Culturazi

Hullo,

I had one of those weeks. Pretending. What do the Olympic Torch Relay, Tibet and Anzac Day have in common? Nothing apart from the fact they all dropped on our doorstep at the same time and seemed to present issues of human rights violations as well as celebrating our soldier”s role in conflicts around the world. The Chinese Olympic torch, as well as its officials, were welcomed by our very own recipients of human rights abuse, already forgotten since we said sorry the other day.

I suppose one would have to go along with the statements that the games are not political but they are about sports, and not upsetting our biggest trading partner for fear of buggering up our economy, which would invariably bring the government into disrepute, which would generally effect all members of both houses, which would probably have an effect on the population who have to elect our politicians, so! I guess it’s not all about sports either.

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Tags: Chiffon by loadedog
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by Kandy A

Sorry about the delay in sending this in, would’ve been good to have it in before the cd launch at Transit bar about a month ago. I’ll make up for it by posting half a page worth of simpering praise for these young talents.

Formerly the Lavans, the HA’s understand pop music, and these 6 tracks are full of classic pop hooks that made listening to it over and over a pleasure. Rich innovation, emotive vocals and the depth that comes from having a 5-piece rounds out these songs, many of which show the lendings from bygone eras of pop brought to the fore.

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Tags: CD Reviews by loadedog
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by Severin”

(after I wrote this I read the other review on loadedog about the concert ” godammit, how come I had different ears on that night? ” Nicki, I was there on m’tod too, we should”ve sat together and I sure wish I”d had what you were having, sounds excellent, and I feel boring and irritable by comparison “sigh- PS the Cashews as snow peas is marvelous. Severin)

‘Twas a frosty Canberra night queuing outside Corroborree Park Hall ” chilled the bones – but as usual the warmth and camaraderie of other Canberra live singer-songwriter-admirers soothed all.

I am a Cashews regular and new to Lucie Thorne (who came highly recommended) and that pretty much made me an atypical member of those present that night. This crew knew and loved Lucie and most of the songs pretty well, and also they were charmed, surprised and delighted by the Cashews.

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Tags: Gig Reviews, Music by loadedog
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While speaking recently with my associate and man of letters Henri Roper, we fell to discussing the matter of the critical skills shortage.” I feel that I can help address this matter, and so have rattled off this open letter to our leaders of government and industry.

Dear Decision-makers,

I understand from my study of current affairs that we are facing a critical skills shortage here in Australia.” I wish to offer my services to alleviate the crisis.

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Tags: Gertrude by Gertrude
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Tags: Posters by loadedog
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Corroboree Park Hall, Sunday 20th April, 2007

by Nicki Maher

Thanks heaps for the free ticket. This hall is such a great venue. It’s so, I dont know, hall-y.. reminds me of Girl Guides and that 2xx benefit we had here. People are eating and drinking, talking… I can’t see anyone I know and I’m too shy (and the rest).. and I’m REALLY HANGING OUT for the music to start.. It’s a full moon in scorpio.. and I went outside to wait and walk a bit cos I was feeling a little fidgety and even thought for a second about leaving BUT THEN the music started and lovingly drew me back inside..

The Cashews @ Corinbank

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Tags: Gig Reviews by loadedog
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THE METRO, Sydney (supports ” Wicked Bliss (Melb) and The Poor (Syd).

By Kerri Eckhardt

The day had finally arrived. After the longest wait I”ve had to endure for a band. Twenty-plus years, yes, twenty-plus long years. Now WASP were finally in the country and in a few hours I was to see them. See Blackie Lawless. Hell yeah, bring it all on I say.

The three hour trek started at 10am, I picked up my dear High School friend at his work in Challora at 12:45pm (right on the specified time) and arrived at his house a bit after 1pm, we started the evening with a few drinks. Arriving at the Metro at 7pm, there was a positive vibe in the air, all were excited to be there for this historic occasion. The masses were gathering. There wasn”t much of a mixture – there were some young people there, but mostly old-school metal heads.

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Tags: Gig Reviews by loadedog
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The Greenroom, 11 April 2008
By Amy Dowler

Dan Mangan, a singer-songwriter from Vancouver, opened the night at the Greenroom last Friday. He went down a treat with the enthusiastic crowd although this reviewer found neither his songs nor his voice compelling enough for the sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment ” hopefully next time he comes to Australia he can afford to bring along a band.

Mike Noga plays drums in the best band in the world right now. He is the frontman for the Gentlemen of Fortune, this, no doubt, an attempt to step out of the shadow of that band to flex his own song-writing muscle (although the use of the lyric “na” in the place of intelligible words for an entire chorus was an obvious allusion ” Drones fans will know what I”m talking about). The Gentlemen of Fortune put on a spirited show but the marriage of their country flavoured rock n roll and Noga”s Gallagher-esque vocals was more often than not uncomfortable. Still, the Gentlemen provided the aesthete”s highlight of the night when a young couple ballroom danced to one of their alt-country ballads; even the band was transfixed by the charm of it all.

Having gone to the gig basically to satiate an unhealthy Drones obsession that requires my presence at even the most obscure of side projects of that band”s members (particularly living as we do in a town where they apparently do not deign to tour), I had little to no expectations for the headliners of the night, the Gin Club. I am happy to report that I was swiftly disabused of any indifference: they were great. Having something in the order of eight multi-talented members, nearly all of whom swapped instruments between each and every song, the Gin Club were a joy; their music blessedly distinct from any of the fashionable revival pretensions that dominate contemporary music. If I”d had any cash I would have bought the (double) album on the spot.

Tags: Gig Reviews by loadedog
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opens tonight, 7pm

Tags: Art by loadedog
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Opens tonight, 6pm

Tags: Art by loadedog
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Anzac Day is nearly upon us”again. The RSL, ever reliable for a whinge-bite at this time of year, doesn’t like balloons hogging the limelight, never thinking that the ‘freedoms’ they interminably refer to as the goal of all that fighting we ought to be (and are) so grateful for, might include the freedom to go flying in a balloon whenever you feel like it. Back in your box boys.

That being said, the dawn service might lose a bit of its essential gravitas should a giant silk Shrek land in its midst, though that, the freedom to have US cultural icons emblazoned over every conceivable”corner of the visual landscape, seems to be another goal of all that fighting we ought to be (and are) so grateful for. Perhaps a giant white silk dove would” be better? Hope there’s no tewawists on board.

Speaking of terrorists, does one not think that, since”World War”II,”it’s getting a little harder each war to raise much enthusiasm for memorialising war? Vietnam was a fair dinkum war, no doubt, but unpopular, no? Korea? What was that about again”?And who are we fighting these days? Terrorists supposedly, most of whom are holed up in ungovernable regions of Pakistan or in a flat somewhere near you, and yet our forces are in Iraq? This War on Terror is a baffling business to be sure. If you can call it a war, the way the Australians are fighting it? Round about the time of the Vietnam War, the Australian military seemed to”work out”how to fight in other people’s wars without actually killing many people, nor getting killed much themselves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but”is the number of Australians”killed in anger”in Iraq and Afghanistan hovering around the figure zero”?

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Tags: Politics by loadedog
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Late, these are, because the person who took ‘em, the charming Pling (who has graciously allowed them to be posted here – thanks mate), delivered them just a week or so ago. It then took me till now to remember how to”bejigger the folder so the gallery would work. So that’s why the hell I’m posting now these photos,”from way back in November 2007, of”the infamous Electionalia, a combined Backanalia/Election Party. It proved to be”a fabulous way to send off John Howard and co. Gee it seems like a long time ago now…

PS. One thing I like about these Simpleviewer galleries is, once all the large-sized”images have loaded, and after you’ve clicked on one of the thumbnails, you can scroll through just by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.”If you”do it really fast it looks sorta cool.

Tags: Backyard Backanalia, Images by loadedog
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by Shelley Clarke

Is there any such thing as “too much bang for your buck?’

I wouldn”t have thought so before my recent night at The Folkus Room in Mawson. Now I”m not so sure. I have no complaint mind you but here”s a rundown of the range of treats that awaited this unsuspecting punter.

First up were two fabulously talented locals, DJ Gosper (on vocals and blues harp) and Christo Carlsen (on vocals and guitar) from The KarismaKatz, who performed four very tasty songs: Rodriguez”s Crucify Your Mind; Cool Me (a striking original written by a sixteen year-old DJ); Cohen”s gorgeous Dance Me to the End of Love with lashings of harp; and another excellent original to finish, Animal, a DJ/Christo collaboration.

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Tags: Gig Reviews by loadedog
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Hullo, LIDDLE SNOW PLUMS”"??

And zack day she is still with us and once again it is changing.

I was listening to this retired (I live in Yarralumla, eh what!) brigadier general speaking on behalf of the (stand up if you can) R. S. L. who is objecting to hot air balloons (a truly beautiful and exciting event). He maintains that it would be disrespectful, but to whom I wonder? They had hot air balloons in the war, why can’t they be included, more likely he realizes that nobody would be watching the ceremony, as they would all be busy looking up.

It would be nice if we could co-ordinate the march as well as the ‘ho limpic flem’. Just think, the world symbol of peace and hope marching with the very machine responsible for killing so many in the name of peace and hope ” one day.

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Tags: Chiffon by loadedog
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Paul Kelly’s ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ remixed. Buy it for a buck sixty-nine. Make this country a republic. Not sure if it’ll work but I’ve always loved that song.

Tags: Music, Politics by admin
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