Week 45

Another of these irregular posts…

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has come to any of the shows I’ve been part of organising lately – the Hackett House show, Limited Express and Ni Hao at Jura, and La Quiete show at Jura. If you want to hear recordings from the two Jura shows check out here and here. Shaun Tenzenmen also took some good photos from the La Quiete show which are on flickr and ther’s some photos from the Hackett House show on the myspace.

Also, I have news on when the next Hackett House show is. Its going to be on Sunday 6th December, 1pm like usual and costing only $5 like usual. So far there’s only two bands confirmed – Nunchukka Superfly and Skinpin – but hopefully more will be sorted out very soon.

I’m also sorting out some shows for Tim Holehouse (UK) in December/January and for the Chris Burrows and Phat Meegz tour in late January. You’ll probably find out about them when I have the information.

Other things…

If you’re looking to get out of Sydney this weekend, or are already in Melbourne, Ladyfest is happening all weekend. There’s shows, art exhibitions, workshops and discussion panels. I’m not entirely sure which ones are all ages, at least one of the shows is called “Ladyfest All Ages Show” so that one definitely is. Maybe the exhibitions, discussion, workshops and another show is too? Check out the myspace for the full list of what’s happening and more information on what its all about.

YAPA have set up a new email list called unleashNOW to be a monthly update for subscribers to the Unleash magazine and any other young people who want to stay in touch with youth activism and YAPA staff generally. I’m not sure if there’s a quick way to subscribe to it, but if you go to the Unleash Magazine site and send a message to the contact email there it should work itself out. You can also download a pdf of the magazine too so you know what you’ll be getting yourself into.

Loud! Tribe, that group who organises all that stuff out in the Fairfield area, have recently started a radio show as well. The show is on 89.3FM 2GLF at 4:00 – 6:00pm Wednesdays. They even got a Facebook page up for it. Maybe you can even get them to play your music? Worth a try.

Also on the radio, it seems Indent are putting together a radio version of The Minor Chord on FBi. I don’t know how far they’ve got up to, last thing I know they were looking for people to get involved. Check out this post and maybe you will find all the answers.

Last but not least, friends in Singapore not long ago started up a new all ages venue/studio there called Blackhole212. Check out the blog for inspiration and if you find yourself in Singapore maybe there’s a show you can go to there, or just hang out with them and eat pisang goreng or roti pratha.

Bye bye!!

PS. I’m looking for a job. Anyone know of an option that isn’t Woolworths?

 

2in1 Music Night @ Jura Books

Hello everyone.

This Thursday’s (29th Oct) Juracoustic is merging with the Limited Express (Has Gone?) + Ni Hao! (2 bands from Japan!) show that was meant to be taking place at Dirty Shirlows.

 That means there’ll be Juracoustic downstairs and punk bands upstairs!

It will start at the usual time of 7pm. We gotta fit in about 7 bands/artists (possibly more?) in about two and a half hours so come early!

If you want to go upstairs for the bands, we’re asking for $10 entry (it costs a lot of money to come from Japan) but if you’re only coming for Juracoustic the usual $5 donation will be very very much appreciated.

So.. playing the downstairs Juracoustic couch will be:

A Dire Dawn di drew all sad all acoustic all of the time. it’s her last night living in sydney & she’s going out with a whimper i promise

New Caledonian Blue Elliott Smith shakes hands with the Chicago blues; hands made, mostly, of violin strings.

Let the Concrete Crumble newest acoustic guise of the worldly Novacastrian haiku master Mark Whittaker

Playing the Fanya Baron Library will be:

Limited Express (Has Gone?) (Japan)

Ni-Hao! (Japan)

To the North (Brisbane)

Hira Hira

The night will take a form sort of like: band upstairs, acoustic downstairs, band upstairs, acoustic downstairs, etc etc. While bands are playing upstairs, feel free to make as much music noise as you want downstairs. Singalongs, open mic, all that usual stuff.

There should also be food available by donation as usual as well.

Thanks. Hope to see you there!

 

Week 36

To start with some bad news, the landlords of that special building in Marrickville Industrial Zone have decided to evict the tenants, musical equipment and bikes that have been living there. Maggotville Warehouse, the place where I saw my first punk show back when I was 14 is coming to an end. But first, they promise one more giant show happening in October. There’s no details yet, but they will probably appear in the usual places on the net sooner or later.

One warehouse space in Sydney that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, The Street University in Liverpool has re-made its website (it might have been a while ago actually, but I only realised last week) and it has quite a good amount of information about the space on there. It doesn’t seem entirely up to date, but its more than what the old website had.

MusicNSW’s all ages project, Indent, is now taking applications from young people under 25 for grants of $2500 to run up to four all ages gigs in your local area in 2009. Applications are open until November 2 and recipients will be announced on December 7. To find out all the details on the grants check out this link.

Indent are also going to be organising all ages shows at the Annandale on every Sunday during October and November. Its especially for young bands still in school. Awesome! So if you’re still in school and want to play at the Annandale check out their website.

The ‘Penis Tower Anti-Slam‘ is happening on the afternoon of Sunday 13 September at the Arthive Gallery (1/111 Hunter St, Newcastle Mall) – yes, its in Newcastle, but it finishes early for those of us from Sydney to make the trip back to go to school, work, uni, tafe on Monday morning. The event is a poetry slam but.. not? I’m still not entirely clear on this concept but basically the evening is open to whoever wants to perform some variant of spoken word poetry. Instead of reading what I have to write it would be much smarter to just check the website.

I figured since I mentioned spoken word poetry I can use it as a chance to shamelessly promote the Juracoustic nights I organise at Jura Books in Petersham. We’d love to have more spoken word stuff happening at these nights besides the usual acoustic music, so don’t be afraid to come to the next one on September 24 and yell stuff (at an appropriate time of course).

Also, Jura Books is currently running a fundraiser raffle to pay off the rest of its mortgage that has been put off for many many years. I guess this isn’t exactly music or whatever related but I have used to Jura to organise many shows, so it is something worthy of the “music scene’s” support. To find out how to buy tickets and all that stuff check out the Jura site.

On the weekend of September 11-13, Cut+Paste Craft Fest is happening at the Red Rattler (6 Faversham St, Marrickville). There’s going to be markets, workshops and discussions – all that cool stuff that happens at festivals with the focus on DIY arts and crafts. The program for the weekend is online here.

On the topic of festivals, this year’s website for This Is Not Art is online. It probably has lots and lots of information about the festival that I haven’t read yet because I only just thought about checking it then. So yeah, check that out also.

Ok, I think I’ve got more lazy on this post. That’s all for now.

 

Week 34

Ok, so its been a really really long time since I’ve posted something like this on here. It’s been a really really long time since I’ve posted anything on here at all. I guess I should apologise first and then blame it on being distracted by other things and guilt tripped by university work. But I figured if I force myself to do this I’ll do it. I’ll start by focusing less on updating about shows that are coming up and new releases or whatever and focus more on news that is related to finding out how to get involved in organising or playing shows. Stuff like that and some stuff that I also just want to talk about. So as I’ve always said, if you actually want to use this site as somewhere to promote your show or new release or whatever then feel free to do that with the forum. That way I can focus on at least doing something while I feel like I don’t have the time to update numerous times.

Having said all that, I’ll now move onto some news…

Since the last post like this I’ve also started organising a regular acoustic night at Jura Books (440 Parramatta Rd, Petersham). Its on the last Thursday of every month and is generally open to anyone who would like to play some songs, read a poem, tell a story, anything that doesn’t require plugging in. Check out the blog and add yourself to the myspace. Let me know if you’d ever like to play.

Also, Stono and I haven’t organised another show at Hackett House since the last one in March. The space was used or a few months by another group and I also went back to Malaysia and Singapore for a while. But, we’ve already started working on organising another show for October. We don’t have any details set for it but that’s what we’re aiming for.

On the topic of Malaysia, I posted on the Yellow Ghost Records forum a list of Malaysian and Singaporean bands I saw or heard while I was over there. You can see the list HERE if you’re a member of the forum, if not send me an email and I’ll email you what I posted on the forum. Maybe I’ll even post it on the Uncut Flowers forum.

And some news not connected to me:

For the last few weeks, Indent has been holding event management workshops around NSW as part of their 2009 Save the Scene Tour. This post is a bit late to tell you about all of them but there is still one in Tuncurry on 22 August, one in Broken Hill in the first week of September and one in Newcastle at this year’s TINA festival. For more info on the workshops and how to RSVP check their website here.

Manly Youth Council are meeting at 7pm tonight at Manly Youth Centre and are inviting anyone between 14 and 21 who’d like to get involved. The youth council hosts a radio show and organises events as well as a bunch of other things. I know that its too late to go if you’re reading this but if you’re interested and want to find out more I’m sure you could just contact them through their myspace. (I have a feeling some of the guys from Snagglepuss might be part of this, as if you wouldn’t want to hang out and organise stuff with them).

Black Rose Bookshop is running a political poster competition to raise some funds. Anyone can submit a poster as long as you can drop it into Black Rose Bookshop (22 Enmore Rd, Newtown) before Tuesday 22 September. All posters will be exhibited and sold that night with all money going towards keeping Black Rose open and running.

The Tamworth Youth Centre has uploaded a number of live sets that have been recorded at shows held at the centre. Check them out here.

I think I’ve written enough for now. I hope this has satisfied and I hope I can actually keep this kind of regular. Maybe if I start listening to dead prez I’ll understand this ‘discipline’ thing a little better.

 

Cougar Flashy shows in Sydney

Cougar Flashy were in Sydney the weekend before last. They’re coming back again very soon. Blah blah blah..
myspace link: http://www.myspace.com/cougarflashy

Let me know if you want to play either of the park shows.

Here’s the details:

Friday 8 May
Kelso Beach (East Hills)
Meet at East Hills Station at about 4:30pm.
If you’re gonna be late, here’s a map.
Cougar Flashy, Stono Caves, Merferalz, Jack Brunn and more.
Bring instruments, food, candles and whatever. Play songs. Probably wear warming clothes too.

Saturday 16 May
Newtown Cemetery
1pm
Cougar Flashy, Stono Caves, The Lurkers and many others.
Same as East Hills one – everyone should bring instruments and food and join in.

Sunday 17 May
Jura Books (440 Parramatta Rd, Petersham)
4pm and probably costing $7
Cougar Flashy, Polyfox and the Union of the Most Ghosts, Alps of New South Wales and another band who don’t have a name but are really awesome.

 

002 @ Hackett House

Sunday 15 March, 2009
1pm

Hackett House
6-8 Bankstown City Plaza,
Bankstown
Directions for Public Transport

Bands
The Darkest Illusion
The Wondermen
Do Not Resuscitate
Corpus
Snagglepuss

Mixtape/CD Club
We’re going to have a box at the main desk for people to put in mixtapes/CDs they’ve made and take one that someone else had made. For more info see the previous post here.

Safer Spaces
Please read the Safer Spaces invitation which you can find either here or here.

And everyone is invited to Cabramatta after the show food mad food hang outs!

(Bands not in playing order, just triangle order)

 

Week 10

Hello again!

Hackett House flyer is now made and around the internet and around some places in real life. Please feel free to show all your friends and print some off and drop them off at cd stores, youth centres or glue them on your desks at school and keep one in your locker so you’ll always remember us.

Tomorrow there’s a Zine Fair at the Hazlehurst Regional Art Gallery in Gymea. Apart from the buying and selling of goods, there’s going to be a couple of zine making workshops and a talk by some of the people who make Mutiny zine.

The MCA Zine Fair for the Sydney Writers festival this year is on May 24. To book a table call (02) 9245 2484 and they cost $15 each.

On Wednesdays at Paint it Black (86 Enmore Rd, Newtown) Shaun from Tenzenmen Records will be doing the evening shift. He keeps posting on the internet that he wants some acoustics bands/artists to come in to the shop and play songs so if you want to do that, then I reckon just go ahead and do it.

I posted last week about 2168 Youth doing monthly shows at Miller PCYC. I still don’t know much about it but I do know that there is a show happening on April 3rd. Wake the Giants, Six Days and Dawn of the Ages are playing.

Max Wilkinson has a new EP out.

Stono Caves has put all the recordings from her new demo, EP, whatever up on her myspace for everyone to listen to.

That’s all that I want to write for now. Thank you.

 

Week 09

So I didn’t post one last week (I blame Propagandhi) and I’m two days late this week. Oh well.

For the Hackett House show on the 15th of March there’s now four bands who have said they’ll play: Do Not Resuscitate, Snagglepuss, the Wondermen and The Darkest Illusion. If you want to hear them, you can find them all (except DNR) on myspace.

Tonight at New Q (22 Enmore Rd, Newtown) Shelley will be doing another MC workshop. This one’s theme is Mardi Gras, so write some rhymes about Mardi Gras and bring it along or write it while you’re there.

Apparently 2168 Youth are organising more (maybe weekly?) shows somewhere in Liverpool area. I saw it in a bulletin post this week but have now lost track of it so I don’t know when its happening and where exactly. Still, its something to look out for and maybe I’ll come across it again sometime soon anyway.

On Saturday afternoon at Jura Books (440 Parramatta Rd, Petersham), Ramsay Kanaan of PM Press (and formerly of AK Press) will be having a bit of a talk about Revolutionary Publishing in an Age of Crisis.

Throwaway Kids no longer need a singer, like I mentioned in an earlier blog, but they now need a guitarist. So I guess if you’re interested, you got the gear and you can make it to Campbelltown for practice then drop ‘em a line on their myspace.

Hmm… is the phrase “drop ‘em a line” a reference to fishing? If so, is it bad for a vegan to use such language? Could be fishing for humans (for more on fishing for humans see: Go.Get.Fucked #1 by Lynch)

Untaymable has a new FREE mixtape out called Intellectual Indifference. If you want one, get in touch with Philosophize and he’ll hook you up.

Again, does “hook you up” derive from fishing (or humaning)?

Dave from Euripides Berserker has a solo project called Zounds (though I don’t think there’s any relation to the British anarcho-punk band of the same name) andhis first release will be out in April by LessTalk Records. Hey Matt! I know you’re one of the few that actually read this.

On Sunday, there’s another zine fair and acoustic music thing happening at Black Rose/Little Fish (22 Enmore Rd, Newtown). Lena, Louise and Merferalz are playing.

And on that note I gotta go because I don’t wanna be late for band practice as Merferalz haven’t practiced for about a year!

Bye!

 

Cooperation and support in Sydney DIY punk and Sydney hip hop

The DIY punk scene prides itself on cooperation, mutual aid, solidarity – whatever you want to call it – between the bands and artists in the scene and is supposed to be open to to all people to be able to express themselves.

Hip hop on the other hand, and maybe its just ignorance on my part, has always come across as a bit more competitive with all the bragging and everyone working on their “game” and the “breakdance battles” or “freestyle battles” – seems like everyone’s against each other for some reason.

Last Friday I went out to a show at the Street University in Liverpool. It was the second hip hop based event that I’ve been to in the last two weeks and it got me thinking about the DIY punk scene and some things that could be better in that scene. The DIY punk scene being my musical home for the last five years or so.

At the show at the Street University, Untaymable told everyone that he’s into helping out young artists, he’s got a whole lot of equipment so if anyone wants to work on something then they can just come over hang out and do that. I can’t remember ever hearing someone saying that while “on stage” at a punk show. Not to say there isn’t people helping young bands – a few years ago when Subverts were just starting out we got to record with Lachie from Crux without knowing him beforehand – its just never been so open. During Untaymable’s set he also performed a song with a young MC called Philosophize who he had just met and worked on a song with two weeks ago.

Also on Friday, in between sets instead of putting on a CD and everyone going off somewhere else, they would open the mic for anyone to freestyle, rap, beatbox, anything. Its something that I’ve been able to do at the acoustic shows I’ve organised but something that rarely ever happens at punk shows.

Another aspect of the Sydney hip hop scene I’ve been able to experience a bit is the internet message boards especially the forum of OzHipHop.com. People post their lyrics, their beats, their poetry and get constructive criticism in return. People write guides and tutorials and post them on the forum – or find one’s others have made and repost them. There seems to be a lot more support and discussion on hip hop forums when it comes to the actual creation of music than that on DIY punk forums – which seems, in proportion, to have more event advertising, distro lists and talking shit.

Back when I started making hip hop beats it was really awesome to be able to post up some beats I’d been working on and get some advice on how to make them better. I posted some of my first beats on the forum on L-Fresh’s website and got at least three or four sentences of feedback for each of the beats posted, telling me what was good, what could be better and how to make it better. It was really encouraging to be able to get that sort of feedback especially from someone I didn’t know.

Of course there are so many other things that go into making these scenes what they are but for now I’ve just focussed on my observations of the support and encouragement amongst people/groups when it comes to actually creating music . And although there are some things in hip hop that don’t directly relate to punk I’m sure they can be adapted and applied so they do relate – same goes for any other music scene.

 

Week 07

We had a band for the March 15 Hackett House show, but not anymore. Sorry, I was excited about telling you all about it too.

I’m involved in organising a monthly (at least to start off with) acoustic night at Jura Books. Its going to be on the last Thursday of every month starting from March 26. The idea is there’s going to be people asked to play but also a lot of open mic space. Its open to anything that is acoustic: folk music, hip hop, poetry, spoken word, etc. So kinda like them park shows I organise, just in a bookshop.

This Friday, H.O.P is starting off their weekly events at the Street University in Liverpool with a show. There’s going to be Zig Zag Zillas, Omar Bin Musa, Planet Crushers, Untaymable, Danny, Stino and of course an open mic/freestyle session for anyone who wants to get involved.

South Coast hardcore band, Silverback is looking for a guitarist to fill in when they head to Queensland and Victoria in a few weeks. I assume just get in contact with them through their myspace.

Mirah is releasing a new album in March. I know its not local at all, but I don’t care, Mirah is amazing. You can read a review and listen to a song here.

That’s all I have for this week. So just a short one this time. All I care about at the moment is Propagandhi. Well maybe not ALL I care about, but I just wanted to mention Propagandhi. I also want to mention Conation. There I did it.

I don’t actually know if anyone reads these posts anymore, so…
Did you know that when I was nine, I tried to fuck a friend of mine? He was eight, then I turned ten.