Basically not a bad night at the theatre. Ray’s Tempest is a slightly jingoistic story of a middle aged bloke with a terminal heart condition. His career and family are in tatters and he’s on his absolute last chance both health and career wise. He decides to go down a fierce redemption path to get both back on track before his number ultimately comes up.
When he starts making sales again at work through absolute sympathy selling, his manager suggests that he applies for a reality TV show where 5 terminally ill contestants play for the prize of their last wish. That is whatever the winning contestant wants to the value of $1M. Black enough theme for a reality TV show? You betcha!
Ultimately Ray’s journey through celebrity draws parallel with the family members caught up in his dysfunction, primarily his song and ex-wife. Ray is a likeable and even charming character, but as the story evolves we find he is a weak, weak man and his newfound celebrity wont change his shortcomings.
A few reasons why you would see this play is because the inimitable Kym Gyngell puts in a stellar performance as the drunkard best friend of Ray. The mise en scene is excellent. With only seven actors always on stage, it’s an amazing production to watch as actors not playing a role in the scene act as stagehands moving props around. The stage itself remained fairly static but was really well designed, with crazy water features and excellent lighting.
All in all though, there wasn’t enough black comedy and too much pathos for my taste. About 7 out of 10. But if dysfunction family drama with a twist is your thing, check it out.
So I live in cutesy South Yarra. It’s on the eastern side of the Yarra river and very close to town. That’s why the games have been good. Because to avoid the Commonwealth Games, I decided to walk into work. So i’m ahead about $90 in train tickets and a little bit more fit from walking about 7 kilometres a day round trip.
In case you’re wondering, yup it’s been noisey. I can’t think of one day that I haven’t woken up to a helicopter. For a no-fly zone, there’s certianly about 10 times more choppers than normal. There have been cops through the normally quiet Botanical Gardens en masse. Patrol cars doing laps and motorcycle cops in threes riding around.
Because plenty of roads have been cordened off or closed off all together, and all the kids have been on school holidays, most things have been quiet. My local cafe where I grab a morning take away has been virtually empty. Usually it’s buzzing with little Melbourne Grammar girls sipping lattes. Late this afternoon, I jumped a cab and the cabbie said that he’s lost a fair bit of cash over the past two weeks because of the games. It seems to be a recurring theme if you watch the news too. Although these are the only two examples I can cite. Seems the fear of games crowds has scared everybody off . . .
Aside from the Police and aural intrusion thankfully I managed to take in absolutely 0 of all the events. It would’ve been nice to see Paul Kelly play at the finale but meh, i’ve never cared enough to see him before today. Apart from that, yesterday I was driving home down the Eastern Freeway and the whole city horizon was lit up like a Christmas tree at night with the closing ceremony fireworks. Hey I am not a sports fan anyway. And the ‘Stolenwealth’ games as one protestor’s placard put it, didn’t exactly get me in the spirit.
Overall it’s a resoundinf feeling of indifference though. Let’s face it, the Commonwealth is a defunct institution. Whilst the Olympic spirit stirs up blood in the nether regions, the old we’re a bunch of convicts born into a Commonwealth of even more convict nations just plain irritates me. Wars have never stopped because of the Commonweath games as far as I know. Maybe we can all get together and kill off England in a kind of pseudo Olympic spirit!
Now I am looking forward to the Gran Prix. The track is less than a kilometre away. So I think I should hear a lot of that. But in all honesty, that’s a welcome intrusion in the morning. You know, the whole engines tuned to absolute perfection revving off of their rocker going round in circles kinda does it for me!
The Family Guy has been on TV for several years now since the late 90s. Despite a big hiatus, some 150,000 Americans petitioned the Fox Network, and wouldn’t you know it, they got their way! There’s a reason for the madness too, infact several.
OK, the rant starts here. There’s nothing on television. Everyone knows that. Yes Rove, you’re king of variety television, because there is no one between you and Bert Newton - NO ONE! And let’s face it, when Burt Newton gets all old school and misogynistic, you know he’s harmless without his hair piece and his viagra. Surely these guys know they’re no good.
Furthermore, since the Eddie McGuire franchise moved in, there’s no part of TV that can’t be bought. Why pay a production company for a risky sitcom that could be too highbrow, when you can buy some reality TV crap pre-heated with a just add water audience? You can’t loose baby! And before you even sell ads, you’ve made the real money, in product placement.
So yes, in two paragraphs the mediocrity of Australian television has been summed up. Just about anyone could do it. The writings on the wall. There’s just too few people in front of the camera and waaaay to few people calling the shots behind them. Well at least Ray Martin’s gone. Chalk one up for Hayward . . .
How the hell does The Family Guy fit into this rant? It may well be the only last form of wit, parody and genuine satire left on Television anywhere, let alone network TV.
Firstly, this ain’t no Simpsons. The Family Guy is unashably a cartoon for adults, with no subtlety for censors. Women get hit, minorities cop it, real celebrities and crappy products cop it sweet. As far as I know, this may be the only program on TV, let alone the Fox Network with script writers that actually get to say what they want - animated or not!
Next you have to love the non sequitor. Constant digressions to complete and utter nonsense in the characters’ lives, movies and parodies of TV shows.
For example, this tidbit from Season 4, episode 1:
Peter Griffin: I am so clever! That’s why they picked me to convince congress to go to war . . . [scene changes to a congressional meeting at The White House] Speaker: there’s no just cause for invasion of Iraq Peter Griffin: Well that may be. But what we’re all forgetting is, anyone that doesn’t want to go to war. . . is gay Sitting Congressman: I wanna go to war! [whole of congress murmurs in favour or war] Second Congressman at podium: [angry] I was the first one who wanted to go to war!
Thirdly, there’s always room for freaks. Stewie Griffin, the baby of the family, not only speaks but has a villianeous British accent. After all, they are American and the bad guys are always the English. Not bad for someone barely an infant. And what better match for a bisexual, villaneous baby than an alcohic dog. There are simply no bounds and there’s nothing sacred.
Further expanding on the last point, they mock real products in such a libelous way, i’d hate to be a lawyer for the network. But god I love watching it. One thing’s for certain, no one in Hollywood would be stupid enough to approach these guys to you know, tie in this episode with the launch of their new car. They’d cop it from here to kingdom come . . . and thank god someone’s doing it.
While the Family Guy can be absolutely ridiculous to the extreme, there are some references to the golden age of television, in a high art kind of way. A wikipedia article on the show suggests that creator Seth Macfarlane was very much inspired by Jackie Gleeson and The Honeymooners from the 50s. Infact the sex crazed character Quagmire is meant to be the epitome of the 50s Playboy. Whilst I for one am not really au fait with the golden age, there’s a certain quality to the characters the schtick and the occaisonal high art homages to Gleeson. Stewie’s character has also made many subtle references to the Kubrick movie, The Shining. Very nerdy, but very cool. So yes, this is a show for the trainspotters and history buffs.
Anyway hohning back to the original point about the mediocrity of television today, The Family Guy really has no competiton. Even spin off show American Dad hasn’t helped kick my addiction. It’s a less absurd crtique of a very security obsessed and neurotic America post 911. Kinda like a private joke you just don’t get. You just don’t feel a part of the hyperbole and can’t relate to it as easily as you can with Family Guy. Aside from that, you can only see so many episodes of The Simpsons in 15 odd years. And we’ve already worked out all the historical and cultural references. And never have they come as thick and fast than with the Family Guy.
In conclusion, Tim Rogers once said live in the intro to his song Letter for Gene "when I was a kid, my dad wouldn’t let me join the Kiss Army. There have been no notable side effects, but the urge to drink seven UDL gin and tonics before breakfast". Timmy, I feel the same way about the Family Guy. Just like Kiss in the seventies, this show’s more than a great distraction it’s an institution. Main character Peter Griffin is the antithesis of real life Eddie McGuire, and if you ask me all all out body of text. Time to watch a few more episode before bed . . .
Some friends of ours had booked a holiday house in Robe. Hey it was a 6 hour drive up there for one weekend, but hey why not! Turns our despite the crappy web site, Robe is pretty damn nice place to be! But the best thing about it is it’s surrounded by limestone coast and fantastic vineyards. About 80 minutes out of Robe, the town of Coonawarra is god’s gift to Wine tasting. There’s at least a dozen top shelf wineries on the main drag.
What not to get Plenty of Sauv Blancs and Cab Sauvs, although nothing that really stands out, except for the pricey Wynns numbers. All Chardonnay, Merlot and Shiraz here.
What to get Yalumba was probably the biggest surprise. They had this cracking Menzies Merlot that has asparagus and oysters on the nose! A bit freaky and a bit of a punt by the winemaker, but a treat to the palette. Infact the whole Menzies range was a highlight. Mellow Cab Sauvs with not enough backdone, nonetheless sublime. At least a dozen wines on tasting too.
Perhaps the best surprise was the Hollick Vineyard. Their Upstairs at Hollick restaurant was fantastic, so we had a spot of lunch there, overlooking the vines and the oak barrels in the cellar. Oh and celiacs (freaks that are allergic to wheat) and vegos are catered for. Anyway, they had some stellar whites. Most notably the Reserve Chardonnay is exceptional. This is a very lightly wooded Chardonnay, so it’s medium bodied and just damn well enjoyable. It takes a lot for me to get into Chardonnay, so this is the new precedent.
Sweet wine lovers, the Hollick Nectar is exactly that. Quite a remarkable sweet wine that will only get more like honey with age, but is sublime right now. Their Pinor Noir reminded me a little of the Prince Albery Pinot from Geelong. For those who came in late, that’s a tall order. Again mellow cab sauvs and a very meaty, nutmeg, chocolatey shiraz which was a little pricey at $37.50.
Zema Estates have a little range but a big reputation. Very much the family business and of the highest standard, Zema’s six wines are worth a look. The 2001 Cluney blend was consumed that night with a lamb pasta and was quite the shiznit! it should retail for around $20 and would go pretty much with any pasta or casserole quite nicely as the rest of the table would attest.
And last but not least, how could you go to Coonawarra without going to Wynns Coonawarra Estate? Well mostly their range was meh in a nutshell. It was surprising to find that they spent most of their time recommending other people’s wines! They did have the John Riddoch range on tasting though. So given that we’d come all this way, we bought the John Riddock Cab Sauv. Holy crap that was expensive.
A little more about Robe Robe is an awesome little spot with its own lake and beach. Everything is made out of limestone and the weather is always right for drinking. Plenty of holiday homes so no need for a cramped hotel. It definitely gives you the impression of an up and coming trendy area.
It’s close to Kingston, with some of the best crayfish i’ve ever had and about 80 minutes from Coonawarra. Next time we’ll be spending a lot more time than a weekend there, that’s for sure. Anyway have a look at some of the links in this article and get into it!
Not many docos on the market finish with a warning that under section 802 of the Patriot Act, you could be arrested under ‘Domestic Terrorism’ without charge and sent to Guantanamo Bay for viewing it. This one doesn’t even have the cursory copyright warning. Infact you’re freely encouraged to share it with others.
Whether or not you could ever get arrested for simple possession of a documentary film is yet to be seen. But this second installment ponders some serious questions for the US Government. Que bono? Bush administration? You betcha!
For those of you who have seen the first edition, there is a little overlap, but a whole lot of new content that flows on nicely. It’s very much in the same vein as the first, with plenty of newspaper quotes, an interview courtesy of Australian ABC radio with Hunter S Thomspon. At least 60% of it’s new and just as thought provoking as the original.
Fortunately this documentary is more palatable for a younger audience thanks to a funky New York DJ soundtrack, something you’ll never find on an Alex Jones or David Icke doco. The three guys that are responsible might not be historians, but that’s part of what makes it great. This not for profit production really hits home with a few Mythbusters style, ‘is this physically possible?’ factettes about the 911 attacks. I use the term factettes loosely. All facts are reasonably substantial and the producers freely encourage you to be skeptical and investigate further.
Here are some quick factettes covered in the second edition: - Marvin Bush, George W Bush’s youngest sibling was head of security at the Twin Towers until Sept 10, 2001. - near the Pentagon, FBI officers have confiscated security tapes from a nearby servoce station and the Hilton Hotel within minutes of the collision. These tapes would show if nothing else that a commerical jet did hit the Pentagon and not a missile. - the official coroner at the scene of the Pennsylvania crash said no bodies were found at the scene. - the black boxes from the Twin Towers attacks were never recovered, despite the fact that almost 99% of black boxes are both recoverable and workable in domestic US plane crashes. Yet despite this, one of the alleged hijacker’s passports feel over 100 stories and was found on the street. - the alleged cell phone calls that took place from one of the hijacked airliners would be impossible in 2001 at normal cruising altitudes. Certainly so given that American Airlines had to install mobile phone base stations on some of their planes in 2004. - in the Bin Laden confession tape, aired days after 911. Bin Laden was seen wearing a gold ring and was writing with his right hand. He’s not only left handed but fundamental Muslims are forbidden to wear gold jewellery. - at least 9 of the suicide bombers are still alive!
Now we’re just starting to get controversial and we’ve only just begun. from the Loose Change web site "And according the FAA, both N591UA and N612UA, Flights 93 and 175, are still valid. But Flights 11 and 77 are listed as destroyed." Strange that two planes that everybody saw crash and burn could still be in the air.
Better still the claim that the planes that hit the Twin Towers (probably the two the FAA still think are in service) were landed at an evacuated airport. Now even I think that might not be that plausible until I remember Mike Rupport mentioned the same thing in his book Crossing the Rubicon. That book has been out for at least a year and a half.
Now you might argue that Ruppert and guys are both a bunch of cooks, and that’s fine. Although there will be some of you that have actually read Ruppert’s book and fromthewilderness.org web site and will know him to be one of the most verbose, dedicated and articulate writers on subjects such as clandestine CIA operations, 911, peak oil and dodgy US economics.
So OK, what makes this crackpot conspiracy doco unique? Well these guys are in their early 20s and pledge to give a free DVD to anyone that can prove they lost a loved one in the 911 attacks. They are the true patriots that don’t just tow the party line, or do the Micheal Moore ‘profit from your politics’ emoticrap that made him a millionaire. These 3 New Yorkers don’t even show their faces in the main feature, which is true unbiased journalism. Their web site asks you to take nothing at face value and to check their references and make your own mind up.
A fantastic pro bono production to clearly demonstrate que bono. You simply must download this doco, while you still can. It’s amazing to see stuff like this actually happening via the internet at the grass roots level.
Well the old man upstairs certainly put on a good Sunday for it this year. The weather in Rutherglen was absolutely superb. Albeit not a centralised food and wine festival such as those at Werribee and Hanging Rock, each winery certainly made a go of it.
In a nutshell, for $5 you bought yourself a tasting glass. And for that, at every winery you go to, you can taste to your heart’s content - and that we did. If you like what you taste and fancy a bite, then you can have a meal and a glass of wine for $15. Each winery putting on a meal that suited their vino. Sounds good? Well keep reading!
Rutherglen is more known for it’s ports, muscats and a tannic little monster called Durif, kind of pronounced (Deau-reef). Until now i’ve had very little to do with this. But opportunities like this come only once. Durif is also known as Petit Syrah in the US of A because it’s made of tiny Syrah (Shiraz) grapes with really thick skins. This gives you a wine can be up to twice as tannic as a normal read that’s very full bodied and can mature easily for up to 20 years. So there were plenty of gruff reds going around.
First stop was Buller Wines. Frankly these guys did nothing for me with some not-so-peppery, not so fruity Shiraz. But hey, you be the judge of your own pallette. You could tell the quality was there in their wines though and they put on a pretty good show. Although their sushi meal for $15 was downright average. Room for improvement next year!
Next stop, Cofield wines, and what a result! These guys had a great history in the region and were very much the family business. Four brothers and the old man all on site plugging away. They had a pretty good selection of wines too no less. And definitely the most extensive range of Durifs and Shiraz in the region, and some great fruity whites. So I bought a bottle of their Jess Sauv Blanc, a cleanskin Petit Verdot and a Cab Sauv. Their meal was a fantastic little Barbequed Kangaroo and mango chutney thing with a Sparkling Shiraz which went down a treat!
G Sunderland Smith and Sons were among the oldest and most reputable in the region. Also the most ramshakle, despite being one of the first winemakers in Australia to ever win an international award. They had their tastings in an old shed down a dirt road and it really could’ve been done with a bit more panache. Anyway their wines definitely weren’t a let down and that’s what matters.
Finally All Saints estate certainly was a great way to end the day. Their castle has a reception centre and both wine tastings and a cheese shop. So we finished off with a glass of their Chardonnay and a cheese plate. Nothing to fault here. Definitely the highlight of the day. The vino is definitely on par as well and I ended up taking home their exceptional Bordeaux red, simply named the Pierre.
Because it’s a decentralised festival, you do have to drive from one winery to the next. Though they’re not far apart and it’s all the more fun that way anyway. Every winery had free breath testing machines and tea and coffee for designated drivers. So it was very well prepared.
Just let it be said that Rutherglen is a 3 hour drive from Melbourne one way! So be prepared for 6 hours driving or book a Hotel room early. But most importantly get in there and enjoy. Well worth the drive up!
Web links Rutherglen visitor info site - Details all the wineries in the regions, how to get there, accomodation, everything!
One days whilst trawling through the Wikipedia, I found articles on Suprnova and Napster. Basically big labels suing the little guy and libelous stuff like that. Somewhere in there, was the obligatory mention of Metallica and their stance on the file sharing issue. But then someone threw a wobbly. Beatallica?! Who the hell are they!?
Well so it turns out, they’re a band that combine Beatles songs with Metallica riffs, and actually pull it off quite well. Their singer does James Hetfield far better than Hetfield ever did and the lyricism (for anyone that knows the Metallica back catalogue) is nothing short of fantastic.
How Beatallica fit into whole file sharing thing is because of their not paying royalties to Sony, who own the Beatles back catalogue. A ‘cease and desist’ letter was sent out to the band members from Sony, which they thought would spell the end for the band. They must’ve put something up on their web site to that effect, and Lars Ulrich from Metallica got in touch with the webmaster. Lars in effect set Beatallica up with their lawyer and sent a ‘cease and go fuck yourself’ letter back to Sony on befalf of the band. And that was the end of that. David suddenly had another Goliath on their side. And with Metallica’s blessing the blessed satire continues.
Legalities aside, Beatallica have done for me what I thought would be damned near impossible: actually make me remember what I used to enjoy so much about Metallica and a basic appreciation for the Beatles tunes that I never had. These guys really are fantastic. Best of all, because of Sony’s law suit, they HAVE to give away their two albums and live tunes for free. So go to their beatallica web site and download everything!
Hey guys, I know you could just read this for yourselves at the You Am I forum, but the more syndication the better! As far as i’m concerned Timmy and the boys derserve all the grass roots publicity that they can get. And at last, a bit of clarification on why the release is called Convicts!
“Hey, d’you remember that night when you told me, ‘You know, you’re pretty good, but you’re no Ray Davies’?” asks Tim Rogers, with raised eyebrow and a sly grin, before cuffing me on the shoulder, laughing like a drain, and spluttering, “I’ll always remember that …”
To try and make amends for this gaffe, from a draughty vantage point roughly 4,000 miles north of your good self, this whinging pom would like to take a dew minutes of your valuable (drinking) time to reflect upon why Australia is one lucky-assed country to have a band like You Am I warming your cockles, nursing your broken hearts, and sound-tracking the downing of a schooner (or three).
Since 1992, You Am I have bagged seven ARIAS, set a record for three consecutive straight-in-at-No. 1 albums (“Hi-Fi Way”, “Hourly Daily”, “No. 4 Record”), attracted legions of adoring fans, sound-tracked two movies (Idiot Box, Dirty Deeds), picked up some heavyweight admirers/touring partners (Oasis, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth), been asked to gig with their idols (The Who, The Rolling Stones), gave foreign artists their first widespread exposure downunder (The Strokes, The Detroit Cobras, The Dirtbombs), AND inspired a host of Australian bands to do things their own damn way (Silverchair, Jet, The Vines, The Sleepy Jackson, Wolfmother, Dallas Crane, etc, etc). Well, that ain’t too shabby, for starters …
Now that we’ve got the maths outta the way (never anyone’s favourite part of the equation), it’s down to the real business at hand. Also, you can just forget them headlines concerning onstage meltdowns, celebrity dwarf tossing, and whiskey-stained action slacks, cos this here album offers cast iron proof that You Am I are still at the top of their game. And, as ever, ladies and germs, that game is pure-brewed rock’n’roll - in the form of a freshly-squeezed pint (and a half) of soul juice known as “Convicts”, You Am I’s first outing for their new home, Virgin/EMI.
To paraphrase the late Bob Hope, “Convicts” will put hairs on your chest (or other places), and part them in the middle. It’s a darned effective musical elixir for whatever ails you. It’s a quick (36 minutes), slightly grubby and occasionally freaky, 12-track reminder of Messrs Rogers, Hopkinson, Kent and Lane’s considerable collective charm. The sheer vim and vigour of “Convicts” makes it gosh-darn difficult to grokk that it’s YAI’s SEVENTH album – let alone their ninth, if you count live set “Saturday Night ‘Round Ten” and the double-disc retrospective, “The Cream & The Crock”.
From the feedback-strewn opening punch of “Thank God I’ve Hit The Bottom” (confesses Andy Kent, “We actually slowed that down”), it’s onwards and upwards in a riot of ear-melting rifferama. But never fear, tender hearts, as thanks to such tunes as the simply gorgeous “Secrets”, there’s also a Tim Rogers-sized portion of seriously heartstring-tugging humanity on the side.
If you ever danced your socks off at a “Rumble”, hit the pillow accompanied by “Heavy Heart”, played air guitar to “Who Put The Devil In You”, or got joyfully smashed while singing “waited all summer just to piss on your lawn”, then “Convicts” is a cert for your bar, boudoir or barbecue. No dreaded ‘comeback’ soft-soap here, this is the tightest AND loosest You Am I have ever sounded. It’s (yet) another Rogers-penned tour de force of rock’n’soul’garage’n’punk’n’beat’n’folk’n’country’n’Junk.
What makes “Convicts” all the more amazing is that its producer - veteran YAI mucker and “all-round good guy” Greg Wales - wrested this absolute rip-snorting monster of a rekkid from the tough’n’tender hooligans in a total of only 16 days in five different studios, spread haphazardly over the course of as many months. Rumour has it that they’ve even got enough material in the can for another album - whatta work ethic! Jeez, at this point in most band’s careers, they’re barely communicating, let alone working out their kinks (pun intended) on record, as You Am I do with “Convicts”’ supersonic second track, “It Ain’t Funny How We Don’t Talk Anymore”.
Yeah, bub, it seems like the whole darn world’s been starved of You Am I-style suss’n’strut for too frickin’ long. But nobody could accuse Tim, Rusty, Andy or Davey of resting on their laurels during You Am I’s hiatus, as each of ‘em managed to shoehorn another career into the available space: Tim toured all over the globe, acted on TV, and made a mighty fine, soul-scouring double album with The Temperance Union. Rusty started a record distribution business/label, Reverberation, and joined Radio Birdman, with whom he’s toured and made a new album. The inscrutable Andy Kent became a manager (and not just of You Am I, themselves), worked on boutique tours/records with Love Police and played bass on the latest Vines set. And for his part, dear Master Lane painted his own, full-length masterpiece with The Pictures, played with The Wrights and toured with Jimmy Barnes.
So, to sum up (and stop the waffling), “Convicts” is the new You Am I record, and it’s a cracker. Play it loud, right now, preferably at someone’s sister (or brother) …
Righty-ho, I’m off, and I guess I’ll see you at the bar? As Mr Rogers once suggested, during a lazy night in a smoky London boozer, “Let’s split this round – you do the poms, and I’ll get the convicts.”
Thank you god. Was reading the You Am I forums today and it appears more or less official that the new album will be called ‘Convicts’ (not ‘The Old Heave Ho’ as Tim Rogers speculated last year). It sounds like it’s going to be an absolute friggin’ corker:
You Am I sign with EMI
Seven albums into the rock and roll career of the much loved You Am I, and EMI is incredibly excited to confirm the band have signed a deal that will see the new album from this great Australian rock band released in May on the Virgin label.
Titled ‘Convicts’, the album was recorded in sixteen days over a three month period in five studios. Produced by Greg Wales in Sydney during 2005, it is described by Rusty as “a little bit punk, a little bit psychedelic with a beating heart of pure energy”.
Andy Kent said, “Feels good brothers and sisters.”
Tim Rogers said, “I’m calling it a comeback. We’re back fools!…..or mmm, We’re back, we’re fools”.
John O’Donnell, Managing Director of EMI Music Australia said, “You Am I are one of the best Australian bands of all-time. Their body of work has left an indelible stamp on this country over the last decade and more – and they have influenced just about every artist of substance to have emerged since they started. But as Johnny Thunders once said ‘you can’t put your arms around a memory’ and we only signed You Am I because when we heard ‘Convicts’ we immediately knew it was amongst their best work ever. We’re humbled and proud to be working with You Am I.”
Tim Rogers (guitar, voice), Andy Kent (bass), Russell ‘Rusty’ Hopkinson (drums) and David Lane (guitar), have been awarded seven ARIAs, while three of their albums — 1995’s Hi Fi Way, 1996’s Hourly, Daily and 1998’s #4 Record — all debuted at #1 on the ARIA chart, and the band have toured internationally to great acclaim. Oasis’ Liam Gallagher was heard to comment that they were “so fookin’ good, I want to put ‘em on me mantlepiece”.
‘Convicts’ will be released on May 13, with the single ‘It Aint Funny How We Don’t Talk Anymore’ released digitally on April 11.
So bitches, get out there and spread the word! Let’s make this the biggest YAI release ever!
Furthermore, since the Eddie McGuire franchise moved in, there’s no part of TV that can’t be bought. Why pay a production company for a risky sitcom that could be too highbrow, when you can buy some reality TV crap pre-heated with a just add water audience? You can’t loose baby! And before you even sell ads, you’ve made the real money, in product placement.
Well the old man upstairs certainly put on a good Sunday for it this year. The weather in Rutherglen was absolutely superb. Albeit not a centralised food and wine festival such as those at Werribee and Hanging Rock, each winery certainly made a go of it.