of a section on world’s end press, speaker tv channel 31 Friday night. This band is fully incredible, and adorable. I started paying attention because Ellie Little was raving about them, and let me tell you her raving was completely justified.

The bass player is one of the grooviest musicians in the whole world, ever.

Their sound is kind of eighties funk but also a reinvention, as the best revisit would be.

I’ve seen them play the workers club, and also that phenomenally strange Anytime Place gig where gray just kept letting people in, even though she really shouldn’t have.

Look the point is they’re going to be huge, see them while you still can afford it..

Can i find a video to put here.. let me look..

Links

Here’s the video from Speaker TV, Channel 31

Here’s their facebook page.

I’ve seen this bunch of diehard jazz freaks play a few times now: at the Village in Edinburgh Gardens, supporting the inimitable Bohjass at the Northcote Social Club.. and now headlining at the East Brunswick. And each time i see them, i love them even more.

Such brilliant musicianship, such joyful playing, such contained energy in the singing. It’s modern Northcote music that draws on the traditional jazz styles of the 30’s and 40’s. Songs of love.. songs about the chicken truck that goes up High Street late at night.

My dad was mad for a bit of trad jazz, and i think he would have approved of this crowd as well. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know there’s no shortage of mad latin/gypsy pirate bands at Open Studio in Northcote.

Just when you thought the world could brook no more such narrative, along comes the wonderful 8 foot felix. Their shtick is that of a group of sailors setting off on a wild and perilous journey, with adventurer Will Tait at the helm. On this night* they set sail, gradually building up to a rollicking, fast-paced mayhem, that had the crowd jumping, stomping and crying out for more.

Brendan’s carousing trumpet plays first mate to Will’s captain Tait. And there’s the masterful Kirri on fiddle, Francesca playing a soulful cello, as well as Steve on perčussion and others on delightful French horn and double bass.

This is meant to be a video from their myspace, but i’m not sure it’s working.
Excerpt from Amorcito Corazon

8 Foot Felix | Myspace Music Videos

Read the rest of this entry »

Well take a look at this. It’s only a tiny glimpse of the amazing Susy Blue. i had no idea her music was so beautiful.

Moose Hooves on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Moose Hooves on Vimeo.

and more
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Aah Jon Stewart. Sometimes you need a little heavy-handed humour. i know the whole experience has been very Team America: World Police; and what we’re looking at is a political assassination of the craziest kind. Killing an unarmed alleged mass murderer in his pyjamas etc. Not to mention the singing and dancing in the street. But ..How About the Bush People trying to take credit for killing Bin Laden?! No wait, it was Reagan who got him. If you need some laughter on the topic, watch this video.

Read the rest of this entry »

I love the Barons of Tang!

Ok for a few years I’ve found them too hard core, and they were always playing at the same time as spoonbill, so I would never stay and listen.

But tonight* they hit the spot like never before. They are extraordinary. And they’re going to the usa. i don’t think i’ve seen them properly since Aviva joined – her clarinet and bass clarinet riffs added a lot to the sound for me. Loved it.

Dance! Did we? I love those gigs where you start out kind of half-hearted, an you wind up jumping like a mad thing and shouting for more.

*When i say tonight i mean: Northcote Social Club 30 April.

Lou and I went to see dr brown play the tuxedo cat. It was the final night of the mammoth comedy festival and our last chance to catch this californian doctor clown this year.

He is insane. We hooted with laughter, and I can’t even remember why. He’s just really silly, and open, and ridiculous.

But the lovely thing was this: the week before i’d been to his “clowning with doctor brown” workshop, and as i saw him in performance – it all made sense. Everything he’d been trying to teach us, all the wisdom he’d aimed to impart; it all fell into place.

The workshop was crazy. I went because Lynne and Ahmarnya were going, and i’d wanted to try this for a while. The thing about simple clown is not that you have to make people laugh, which is good as I have no skills in physical comedy, but that when you fail – people need to see and feel your genuine emotional response. You need to connect authentically. To be vulnerable.

We all try to act upset, or show our masks of distress and failure, but the clown can simply be open and present, and let the whole world in.

It feels impossible, the more you try, the more you fail even at failing.

And then comes a moment of extreme frustration where you surrender completely, and the doctor calls out, “Yes you’re beautiful right there, we love you there!” Ah, thank heavens i got it finally, the surrender moment.

of course, if you can make people laugh.. it’s a whole lot better.