At 27, Melbourne comedian Thomas Jaspers realises many of his interests are not typical of a guy his age. A self-diagnosed early mid-life crisis has recently bought to the surface his inner ‘little old lady’ - and she has a royal appointment of the highest order. In his new show for the MICF – God, Save The Queen – Jaspers flexes his stiff upper lip and indulges his peculiar obsession with the world’s most iconic little old lady and her renowned dysfunctional family.
Jaspers, despite his clean-cut appearance and ‘kind to old ladies’ policy, has the heart of a gutter-crawling drag queen. His hilarious drag characterisation of entertainer, Rhonda Burchmore (Ne. RhondaButchmore) as a sloppy drunk is widely known among fans – no less than by Rhonda herself. In cross-dressing mode, Jaspers swills beer, belches and staggers about reflecting the much suspected behind closed-doors behaviour of the late Queen mum.
“I’m a big fan of the Queen mum – she was the biggest fag-hag in Britain for employing only gay men to work for her.” He laughs, “There is a lot of material for comedy within the royal family, but this (show) isn’t some anti-monarchy rant. Of course I talk about the sort of failings of Prince Phillip, whose main role seems to be to just walk two paces behind the Queen, making him the most pussy-whipped man in the world. But it’s mostly just an affectionate but honest look at the good and bad sides of the royals from a queen’s perspective.” But Thom’s affection for the Queen extends beyond regular fandom, he reveals. Not that she would have remotely suspected during their brief encounter on her 2012 visit to Melbourne - “It was like a religious experience” - but he had already long been planning for her majesty’s eventual passing.
“Since I was about 10, I’ve had a separate savings account that’s got about two grand in it specifically for when she dies so I can fly straight to England and attend the funeral.” He adds, “I even have a clause in my work contract for my day job that states if the Queen dies I automatically get two weeks off for bereavement-leave!” With the breaking news that Prime Minister Abbott is planning a return to ‘ye olde worlde’ titles in parliament – Knighthoods, Damehoods etc.. – Jaspers has been handed a steaming hot topic, teaming nicely with his theme. “It’s given me about ten extra minutes of material, actually.” He laughs, “But I think I might be the only person who’s actually really into this idea.” He adds, nominating himself, “I think it’d be nice to be Australia’s first Knight AND Dame all at once. I could be Knight Jaspers and Dame Rhonda Butchmore. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Sitting somewhere between dreaded tribute show and cabaret performance – Darebin Music Feast's Up Late With Kate was at the very least Kate Bush fans only chance to experience their idol's hits in a live setting. Bush retired from touring 33 years ago, and seldom releases new music, yet her ability to fascinate and inspire musically has never waned. Over time, that reverence has translated as everything from bad cover versions to camp parodies, and while all done with a sense of admiration, have only served to highlight how hard it really is to ‘do Kate Bush’. This fact was surely in the minds of those guests brave enough to try and interpret the enigmatic singer's numerous classics tonight at Northcote Town Hall in a celebration of all things Bush.
The artists involved in tonight’s show come from all areas of music and stage, but are united geographically within the surrounding arts-rich Darebin electorate. The show’s MC, co-ordinator Benn Bennett, provides links between each artist, shares some Kate anecdotes and even awkwardly gives his own spin on a few of her songs. However, this attempt at taking on so many roles makes him hard to connect with and leaning more on his guests to carry the performance side of things would have boded well. The talent, after all, was phenomenal and every act rose to the challenge with genuine class. Jimmy Stewart's re-working of Cloudbusting in the style of Kim Salmon for instance, is proof early on that there's no guessing as to 'how' the artist's would approach their chosen song. Comedian Scott Edgar (of Tripod fame) takes on Hounds Of Love on solo electric guitar – which owes little to the original's template, yet lost nothing in his surprisingly tender re-telling. Though a tad more literal, Tina Del Twist, perfectly embodies a sad old character actor for Wow, as dictated by its lyric. Though creating the first truly grand moment of many is Sarah Ward, who's show-stopping This Woman's Work, is so true to the original, a near-sighted Kate Bush tragic would be pressed to pick it as a cover.
The real triumph of the night however belongs to Sat In Your Lap. Sung as a duet between Ward and Bennett with accompaniment on drums by a topless, horned female percussionist, the trio bring the song's nightmarish video to life right before us. The business end of the concert arrives following a quick interval in which fans flock to inspect the one prop on stage: the actual dress worn by Queen Kate in her Sensual World video, apparently procured for this event via Guy Pearce! (I didn't ask). As unpredictable as the first, the second act boasts accapella gems, In The Warm Room and Dream Of Sheep; an outstanding piano and vocal run through of The Man With The Child In His Eyes by an unfortunately staged Ali McGregor – her back is to the audience – and a smouldering Running Up That Hill by Rebecca Barnard. The finale, a fun, all-in sing-a-long of Bush's signature hit, Wuthering Heights is a hot mess, but nobody really cares as we all join in, howling through the chorus. The occasional amateurish bits in this mostly well-presented celebration are easily forgiven, with perhaps one exception. Benn Bennett's ill-advised Babooshka performance, in which he, while clad in a sarong nappy, slams an image of Kate into a rubbish bin full of broken glass for no apparent reason. The performers for the most part however treated the material well, keeping the camp comedy routine to a minimum and avoided falling into a Kate-karaoke situation, and overall put on a show worthy of such a rare talent.
At the third annual Mid-Winter Ball event, host and super-connected musician, Charles Jenkins once again rallies Melbourne’s finest for a heart and hand warming night of song. Jenkins’ band The Zhivagos are joined throughout by enough guest artists to bash out a modern day Do They Know It’s Christmas at the drop of a hat – which we are thankfully spared. Instead, the desperate to stay warm crowd gathering rapidly in the Corner, enjoy the proven talent of the Ball’s wondrous line-up minus the smugness usually found at charity events. This year’s beneficiaries of tickets sold are Foodbank Victoria who distribute much needed grub to everyone from those in disaster affected areas to the homeless.
However the thrill of helping provide some well needed funds to charity isn’t what’s on our minds when opening act, Ron Peno & The Superstitions take to the side stage with zero fanfare. Having the ex-Died Pretty front-man as a ‘warm-up’ act speaks volumes about the musical acts on offer tonight. This being the first of two sets Peno performs with his new band, the captivating singer takes his time in building up the mood and momentum for the night’s proceedings. By third song in, Death O’ Me, Ron – refreshed, following a recent Died Pretty reunion show – is commanding our attention with a set of entirely new, yet somehow familiar tracks. Peno’s Ian Curtis dance is still a part of his live delivery, as well as touches of the American Wild West in his songwriting (Train Whistle).
Over on the mainstage, Charles Jenkins is preparing to unleash his many guest artists, while indulging us with songs from his latest album, Walk This Ocean. What happens over the course of his first of two sets, is a wildly veering, rough round the edges blast of rock. When singers like Mick Thomas (ex-Weddings Parties Anything) and Lisa Miller cosy up with Jenkins for tantalising duets, the arctic chills of Melbourne at night feel like a memory. Even the decorative cardboard snowflakes hanging from the ceiling seem in danger of melting at the sound of Thomas’s gruff and throaty punctuations. In equally fine fettle, Kat Spazzy (from The Spazzys) brings some youthful energy to the stage, while Georgia Fields cuts through the wailing guitars proving she can work her magic in any situation. It is those guitars in the end that dominate however, with no less than four maestros of the axe whooping it up as he concert draws to an end.
Having never seen one of Mark Seymour’s famed live performances for myself, I was triple-thrilled to see him at last join Jenkins and co. for punchy Hunters’ classic,Everything’s On Fire. Mark’s presence noticeably stirs up the crowd, so Jenkins chooses his moment to surprise us with an unrehearsed, but effective, cover of David Bowie’s Boys Keep Swinging, backed by every one of tonight’s guests. The rabble-rousing glam-rock rendition was a hit, and only topped by the full line-up’s closing number, The Kinks’ Victoria - in the style of The Fall meets the Sex Pistols, or some such brutal marriage. The mess of artists filling the stage sharing mics and trying not to bump into one another while showing great camaraderie, is a warming image to hold onto as the deafening chorus of Victoria throbs in my ears on the long, chilly walk home. The freezing weather is a crappy part of life here in Melbourne, we all know, but with events this good, it’s so worth chucking on the thermals and braving the snap to bask in Melbourne’s other claim to fame; it’s awesome musicians.
For both audience and the many and varied acts tonight at the Thornbury theatre, school is a comfortable enough distance away in time, that mocking its regiment feels like a rite of passage we can all relate to. Justin Heazlewood (aka; The Bedroom Philosopher) who established himself as one of the best observational comedians on the album, Songs From The 86 Tram, taps into that powerful uniting source of mirth and agony we call our school days in this latest in a series of themed concerts. Anybody who grew up attending an Australian school, recognised tonight the painfully accurate bad student poetry/music/acting in a show that - although aimed more at a Gen-X crowd –managed to remain broadly accessible.
Heazlewood’s type of humour works simply by identifying factors specific to average Australians. While Justin might laugh in a different part of the story to most of us, he usually manages to get his audience in on the joke without much effort. School, for those who excelled, was probably not particularly funny or remarkable, but for most of us, the experience is a source of pained amusement, which is precisely what informs Justin’s soft attack. Seated in what could easily pass for a typical school hall, we are presented with the atmosphere of a typical assembly, except for the first time, nobody is really expected to sit quietly and pay attention – or remain sober. The realisation sets in that Heazlewood has thrown his audience a golden opportunity to talk back, lounge around and generally rattle the nerves of those tiresome teachers and staff with no fear of a dreaded parental phone call.
Save from delivering actual canings, the performers in the Croxton School Assembly show maintain an engaging illusion of those uncomfortable, over-long school gatherings complete with authoritarian MC/Principle, (Ben Pobjie) and a better-than-in-reality school band, (Sex On Toast). The mumbling MC, who manages to embody every bored school Principle addressing a restless classroom, ever, becomes a figure of contempt as the night wears on. Between the main acts, he cops a deluge of paper planes and booing and hissing from the cross-legged ‘students’ spread out along the floor in front of the stage. Building on the already realistic atmosphere, he deals out ‘detentions’ in raised voice to even greater objection. But Principle Pobjie’s in-character droning, means reception for the performers is highly enthused whenever he leaves the stage, and with Tripod’s established guarantee-of-fun in place, the boys are swamped by applause after a particularly long head-masterly speech.
Tripod’s routine of songs, ‘unplanned’ cut-aways and geek-ified self-mockery is right at home in the Assembly, as is some stunningly awful poetry courtesy of Emilie Zoe Baker. The broad range of age groups – some with their own kids, some probably just out of school themselves – all respond with the same enthusiasm for being propelled into the horror of an amateur talent-night vibe. Crammed in among the ‘amateurs’ with his cover blown, Damien Cowell - ‘the guy who was in TISM’s’ new band, The DC3 displayed fitting irreverence for the whole event, (and Henry Wagons). Improvisational hooligans, Lime Champions fulfilled the role of class clowns, alongside stiff competition from TheBedroom Philosopher himself, who’s own set allows one notorious local identity to live out a school-age fantasy. Justin and his band, The Awkwardstra, deliver highlights their marvellous 86 Tram CD, plus newbie, I’m Leaving My Hairdresser, before unleashing their surprise guest.
The by-now even rowdier fans, roar their disapproval as Justin asks, ‘who here likes Aussie hip-hop?’ Not to be deterred, he jumps into We Are Tramily, a freakishly spot-on Hilltop Hoods send-up, during which the one and only John Safran, decked out in a silky tracksuit, bursts onto the stage, freestyling like a pro. Anyone who saw Safran’s MusicJamboree series, will recall the failure he endured getting his rap group, Raspberry Cordial taken seriously, but tonight he commands respect. That is, at least until he runs out of rhymes, and resorts to yelling ‘Raspberry Cordial’s in the house!’ randomly until the song ends in total disarray. Yes, it’s unplanned and a complete mess, but so much in the spirit of the Croxton school assembly, no-one cared. The Bedroom Philosopher along with a slightly embarrassed John Safran, file off stage to thunderous approval as our Principle returns to deliver joke-certificates to the performers. Closing the night, the mess of bodies played out on the floor hurling paper at the stage are treated to a medley of ‘90s rock songs by now partly de-trousered school band, Sex On Toast.
Justin Heazlewood took a huge leap of faith in making this theatrical, pretend-amateur show work. Whereas it could easily have come across as confusing and ‘just amateur’, Justin relied on, successfully it turned out, his audience’s willingness to go along with the joke for the duration of an event that gave little indication of what, if anything was expected of his fans. I suspect though, that the sight of half his audience turning up in school uniforms and behaving as if they were extras in the show, was the ultimate pay-off for Heazlewood and co. Other would-be comedy/musical acts should note: The Croxton high class of 2011 final exam results are in, and its distinctions all round people; time to pull your socks up.
Popular traveling Burlesque show, The Jitterbug Club, has reached the end of a five-year run celebrating all things vaudeville. The show’s originators, an eight-piece rag-tag band called The Snakeoil Merchants, in a further blow to local cabaret fans, will in turn wind down with one last explosive Melbourne show this week (April 2011). Speaking to me today is singer and master-mind behind the double-act, Mojo Juju, a kind of conduit between titillating 1930s escapist shows and modern performance art. Along side tales of drunken home-done tattoos and causing audiences to blush, she enlightens this novice on the finer points of being cabaret star in today’s world.
"There are a lot of performers out there who believe in what they do, and I think when you convey that, your audience can’t help but be disarmed." Mojo begins, "If you go out on stage and don't believe in what you're doing though, I think people can tell and they won’t go along for the ride with you." It's this very approach to her act that has kept audiences coming back to The Jitterbug Club's shows. Juju believes not in quaint, cheap-shock stage shows, but in bringing a sense of fun and danger back to the fore. "For me the aesthetic of what we do is nostalgic but it’s about the transference of the impact cabaret or vaudeville had in the 1930s and '40s to now. I understand that it is not exactly relevant to today, but what you wanna do is make it contemporary being a little confronting which actually still is an anomaly in live shows." She pauses, "You know, it’s not just pretty dancing girls, it has a sense of humour, and it has a shock element… Basically I want my audience to blush when they come to one of our shows." Juju laughs. I wonder does Mojo believe people perhaps like to be confronted, and if that's what keeps these kinds of shows from fading out.
"What keeps the art form alive, is understanding the impact it had in its day, and adding to that what is maybe provocative and taboo today. The differences really aren’t that great I don’t think.” Earnest performers, it seems, have always muscled to the front of the cue, while the provocateurs frolicked down the back. It's a sign of music's bizarre conservative undercurrent – a forever clinging barnacle it picked up once it realised it also had a political voice in decades gone by. Mojo believes that now is as good a time as any to celebrate the subversive when you take in to account the fact that vaudeville began in far less conservative times than ours. "We're living in very self-aware times I think. People seem very concerned with how you are supposed to behave in certain situations or out at a concert, but that leaves me feeling very stifled. Vaudeville throws all of that out the window and gives free expression room to breathe. I honestly think people are longing for that, though they don’t always know, but you see a kind of relief in audience's faces at these shows." Mojo's view on burlesque's shift into the mainstream - via a certain recent film starring Cher – but mostly through acts like The Dresden Dolls is mostly positive. She continues.
"I haven’t seen that film (Burlesque) yet, I’m a bit scared to be honest!” She laughs. “But I think people like Amanda Palmer, Mikelangelo (from Tin Star) and Mick Conway - who's one of the last true old-school vaudeville performers still out there - are incredible. They're authentic, you know – they don't use vaudeville as a gimmick. I think their work only strengthens our little branch of the showbiz tree." As a singer/songwriter and conceptual artist, Mojo by more happy accident than design, found herself gravitating to the underground cabaret scene in Australia. Once she realised her vivid ideas of stage shows were in fact a shared passion, exciting things began to happen. "I guess The Snakeoil Merchants were born in Newcastle at a time when I found myself on a kind of seachange there. There were many musicians this very small area and through several lucky chance encounters I soon had a band of like-minded souls." Juju laughs, "I remember things happening like, our saw player just getting up on stage at an early gig and playing with us with no reservations at all about not being asked" She continues, "We liked his spirit, so after that gig we drank and we drank and we drank until finally we tattooed a skull on his chest and said, he couldn’t leave the band until he managed to scrape it off!" Mojo smiles, "That's one of many weird little scenarios that happened early on and led to us forming this band." With the band she had always wanted together at last, Mojo felt she was able to unleash her bigger plan of a full-blown vaudeville extravaganza.
"It all started with a bunch of songs as these things tend to do, but there was more to it than that, because when I write I tend to develop the visual side to the music as much as the music itself, so with SnakeoilMerchants, I finally felt I could turn develop my ideas into a cabaret." Mojo adds that a point of frustration for her was seeing bands that weren’t 'engaging their audiences at all' and wanted to 'offer people more'. “I got so sick of watching bands with just four people standing on stage and I felt like there was this whole pool of wonder that they wasn't being drawn from in live shows." She adds, "Who are we to stand on stage and just play and expect everyone to nod along and then go home? I want to engage with the audience and have them engage with me." A room filled with expectant punters can be hard to judge I propose, so couldn't it be equally risky offering too many distractions from the music? "Well I say kudos to people like Jason Webley (from Evelyn Evelyn) who can just go out on stage with an accordion and be utterly captivating. There's something authentic about that you can't deny. Then on the other side there's things like Muse, whose visual side to their show is kind of over-saturating and a bit too clinical I think. That kind of display doesn’t leave your audience wanting more. We try and prod our audience a little bit at a time instead of battering them over the head with stimulus." Mojo adds, "I mean our show is visual yeah, but not in a way that creates a wall between you and the audience."
The Snakeoil Merchants may be putting their Jitterbug Club show to bed, but Mojo is in her own words, 'bursting with new ideas for a show'. The end of a successful run like the 1930s New York-themed JitterbugClub, is a bittersweet affair, Mojo admits, but as the prime designer she is obviously keen to make some new wow. "Ending these shows is just so sad in a way because of the relationships I've built up with the other performers, but at the same time, I'm so excited about the possibilities of doing something new. I've been working with a collective called the Hoodoo Emporium to help see my next fantasy through to fruition. One of the shows is a Wild West type performance called The Devil Rides A Rocking Horse, with can-can dancers and all of that kind of thing." Mojo laughs, "I could talk for hours about what I want to do next, but really what it boils down to is working on the Jitterbug Club shows has made me realise my twisted fantasy's can actually become real working within the realm of vaudeville."
Starring: Sinead O'Connor, John Cale, Me'Shell N'Degeocello, Rickie-Lee Jones, Dan Sultan and The Black Arm Band.
Venue: The Myer Music Bowl
Tonight the Sidney Myer Music Bowl hosted the finest example of a tribute show possibly ever offered. Several of the world's greatest performers came together for a single mission; to pay respects to some of the world's greatest songs and writers. Prince, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Paul Simon and eh, Coolio among others made the lists that the stars of this event hold in highest regard. Categorically, each artist chose seven songs that had impacted on their lives in different ways – plus one compulsory Leonard Cohen cover. The head-spinning mesh of legendary singers and some of music's all-time greatest songs was an overwhelming proposition bought to life by the Melbourne International Arts Festival organisers for an unbeatable finale to their 2010 festivities.
The embarrassment of international talent on display is barely even the beginning of what Seven Songs To Leave Behind had to offer. Most performances tonight are backed by Orchestra Victoria and propped up further by the Black Arm Band Indigenous vocal group, whose contributions to the songs cannot be understated. The inevitable all-in finale feels a long way off as the first performance of the night - GurrumulYunupingu absolutely slaying The Surfaris' Wipeout - greets the jam-packed arena. He opens the first bracket of the song categories – the tunes to share – which is continued by the deadly combination of Me'Shell N'Degeocello's voice, bass playing and a lost Prince classic (Pop Life). Providing extra value for her fans, N'Degeocello is rarely off stage tonight as she, quite wonderfully, plays along with many of her co-stars.
Certainly Sinead O'Connor is a huge drawcard here tonight as she's not prone to touring and when ever she does get on a stage, it's usually memorable for reason other than just her singing. The crowd weren't to be disappointed on either front. O'Connor is a woman of many contradictions, and as she bounds on stage in a slinky, sequined dress, tribal jewellery and with bare biker-tattooed arms, it feels like just about anything could happen. Still, I doubt anybody could've predicted L7's Shitlist as her 'song-to-share' or how easily how she blew the place apart with it. Truly great artists can always sing outside of their zones, but seeing Sinead perform this feisty grunge classic, it's clear her zone is almost boundless.
The rest of her covers set later tonight feels closest of all the acts to the artist's heart. Sinead's versions BobMarley's Natty Rideand Bob Dylan's Serve Somebody are played with such conviction, they're akin to peeking into her private diary. The self-penned section of her catalogue was Catholic-baiting new song, TakeOff Your Shoes, and in true Sinead style, was preceded by a speech in which "The Vatican" subtly became "The Vaticunt"! Much like Basil Fawlty, there's enough material there for an entire conference, but O'Connor had some serious rivals for moment-of-the-night, and Rickie-Lee Jones just may have shone the brightest overall.
Jones took the crowd on the wildest ride in respect to her song choices, starting with the gorgeous SailorSong, before pulling out surprise number one. It was announced at the start of the night Archie Roach had to cancel after suffering a stroke, but Rickie had decided we deserved to hear our beloved Archie none-the-less. Thanks to the smart cookie who recorded all of tonight's rehearsal sessions, an especially moving Jones/Roach duet on Somewhere from West Side Story, was made possible. It was both pure magic, and a dose of 'ball's-in-your-court' to everyone else from Jones. But nothing drives a touching song home more than when it's followed up with some levity, and Jones knew a great what-the-fuck moment is exactly what we needed. Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise apparently serves as her 'song-to-covet' and, complete with orchestral backing and a black beanie, she absolutely pulls it off. Sorry, other legendary artists, but nothing beats a rapping granny.
Dan Sultan and the Black Arm Band bring some local flair back with Sultan generously performing Cohen's If It Be Your Will above the seated section especially for the thousands huddled on the hill. The John Cale set also bought a slew of musical thrills, as if anything else has dominated this jaw-dropping event. His band brought the first rush of rock to the proceedings, working through Cale gems Dirty Ass Rock N' Roll, Pablo Picasso (Never Got Called An Asshole) and Letter From Abroad. The lack of covers in his own set says a lot about the man's musical status as a 'coveted songwriter' in his own stead, yet it's his version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah - the only possible choice for the finale - that brings the house down. Cale is naturally joined by tonight's complete line-up following each acts final song to leave behind – the one that paved the road for them. Many had waited for this moment, so when Sinead O'Connor at last delivered Nothing Compares 2 U it was simply heart-stopping.
No one act could claim absolute dominance over the night's unrelenting pleasures. This was more a celebration of those freakish songs that have power beyond even the greatest conduits. Every one of them was delivered with care and passion as though they were fragile artefacts being put on display. One by one the pinch-yourself moments piled up as we were privy to never-to-be-repeated collaborations, seasoned artists throwing caution out of the window and total setlist heaven. Monster tours will continue to come and go in Melbourne and the Arts Festival organisers probably have something equally impressive up their sleeves for next year, but Seven Songs is the one they'll still being talking about years from now.
lEIGh5
SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL SETLISTS: 23/10/10
Wipeout – Gurrumul Yunupingu Djarrimirri – Gurrumul Yunupingu Pop Life – Meshell Ndegeocello Shitlist – Sinead O'Connor The Moon Is Made of Gold – Rickie Lee Jones Heartbreak Hotel – John Cale
The Sloganeer – Meshell Ndegeocello Chelsea Hotel #2 – Meshell Ndegeocello Lola – Meshell Ndegeocello
Look Around – Meshell Ndegeocello Crying in Your Beer – Meshell Ndegeocello
If It Be Your Will – The Black Arm Band Old Fitzroy – Dan Sultan Boy In The Bubble – The Black Arm Band Bapa – Gurrumul Yunupingu
Company – Rickie Lee Jones Sailor Song – Rickie Lee Jones Somewhere – Rickie Lee Jones & Archie Roach Gangsta's Paradise – Rickie Lee Jones
One of Us Cannot Be Wrong – Rickie Lee Jones
Letter From Abroad – John Cale Dirty Ass Rock N Roll – John Cale Magritte – John Cale Fear Is A Man's Best Friend – John Cale Pablo Picasso – John Cale
Fool For You – Sinead O'Connor Psalm 33 – Sinead O'Connor Natty Ride – Sinead O'Connor Serve Somebody – Sinead O'Connor Tower of Song – Sinead O'Connor Take Off Your Shoes – Sinead O'Connor
War – Meshell Ndegeocello Bayani – Gurrumul Yunupingu Swept Away – Shellie Morris Last Chance Texaco – Rickie Lee Jones Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O'Connor Hallelujah – John Cale with the full line-up
Melbourne Music's 2010 calendar is all about getting some pretty fresh ideas up and out there all in the name of nurturing our local talent. Events ranging from an awards ceremony for independent bands, to live street performances and stage musicals will run all throughout the city. Literally moving amongst the festivities, for his Live On The Tracks tram performance, will be none other than Justin Heazlewood's side-splitting alter-ego, The Bedroom Philosopher fresh off his Songs From The 86 Tram tour. He and his band of mis-fits known as The Awkwardstra will be emerging from the bedroom to share their particular brand of philosophy with Melbourne's commuters on board the 86, 96, 112 and City Circle trams at the request of Metlink and Yarra Trams.
Before Justin packs his guitar, public transport meanderings and gold-plated Myki and heads off to the station, he discusses iPods, private loos, dead chooks and owning his new tag. "I guess I turned myself into the poster-boy for public transport, so it seems logical I'd get the call to do this." Justin shrugs. "I was the obvious choice, wasn't I?" He adds cheekily. "Also I think Melbourne really needed another festival, things were getting a bit dull around the place, so it's nice that people will finally have something to do for a change."
Comparing live music venues to trams is a long stretch, but Justin happily runs with the notion. "I see it as a bit like The Tote crossed with a rollercoaster," he smiles. "People seem to be able to source alcohol pretty easily and it's got pretty good opening hours. The only downside is I won't be getting a curtained off area or private toilet, alas." Justin adds. "Also I'm gonna have to get used to people leaving during the gig, without taking it personally. My hope is that people find it so utterly captivating that they stay on board all the way to Bundoora." It's here that Justin prompts a possible concern that he'll in effect be competing with the scourge of public transport – the iPod army. So what plans does he have to distract his audience from their world of mp3 entertainment? "I was thinking maybe everyone could download my album to their iPod's and listen to it while I mime. I think that'd be quite a good post-modern gesture." He giggles. "Also because each track on the album corresponds to the suburbs the tram travels to, it'd be great if those actual characters from the songs get on the tram at the right intervals creating a kind of living film clip." The city tram is of course a haven for budding musicians in search of a captive audience – the singing driver has struck on many a visit in my own travels, not to mention the odd overzealous busker down the back. So what, I wonder, are Justin's thoughts on impromptu Awkwardstra wannabes? "Actually I'm really looking forward to the Smith Street leg of the journey – there's always the chance some dude with a harmonica might jump in, but in reality, we're a pretty reserved bunch in Australia." He pauses. "Whenever anything slightly unusual happens on a tram people tend to bury their faces in their books, so I hope that the good old combination of comedy and music will help ease some of that tension."
Justin, in standard Bedroom Philosopher mode, continues on a sharp witted analogy most commuters could surely identify with. "I think tram travel as like a detention for adults." He muses. "For ten minutes you have to sit in this room with other people you don't know and think about what you've done that day. I'm not saying it's a bad thing really, I mean they're pretty safe places to be when you think about it. It's not as if someone's gonna go nuts and hi-jack the tram and go for a joyride to Canberra." He adds in a mock aggressors tone; "We taking over this tram – we're going to Bundoora and then to docklands and then back to Bundoora again… And we're gonna keep going back and forth until our demands are met!"
Only at this point is there even a hint Justin's about to crack himself up. To get back on track, he bullshits masterfully about a cinema great that never was. "Did you know the original draft of Speed was set in Australia on a runaway tram?" He adds casually, "Only the bomb was set to go off if the tram went over five kph." He further reveals, "The psychopath was going to be played by Yahoo Serious, with Bill Hunter and Georgie Parker as the protagonists." Apart from re-casting trashy half-imagined films, through his recent single and video Northcote (So Hungover), Justin essentially revealed how he likes to spend his time on a long tram trip - by casting himself as the as a tragic hipster making his way home from the "Fitzroy Anti-social Club". I question where his well honed fly-on-a-wall interest stems from. "I just find people watching endlessly fascinating - which is probably a bit creepy - but I wouldn't have written half the material I had if it weren't for many years absorbing people on a daily basis." He adds. "I see the trams as a kind of free theatre and as an artist it's a really good resource to tap in to. Plus you get to hear the best stories." He recalls. "One I heard that sticks in my mind was about a woman who apparently got on board with a live chicken and the driver said she couldn't bring a live animal on the tram, and so thought about it for a sec, and just broke it's neck!"
People watching can be a hazardous activity. I'm sure most of us have played a rousing game of 'trying-not-to-get-noticed-by-the-crazed-drunk-bloke', but Justin claims, despite his cracking commentary on Songs From The 86 Tram, he's not there to judge. "The thing is I am wary of becoming this retro bohemian looking down from his ivory tower, but the tram is a really equalizing arena I think. People kind of use the space for their own purpose in a way, whether it's to tell their life story to a stranger or break a chook's neck, everyone's on even ground I suppose." He adds thoughtfully, "I guess I am guilty of using it to my advantage as an observer and songwriter but its all relative really." Melbourne's trams certainly are fertile places for the imagination whether you're faced with little stimulus or grabs of overlapping conversations and colourful behaviour. If you're along for the ride, you'll find yourself among the company of slumbering/observing/participating/judging commuters not unlike yourself. Justin, naturally enough has a final philosophy on the topic. "I think it's important to remember, you can never really know a man until you've sat a mile on his tram line."
The 15 year anniversary of Melbourne’s premier Ska outfit, Area 7 has rolled around and the boys are planning on partying like teenagers to celebrate. In the mid ‘90s they spearheaded an unlikely revival of skanking tunes during a time of zero interest in the genre. Thankfully, Australia caught the Ska bug and Area 7 helped kick open the door for acts like The Living End and The Resignators. With the band’s live reunion imminent, guitarist Charles “Chucky T” Thompson on this sunny Australia day afternoon talks me through the heyday of Melbourne’s pub circuit as a young music fan and soon-to-be live draw card in his own right.
“When I was 16, 17 you’d go up Brunswick Street to The Royal Darby and Punters Club then you’d nip down to the Tote and it was only a couple of bucks to get in or sometimes it was even free and you’d get to see just heaps and heaps of bands in weekend.” He begins. “There’s much less of a scene now though, and I feel bad for young bands who are struggling to get their first gig because of the competition from more established acts. I think the kind of working class element is really gone from it which is a shame.” Much adored pubs like TheTote closing down has, according to Charles, created a big hole in the live scene; “I have so many great memories of going there and seeing bands like The Meanies and The Mavis’s on the same bill and you just don’t get that sort of thing happening anymore. The scene is kind of dying off.”
Discussing the thrill of going to a mixed bill of bands in one venue brings up what Charles feels is his bands legacy – one of inclusiveness among punters. “One of things we always wanted to do in Area 7, keep it accessible and be a kind of ‘everybody’ band. The thing that was great in the early days of the Ska and Punk scene was it was accepting. Whatever you were wearing could become your uniform and they weren’t ruled by money or elitism, so we all really loved that aspect of the Ska scene.” Area 7 as a ska band don’t fit the genre entirely as Charles points out, they’ve always incorporated a little rockabilly into their sound as well; “We’re basically a pub rock band who love the ska, punk and rockabilly sounds and further more agree with what those genres really stood for.”
The sense of fun in Area 7’s music is undeniable also. Beginning as a Madness tribute band, perhaps lent an easy up-beat optimism for them to develop as an originals band, I suggest. "Well we were basically recruited in to the Madness tribute band (known as Mad Not Madness) through knowing the singer and various musicians around the scene, but it was never a conscious thing of ‘let’s be a Madness tribute band’ it was more that Area 7 evolved out of that because a couple of us wanted to do our own thing.” Charles was instrumental in kicking off Area 7 as an original band through his songwriting ability and an urge to get away from the tribute formula. “It’s funny because at the time we were doing the whole Madness thing it seemed like an eternity since they had split up, but in hindsight they’d only been away for a few short years, and then they got back together soon after Area 7 started and are now celebrating their 30th anniversary and we’re on our 15th, so we definitely made the right decision to go onto originals or otherwise we would have been made fairly redundant, I think.” He laughs.
With success a long way off still, sticking to Area 7’s musical roots according to Charles was not exactly setting them up for guaranteed popularity; “My recollection of it is, when we started Area 7, ska was still pretty much a dirty word. We were given support by a couple of venues like the Tote and Punters Club, but no sort of mainstream venue would book us, but now it’s gained such a massive following and there are many great ska acts finally getting some recognition.” Ska fans usually come complete with some indicator of their devotion to the lifestyle beyond just owning the music. So how deep does Area 7’s ska/rockabilly obsession run? “I’m quite into the style and the fashions but I’m not a collector of old Hotrods or anything like that” Thompson laughs, “Although our singer Steveo’s right into Chevy’s and Dave Jackson (Keyboardist) is into the whole 1950’s comic tattoo art associated with the rockabilly scene, so to varying degrees we are all into the broader Ska thing outside of simply playing the music.”
The Chevies and Hotrods (or at least Tarana’s and Commodores) of suburban Australia were, at the start of the last decade, incomplete without a certain Area 7 custom built anthem cranking out of their speakers. So how proud is Charles of Nobody Likes A Bogan? “We were a little surprised at how well that song did, but in short we’re as proud of that as any of our others. It was however a good way of reminding listeners that we don’t take ourselves too seriously but it was by no means an indicator of what that whole album was like.” 2002’s Bogan still stands as Area 7’s only cross-over hit, spending six weeks on the ARIA charts and even gaining radio play from Triple M. “When it started getting popular, I did worry a bit that people might get a bit offended or not really get what that song was about, but what actually happened was people I think saw the funny side and realised we weren’t just taking the piss or anything.” It was in fact an earlier single that caused Area 7 to cop a bit of flack - the irreverent Himbo. “I never really understood that at all, because there were a couple of lines in there describing metrosexuals and spending too much time in the mirror, but apparently that was crossing the line. It’s like you can take the piss out of some things but then you can’t do so with others, and when you’re in a band you really can’t over think that sort of thing.”
Although they’re celebrating 15 years together, Area 7 could be mistaken for a band-no-more with so little notable activity in recent years. Charles explains their absence and what brought about the group’s hiatus. “You know, I got married in 1998 and my poor dear wife had to have our honeymoon on tour with us and The Living End, who were actually our wedding band as well” He laughs, “So looking back I realise she had actually given up quite a bit to let the band do what we needed to do, and now I have three kids so unless the band could’ve worked out some kind of schedule such as work seven months then have a break for the rest of the year so we could be parents and husbands as well, I couldn’t see away around it and so we agreed to take a break.” Area 7’s label Zomba also made continuing on a difficulty by simply closing their Australian branch, leaving many bands out on their own. “Once we no longer had a label pushing our album and organising tours, we just went our own way and decided that we’d tour if we were asked and record any future music and release it independently – which we did in 2005 with the album Torn Apart.” Charles finishes by adding; “We’re only here to enjoy making music, and so when the label thing happened we just went, yeah okay fine, we’ll just do it our way then. Since that time we’ve played with Reel Big Fish and did the tour of East Timor for the UN and so it’s hardly like we’ve missed out on much not having that label support.”
Bands that carry on after the singer has died - take a bow Queen, INXS, Alice In Chains - is one thing, but drummers that carry on after everyone else in the band has died is really taking the piss. The nostalgia trip of touring so soon after the rest of the Ramones passed on is just a step in the staircase of Marky's life as it stands at the moment. He is busy compiling old footage of The Ramones' hayday (1978-1983) for DVD releases, writing a book about his band and others of the New York scene in the late 70s and launching a clothing range consisting of leather jackets, T-shirts and jeans - which was basically The Ramones' uniform. To go on tour with a new band playing Ramones songs perhaps seems a natural extension of this nostalgia. His band, Blitzkrieg, is lead by ex-Misfits singer Michale Graves (well, only from the later line-up of Misfits, long after Danzig had buggered off), former AntiProduct guitarist Alex Kane, and bassist Clare P. Product (pilfered from a Ramones cover band called Ramonas). Clare and Graves look every bit the image of modern punk fans/band members. Stripey red-and-black arm band thing. Check. Half-shaved head. Check. Piercings. Check. Guitarist Kane, by contrast, looks like he should be riffing it up with Cheap Trick or a Def Leppard cover band (it's a weird mix already), but then throw in Marky Ramone, larger-than-life on an elevated drum stand, still with his 70s bowl mop haircut and a massive set of drum sticks too. It looks as if the revolving stage at a rock music festival got stuck halfway between Murderdolls, Quiet Riot and The Ramones all playing at once.
Tonight is The Ramones greatest hits show for everyone who missed Dee Dee, Johnny and Joey playing The Ramones' greatest hits. Having one Ramone on stage makes it kind of authentic. Kind of, except that it sounds more like Rancid doing a set of Ramones songs instead. Most noticeably missing is Joey's deadpan singing, now replaced with Graves' screamo rendering. Tonight at the Corner Hotel we get the generally mid-tempo songs lost a lot of their swing and melody as they were unceremoniously played out twice the speed of the originals with no stopping between. The Ramones were really more of a garage rock band than a punk band (I'm sorry but punks don't have bowl haircuts, kids), so playing the songs in the style of another band entirely makes it seem a little cheap. Bassist Clare is sporting a freshly ripped Ramones T-shirt (available at the merch stall for a reasonable price), and I realise then the whole thing smells like a bit of a cash-in on the legacy routine. She was even in a Ramones cover band: talk about pop (punk?) eating itself. Cash-in or not, the thrill Blitzkrieg are giving their audience is palpable. There's a frantic sea of mohawks jumping up and down determined to get something real out of the show. There is one very large mohawkend punk in particular that's hard to ignore as he thrashes his body around in approval of every song - resulting in a pile of bodies being shoved two-and-fro - until, like a mini tornado, he clears a decent space all for himself to freakout in.
The age differences represented are unsurprisingly broad; there's even a few dads still in possession of the rage. (They did however fill out a complaint form afterward about the volume and all that unnecessary spitting. Probably). Whatever favourite songs the hardcores came to hear, they almost certainly got, from the band's first ever hit, I Wanna Be Sedated, to Teenage Lobotomy and Shock Treatment. Marky looks focused and not-at-all his age as he goes through the motions playing songs he must know backwards. The whole set is now just a medley, as Blitzkrieg continue to belt through the hits as fast as possible. They wedge Judy Is A Punk, Rock N' Roll Highschool and She's The One all into the space of five minutes. Fan favourites Blitzkrieg Bop and Chinese Rocks were arguably the best of the night, agian not terribly faithful renditions though. A messy thrash through the excellent Pet Cemetary is forgivable but not so is the cover of Creedence's Have You Ever Seen The Rain. Haven't we suffered enough?, I thought. Apparently not, because then comes the possibly ironic inclusion of Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World. Not satisfied with just slaughtering Ramones songs, Blitzkrieg have moved on to other peoples'. The encore is akin to watching a wilderbeast explode in slow motion - you can't wait for the end.
To Marky it probably seemed a simple idea - people still love The Ramones, get a new band happening and play the songs people love. Easy. His heart was altogether in the right place. Somehow that idea translated into four people on stage messing about with some old songs. Maybe some passion wouldn't have gone astray for the fans’ sake, who were in the end, the stars of this show.
With the possible exception of Bondi, it’s pretty unusual to find the ratio of a 20-1 Kiwi/Aussie audience in Australia. Sure enough though, at Auckland’s most adored band’s surprise reunion show, those were the stats. The mullets were many and the vowels were strained in a room modestly filling out with the band’s homeland devotees. The first support act, Hercules in New York played their short electro-rock set to a very minimal audiences but like any good band, played as though it were a capacity festival crowd. Unusually, the drummer is positioned front and centre stage and the bass amp is up to bowel bothering pitch. The playing is fierce and tight but it seems the sheer volume is what’s keeping a potential crowd huddling around the bar and merch stall. Mission Control have a slightly more cock-rock approach and quite frankly look hot enough to fry an egg on. Song wise, they come in on the same bus as Galvatrons. It’s a high energy start to the night. Now the supports are over, there’s feverish crowing in anticipation of Headless Chickens first Melbourne show in 15 years. Several fans here tonight remember that last show and the looks on their faces give away the devastating joy which we are about to experience.
As one by one the band enter the stage, the front row show their love with some frantic chicken ‘Bok-book-urk’s’. Sounds like someone’s laid an egg in excitement before a single note has even been played. To kick-off they launch straight into the anthemic Donka from rare debut LP Stunt Clown. It’s such a treat to hear brilliant songs like this and Railway Surfing brought back from (almost) obscurity. The dream set-list continues with Cruise Control, where vocalist Fiona McDonald gets to unleash her ethereal voice over a particularly grimey, power-riff version of the group’s biggest hit in Australia.
The set focus is mainly on the hit-making Body Blow period, the only album that featured McDonald throughout. Room however is still left for some of leader Chris Matthews’ post & pre-Fiona tracks such as the psychedelic, guitar heavy Monkey Jar and Cyclic. He is in his element with these less ‘poppy’ pieces but surprisingly, likes to throw in a bit of blues guitar here and there. (I thought he was anarchy!) Chris and Fiona share vocals on most of the material tonight, and rarely is the duo-magic as awesome as it is on Mr Moon. The vocal mics however are just a little too quiet causing the music to sometimes drown out those gorgeous notes but then there’s never a concert without at least one problem. The sight of a techie frantically doing stuff to a guitar pedal is nothing most of us haven’t seen before and tonight is no exception. It’s OK though, Fiona fills in on the mic while some unknown problem is being sorted. “Anyone know any good jokes?” She asks sheepishly. Without waiting, she ads “Alright, I’ll tell one – Two buckets of vomit are walking down the street, they pass a gutter – one says to the other – that’s where I was brought up!” It was good, in a you-had-to-be-there way and she gets kudos as comedy is much harder than music.
It’s midway through the set now and every song is received with wild cheers of approval. They go for back-to-back favourites from this point. The bitter-sweet Juice is sounding as fresh as ever and the colossal Million $ Dream may have been the strongest performance of the night. Then comes Gaskrankinstation and you can just smell the oil as they whip it up into the suburban horror show that it is. By now everyone is jumping and arm waving like lunatics and singing back to the band. They’ve bought us into the eye of the storm and choose that - the perfect moment - to throw in hyper ball-tearer, Donde Esta La Pollo(Where Is The Cock). Up until now, second guitarist Ant Nevison had been barely visible at the back of the stage. He gets the warmest reception as he takes the lead vocal mic for the rap on this Spanish/English party banger.
The passing of time has in no way impaired their notoriously wild live shows. There’s no chance to catch your breath as they fly straight into Choppers, one of Chris’s best vocal tirades – Shouts militantly: “Kill the fat controller! Pray to a new god!” Drummer Bevan is beating the crap out of his kit, the guitars are like a hurricane and soaring above it all is Fiona weaving her sweetly sung “Oh, I can’t believe my ears…” line through the mad racket. The crowd are senseless with joy. We want them to get louder and go further and gallop through the freakin’ room. George is next and a sure sign the end is close. This was their only NZ number 1 single and the last release with Fiona on vocals. It’s a heavy, trip-hoppy piece reminiscent of Curve or even PJ Harvey. The mood shifts in the room, but they still have us in the grip. There’s no waiting for the encore, barely 2 minutes goes by and the band re-emerge launching straight into the groovy, moody Do The HeadlessChicken. Watching them exit the stage, it’s hard to believe it’s over. Something was missing. They played all the favourites, the show was magnificent, but the sad knowledge that this was just a one-off was hanging there. It’s time to miss them all over again.
lEIGh5
HI-FI BAR SET LIST 04/12/08: Donka Railway Surfing Cruise Control Monkey Jar Slice Mr Moon Totalling Dads Car Untitled Soulcatcher Juice Million $ Dream Gaskrankinstation Donde Esta Le Pollo Choppers George Do The Headless Chicken Agitpop
I'll be updating regularly with new interviews or articles as they arise, so as soon as I confirm an interview I'll post here to say who'll be showing up...
“If people want to see a band drilling holes in the stage or tearing down walls they should go and see Rammstein instead... We are NOT Rammstein!”Blixa Bargeld, Einsturzende Neubauten.
"When getting back together, we knew there would be battles to get through, but in New Order, that’s just how we play." - Gillian Gilbert, New Order.
"...Some people will tell you when you're using samples, you're just copying, but that's musicians for you... They can rip off songs all they like, but don't dare say that to them!" - Dr Alex Paterson, The Orb.
"When Lydia (Lunch) asked me to play bass in her band, I knew she just wanted to fuck me." - Jim Sclavunos, Grinderman.
"...And I thought to myself, 'that's when you know you've made it... When you're a damned Halloween costume!"- Cheryl Wray, Salt N Pepa. "I dream about dogs a lot. Not cool ones like wolves or dingos... its always garden variety spaniels."- Kier Nuttall, Fatty Gets A Stylist.
"Well, if I'm being totally honest... I guess my actual debut was as a singing goat on Sesame Street."- Wendy Matthews.
"Music makes it all better for me, but looking back, I'm glad I was kicked out of Dinosaur Jnr. It was an amazing gift awarded to my mental health."- Lou Barlow, Sebadoh.
"I need somebody who can play the keyboard, you see. I can't play a thing.... but I do push a damn fine button, I think."- Tom Ellard, Severed Heads.
"After Ride split up, I went a bit funny and ended up living in a walnut orchard in France for a couple of years."- Mark Gardener, Ride.
"I'm just lazy mate. I'm like a painter who stands around looking at the walls all week, and then come Friday 5pm, I frantically work through the weekend just to get everything done in time."Jon King, Gang Of Four.
"They're gonna have to invent a new six star rating system when my new album comes out."- Dave McCormack, Custard.
"We're gonna turn into a traveling freak show, man. Like the bearded lady or the fucking human dick, you know what I mean?"- Mani, Primal Scream.
"For the first time, I actually wrote some songs on acoustic guitar and Graham (Lewis) wrote some lyrics... I imagined that's what it must be like to be in a normal band."Colin Newman, Wire.
"I'm disgusted by Dave Grohl. I mean it's (Foo Fighters) just boring fucking jock-rock, isn't it?.... What do you call them in Australia... Bogans isn't it?"- Ian Astbury, The Cult.
"How could I not want to be involved with a film about a 3000 pound wild boar that terrorises the pot fields of Northern California. You don't get those kinds of opportunities very often in life."- Les Claypool, Primus.
I'm a freelance music journalist working out of Melbourne, Australia and have enjoyed subjecting some of my favourite artists (I'm a music obsessive above all things) to an often unrelenting probe. This blog is my way of sharing some of the results with whoever's interested. You'll also see some concert and CD reviews and topics of interest.... so feel free to share your thoughts on those and leave a comment!
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ta. x
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN 
“Since I was about 10, I’ve had a separate savings account that’s got about two grand in it specifically for when she dies so I can fly straight to England and attend the funeral.” He adds, “I even have a clause in my work contract for my day job that states if the Queen dies I automatically get two weeks off for bereavement-leave!” With the breaking news that Prime Minister Abbott is planning a return to ‘ye olde worlde’ titles in parliament – Knighthoods, Damehoods etc.. – Jaspers has been handed a steaming hot topic, teaming nicely with his theme. “It’s given me about ten extra minutes of material, actually.” He laughs, “But I think I might be the only person who’s actually really into this idea.” He adds, nominating himself, “I think it’d be nice to be Australia’s first Knight AND Dame all at once. I could be Knight Jaspers and Dame Rhonda Butchmore. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
