The first installment of Togatus in 2010! Jam-packed with various guides, hints and tips on everything O-Week, issue #1 will provide readers with comprehensive coverage of the O-Week events.
In addition, there are a host of profiles, features, reviews and interviews! Enjoy!
Summer festival season is once again upon us and we’re kicking it off with The Falls Festival at our very own and very beautiful Marion Bay. In case the timetable is making you dizzy, here are our picks of unmissable acts to make life a little clearer. We've left out a few of the bigger, more self-explanatory acts to give you a bit more of an education on the rest!
Friday, December 30:
Alpine: 12:23 – 1:05pm – Valley
Genre: Healing & EasyListening, Psychedelic, Tropical
Herald from: Melbourne, Australia
Make Up: Phoebe, Lou, Phil, Christian, Ryan and Tim
Sounds Like: Phoenix, Lykke Li and The XX
You Might Know:
The Scientists of Modern Music: 1:25 – 2:15pm – Valley
Genre:Electronica
Herald from: Hobart, Australia
Make Up: Cal Young & Simon McIntosh
Sounds Like: Grafton Primary, Midnight Juggernaughts, Late of the Pier
You Might Know:
Kimbra: 2:35-3:25 – Valley
Genre:whimsical soul pop
Herald from: North Island, NZ
Make Up: Kimbra Johnson
Sounds Like: Janelle Monae, Camille, Nina Simone
You Might Know:
Aloe Blacc: 6:15-7:15 – Valley
Genre: Hip Hop, Soul, Funk
Herald from: Los Angeles, USA
Make Up: Aloe Blacc
Sounds Like: John Legend, Bill Withers
You Might Know:
The Naked and Famous: 7:35-8:25pm – Valley
Genre: Mix of electro pop and indie rock
Herald from: Auckland, NZ
Make Up: Aaron Short, Alisa Xayalith, David Beadle, Jesse Wood, Thom Powers
Sounds Like: Foster the People, Tim and Jean, MGMT
You Might Know:
The Wonderful World of DJ Yoda: 8:40-9:40pm – Valley
Genre: Scratch DJ, tongue-in-cheek mixing style of audio and visual
Herald from: London, UK
Make Up: Duncan Beiny
Sounds Like: Girl Talk, Yacht Club Djs
You Might Know:
Crystal Castles: 12:45-1:45am – Valley
Genre: experimental electronica
Herald from: Canada
Make Up: Ethan Kath. Alice Glass
Sounds Like: Heartsrevolusion, Kap Bambino
You Might Know:
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: 2:05am-2:55am – Valley
Genre: Electro / Powerpop / Techno
Herald from: London, UK
Make Up: Edmund Finnia & Orlando Higginbottom
Sounds Like: SBTRKT, The 2 Bears
You Might Know:
Saturday, December 31
Lanie Lane: 12:10-12:55pm – Field
Genre: blues, roots, jazz, pop, country
Herald from: Sydney, Australia
Make Up: Lanie Lane
Sounds Like: Dorris Day, Berlinist
You Might Know:
Grouplove: 1.00-1:40 – Valley
Genre: Indie Rock
Herald from: Los Angeles, USA
Make Up: Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd, Ryan Rabin, Hannah Hooper, Andrew Wessen
Sounds Like: Foster the People, Born Ruffians, Givers
You Might Know:
CSS: 3:20-4:10pm – Valley
Genre: Rock
Herald from: Brazil
Make Up: Lovefoxxx , Adriano Cintra, Luiza Sá, Ana Rezende, Iracema Trevisan and Carolina Parra.
Sounds Like: Yelle, Copacabana Club
You Might Know:
Beirut: 2:00-3:00pm – Valley
Genre: Indie Rock & World Music
Herald from: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Make Up: Zach Condon
Sounds Like: Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver
You Might Know:
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: 4:00-4:50pm – Field
Genre: Alien beatnik pop music
Herald from: NZ
Make Up: Ruban Nielson
Sounds Like: CANT, Real Estate
You Might Know:
The Jezabels: 5:40-6:30 – Valley
Genre: Indie
Herald from: Sydney, Australia
Make Up: Nik Kaloper, Samuel Lockwood, Hayley Mary, Heather Shannon
Sounds Like: Boy & Bear, Washington, Sparkadia
You Might Know:
Metronomy: 7:15-8:15pm – Field
Genre: Electronica, dance
Herald from: Devon, UK
Make Up: Joseph Mount, Anna Prior, Oscar Cash and Gbenga Adelekan
Sounds Like: The Rapture, Digitalism, Late of the Pier
You Might Know:
Tim Finn: 8:25-9:25 – Valley
Genre: Indie, Folk
Herald from: NZ
Make Up: Tim Finn
Sounds Like: Crowded House, Split Enz
You Might Know:
Pnau: 12:45-1:45am – Valley
Genre: Electronica, dance
Herald from: Sydney, Australia
Make Up: Peter Mayes and Nick Littlemore
Sounds Like: The Presets, Grafton Primary, Miami Horror
You Might Know:
Yuri Lee is the co-founder, director of content and community for the hugely successful Lookbook.nu, a collective fashion consciousness where members can upload images of their personal style and document their style evolution while sourcing inspiration from other Lookbookers images and profiles. I had the wonderful opportunity to interrogate Miss Yuri Lee and learn all about the conception, birth and growth of her website and a forecast of what she expects to see next season.
Who are you and where are you from?
I grew up in Orange County, but now live in the San Francisco area. I graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Art History but have no formal fashion, styling or development training. I’ve always loved fashion and the arts!
How was Lookbook.nu born?
My boyfriend and I started it from our apartment in San Francisco in 2008. I was really inspired by The Sartorialist blog at the time and my programmer boyfriend wanted to build something. We thought it would be cool if real people from all over the world could somehow share their everyday style with each other. So we came up with the idea for Lookbook.nu!
How did it develop into what it is today?
We think up fun and useful features for our community and then we work really hard to build them. There is a lot of work to be done, we have some top secret ideas we’ve been mulling over, hopefully we will finish them soon, but we all love fashion and want to make an amazing site!
How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is minimal and a bit romantic. I love 19th century books, surrealism and I used to be a ballet dancer so I love satin, costumes and things that sparkle. I look up to Lady GaGa and I’m always inspired by talented Lookbookers. I have a profile, I should post more but I’m always stuck behind a computer!
What’s your favourite current trend and what trends do you predict for the future?
My favourite trend is completely white outfits, it’s so minimal and light! I see a lot of feminine styling happening now, so maybe something bold and strong.
If your wardrobe was on fire and you could only save one thing, what would it be?
My Comme Des Garcons geometric shirt!
On September 28, Hobart’s State Cinema rolled out the red carpet to host the premiere of Daniel Nettheim’s film The Hunter. Undeterred by the threat of rain and the flocks of small black beetles hurling themselves from the sky, the guests turned out in droves for what promised to be an evening unlike any other previously seen in Hobart. Based on a novel by Julia Leigh and produced by Animal Kingdom’s Vincent Sheehan, the film chronicles the journey of a mercenary, played by internationally acclaimed Willem Dafoe, who has been sent from Europe in search of the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger. Shot almost entirely in the Tasmanian wilderness, it drips with the grandeur of the Tasmanian landscape. From the harsh snowstorms atop iconic Mount Wellington, to the heart of the forest; the film showcases the natural beauty of our state in a way never seen before. Togatus writers Emily Dunn and Chloe Mayne sidelined the red carpet, before descending the staircase to the afterparty, where they mingled with the guests and chatted to them about the evening.
WILLEM DAFOE
Q: How’s the reception been in Hobart tonight?
Willem: You know what, the people here are very sweet; that was my experience when we were here shooting as well. It’s funny – I’m a guest, so you’d expect me to be polite, but it’s beyond that. Hobart’s a special place.
Q: Did you enjoy your time here in Tasmania?
Willem: Very much, very much – for lots of reasons. It was a good place to be and the only place we could have made it; Tasmania’s a very important part of this movie.
Q: How did you find the landscape here in Tasmania compared to that of some of your other films, Platoon for example?
Willem: The truth is that the landscape was a landscape I didn’t know. It was very different. But the films both deal with nature, and it’s about trying to find the truth in the performance.
Q: Do you believe the Tasmanian Tiger’s still out there?
Willem: [Laughs] I think, sensibly, it probably isn’t around – we’re told scientifically it probably isn’t around, but it’s nice to think that it could be.
Q: Could you ever see yourself living in Tasmania?
Willem: You know what, it is a fantasy! That’s an interesting thought [laughs].
Q: What was it like working with Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor?
Willem: Great! They’re both great, and the kids in the film are great too. Sam I knew, because I’d worked with him two times before; he’s really a great man and a great actor. He’s a lot of fun to be around.
Q: What do you think about a sequel if the Tassie Devil becomes extinct?
Willem: [Laughs] I don’t think this is a sequel movie, but let’s enjoy it for what it is, shall we!
Q: Do you think the mainlanders are too hard on us?
Willem: Ah, I definitely do! I definitely do.
DIRECTOR DANIEL NETTHEIM AND PRODUCER VINCENT SHEEHAN
Q: The film’s absolutely fantastic, what was it like shooting down here in Tasmania?
Daniel: It was fantastic! The landscapes are beautiful. We were welcomed by everyone we met, we had a lot of great support on the ground here; we didn’t want to leave!
Q: What’s the reception been like here tonight?
Daniel: It’s really exciting! I think there’s a great vibe. We’ve been really looking forward to coming back to present the film here. Certainly the publicity has been great, the reviews have been really strong so far, and I’m hoping we get a great audience tonight.
Q: Willem’s said that he was particularly looking forward to this red carpet, do you feel the same way?
Daniel: We spent a lot of time down here, and there’s a real sentimental attachment. The last few weeks of our pre-production and the first week of the shoot were all based around Hobart, and we got to know it pretty well.
Q: What do you think this movie will mean for Tasmania, showcasing it to the world?
Vincent: I think that’s already been demonstrated by our screening in Toronto [at the Toronto International Film Festival], where afterwards there was so much thought and discussion at the question-and-answer about Tasmania; about the landscape, about the world here, that’s all the questions were about.
Q: Did you feel the love here in Hobart?
Vincent: I absolutely felt the love! The reception mirrored that of when we came down here to work. Sharing the film with the people here tonight is really important to us, because they should own it as much as we do.
Daniel: I also hope that more local Australian filmmakers come here, that the film opens their eyes to Tasmania as a location, and as a shooting destination. It’s certainly very easy to get here, very easy to shoot here – we had a lot of support, and there’s just such a variety of great locations.
WILL HODGMAN
Q: Will Hodgman, are you looking forward to seeing the film tonight?
Will: Very much so! It’s going to be fantastic. I told the kids we were going to see the Green Goblin [laughs].
Q: Do you think The Hunter will be good for tourism in the state?
Will: Absolutely, it’ll be tremendous; especially for Meander Valley, where much of this was filmed. I’ll be looking forward to seeing our state on the world stage.
PREMIER LARA GIDDINGS (AFTER THE FILM)
Q: What did you think of the film, Lara?
Lara: I thought it was great! Though I have to say that for us Tasmanians it feels like one needs to watch it twice – the first time I couldn’t help but look out for locations and people that I knew the entire way through!
For his feature film debut he took an award winning novel about one man on the hunt for the Tasmanian tiger and turned it into a work that attracted an international star, national media attention and a huge opportunity for Tasmania. Togatus spoke with Daniel Nettheim, the Director of the new film, The Hunter, which stars the man best known for his role as the Green Goblin, Willem Dafoe.
Q: Willem Dafoe has generated a lot of media attention for the movie, was it difficult to get him onboard in the first place?
A: It was actually surprisingly easy. We didn’t send the script out until we were pretty confident with it – and it did take eight years to write the script – but it was remarkably straightforward. We sent the script to his manager who liked it and passed it on to him and we got a call saying Willem was interested. No, “intrigued” was the word. I immediately booked a flight to New York to try and convert that into a meeting. At the end of the meeting he said, “great, I would like to work with you guys.”
Q: At what point did you decide that he was the one you wanted for the main character?
A: From very early on in writing the script we were interested in Willem. We were kind of fortunate that the main character was an outsider. The world was our oyster in terms of our casting opportunities so we wrote a list of our favourite actors, and then we had to go “right, who is approachable among these people”. I found out that Willem was actually a pretty approachable person. He’d done another film in Australia called Daybreakers. I knew people who had worked on it and they all spoke highly of Willem and what a great collaborator he was. I thought in this world of ego driven stars he sounds like a person that would be great to go on this journey with.
Q: You also have a strong Australian cast, was it harder in a way to convince them as mainlanders to come down here?
A: To tell the truth everyone was really enthusiastic about coming down to Tassie. Sam Neill was here for longest apart from Willem. Also Francis and the kids were pretty much booked for the duration of the seven-week shoot. But a bunch of other really great actors from Melbourne and Sydney who we love – Sullivan Stapleton, Callan Mulvey, Dan Wylie, Dan Spielmen, Jamie Timony – they came for a day or two at time. They all commented on what a great atmosphere there was around the shoot and how beautiful it was to come down to Tasmania to do a day or two of work, go back home and come back later to rejoin the crew. None of them could wait to come back.
Q: What was it like working with Willem? I’ve heard him use the word collaboration about this film.
A: It really was. The script didn’t really indicate a whole lot of backstory or history or personal details, so it was really a role for an actor to take ownership of and invent a lot of the details. That is kind of how I pitched it to Willem in the first place and fortunately for me that is how he really likes to work, as opposed to being delivered a fully fleshed out character with all the details and not being able to participate in the realisation of that character.
The interesting thing about working with Willem is that he is really particular about doing things himself. He didn’t want a stunt double. There is one stunt double for one shot where he falls off a cliff, but for everything else he said, “you can’t double me with someone else, it’s got to be me.” When we are doing these really wide helicopter shots, that little person in the frame is always Willem. He would put on this heavy pack and walk for hundreds of metres away from the assistants, who would be hiding from trees so we couldn’t see them from the chopper. There is a shot near the beginning of the film where he is heading into the wilderness. It’s beautiful, the chopper comes up and around and you see him on this really amazing backdrop. We had to have a few goes at it. I would radio, “just keep walking in that direction,” and he would radio back, “sorry what direction? I can’t even see you, where are you?”. What I didn’t realise was the button grass he was walking on is really difficult to walk on. That stuff is just so marshy and so boggy. The film doesn’t show that- it looks like it should be easy and I had no idea. So we kept calling out “keep going, stop acting, we are going to appear at any moment.”
Another time you see him as a silhouette on the top of the mountain and he starts climbing down the rocks. I hadn’t been up there and I was down the bottom with the radio saying, “can you ask Willem to move a bit faster, he seems to be taking his time climbing down those rocks.” And the assistant would say, “I told him and he says he is trying. He says it’s a bit hard.” And I’m thinking it doesn’t look too hard. A bit later we went up there to film a shot looking down, and what I didn’t realise there were forty foot chasms between the rocks that would have killed him if he’d fallen. I had to apologise and go, “hey, sorry for bossing you round like that, I had no idea.” I guess my point is, and this is one of the comments Willem made after seeing the film, is that we’ve captured the way the environment looks, but we actually haven’t captured the physical reality of what it’s like moving through those locations.
Q: Had you been to Tas before you got involved with this film?
A: Yeah, quite a bit. My cousins have always lived in Tasmania, so from a young age we were coming down for Christmas holidays in Launceston. So I knew about the beauty of the place from quite early on.
Q: I’ve heard the nature is like an extra character in the film. Was that intentional?
A: Absolutely. The landscape plays such an important dramatic role. We were really careful in picking our locations in as much as they always had to serve the story in a specific way. Each of the landscape choices reflects a certain part of the narrative, but also an emotional state. Often Willem wasn’t playing opposite any other human actors in the scene and there was a lot of stuff of him alone in the wilderness. What he is reacting to and responding to is the environment itself, just like he would be with any other actor.
Q: How did you cope with the elements? There has been talk of leeches and bad weather.
A: Most people on film shoots have great outdoor gear. There is nothing worse than being cold and wet on set when you are there for ten hours trying to film. We were prepared for extremes and quick variations in temperatures and conditions. So that was fine, but the trick is what you are getting on screen. I knew that the weather could change really rapidly, like four seasons in one hour. We realised we had to work with that because we were never going to be able to fight it. So we had a pretty adaptable schedule. We always had a plan for what scenes we were going to shoot during the day, but we had the flexibility to change them around if the weather changed. For example, there were scenes I wanted to shoot in snow. On Mount Wellington, we were lucky enough to get the first snowfall in six weeks on the one day we were shooting up there. I knew we had all these scenes that had to be shot in snow so we quickly changed around the schedule and shot the snow scenes.
Q: Do you believe that the Tasmanian tiger is still out there?
A: I’d love to believe it. I think that science tells us it is not possible, but there seems to be so much belief on the island and from the people we spoke to. When you look at that vast world heritage area with no roads and very limited access, if it wanted to hide it’s got plenty of places. The only thing that I really want to see is a photo of it. There are a couple of sightings a year and some of those make it into the press, but it’s a bit funny that no one’s managed to pull out their iPhones and get a shot.
Q: What made you chose this specific story as your first feature film?
A: I read the novel about ten years ago and I was really attracted to the strong emotional journey of the main character. Also, the cinematic potential of the landscape that was described so beautifully in the book that it made me want to come back down here and have a look at those places.
Q: So you read the book when it first came out?
A: Yeah, both Vincent Sheehan and I were at the book launch and we read the book at the same time and a couple of months later we met up and talked about doing it as a film together.
Q: So you know the writer of the book?
A: Yeah Julia and I had been co-editors at Honi Soit, the Sydney University newspaper back in the very late eighties. At the time we were writing a lot of film reviews. We both had an interest in film back then. I ended up going off to film school and Julia finished her law studies and became a novelist. We did always have this shared passion for cinema. So I think that history helped us get the rights to this story.
Q: How was adapting the book to the movie?
A: The adaptation wasn’t obvious, because the book is a beautiful work of literature and it’s also very internal. A lot of the book takes place inside the character’s head and you can’t really show that on the screen. We kind of made a disciplined decision not to use voice over narration or not to use flashbacks to fill in this character’s backstory. We wanted to tell the story purely in the present tense as it unravels. So we had to fill in a lot of the narrative ellipsis and big holes in the plot – that is the luxury of the novelist, but as a filmmaker you can’t get away with leaving out that information.
Q: What was your favourite part of making the film?
A: Probably being in Tasmania. Being on location, away from home, it really contributes to the adventure. As a crew we were living the adventure of the main character in that we were outsiders, we were away from home, we were battling weather and seeing beautiful landscapes. Shooting in Tasmania was really the highlight.
Any fun moments?
Well we had great catering. In Deloraine, where we stayed for five weeks, there was this pizza restaurant called Red and the staff realised very early that if they stayed open past eight o’clock they would have thirty or forty people in. There were five other restaurants in town that didn’t quite cotton on. As a result, this restaurant became our home away from home. We’d go up there every night. Sometimes it would only be five people, sometimes it would be thirty, but we became really good friends with the guys in the restaurant and they ended up hosting screenings for us, staying open as late as they could. It was great and they also had a really good wine list, so a lot of Tassie Pinot was drunk.
Q: Have you always wanted to direct a film?
A: I was one of those kids who were making super eight films when they were in high school. Ever since I was about twelve-years-old and I saw Peter Weir’s film Picnic at Hanging Rock I had been enamoured of the possibilities of doing that. After school I ventured in photography and art school, but did eventually come back to film school. I’d always had an interest in working in that medium. Eventually I landed in directing.
Q: You’ve also done a lot of television?
A: Since coming out of film school I’ve done a lot of stuff, particularly series television on some great shows. I love doing that. That is my career. The film is almost like a luxury. If you get to make a film every five to ten years in this country then you’re privileged. I’d like to keep balancing the two.
Q: How is being a film director in Australia?
A: It’s probably easier than some places and harder than others. We don’t have the population like the US or the UK to generate a lot of local product. That being said, I think we have a healthy industry for our size. There is great government support, which a lot of places don’t have. I think the trick to getting a film made in this country is having a good project.
Q: What is next for you?
A: I haven’t decided what my next film project will be; I’m reading a few scripts and hoping to get back into good TV soon.
A CONVERSATION WITH JAE LAFFER FROM THE PANICS
After spending a number of years abroad The Panics return to Australia to celebrate the release of their fourth full-length album, Rain on the Humming Wire. Recorded at Dreamland Studios in the isolation of the forests just outside of the infamous Woodstock, the band spent over a month without any company but themselves – resulting in an introspective and intimate sound of bittersweet heartache, while simultaneously managing to be a grandiose, sweeping panorama of the Australian landscape.
How would you describe Rain on the Humming Wire in comparison to your last release, Cruel Guards?
Well, I think it’s a more insular and a claustrophobic kind of record – the lyrics are more personal and enclosed. There’s a lot of looking inwardly, but it’s far more full of energy and hope; it works together in some kind of way to create a dark space, but it’s still got a lot of hope in it.
It’s been four years since Cruel Guards was released, what has the band been up to in the meantime?
We’ve been doing a bunch of stuff! It did take us by surprise when suddenly we realised and it’d been a few years – but we’ve been making music together since high school. This is our fourth album, plus we had a few EPs so we’ve been pretty consistent. Cruel Guards has done the best for us so far and kept us very busy. We were offered lots of tours and we were so energised by all of the things that were happening to us – huge crowds at festivals, people wanting to use our songs, putting us on television... We took that feeling, then we went to England for the best part of the year and wanted to replicate that kind of thing. Suddenly you realise there’s a whole world of people out there, and why shouldn’t your music be popular in all of these other places? So we did that – a lot of travelling, a lot of touring, we went to America a couple of times. We’ve been writing songs, piecing together music and slowly figuring out how the songs were going to come together. It’s just how long it has to take.
What’s the hardest thing about constantly being on the road?
Not that anything’s hard, I mean nobody forces us to do it, but it tests a lot of relationships. You have to be away from people for a long time and learn to exist in that world. There’s a lot in this record about realising that world of being out there and dedicated to your band, your music, spending a lot of time alone – that’s the path that I chose, it’s who I am and I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
So there’s obviously an upside to it as well, right?
[Laughs] At the end of the day, there aren’t many better ways to see places and meet people than being in a band. When it’s a band you’re really proud of it’s a lot of fun. I’ve got great memories of going around Scotland last year playing gigs; suddenly you get to go in and play in some old venue full of people. It’s a great way to see the world, meet locals and spread new music. It’s a great feeling, seeing your CDs in peoples’ hands way over in Northern England and your song comes on the radio. It gives you a lot of energy.
Which place would you most like to go back to?
Well, not so much revisit – there are lots of places I’d still like to go. I’ve been to America a few times, would love to stay there and live.
I have to say, I fell in love with San Francisco at first sight – have you been there yet?
I haven’t been there, but everyone that has, starts annoying the hell out of you for about a year saying how great it is! I can imagine it’s excellent.
What was the last album you put on repeat?
A lot of old stuff, my favourite old people like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. I’ve been listening to Jay-Z a lot actually; I’m a big fan, I think he’s great! I like a lot of hip hop music. I like confident, crazy lyric writing, and things that make me laugh. I get a lot out of that.
What about the last really memorable gig that you went to?
I really enjoyed Splendour in the Grass. There were a few bands there that completely blew me away – especially Pulp and Kanye West. I’ve got endless amounts of time for people that put on a show that is just... huge. So far, they were the slightly life changing gigs of the year for me.
The Panics have been playing together for over a decade now – what’s the secret to launching a career while maintaining the friendship you share?
In all seriousness, it’s probably just to make sure you put the friendship first. It’s very healthy to be focussed on your career, to work towards something and have goals, but at the same time keeping respect for one another. If we get along and things are good then we’re gonna be able to keep this situation going, because it’s a good combination. If we can keep this up then I look forward to seeing what we’re capable of achieving in the future. The main thing to keep it good – have a nice time. You don’t want to spend too much time stressing.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Well, I’ll be rehearsing and then I’ve gotta go down to the ABC and do a couple of acoustic songs for some programs. Then it’s Friday night! So hopefully I’ll have some wonderful friends around to buy me a drink, or I’ll buy them one.
How do you feel about the future of Australian music, where do you think it’s all heading?
I’ll tell you what, it’s very active and creative right now. It can only get better. I grew up in Perth and only occasionally would a band from Perth get recognised and played on national radio, but now – through a lot of hard work – there’s about twenty bands doing that. I think that’s a good example. I’ve seen a lot of groups make music of great quality; as long as people stay creative and do their own thing, create unique music, write about wherever they’ve grown up, their neighbourhood, and make unique observations about their country.
Are there any up and coming Australian acts that you’re particularly excited about?
Groups I’ve seen at recent festivals, that kind of thing, I saw The Jezabels recently and thought they were great. Tim and Jean were really cool, exciting pop disco stuff – I thought that was great too. That’s just off the top of my head, but there are heaps more.
Are you going to be playing in Hobart to launch the new album, Rain on the Humming Wire?
Yes we are, we’re gonna play at Wrest Point. I know it’s a big one, we played there with Bernard Fanning a while ago; an ambitious choice, but we’ve worked on a really, really good show. That’s on the September 30, looking forward to it.
QUESTIONS FOR DEAD LETTER CIRCUS
You've just wrapped up your tour of the UK, how did it go?
The shows were great and everyone we met was a real pleasure to talk to. It was our first time over there and we will definitely be getting back ASAP.
You're now playing throughout America, have there been any highlights so far? Are you looking forward to playing anywhere in particular?
We're in Memphis Tennessee tonight on the last leg of the tour with Animals As Leaders and Intronaut. We’re 24 shows down and five to go. That’s a total of 29 shows in 30 days… epic! We had a pretty crazy night in South Carolina that involved stage diving from the bar and shooting people in the ass with blow darts. They’re crazy down there! I'm pretty excited about going to Kansas City, being a fan of the Wizard of OZ and all.
America is a long way from Brisbane which is where you're from, what do you miss about Australia?
It's a long way from home, that’s for sure. I can't wait to get back to Australia and kick off our "No Fracking Way Tour", and I miss being at home in my own bed and being able to shower in my own shower instead of some dodgy hotel where you have to wear your flip flops to avoid fungal infections.
Do you find the international crowd different to the Australian crowd? If so, in what ways?
We're still winning over the American crowds, but it’s been an awesome vibe and it’s growing every show. It was quite funny hearing the singalongs with a strong British accent when we were in the UK. Ultimately though nothing beats a home crowd!
Are you looking forward to performing in Tasmania?
Absolutely, it’s a beautiful place and we've met some really nice people there.
Your debut album This is the Warning did well upon its release in Australia last year, have you begun writing the next one?
Ideas are being thrown around and seeds are growing!
This is the Warning came in at number 86 in Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian Albums of all Time, congratulations! How does it feel to be alongside classic Australian bands like AC/DC and Midnight Oil?
Thankyou! We got lucky there. I hope that one day we have as many achievements under our belt as they do. They are two of Australia's finest.
How did the band come up with such a unique name, “Dead Letter Circus”?
We are all under oath not to talk about it until 2012
Which is your favourite song to perform live?
At the moment I'm really enjoying “The Space On The Wall”. It gets a really good bounce going on and the singalongs in the middle are always passionate. There are some great voices out there.
What's next on the agenda for Dead Letter Circus?
More touring. We have a five-week tour when we get back to Australia called the "No Fracking Way Tour" to raise awareness of the negative effects that coal seam gas mining has on our environment and what we can do to stand up against it. Then we'll squeeze in some more writing time and get ourselves over to the UK, maybe pay a visit to Germany and then off to America again.
The Tasmania University Union (TUU) is holding its annual elections for all elected positions between Tuesday, September 13th 2011 and Thursday September 15th 2011.
All currently enrolled students are eligible to vote. We encourage all students to have their say in the upcoming elections - the TUU elections are a way that students can get involved and decide the direction of campus culture, student welfare, sports clubs and societies among many other things. The TUU has engaged the Tasmanian Electoral Commission to conduct elections. Mr Peter Weldon of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission has been appointed as Returning Officer.
POSITIONS
STATEWIDE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
President
Postgraduate President
General Secretary
(A candidate cannot nominate for more than one of the above positions)
STATEWIDE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Enrolment Status General Representative
Regional Status General Representative
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL SOUTH
Vice President South
Regional Secretary
Activities Officer
Education Officer
International Students Officer
Sports (South) President
Societies (South) President
Postgraduate Representative
Male Welfare Officer
Female Welfare Officer
Sexuality Officer
Environmental Officer
Art School Representative
Clinical School Representative
Conservatorium Representative
2 General Representatives
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL NORTH
Vice President North
Regional Secretary
Activities Officer
Education Officer
International Students Officer
Clubs & Societies (North) President
Welfare Officer
Postgraduate Representative
Arts Faculty Representative
Business Faculty Representative
Education Faculty Representative
Health Science Faculty Representative
Science & Engineering Faculty Representative
Inveresk Representative
AMC Representative
Sydney Nursing Representative
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL CRADLE COAST
Vice President Cradle Coast
Regional Secretary
Postgraduate Representative
Rural Clinical School Representative
TIAR Representative
4 General Representatives
NOMINATIONS
Nominations are invited from students of the University who meet the
regional enrolment and nomination conditions for positions.
Nomination forms are available from www.tuu.com.au or the:
. TUU Contact Centre - Sandy Bay Campus
. TUU Contact Centre - Newnham Campus
. Reception area - Cradle Coast Campus
Nomination forms are to be submitted in a locked box provided at one of the
above locations.
Alternatively, if students are unable to submit their form at one of the
above campus locations, their nomination form may be lodged, posted, emailed
as a scanned image, or sent by facsimile to the Returning Officer at the
Tasmanian Electoral Commission (see contact details below).
Nominations must be received before 4.30pm Monday 29 August 2011.
As part of nomination, candidates may provide a photo and statement that
will be published on the TUU website.
Further information is available from campus locations or the Tasmanian
Electoral Commission (see contact details below).
VOTING
Polling will be conducted from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday, September 13th 2011
to Thursday September 15th 2011. Polling places are to be advised.
Overseas students and students not in Tasmania during the polling period can
visit www.electoral.tas.gov.au/tuu for details on how to vote.
TIMETABLE
Nominations close 4.30pm Monday 29 August 2011
Polling period Tuesday, September 13th to Thursday September
15th 2011
Close of ballot 5pm Thursday September 15th 2011
Further TUU election information can be obtained from the TUU at
www.tuu.com.au <http://www.tuu.com.au/> or from the Tasmanian Electoral
Commission at www.tec.tas.gov.au/tuu <http://www.tec.tas.gov.au/tuu> ,
Email tuu.election@tec.tas.gov.au , Phone 1800 801 701 Fax 6224 0217
Interview with Marcus Azon from Jinja Safari
Jarrah: You’re just about to embark on a national tour, what can audiences expect from your show?
Marcus: Well, they can expect our banner! Our new home made banner. It’s going to have a little logo that Joe designed, our bass player, and maybe a bit of bamboo. Well, what else can you expect from a live show… not really sure, but that’s what’s kind of cool about a live show. The sort of live show that we like to play [are the ones where] you don’t know what’s going to happen, it could go really good, or really bad, and that’s the fun thing about live music, and that’s why people come, for the possibility that things might go a little bit hairy.
J: What was the inspiration for your song, Peter Pan?
M: It came about the first weekend that Pepa and I were writing songs together; we started the project just the two of us. Pepa’s a really great producer, and we actually recorded it all at his house up on the central coast of NSW. We just recorded a whole bunch of song ideas, and Pepa had a guitar and just came up with a riff and started throwing around some ideas. After we recorded some songs we put them all up on Myspace and our Triple J Unearthed page to see if anyone would get interested in them, and that’s how we met our manager Blake. He gave our songs to Triple J and told us to take all our songs down and just put up Peter Pan, and that’s what gave us our first boost and our first single.
J: It must be amazing when you hear your songs on the radio.
M: You feel a bit detached. It doesn’t feel like you singing. The guitar that I got when I was 15 has a very distinct sound, so when I hear that sound [of my guitar] on the radio it’s strange, because I’ve known that sound since I was 15. It’s a hard thing to describe. I feel very proud of my little guitar that it’s made it onto radio.
J: How did you and Pepa and the rest of Jinja Safari react after winning the Triple J Unearthed competition and being given the opportunity to perform at Splendour?
M: They organised a conference call and called us up all at the same time, and we all just kind of yelled on the phone. There was about two minutes of just static and screaming and hollering and animal noises on the phone.
J: You grew up in Tasmania Marcus, do you have any plans during your time here while on tour?
M: My little sister is getting married on the day after our gig and Alistair and I will be singing at her wedding. We’ll also probably try and go up the East Coast, up to Douglas River because that’s where Alistair and I started jamming again a couple of years ago after I moved away from Hobart and we hadn’t had close contact with each other for a while.
J: Jinja Safari will be spending a lot of time together during the tour, do you think you’ll get sick of each other?
M: Oh, absolutely. We’ve been rehearsing together for two hours today and we’re already sick of each other. We find ways of getting around it, and we’re all such different people, but we all like the same sort of music and can generally find a middle ground. We’ve become such good friends; we’re all kind of brothers now.
J: What does Jinja Safari have in their sight after the national tour?
M: There’s going to be a couple more releases later in the year, and there’s going to be another tour later this year for those that missed out on tickets for the show, because a lot of the shows got sold out. There’s some talk of an overseas trip early next year and hopefully an album release around the same.
Interview with Vanessa Thornton from Jebediah.
Since their inauguration 21 years ago, Australian rock and roll giants Jebediah have done it all. Big Day Out’s, nation-wide tours, hit singles, top 10 albums and supporting mammoth acts such as the Presidents of the USA.
Iconic hits such as “Leaving Home”, “Harpoon” and “Military Strongmen” are forever locked in the minds of rock and roll fans who have lived through the nineties and naughties, but the band continues to expand their horizons and repertoire with their latest album Kosciuszko and national tour.
Julius Ross spoke to Jebediah’s bassist, Vanessa Thornton, about their latest release, working with the band following a hiatus and eating WAMI awards.
JR You’re just about to embark on a national tour, how is everything looking at the moment?
VJ: I can’t really complain, everything is pretty bloody good – the sun is out as well, can life get any better? I’m just looking to play as many gigs as I can and spend as many nights as I can in pubs and clubs and play rock and roll.
T: Kosciuszko is the latest release for Jebediah after a long hiatus which commenced back in 2005. Was it hard for the band to work together after such a long absence?
We were actually still jamming together and playing odd shows together here and there, but I guess we’re excited to still be playing together and writing songs that we like.
At the end of 2008 and the end of 2010 we made trips to the east coast of Australia and played in capital cities and both those times the shows we did were so much fun, even though they weren’t huge shows, that kind of stuff is still so enjoyable and I enjoyed doing all that stuff as well.
Whatever we do and however we do it, it’s all been bloody great.
This year seems like a pretty wonderful year.
T: What has been a highlight of your career with Jebediah?
This record has definitely been a highlight. Just the fact that when we started making this record we had no label, it was just about the four of us. Once we got into the studio, we were pretty much the only ones who had heard the songs and it was like we had this really exciting secret that we were busting to share with everyone but we couldn’t do that until it was ready. There was so much anticipation about being able to share this record. And now it’s happened and the reaction to it has been so much more than what we expected.
Do you think, after the hiatus, people will come flocking back to your shows?
So far so good, so hopefully people keep coming out to the rest of the shows, that would be really nice.
As part of your national tour you’re coming down to Hobart and Launceston. How have you found previous gigs in Tasmania?
We were there not that long ago to perform at Soundscape Festival. We played quite early in the morning and I must admit everything after that was a bit of a blur! Surprisingly for the time of morning we were playing, there were lots of enthusiastic people there, it was great.
You have won a number of awards with Jebadiah, namely the best female bass player at the WAMIs in 1999 and the Best Bassist in 2005. Have these awards illustrated to you the success of the band?
Winning an award is always nice, but at the end of the day, who decides that? The award just as easily could have gone to someone else. Awards for creative work are kind of strange and I have never been able to get my head around it. It’s the same as ARIA awards, is that person or band’s album really better than someone else’s album? How do you know? It’s just people’s opinion, how can you speak for everyone? Everything is so objective or subjective.
But it is lovely to win awards, especially WAMIs because they are cakes and you can eat them!
AS the only female in the band, what is it like working with three other males?
They’re awesome. I play in another band which has a female [Felicity Groom] and honestly it really doesn’t make any difference. People are just people and when you are playing or making music together you don’t really think about that kind of thing. You think more about how you relate to each other in terms of making music together.
How does playing with Felicity Groom and the Black, Black Smoke compare to playing with Jebediah?
Playing with Jeb is like slipping on your oldest pair of comfiest shoes. There were lots of similarities between first playing with Felicity Groom and the Black, Black Smoke and when I first started playing with Jeb. When we started playing together there was that initial getting to know each other as people and as musicians and also being on the road [touring] that initial excitement. A lot of that has been really similar in terms of connecting through your person and your person
Do you think you started playing with Felicity Groom and the Black, Black Smoke to extend or challenge yourself?
It’s really strange how it turns out, I actually play in another band with one of the guys from The Panics and another one of my friends and originially I just jammed with them as fun, whenever we were in the same place at the same time we would just get together and get really smashed and tried to play shows.
Felicity had written a few songs and we would play the songs and she would get up and sing them with us, because at that stage she was just doing a solo thing. But when she decided to put a band together I ended up becoming a bassist for her. So that’s how it came about.
Also at the time Jeb was a hobby thing and not a full time commitment and I think I would have gone crazy if I wasn’t playing music often enough so it has been really, really great for me when Jeb isn’t doing anything, to get together with those guys once a week and play some songs.
Your album Kosciuszko has a pretty Australian name for a well-known Australian band, how did the band come up with the name?
Kev [vocalist and guitarist Kevin Mitchell] was actually reading something about The Beatles and how they wanted to call one of their albums “Everest” which they didn’t end up doing, so Kev thought that was a great name and that we should call our record “Everest”. So that’s where it started and of course we didn’t pick Everest but another mountain that was a bit more Australian.
Which song do you pick as your favourite so far on Kosciuszko?
That could change everyday. But because we have been playing shows at the moment I haven’t listened to the record for quite a while. But probably “High [Horse]” would be my favourite at the moment just because it’s a fun one to play.
Can fans expect to hear some old classics when you’re on tour such as tracks from Slightly Oddway?
I don’t think we could get away with not playing tracks from Oddway at a live show. I don’t think any of us would choose to listen to that record [all the time], but when you’re on stage playing to a bunch of people who are having a really good time, playing those songs still gives you such a buzz.
Currently Triple J has the voting open Hottest 10 Australian Albums of all time. A number of musicians and industry experts have said Slightly Oddway will rate close to the top.
Wow. That’s a thing I’ve thought about, because Kev and I had both submitted our top 10 records for that and he picked Hourly Daily You Am I records and Hi Fi Way. If You Am I had only released one album [it would win], but because they have released such a body of work, most people would have different You Am I favourites.
What is in Jebediah’s sights after the latest tour?
I have absolutely no idea. We’re actually still playing shows up until mid-September so I’m just going to make the most of what is going on now and enjoying the tour and enjoying these shows. Because I think the minute you start looking ahead and setting your eyes on something beyond what you are doing now, you’re not really making the most of your experiences.
We’ll see how everyone feels but the way shows continue to be added to the schedule, there may be shows added right up until the end of this year
Has Kozioscko been designed to revisit the glory years or does it represent a change and something different?
I reckon both. The approach to the record was to try and use the studio a bit more but also utilising the freedom of not having to answer to anyone and just literally being about the four of us and [producer] Dave Park. In that sense it felt like the really early days, when we didn’t really have a concept of how the industry worked and we were just four kids who liked making noise together. So that element was pretty prominent in the way that everything worked.
Ingrid Betancourt was a presidential candidate for Colombia in 2002 when she was captured by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). She then spent the next six and a half years as a prisoner in various parts of the Amazonian jungle, despite several attempts at escape. Some of this time involved months at a time of marching through the jungle to keep ahead of the Colombian Army, whilst at other times Ingrid was chained by her neck to a tree. The fight for the freedom of Ingrid and her fellow prisoners was global with Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela emerging as key players. In 2008, Ingrid and her fellow prisoners were rescued by military mission that took months of planning and a major infiltration process within the FARC network. It was a rescue that would seem far-fetched if it occurred in an action film. Ingrid has taken a moment of her freedom to talk to Tasmanian Times about her experience, politics and philosophy.
Ingrid greets me with a warm, friendly smile and I welcome her to Hobart. It´s a stunning autumn day. Ingrid beams as she remarks on how beautiful Hobart is, looking up to the Mountain from the waterfront. We find a quiet spot and begin our discussion…
James: Ingrid welcome to Tasmania! Is this your first time here?
Ingrid: Yes.
James: Are you aware that we claim to be the birth place of the Green Party?
Ingrid: Yes, of course. It´s a very mythical place, and actually the first meeting of the Greens was here in the City Hall (Town Hall)where I´m going to be talking tonight. So it will be a very, you know, emotional moment for me I think.
James: And you´ve known Bob Brown for a long time?
Ingrid: Yes, because we were together at the Global Greens Conference in 2001.
James: Regarding your six and a half years as a hostage, are you now able to lead a ´´normal´´ life?
Ingrid: I think I have had difficulties in settling down. I have been a nomad for the three years since my freedom. But because also I want to be where the people I love are and they are not in the same place, so it doesn´t make the task easier. But, I mean, I think I have a normal life in the sense that I um… I have normal days and I enjoy life. In that sense it´s quite normal.
James: What would you say is the biggest difference in yourself, between how you were before you were taken hostage and how you are now?
Ingrid: There are many differences. I think that the relationship with time changed, the priorities in the day, um… I would say there is more control over time issues, patience and things like this. But I mean, I think that we are always in the process of learning. Perhaps the major difference is that now I´m aware of things that I want to achieve, like changes that I want to see happening in my behavior or in my reactions, or how I control my emotions, and it´s always a learning process. So, every day I learn something.
James: That was very evident in the book. You were able to see such direct impacts from every little part of your behavior, even things you probably didn´t realise you were doing, or things that weren´t even the case, but you could see directly its impact on the people around you.
Ingrid: Yes.
James: Obviously since you got your freedom you would have had contact with some fellow prisoners, such as Lucho who you became very close with. I am interested to know if you have had any contact with members of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) who held you prisoner for so long?
Ingrid: I had contact with a guerrilla who helped one of my companions to escape. He asked for asylum in France. So I was involved in helping him get to France. But I haven´t had any contact with the commanders, the ones that are in jail or other people. I wouldn´t mind to have contact with them. I mean if I lived in Colombia perhaps I would visit them, I mean, I don´t have any resentment or anything.
James: I sensed that you almost felt sorry for some of them, particularly those who had been dragged into it by poverty…
Ingrid: Oh yes, definitely yes. Even to the commanders, because I think it´s a very sad destiny being all your life in this war and then end up killed or captured. I mean what a sad fate.
James: Now when you were a prisoner you found strength by internalising, by meditating, particularly with the Bible and by weaving. Do you still practice meditation in some form or another?
Ingrid: Yes, yes. I think I meditate every day.
James: In what form?
Ingrid: Well, it´s part of my routine, when I end the day I take time to just think of what has been that day that has just finished, and there are always things that are interesting to analyse, things that you could have said differently or things that you didn´t really understand from people, but when you think again maybe you understand what happened or the reaction of the person may have been something you could have foreseen. So meditation is very important as a spiritual exercise, I would say, more than a religious one.
James: Now I´m going to read two quotes from your book about the jungle of Colombia. The first one is:
…and life held its breath. On such evenings the sounds of the forests were magical, thousands of jingling bells would begin to chime cheerfully.
And the second is upon seeing an area of deforestation:
Helpless spectators to an ecological disaster no one cared about, we crossed the ravaged space as if we were the sole survivors of a nuclear war.
Did your experience change how you feel about the natural world, by spending so long trapped within it and removed from the urban world that we are so used to?
Ingrid: Yes definitely, of course. But not for good or for bad. The relationship became much more intimate. The thing is sometimes the jungle would be a captor, an enemy, it was my jail, I couldn´t escape. It was difficult to go through that vegetation, it was scary, and it was aggressive. Sometimes it was the opposite, it was my protector, it was the space where I could hide. It kept me from being recaptured by the FARC, by the rebels. It was… but I think that the more I was in the jungle, I mean it didn´t happen at the beginning, later on I had this impression that the jungle had… invaded me, inside of myself. Like I would think that I would have the same pace, there is a rhythm when you are surrounded by nature and there is no presence of humans. Or even with humans too, but when there is this intimate relationship with the natural world you feel like you are part of it.
It´s kind of strange but this connection really exists. And so in a way you copy the rhythm of things. It´s like if you were able to speak another language. Sometimes I think when you express yourself in a different language there´s another identity, or another part of your personality that comes out. You´re not the same in French as you are in English and as you are in Spanish. But again you´re not the same when you are in the jungle as when you are out of the jungle. It´s another language in you that speaks. It´s very powerful.
James: Did it make you feel more human?
Ingrid: Yes…
James: I guess to get back to what we are biologically. In biological terms it´s not so long ago we lived more like this…
Ingrid: Yes, exactly. But I think there is a balance between human nature and nature… that you can reach. Of course we have um… I mean um… nature is something that is alive, but at the same time you cannot really communicate, in verbal terms, but then the need of communication comes in another way. So that´s why it´s very interesting.
James: Do you think the international attention on your plight helped Colombia politically?
Ingrid: Well… I wish it had, but I don´t think so. I think it helped me and my fellow hostages to get back alive, but I think that in Colombia we are far from having done the process of understanding what we are going through. There is this… I think sometimes we Colombians have a very stone heart… we don´t want to get involved with the suffering of others. We just want to ignore what´s happening because we want to just live in our comfort zone. The problem in Colombia is that those who live in comfort are very few, it´s a very small minority, and the big part of the population are the ones left behind. With no name, no identity, when they are murdered they don´t even exist, statistics do. There´s no law to protect them, they don´t have access to justice, they are always the ones… the victims, and um… the Colombians who have power, economical power, social power, political power, just… are oblivious to what´s happening to the majority of the country.
I mean we have six million displaced people in Colombia. It´s enormous, it´s the highest number of displaced people in the world, for a country, more than in African countries even. So I mean this rings a bell, there´s a really deep social crisis, and we´re just pretending it doesn´t exist.
James: I recently spoke to Enrique Peñalosa, in Hobart actually, and I wondered if you have any relationship with today´s Colombian Green Party?
Read the Enrique Peñalosa interview HERE:
Ingrid: Well, actually, you and I were talking about Lucho, he is very active in the Green Party. So it´s through him that I have my connection with the Green Party, so I know them well.
James: It was very interesting talking to Enrique while he was here for a planning conference.
Ingrid: Yes, he did an amazing job while he was Mayor of Bogota and I think that he is running again?
James: Yes he is. Now… the Green Party is quite strong in Colombia and in Brazil. Can you see it spreading throughout Latin America?
Ingrid: Yes, and I hope that it will spread, but I would like that the name of the Greens will not just be a brand. Because of course, in the political world people need new things, or need to be able to present new things, and we don´t want all things disguised in green.
I mean, being green is a philosophy. Of course it´s politics, but it´s also what we want to make of this world, and it has to do with how we make the difference to it. It´s not only getting there, it´s how we get there, and I would just like to hope that those who are embracing the green banner understand that it´s a commitment of ethic, of moral. I mean it has to be something that is truly honest, and it cannot be a disguise for personal interests. So that´s why we have to be very cautious.
James: Some people argue, and in fact Enrique mentioned this, that social policy, policy for creating equality, is really one and the same as green policy. That the policies for creating equality generally also create better environmental outcomes. Do you agree with this?
Ingrid: Yes, well they are linked, because whenever you improve the environment you improve things for those who are more dependent on nature, which are normally the poor people, or those at the bottom of the social ladder.
But I think that there are issues that are specifically social that have to be addressed as specifically social. I mean we all can recycle, and that´s something we should all do, but I think that making sure kids can go to good schools shouldn´t only depend on how much money you have. So there are things that we can all do and there are things that need cash to make it happen, there is a commitment required in social issues… because I think that social issues are the most fragile and the ones you can divert the most easily.
James: And what do you think of Hugo Chavez? He was an important player in trying to gain your release.
Ingrid: Well, what to say about Chavez? I think he is an impressive figure. I think he has done history. It is impossible to talk about Latin America in this period of time without talking about Chavez.
He was very important for our release. I think if he hadn´t been there we wouldn´t be out. Because… I think the Colombian Government feared him so much. It was the fear that helped, I mean it´s incredible ay? I think they just didn´t want him (Chavez) to have the trophy of getting us out.
James: Well he and Uribe (far right Colombian President of the time) were not good friends!
Ingrid: No, no. They pretended to be good friends but they were not. There was a deep competition between both… um… the reality was Chavez was the only one who could talk to the FARC, in a moment when the FARC had lost their political drive. So he really convinced them to do something political about the hostages, so he managed to have seven of us freed, and I mean that was amazing. The relationship with Sarkozy was also important, it helped, I think um… because Chavez himself maybe wouldn´t have been important enough in the eyes of Colombia. But of course once he had this international stage to talk about the hostages, which of course Sarkozy was helping him to have, I think this was one of the reasons why suddenly we had this incredible military operation.
James: That was very exciting! It would have been a great novel were it not real.
Ingrid: Yes, yes, it could be a novel. It was amazing what they did and he (Chavez) was very important for us. We owe him a lot.
James: And last question, do you have any political ambitions now? How do you intend to use your…
Ingrid: I don´t have political ambitions and I´m so glad I don´t. You know it´s like I´m really free, I´m really free, but it doesn´t mean that I´m not up to serving my country.
James: You have an advantage, in that a lot of people will listen to you around the world, you can use that.
Ingrid: Yes, people listen to me, and everywhere I go I find Colombians and it´s a very deep bond with Colombians. Of course I have had a difficult relationship with Colombia, especially lately, and this has been very hard for me. I think that the Colombian Government… and the establishment have done everything they can to… I mean I was a target for them. I think I was too high in the polls and they were scared… that I could divert their strategies. They were very hard on me and they attacked me in a way that was… um… not acceptable. And um… so I´m not very enthusiastic about getting home in the near future. I´m wounded I think.
James: OK Ingrid, well I hope you enjoy your few days in Tasmania.
Ingrid: Yes, I am enjoying it very much.
James: Thank you very much for talking to me and Tasmanian Times.
Ingrid: A pleasure, thank you.
Interview with Katie Noonan:
Ally: You started to sing when you were quite young. Was there ever a specific moment when you thought “I could really do this for a living”?
Katie: Not really, because music has just been such an intrinsically interwoven part of my life, that I’ve never really consciously thought of as anything separate from me. I grew up in a house full of music. My mum’s a musician, my whole family play music. And obviously, she taught me. I didn’t really learn singing specifically when I was little, it was more piano. Piano was my first instrument and I actually went to the conservatorium of music when I was about 10 or 11, doing piano pretty seriously.
Then singing became more of a priority and piano less so in teenage years. That’s when I really discovering the joy of singing, but my career has been a series of happy accidents really. I’ve never been an ambitious person in terms of career. I’ve mainly just been ambitious in terms of musical projects and ideas.
Ally: When you learnt to sing, what genre did you train in?
Katie: Well, I trained in what’s called the Bel Canto style, which is Italian. It’s a very gentle process. It’s an Italian school of singing that my mum teaches and it uses pretty classical techniques. So I learnt lots of simple, light arias, you know, Handel and John Dowland. To get the voice happening and develop it. Certainly the philosophy is not to push the voice beyond its natural capacity.
Ally: What made you deviate away from a classical genre and choose a more popular style of music to build a career on?
Katie: Well my technique is still essentially the same; it’s just that my repertoire choices are obviously pretty different. Not so much on this tour because I am doing all the classical stuff with Karin Schaupp. We’re going back to Henry Purcell and Dowland and Michael Head and all that really strictly classical stuff.
Ally: And I imagine Cate Bush would also require a classically trained voice?
Katie: Yeah, I don’t think you could really sing her songs without that, to do them in the way that the composer intended.
So George kind of started my second year of uni, and then I discovered Jeff Buckley and Tori Amos, Bjork and all these other people who I absolutely fell in love with. I guess that’s why I fell more into pop music.
Ally: So who is George?
Katie: [Laughs] George is no one. George was the name of a favourite instrument
Ally: Is that a family gag?
Katie: No, a band gag, and I kind of liked it because we tried to always make it so that it was always spelt with a lower case “g”, so it wasn’t somebody’s name, it was just a thing. And I liked it because I’ve got plenty of girl friends that call themselves George, so it’s neither male nor female.
Ally: How was it working so closely with your brother? You obviously have a lot of respect for each other and give each other a lot of support, but what was it like always sharing the lead?
Katie: Well, for me it was great, because I grew-up looking up to him. He introduced me to so much great pop music from an early age. The first record I bought, I went halves with him in the debut Crowded House album. And for me, family and music is the perfect kind of combination. With my trio Elixir I play with my husband Zac, and I’ve made a record with my mum, so for me when I make music I try to make it from a place of love and honesty, so therefore family is a pretty good starting point to that.
Ally: You and your brother Tyrone hit some pretty extraordinary harmonies. Do you think you guys have an innate sense of what the other one is doing?
Katie: Yeah, there is that weird family thing that happens. It happens if you see Rufus and Martha (Wainwright) sing together or Neil and Tim Finn or The Carpenters; it is a thing that does just kind of happen, because you’ve shared so much of your life with them.
Ally: I can still remember where I was the first time I heard “Special Ones” and the rest of the Polyserena featured a lot throughout my high school years. How does it feel knowing that, these lyrics that you wrote which meant something really significant and really personal to you, is shared and applied to so many other peoples’ experiences? Is that a surreal feeling?
Katie: Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s quite overwhelming, but it’s obviously very beautiful and I feel lucky that people connect with the stories I’ve written that related to my life. But there is a responsibility that comes with that. Like I guess generally, if I’m writing about something that’s dark or sad or negative, I do try to put some sort of resolution in there. And I remember feeling that responsibility when I did get a lot of messages that people were really bringing these lyrics into their lives. It’s a beautiful thing but there is a certain amount of responsibility that comes with that – to have a message that’s positive rather than negative. That doesn’t mean that I don’t talk about sad things as well, because do in a lot of my lyrics, but I try to put some sort of “the glass is half full” message in it. [Laughs]
Ally: Your mother is Maggie Noonan, the classical soprano singer, and you guys did an album together. What was the experience like?
Katie: Well, very different, because obviously we’re a generation apart. It was awesome though, because she taught me how to sing and she taught me so much about music and dedication to your craft. So it was great to work alongside the person that taught me all those things. I’m sure it was a spin out for her, I mean I can’t imagine sharing the stage with my kids, [laughs] obviously they’re so little. It was a very special thing.
Ally: How has she felt about you and Tyrone practicing a more popular medium?
Katie: Oh look, her first love is classical music, but she’s not a classical music snob to the point where she doesn’t love other music. Of course because it is our music she is very proud of us, like a mother would be.
Ally: It seems difficult to believe that you would ever have an off day singing. Does that ever happen?
Katie: Oh yeah of course! The biggest challenge for singers, and particularly at the moment, is that everyone around you is sick. That’s the hardest thing – trying to keep yourself healthy. That’s a constant stress actually, particularly with little children. And yeah, you have good days and you have bad days and the audience makes a huge difference to that, because the energy they give you on the night makes an enormous difference to how you sing and how you perform. Yeah of course, everyone has off days, but hopefully you’ve worked hard enough that your technique will make an off day OK.
Ally: In 2006, there was a female performer, Reigan Derry, on Australian Idol who sang “Breathe in Now”, I’m not sure if you saw it.
Katie: Oh yeah, I did hear about this! I don’t have a television, so I don’t really watch TV. I think at that time I was actually overseas, but I did hear about it. I remember checking it out on Youtube or something [laughs].
Ally: Well then you obviously heard the comments from the judges? Mark Holden actually said, “you chose a really, really difficult song to sing. Katie Noonan is one of absolute premiere singers and it requires such suburb control and range.”
Katie: Well that’s nice.
Ally: Yeah, but it made me wonder whether you think these kinds of reality shows really give aspiring artists a good platform to become successful or is this process too removed from reality?
Katie: Yeah, no. I don’t agree with any of those shows. I don’t think any real, genuine talent... mind you, I do think that Guy Sebastian is an amazing singer, so that would be the only kind of exception to that rule. And you know others are... can’t remember who else was on them, but they can all sing, you know and that’s great, but I don’t think that true artistry comes from those shows, unfortunately. And I think a really good artist will spend the rest of their career trying to shake of the tag of that show. As obviously Guy Sebastian has tried to do. I don’t agree with them at all.
Ally: You’re coming down to Hobart and performing at Wrest Point Casino on May 21, are you enjoying the collaboration with Karin Shaupp?
Katie: Yeah, we’ve started to tour and it’s feeling really great and it’s a beautiful journey through various different styles of singing. It’s quite a challenge for me. I’m really looking forward to coming back to Tassie! I came with The Captains last year and we played at The Republic, so this will be quite a different environment [laughs]. Yeah I’m really looking forward to it and I can’t wait to go to MONA!
Snowtown Movie Review
“They are no one”- John Bunting
Welcome to Snowtown. Population: Pedophiles, victims, drug addicts, transvestites, juvenile delinquents and deranged vigilante murderers. Killing is an activity conducted in the family home, while outside, children ride their bikes along the graffiti tainted footpaths. If you can’t handle blood, animal cruelty, torture and rape, leave now.
Snowtown is one intense viewing experience. It suspends you in its volatile reality until the final scene ends and the credits begin to roll. It was only then that I realised I had not taken a deep breath the entire movie. At least I made it until the end; at least five people in the theatre walked out. It is controversial and confronting viewing. If you are squeamish in any sense of the word, or suspect your neighbours are up to no good, then don’t watch this film. You will not sleep that night or for many after.
Snowtown is based on the true story of the South Australian barrel murders which took place between 1992 and 1999. These murders claimed the lives of 12 people, eight of which were disposed of in the infamous barrels placed in an abandoned bank in Snowtown. This story is told through the eyes of 16-year-old Jamie, played by new comer Lucas Pittaway. He is one of four boys living in Adelaide’s northern suburbs with their single mother who attracts the wrong type of man. After attracting a particularly child-loving boyfriend, she brings in reinforcements to ensure her boys are never hurt again.
Meet John Bunting, played by Daniel Henshall. He, and his gang, are just your average group of friendly pedophile hunters trying to clean up the community. It appears things might be looking up when John arrives in town, with Jamie taking a particular shining to his new father figure. In fact, the entire family and community are entranced by this charmer. Yet as the film roles on, it is evident there is a darker side to this jovial character as he easily moves between cooking family meals to torturing his victims in bathtubs. Jamie’s mentor goes down in history as Australia’s most infamous serial killer.
As the film progresses, John surreptitiously trains Jamie to become a killer. He plays on Jamie’s status as a victim of sexual abuse, confronting him to fight back, to take control. Of course, by control he means play god; murder. He begins Jamie with animals, forcing him to shoot his dog in the kitchen of his home. Jamie is unwittingly and naively captured in John’s web. All too soon he is in too deep to escape and so instead, he embraces his new hobby.
This film revels in a quiet intensity, especially through its character Jamie. He haunts the viewer, who can see the twisted rabbit hole he is falling down. All of the actors are faultless in their portrayals, perhaps because they are not professional actors. Most of the cast were found in the suburban streets, including newcomer Pittaway, who has been described as the next Heath Ledger. His character is a silent brooding figure, which makes it difficult to form an emotional attachment, especially when he becomes complicit in the crimes.
This is not a film that asks for sympathy or understanding. It simply aims to show the circumstances that allowed these murders to happen. The eerie reality of this occurring in suburbia is the subtle message of this film; how do we really know anyone? Even a friend’s comment at a dinner discussion regarding what they would do to a pedophile is eerie in its ignorance. Most answer they would torture and kill. “Would you honestly do it?” he confronts John. He doesn’t realise the truth that lingers in John’s menacing stare of reply.
At two hours length, the film is emotionally and physically draining. It moves through various stages of suspense and intensity, at times confusing the viewer through lack of dialogue. Visually, it is flawless. It captures the essence of the dreary neighbourhood landscape and its inhabitants. It is an ugly and miserable film, which is exactly its purpose. The use of sound is minimal. Ominous silence confronts the viewer at key points, which further enhances the building of suspense. Worst of all are the voices from the tapes that John makes his victims record before their death.
Snowtown is more about show than tell. It mostly suggests to its audience the atrocities that are occurring, which lends a subtle dimension to what could otherwise have been an extremely gruesome film. While your imagination is a key element in viewing this film, the viewer is still confronted by some disturbing imagery. Snowtown savours the key moments of gore, specifically showing the torture of one victim and the removal of his toe nail, which filled the entire space of the cinema screen.
The only impatience I felt for wanting this film to end, considering it is quite long, was to know just how it could possibly end. It seemed to be becoming an endless cycle of murder, hopelessness and fear. How could it build the suspense to a satisfactory point? Luckily, I was rewarded with an ending perfectly orchestrated; a subtle and fitting finish which complements the entire tone of the movie.
While it is a brilliant film, it isn’t set to be a crowd pleaser. It is a quiet, intense and sickening portrayal of a horrific spree of murders in Australia’s history. Snowtown is definitely not for the fainthearted. And what makes it all the more chilling is that this is a real place with characters inspired by real people.
Interview with Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall
Interview with Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall
Did you either of you realise how huge this film could potentially become?
Lucas: No actually. I didn’t really know what I was getting into at first. First I didn’t even know it was a movie and then I thought it might be some sort of documentary style thing. Pretty much my first day on set was the first time I realised “this is actually something big and okay, I better get serious”.
Daniel: I had no idea, absolutely no idea where this could go.
How did you prepare for such emotionally intense roles?
Daniel: I spent about 12 weeks out there before we started shooting. I lived out in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, sort of immersing myself in the environment and getting to know the community. I reckon that was a huge part in assimilating into the role. What we wanted to do was create a character that wasn’t a typical psychopath, that wasn’t a three dimensional character and we thought to do that, because we wanted to cast from the area, that it would be through getting to know the area and the people. I was pretty much involved in the casting process. Once it was cast, we spent a lot of time together with Lucas, Louise, Aaron, David and the little boys. We went away on trips, we went out to dinner, I worked with Lucas from time to time, went to music and watched movies.
Lucas: The way it comes up on screen it’s not us acting, it really is us hanging out like friends and hanging out like friends and family would.
What did you want to achieve in portraying these real life characters?
Daniel: From the outset Justin, the director of the film, wanted to make this film an interpretation and he wanted to make it as genuine as possible. So to do that it wasn’t about mimicking anybody and we never wanted to do that. There’s very little known about the characters as well. So I mean, it just helped us to make it ours, to put ourselves in the position of how someone like John Bunting could come into the community that he wasn’t from, befriend them, fool them and then take them down a dark path. So in each individual that was cast, you have their special something that they could give to the character that was completely their own. It was never about trying to create or copy the character in real life. So the basis and the name came from real life people, but I think the characters within the film and interpretations came from the actor.
Both of you orchestrated chilling portrayals of your characters. How do you switch off from that at the end of the day?
Lucas: On set it was a really loving environment. At the end of the scene you could always just relax and have a quick chat about how you felt, like dump your feelings almost and just stop and sit down really. As well, at the end of the day, you’d make sure everyone was feeling good – make sure everyone was feeling proud of what they’d done for the day. And then you’d go home and for me it was just talking to my brother and my girlfriend and watching some TV.
Daniel: We had a great camaraderie on set and if anything went awry, not that it did, but if you felt bad or it got too much for you, got too involved, there was so much trust and family and if you wanted to talk about it you could. It was a support network between everybody. There was a lot of humour in between takes. I think we had to keep ourselves buoyant by being humorous, not being insensitive to the content of the film and what we were doing and what we were portraying. I think we needed to have funny moments in between to let loose as a way of releasing. Believe it or not Lucas is a very funny human being.
Lucas: He’s just saying that.
Did you pull any pranks on set?
Lucas: None that we can talk about! Dan used to sing this song about me. It goes something a little like [sings] “Beautiful Maaaaaan!” He does that all the time.
Daniel: I do.
What was the most confronting aspect of this production?
Daniel: The most confronting was getting the role and being daunted with the responsibility of portraying someone like John Bunting. That was initially the most daunting thing, and then going out and living in an area that I had no connection to in the beginning.
Then during the filming it was definitely the murder scene. I think it was the first time that, as characters, we physically portrayed an actual event . Up until that it had been a lot about relationships, and conversations and the banality, normality that came through that. That was the first time we physically partook in a torture and murder and it really came home. It really came home to me and Lucas as well that this is how it went and that’s terrifying to think that you’re portraying that. I know it rocked me. We took two days to shoot that.
Lucas: I’d have to say it’s almost exactly the same for me, word for word.
This film is more focused on the characters than the gore. Do you think that’s why this film has been so well received?
Daniel: That is one of the most important things. I think Justin from the outset was so terrified of even getting a whiff of Wolf Creek into the film. I’m not slagging that film, it’s a great horror genre film. But he especially wanted to steer to clear of that as far as possible. So it’s great that you say that.
Lucas: I think people know they are going to watch a film about the people who did these things and the relationships and how these people felt about what they were doing, and what they were doing to each other.
How do you deal with all the attention?
Daniel: Lucas hates it.
Lucas: It’s exciting. In The Age my picture’s on the front page.
Daniel: And he hates it. He absolutely hates it.
Lucas: I think I might look good in a tank top so... [Daniel laughs] It gets overwhelming at times definitely and you have to kind of sit down and kind of separate yourself from it for a second and just take a look and realise what’s going on and just calm yourself really.
What was your reaction when you found out that it was being screened at Cannes?
Daniel: I was driving home in the car and I almost changed lanes into the wall. Justin called me and told me and I almost crashed the car.
Lucas: I was excited obviously. Then you think about, yeah, I need to get my passport. Thinking about it from the first day, when Allison, the casting director, came up to me in the shopping centre. From there if someone had told me “you’re going to make a film and you’re going to go to the Cannes film festival” I wouldn’t have believed them or anything, but here it is happening.
Daniel: 12 months ago if you’d asked me [what I’d be doing now] I thought I would be at university studying.
Lucas: I thought I would have been in the army.
What will you be doing in Cannes?
Daniel: It’s more focused on Justin and the filmmakers so we get to enjoy the spills of that. From what I understand there are functions almost every evening and some during the day. We’re only there for four days, so I think it will be pretty nuts. We’ll just get off the plane and enjoy the festivities. And to be there with something I think that’s just so exciting. We’ll try and see as many films as possible.
Lucas: I’m hoping to have a spare moment to go down to the beach, wear my best shorts.
Finally, what do you want the audience to gain from watching this film?
Lucas: The film’s not about answering questions. It’s more about asking yourself “how could this be going on, just during the middle of the day while people are watching the cricket”, you know, people just hanging out the front. How could this happen in a neighbourhood without people knowing what’s going on. And also ask yourself about Jamie’s situation. Was he born to be a killer, or was he brought into that world?
Daniel: We didn’t make a film to try and make a judgement on the situation or the event that took place, nor do we try to answer any questions. I think the portrayal is something that we wanted to investigate, how and why this could happen in a community like this. How could someone from outside the community come into the community and convince people to do these things, and for it to go undetected for so many years? I think that’s just the question that we pose and hope the audience will feel that, and also feel that it is something they can relate to and that these characters aren’t that far away from their own community.
The Hungry Kids Of Hungary are making waves with their debut album Escapades. They are touring nationally to support its release, including trips to The Republic Bar in Hobart on May 12 and Hotel New York in Launceston on May 13. Max Ireland spoke to Dean McGrath about living on the road, people rubbishing the bands name and the Republic bar’s famous steak
Max: When The Hungry Kids Of Hungary entered unearthed back in 2008 what kind of expectations did you guys have?
Dean: [Laughing) No expectations whatsoever! It was funny, we had done this demo in a mates lounge room and recorded a few songs then wacked one of them onto the unearthed site to see what would happen. Tuesday afternoon we put them on the site then Tuesday night I was driving in the car and it came on the radio and I nearly drove off the road. We had no idea that anything would come of it and really just put it up for the sack of it.
And when you won the Queensland section of the comp did it feel good? Did it validate what you were doing?
We didn’t really feel like we were in need of validation. The prize for winning was a spot at the Big Day Out so with that comes a certain level of excitement, we were such a new band at that stage and none of us expected it, so it was good and exciting but wasn’t something that was hard earned and we certainly didn’t feel like we were owed anything at that stage.
Before you entered, how long had you guys been performing together?
We got together in April 2007 and just started writing and rehearsing and we went along like that for about nine months before we even considered playing a show. So we had only been performing live as a band for not long at that stage. We were a new band and gigs weren’t flying at us from every direction – we were struggling to book shows. So when we entered we had been around for barely any time at all.
Triple J have been really supportive of the group, giving you the feature album for Escapades and the listeners have voted your songs into the Hottest 100. How important is a station like Triple J to a group like The Hungry kids of Hungary?
It’s massive. After we started getting played it became a hell of a lot easier to book gigs. It really does open countless doors for up-and-coming bands. I think that we’ve got that in this country is great. After everywhere that we have been on our travels, we haven’t ever seen a similar kind of thing; a radio station that really champions local music and up-and-coming bands to the extent that [Triple J] do.
The song “Scattered Diamonds” has been on high rotation on Triple J and other stations. But it has also crossed over onto TV. How did that come about?
There are these amazing people that do this work and it’s hilarious because bands, or at least in our case, we know nothing about it [laughing]. We don’t know how all that works. We get contacted and get asked “are you cool with the song being used on this?” We pick and chose a little bit. The whole world is completely foreign to us!
Have you ever turned on the TV and heard one of your own songs?
We did and it was under the weirdest circumstances. We were in America last year and we had just gotten to our hotel room in Philly and we switched on the TV and one of the songs was being used in a promo for a cable TV show on one of the big networks over there and it just happened to be the channel that we flicked onto. There were a couple of ads and then the song came on! It took a little while for us to figure out what was actually happening.
You guys tour a lot here in Australia and internationally. How important is touring and playing live to the band?
Hugely important. First and foremost it’s something that we really enjoy doing. We love playing shows – wrong career choice if you don’t like playing shows! We always have a lot of fun touring and playing live. Secondly, it’s the best way for us to connect with people that are listening to your music. It’s a nice way to touch base with them and meet people and have a bit of a laugh. There is a reason we do it so much; it’s because we enjoy it and you have to if you want to keep in people lives.
Does being on the road so often make it difficult to write and record new material?
It does. We are going through that at the moment, trying to pencil in some time for the second record and we’ve already got a bunch of songs written that we have demoed and all that kind of thing. We are looking at getting some solid blocks of time to squeeze in some recording and putting in the hard work with the new material. We’ve left ourselves some gaps in the second half of the year to do all of that.
On this tour are you planning on playing any new songs and test them out live?
We’ve picked a couple of songs that we have got at the point of being ready and we have a few weeks to work on them and get them ready for this tour. We’re really keen to play some new stuff. Songs in the band have a really short shelf life, because we play so much you tend to get over stuff pretty quickly. So we are always really eager to get onto some new stuff. We want to take at least one or two on the road with us and try them out on the audiences.
Being on these long tours in vans, on planes and sharing hotels together, do you guys ever give each other the shits?
We get along pretty well. We are lucky there have never been any really huge blow-ups or anything. I think you find at the end of a big tour everyone will go off to their corners of the world and have a bit of a break from each other. It’s never come to blows or anything like that! [Laughing]
In the recording you’re doing at the moment, is there going to be a shift in sound? Or will it be consistent with the debut?
Well, what’s funny is that that first album sort of in itself wasn’t that consistent. All the songs had been written over such a long period of time, there was stuff on there that we had been working on for years and also stuff that we wrote as the recording process was going on, so at least to us it felt really eclectic. It felt like we were trying a lot of different styles on the one record. Now coming into this one, Kane and I have really synced up a little bit with our writing and it’s all sounding really cohesive, so I think the sound of this will be a little step away from the first. We are in a bit of a different head space now and doing some different stuff.
The band name is unique and stands out? Do you get sick of people asking how you came up with the name?
It’s definitely the most frequently asked question for fairly obvious reasons. We were asking for it really [laughing], but really it’s mainly because the story is not that interesting. People ask the question expecting this really interesting story behind it and it’s just boring. A friend suggested it and we couldn’t come up with anything better and that was the end of the story!
Do you get cheeky, drunk people at shows trying to make jokes? “Are you hungry?” “Are you really from Hungary?” That sort of thing?
We do get it and we forgive it fairly quickly, but it’s much worse among mates. If I’m out with mates just doing something normal I can’t tell people that I’m hungry because instantly they’ll joke about it and my mates don’t realise that it’s gotten really old! They’re going to keep pushing it as long as they can I think!
You’re doing a show in Hobart and one also in Launceston on this tour. Do you have any fond memories of Tasmania?
Yeah, we always like coming down. I think this will be the third time we have been down with the band, but we came down towards the end of last year and had an amazing time! The steak at The Republic Bar is pretty awesome, so we always look forward to that! It’s all about getting down there, having a big feed and then playing bloated and lethargic after having a gut full of steak.
I think the steak is getting a reputation with bands, your not the first person to say that!
The first time we went there we were supporting Bertie Blackman and we arrived and her band had been there before and they said you’ve got to stick around to have the steak. I have friends down there in Tassie as well, I’m quite found of the place.
When people come out to see you in May, what kind of show should they expect?
Well, [the first is] at the Republic so it will be rowdy! Last time people lost it and were tearing their shirts off, we were thinking “are they at the wrong gig?” It’ll be fun, it’s great this time around we have the same support bands coming with us all over and for us, at least, we got our wish list bands to tour with, so it’s a really exciting line-up. The advice is, come early and watch the openers. Also, be prepared for a bit of dancing around and a little silliness!
Come early and shirts optional?
[Laughing] Na keep the shirts on, it will be too cold!
Thanks heaps for your time Dean and looking forward to seeing the band.
See Blue King Brown (+ special guests Diafrix) at the Hobart Uni Bar Thursday 26 May
Natalie Pa'apa'a from Blue King Brown
You have just got back from a tour overseas – how was it?
(Canadian Music Week, SXSW and Babel Med – France)
It was great. It was a showcase tour. At this time of year a lot big industry events showcases happen. We did do a few of our own shows in between; we did our own London show. It was really good to get over there and play among all the other artists connecting and working it, trying to make an imprint on the international scene.
How do you find international crowds in comparison to the Australian crowd?
They are great. They are just as great as the Australian crowd. We have found that people that have similar reactions to our music in all parts of the world. In some places people are a bit more excited and I guess go a little more crazy. Japan is a really good place for us to play as they are very energetic. But the same goes for Australia where we have had some of our best shows, like The Falls Festival in Tasmania and Lorne.
Does The Falls Festival rate as one of your favourite festivals to play at?
For sure, absolutely. It’s awesome – the stage, the massive hill and the people, it’s got the energy that we love. We love the energy from the crowd. When you hit the stage and the crowd is already completely pumped up and ready to party it’s a lot of fun for everyone.
Do you love touring?
Yeah I do. I absolutely do. For a band like us, since we have had enough music to play a set, we hit the road straight away. We have always been very clear about the vision we see for the band. I love the travel and meeting different people, people from different cultures, you know, all the different foods and I love languages and all that sort of stuff. So we have always been grateful to be able to travel with music as music is such a great way to meet people and connect with people on that level. It’s a very human level; it’s very special and we are very grateful for the opportunity.
Speaking of that connection that you have with people through music, people have quoted your lyrics as being hard-hitting and socially aware. Does this mean that you write your lyrics with a political standpoint in mind or does the standpoint just come naturally when you’re writing a song?
Yeah it comes pretty naturally for me I guess. BKB was never a band that decidedly asked to have political lyrics or to be social commentary or anything like that – we in fact never even talked about it. The music was just written and I wrote the lyrics and that is just what comes out. It was defiantly more natural; sort of how I feel.
It’s what I’m interested in: current affairs and what’s going on in the world and the wellbeing of our. I think they are the most important things that we need to battle as a global community in order to enjoy life and I think if we can’t deal with injustice, poverty, and climate change and things like that we can’t really be happy. I think everyone no matter where you come from naturally wants to be happy in life. I think we all have a responsibility to make sure everyone has the right to that happiness.
So is music an emotional output for you?
Yeah for sure. It’s emotional; it’s a creative outlet like any art form.
Do you research your subjects when song writing?
Of course. As my songs and lyrics represent and advocate for the truth. Therefore, whatever I’m singing about I want to have good knowledge about.
Do you find different places inspire different songs?
Yeah, definitely. That’s why I really value touring and for the first time being able to go to international places like in Europe and North America and seeing and walking on the streets first hand and seeing the different towns and cities and different surroundings that our people live in all around the world. So that is always very inspiring for me and that’s one of the reasons why we went to Jamaica to record the vocals for our album. We wanted to be surrounded by the energy that a lot of the music that we love has come from. Check it out and connect with people in the community and that had a great influence on the vocals of our new album.
Are there any particular social issues that you feel passionate about at the moment?
Yeah, there are quite a few, but I think just coming back into Australia and seeing what’s going on here at the moment with arguments over whether we should put a price on carbon. I think, “Why are we even arguing about it and why is it even an issue?” We need to move forward and start getting some progress on capping our emissions, instead of trying to prolong the policy making. It’s frustrating and to me it’s ridiculous.
Also in same spiel is all that has happened in Japan at the nuclear power plant. Japan is somewhere that is very close to BKB’s heart as we have been touring there for six years and they were the first country that jumped onto BKB, long before a lot of other countries knew about us. They brought us out there many times. What is going on there is horrifying to us as BKB has always been very negative to nuclear power and Australia is the biggest producers of uranium, which is the fuel for nuclear power plants. So we have a responsibility not just for that reason, but also for the reason that the uranium is going to these places and causing this irreversible damage that will affect generations to come. That’s not to even mention that they are digging it out of traditional land and doing very dodge back door deals to try and get leases on Aboriginal land so they ruin it. On so many levels nuclear energy is wrong; it's not sustainable, not progressive and obviously there are so many other options in this country. We are lacking the political will.
Are you writing songs on this issue at the moment?
Well it all comes into it – I am writing a lot at the moment. I find that, I find it really hard to write on the road, but the minute I get home all the backlog of ideas come out and I have been writing a lot. I have been very inspired by the revolution that has been happening through North Africa – there is a song in there about that. But definitely one of my concerns that are always present in my mind is our environment. Is the planet; our planet. You really need to think, “this is our home, our shed, and we are all human.” I think about the way I write my lyrics and I keep this in mind.
Do you have preference to big crowds or small crowds?
It totally depends, as sometimes you can have a really nice intimate show and there is nothing like, or compares to, having an intimate crowd and the attentiveness of the audience – I love that. I love that about being at intimate shows. It feels a bit special. But on the other hand I am definitely a huge fan of massive crowds. I love them.
What is your favourite song to play? Does this depend on the crowd?
Yeah, it is always a shifting thing as to what is your favourite song to play. For instance at the moment I am enjoying playing some of the new material on the album we haven’t played that much. Like, I really enjoy playing “Women’s Revolution”. It changes with whatever is happening and with life.
You are the lead singer, guitarist and percussionist – do you have a favorite out of all three roles?
It’s funny, my first love was guitar and I was a guitarist before I was a percussionist or a singer. I always have loved guitar so much, you know, the reason why I became a musician was because I just fell in love with it. I guess guitar has a special spot in my heart. It is really hard though as I spent like six years playing percussion and that is how I met Carlos who started BKB with me, and how I met people like Michael Franti and Spearhead and John Butler Trio and Cat Empire. That opened up a lot of connections with that community. But you know what, singing is the newest thing to me and I still consider myself very much a learner as far as singing goes. Definitely learning and practicing everyday. It definitely didn’t come to me naturally as did playing guitar or playing the drums. But it is a very enjoyable instrument, the voice. And I think because I had something to say I knew I had to keep at it and keep practicing my singing because I wanted to speak my mind. I was very stubborn about it. I sang through all the bad notes and pitchy parts and keep practicing and trying.
You have anywhere from an eight to an 11 piece band on stage at each show, is it like having a big family?
Totally. We are very lucky and I mean, we choose to work with people who obviously will fit into the group dynamics that we have. I have always loved rolling in groups and having an extended family. Always grown up with lots of people around and so it’s very normal and natural for me to want to have a massive family. Our music does really lends itself to many members and we play the type of music where you can have three backing singers and two percussionist and dancers, so it has always been part of the vision to have a big band.
Do you think the size of your band adds to your stage presence?
I think yeah. When we are all out and there are like nine or 11 people on stage the energy of having those bodies on stage definitely brings a vibe. When you see any big band like we just saw this Latin band in the States and there were like 15 of them on stage – they filled the stage and it was awesome. The sound that you can get when you have all those hands playing or singing or whatever, that’s what I love.
Your new collaboration with Gurrumul – “Gathu Mawula” (revisited) has been very well received – you said that this was an exception to the rule of not really doing musical collaborations – has this inspired you to do more?
We haven’t even really thought of it to be honest. I always think yeah it isn’t really something that has come up into conversation yet as this song happened in a very organic way because we had preformed together on numerous occasions at festivals or venues. Whenever we were ever on the same field we would get him up to sing with us. So it was very natural to get Gurrumul in the studio with us to record a version of it and it wasn’t a rushed thing, it came together over a two-year period. It was something that would fit in where ever we could as he is very busy and so we. So it was very organic and the pieces of the puzzle just fitted together and now we have this beautiful song that I really love. I am very glad that we could work with Gurrumul to produce something that his fans can enjoy and our fans can really enjoy; it really bridges the audience gap that may have been. I would certainly not rule out working together in the future.
Finally, are you excited to come back to Tasmania?
Yeah man, for sure. We are excited because we haven’t played our own headline show in Tasmania for almost two years or more. So we are really ready. We did come briefly with the JBT for one night at the end of last year and it was great, but the set then was significantly shorter and what we are happy about is that when we come with our show we can play the full length and you get to see the full landscape of the show and the sound and the energy that BKB can deliver in a full set at a venue and I think people will really enjoy it. Tell people to come down and join the world wide party!
Interview with IIan Kidron from The Potbelleez
Your first album has had fantastic success on the charts. Everyone is excited to see what the band is going to do next. What should they expect from ‘Destination Now’?
It’s an album that we have been making now for about a year and half on and off, because we have been touring so much we have had limited time in the studio. While you do get the chance to write a lot on the road, it’s more about finishing off those songs. As far as the music goes, we have delved into areas that we haven’t delved into yet. Blue and I come from very different places musically, as all of us do. The boys in the band have always been orientated towards dance, whereas I’ve always been orientated towards rock, pop and folk stuff. This one is a truer amalgamation of our skills or loves of music. But as far as everything is concerned you can expect to just have a great party on there!
Because a lot of the material was written on the road do you feel like touring has influenced the record?
That’s for sure. On there is your emotional spectrum its not just rock and roll as you would expect. [On tour] you miss people that you leave behind, you meet new people that are interesting or you have a really serious hangover and these are all worthy topics for songs. Songwriters for a long time have indulged in these simple topics.
Does the band have any second album nerves?
Not really to be honest. It is what it is and we have had a couple of successful singles off it. So now it’s just a matter of our fans not downloading the thing and paying for it! We are really excited about it and the songs when we play them live are so energetic and people have been so responsive to it, I’m sure it will go well.
You’ve had platinum and gold record success with “Don’t Hold Back”, “Are You With Me” and “Hello”. When you play those big songs live what does it feel like having the crowd screaming the lyrics back at you?
There aren’t many better feelings! Surfing on a six foot barrel is a pretty good feeling, being at home with your kids and having a great time is a good feeling and standing on stage in front of 20,000 people and having your songs screamed back at you is a very very very good feeling! It’s all part of the reason we are into it. There are many, many beautiful things that come out of being a musician – you get to see a lot of this amazing country, you get to meet a lot of great people, you get to write a lot of music in a lot of great places, but you also get this amazing exchange of energy at a live concert and that’s pretty much the number one reason that we are in it.
You are a multi talented man. You act, you have produced music for TV, speak multiple languages and play multiple instruments. Is there anything you can’t do?
Ummm, yeah well I couldn’t really speak this morning because my voice hadn’t activated itself til about half an hour ago. Seriously, one thing I can’t do is be in two places at once and that’s often the paradox of touring that you are away from home and I really miss home I’m a very nostalgic boy. I’ve got a couple of kids and a beautiful wife that I leave behind every time I get on a plane, so if there’s one thing I wished I could do it be, be in two place at once.
You were classically trained as a singer/songwriter does it help you write big dance/pop songs?
I don’t think so, I don’t think any of that stuff helps. I think what does help is just to be aware of your surroundings. Some of the greatest songwriters just played a lot and that’s what I try to do. Sometimes you need to forget everything you’ve learnt and just write a two-chord song and they’re often the best ones. An education helps and it’s wonderful but there is no reason to think that you are some how disadvantaged heavily if you haven’t had schooling in song writing for example, it’s just a matter of practise, it’s just a matter of finding your true loves in music – what style your into. Just listening a lot you can pick up incredible things just from conversations or even really mundane things. I mean the first line of The Rolling Stones “Can’t Always Get What You Want” is “I saw her at the reception”. It’s just this throw away line. There are just so many throw away things in life that you can apply and get the best out of. There are so many songs that I have just thought out too much and there the ones that get left behind, whereas the ones that are just like “Hello, are you ready to go we are going to lose control” are the ones that somehow succeed and have legs. Think people relate to honesty and observations, and that’s what I love – taking cheeky things out of life and putting them into music.
The bands played pretty much every big arena around Australia supporting Usher on his OMG tour. How do feel supporting such a huge international act?
Well he’s incredible isn’t he? Not only is he huge, he’s amazingly talented and he does offer something new in his shows. It’s not like he is a Michael Jackson clone or he’s just an R’n’B singer, he really offers a different energy to anything that I’ve seen before. He was so relaxed and, I guess the word would be, honest on stage. He was just himself. It’s pretty incredible seeing someone so comf’ in what he does, but not arrogant in the slightest. He just doesn’t give off any form of it. I was impressed with what type of guy he was. We had a couple of conversations and he just seemed like a regular guy who was floating about two feet off the ground, it was pretty amazing to see and they are all very humble and all really into their craft and for them its just all about the music, the presentation and they’re very open to the fans and when I say they don’t forget it’s not just Usher, it’s a whole team of people that goes beyond just the man himself. For us, it was like “wouldn’t it be amazing one day to have something like that, to have a big crew that we are working with and an amazing team.” It’s just wonderful to see.
You’ve had a lot of big live music moments you’ve played huge festivals, huge sporting events and TV. Are there any that stick out for the band as that big special moment or “we made it” moment?
The first “we made it” moment was a gig that we did where we just got slapped in the face and were like “wow, we could really do this as a career and really shake people up”, was a festival called Supersonic in Melbourne. It was the first one and they had some amazing acts on, people like Fat Boy Slim – some massive acts. The guy that organised it said “do you know what would be great, would be to get these young Australian kids – still pimply and long haired – and to get them up on stage right at the end of the festival and get them to play their one song.” We had already done a set earlier in the day, so we got up and we played “Don’t Hold Back” and there could have only been a couple of thousand of the twenty thousand that were there that had heard “Don’t Hold Back” – it had only been on the radio for a couple of weeks and it was a creeper of a song. It did take a long time to connect with Australia, no one had heard of us, it was just one of those songs and then halfway through the song people just started screaming out the chorus and the whole place ended up singing it! By the end of the song that was the moment where we turned around and said “oh my, that was unbelievable!” But there have been countless gigs where we have just gone “this is the life, this is what we are in it for” and some of those, I’ve got to admit, are not the arena sized gigs, they’re more the little gigs that are just absolutely packed like sardines and everyone is going crazy and you’re really close to them. I’m pretty sure that someone like Usher would be missing those gigs, the ones that he started out with, on that raw end of the scale. You can smell the sweat off everyone, everyone’s close up; you get to make a lot of eye contact and energy exchange.
The band is a bit of a meeting of nations with Irish DJs and the Aussies out the front. How did you guys all meet, how did the group form?
Johnny and Dave started touring Australia as DJs about eight or nine years ago; they met in Australia, not over in Ireland. They got quite a name for themselves touring and started getting voted in things like top twenty DJs in Australia and whatnot. Then they met Blue in Brisbane, I think she was an MC/Rapper at the time. She wasn’t singing at that stage too much I don’t think, but now she sings a lot, she’s amazing. She started hanging out with the boys all across the country then went back to London and then they flew her back out [to Australia], because they missed her too much. I met Dave at a party, believe it or not, in a bathroom around about four years ago now. I was doing my business when he barged in and got a beer out of the bath while I was reliving myself and I was just singing at the time at the top of my lungs. Dave was like “wow man, what the hell! You’ve got come into the studio” and then four or five weeks later we wrote “Don’t Hold Back”. I guess you could describe it as a shotgun wedding the way the whole thing happened and we have just been going ever since. At one point we were like “should we continue being in a band or is really about these two DJs” like the Chemical Brothers or Groove Armada” where it’s based around two people, but we just enjoyed song writing together so much and having the company on the road. It just naturally became what it is. We are looking forward to a long future together.
So as a group, what kind of process do you use to write your songs? How do you guys contribute, how do you put a track together?
Every song is a different beast. I play guitar and piano and the boys are produces so I might write a sketch or have a chorus idea or something and I will pass that on to Johnny or Dave, we will get together and do a session on it then I’ll take it back home or often we are writing on the road as well. There are definitely constraints there. Sometimes he might give me some lyrics. There is a song that’s on the new record called “Twitch”, it’s not one of the singles, but it’s one of my favourites. He just wrote these incredible lyrics and I put it to music and we just continued in the studio process letting it grow naturally. Blue is a great songwriter as well – she will sketch and pass it on to the guys or often Jonny will do a backing track for her and then she will spit out these incredible lyrics over the top of it. Each song is a very unique process, but I think the best ones are the ones that aren’t thought out too much and you get them out as quickly as possible making sure you have an honest and true approach to the song writing where you don’t get too clever about it. You can pick up these amazing observations from all around you, just simple things, simple anecdotes, simple statements you know like the Black Eyed Peas song “I got a feeling tonight’s gonna’ be a good night”. How many times have you heard that sort of thing or “I can’t get no satisfaction”, it could be just one of those things that someone could spit out in the middle of a conversation and when you use these things you let them grow and they become these incredible, massive statements. All those simple statements, they all mean something different to everybody. That’s the power in them – that’s what makes them special.
In the time the band has been together, you have already achieved a lot. What are your plans over the next six months?
Well things can change very quickly. We are on this Usher tour, you never know what might happen in the next six months and who knows we – might get invited over there to play, that would be fantastic. But the plan is to release our album in May and then to tour until, I guess, August all around the country. That’s what we love doing, that’s what we are here to do. Then probably start on another album and engaging with the fans as much as possible and I’ll definitely try and spend time at home with my family and do a lot of surfing, yoga and getting healthy. I’m looking forward to it.
The band name stands out, is there a story behind it – for your fans?
[Laughing] For the fans? Like not a true one?
You can make one up if you like?
No, it’s just a name to ensure we don’t take ourselves too seriously or the whole process too seriously, it’s a little funny. I think the name The Potbelleez relays our fear of getting a big belly. I think Dave and Jonny walked out of the gym one day and just went “oh my god we should just call ourselves The Potbellleez” and I think it just stuck.
Do you have any special moments or memories from shows you’ve done here in Tassie?
MS fest for sure is the best thing that happens in Tasmania. It is absolutely unbelievable. We’ve been down there three, four years in a row now and every time it’s so special. The [bands] down there could not speak highly enough about [the crowd], they’re just so wonderful and welcoming and they really know how to party!
Thank you so much for being so generous with your time and I hope the new album goes off. Looking forward to seeing you guys live soon.
Interview with Mikah Freeman, One Half of the Aston Shuffle
The Aston Shuffle has had a meteoric rise in the Australian dance music scene since forming in 2006. Last year they scooped the title of Australia’s number one DJs in the inthemix50 poll; mixed disc two of the 2010 Annual for Ministry of Sound – which reached number one on the iTunes album charts; and brought in the New Year playing with David Guetta. On April 15, they launch their debut album Seventeen Past Midnight, the latest chapter in the Shuffle’s success story. Togatus spoke to one half of the two-man Shuffle, Mikah Freeman, on the eve of their album release.
You’ve had a pretty hectic start to 2011, namely bringing in the New Year alongside names like David Guetta and Armand Van Helden at Sydney’s Shore Thing. Not a bad way to start the year?
Yeah, it was quite daunting to tell you the truth, to be among the heavyweights of the dance scene was quite a big thing for us and we’d never really played a big live show in front of an audience as yet. Building up to it we did a full dress rehearsal in front of about 10 people and then the real thing was in front of about 17,000 so it was quite big. But it was really, really exciting and the best way to start the New Year.
Obviously the main talk centred on the Shuffle at the moment is on your new album Seventeen Past Midnight. What spurred you on to move away from creating singles, remixing tracks and making compilations to producing an album?
I think we will always do singles, remixes and compilations and I think we always set out to do an album and a body of work, but I guess we were just waiting for the right opportunity and we were kind of building up towards it. So when the opportunity came along we grabbed the bull by the horns and pushed it as hard as we could. We’ve tried to develop ourselves more as artists and musicians and this is where we are now and hopefully people are into what we did.
How would you describe your album? Is it trademark Shuffle or have you moved away from the basics and experimented with something different?
I think it’s a snapshot of where we’ve come from and where we’re going I suppose. The sound has definitely changed a bit over time but I still think it has those signature Shuffle-type hooks and sounds. I think we’ve always strived to have a lot of hooks in our music and it definitely feels as if the album is full of them. I just hope fans of our older stuff are on the journey with us.
How long did the album take to complete?
The opportunity came around 18 months ago and I guess Vance and I were noddling around for a few months because obviously we didn’t know what kind of story we wanted to tell with the Aston Shuffle. I think we had to ask ourselves individually a few questions about what we wanted to do with it. But then we came up with the single ‘Your Love’ and with that we had clearly defined where we wanted to go to with the album. Once we’d done that, the album kind of came together pretty quickly, the whole thing probably came together in seven to eight months after we’d nailed ‘Your Love’.
Obviously with a big project like this there must be some challenges and hurdles to overcome. What was your biggest challenge?
It made us ask ourselves a lot of questions like “are we album-artist people?” We didn’t really have many hurdles as such, but I think we just really had to push ourselves musically and we had to draw a lot of influences individually and then come together and try and push ourselves to make some of the songs work. Once we came up with the raw idea for most of the songs, they all came together quite quickly. But I think it’s really hard when you have that blank canvas there, it can really hard to start something from nothing. But once we got over that it was all smooth sailing from there. Then after the album we had to come up with the live show so everything came up very quickly and it was all systems go for about three months, I don’t think we slept that well during that time.
On the flipside, there must be huge rewards when creating a piece of work that you can call your own?
Yeah, defiantly man. It’s a major accomplishment. The reviews coming back so far have been really glowing and positive so it definitely feels like we’re heading in the right direction. Once this album drops and everyone digests it, then it’s onto number two. At the moment we’re just trying to reinvigorate ourselves with a couple of new remixes and then we’re going overseas. It’s about staying relevant and staying busy.
Do you and Vance [Musgrove] work well as a team? Have you ever had any disputes?
I think we are very, very different individually. But I think that’s the beauty of it, we’ve never really had issues before. Obviously when you’re married to someone you have personal gripes, when you’re living in each other’s pockets for so many years you kind of start developing a brother-to-brother type relationship, but I think we come together really well. I think Vance is the Ying to my Yang. So it’s all pretty good really and I think we have a really good manager who delegates really well between us.
What is your favourite track on the album and why?
For me personally it’s probably ‘Into Forever’. That’s one of the last tracks that we completed on the album. It was kind of a demo which was sitting around and we always thought it was really strong. But we knew it needed a vocal and that was the real struggle. Nik Yiannikas from the Lost Valentinos did the vocals on “The Surface” so we sent him this demo and he came back so quickly with the vocals and they really resonated with me. It was just really, really hot. I think because it’s still one of the fresher tunes off the album that’s why I dig it.
Also another couple of favourites would be “Drop” and “Bring it Back” just because they are killer live songs.
When setting out to make a track, do you think about the fans and what they’re after, or do you hone the beats to satisfy your own ears?
We draw our influences from different places so we never really set out to have a certain sound or a certain vibe, we just sort of jam and go with it, but still with those trademark Aston Shuffle aesthetics like the hooks and certain production. We’ve never set out to write a Soulwax record or “hey let’s write a Bag Raiders record” or something like that. We certainly have our way of writing and it’s certainly what works for us.
Some bands have difficulties coming up with an album name. Did you struggle with ‘Seventeen Past Midnight’? Does that title have any meaning?
It’s actually one of the lyrics in “Into Forever”. It’s actually quite reflective of the album in a sense that it is late night, club music. Usually we are DJ-ing around 12, one or two o’clock in the morning and so that name just felt like the vibe to go for. There’s not much really behind it, but the lyric really resonated with us and we just thought it was a great name for the album.
There are critics out there who often say DJs shouldn’t be classified as real musicians. What do you make of that statement?
I can definitely understand that. Any drongo can mix two records together, but luckily for us we have come from musical backgrounds. Vance is a classically trained pianist who started at the age of five and I was drumming in metal and indie bands from the age of ten so I guess we’ve come from a musical background. Then we moved into production and DJ-ing came with that. So I guess it’s always been part and parcel for us. I certainly understand why DJs are so overhyped, especially with the way digital downloading goes these days, every man and his dog can be a DJ now. You really need to stand out from the pack. I think by writing records and having production behind you certainly helps.
Before you moved onto work creating an album, you’d compiled a lengthy list of remixes. Do you enjoy remixing others work and what would you say is your favourite remix?
We love remixing, man. I think we did four or five remixes before we even did our first single. But to pick a favourite, that’s definitely a hard one. I’d probably have to go with early remixes we did of Claude Von Stroke and Green Velvet was amazing. To work with parts of Lykke Li and Kanye West made us think “we’re not even worthy to have these parts on our computer”. It was quite mind-blowing. And I think the remix we came up with was quite special and we’ve been performing it at our live show quite regularly.
So how do you get hold of those parts from big artists? Do you just get on the phone to Kanye and ask for permission?
Usually with overseas acts, their label scouts out remixes of their work and we actually have a really good remixing manager so he sorts us out some good remixes. So we’re really fortunate that people have heard of us and heard of our sound. I think we are just really lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to work with these types of people, because half the time we just think we’re two nobodies from Canberra so it’s a bit weird to be doing a remix of Kanye West.
Are any of the bands you remix influences for your other work?
Yeah, definitely. Sometimes you’ll be working on a remix and you’ll be really inspired by a certain part and it will push you and drive you to create something new on the fly which will inspire your own work down the track. It’s really, really important to try and remix other people because you feed of their ideas and turn them into your own eventually. So I think it’s really positive, especially when you start remixing bands or indie acts, there are a lot of different ideas and cool musical creations within those records and they can really inspire you and push you.
Take us back to 2006 when the Aston Shuffle were forming in Canberra. Did you set out with the aim of conquering the Australian club scene?
I think it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. The Aston Shuffle was originally a record label we started purely to put out our own music. When MySpace blew up, we started adding all our peers and heroes and suddenly we had a vehicle to contact people. So we started sending people our stuff and we started getting remix requests. I’d been sending remixes to a guy at the Ministry of Sound for a couple of years and then all of a sudden he discovered we were the Aston Shuffle and he basically wanted to sign us there and then. So it all kind of happened quite naturally, it was never forced and we started to realise that we could do this as a career. We never set out to conquer or get all these accolades that we have received over the last couple of years, we just wanted to get our music out there and make a living out of it. We’re just so grateful that we’re sitting here today and I’m talking on the phone to you! It’s awesome and it blows us away. The more success you have breathes more creativity and drive to keep pushing you further.
So through MySpace would you say social media gave you a steppingstone to success?
Without a doubt. With the power of Facebook and Twitter we have a personal connection with all of our fans, which is so important. For someone who likes your music to contact you on a personal level, it’s amazing. Unfortunately, the physical package of music has gone as such, but the connectivity with everyone around the world instant. It’s definitely a benefit for sure.
Many people look at the lifestyle of a successful DJ as enviable. Is it all that it is hyped up to be?
It’s the best job in the world, but it certainly comes with some flaws. Every weekend you can be alone at the airport or in a hotel room, it’s quite a lonely lifestyle. But at the same token, I couldn’t think of a better job in the world. I’d hate to walk into a 9-5 next week, I think I’d be totally screwed. But it’s good for me because I’m a parent now; I’ve got a little girl so I can be Mr Mum during the week and then jet off around the country on weekends. It’s definitely amazing and I can see why people are envious, but it definitely has some downfalls.
You’ve got a slot on Friday nights with triple j doing the Friday Night Shuffle, which is another feather in your cap.
Yeah man. It’s like all these things are happening at once, it’s all quite crazy. When the opportunity came along we had no idea what we were doing, but we thought let’s give it a go anyway. It quite cool to be curating two hours of music every Friday night on Triple J, arguably one of the biggest radio stations in the country, so we’re arguably playing all this new music to potentially millions every week. The show is definitely all about the music – it’s not about Vance or I. We don’t have much experience in broadcasting, but I’m sure that will come together later down the track.
So you’re touring at the moment, what’s on the cards after you’re finished? A bit of downtime maybe?
As soon as we finish our album tour we’re straight onto Groovin’ the Moo festival tour, which is going to be a lot of fun and then we’ll probably take a break after that to get stuck into some writing and then probably head over to Europe in September/October so it’s definitely all systems go until the end of the year.
So it’s going to be a pretty good 2011 then?
Totally, man. I think it’s already been too good to be honest! It can probably only go downhill from here!
INTERVIEW WITH ADALITA SRSEN
Hannah: The new album sounds really great! Are you happy with the reception that it's received so far?
Adalita: Oh thank you! Yeah I really am, I'm pretty blown away, I didn't think it would do this well at all. I mean I was happy with it and proud of what I'd done, but the reaction has been amazing.
Well I love what I've been hearing so far, it's great! Where did you record the album and what was the process like of recording it?
I did it here in Melbourne, where I live with a guy called Brent. I call him Sloth, that's his nickname. But he's far from being a sloth. He is Magic Dirt's front of house mixer and he runs a studio here in Melbourne. It's a great space and it's just up the road from where I live, so it was handy and Sloth knows my voice well and what I'm about and what kind of music I make. As far as writing the record, it took three years all up to start from scratch and write new songs, demo them, and for Dean Turner, who is co-producer of the record, and I to sit down and choose the songs and talk about the aesthetic of the album. So I just went into the studio and Dean came with me and I played around and got the right sound and recorded a vocal, one guitar and a few extra little layers here and there, but it was essentially just myself recording the tracks and doing most of it. I got a couple of musicians to come in; Raul Sanchez from Magic Dirt played an instrumental with me, JP Shilo, who is a Melbourne musician, came and did a few songs. And Amaya Laucirica, a singer/songwriter came in and did some backing vocals on one track.
Sounds great! Did you find that there was a big difference between doing a record as a solo artist compared to making one as part of a band like with Magic Dirt?
Yeah it was very different. I guess in obvious ways it's different. It's not Magic Dirt and I don't have a band around me, so that was a whole new thing for me. I guess I had to rely on my own decisions a lot more, I didn't really have as many people to bounce ideas off. I had Dean there for the tracking, but then he wasn't there for the mixing, so I was really working on my own and hoping that I was steering the album down the right path.
I think that my favourite song off the album would have to be The Repairer, do you have a favourite track?
Yeah I really like The Repairer too, it was one of the last songs I wrote. I really like Hot Air. I like so many songs off the record because they all tell a different story, and there's variations, and each is it's own entity. I really like Perfection, there's a violin at the end of it, JP played the violin. It was a really hard song to get because it's quiet, and slow, and I had to sing it really well, and get the violin part right. I'm really happy with how that one turned out.
So as far as performing goes, are they the tracks that you like to perform live?
Well everything is hard for me to play live solo because I've only been playing live like this for a couple of years, so I'm still kind of finding my feet and I need to play a lot of shows to get the experience under my belt, you know, of being solo. They're hard to play but I am getting more comfortable playing them so I guess they are a bit more fun to play now. But it's all very serious for me still, I have to concentrate really hard to play well, and to hit the right notes. But I am enjoying the shows, I'm relaxing a bit more so it allows me to enjoy them a lot more.
Yeah, I imagine the transition would be quite difficult.
Well I think I'm still definitely in the transition, I think when people come to the shows they're seeing me in the middle of the transition. I feel like I'm still definitely going through it. So yeah it's pretty full on but it's something I have to do I think.
You're in the first leg of your tour now, how has it gone so far?
Yeah good! We started in Byron, Amaya Laucirica is coming around with me, she's my main support act so we've kind of been travelling around together on the road. So the first show was in Byron, it was cool, and we did Brisbane which was great, it's going to be hard to top that show. It was amazing, I had a really good night, we played at The Old Museum which is this beautiful old heritage building, which has different studios inside. The audience was great, it was a really special show, it flowed well. And then the Gold Coast, which was really good! I'm rapt, it's been a great response. People are coming to the shows, which is all you can hope for really, is to get some good numbers.
Sounds amazing! So where are you off to next?
I'm off to Warrnambool, and then flying over to Perth for a couple of shows over there which will be great! I love Perth.
And you're doing some shows in Tassie, which I'm really happy about!
[Laughs] Yes, finally! Yeah I had some solo shows booked for Tassie a couple of years ago, but I had to blow them out because Dean was really sick and he had to go to hospital, so had to blow those ones out for that reason. So apart from the Blondie and Pretenders tour, which I was part of, it will be my first headline solo show. So Launceston on the 20th of April, and Hobart on the 21st at The Republic. I'm really excited about that!
I'll have to come along, The Republic is such a great little spot.
Yeah it is, and Magic Dirt have played there quite a few times and we've had some pretty wild, wild nights there. So I've got very fond memories, good times.
[Laughs] That's brilliant. So what was it like for you to support Blondie and The Pretenders last year?
It was amazing! I had to pinch myself, you know, like 'is this really happening?' It was wild, they were two very professional bands doing their thing, and they were these legends on stage. And then seeing them backstage, and meeting Debbie Harry, it was like this can't be happening. It was really inspiring to watch Chrissie Hynde and Debbie Harry, and I hung out with Blondie and it was all just amazing.
That sounds so cool! Were you a big fan of Debbie Harry when you were younger?
Yeah I love Debbie Harry and Blondie, and I love the Pretenders. I've loved them since I was in high school, so yeah it was pretty awesome to tour with them! I still go, 'did that really happen?'
So what do you have planned for after this tour?
Well I hope to get some supports and tour around with another band or another act, that would be nice. And maybe do a festival, I'm not sure. Probably just do a few more shows, but I'd really like to start writing the second solo album this year, if I could.
Where do you find that you draw inspiration from for your songwriting? Does it come easily to you?
It does, if I sit down and start writing it usually just flows out. So I'm not sure where it comes from, but I guess it comes from inside, my psyche, my experiences in the world. I kind of like to explore why I do things, or why I react to things in a certain way. I like to talk about whatever is bugging me at that point or just questioning myself, exploring what I do and how I react to people, and to relationships and feelings, so I guess it's like a psychological exploration really.
Like an inner journey kind of thing?
Yeah!
What are your favourite memories from your Magic Dirt days?
There's a lot! It's all good. There's been great times, a lot of great tour moments. I think my favourite thing would have been just driving in the car with everyone, and turning up the music and being really drunk or partying or whatever. Just being stupid and cracking jokes and just travelling around with people that you love! And doing what you love, I think sort of permeates everything. So then it makes everything great memories, you know. Because you're doing it with your mates. Your best mates
It must be such a nice lifestyle!
Yeah, it sure is! It's pretty damn good.
Well, thanks so much for talking to me today Adalita!
Yeah, thank you Hannah, thanks for your time!
INTERVIEW WITH LIONEL TOWERS FROM GYPSY AND THE CAT:
Hannah: So your next show is in New York on April 11, you must be excited for that.
Lionel: Ah yeah, if we do it! I'm not sure if we're actually doing it at the moment. But I'd love to do it.
Have you been to New York before?
Yeah, I love it! It's awesome. So that's one of the reasons why I'd like to go, but yeah we'll see what happens.
Your debut album sounds great, are you happy with the reception that it's received?
Yeah, it seems to be all positive at the moment, and as artists we can't really complain.
So you're now based in London is that right?
We were, we're kind of back in Australia now though, as of the end of last year. Pretty much back in Melbourne. Back to the good weather!
What's the story behind the name Gypsy and the Cat?
It's from a bedtime story book from an antique store. One of the stories in it was called Gypsy and the Cat. We were going to use it as a song title initially, but when we saw it we didn't really have a band name, so we made it Gypsy and the Cat. So that's how we came up with it.
My friend told me that The Piper's Song reminds her of a fantasy land with dragons and happiness, which is interesting. What were you thinking of when you wrote it?
Definitely, the whole fantasy thing. We listen to a bit of Led Zeppelin, and Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, talks about The Piper. I think that's kind of where that idea was incepted.
What other bands are you influenced by?
Led Zeppelin is definitely a big influence. I mean, I'd be here forever rattling off band names. But I guess a good song is a good song, and so there's probably really obscure references in there. We referenced a bit of Notorious B.I.G and we've referenced bands like Fleetwood Mac and French bands like Air. But the list of influences goes far and beyond.
Do you find it fairly easy to created new music?
Sometimes. It's half and half. I guess every artist goes through a time when they're going through a bit of writers block, but most of the time it's relatively easy.
The last time you played in Tasmania was at the Soundscape Festival in January. How did that go for you guys?
It was new, we didn't know how people in Tasmania would react and it was my first time to Tasmania, and I think it was Xavier's too. Yeah so it was definitely a new experience.
Did you just come down for the day?
Yeah, we just came down for literally our show and then left afterwards. We did get to see a little bit of it.
You played at Parklife last year, tell me what it's like being a part of one of the nationally travelling music festivals.
Every festival tour is different and I guess you're constantly comparing them to each other. But all in all, it's been really fun to do the festival tours. Parklife was good, Future Music Festival was great too, and so was Big Day Out.
What was the experience of being Unearthed by Triple J like?
I can't even remember us entering really. It was a little while ago! But Triple J has been amazing for us, and they've been huge in helping us gain this new Australian audience.
If you weren't a musician, what would you be?
I'd still be at uni! Studying I.T.
Were you at uni before you started making music?
Yeah I was. Yeah so, I'd probably be in I.T doing a boring job!
Who were your favourite musicians growing up?
Michael Jackson, 2Pac, um yeah they're the two main ones!
Gypsy & the Cat are doing a national tour from May 6 - May 21
What was going on during this recent little US trip?
We did a couple shows in New York, one in Vegas and then we did South by South West. It was fucking cool, it was our first time at SXSW and we had a blast. It was really good.
Are you disappointed not to stay on and attend Coachella as a punter?
People I spoke to put me off it a bit because of the crowds and the heat. But the line-up is pretty amazing, it would have been nice if we were over there but what can you do?
How was St Jerome’s Laneway Festival for the second time round, earlier this year?
Yeah that was great! This year was a dream line-up for us in particular, all the bands we really like were on it. So it was really cool to be a part of.
Did you actually get to play in a laneway?
Yeah, Brisbane was the only actual laneway stage, most of the stages are actually big outdoor stages now.
Who did you enjoy seeing at Laneway?
I really like Dearhunter, I saw them like four or five times which was awesome. Beach House were great, Foals were good, !!! caught (Chk Chk Chk) a few times, they were sweet and HOLY F@#K were good. We saw everyone, really made a point of catching everyone. Really liked it all.
Did you happen to see Les Savy Fav? And have any members of The Holidays ever been tempted to run antics like LSF front man Tim Harrington to woo crowds?
Yeah, we did couple times actually, pretty wild. Oh dunno if we could do anything on the scale of Tim Harrington, but maybe. We’ve been known to go into the crowd occasionally, but pashing random guys and girls I think is another level, jumping in the river and drinking water out of his shoes is maybe not our style or suits our music.
How do you contend with the challenge of wooing festival crowds who didn’t necessarily come to see The Holidays? Or do you simply prefer playing your own shows?
Well festivals are pretty fun at the start because the people are in the frame of mind to get into the music, which is great, but it’s always pretty tough as a band because you get a pretty short set up, and gotta be ready to go straight away. But I think we have got pretty good over the last year or so, we are usually the band on in the afternoon that kinda sets a chill mood, which can be good, can be bad. We have played a few this year and enjoyed the festival circuit.
You have been on Richard Kingsmill’s radio show 2010 and Take Five with Zan Roe, but if you were invited on Tom and Alex’s show for Like a Version, what song would you cover and why?
We have discussed it before, we have worked on this cover of the Avalanches, “Since I Left You” which we really like because its such a weird song based on old samples and stuff, like built with instruments so its really cool, so I think we would go with that.
How does the making of your music videos occur, do you send a brief to your production company Moop Jaw or is it pretty much left to their discretion?
Usually what happens is we will get a bunch of directors to submit their ideas and we pick the director or the idea we like the most and work on it from there, kind of half bounce off the director. The most recent video “Broken Bones” that was more a case of we liked the director and he had cool ideas and then we said to him “go and make this absurd bunch of shots and well get a few of them.” Then he put it together himself, we didn’t see it until the final cut, yeah it was cool it was really strange mix of shots.
In your tour journal you talk of blokes who live on the coast spending their winter in the gym! What do you think when you look out in the crowd and see topless beach muscle men?
Yeah I dunno. I haven’t seen that tour diary [laughs]. I guess when you’re at a festival it’s all about getting your guns out isn’t it? We are more like kinda hide in the side stage area in the shade, but there are certain parts of Australia where it’s more prevalent like the Gold Coast.
Collaborations seem in vogue currently, have you got any plans or intent to co-produce any new music?
Yeah I dunno, we have talked about doing stuff with Cloud Control, but there a bit busy at the moment with overseas stuff so we haven’t been in the same place much. Al from Cloud Control and I were going to trade remixes of each others songs, but dunno if we are going to have time. We have got a bit of a gang of Aussie bands we hang out with at SXSW and done festival circuits with, dunno if musically any of us have time for collaborations at the moment.
Are you looking forward to playing your own shows on this upcoming tour?
Yeah, yeah we are. It’s been a while since we have done any headline shows, so I think it’s going to be pretty fun playing to a crowd who’s specifically there to see you.
Have you ever played at the Republic Bar here in Hobart? What should Tasmanian locals expect at the show?
Yeah we have, years ago we did a show supporting Little Red. It was cool – really like it. Well, I guess this time around we have a full album and a year of touring under our belt so we have an actual show rather than a couple of songs here and there. It’s more like an hour-long set of music – more than you get at a festival. It will be an all-encompassing experience.
The Holidays will play at The Republic Bar on April 8
Xavier Rudd’s alternative and mainly acoustic style have seen him rise to become one of Australia’s best known artists. He is also something of an activist for aboriginal and environmental issues. Rebecca Whitehead catches up with him, before he embarks on his national tour to promote his most recent album, Koonyum Sun.
Your music has been described as tribal, with a spiritual undertone. Does this spirituality affect your writing process?
I don’t really have a process; it just sort of comes through me. I don’t try and write music, it just happens over time and when it really comes through, it comes through. It’s been that way since I was a kid. It just flows.
How long have you been writing music for?
Ever since I can remember, before I even really knew what I was doing. When I was a little kid I used to sing songs and write poems about things that were happening around me and I guess that was the start of the song writing. As I got older it became an instrument to create more songs. What I do now is really an extension of that, it’s unplanned, it just happens.
What influences your song writing? Was there one particular influence that inspired you more than the rest?
I’m just influenced by life in general really. I’ve seen a lot of things, heard a lot of music, met a lot of amazing people on my travels, and am inspired by a lot of situations I see. All these things for me end in music.
A recent issue that has inspired me is the Sea Shepherd shutting down whaling for the first time. Paul Watson and his journey as captain of the Sea Shepherd and my interaction with him have inspired songs.
Also that big moon we had recently, brought this whole thing out of me. Under that moon a lot of stuff came out of me. My influences have a lot to do with people, the elements and spirits.
It sounds like you wouldn’t be the sort to get writer’s block then?
No, I’ve never had writers block; never been in a situation where I couldn’t write. Although sometimes after I record a record it’s like I’m empty. So I give it a rest and then in time I begin to start carrying music with me again.
It’s clear from your music that aboriginal culture has played a major influence. Does this have to do with why you play the didgeridoo?
I’ve always played the didgeridoo. I came from the south so never had any black fella influences with it. I just taught myself and had a knack for it. Been playing for years now, ever since I was little.
The national tour you’re about to embark on is based on your most recent album Koonyum Sun. What does Koonyum Sun mean? And how did you meet your fellow band members, Tio Moloantoa and Andile Nqubezelo?
Koonyum refers to the Koonyum mountain ranges behind the Murrumbidgee ranges. I think Koonyum means place of thunder and lightning. The idea came to me after I spent a lot of time watching the sun light up the mountain range of a morning and then seeing it sink behind in the afternoon.
I met Tio and Andile at Nuke festival in Austria. We were both playing there and had a mutual respect for what each other were doing. We stayed in touch, caught up and decided to play together. We first rehearsed in Australia and it was really special.
I’ve heard you are rather interested in aboriginal and environmental issues. What sort of work do you do in the Kimberleys?
I go up a couple of times a year to the Kimberley and am connected to a few aboriginal mobs up there. The whole Save the Kimberley initiative, focusing on the proposed gas development, is one particular aboriginal group. If that industry went ahead it would be detrimental to all mobs. Once industry starts it spreads.
Considering you are interested in aboriginal issues, have you heard about the Brighton by-pass project here in Tasmania, where aboriginal artefacts are at risk of being destroyed if the highway goes ahead?
I haven’t, no. Although I would love to know more considering I don’t know anything about it. I’ll be meeting up with an aboriginal mob in Tasmania when I get there. I’d be interested to talk to them about it.
It’s a well known fact that you are a firm believer of spirits and are an activist for the environment. How do you feel about the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill?
It is disgusting. Once it goes in it’ll be set. They can say the timber will come from this area and that area and talk about the economic values of the pulp mill, but once it is there it is there. You have to feed it and that is the problem. Also the planning for it and paperwork they present is always changing. It’s opening the door to complete destruction of Tasmanian forests.
You obviously find Tasmania’s natural environment very unique. You have played here before, at Falls Festival. How’d you find that experience?
Falls was great! I’d love to come back and play if they book me. I love seeing a big mob of Tassie people getting together, its perfect. Tassie crowds are wicked! The people are all really humble and cool. The whole place is very inspiring and powerful.
Has your upbringing had an impact on the way you are now?
I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time on the coast and I grew up in the bush, did a lot of camping and bush bashing through country.
On the topic of family, I’ve heard you carry your son’s sock on tour. How’d that start?
Originally I just found it in my bag when I was in the States once. I was missing him and this little sock turned up and it was just in my backpack. So I was stoked, it smelt like him which was cool. And so I just had it and it has been there ever since.
You were voted one of Australia’s sexiest vegetarians by animal rights group PETA. What made you choose to become vegetarian?
Just travelling a lot overseas I made the choice not to eat meat, especially when you don’t know where it came from. I don’t have a problem with people eating it, but do have a problem with the mass production of meat and the way animals are treated. I think beef should be extinguished from this country because of its environmental impacts. There are enough kangaroos to go around, plus it’s a leaner meat. It would result in a lot of regrowth, allowing the country come back to its natural state.
Thanks so much for talking to me Xavier, and us Tassie folk will be seeing you at the Saloon Bar in Launceston on the 1 April and at the Uni Bar in Hobart on the 2 April.
Most definitely! Looking forward to it.
TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP
Media Alert
Friday March 25th 2011
SUPPORTERS OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY TO HOLD VIGIL TO COINCIDE WITH ANTI-EQUALITY MEETING
What: to show the human face of marriage equality to those who oppose reform
Where: outside the Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania, Churchill Ave
When: 6.30pm Wed, March 30th, 2011
Supporters of marriage equality are invited to a attend a peaceful Vigil for Equality at the University of Tasmania this Wednesday March 30th.
The Vigil is in response to a meeting against marriage equality convened by the Tasmanian Presbyterian Church and to be addressed by the Christian Lobby's Jim Wallace and Senator Guy Barnett.
Tasmanian University Union Sexuality Officer, Alex West, said the vigil is an opportunity to show the human face of reform.
"Everyone who attends will be given the photo and personal story of a same-sex couple who want to marry so that those attending the church's meeting can see who it is they are discriminating against", Ms West said.
The photos all come from the Potential Wedding Album (www.thepotentialweddingalbum.org).
The TUU said it is important that those attending the Vigil do so in the understanding that it is a peaceful and dignified gathering.
"Anger directed at the people attending the meeting will distract from our core message that marriage equality is about love and commitment. It will also drive away people who need to hear this message."
For more information contact Alex West on 0400 663 842 or Saleh Bin Talib on 0 409958158
A lot can be said for the power of the people.
Over a period of three months, three nations of the Middle East have experienced civil unrest. Two have fought and won against regimes which have ruled for decades. The president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali resigned on January 14 after 23 years in power. Then Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak was ousted less than a month later, after 30 years in power.
As of this moment, Libya is fighting to oust their leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi has led his regime for over 40 years. He rules with an iron fist and he will not leave without a fight. Analysts have said that the conflict is now entering its final and possibly most bloody stage. They predict Gaddafi and his sons are unlikely to leave voluntarily.
The Australian Middle East correspondent John Lyons described the events as “the most brutal crackdown by any regime”. News reports state Gaddafi has killed at least 1000 of his people in an effort to quell the uprising. Grainy mobile phone images have been released as evidence to this, showing men lying face down with gunshot wounds to the head. There are reports of forces loyal to the Libyan leader firing live ammunition at unarmed protesters.
The people describe their leader as “mad”.
Since the rebellion started in Libya on 15 February more than 100 000 civilians have fled. They join refugees at the border with Tunisia and Egypt. The tsunami of refugees is creating a crisis for international humanitarian operations. The ramshackle camps leave the refugees at the mercy of the freezing cold. Conditions are worsening, with food and water scarce.
International workers have also been left stranded, with reports of managers fleeing the area and leaving their team to fend for themselves. Two Australian oil workers were abandoned by their U.S contractors and had to be evacuated by the British Navy.
The effect of the crisis is being felt around the world. The price of oil has more than doubled. Gold has also reached a record high. Financial markets are bracing themselves for a domino effect of uprising in surrounding nations.
The West so far has only debated whether or not to take military action. Implementing a ‘no fly zone’ is under consideration. But with the crisis reaching its peak, it won’t be long before the West has to act. The United States is already prepared to use military action against the state.
“First we have to see the end of [Gaddafi’s] regime and with no further bloodshed – we want him to leave,” said US secretary of state Hilary Clinton.
Whatever the outcome in Libya, it is unlikely that no more blood will be spilt. Gaddafi has already breached international laws, and will have to face charges from the International Criminal Court regarding his breach of human rights.
Gaddafi is determined to fight until the bitter end.
“We will fight to the end, to the last man, the last woman... We will enter a bloody war and thousands and thousands of Libyans will die if the United States or NATO enters. Another Vietnam will begin”.
MAX: You’ve gained big exposure through the Triple J Unearthed competition. How’s the Unearthed experience been for the band?
JO: Unearthed was invaluable. That was the first time we ever got played on any type of station including local and regional so that was big for us. From there they have always supported us and provided momentum. Even though we didn’t get a heap of rotation, but each time it kept giving us a little more confidence. When they feature you on Unearthed it’s kinda like a little commitment from Triple J that they want to keep helping you as long as you keep helping yourself. It’s a nice bit of assurance.
MAX: Before you guys put your songs on Unearthed how long had you been performing as “Big Scary”?
JO: Not long at all actually! I don’t think we had even done a gig under the name Big Scary because we had done two or three really folksy style gigs over the course of a bit more than a year. But in that year we had both been separately travelling for six months and then once that was finished we did this demo and hadn’t played a gig yet, but made a Myspace and put them up on Unearthed. ‘The Apple Song’ got played off Unearthed and then that was when we started booking some gigs and finally started calling ourselves Big Scary.
MAX: Is there some kind of story behind that name?
JO: No…. It was like the lowest common denominator that neither of us hated. We’d been texting each other back and forth with band names and each one thought that others were stupid. Its kind of a nostalgic type of name makes you think of little kids and all that kind of stuff. That’s why we both liked it.
MAX: So you didn’t get it off www.bandnamemaker.com then?
JO: No! [Laughs] Isn’t that how Boy & Bear got theirs?
MAX: Yeah, I think so.
JO: They came out with a good one! I didn’t even know that it existed until recently.
MAX: When you guys put your music on Unearthed how did you feel about the general public being able to critique your music?
JO: It’s alright. It’s really funny, we’ve been lucky – most comments have been positive. When you do get a bad one you feel defensive, but it’s not a bad thing because you need the balance and a lot were really valid. So in some ways it can feel like it’s no one’s right to critique, but at the same time it’s OK. You’re getting free feedback.
MAX: When you and Tom get together to write are you both equal parts in the process?
JO: No, it’s 90% Tom’s song writing, especially at the start he’d come with finished songs. These days it is more of a jamming process, but I do feel lucky I’ve teamed up with a song writing genius. Even when he is working on an idea for a song at home he will have a feel for the rhythm or the drums on the song. We work well together. I’m not a session musician, but its defiantly Tom’s song writing coming out.
MAX: Many of your EPs work within a theme, you’ve recorded an EP for each season – which are available now together as a package. Why did you guys decide to go with a series of themed EPs vs. a Traditional album?
JO: The thing was, we weren’t really ready to do an album. We were still trying to use a cliché ‘find out what our sound was’ sort of thing. That was the point of the four seasons project – we didn’t have any constraints to try and make it sound like a cohesive album. We were always writing different genre songs, I think when we do a real album we will want it to be consistent. These EPs were almost just like a collection of songs and it was a nice way of going about it, and Tom’s lyrics have always been quite influenced by nature anyway. It was nice to do a little EP every three months as well.
MAX: So you have the seasons EPs and you also have another EP influenced by nature ‘The Mercy of The Elements’. Is there a meaning behind the title of this one?
The week that we were in the studio for that, I think it was September 2009 around two years ago, and it really was this week where Sydney had these crazy orange dust storms, golf sized hail and Melbourne was pouring with rain. It was just one of those weeks similar to our current summer, where around the country there was just extreme weather. So this was happening while we were in this cheap studio. We could hear the rain, so it was just an apt name we felt influenced by. We really were at the mercy of the elements.
MAX: Your sound varies across your recording and the genre. Do you guys get a little bit of pleasure that at this stage you can’t be put in a box?
JO: It’s a blessing and a curse because I feel that it can confuse people a little bit they don’t know if they are going to like the next track, but for us it’s not planned it’s just inevitable. That’s how we have always wrote and we have always liked different genre’s ourselves. We have had to start to really think about it because we are writing the album and like I said we do want it to be more consistent. It’s been hard for us to choose what direction to go in because we enjoy every sound so much and I think that there could be good things that happen in any genre. It’s more fun because you can go rocky on stage and have a lot of energy and then in the studio or just at home you can really relax and have those more folky or piano driven songs. It keeps it more exciting for us.
MAX: You mentioned that you’re recording a full-length album, is that one going to have a theme or be more consistent in its genre you think?
JO: It wont be themed, we really love albums that you can play from start to finish. We’re trying to cut back the fat, have no filler and really consider how each song will fit together. I still think that there will be a bit of genre crossing, there will be a bit of grungy rock, piano pop and piano balladry. Its still going to be a bit diverse but we’d like it to be something that you can sit through and we hope that it will have a natural flow of emotions rather than the summer EP where you’ve got this epic piano orchestral type piece followed up by some thrash punk number.
Do you have a predicted release date for the album?
We did, but we are waiting to hear back from someone that we really want to work with. But the one thing that could really put that off is that we really want to get the album out this year and he is a very busy man so we are waiting to hear back if that can work, we’ve got some great options otherwise. It was supposed to be August this year. We are still hoping this year.
MAX: The person that you want to work with, is it a producer or an addition to the band?
JO: Yeah a producer, we just suddenly realised that everything that he has done that we know of we have really enjoyed. There are lots of people out there that are really great at what they do but we he has the right texture. We are also an independent band so we don’t have a label telling us who we have to work with so we were a bit blind for a while until we worked it out for ourselves.
MAX: So it sounds like the producer is a secret at this stage is that right?
JO: Yeah, because even if we don’t end up with him we know who else we would like to work with and that would be really exciting as well, so it’s not like it would be devastating if it couldn’t happen. There are other great things on the boil.
MAX: Comparisons have been made to another very famous duo The White Stripes – do you find this frustrating or flattering?
JO: I take it as more flattering then frustrating. I don’t think apart from the current single that our future music will sound much like them but [laughing] we just released a single that gets the most comparisons. I love The White Stripes and you can’t avoid being compared to people and of course with the combination of just drums and guitar we come out with that flavour of music occasionally. It’s not that frustrating because we will be able to show that that’s not the only band or only sound we can make, there are lots of people that we are trying to copy!
MAX: For your song ‘Tuesday Is Rent Day’ you had the opportunity to work with Alice Dupre. She’s worked with Martin Scorsese and on the film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. How did you guys end up working together?
JO: A little thing called family! She is my good cousins fiancé and they’re in London. She’s just amazing. Her best work is actually for this advertisement for a porn website where she has to make it G rated by doing these hilarious cover ups. She has really exciting work and we were just so so happy with the clip she made for us which she did with little consultation from across the world. We basically said ‘if you’ve got a vision go for it’ and she came back with that and we were just absolutely stoked.
MAX: You have a few music videos available now up on Youtube. Do you guys enjoy expressing yourself via that medium as well?
JO: It’s something that we are a bit shy of because we have never had a strong vision for ourselves in that kind of sense. I feel like that if you’re not sure of it don’t make a clip, but there’s also that thing that people do love watching them. We were lucky that we were approached for the ‘Autumn’ and the ‘Falling Away’ clip by these awesome cinematographers and again we just said to the person ‘go for it! We don’t really want to have much say because we will just confuse the matter.’ I like great clips, but I feel like I don’t have the inspiration or get really excited about it so I approach it with trepidation, and so I’m glad that those guys have made some beautiful clips for us.
MAX: You also have beautiful artwork on your EPs and your merchandise, are you involved in putting that together?
JO: One of our T-shirts is just ‘I heart BS’. But I think you’re talking about our Four Season EPs and our compilation. They’re really nice. They are from this girl Laura, she did that whole series and we found her on Myspace arts and culture. She’s really young and from central coast NSW. We were all just really amazed by her talent. We let her run with it completely, we gave her the layout we wanted, but again we just sat back and let her genius art go nuts.
MAX: You’ve played in Hobart in the past. Do you have any fond memories of down here?
JO: We love Hobart, it’s ridiculous! We have always had an amazing stake at the Republic Bar. We’ve played there twice now and also, the Salamanca Markets we try and visit every time. Tom loves the Scallop Pies and I got this awesome 3D jumper! Hobart is beautiful because it’s got this architecture that is a generation before anything Melbourne has. It’s really quaint to us and just so beautiful, I really look forward to going back there. I hope that Friday we get there we will have a bit of time to have a look around and relax a bit.
MAX: Your music is inspired by the elements and nature, have you had the chance to see that side of Tasmania?
JO: No, but I really would love to. My Dad’s been hiking and it just looks beautiful. One day I want to do all the hikes around, but the best we’ve been able to manage was the drive between Hobart and Launceston that we liked anyway. What’s that town Oak...
MAX: Oatlands?
JO: Oatlands, yeah! We loved that, but it was just from the car! We haven’t been able to climb any mountains or visit any beaches yet.
MAX: So for your show on the 25th at the Unibar, what should people expect?
JO: Well, at a show like that we will want to keep the energy up. There will be a lot of the rocky and pop numbers. A lot of fun, that’s what people can expect.
Max: Thanks so much for your time, looking forward to your show.
Bigger and Better O-week
“One of the key dates in the student diary I would say!!” That is how Tasmania University Union (TUU) State President Saleh Bintalib describes the O-week organised by the TUU.
The 2011 Activities team has put together a very impressive line up for the O-week which runs in the first week of the University calendar year, beginning February 21st.
Hobart students will see their O-week kicking off with a welcome back barrel on the famous REF Steps. Mr BinTalib said “A beach themed barrel is being considered at this stage.” The week will then have a Comedy Gala on the Tuesday night, the ever so famous Societies Day on the Wednesday, a rock quiz on the Thursday night and finishing the week off on a high with a concert on the Friday night.
The Friday night concert is the big draw card of O Week, and preparations started in early November to make sure this year does not disappoint. “We have a huge range of Australian acts performing at the O Week Concert,” said Mr BinTalib. Headliners include Illy, a university student himself, and Space Invadas, the new project for Katalyst producer Ashley Anderson.
Concert ticket prices have been dropped from previous years; $20 for students and $30 for non-students. “We’ve always struggled since the introduction of VSU; budgeting has been a constant issue. We like to show students that we are resilient and can still put on productions that rival that of their pre-VSU counterparts,” said Mr BinTalib.
Mr Bintalib said “The comedy gala was packed when we organized it last year; in fact we had to look for more chairs! We are pleased that we are able to bring it back again in this O-week”
In the north, the Launceston based students will experience its very first Societies Day on the Tuesday of the O-week. “The 2011 TUU team is extremely pleased that we will be able to do a Societies day up North this year.” said Mr Bintalib. The Launceston Societies Day will be incorporated with an outdoor concert.
Mr Bintalib concluded by saying “The Activities Officers in the North and South, Josh Brooks and Claire Patmore respectively, have done a fantastic job in putting the O-week together. We look forward to welcoming students in O-week and remind them that they are at University for more than just a degree.”
SCHEDULE:
HOBART
MONDAY:
O Week Barrel. Ref Steps. 3 PM – 6 PM
Barrels; as much a part of Uni life as textbooks and lectures. Make sure you start the year appropriately: $2 Beer, Free Pizza, Music by the Dance Music Society, and guaranteed good company.
TUESDAY:
Comedy Gala. Uni Bar. Doors at 7 PM, Show at 7.30 PM
Hosted by Tim Logan and featuring the tantalising Madam Goulash alongside four high calibre comedians – guaranteed to leave you with a six-pack the next morning you will be laughing that hard. Tickets at the door, $7 Students, $10 Non-students.
TUESDAY:
Lifestyle Expo. TUU Activities Centre. 10.30 – 2 PM
Like free stuff? We do too. With a huge range of stalls offering you the best deals, products and latest information on all the things you’ll need whilst at Uni – the Expo is a great place to pickup a free TUU diary, yearly planner and loads of other useful bits and pieces.
WEDNESDAY:
Clubs and Societies Day. Ref Steps. 3 PM – 6 PM
Plunge headfirst into everything UTas has to offer. Whether your interests are swimming, politics, social justice, or you just want to join a faculty-based society for a few drinks; Societies Day is the event of events, and yields something for everyone.
THURSDAY:
The Morning After Brunch. Ref Steps. 9.30 – 11 AM
Clubs and Societies Day leave you feeling worse for wear? Never fear, we’ll shout you to a delectable free brunch with some soothing tunes; a surefire way to cure any hangover.
THURSDAY:
Rock Quiz. Uni Bar. Doors from 6.30 PM
Hosted by the “D&M Music Experience” and with a myriad of prizes up for grabs. Burgers and beers are available to start the night, with the Quiz kicking off at 7.30 PM. $12 for a table of 6-8. Register at the TUU Contact Center (the hole in the wall near the Co-Op).
FRIDAY:
The O Week Concert, Uni Bar, 7 PM
Illy. Space Invadas. Big Scary. Ben Wells and the Middle Names. And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, 90 minutes of Happy Hour from 7.30 – 9 PM. Tickets $20 Students, $30 Non-students. Available from the TUU Contact Center or oztix.com.au (+bf online).
LAUNCESTON
MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY
Settle back into Uni life and catch up with your mates, from 3 – 5 in the Uni Bar we have live entertainment with local performers Scott Haigh and Ben Castles, free pizza and chap beers.
Uni Bar and Beer garden 3 – 5pm
TUESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY
Today is going to be huge on the Newnham campus, kicking off at 10.30 am we have the Student Lifestyle Expo with a huge range of stall offering you the best deals, products and latest information. This is also where you can collect your free TUU Diary and Year Planner, don’t miss out!
Student Lifestyle Expo: 10.30 – 2.00pm Unicafe and Amphitheatre.
TUESDAY 22ND
Clubs and Societies Afternoon: Want have fun and make new friends? Get along to the Clubs and Societies session in the amphitheatre, a fun afternoon where you can sign up to our range of student interest clubs, be tempted by their sign up offers. 3 local bands will be hitting the stage Star Nation, The Johnny Players and Lorenzo Von Matterhorn. TUU reps will be cooking a free sausage sizzle 3 – 6pm
THURSDAY 23RD FEBRUARY
Feeling a bit shabby after a big day at the races? There’s a free healthy breakfast happening from 9.30 – 11am just outside the Uni-cafe. Grab a flavoured milk and yoghurt that should settle your stomach! Free breakfast; 9.30 – 11am Amphitheatre
THURSDAY 23RD FEBRUARY
A good Uni student should be able to sniff out a free bbq on any campus, now’s the time to head to Inveresk as the TUU reps are having a free sausage sizzle and Ben Castles is playing his 6 string.
Free Sausage Sizzle: 12 – 2pm Inveresk
Friday 25th FEBRUARY
Keep you eye out for Student Reps who will be roaming Newnham Campus, ready for a chat and with free giveaways.
International Get together
An informal welcome and chat for new students especially those new to Launceston, come along and make new friends, find out more about our city. Guests speakers and free dinner
Raymond Ferrel Centre 4 - onwards
For further comments please contact
Saleh O Bintalib
TUU State Wide President
salehb@utas.edu.au
6226 2853 / 0409 958 158
MAX: After the success of your single ‘Pictures’ and it hitting number 66 in last year’s triple Js hottest 100, can you describe the feeling of backing it up with ‘it can wait’ at 29 this year?
ILLY: It was a real trip, dude. We had a big Australia day BBQ at my place with about 70 to 80 of my mates. We were counting down and it got to about 40 and I was like ‘oh fuck, I don’t know if it’s going to make it in! I’ve got all these people here – it better get in there’ and then when it came it was madness here. I was so stoked.
MAX: I saw a few pictures from the BBQ on twitter. Are you still renting that house.
ILLY: Yeah, there are still a few bins and rubbish bags that we weren’t able to fit in at the time. The carpet is not looking too good… I don’t think we are going to get the bond back. But whatever, we probably weren’t getting that bond back anyway to be fair [laughs].
MAX: What’s the difference between your last record and your latest?
ILLY: I think just generally it’s a stronger, more well-made album. The song writing, the flow, the delivery, the production, even the mixing and mastering was built on the experience of making the last album. It’s just a stronger album man.
MAX: You also did something a little bit different with this album that I haven’t seen before, which was 14 tracks in 14 days. What was your thought process behind that?
ILLY: It was basically that we had this album and we didn’t have a huge budget to be able to promote the album. But I knew it was really strong, so we just wanted a way of getting to people so that they could hear it and building up a bit of a buzz around it and it turned out to be a really effective thing – except some little prick put up all the tracks as we were dropping them up on Youtube. So the whole album was on Youtube before it was even released. But other than that man, it was all good and it’s gone on to do really well so the whole thing worked.
MAX: What are your feelings on music piracy now that you have had someone put your music on Youtube without your permission?
ILLY: It’s a tough one because I would prefer someone to buy the album rather than burn it. But if they did I’d be more stoked that they have a copy of it and they have an awareness of who I am or who anyone else is in the Aussie scene. It’s a real double-edged sword, man. I was annoyed about that thing because the album was up before it was even released which is a different kettle of fish. But, if people are supporting the music in other ways – if they are going to the shows and promoting it to their friends... It’s tough. I’m sitting on the fence – that’s the answer. I do think it is more important for people to support local music because it’s a much smaller scene, but if your downloading people that are selling two or three million albums I don’t see a problem with that. I’m probably going to get in trouble for that.
MAX: So there’s no problem downloading the latest Kanye release?
ILLY: I actually bought that one. I downloaded it, but then loved it so went out and bought it. But that is a very rare exception. It’s that good that it’s worth buying so that he gets however few cents from each album sale. That was worth it.
MAX: He did something similar to you with his Good Friday releases.
ILLY: Yeah, well you look at the artist that he was working with on those songs and then giving them away for free. I would love to be in that position!
MAX: On your song On the Bus you rap about “bangin’ Biggie” and there is a Biggie sample on the track Same Number Same Hood off the classic track Juicy. Which rappers did you listen to growing up?
ILLY: Obviously Biggie, a lot of the gangsta rap stuff was what got me into it, Jay Z, Tupac, Nas, Dogg Pound. All gangsta, that style of hip-hop particularly as a young teenager and then as I got older I got introduced to more ‘back pack’ style rap like Mos Def and Talib Kwali, all that type of stuff. As I’ve grown up I’ve seen a more broad spectrum, but it all started with the gangsta shit.
MAX: You were playing at Hot BBQ, did you get a chance to meet Mos Def?
ILLY: Nah, I didn’t. He rocked up really late, pretty much as he was meant to go on stage. When he got on stage, I didn’t think he was that great. I love Mos Def. I have grown up listening to it, but he was really quite average on stage. Plus, he dicked around a lot of people, cancelling Melbourne shows, then putting them back on and then cancelling them again. So he has kinda’ left a bad taste in a lot peoples’ mouths from his most recent visit.
MAX: He lost a lot of fans down here as well cancelling two shows.
ILLY: Right, yeah man, well it was crazy – he had one show, cancelled it, rescheduled it and then cancelled again. Then played and cancelled the show he rescheduled twice. What the fuck’s wrong with you dude? Just play the fucking shows and everyone’s cool. Oh well, what can you do.
MAX: Who was the first Aussie MC you heard?
The first that I heard would have been Bias B. I think that’s the same for a lot people. The first live gig I saw was Matty B in 2001 or 2002? That was my first introduction to the local Hip-Hop scene.
MAX: Have you had the chance now that you’re a recording artist to meet those guys?
ILLY: Never met Matty B. I’m not sure what he is doing these days –I think he’d be getting on. Bias B I’ve know for a few years, I don’t see him that often, but he’s a legend. I’ve been really fortunate to chop it up with him a few times.
MAX: Do you remember the first rhyme you wrote down as a young lad?
ILLY: Nah man, but it would have been fuckin’ horrible. I had an American accent until I was about 15 when it came to rapping. I would have been on some really ignorant gangsta sorta stuff that would have been complete bullshit. But you gotta’ start somewhere, whatever.
MAX: I think it would have been the same for a lot of people starting out there.
ILLY: I’d say so dude! From my generation man, I remember everyone rapping with American accents. It’s probably a bit different now that there is so much exposure to Aussie music like Aussie hip-hop, but back then it was a learn as you go sorta’ thing.
MAX: Both of your solo releases have had great collaborations with Australian MCs and singers like Owl Eyes. How do you decide to have another MC or musician on a track?
ILLY: Just if it needs it, man. On the chase I don’t have any feature MCs, there are no verses other than my own. That wasn’t a conscious thing maybe, until the last song where it was like ‘Oh fuck, there is actually no feature MCs on this, lets make a feature-less album’. But as far as the singing goes, it’s just a shame that I can’t sing at all, so I need to bring in people that are far more talented in that respect than I am. I write all the hooks and I get the singers in to sing them, ‘cause I can’t sing for myself, which sucks.
MAX: Are there any dream collaborations out there that you would like to do?
ILLY: I would love to work with Drapht or Bliss n Eso. Washington or the Jezzabels, there’s a lot, man. There is a whole swag of particularly Australian artists that I would love to work with. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to work with some of them.
MAX: You are currently with Obese Records. Can you explain to any aspiring rappers how you got on their roster?
ILLY: I’d known Pegz for a while though my crew The Crooked Eye Crew. We all hung out because we were all from Melbourne, all from the same sort of area. So he knew of me. I had the first album probably 70 – 80 per cent finished, so I took it to him – he liked what he heard and gave me a time line to get the rest of it finished. Basically putting yourself out there with a product that you believe in is the best advice I can give. Getting yourself out there is vital – no one gets anywhere on Facebook and Twitter direct messaging, dudes. You have to be doing gigs and be in peoples’ faces so that they can’t just brush you off.
MAX: You have been touring a lot and playing in some of the smaller regional centres. How import is it to hit the smaller venues?
ILLY: Massively, dude. It’s important for me, but I think that it’s also important for the people you’re playing to and that really shows; the big cities can be a bit complacent, because they are so spoilt for live music. When you do the smaller joints it might be a smaller crowd but chances are every single person in the crowd are ready to lose their mind. Some of the best shows I have done have been to regional crowds. Can’t talk highly enough about it.
MAX: What are the pros of touring?
ILLY: Free drinks, that’s one thing. Getting to see a lot of the country that I wouldn’t see otherwise and realising how awesome and big Australia is. Also, just getting to meet people, man – hanging out with dudes. I’ve got mates now in pretty much all corners of the fuckin’ country, so I’ve got a bed wherever I go and it’s the same when they come here. It’s a real privilege to be able to do that and just travelling, man – I love travelling anyway, so to be able to play shows and do it is sick.
MAX: Are there any cons to touring?
ILLY: There’s the Sunday morning flight home that’s never fun, ever. Getting kicked out of a hotel at 10am on a Sunday when you’ve probably had two or three hours sleep in the last two or three nights and then having to get on that bloody plane is probably the only con.
MAX: What are your plans as an artist over the next 12 months?
ILLY: Well, we’ve got this tour coming up now which will be a big deal, it will probably be the only one I headline this year. In terms of other shows, I don’t know, I’m just focused on this tour. Making more music – I do that anyway regardless of if there is a release date attached to it. I’m back in the studio this weekend, because I love doing it. That’s like a big cathartic thing for me. Maybe making a release for this year, but I probably won’t. But just keeping things moving really and on the up.
MAX: If you’re making music on the go, what’s your writing process like?
ILLY: I’ll be in the studio with J-Skub or M-Phazes and we will start pretty much from scratch and get a beat going. I’ll write something there and if it’s not clicking then I’ll take it home and then get back in there. That’s pretty much it, get the beat – then make the song.
MAX: You are currently studying is that right?
ILLY: I am. I’m about to go to the library as soon as I hang up from you. So let’s keep talking!
MAX: What are you studying?
ILLY: I’m studying law. I finish in June, so what’s that, four or five months – so the end is in sight. Thank god.
MAX: What is it like juggling the books, touring and recording?
ILLY: For the most part it’s quite easy, but when it’s full on everything seems to hit at once. There’s been things like last year – during the exam period of the first semester – I had a show in Coffs Harbor on the Sunday. There was a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, then to Coffs Harbor. I played the show, literally got back in the van from the stage, back to the airport and just made the flight from Sydney to Melbourne, so that was 12 hours in total and then had an exam on Monday at 9:30 in the morning. So at the same time there have been times where it has been way too intense, but for the most part it’s cool.
MAX: So once you finish law, how will that fit into future Illy plans?
ILLY: I don’t know, man. I’m sure that it will be useful at some point, but I’m not intending on using it in the foreseeable future. I want to finish this degree and then just focus on music because that’s what I love doing. You can’t really compare the lifestyle of a lawyer with a muso. I’ll keep making music as long as I can.
MAX: So you hit the Tas Uni Bar on February 25, what should the punters expect?
ILLY: It’s gonna’ be a big show. It’ll be the first show of the tour. I’m a little nervous – we have one show before, but it’s at a festival. But this will be our first with our whole tour set. I’ve got my drummer Cam coming with us, it’s going to be a really big show and I’m really pumped for it, I can’t wait.
MAX: Last time you were down you were spotted at local club Mobius after the show. Will we see you for a beer this time?
ILLY: [Laughs] Definitely, man! I LOVE MOBIUS! I’ve had some awesome times there and some pretty messy times. I love Mobius, that’s classic dude.
MAX: Thanks very much for your time and we will see you on the 25th.
Interview
Max Ireland.
Illy
04/02/2011
ME: After the success of your single ‘Pictures’ and it hitting number 66 in last year’s triple Js hottest 100, can you describe the feeling of backing it up with ‘it can wait’ at 29 this year?
ILLY: It was a real trip, dude. We had a big Australia day BBQ at my place with about 70 to 80 of my mates. We were counting down and it got to about 40 and I was like ‘oh fuck, I don’t know if it’s going to make it in! I’ve got all these people here – it better get in there’ and then when it came it was madness here. I was so stoked.
ME: I saw a few pictures from the BBQ on twitter. Are you still renting that house.
ILLY: Yeah, there are still a few bins and rubbish bags that we weren’t able to fit in at the time. The carpet is not looking too good… I don’t think we are going to get the bond back. But whatever, we probably weren’t getting that bond back anyway to be fair [laughs].
ME: What’s the difference between your last record and your latest?
ILLY: I think just generally it’s a stronger, more well-made album. The song writing, the flow, the delivery, the production, even the mixing and mastering was built on the experience of making the last album. It’s just a stronger album man.
ME: You also did something a little bit different with this album that I haven’t seen before, which was 14 tracks in 14 days. What was your thought process behind that?
ILLY: It was basically that we had this album and we didn’t have a huge budget to be able to promote the album. But I knew it was really strong, so we just wanted a way of getting to people so that they could hear it and building up a bit of a buzz around it and it turned out to be a really effective thing – except some little prick put up all the tracks as we were dropping them up on Youtube. So the whole album was on Youtube before it was even released. But other than that man, it was all good and it’s gone on to do really well so the whole thing worked.
ME: What are your feelings on music piracy now that you have had someone put your music on Youtube without your permission?
ILLY: It’s a tough one because I would prefer someone to buy the album rather than burn it. But if they did I’d be more stoked that they have a copy of it and they have an awareness of who I am or who anyone else is in the Aussie scene. It’s a real double-edged sword, man. I was annoyed about that thing because the album was up before it was even released which is a different kettle of fish. But, if people are supporting the music in other ways – if they are going to the shows and promoting it to their friends... It’s tough. I’m sitting on the fence – that’s the answer. I do think it is more important for people to support local music because it’s a much smaller scene, but if your downloading people that are selling two or three million albums I don’t see a problem with that. I’m probably going to get in trouble for that.
ME: So there’s no problem downloading the latest Kanye release?
ILLY: I actually bought that one. I downloaded it, but then loved it so went out and bought it. But that is a very rare exception. It’s that good that it’s worth buying so that he gets however few cents from each album sale. That was worth it.
ME: He did something similar to you with his Good Friday releases.
ILLY: Yeah, well you look at the artist that he was working with on those songs and then giving them away for free. I would love to be in that position!
ME: On your song On the Bus you rap about “bangin’ Biggie” and there is a Biggie sample on the track Same Number Same Hood off the classic track Juicy. Which rappers did you listen to growing up?
ILLY: Obviously Biggie, a lot of the gangsta rap stuff was what got me into it, Jay Z, Tupac, Nas, Dogg Pound. All gangsta, that style of hip-hop particularly as a young teenager and then as I got older I got introduced to more ‘back pack’ style rap like Mos Def and Talib Kwali, all that type of stuff. As I’ve grown up I’ve seen a more broad spectrum, but it all started with the gangsta shit.
ME: You were playing at Hot BBQ, did you get a chance to meet Mos Def?
ILLY: Nah, I didn’t. He rocked up really late, pretty much as he was meant to go on stage. When he got on stage, I didn’t think he was that great. I love Mos Def. I have grown up listening to it, but he was really quite average on stage. Plus, he dicked around a lot of people, cancelling Melbourne shows, then putting them back on and then cancelling them again. So he has kinda’ left a bad taste in a lot peoples’ mouths from his most recent visit.
ME: He lost a lot of fans down here as well cancelling two shows.
ILLY: Right, yeah man, well it was crazy – he had one show, cancelled it, rescheduled it and then cancelled again. Then played and cancelled the show he rescheduled twice. What the fuck’s wrong with you dude? Just play the fucking shows and everyone’s cool. Oh well, what can you do.
ME: Who was the first Aussie MC you heard?
The first that I heard would have been Bias B. I think that’s the same for a lot people. The first live gig I saw was Matty B in 2001 or 2002? That was my first introduction to the local Hip-Hop scene.
ME: Have you had the chance now that you’re a recording artist to meet those guys?
ILLY: Never met Matty B. I’m not sure what he is doing these days –I think he’d be getting on. Bias B I’ve know for a few years, I don’t see him that often, but he’s a legend. I’ve been really fortunate to chop it up with him a few times.
ME: Do you remember the first rhyme you wrote down as a young lad?
ILLY: Nah man, but it would have been fuckin’ horrible. I had an American accent until I was about 15 when it came to rapping. I would have been on some really ignorant gangsta sorta stuff that would have been complete bullshit. But you gotta’ start somewhere, whatever.
ME: I think it would have been the same for a lot of people starting out there.
ILLY: I’d say so dude! From my generation man, I remember everyone rapping with American accents. It’s probably a bit different now that there is so much exposure to Aussie music like Aussie hip-hop, but back then it was a learn as you go sorta’ thing.
ME: Both of your solo releases have had great collaborations with Australian MCs and singers like Owl Eyes. How do you decide to have another MC or musician on a track?
ILLY: Just if it needs it, man. On the chase I don’t have any feature MCs, there are no verses other than my own. That wasn’t a conscious thing maybe, until the last song where it was like ‘Oh fuck, there is actually no feature MCs on this, lets make a feature-less album’. But as far as the singing goes, it’s just a shame that I can’t sing at all, so I need to bring in people that are far more talented in that respect than I am. I write all the hooks and I get the singers in to sing them, ‘cause I can’t sing for myself, which sucks.
ME: Are there any dream collaborations out there that you would like to do?
ILLY: I would love to work with Drapht or Bliss n Eso. Washington or the Jezzabels, there’s a lot, man. There is a whole swag of particularly Australian artists that I would love to work with. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to work with some of them.
ME: You are currently with Obese Records. Can you explain to any aspiring rappers how you got on their roster?
ILLY: I’d known Pegz for a while though my crew The Crooked Eye Crew. We all hung out because we were all from Melbourne, all from the same sort of area. So he knew of me. I had the first album probably 70 – 80 per cent finished, so I took it to him – he liked what he heard and gave me a time line to get the rest of it finished. Basically putting yourself out there with a product that you believe in is the best advice I can give. Getting yourself out there is vital – no one gets anywhere on Facebook and Twitter direct messaging, dudes. You have to be doing gigs and be in peoples’ faces so that they can’t just brush you off.
ME: You have been touring a lot and playing in some of the smaller regional centres. How import is it to hit the smaller venues?
ILLY: Massively, dude. It’s important for me, but I think that it’s also important for the people you’re playing to and that really shows; the big cities can be a bit complacent, because they are so spoilt for live music. When you do the smaller joints it might be a smaller crowd but chances are every single person in the crowd are ready to lose their mind. Some of the best shows I have done have been to regional crowds. Can’t talk highly enough about it.
ME: What are the pros of touring?
ILLY: Free drinks, that’s one thing. Getting to see a lot of the country that I wouldn’t see otherwise and realising how awesome and big Australia is. Also, just getting to meet people, man – hanging out with dudes. I’ve got mates now in pretty much all corners of the fuckin’ country, so I’ve got a bed wherever I go and it’s the same when they come here. It’s a real privilege to be able to do that and just travelling, man – I love travelling anyway, so to be able to play shows and do it is sick.
ME: Are there any cons to touring?
ILLY: There’s the Sunday morning flight home that’s never fun, ever. Getting kicked out of a hotel at 10am on a Sunday when you’ve probably had two or three hours sleep in the last two or three nights and then having to get on that bloody plane is probably the only con.
ME: What are your plans as an artist over the next 12 months?
ILLY: Well, we’ve got this tour coming up now which will be a big deal, it will probably be the only one I headline this year. In terms of other shows, I don’t know, I’m just focused on this tour. Making more music – I do that anyway regardless of if there is a release date attached to it. I’m back in the studio this weekend, because I love doing it. That’s like a big cathartic thing for me. Maybe making a release for this year, but I probably won’t. But just keeping things moving really and on the up.
ME: If you’re making music on the go, what’s your writing process like?
ILLY: I’ll be in the studio with J-Skub or M-Phazes and we will start pretty much from scratch and get a beat going. I’ll write something there and if it’s not clicking then I’ll take it home and then get back in there. That’s pretty much it, get the beat – then make the song.
ME: You are currently studying is that right?
ILLY: I am. I’m about to go to the library as soon as I hang up from you. So let’s keep talking!
ME: What are you studying?
ILLY: I’m studying law. I finish in June, so what’s that, four or five months – so the end is in sight. Thank god.
ME: What is it like juggling the books, touring and recording?
ILLY: For the most part it’s quite easy, but when it’s full on everything seems to hit at once. There’s been things like last year – during the exam period of the first semester – I had a show in Coffs Harbor on the Sunday. There was a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, then to Coffs Harbor. I played the show, literally got back in the van from the stage, back to the airport and just made the flight from Sydney to Melbourne, so that was 12 hours in total and then had an exam on Monday at 9:30 in the morning. So at the same time there have been times where it has been way too intense, but for the most part it’s cool.
ME: So once you finish law, how will that fit into future Illy plans?
ILLY: I don’t know, man. I’m sure that it will be useful at some point, but I’m not intending on using it in the foreseeable future. I want to finish this degree and then just focus on music because that’s what I love doing. You can’t really compare the lifestyle of a lawyer with a muso. I’ll keep making music as long as I can.
ME: So you hit the Tas Uni Bar on February 25, what should the punters expect?
ILLY: It’s gonna’ be a big show. It’ll be the first show of the tour. I’m a little nervous – we have one show before, but it’s at a festival. But this will be our first with our whole tour set. I’ve got my drummer Cam coming with us, it’s going to be a really big show and I’m really pumped for it, I can’t wait.
ME: Last time you were down you were spotted at local club Mobius after the show. Will we see you for a beer this time?
ILLY: [Laughs] Definitely, man! I LOVE MOBIUS! I’ve had some awesome times there and some pretty messy times. I love Mobius, that’s classic dude.
ME: Thanks very much for your time and we will see you on the 25th.
The Tasmania University Union (TUU) is disappointed with the claim made in an article in the Mercury today that the Union "has distanced" itself from student concerns about safety.
The article contained contributions from a media release put out by the TUU to counter claims made in another article in the Mercury ('Students living in fear', 2 August).
The 'Students living in fear' article listed concerns of National Liaison Committee for International Students in Australia (NLC) head Manish Jhowry, including that attacks on international students were racially motivated and students were taking their own measures to protect themselves, feeling that they were being ignored by authorities.
TUU President Clare Rutherford said that the meaning of the media release was "completely lost" in the article published in today’s Mercury ('Foreign student claims countered', 3 August).
“The TUU takes the safety of all students very seriously and will continue to work towards improving safety for all students until this matter is rectified.”
“The media release sent to the Mercury yesterday was intended to distance the TUU from the claims made by the National Liaison Committee which is an organisation that is not recognised by NUS, CAPA or the Universities Australia.”
This information was sent in the media release by the TUU as a statement made by Carla Drakeford, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS) yesterday.
"The National Liaison Committee are no longer endorsed by NUS and CAPA or recognised by Universities Australia as a representative group of international students."
These comments were completely misinterpreted and misrepresented by the Mercury.
The media release did not intend to signify that the TUU was distancing itself from the concerns of international students. The media release merely states that the claims are being made by a body that is, in the eyes of a number of relevant organisations who have dealt with NLC, illegitimate and not representative of the opinions of international students.
The NLC was disaffiliated from the NUS in April 2009 and is now run as a business.
"The TUU deals with many international students on a regular basis and the majority of them understand that while some attacks appear to have been racially motivated, others have not been", Ms Rutherford said.
"We have never and will never deny that students have concerns, but we do not believe that anything will be gained by allowing an environment of fear to be perpetuated by inaccurate reporting."
The original media release can be viewed below:
MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
02/08/2010
TUU HIGHLIGHTS CONCERNS OVER ALLEGED STUDENT SAFETY ISSUES IN TASMANIA
The Tasmania University Union (TUU) is deeply concerned by the allegations made in the Mercury about
international student safety today.
Comments were made by the National Liaison Committee about student safety in Tasmania. The
National Union of Students President Carla Drakeford has highlighted that "The National Liaison
Committee are no longer endorsed by NUS and CAPA or recognised by Universities Australia as a
representative group of international students".
The TUU State President Clare Rutherford today said “That for the National Liaison Committee to
comment on international student safety in Tasmania and create an atmosphere of fear in the community is disheartening.”
Ms Rutherford concurs with the University of Tasmania’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Daryl Le Grew when
comments in the Mercury stating “By far the majority of our international students see their experience
in Tasmania as a positive and enjoyable experience”.
Ms Rutherford went on to say “Situations that degrade the relationship between international and
domestic students should not be tolerated because the diversity and enrichment of the community that
international students bring to Tasmania is invaluable.”
Media contact:
Clare Rutherford
TUU State President
M: 0414 018 543
E: president@tuu.utas.edu.au
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
I thought the first week of the Federal election campaign would be boring. As interested as I am in politics it seems to me that Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are both running conservative campaigns in the sense that neither seem interested in standing up for any particularly hard policy positions or making any big announcements. Both leaders seem to be on the defensive before they’ve even been attacked; the dire need to win over voters in marginal seats overrides other considerations like, say, good policies. Both leaders seem paralysed by the possibility that they might alienate voters in marginal seats, particularly the oft-mentioned marginal seats in western Sydney and Queensland. The result has been a disappointing start to the campaign.
This election is being fought in an environment where wedge politics provide the opportunity to land decisive blows on your opponent. The two major wedge issues, used to try and alienate voters from a political opponent, that came up in week one of the campaign were asylum seekers and climate change. The stances that both Labor and the Coalition are campaigning on indicate a strong swing to the Right. It’s bizarre; when Bob Hawke was elected back in 1983 the common knowledge was that his would be the most conservative Labor government to ever hold the Treasury benches. Just as Labor takes the bait laid out neatly for it by the Coalition to swing to the Right, who should reappear? Bob Hawke reappears, waltzing through some shopping centre and through the television news into my lounge room. Mind you, I like Bob Hawke, primarily because he and Paul Keating got shit done. And they did this with a method that has been noticeably absent from all the processes set up by the Rudd-Gillard Governments; they decided on what they thought was the best course for the country and attempted to convince the electorate of the merits of that course of action.
The defining characteristic of Rudd-Gillard Labor has been an inability to spend political capital trying to convince the electorate of the merits of a particular idea or policy. Focus groups drive policy creation. A policy is announced, the newspaper headlines and sound bites on the news duly received and the policy is hastily retreated from at the first sign of resistance. From Michelle Grattan in the Age to Paul Kelly in The Australian the pundits agree that Labor is hooked on focus groups; for Labor, and probably the Coalition as well, this is a focus group driven campaign. And this is the key reason why asylum seekers and climate change, wedge issues aside from key issues like health, education and economic management, have emerged to dominate the first week of the campaign. Most voters struggle to tell Labor and the Coalition apart on, for example, economic management. While I would argue this is largely because in these areas the two are largely the same, this drives up the relative value of campaigning on wedge issues. Combined with Labor’s focus group driven populism wedge issues, where Labor has so far refused to commit any political capital to put its own stance, provide the Coalition with an opportunity to damage Labor.
The swing to the Right over climate change and asylum seekers is the result of the Coalition wedging Labor over these issues. The Empire has struck back. In 2007 Kevin Rudd campaigned strongly to end the Howard Government’s Pacific Solution for asylum seekers and for an emissions trading system to help reduce our impact on climate change. Who could have imagined that Labor would dump these policies to give the nod to offshore processing of asylum seekers with their ill-conceived East Timor Solution or ditch the ETS in favour of a “citizen’s assembly” to demonstrate a community consensus that action on climate change was needed. I think Paul Kelly said it best: “Labor's stand is riddled with hypocrisy and gimmicks … [t]he proposed Citizens Assembly to assess the case for climate change is an unconscious Labor joke -- a grand focus group to conceal its leadership failure”. Even though other aspects of the policy, such as $1 billion for renewable energies, are to be supported, assessed as a whole Labor’s climate change policy is a joke. While Kelly also acknowledges that Tony Abbott’s stance on climate change constitutes “grand political fraud” the idea that Labor would abrogate its responsibility for leadership over climate change to anyone is infuriating.
No less infuriating is the position outlined this week by both leaders on asylum seekers. Tony Abbott has returned to the policy advocated by his predecessor John Howard: temporary protection visas, offshore processing in Naura and “turning back the boats” that bring asylum seekers to Australia while they are still at sea. Tragically, I think, in the key marginal seats that seem to be so important in this election this position is getting traction with voters. Or so the focus groups are telling the major parties. The problem for Abbott is that his approach is completely illogical. Asked to explain how the boats will be turned back, Abbott’s answer is that this is the job of the Navy. The Navy will turn these boats around and they will, what, comply and go to back to where they came from? A friend joked to me this week that Abbott’s real policy is to build a 20m high barbed wire fence around the whole country. Abbott would call it the ‘refugee-proof fence’.
Labor, successfully wedged and scared of alienating itself from voters in the key marginal seats, has rushed to follow Abbott in a race to the bottom of the right of centre. This is depressing for a number of reasons. It legitimises the assumptions of people who oppose accepting refugees into Australia and ignores Australia’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which we have ratified. Failing to consult Indonesia first, which Greg Sheridan argues is evidence of Gillard’s “highly amateurish” approach to foreign affairs, is another mistake and one that has missed much analysis in the media this week. Further, framed in this way the debate about immigration (and population) deflects attention away from what are the real areas of concern: the need for investment in infrastructure and the need for better services in the suburbs of Australia’s cities.
Waleed Aly, a politics lecturer at Monash University, said this was Australia’s “first election about nothing”. After the first week of the campaign I’m inclined to agree. Neither Labor nor the Coalition looks like changing the tenor of the campaign to a debate over big policy issues. We were forewarned this would not be a big spending campaign but I’m starting to wonder whether this was a guarded way to saying it would be a campaign without big ideas. Worse than that, a campaign where the desire to avoid a debate over ideas effectively means voters in the western suburbs of Sydney dictate policy for the whole country. This is a mistake. It won’t be the first election where a vocal minority has hijacked the debate, but it might be the first where our political leaders will try to deal with it by avoiding saying anything in response.
The newest Togatus is out and about and looking incredible.
Copies are available all around Hobart and Launceston, but if you missed out, never fear - you can still view it online!
If you’ve braved the renovation warzone and visited the Morris Miller Library this semester, you might have noticed some changes. Like half of the second floor being blocked off, dust in the air, some interesting aromas and builders nested outside (not saying that the smell and builders came as a package, but it’s possible). Perhaps you even saw asbestos removal warning signs. What, you might be wondering, is going on? And isn’t exposure to asbestos like, multi-million dollar lawsuit material? Get me a lawyer, pronto!
The asbestos was removed from the new reference section, which is soon to take up a large portion of the second floor. Karmen Pemberton, librarian-in-chief at Morris Miller, says students were never in any danger from this process - the area was sealed and the asbestos was solid, not airborne. When more asbestos was found in the breezeway outside the library, the area was again sealed off and the offending material professionally removed. Health concerns have been taken well into account, with regular air quality tests undertaken to ensure that the library, even at its dustiest, was safe to inhabit. Sorry to disappoint all of the vexatious litigants out there.
So what is taking so long? Coupled with the plaza renovation happening outside, the work represents a serious (if temporary) change to the normal patterns of student life on the Sandy Bay campus, causing some students to avoid uni more than usual. The timing of the renovation is unfortunate but, Karmen says, was unavoidable. Time limits on the Rudd funding for the project prevented it from being undertaken over the past summer break, even if the university could have found builders willing to work in January rather than enjoy Thailand’s Full Moon festivities. And while the timing of the simultaneous development happening outside is “unfortunate”, it too could not be avoided. Progress updates are still being posted on the library’s blog (http://blogs.utas.edu.au/library/) as well as in the library itself, to ensure that everyone is on the same page. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“We just have to keep on focusing on what this will achieve,” says Pemberton. “And it’s going to be significant.”
It’s not an exaggeration. The renovation will bring about some long-awaited changes to the library - first and foremost, 24 hour access to levels two and three. “We open at 8:30, we know students want to get in before, because they want to print assignments and check email and everything,” Karmen says. Increased demands on students’ time are being taken into account - the library knows that its 10PM closing time is often when students, often busy with jobs outside of university, are starting to study.
The renovation is based around the idea of staying true to the original design of the library by John Scarborough, a widely respected 20th Century modernist also responsible for the State Library in Hobart. The innovative T-shaped building will still house the majority of its students around its edges, utilising natural light for study and scenic views for procrastination. At the same time, the project seeks to modernise the building to suit increased demand.
“When Scarborough designed [the Library] it was for a student population of 2,000, and we now understand that Morris Miller supports 12,000” explains Karmen. New computers, an expanded reference section housing 50 individual seats and new air conditioning will be installed. Perhaps most importantly for those students who have hunted in vain for somewhere to plug in their laptop, Karmen has a surprise for you. “We haven’t got enough power points, and boy am I going to fix this one!” she says. The aim is to install four power points per student, at least in the reference section. Probably slightly overcompensating, but it’s an addition that all students will appreciate.
The nearby Law and Science Libraries have experienced increased traffic this semester, but Karmen is confident that the refurbished Morris Miller will win back students when it is completed - hopefully in September. There is a real sense that something excellent will come out of the redevelopment, this is just the proposed start of greater accessibility. There are future plans to increase group study spaces and maybe even provide a safe haven for those of us who insist on absolute silence: Karmen envisages a glassed-in ‘cone of silence’, where mobile phones and laptops are not permitted.
But that’s in the future. For now, she urges library-goers to tough out the construction and wait for the final result. “It’s a pain now - it’s a pain for everybody. There’s a long way to go still,” she says. “But it will be beautiful”.
Responding to concerns from students the Tasmania University Union (TUU) is organising a rally tomorrow to protest against violent attacks against students.
The rally has been receiving widespread media coverage with the TUU contacted today by ABC television and radio, WIN, Southern Cross, the Mercury, The Age and Heart FM. A story about the rally also appeared on Triple J news at 4pm.
The rally is on the Refectory Steps at the Union Building on Churchill Avenue at 12.30pm tomorrow.
There will be an open microphone at the rally for students to get up in front of the crowd and voice their concerns about the attacks.
There have been two violent attacks in the last week.
Both incidents involved students being attacked near the University at night, one on Grosvenor Street and one on View Street.
"It is vital that every student feel that they can come to University and feel safe on or around the campus," TUU Vice President (South) Saleh Bintalib said.
"The TUU condemns in the strongest terms any person who commits crimes of violence. Utas students need to stand together and say 'no' to violence."
"An attack on one Utas student is an attack on all students, because it shows us that we are all potential targets."
The University’s response has so far been limited to emails to students suggesting that anyone on campus at night needs to be vigilant and walk around in groups rather than alone.
An email from the Dean of Law Margaret Otlowski has also reassured law students that police are investigating these incidents and that University security are "looking into" increasing security patrols and installing security cameras.
The TUU was invited to a meeting with Tasmania Police yesterday. Tasmania Police outlined what they were doing in response to the attack, which includes an increase in patrols by plain clothes officers near the University at night.
"The TUU welcomes the police engaging with us on this matter and welcomes the increased police presence around campus", Mr Bintalib said.
The TUU Student Representative Council (SRC) convened last night to discuss what measures they might ask to be adopted, including safety proposals submitted by students.
The proposals from students included providing students with personal alarms to attract attention if they are attacked, more security patrols, better lighting and more security cameras, and more patrols by University Security.
"There needs to be more constructive communication between the University and the TUU on this issue and we want the University to take responsibility for the safety of all students," Mr Bintalib said.
To join the rally's Facebook group, click the following link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125337274146738&ref=ts
To read the Mercury website's story click the following link: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/05/11/145441_tasmania-news.html
YEAH. You heard right. The much anticipated, highly-regarded, controversial and engaging hard copy magazine is back, in the form of issue number two for 2010. Grab yours today at the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay and Hunter Street campuses - but be quick; Tog disappears faster than... [insert inappropriate pun here].
This luscious 52-page FULL-COLOUR installment of Tog is stuffed with tasty literary treats for readers, with a series of excellent features - including a piece on the future of the Bachelor of Arts degree, the worrying online trend called 'thinspiration' and some commentary on that beloved student-serving institution, Centrelink - flanked by exam tips, polticial commentary, music reviews and of course a couple of good ol' vox pops.
If you can't find one of the elusive hard copy versions on campus (we only print 1500, so if you want to take one home to frame you'd better be quick!) then check out our online version at the bottom of the page (fully rad, isn't it?).
Enjoy the read!
SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT*
The notion that the Labor and Liberal parties are basically identical is a popular one. In a seemingly post-ideological era where what matters most is the emptiness or otherwise of someone’s bank account, the two major parties fight over a bland middle ground of economic responsibility. This looks to have begun in the 1980s when the traditional cleavages that separated the parties and their supporters were confused by new economic uncertainties. The parties looked for a common middle ground to expand their voter base and become ‘catch-all’ parties. It’s something that the Greens have also attempted to do in their 2010 State election campaign by emphasising their commitment to ‘mainstream’ values. So what are the differences and why are they important?
Compared to other Western nations, our party system is young. The modern Labor Party only emerged at the turn of the century and the modern Liberal Party emerged out of a coalition of anti-Labor groups united by Robert Menzies in the 1941. The purpose and histories of the parties are a clear indicator of what differentiates them. The Labor Party emerged to represent the interests of organised labour; the Liberal Party is a reaction to the organised labour and designed to resist it through the Parliament. The Liberal Party says that they are the party of individual liberty and free enterprise; the Labor Party is for representing collective interests (even if a group of people is still made up of individuals but whatever). The Liberals are inherently suspicious of government intervention in the market, centralised power, and are conservative in wanting to preserve what they see as the best of our traditions. Their belief system has been described by Australian political scientist Dean Jaensch as a “gospel for any occasion”.
Labor occupies, or has for most of its existence, a space on the moderate left and draws on many ideological traditions including anti-clericalism, egalitarianism, Puritanism and democratic socialism. Whereas the Liberals see every person as equal to pursue their own future, Labor traditions dictate that the government is duty bound to provide an equitable distribution of the common wealth to protect and provide services to the poor, sick and aged. This tradition has been adopted by both parties; while both might tinker with Centrelink and other forms of support for the disadvantaged it would be political suicide to think that anyone would ever propose wrapping up the welfare state. The Labor Party has also adopted plenty of Liberal beliefs, like courting the support of small and big business.
It is obvious that the two major parties have different histories and ideologies; how then have they converged on a middle-ground? Jaensch calls the two parties “two capitalist parties offering two slightly different capitalist programmes”. The economic changes that became obvious during the 1980s and the concurrent decline of partisan loyalties as the population becomes increasingly urbanised have been impossible to ignore. As such, much of the responsibility for this convergence lies with the parties themselves, who, in the pragmatic style of Australian politics, have responded and sought to reshape themselves to fit a political landscape in which economic management is the real battleground.
Not surprisingly, given its origins on the Left, the Labor Party is criticised most for the convergence of the major parties. As the notion of class becomes much more ambiguous, a 'middle-classing' of the Labor Party has occurred to parallel that of Australian society, leading to criticism of Labor. Ironically then, the move to the Middle can accurately be called a Labor construct. It began when the Hawke-Keating Government in the 1980s and early 1990s was able to, through an Accord with the ACTU, pursue an agenda of economic reform that embraced the market. Labor managed Australia’s transition to a modern global economy but did so by surrendering much of their hard won socialist tradition. Interestingly, policy moves such as floating the dollar, deregulating the financial sector, adopting conservative budget strategies, privatising publicly owned companies, cutting corporate tax rates, loosening the centralised wage-determination system, and so on seems like Labor cutting the Liberal Party’s lunch. Conversely, the Howard Government initiated further reforms that seemed to appropriate much of the Hawke/Keating legacy. Kevin Rudd tried to steal this ground back for Labor by calling himself a fiscal conservative during the 2007 election; no doubt it is something that will resurface to dominate the next Federal election campaign in 2011.
Combined with the desire to catch all voters the need for party unity and the focus on personal leadership has also served to make the two major parties more similar. But this trend is still opposed by the partisan nature of parties, the party system and voters who traditionally support those parties. While overarching ideology is less important, the major parties instead use wedge politics, over issues such as immigration and asylum seeker policy for example, that hark back to a more ideological era. These traditions still feed the policies of both parties but you have to wonder how much. Both at the State and Federal levels the two major parties have become scarily similar and now, in Tasmania, the Greens appear to be following suit, even if Nick McKim doesn’t seem to own any ties. It’s sad in a way: is the only thing that unites us the desire to accumulate more wealth? If not, then why do we elect parties based on who does the best job at convincing us they will make us wealthier?
*This is the final version of the story that appears in the May 2010 issue of Togatus. Any errors that appear in the print version are not Julius Ross' fault. No, seriously.
After a slow beginning, O-Week swung into action yesterday with close to 1000 students (and a few Toolies) converging on Clubs and Societies Day at the Ref Steps to celebrate the new Uni year.
When O-Week kicked off on Monday, the Re-Union party suffered from typically poor Tasmanian weather with only a few braving the wet and cold to re-unite for the first day of Uni for 2010.
The turnout was similar on Tuesday for Beer ‘n’ Beats at the Hunter Street Arts School, but students were attracted to Societies Day with the promise of cheap drinks, loud beats and sunshine on Wednesday.
The Law Society were doing a decent trade positioned in prime real estate on the Uni bar roof and utilised a megaphone to attract students, while the Business Society got the body paint out and bikinis on to advertise their drinks.
Lisa Singh made an appearance for Young Labor, while the Liberals attempted to drum up support (unsuccessfully) by flashing a billboard of Will Hodgman around the crowd.
The Dance Music Society ensured there was plenty of electro, house and dupstep beats to keep the punters happy in the tight space provided.
Each Society did their best to decorate their stalls, with the Camping Club draping theirs, and themselves, in all manner of climbing equipment, while the Nursing Society sported some interesting nurse outfits and the Med Society literally scrubbed up.
By 6pm the crowds slowly and reluctantly dispersed and most Hobart night spots experienced an influx of well-watered Uni students for the evening.
As the clean up commenced, there was a realisation that O-Week had well and truly landed.
BRING ON FRIDAY!
What did you think of the day? Let us know in the comment section below!
Gutter Parties is the bedroom brainchild of 22-year-old Hobartian Saul Latham. In September 2009, the debut EP entitled 'Marooned' was released for free download. Last November, Marooned was released in a hard copy, hand-painted version at a debut show in Hobart and was capped to 20 copies.
Here on his first EP, the landscape is lo-fi and homespun, usually propelled by mesmerizing beats from the subcontinent or Africa. Latham's songs touch on the primal, nostalgia, intangibles, and your inner freak. Latham takes djembe drums, 60-year-old banjos, a poor quality ukulele, meditation balls, and not only makes them part of a distinct artistic vision, but also keeps them organic.
Gutter Parties could be compared to early catalogue Animal Collective. However, Marooned' feels more insular, self-contained, and unsettling.
Then again, these aren't shouts from a house party, but from a solitary bedroom. Moreover, Latham's outbursts are often tempered and sandwiched between clipped samples (opener "Be The Right Kind of Primitive") or ("Sashi") that help congeal the album as a whole.
Marooned ain't perfect; but it doesn't try to be. Over a melted beat and his own back-up oooooooh's and aaaaaah's, Latham wants to tell you something. Give it a listen. Or don't, It's your life.
The wonderful, crazy, terrifying, and exhillierating display of music, art, dance and performance that is MONA FOMA is happening again. They've just released their program for 2012 and we are drooling with anticipation as PJ HARVEY, GIRLTALK, THE DRESDEN DOLLS and many more worldclass acts are announced. As usual, the one-and-only David Walsh has very kindly introduced this year's event in the usual abstract way. We thought we'd share it with you. We've also included the necessary links to get some practical info as well.
"Woody Allen once said, ‘We should all be careful
to confine our opinions to matters of which we are
completely ignorant.’ Well he didn’t actually. I made
that up. I’m thinking to myself, who am I to not follow
Woody’s advice, even if he didn’t give it?
Had Woody said what I said he said, he would have
been following his own advice. He is, after all, ignorant
of ignorance. I am, however, a Zen master of not
knowing. That’s why I built a museum. I didn’t know
it was hard. Actually it wasn’t. I didn’t know anything
about art either. But I learned a bit. Now I know what I
don’t know. Ignorance comes in many guises. Of these,
the unknown unknowns remain mostly unknown to me.
I don’t know much about music either. I don’t know
what I don’t know. But Brian and his musical mates
know what they don’t know and they want to know it.
Hopefully, while they learn it, they’ll teach it to me.
And you."
— David Walsh
Today’s generation have an intimate relationship with fashion and online procrastination. Gen Y has produced the biggest users and abusers of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Blogger, as a show-and-tell platform where anything from sex-lives to lunchtime become status updates. The fashion industry have grasped this pop-culture craze with both fists and developed online stores and sites where everything from sales to runway shows are documented. Since then, a clever group of forward thinkers have created a new medium to excite style stalkers, shopaholics and procrastinators alike, encouraging our desire to share, consume, socialise and look good into one extremely convenient hybrid.
Behold! The birth of social shopping sites and fashion networking sites!
These places are similar to the social media sites we all love and know, by creating an online space where members sign up to be part of a community. You thought curated shopping experiences were only for the rich and famous? Wrong. Once a member of the community, you are supplied with web tools that help you cut and paste your favourtite items from virtually every online store and share it. Other members can see this content and “like” or “re-post” then comment on it. This cycle of sharing and following helps the original member to gain popularity and status within this community. Once the content is uploaded, each image becomes a portal to the original shop it came from so “likers” and “followers” can buy it too.
Social shopping sites such as Polyvore and Svpply work on the idea that as members upload images and create content with them, other members will “love” or “like” the items and “follow” that member’s style. Once you like a member your home page on that website will show all the latest from the members you follow. Members are able to contact each other or receive advice in Q&A forums. As a member, you are contributing to an extravagant online store that stocks items hand-picked by people just like you.
Fashion networking sites are slightly different and operate on a level similar to Blogger. Viewers create an account and begin to upload images of themselves in outfits they have put together, content from runway shows or new designers and share it with the community. Again, these websites run on a “love”, “like” and “follow” basis, but project themselves as a blog-like space where people can create profiles to share their favourite stores, designers, magazines and style icons. Lookbook and Lyst are two such communities and claim to be the first editor-less fashion magazines where you can find inspiration and evolve your personal style, all the while sharing it online! If you’re a style blog trawler you will find these sites particularly satisfying as the content is created globally.
Unfamiliar with the social/networking fashion scene and never heard of these places? You’re not alone, but you’re a minority. Polyvore boasts an online community of 10 million monthly viewers and hold competitions judged by the likes of Blake Lively and Alexander Wang. Not to mention Katy Perry, Kate Moss and Yves Saint Lauren who have all partnered with Polyvore to create content. The collective fashion consciousness Lookbook has over 519 000 likers on Facebook alone and has partnered with Supre, MTV, Diesel, Lacoste and others to create contests for members with prizes ranging from money to personal art exhibitions. Lyst claims that the world’s premier fashion designers and brands operate their online presence from Lyst profiles and that members have access to exclusive release dates, sales and trends. Svpply has an ever-growing collection of 550 000 items, hand picked by members across the globe and promises to help you find the products you love from the stores you find most interesting. Basically, these sites are a place where you can shop without wading through racks of make-up stained sale items and sizes so strange your unable to tell the difference between them and the bed sheets you rolled out of. Some of these sites have even taken over the role once exclusive to fashion magazines – documentation of fashion weeks, celebrity styles, new cosmetic products and clothing. Not to mention the addition of forums where every fashion related questions are answered in under an hour.
Phineas is an ordinary, inoffensive office-worker, until he becomes a member of the studio audience for a popular talk show. From that night onwards, Phineas’ emotions no longer match his outward expressions – he laughs when he is sad and cries when he is amused. A doctor from a mysterious institute diagnoses Phineas with ‘Schoenberg Syndrome’, an incurable condition caused by exposure to television.
Tasmanian playwright and director Briony Kidd’s black comedy Death by Television charts the aftermath of Phineas’ bizarre transformation. The play mixes pop-culture references with witty dialogue to deliver an engaging critique of the power of the media and its effect on the human psyche.
Although simply staged, innovative use of projected images and live footage create a dynamic and multi-faceted stage space. Scene changes throughout the performance are made fluid through the use of well-timed sound-bites. Recurring snippets from Deal or no Deal and Big Brother, crudely cut alongside news bulletins and Neil Armstrong’s speech, effectively put the play in a context of distractions, superficiality and media spin.
The audience erupted with laughter on many occasions, but the play’s humour veers into darker territory as Phineas’ condition develops. Phineas’ own laughter when faced with horrific imagery provokes questions about a culture of violence as entertainment and audience de-sensitisation.
All actors delivered successful performances, with Campbell McKensie particularly strong in the lead role – skilfully balancing absurd behaviours with convincing expressions of confusion and despair. Phineas’ social struggles resulting from his condition are powerfully portrayed. A scene where he uses a ping-pong bat with faces drawn on it to help him communicate with his lover, Rosie, is particularly amusing and poignant.
The use of clichés from popular films – a stately scientist, ruthless lawyer and blood-splattered final scene emphasises the play’s satirical perspective. Through an entertaining story, Death by Television provides a compelling exploration of individuals’ search for authentic expression in a world of media images. Tucked away in the cosy Backspace Theatre, this excellent play demonstrates the depth of theatrical talent alive in Hobart.
(Photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane 2011)
It’s a sunny morning in Brisbane as I make my way towards the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival. South Bank has been transformed into a stretch of runways, conversations have turned to high teas and VIP cocktail parties, where Spring/Summer collections from more than 60 local, national and international designers will be showcased. The event is consumer driven, which means the collections on display are available in retailers now. The Festival exhibits a diverse mix of broad appeal merchandise and swimwear to independent ready-to-wear designer labels. I’ve been instructed to sign on at the volunteers desk by 9am, ready for the briefing. After wandering about for a few befuddling moments I finally find the door labelled ‘volunteers’ and stumble through the two tonne door to come face to face with a girl brandishing a clipboard.
“Grab a t-shirt, a lanyard, a name tag, sign on and wait with the other girls for the briefing,” she tells me.
We were informed that as volunteers we were the go-to girls for any designer, model, manager, director or stylist that needed a job done. Subsequently my morning was spent lifting heavy boxes of designer water, filling gift bags and numbering the seating around the runway. After a quick lunch break to nurse my burning biceps, I returned to fashion HQ to find myself standing amid a sea of stilettos. We were instructed to tape the soles of every shoe (so they could be re-sold, or course!), steam the garments our assigned models were to wear then arrange said garments in order of runway show.
As we taped and steamed, arranged and check listed, painted the models nails and attached their accessories, we watched them practice walking down the runway. I discovered many things during my twelve hours inside the fashion tent that Saturday.
1. Clothing is not called clothing, it is a ‘The Garment’.
2. Said garment is a personality-invoking, energising adornment that models must interpret to their audience.
3. Never, I repeat, never, get in the way of a model running to make her entrance onto the runway wearing stiletto heels. Your toes will never recover.
4. One must be prepared to see a whole lot of naked bodies. The models jump in and out of clothes wearing nothing but a g-string, regardless who is standing about. As a dresser for four sky-high models, and standing at only five feet tall, you can imagine the view I had.
Volunteering at fashion week gave me insight into the lives of people that live and breathe fashion. The volunteers are girls and guys studying design or media at university trying to gain insight and knowledge about the fashion industry or media/PR. The designers are artists that plan every detail of their show. Not only do they design and create their garments, they choose music to reflect the personality of their collection and models who represent the women they expect to see their clothes on. The models themselves are like performers, the girls get nervous about tripping over their outfits, falling out of shoes, walking too fast or forgetting to smile. The runway shows themselves work like well oiled machines, communication hubs at the end of the runway in the audience and backstage work together to time the models, the narration, the lights and music.
The best part of being a backstage volunteer is that you get to rub shoulders and speak to the designers of all the collections. We were warned to expect diva models, angry designers and high-strung managers, but instead we were greeted with smiles from the designers that were happy to answer a few quick questions. I had brief encounters with the designers and people of Paul Hunt, Camilla, Akira, Scanlan and Theodore and Aurelio Costarella. The models were polite and thanked every volunteer for their help and, well, the managers were high-strung, but I let that one slide. However, the very best part? I spent fifteen hours of my weekend looking at high-end clothes and designer shoes. Some pairs were even in my size… not that I tried them on or anything…!
This year, the Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane showcased home-grown, high-end designers Spring/Summer 2011 collections. The ready-to-wear collections were influenced by colour blocking and digital prints in a huge way. Bold reds, corals and pinks hit the runway in jumpsuits and dresses. The androgynous man-style is becoming a chic go-to classic with tailored harem pants, pastel t-shirts and blazers paired with wedges or statement colour flats.
Evening wear was dominated by floral and rose palettes from Paul Hunt, and white finely tailored sundresses were accessorised with tennis rackets and visor fascinators as they went down the runway. Aurelio Costarella worked predominantly with textures such as leather, feathers and sequins in neutrals. This particular collection included some amazing feather skirts, leather clad bodies and contemporary designs.
Swimwear was bombarded with femininity. One pieces with frills in floral pastels and bikinis in bold polka dots and bright pink bows. This summer expect to see cutesy bikinis and dainty one pieces!
When it comes to footwear, the platform wedge or statement colour shoes had a place in nearly every collection, so if you splurge several hundred dollars on a pair of shoes this year, make it a one of these styles. Avoid espadrille type wedges and go for the chic wood look soles.
The boys should expect to see more metro madness with buttoned up shirts under cardigans and super skinny jeans having hit the runway. Think Chuck Bass with blue pin striped suits and suave attitudes!
Beautiful Lies
This French comedy starring Audrey Tautou, Sami Bouajila and Nathalie Baye will leave you feeling quite chipper indeed. Emilie (Tautou) owns a small hair salon where Jean (Sami Bouajila) works as a handyman. Jean pines for Emilie from afar, but paralysed by his own shyness, he decides to send her an anonymous letter. Emilie, visibly unaffected by the love letter, tosses it into the bin. A series of events unfold and the letter ends up being delivered to Emilie’s mother Maddy (Baye), who is both susceptible and love-deprived after separating from her husband.
The film is basically a series of awkward, quite hilarious situations involving Emilie, Jean and Emilie’s mother. Tautou’s character is, as Jean wrote in his love letter: ‘beautiful, perplexing, never disappointing’. She is also a high maintenance bitch. As Tautou herself mentioned in a recent interview ‘…I like it when the character is very close to being hated’. Bouajila is not as handsome as one would have hoped, yet plays the shy, intellectual guy very well. Nathalie Baye’s character Maddy is intense, ridiculous and slightly manic. Unfortunately, the idea of a single, older woman “aching” for a man is a touch cliché and makes me cringe a little.
The story is simple yet unexpected. The setting is Frenchy, sunny goodness – with interesting canals, patisseries and leafy streets. I spent quite a lot of the film simply enjoying Tautou’s clothing, especially her shiny patent shoes that encase such nice feet. There were men and women in the audience when I was watching and both were chuckling away – one woman perhaps more so than others – but that’s what you get after three glasses of house red.
I give this film 3 out of 5 stars. If Jean had been slightly hotter, I may have boosted it to a 3.5.
It was the email that made my day. The email that made me squeal out loud in a quiet library.
It was an invitation to Q&A in Hobart.
Having always been a Q&A watcher, the invitation was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise not so fresh second semester of University. For me, one of the attractions of Q&A has always been that after watching each show I come away feeling a lot smarter than I am. I suspect that many people, like myself, use the show as a secret news source. Nearly everything I know about current affairs and politics usually comes from watching last week’s Q&A. The other is the twitter conversation. Reading Q&A tweets during the show is like a smarter version of the on-screen “worm” during televised election debates. Real-time audience reactions range from the downright insulting, sexist and racist, to the insightful, witty and apt.
Invitees to the Hobart show were allocated by either red or yellow tickets. Yellows got to ask questions, whereas reds - situated in the cheap seats - didn’t. A list of topics were sent to invitees in the email: the NBN, News of the World, Pulp Mill, Minority Government, Carbon Tax, Gambling, Asylum Seekers and the crisis in Norway. Questions had to be submitted by midday on Monday, so I spent the whole weekend feverishly laboring over a question to ask. In the end, I had written about 10 different questions and spent a sleepless night on Sunday deciding which one to submit, and happily settled on a question about the NBN in Tasmania. My friends and I all arrived at the casino, excitable and giddy. We couldn’t resist taking a few happy snaps and uploading them to Twitter and Facebook. We each compared questions and tested each other to make sure we knew them well enough just in case we were asked. We checked our names off and were all informed that none of our questions had been selected.
Bummer.
I tweeted, “So my question isn’t going to be asked… preparing the shoe #qanda” (for those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, the hash allows you to characterize your tweet with a topic, putting it into a list with other corresponding hash topics).
The room outside the plenary hall slowly started to fill up to the point where it was uncomfortably hot and crowded. It seemed that most of Tasmania had shown up for the night. We were left waiting for a good half hour before an announcement was made that they’d be letting us in shortly. Everyone in the hall flocked to the doors, even though they hadn’t been opened yet. As soon as they were, I didn’t so much walk into the hall, but rather pushed in by the zombie-like hordes. It was a big audience, the biggest Q&A have ever had, ironic seeing as we’re the smallest state.
We all got great seats, third row from the front in the middle. Eventually when everyone was in and seated (which took an age), the floor manager came to the front of the room and introduced herself. She went through the basic do’s and don’ts: turn off your mobiles, follow all instructions, etc. She was followed by another man dressed in a casual white suit, who had the energy and excitability of a game show host, who’s job it was to warm up the crowd. In a probably fruitless attempt to make Tasmania seem more cosmopolitan, he reminded us not to wave to other people we knew in the audience (which lets face it, is most people).
The producer came out to explain that questions weren’t asked at random, and that Tony Jones knew which questions would be asked, and who would be asking them. About eight or so out of the four hundred in attendance had been picked, and the seating positions were marked and noted by the production team.
After that, there was some more light-hearted banter between the producer and the audience, at which point an aide came to the producer’s side, and whispered something in his ear.
“Where’s Fabian Brimfield?” the producer asked the audience.
It took me about a second to remember my own name. I meekly raised my hand about halfway. The crowd let out a collective “ooooooohhhhh” as if to say “he’s in trouble” as the aide approached where I was sitting. My only thought was “oh great, they’ve picked my question at the last moment”.
The aide stood in front of me, not looking particularly impressed and said “we know what you’ve been tweeting”.
I wasn’t sure which of the many tweets she might have been referring to during the wait outside the hall. “Preparing the shoe? I hope that was a joke…” she said. I must have started to sweat all of a sudden, “yes, yes of course it was a joke…”. She walked away, and resumed chatting to some security guards. How embarrassing. How a playful remark such as “preparing the shoe” could have been seen as a threat, at the time seemed a little farfetched to me, especially since Q&A staff were wearing T-Shirts with a shoe on it saying “Q&A: now with tighter security”. It was not like I was the only one to have made a shoe-throwing joke that night either.
I tried my best to brush off the embarrassment, but I was more red than the gaudy Wrest Point carpets. But then she approached again. “You’re going to have to come with me”. I saw a vision of me being roughed up by casino security in a secret room like they do in the movies, but what instead happened was probably more embarrassing. She led me to seats down the front on the left side, just behind the camera crew and said “we’re going to need you to sit in here for us”. I muttered that I would never throw Hugo Boss shoes, but she may not have heard.
It was the same feeling one would feel if they were being led to the principles office in high school. I was sitting in the naughty chair, close enough to a security guard to keep an eye on me, but just out of shoe throwing proximity. I was sitting behind two large cameras and couldn’t see the stage. I caught the occasional glimpse of Tony Jones and the back of Lara Giddings head, but that’s about as good as it got.
Other observations I could make were that us Tasmanians like to clap nearly anytime anyone says anything (we’re probably just happy to be having a night out). And I suspect that viewers at home wouldn’t have picked up on the almost constant heckling that came from the audience any time Eric Abetz talked.
I’ve always scoffed at people who joke about bombs and terrorism at airports, but I guess I’m no better than they are.
So if you were expecting some deep political commentary, then I’m sorry, but you’ll need to read elsewhere. Because from 9.30 till 10.30 on Monday night, I got a really good view of an ABC cameraman’s rear end. Maybe I’ll catch it on iView.
K Rudd: The King of The Burb’
Of all the lectures I’ve sat (and slept) through in UTas’ prized Stanley Burbury theatre, K Rudd is the king. Sorry Rob White. Apologies Douglas Ezzy. Commiserations Adrian Franklin (yes, I did Sociology in undergrad).
As a budding journalist, even Paul Kelly, editor-at-large of The Australian newspaper, failed to impress with me his public speaking skills when he delivered the 2010 Sir James Plimsoll lecture in old Stanley.
No, Kevin Rudd is hands down the King of Burb’. Round-faced Rudd took to the familiar (if you’re an Arts student) soapbox in front of the organ pipes to communicate the 2011 Plimsoll version last Wednesday night.
Oh, what? You didn’t know K Rudd was in town? What’s that? You were too busy finishing off the dregs of a Cascade Blue at the Lazenby’s barrel? Alright so you live a better life than me, but at least the Burb’ was packed with 800 listeners, which suggests a few of you were aware of his visit (and made me feel a little better about my social life – or lack thereof).
Never have I seen the Burb overflowing, nor crammed with an eager audience. But you’d expect someone who was our Prime Minister just last year would be pretty adept at delivering a powerful lecture and attracting an enthusiastic audience, right? Right.
Rudd worked the room like Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, albeit without the Charlie Sheen jokes or digs at Scientologists - and he swapped the lager for a glass of H20 - but he still had the crowd in similar hysterics on a number of occasions.
Rudd of course was not there to entertain but rather inform, not as former Prime Minister, but as Minster for Foreign Affairs to deliver a speach entitled “Taking Centre Stage: The Rise of Asia and its Implications for Global Order”.
Sounds a bit heavy, but Rudd expressed the topic eloquently and in laymans terms. In summary, Rudd spoke of what we already know to an extent: Australia is a major player in Asia as the Asia-Pacific region grows in global influence.
As countries in South East Asia develop and as China expands, Australia’s role in establishing a solid relationship within the Asia-Pacific region is a “foreign policy challenge that matters deeply to Australia”.
The possibility of an increasing middle class across Asia poses economic, border security, resource and relations issues in the coming decades.
But unlike the Labor’s bungling dialogue of the carbon tax under Gillard – which was attacked on Monday’s Q&A with Tony Jones – Rudd was able to reduce the complex concepts to an understandable conversation.
Rudd’s strengths were evident within 60 seconds of his speech. While the audience was mainly made up of Kevin aficionados, he’d engaged, then won over the crowd when he said, tongue in cheek, that his career in politics was on downward slide since he’d lost the leadership to Julia Gillard and he’d soon be ministerial nobody at an Australian embassy in China.
Rudd developed a quick rapport with the audience through this stab at being deposed by Gillard and by throwing some trademark Mandarin dialogue into the story for good measure.
When in power, Rudd was criticised for being ‘too robotic’ in the delivery of his speeches and incorporated cringe-worthy clichés (‘everyone needs to take a cold shower’/’fair shake of the sauce bottle’) in his manufactured sound bites.
Although he did repeat a favourite truism – ‘can I just say that...’ – on a number of occasions in this lecture, Rudd developed a human connection between himself and the audience, which was evident when he took questions from various members of the crowd following the speech.
Rudd joked with those lucky enough to be selected to pose questions – which varied from the ‘Arab Spring’, foreign policy in Taiwan and conflict in Sudan to Queensland’s victory in the Origin over the Blues – but also demonstrated his broad knowledge and proved he is adept in his current role as Foreign Minister.
Following questions, Rudd was mobbed by fans desperate for a photo, a scene The Mercury’s Brian Ward compared to ‘Beatlemania’ – a close analogy, although the hysterics and fainting females were at a minimum.
If I was going to be a touch critical, the topic was possibly a little broad, predicted policy changes a little airy-fairy and and old lady next to me said he fiddled with his nose and glasses too often (at least he wasn’t up to his old tricks of eating his own ear-wax).
Next thing I know is I’ll be accused of having a “KRudd krush”, but with everything aside, few in attendance would have doubted his delivery was pretty much spot on.
Ok, so most politicians could come to Stanley Burbury and own the stage. Even Tony Abbott. But there was something about Rudd’s speech which made him seem refreshing rather than stale pre-packaged crap we see from pollies on news snippets these days.
Yes, Rudd’s popularity has arguably grown following his departure as Prime Minister; he’s no longer at the forefront of decision-making on pricing carbon and has received a fair bit of public sympathy since ‘Teargate’ (his emotional farewell speech).
Julia may have doubted the way old Ruddy was running the country, but there’s no doubting this man’s ability to deliver a decent lecture in the Burb’.
Sociology 101; sign this guy up.
Between the 1920s and 1970s thousands of British children were forced to migrate to Australia under the guise that their parents had died. These children, many of whom were already in state care, were told that Australia would offer them a ‘better life’. Children could look forward to ‘oranges and sunshine’. Not only were these children wrongfully taken, in many cases without consent from their parents, but once they arrived in Australia they suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Only very recently, in 2009, did the government officially acknowledge this forced migration and the mistreatment of these children within Australian institutions. The revelation of these events was largely possible because of the work of a British social worker Margaret Humphreys, who began work on a handful of cases in 1986.
Jim Loach’s first feature film Oranges and Sunshine follows this harrowing story, focusing particularly on the gradual unfolding of evidence discovered by Humphreys. Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson) is first approached by Charlotte (Federay Holmes), an Australian woman seeking to find her true identity. In a group therapy class, Humphreys meets another women Nicky (Lorraine Ashbourne) who, through bleary eyes, speaks of a lost brother whom she believes was sent to Australia as a child. Humphreys begins an intense investigation into what truly happened to these children, which takes her to Australia. Once in Australia, Humphreys reacquaints Nicky with her brother Jack (Hugo Weaving) and meets Len (David Wenham), a character who uses arrogance to disguise his pain.
Loach was very careful not to make this story too sensationalised or sentimental. He refrained from using ‘flashbacks’ of the children’s experiences, instead portraying the poignant one-to-one therapy sessions between Humphreys and several of the affected adults. These people spoke in vivid detail of their loss of childhood and the atrocities they experienced in homes run by the Christian Brothers. The film also reveals some of the flow on effects of such incidences – depression and family dysfunction. As a projectionist at the State Cinema, I have noticed the effect Oranges and Sunshine has had on people. When I open the door to the cinema, people slowly empty the space with red eyes, often imbued by the sadness and strength of the story Loach has told. Watching the film myself, I heard muffled sobs, many my own. Oranges and Sunshine adds necessary detail to the image of our past and reminds us of the will of people to overcome adversity.
It’s winter and exam time is looming. While laptops, books and study notes have begun to consume our days, it’s time for us to begin consuming a non-alcoholic liquid of choice. Coffee! Preferably good coffee! As a passionate coffee drinker, one of my greatest pleasures in life comes from sourcing and drinking the best coffee in Hobart.
Here are my recommendations to get you through these exams:
Nestled away at the end of criterion street, Villino Espresso is my never-fail, local coffee stop. Between the hums of the La Marzocco coffee machine and the murmurs of happy coffee drinkers, Villino is always buzzing.
At Villino, coffee making is an art. The baristas delicately blend and tailor coffee for regulars or any who enquire, and they recently I love food award for Australia’s favourite coffee for 2010.
The coffee blends used are from their own roasted collection and the house blend synergy is consistently smooth, caramel like and decadent. If you want great service and perfection in a cup, Villino is the place to go.
If the city seems too much effort, but Salamanca is just around the corner, go to Dr Coffee -Villino’s closest friend.
Dr Coffee similarly uses the crème a la crème of coffee machines – a La Marzocco and is supplied with Villino’s roasted beans, making it a similar blend, but from my experience, hotter and stronger coffee – which is always favoured in my opinion.
The café itself is quite tiny – there are a few tables inside and out, I mostly go there to grab a takeaway coffee before perusing the markets. They also lend iPads with free wifi to customers.
The Cupping room is a unique café concept that entwines a traditional warehouse setting with a café and kitchen and attracts a trendy clientele.
An extension label of the Tasmanian Oomph franchise, The Cupping Room is based around the concept of providing consistently diverse international blends to cater for the adventurous coffee aficionados, as well as providing a range of delicious breakfast and lunch options.
The coffee is always strong, and depending on the blend can be bitter or sweet, but what is most appealing is that it offers variety and allows you to choose a blend that suits your wants and needs.
Oomph Coffee is a local Tasmanian coffee franchise that roasts, uses and sells their own blend which they source from fair trade practises that comply to sustainable growing practises and are respectful to the environment. So if you are an environmentally conscious coffee drinker, Oomph is the way to go.
As a franchise, its outlets are scattered on busy Hobart streets, making it easy to stop by when in a rush. For me, Barrack Street (tucked away in a building next to Centrelink) is always great for grabbing coffee on the way to Uni.
The Oomph blend is smooth and quite nutty in flavour, but is quite heavy because they mix full cream and light milk together to create their own unique tasting coffee. Personally though I find this the one down side to Oomph because I prefer ‘skinny’ milk and not having that option can be both annoying and bloating. However, it does mean it’s extra creamy which makes it a nice “now-and-then” indulgence.
Kafe Kara is a hidden gem among the bustle of Liverpool Street. Until recently I had never stopped in for coffee because I am forever lured into Villino in Criterion Street. However after recently acquiring a waitressing job here, I was pleasantly awakened to the coffee culture of Kafe Kara.
The service is great: the baristas and wait staff are always accommodating (and no, I’m not biased) and the café acts as a common meeting place for an array of business people, couples, families and friends.
The baristas are perfectionists who blend and stylise each coffee to a high standard and the coffee itself is strong, milky and consistent which together attribute to its melange of regular coffee drinking clientele.
During exam season, if you are looking for a quick excuse to escape the house and refuel before the next study session, I cannot recommend these places more highly. You will walk out feeling happy for three reasons: you have received high quality, strong, hot coffee; you came out with an experience, not just a drink; and you will blissfully escape into the depths of liquid pleasure and emerge refreshed, happy and buzzing to go into your next round of study.
Oh and if all else fails and you are stuck at uni? Well, there is always Lazenbys. I do find some of the baristas are better than others and you will be pleased to know they have upgraded to extra large just in time for exams.
Asylum seekers can now join old growth forest logging and the pulp mill as a topic guaranteed to create a divided dogfight in Tasmanian politics and within the wider Tasmanian community.
Cassy O’Connor, Greens MP and Minister for Community Development, led a forum at University of Tasmania on the May 11 to discuss the now inflamed issue of a temporary detention centre at Pontville. The centre aims to house and process 400 single male asylum seekers’ claim for asylum.
UTas Associate Professor for the School of Sociology and Social Work, Dr Keith Jacobs and UTas Amnesty Law Group member and student Ms Emily Hume joined Ms O’Connor.
“It is quite easy to make an assumption on the basis of what we saw from media reports [from the Department of Immigration public meeting held on the April 20 at Brighton] that fear and ignorance are alive and well in Tasmania,” said Ms O’Connor.
“[The scenes] frankly were ugly and made me deeply concerned about the image Tasmania is projecting in terms of how we view vulnerable people who come here from other countries.”
Despite this, Ms O’Connor recounted a recent discussion with Brighton Major Tony Foster. Tony Foster, Ms O’Connor recalls, said the response was “such a shock to me because I thought, ‘that’s not my community, they’re not the people I know’.” Ms O’Connor also said Foster had spoken to the 19 farmers whose properties border the site and that they have no serious issues with the centre.
Miss O’Connor said this attitude was credited on Saturday by more than one hundred people packing into the little St Stephen’s Church in South Hobart for the first Tasmanian Asylum Seekers Support group meeting.
Around 60 students listened from the steps out The Refectory at the University of Tasmania as the forum opened into an opportunity to inform and discuss the parameters of the asylum debate; facts and concerns; legal and moral issues; and where, at the end of the day, this leaves us as Tasmanians.
Ms O’Connor questioned the crowd on this issue by asking them not to compare asylum statistics past or present, draw comparisons with other countries or slip into the simple emotion fuelled trap of denouncing the validity of the current government position. Instead, she took people back to the basics of the debate and to the people it involves.
“Can you imagine what it would take to pick your family up, to flee what you know, to flee the land that you love... to be in such a state of fear and distress that you pick yourself up and you take those family members who you can…and all the cash you can get together and you go and seek asylum in another country? You might get on a leaky boat in Indonesia.
“We should all remember,” she said, “the victims of Siev X, which was the boat that went down with hundreds of people of board, hundreds of highly vulnerable people”.
These people, she said, “have come here out of desperation and fear”.
UTas Amnesty Law Group member and student Ms Hume expanded on this theme when discussing the conversations she had had while volunteering at the detention centre in Darwin for one month over last summer. Ms Hume spoke of the “opportunity to sit down and take meals with them, to get to know the stories behind the decision to take a boat and leave your family and your home country and everything you know”.
Ms Hume was clear that “from this demonstrated the frustration, the desperation, and the vulnerability of these people.”
The message delivered by both Ms O’Connor and Ms Hume was that people who make this decision do not make it lightly and essentially, they know they might die seeing it through.
However, “what really came though”, said Ms Hume, “is the courage, the resilience, the appreciation that these people have, not only for us for coming in and helping them out with their English, but in general the appreciation of the Australian society for giving them the opportunity to have their claims for asylum processed.”
Ms O’Connor said when people, including our leaders and prime minister Julia Gillard, use the term queue jumpers to “demonise” asylum seekers the only response is to cut this symbolic language with cold hard facts.
“If there was such a thing as a queue, a real queue, not 15 years in a refugee camp, then they might have an argument. But they don’t,” she says.
Of late, at a national level, the immigration debate currently concerns the agreement brokered with Malaysia over the exchange of asylum seekers for refugees.
“Trading in people effectively” says Ms O’Connor.
“Australia has struck a deal with Malaysia that we will take 4000 people who have been assessed as having a genuine refugee status and in return they will take 800 people who sought asylum via other means”.
Malaysia will then process their refugee claims.
“It is really important to remember that there is nothing illegal about seeking asylum,” says Ms O’Connor.
“Australia is a signatory to the 1951 convention regarding the status of refugees. We have a legal and moral responsibility to treat the people that come to our shores – whether it is by air or by sea – with respect and decency and to process their applications for asylum as speedily as possible.”
There are genuine safety concerns regarding the future treatment of Australia’s asylum seekers, especially seeing “Malaysia has an appalling Human Rights record” says Ms O’Connor.
Also on the immigration and asylum seeker agenda, “the greens currently has a bill before the senate which is seeking to legislate for all the applications to be processed in 30 days and for asylum seekers to have access to judicial review, which they don’t currently have” said Ms O’Connor.
Underneath the reality of our legal obligations to people seeking asylum, Ms O’Connor also drew attention to a lesser-spoken issue, the moral stance that sits beneath the entire debate.
Tasmanian’s reactions to the anticipated Pontville Detention Centre indicate mixed and contrasting moral – as well as practical – understanding of the issue.
Dr Keith Jacobs, lecturer of Sociology and researcher into public response to asylum seekers says that underlying the more negative responses is a divisive us vs. them mentality.
“I think that all of us actually lose if we fall into the trap of trying to see this problem as an issue of us against them” says Dr Jacobs.
Ms O’Connor says that she feels some of the interrelated issues with racism and ignorance in the wider community are generational issues.
“How you tackle it is you name it every time it comes up,” says Ms O’Connor.
“Partly, I think we’ve got to be brave about saying ‘racism is racism’ or, the softer way to do it is to say ‘we think your fears are unfounded and this is why…” said Ms O’Connor.
“The other thing I would like to see a lot more of is contact between our humanitarianyou community and the wider community,” says Ms O’Connor.
“You can’t hold a view that someone is not a person, that has legitimately come here looking for a better life. You can’t hold a view that you are more entitled to anything as a human being once you look someone from Sudan in the face and you hear their story” says Ms O’Connor.
Dr Jacobs says that the best way of tackling racism is a multicultural society, which he said, “whether people like it or not, that is going to be our future”.
He says that racism is “always broken down when people have everyday interaction, how many racists do you know who say, ‘you know, some of my best friends are black,’ and so, through more and more interaction, this kind of hatred can be broken down.”
At a community level people can be involved in grass roots organisations that foster both education and interaction.
“I am very encouraged by what is going on in Tasmania with the support group that has been set up to help support the asylum seekers” says Dr Jacobs.
Underlying the flurry of the debate, Ms O’Connor is clear that the Tasmania has benefited in the past from previous Humanitarian entrants settling in the state and Tasmania has welcomed asylum seekers in the past.
Ms O’Connor referred to Tasmania welcoming some 800 Kosovo asylum seekers in 1999 while their claims for asylum were processed. She says this shows that Tasmanians have successfully welcomed people in the past and she is positive that the majority of the Tasmanian community will again embrace the men coming to the Pontville centre and the women and children who will be housed in the community while their claims are processed.
“Embracing multiculturalism in our community… is a role that we can all play.”
The UTas Amnesty Law Group will hold a barbeque on May 18 outside The Refectory between 11-2. There will be free food and a petition to sign; volunteers will be available to seek information and facilitate further discussion on this topic.
There might not be much that is original about Red Riding Hood, but there is plenty to like. That’s if you can handle the cheese.
A twisted version of the well-known fairytale, the film also borrows from several other stories you’ve no doubt heard before. Forbidden romance, the love triangle and the witch-hunt to name a few.
There is one movie in particular that it shares a great deal with— Twilight, the first film in the teen franchise of the same name, directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Hardwicke also directed Red Riding Hood, and that is obvious from the outset. The movie opens with jerky footage of wintery landscape and the female lead’s voiceover. For Twilight devotees, this will probably ring a bell. Aside from style features like these, the premise of Red Riding Hood is also familiar: young love, confused by legends and the supernatural.
Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) has known Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) all her life, and she is certain she needs to spend the rest of it with him. Her mother (Virginia Madsen) has arranged for her to marry the much richer and more respectable Henry (Max Irons).
The film is set in a secluded village that is gripped by a constant fear of a vicious wolf; one that has haunted them for generations. In recent years, it has only attacked their livestock, but that hasn’t eased the collective anxiety and superstition.
Ready to leave her home behind in order to be with her chosen love, Valerie is stopped by the death of her sister. The village is thrown into turmoil. The death not only means grief for the family, but also that the dreaded wolf is killing humans again.
Enter Father Soloman (Gary Oldman), a Priest with a personal vendetta against wolves just like the one terrorising Valerie’s village. He begins a cruel witch-hunt in order to discover the wolf’s identity, turning families and friends against each other. When Valerie finds that she can speak to the wolf directly and that out of everyone, it wants her most, she begins to suspect that those closest to her are not what they seem.
The suspense lasts until the final few minutes of the movie, keeping the audience guessing. When the wolf’s identity is revealed, sitting through all the cheesy scenes— one of which can only be described as a medieval dance-off— appears to be worth it.
It seems that Hardwicke has tried to create the same intensity between Valerie and Peter that existed between Twilight’s Edward and Bella. The chemistry is certainly undeniable. They may just be yet another pair of star-crossed lovers, but with the right actors this cliché can still be interesting and exciting. In Red Red Riding Hood, it is.
The film will no doubt enjoy success on the heels of the Twilight phenomenon – and why shouldn’t it? Cheesy fairytales will be around forever, and there’s no shame in enjoying them – especially if you like a good happy ending.
The Tasmania University Union today expressed its utter disbelief at the Federal Government's plan to make it impossible for students on Youth Allowance to claim tax deductions for much needed educational costs. While understanding that there is a need to cut the budget, the TUU does not feel that students should bear the brunt.
In 2010, the High Court ruled in favour of Simone Antsis to claim expenses incurred for educational purposes.
Disappointed TUU State President Saleh Bintalib said “We cannot believe that the Government has chosen to go after vulnerable students with this. “
Mr Bintalib added “We cannot understand why the Government is doing this when it considers itself to be very pro-students. Does the Government realise that by being able to claim essential educational expenses off their tax bills, these students are able to use their support payments to supplement their rising costs of living.”
Mr Bintalib went on to add “It is highly disappointing that the Government is going to bypass the 2010 High Court decision and deprive students of any small relief they can get. This will just force students to work more hours only to affect their studies. It seems the government is simply out of touch with what today’s students face.”
The Tasmania University Union feels that this decision simply undermines the Government's ambitions to get more students from low socioeconomic status enrolled in Universities.
Tasmania University Union will be writing to Tasmanian Federal Senators and MPs on this matter.
For further comments please contact
Saleh O Bintalib
TUU State Wide President
6226 2853 / 0409 958 15
A mixture of clothes and cupcakes descended on the Youth Arc last Saturday for the Oaktree Foundation’s fundraiser to raise awareness for Live Below the Line.
Live Below the Line asks that from the May 16 to 20 we try and feed ourselves on less than $2 a day while raising funds through sponsorship.
“This campaign is really trying to get people to be aware of poverty, because extreme poverty isn’t something we see (in Hobart), ever,” said Lizzie Park, promotions co-coordinator for the Live Below the Line Campaign.
The Oaktree Foundation organised a clothes swap, at which people were encouraged to bring a bag of clothes and give a gold coin donation. They were also enticed to sign up to Live Below the Line on the available computers with the reward of a cupcake.
“The clothes swap is mainly an awareness and fundraising event. [Live Below the Line] is still a very new campaign, it’s only in its second year and so we’re just trying to get as many people to know about Live Below the Line as possible” said Miss Park.
“There is 1.4 billion people in the world that live on the extreme poverty line. These people have less than two Australian dollars a day to spend on everything: food, shelter, medicine, education, transport, everything,” said Miss Park.
Ruby Johnston took part in Live Below the Line last year.
“I think the hardest thing about it was the fact that I didn’t have any choice about what I was eating. So it wasn’t so much the fact that I didn’t have enough food, I was always full enough to get by each day, but I’d get to meal time and there would only be one option – rice or dahl. So that was the main thing for me, the main struggle, and it made me realise people in poverty don’t have a choice,” Miss Johnson said.
The Live Below the Line website has many resources to support participants.
“We have lots of support on the website with recipes to help get you started,” said Miss Park.
The event last weekend attracted support from Deputy Mayor Helen Burnett.
“I think seeing such vitality and interest from such a young group of people is fantastic,
“It’s a really, really good cause for the people here to be involved with,” said Ms Burnett.
This year money raised will go towards education projects in Papua New Guinea.
“Papua New Guinea is one of our closest neighbours but also one of the poorest nations in our region,” said Miss Park.
Last year, the campaign raised money for education projects in Cambodia. The aim of the campaign was to raise $6000. They raised $60 000.
“With the support of the community and businesses we’re trying to do that again this year,” said Miss Park.
The Parliament Lawns on Thursday the 7 of April were filled with Journalists and members of the public alike, rallying against the decision by News Limited to move the Mercury’s subediting department to Melbourne.
“Save our Mercury!” the crowd cried.
“Again, please?” asked Mark Thomas, President of the MEAA in Tasmania. “I want Gary Bailey to hear it up in the offices of the Mercury now! What do we want to do?”
“Save our Mercury!”
The Mercury is facing cutbacks to its editorial department. A minimum of six jobs will be lost. The maximum is unknown, but it’s rumoured to be as high as 20.
The concern is that not only will Tasmanian jobs be lost, but the authenticity of our local paper with it.
“You cannot have an authentic Tasmanian voice out of Melbourne. It has to be in Tasmania, telling Tasmanian stories on behalf of Tasmanians without fear or favour,” said David Byrne, Minister for Economic Development. Byrne identified himself as the voice of the cause at the political level.
The rally crowd was a mixture of young and old amounting to approximately a hundred supporters. Some held placards, from the generic “Stop the Sell Out”, “Save our Subs” to the personal – “Don’t sack Dad”.
“It’s all numbers to them. It completely ignores the human beings that will be affected by this decision”, said Mr Byrne.
“We will not accept the pillaging of the sub editor ranks.”
Mr Thomas opened the rally with his own sentiments about the importance of sub editors to a newspaper.
“When I was a young journalist, sub editors taught me how to write a news story. They taught me how to check my facts. They taught me about the history of Tasmania,” Mr Thomas said.
“Journalist’s and photographers are the front line of a newspaper. Sub editors are the backbone of a newspaper; the heart and soul of a newspaper.”
“If you tear the backbone out of a living, breathing, community entity like a newspaper, you will tear it down.”
Many members of the crowd are workers in the media industry. Freelance journalist Belinda Tope was present at the rally to show her concern.
“I want to know that my local paper has been put together by people that live in my state. I think it’s important,” Ms Tope said.
John Lawler, subeditor of the Mercury, is fighting against this ‘unnecessary madness’. He was met with cheers as he took to the podium. He addressed the crowd with despondent humour, describing the Mercury as his mistress of 38 years.
“Management have repeatedly told us that local content won’t change one bit and I quote Gary Bailey directly – because I’m pretty good at getting my quotes right.”
“It is false to say the content will not be affected because the people handling it won’t have the expertise or the knowledge of the subject; the background, the history.”
“I cannot agree with my editor.
“Since the smoke signals have gone up that newspapers are dying, what has happened is our resources are being attacked and that’s what this is all about. The bottom line is the dollar,” he said.
“This time the job cuts aren’t not because of advancing technology. They are not because of the Global Financial Crisis. They are an unnecessary madness that will carve into my mistresses’ integrity.”
The Editor of the Mercury, Gary Bailey, has become the scapegoat for News Limited. Lawler says he is not working hard enough to save the paper.
“He has in fact told us from the outset that he’s driving the issue. Gary has said he has taken the initiative so as to lessen the pain. He’s assured us that it is inevitable and there will be pain.”
Secretary of Unions Tasmania Kevin Harkins, raised concerns over communication between staff and Bailey.
“He hasn’t talked to the staff constructively about other alternatives to fix this. He has said it is all to do with the bottom line and moving these jobs to another state will increase returns to shareholders, which when you’re talking about News Limited is a joke”, said Mr Harkins.
Margaretta Pos, former MEAA President and award winning journalist, echoes these sentiments. Pos spent 21 years working for the Mercury. She left because of unhappiness within the workplace. She did little to hide her disappointment in the Editor.
“The future of newspapers is in question. But in whatever forms in future, online or print, a good newspaper will have a good readership and a good editor would fight for his staff and the quality of his paper.”
“Its subeditors now – it will be reporters next”, Pos said.
Bailey was not present at the rally to give any comments.
“I invited him, but he had a prior commitment,” said Lawler.
A strong government presence was there, with Jeremy Rockcliff and Martin Zucco in the crowd. Old political foes Michael Hodgman and Duncan Kerr stood united. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie also spoke to the crowd.
“I’m proud to stand by you today to support you in your cause,” Mr Wilkie said.
Byrne was optimistic in telling the crowd, “Keep fighting, you will win. You have absolutely the full 100% support of the Tasmanian government”.
The next step is direct contact with John Hartigan, chairman of News Limited. Byrne will write a letter to say that we will not accept the decision.
Mr Harkins asked the audience to “maintain the rage”.
“This won’t be the last rally we have,” he said.
After half an hour the rally ended, but the crowd did not disband instantly. Colleagues spoke to each other, consoling. For some it was too much, and they left the lawn in tears.
“It’s over, thank god.”
It was the text I had been waiting to send for the last hour of Biutiful. I found myself willing the screen to go black, for an abrupt, unexplained ending to put me out of my misery. I couldn’t leave, though. The hints of happiness, the flickers of a life fulfilled were too powerful to leave unwatched.
Biutiful is uncomfortably real. For those of you who go to the movies to momentarily escape the world, leaving the character’s pain in the cinema along with your lolly wrappers – this is not your film. This movie won’t let you go, it won’t let you escape or look away. You have no choice but to sit through the horror and the gruesome reality. It will be painful, but it will be worth it.
Uxbal (Javier Bardem) is not a likeable man. Not at first, anyway. He is surly, unclean, and awful to most of the people he encounters. His business is dishonest. Early in the film, he puts his 7-year-old son down at the dinner table and cuts his wife off when she tries to tell a story.
Uxbal has a unique connection with the dead – grieving families pay him to talk to their deceased loved ones. His own experience of death is imminent from the outset; the audience is immediately confronted by the graphic symptoms of his sickness.
Uxbal must come to terms with the fact that like him, his children are destined to grow up without a father. He spends his last days attempting to rebuild his broken family and trying to do the right thing by his struggling staff. He also sees his dead father’s face for the first time.
Bardem creates a character that you have to stick with to understand, one whose thoughts and motivations are not easily interpreted. Other standout performances come from his on-screen children, Mateo (Guillermo Estrella) and Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib), who both portray a mixture of innocence and unhappiness. The problems Mateo suffers throughout the film are used effectively to hint at the difficulty the family has faced in its past.
Set in Barcelona, the imagery of the city lights are dazzlingly pretty. The pictures of Barcelona’s inhabitants are much less appealing. One of the first scenes is a close-up of Uxbal taking his own blood sample. Later we see dead bodies swirling in the sea, their mouths wide open in frozen pain. This was about the time I started waiting for the credits to save me.
That being said, there is some beauty in Biutiful. You just have to look really, really hard.
Look for the loyalty of a man defending his staff against police brutality. Look for the sacrifices their families make for him in return. Look for the laughter of a woman teaching her family to eat ice cream with their hands. Most importantly, look for the man who wants to leave his children and his world with something to hold onto.
Biutiful is a movie you can’t bear to watch, but can’t bear not to. It will probably make you squirm. It might make you cry.
It will definitely make you think.
The Save Marriage Public Address, hosted by the Presbyterian church at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, was met last night with over 120 people rallying outside the theatre in support of same-sex marriage.
The public address, entitled "Save Marriage", focused on the Marriage Act of 1961.
Church affiliates praised the marriage legislation as it stands as "a union of a man and woman in the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life."
Protesters held placards with slogans, "Homophobia… It's just Gay" and "Hatred is bad for your mental health".
Speaking on behalf of the protestors, gay activist Rodney Croome said, "We understand they have religious beliefs but they have to realise their beliefs about gay marriages don't conform to what the majority of Australians believe."
Croome argued for reform of the Marriage Act, siting a number of Greens and Labor politicians as being in support of the reform.
TUU Sexuality Officer, Alex West said the aim of the rally was to, "put a face to discrimination with the tens of thousands of families and couples who are being discriminated against."
West said, "The Liberal and Federal Governments don't reflect the public's views on marriage equality."
Reading from a statement from the Greens, West said, "The Greens have long supported same-sex marriage and are taking a package to the state parliament. We are committed to pursuing those bills later this year [so that] Tasmania may join in many parts of the world in developing marriage equality."
"Never fear, this reform will occur," said Croome.
The protest was peaceful and Croome addressed the crowd by saying, "it's very important that we engage people in a respectful way."
Participants at the rally also wrote messages on two large cotton sheets called 'queer threads'. One message read, "Love doesn't discriminate".
Rally-goers said their cause was not about gay and lesbian rights, but equality for all people.
Protestor Rose Matthews said "It's not gay, black, white, straight; injustice is injustice. We have to fight it."
Matthews said it is important that straight people support marriage equality, "because united we win."
Fellow protestor, Robert Fisher said, "I'm a heterosexual and I'm here because I find it extremely offensive that our government should say marriage should be limited by our sexuality."
"I think that all people – heterosexual, homosexual or transexual – deserve the right to marriage," said Fisher.
Fisher attended the rally outside as well as the church's public address. "I'd like to be informed as to the opposition's opinion. I want to be informed about the matter. If you know the angle of others you are better equipped to counteract it."
"What about the children?" one man said as he entered the event.
Inside, a musician played Gary Jules’ “Mad World” on the organ as members of the public filled the Stanley Burbury Theatre.
Stickers with Marriage = Man + Woman were available for sale while a petition was set out in support of marriage as currently defined in the Marriage Act (1961).
Chairman, Richard Humphrey, Dean of St Davids Cathedral, said, "this an evening to argue for the upholding of the meaning of marriage as a ‘a union of a man and woman in the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.’”
Speaker, Dr Andrew Corbett from the Tasmanian Family Institute, then addressed the audience for half an hour. "How should we think about same-sex marriage? It is a controversial issue. We need to talk about it."
"Marriage is not a right, it's a gift. You don't have the right to get married; it's a privilege."
Corbett said, “Marriage is what it is. In the same way that a circle is a circle. It's not a triangle. If a triangle said I want to be a circle, we can look at a triangle and say, yeah we can call you a circle but you are still a triangle. Marriage is the same. When a man and a woman form a covenant with each other, they are forming a covenant with a higher being," said Corbett.
"It's all part of the creator's plan.
"The statement to get with the times is essentially saying to ignore what Jesus Christ said. As a Christian, I can't do that. Marriage celebrates gender distinction. You bring two different gender perspectives together and it’s a beautiful thing” said Corbett.
Corbett advised people to be civil in the debate. "Don't be intimidated by the emotional bluster. That's not helping the debate."
The Marriage Act was amended by the Howard Government (supported by Labor) in 2004 to define marriage as “a union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others”.
University student, Andrew Topfer, who was present at the address, supported same-sex marriage.
"Marriage has religious origins but only because we have a Christian background in Australia. But we've moved forward in society," said Topfer. "I don't think being pro-gay is being anti-religious.
“[Changing the legislation] is freeing the right for gay people to be married. It's not saying all churches have to recognise gay marriage,"
Asset Management Service hires the Stanley Burbury Theatre, located at the Sandy Bay campus of UTas, to the general public for events and lectures.
The Tasmania University Union would like to express its deepest condolences to the family of those affected in the unfortunate incident on one of our properties last night.
TUU State President Saleh Bintalib said "We are deeply saddened by these deaths and our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the familes of those affected. This unfortunate incident has definitely saddened the tightly knit university comunity."
Mr Bintalib also said "As this is an ongoing police investigation, we do not wish to speculate or comment more than what we know at this stage. Our immediate priority is to provide support for those directly or indirectly affected by this."
The TUU will work closely with the Police and the University in this difficult time. Anyone affected by this should not hesitate to contact the TUU housing services.
For further comments please contact
Saleh Bintalib
TUU State Wide President
Salehb@utas.edu.au
6226 2852 / 0409 958 158
FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON THIS LINK TO BE TAKEN TO LATEST NEWS REPORTS:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/22/3170690.htm
Issue 3 of Togatus comes out on Friday the 16th of July so we're celebrating its release!! Tas may not always be ahead of the game, but its student mag certainly is! Please come and support an awesome publication made up of 33 contributors, 6 photographers, 5 designers, 1 subeditor and 1 editor.
FREE ENTRY:
Togatus is proud to bring you DJ MADDEN & SAMEX, cheap drinks all night and your first chance to grab a FREE copy of TOGATUS!
$4 wine
$10 jugs
+ free Metz breads
A spam email currently circulating the University of Tasmania’s webmail system is soliciting account information from unknowing students.
The email, which was received by a number of students on Saturday 1 May, claims that UTas webmail accounts will be deactivated unless validated by replying to the email with the student’s account details, including their username and password.
Disguised under the email address Admin@utas.edu.au, the email is classified as a ‘phishing scam’ which is defined as a criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information – such as usernames, passwords and credit card information – by masquerading as a trustworthy entity – in this case, UTas admin.
Many students are aware of the potential dangers of spamming and online scams; however, this particular scam could easily be mistaken for a ‘legitimate’ email due to the use of the ‘Admin@utas.edu.au’ address.
It is unclear what the motivations are for the spammers accessing the UTas webmail system, but UTas ICT security warns students to disregard the email (or similar emails requesting usernames/passwords or private details) immediately as the University administration does not request personal details from students.
If such details fall into the hands of scammers, there can be significant consequences, such as identity theft.
On the UTas IT website there is a statement in regards to the email;
“IT Resources advises all University members that this email is false and should be ignored. The University does not solicit account information via email, not do we require any person to submit their password/security details as part of normal account maintenance processes.”
The IT Resources have stated that despite an extensive firewall which prevents threats to webmail and internet security here at University, there is a small percentage of scams which find their way through the system.
“The UTas firewall protects students and members from approximately one million potentially harmful emails a day, but there are some that slip through,” an IT Resources spokesman said.
“Our advice if students do come across something suspicious, please notify us [IT Resources] so we can input the measures to prevent such things from occurring again.”
The spokesman said the firewall blocks around 98 per cent of potentially ‘dangerous’ emails but there are certain restrictions on the firewall in order to prevent legitimate emails from reaching UTas students’ inboxes.
IT Resources have been alerted to other phishing scams recently; in January there were reports of a spam email circulating the UTas system which purported to be from the Australian Taxation Office asking for financial details.
If any students have further questions about suspicious emails, they are advised to call the IT Service Desk on 1818.
University of Tasmania library staff have alerted Togatus to a website aimed at informing UTas students of the Morris Miller redevelopments, which are currently causing disruptions to students on the Hobart campus.
With exams approaching in May, students have become disgruntled with the lack of transparency of the MM level 2 demolition and are increasingly concerned the disruptions may severely affect their mid-year exam preparations.
Students have been forced to avoid Sandy Bay’s central study zone, which contains the majority of resources for Humanities undergraduates, due to frequent disruptions from builders, but they have been given little information on what all the commotion is about.
Togatus published a story ‘Ridiculous Renovations’ in both the Student Observer (issue #3) and online (which can be accessed here) enlightening students of the plans, including funding, the redevelopment time-frame and which areas of the MM will be inaccessible during the renovations.
However, with the momentum of the demolition schedule increasing, few students have been warned about further possible disruptions.
MM library staff have recognised this lack of communication and have informed Togatus of the Library News Blog at http://blogs.utas.edu.au/library/
Under the entry ‘Morris Miller Library Level 2 redevelopment has commenced’, the blog will have regular updates on the demolition and provides a general background on what benefits the demolition will bring to the students in the long term.
For example, the blog has informed students that there was to be major demolition work tomorrow [Friday 23 April] which was scheduled to commence at 12pm and continue to midnight.
According to the blog, this demolition work has been postponed and is likely to be rescheduled for Friday 30 April.
Such a distraction will surely deter students from studying at the library and this information is vital if students want to access resources outside the disruptive hours of demolition.
MM library staff have also encouraged feedback on the redevelopments and have provided a comments section where students can respond to the blog entry.
So unless you'd like background mechanical melodies to accompany your studies, pop April 30 in your diaries for another day of disruption at Uni and keep an eye peeled on the updates on the Library blog.
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The less neurotic students at the Sandy Bay campus may not have noticed how absurdly warm the Morris Miller Library often is, or the fact that the toilet doors squeak really loudly or that you’ll rarely find a table that you don’t have to share with a loud-breathing phlegm machine or a Lady Gaga fan who apparently can’t hear a tune unless it’s played at concert volume.
But even the blind would’ve noticed the huge white wall that currently blocks off half of the second floor and greets all arrivals with the words “SSHHH... construction in progress... builders at work”.
The irony of this (and yes, it’s very amusing) is that constant quiet time is the last thing Morris Miller dwellers should be expecting during the oncoming redevelopment period.
We can already hear the sound of drills and tractors from the work being done in the ‘central mall’ area which has been explained via emails and signs on campus, but we’ve been given very little information – or warning – about the plans for the library.
Well seeing as Morris Miller was originally built for a student population of 2000 and now serves a population of 12, 000, it’s not surprising that fresh air and a quiet corner are so hard to find there.
The plan, then, is to have that blocked off space on level 2 totally stripped out and refitted with more study spaces and a redeveloped section for the Reference and Reserve collections, and to have all levels of the library equipped with improved wireless access for laptops.
The toilets will also be fixed because apparently the doors aren’t the only thing that fall below standards and after the renovations students are likely to have 24/7 access to the Learning Hubs on Levels 2 and 3 - so we can be at uni, literally, all the time!
But why didn’t the bastards get this done over the summer when it would’ve been less disruptive and presumably more logical?
Project Manager, Craig Pridmore explains that aside from complicated funding issues that have taken a number of years to sort out, the $2.5 million dollar project is a longer process than a lot of people might have expected.
However, Pridmore reassures that there are alternative study environments that have been developed through the refurbishment of the Science Library and the Law Library to coincide with loss of some of the MML study space during the project.
Although we’ve been told that the central mall redevelopments are expected to take four to five months, the library – a separate project – may take up to eight! So if you’re in the final year of your degree, then, sorry!
But if you’re planning to stick around for a few more then you’ve got something to look forward to. So next time you’re doing your history homework to the musical sound of drills and jackhammers, remind yourself: one day it’ll be clean and quiet and you’ll be able to find a study spot without working up a furious sweat! Well, I’m excited.
Those who are fans of the Fleet Foxes will love the debut album from Silver Lake band the Local Natives. The interestingly titled Gorilla Manor is driven by a strong use of percussion and soft a cappella vocals from singer Taylor Rice. The first single Camera Talk is a fast paced track that is in the same vein as what you would expect from Arcade Fire. The song relaxes listeners with lyrics like “Even though I can't be sure, memory tells me that these times are worth working for." The violin and piano in Stranger Things makes for a beautiful song; but the band also has a punk element to them that can be seen with the raw guitar and vocals present in Sun Hands. The album is well thought out and is a must have for those who enjoy the style of the Fleet Foxes.
It’s pouring down with rain as I meet Judith Abell on the corner of the street near her studio. Her studio is located in one of these amazing places that are tucked up in the rabbit warrens of old Hobart buildings. We climb the narrow stairs, with warped walls and a series of doors, to finally make it to her studio…I find myself short of breath.
Judith is out of breath as well, but it’s not from climbing those stairs - she has been racing around all day, flat out with back-to-back meetings, stopping off quickly along the way to do the compulsory hunting and gathering around the local tip shops to pick up various materials.
She opens the door to her modest studio and as I enter I trip over something that looks like a TV aerial. I apologise profusely as I try to untangle myself without breaking anything, or cause some sort of avalanche of random materials cluttered around her workshop. She lets me know she cleaned up for me. I laugh nervously. Judith’s studio is packed to the brim, a jungle of fantastic materials and objects that have been salvaged from the tip shop or somewhere along the way.
“There is so much material out there, it really bothers me to buy new. I do a tour of duty of the tip shop on a really regular basis, probably every two weeks I go to at least two of them. For years I have had this fascination with the whole concept of the junk shop. I guess, you never know what you’re going to find and there is always some kind of treasure…there is that classic statement that one persons trash is another’s treasure, it’s exciting every time I go,”
Judith said.
I compose myself, take a deep breath, and press the record button on my portable voice recorder, armed with questions. “So Judith how would you describe your work?” I ask. She looks and smiles. She is all too familiar with the generic art questions.
“I have a complete fascination with materials. I don’t think it necessarily matters what the materials are, although I think I prefer the ordinary, the normally unseen, the stuff that passes most people by. Just looking around here, I have Venetian blinds, old shop shelfing, I have an obsession with collecting,” she explains.
Judith Abell is not only a Sculptor but an architect, designer, and a freelance arts writer for well known art and design magazines.
“It’s busy, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. My work in architecture is really busy, stressful, and full on every day so doing the art stuff really helps it…now people are saying ‘hey Jude would you come and talk to us about this because we really like the fact your doing design and art’…What happens with my sculpture practice from my architecture experience is there is an understanding of how materials go together. The project management you need in architecture really helps for getting art projects done”.
Judith has gained so much knowledge and skill from working across all these disciplines, she tells me she feels as if she has an unfair advantage over other designers. However, after working hard for 10 years, I think she deserves it. Her years of experience in architecture, design and writing - blended with her strong sense of materials and aesthetics - have helped her secure public art commissions, fellowships, residencies and this year the Moorilla scholarship for 2010.
“With things like Moorilla I didn’t think I had very much chance of winning it…. I saw a Moorilla exhibition in my first year and I remember getting excited about what could be possible with the money from that, I thought wow, wouldn’t it be great to win that.”
As I look around her studio, Judith’s sculptures rest, quietly waiting until they are completed. All her sculptural pieces are mainly made from recycled and salvaged materials,
“I would like to think I’m green in my thinking but we are all hypocrites when it comes down to it.”
Judith’s refined finishes and attention to detail create beautiful organic works that transcend the material’s previous life. Her sense of aesthetics is tightly in tune with the material she is using, always allowing the material to guide the making of the work.
What I find most appealing about Judith’s work is they way she marries her materials with space. Each sculpture responds and relates to the area it inhabits. Like a living plant her work seems to breathe, move and respond, creating shadows, reflecting light or fluttering with the wind. Her works are never just ‘plonked’ in a space, rather they are carefully considered within the sensibility and understanding of place.
This intimate understating of material and space allows Judith to create works that are both gentle and powerful.
“I’m only just beginning to hit my stride in terms of being an architect, I’m only just beginning to get somewhere in terms of being an artist. I really like thinking about how those things can come together.”
I press stop on the recorder; we have been talking for more than half an hour. It is dark outside now. I don’t mind though, and neither does she. I finish by saying that I can’t wait to see what she makes for the 2010 Moorilla exhibition, laughing, she replies, “Neither can I.”
Consuming the news these days is much like eating a McValue meal at McDonalds; sure, it's cheap and appears to be packed full of hearty content, but once you unwrap it and consume the first few (news) bites, you find it to be tacky and unsatisfying. Celebrity gossip and PR spin are infiltrating our news agenda as undermanned newsrooms struggle to keep newspapers afloat. So what is the future of journalism? News itself isn't dying. It's withering underneath the thick spread of trash, gossip and shortcuts, and it's not news as we once knew, but it's still there. Here's a broad five-point guide as to what exactly is up.
The Big Business Model of News
Ok, we'll start at the top, with the whole lot of squeezing of journalist staff budgets. Fairfax is one guilty party for shitcanning journalists en masse, placing the rest of their team on knife-edge. Their most controversial staff cuts came in August '08 when they slashed 550 jobs. None of the management faced unemployment, yet a host of writers did when their share prices hit rock bottom.
In response to the job reductions, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) launched a campaign labelled 'Fair Go, Fairfax: Don't discount journalism' to protest the job cuts and argue that such job losses would affect 'quality journalism'.
The MEAA argue that the management at Fairfax Media are "trying to drive down journalists' wages and create a company that produces low-cost, low-quality journalism - a clear threat to keeping you informed."
The fact that 80% of a newspaper's revenue goes towards funding the hardcopy, according to the promisingly titled 'newspaperdeathwatch.com', doesn't tie in well with the big business model either. Combine this with movement of the 'rivers of gold' classifieds from print to the (free and broader population of) internet, and an uptake on online news use over hardcopy, and you've got the beginnings of a shake up.
The Journalist to Public Relations ratio:
Stemming from the above point is one of the most cited problems with media at the moment. The Journo to PR 'consultant' ratio is way out of wack, with numbers greatly favouring PR. When press releases are flying thick and fast, the overworked journalist gets sloppy and starts regurgitating what they ate off the free platter of pre-wrapped news, often word for word.
This isn't a recent problem, and dates back to that time any 'edgy' news watch team (yes, before you Hungry Beast) pulled the fake press release stunt, but does highlight the fact that quality and care is slipping out the door.
Quality Control:
When you don't have the time OR money to fund investigative journalism, what do you get? Tiger Woods is what you get. Tiger Woods and his extra-marital affairs. Gossip-worthy yes, headlining news-worthy it's not. If journalists were allowed to give as much attention to their own backyards as they did Tiger, Wack Jacko and any other 15-second tramp we'd be getting somewhere.
The argument here is that if it's what the people want, then that's what they'll get. Believe it or not, there are a shitload of strange people out there who actually want to know about how many people Woods is banging. Sometimes down to the very detail. Media organisations recognise this and so feed the masses in order to make a buck. They are a business and like all businesses, income often takes priority. The point is, yes, people do know what they want, but it's not necessarily what they need. It's like responsible service of alcohol; sometimes people just don't know what's good for them until they wake up the next morning. Unfortunately, the trash is what pays the bills at the moment, which leads into a vicious cycle.
The Fourth What?
Believe it or not, journalism was founded on ideals of equality; keeping the big players (originally those in power - namely politicians) in check. This does not mean the 'Utegate' scandal, nor disgracing politicians with (fake or otherwise) nude photos.
When the press gallery in parliament was first labelled the Fourth Estate, it was in light of the fact that they kept the other three (the power holders) in check by telling the people what was up. I refer you to the PR regurgitation and the celebrity blitz of 2009 for two failings of the media to the people. In short, the foundations of journalism get undermined more and more everyday, with trash.
The Online News Revolution
While not really accountable for the decline in quality, the shift to news 'bytes' and short sharp pieces of content are the new face of news. Whether news corporations will properly embrace it, rather than merely putting newspaper content online, is the key to their success.
The issue is that the once profitable nature of supporting online news with banner advertising, is now not so. Blame the economic crisis, whatever, but the fact is that a real shift towards online adoption is needed, which is likely to involve some sort of subscription. How the public will react to paying for their once free news will be interesting, but it already works. Crikey.com is still here, isn't it?
So, it's Over?
There are still glimmers of hope.
Take Gary Hughes, writer for The Australian. Gary won the Gold Walkley last year for his reports on the Victorian Bushfires. He legged it out of his burning hometown to write a two-piece, first-person feature on the fires and their destruction, Black Saturday 1 & 2.
It's the suppression of such journalism which results in where news is headed now, the regurgitated tripe with a focus on celebrity scandal over substance that actually matters. Just because it appears all trash and gossip, doesn't mean journalists can't write or don't care anymore.
Lovebites is the second album from Berlin septet Super 700. It is one of those very polished works that is lyrically deep and emotionally compelling. The lead vocalist Ibadet Ramadani is clearly a virtuoso in her own right, drawing upon classical training but not being confined to it. The band members are in perfect harmony with one other from the backing vocals of the Ramadani twins through to the guitar and drums that are blended seamlessly. The song Fortuneteller is a fantastic example of how the band adds layers of colour into each song by using each instrument sparingly. The album was supervised by producer Rob Kirwan, responsible for the fame of U2 and Depeche Mode, who clearly enabled Super 700 to delve into their pool of talent. The song writing abilities of Ibadet and guitar player Johannes shine through with songs like Somebody Tried to Steal My Car and Spring (The Old Pretender) that are deep and somewhat haunting. But Super 700 do not stay inside the box displayed in the song Second in Line that is taken from the African sublanguage of Wolof and backed by singer Sambake "Paptiam" Malamine. It is refreshing to see a band work so hard and thrive in all the areas that make a record great.
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With a name like Discotouch, one would expect this outfit to deliver tracks packed with tongue-in-cheek funky pop goodness, and The Code doesn’t disappoint. The title track has an almost annoyingly catchy chorus that I can guarantee you’ll be singing for hours after hearing. The EP consists mainly of remixes, which should please fans of the Electro Pop genre that is making waves in the music industry at moment, and should sound familiar to anybody who frequents Hobart’s Syrup nightclub. Far from being monotonous, the remixes bring variety to the EP, and, especially in the case of the club mix, improve upon the radio edit greatly. The male vocals on The Code are reminiscent of TV Rock’s Flaunt it, and fans of TV’s will find much to like here. The female vocals drip the track in infectious disco goodness and bring a lighter mood to the song. Far from being a collection of cold house tracks, a sense of frivolity permeates the entire EP and draws the listener into Discotouch’s quirky soundscape.
As a general rule, uni students love to travel. Many of you reading this will be in the midst of travel. Some have just returned from a gap year, others are planning their next trip away, and we all know that mature-age students have travelled extensively, as they are kind enough to recount their life stories to us in lectures and tutorials every week.
These days, students have a variety of travel options to choose from. Many tour packages are now aimed at the student crowd, and with the advent of budget airlines has made travelling even easier for the cash-strapped uni student. Young people have been backpacking through Europe like pilgrims for years, however, now more than ever, you may be hearing buzzwords such as “meaningful travel” and “make a difference” being thrown around in relation to the next big thing in travel – volunteer tourism.
Make no mistake - volunteer tourism is big business. It is becoming a more prevalent feature of the tourism market, and tour operators have been taking notice. A vast number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have begun offering travel opportunities for tourists who are looking for more than just sightseeing. Chances are that you or someone you know will participate in volunteering overseas.
Last year, I spent five weeks volunteering as an English teacher in the city of Medan, Indonesia, as part of the UTAS unit called Professional Placement in Asia. It was an opportunity that I jumped at as soon as I heard about it. I had always been interested in volunteering overseas, and being able to gain University credit while travelling made the idea even more appealing. I took the prerequisite unit, Volunteering in Asia, in semester one 2009, and completed my term of volunteering straight after the semester two exam period in November and December 2009.
You may be wondering what type of degree would let me travel and gain university credit? Well, it’s a good old Bachelor of Arts. To all BA students – ignore the naysayers. Your BA degree is what you make it, and there are a multitude of overseas units to choose from. Professional Placement in Asia is just one of several overseas units offered by the School of Asian Languages and Studies and the Faculty of Arts as a whole. In fact, this is the second opportunity I have been given that has allowed me to travel whilst studying. In 2008 I spent a year’s worth of units in a UTAS exchange program learning Japanese in Japan. That means that almost half of my BA degree has been completed overseas, and it’s fair to say that my Bachelor of Arts has been the biggest learning experience of my life.
Indonesia was yet another learning curve. It didn’t even feel like I had left Australia until we landed in Medan. The arrivals section of the airport was chaos, though the customs section was a breeze with its lack of security. Grabbing our bags from the crowded bag carousel, we spotted a taxi driver holding a sign with our names on it. Knowing he had been sent by the NGO, we hopped into his taxi and were off.
As I stared out the window from the backseat of the taxi, I realised that I had entered another world. Medan attacked my senses. The noise from hundreds of honking cars, motorbike horns, and screaming engines. The smells of a thousand indescribable smells. The sights – the mayhem of the traffic, the crumbling buildings that blurred past my window, the cloud of pollution in the air.
The NGO we were volunteering with, International Humanity Foundation (IHF), is one of the smaller NGOs offering overseas placements to volunteers. IHF has centres in Indonesia, Thailand and Kenya, and aims to provide the poor with a decent education about the world and to educate the world about the poor. I chose IHF because it seemed like a genuine NGO – we didn’t have to pay to volunteer (our weekly fee of US$50 covered food, power and other living costs), and the organisation is non-profit, non-religious and non-political. The work was intensive and time-consuming – eight hours a day, six days a week. For two hours a day, we taught English to almost a hundred students, whilst the rest of the time was devoted to class preparation, centre maintenance and administration work for IHF.
At IHF’s Medan centre, there were modest living quarters. My room was large, including two bunk beds, and a bathroom that didn’t work. Actually, ‘didn’t work’ described the centre well. There was a stove that didn’t work, a water pump that didn’t work, some doors didn’t close and others didn’t open. Areas of the roof looked like they were on the verge of caving in, and the building appeared to have various electrical hazards.
However, despite all of this, the poverty, the pollution, the poor functionality, all of these ‘issues’ contrasted with the wonderful people I came to meet over the coming days. These included the other volunteer teachers from the local community and from overseas, the friendly people from the local community and the amazing children, who turned up to all their classes ready and eager to learn.
In a way, I already knew it, but it only really becomes apparent when you experience it yourself. What we aspire to gain as a Western society,money, power and success, the people of Medan do not have. What they do have is happiness. Over my time volunteering, we fixed the stove and turned my broken bathroom into a working ensuite. I wasn’t electrocuted and the roof didn’t fall in. What didn’t change, however, were the people. They were more welcoming, friendly and amazing than I could ever have imagined.
Volunteering overseas is an opportunity that I would recommend to anyone who can take it. It provides such an important insight into the lives of others who share completely different morals and cultural norms. You not only learn and explore someone else’s culture, but you realise, as a result, that there are many things that need to be improved in our own society.
So if you are thinking about travelling in the near or distant future, keep volunteering in mind. There are many ways in which you can help the world, and perhaps even learn more about yourself in the process.
5 Tips for Overseas Volunteering
1. The first step in setting out on a volunteer tourism adventure is to take a moment to outline why it is that you want to travel in this way. If a big priority for you is to visit a beachside location and to surf whenever you have time off, you probably won’t enjoy volunteering somewhere that requires you to work throughout the day and only have time off in the evenings!
2. Outline your skills and interests and try to find a volunteering program that relates to these. You will be the most effective volunteering doing something that you already know. Also, be aware of what you are getting yourself into. Never forget the seriousness of the situation - understand that you may be exposed to extreme poverty and other traumatic situations.
3. Research, research, research. You will most likely be volunteering through a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), and there are thousands to choose from. Every volunteer organisation is different, so it is important that you find one that suits the direction of volunteering you are looking at. The internet is your best tool. Once you have found an interesting NGO, use an online search engine to see if the organisation is trustworthy. Google.com is a great way to see if your chosen organisation has been up to anything dodgy! Be aware that the bigger NGOs will charge you money for volunteering, and that it can actually be quite expensive. There is both an upside and a downside to this. On the upside, you can be sure that you will have the support you need and that your experience should be a comfortable one, but on the downside you are actually ‘paying’ to volunteer! There are many smaller NGOs that offer volunteering opportunities at little or no expense, so once again take the time to research this. Remember, however, that the vast majority of NGOs will require you to pay for your own airfares and insurance.
4. Learn about the culture you are visiting. Take the time to at least learn the basics of the local language, as this will go a long way in helping you engage with the community. Learning numbers and greetings is a good place to start.
5. Most importantly, prepare to be unprepared! Things will go wrong and you will face many challenges. Having expectations of your volunteering experience will only set you up for disappointment, so set goals instead. Write down realistic aims, like what you want to achieve through volunteering, and at the end of your time volunteering write down what you feel you achieved and compare these.
For more information on the School of Asian Languages and Studies, visit:
http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/arts/asianstudies/
For more information on the International Humanity Foundation, visit:
http://www.ihfonline.org/
The 'Green debate' may be one of the most pivotal political issues of the next decade. In the aftermath of the Climate Change conference at Copenhagen, Togatus contributor Adam Nebbs decided to pick the brain of one of Tasmania's great environmental politicians, Senator Christine Milne.
Christine Milne is promptly ushered into the Senator's office by her Media Advisor. She is quick to explain that her recent efforts in the Senate have exhausted her and apologises if she isn't at her sharpest for our interview.
(New paragraph necessary? )To put her exhaustion into a political context, at the time of our interview the Emissions Trading Scheme had just been rejected in the Senate after several drawn out months of discussion and disagreements. Christine was openly pleased to see the ETS defeated and is determined the Government and the Greens can work together to develop something more effective in tackling climate change.
"The Greens want strong action on climate change and the Government's carbon pollution reduction scheme was not going to do that. It effectively ran up the white flag on climate change and was a bill which accepted that catastrophic climate change was going to happen."
While the Opposition effectively knocked back the ETS, Christine believes that the tax-free carbon measures that the newly appointed Opposition leader Tony Abbott stated would save Australians money, is far from the necessary solution.
"[Abbot] thinks that you can deal with [climate change] in a completely cost neutral way. That is nonsense as everybody knows to transform out of fossil fuel economy to a low carbon/zero carbon economy you have to put a price on carbon that allows the renewable industries to develop and flourish ... He is in cloud cuckoo land."
Influenced by her party's views, Christine believes the Labour and Liberal parties are part of an old order that emerged at a time when the world was seen as infinite in resources.
"As long as Labour and Liberal still believe that the Earth can just sustain nine billion people at the same level of consumption as we've got now, and that the earth can continue to absorb the waste, is the pathway to catastrophic climate change".
Senator Milne also believes that developed countries must play a pivotal role in deciding appropriate action to counter climate change. However, in the first week of the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009, it became apparent that there was a division between developed and developing nations over who should cut their carbon emissions and to what degree.
Christine is adamant that wealthy nations have exploited developing countries and thus have a moral responsibility to back them financially and to accept their fundamental role in creating climate change.
"The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere right now has been put there not by developing countries but by the developed world. Those who can pay and have also created the problem have a moral obligation, a social justice obligation to assist the developing world to leapfrog the problems of the fossil fuel economy".
Christine has had an experienced history of campaigning to protect the environment. She was at the forefront of environmental action when the environment was emerging as an important political consideration. In December 1982, protests against the Franklin Dam reached their climax when the current Australian Greens leader Bob Brown led people in a historical blockade. The protest received international media coverage and saw over 1200 people arrested, including author John Marsden, Bob Brown and Senator Christine Milne herself. At the time, Christine was a young schoolteacher in Devonport, and she risked her career to be part of a movement that would change the political status quo. While the blockade gathered momentum and eventually ended in a victory, Christine explained the difficulties that the protesters encountered in order to reach their goal.
"I went into the classroom and on the back wall someone had put up the poster the Hydro workers were using at the time which [suggested] if you were to come and join the blockade, you had to be a dole bludger, play a tin whistle and be a pot smoker and all of this kind of stereotypical nonsense."
Despite the negative labelling the Hydro attempted to apply to the protesters, the campaign against the Franklin Dam was successful due to a wide range of tactics. Christine believes that similar methods should be employed when tackling climate change and present day environmental politics
"[We need] lots of public meetings, public marches and frankly on the climate change campaign that is exactly what we have to do. Get out of the backroom process of submissions and take it to the streets."
Christine believes another aim is to convert the ideals of the climate change sceptics.
"What we've got from some of the climate sceptics is failed, marginalised academics, that suddenly have got the attention they have always craved by being the spokespeople for dodgy PR reports, [which are] funded by the problem, the fossil fuel sector."
Senator Milne is clearly a strong advocate for the Green's issues in Tasmania and is a strong believer in having a well informed democracy.
"I think it is really important when people register to vote in Australia that they are provided with information about the political parties and the political context, so that they can make a more informed choice."
Save water, drink beer! Need I say more? If only it was that simple. You may not realise, but brewing beer requires a large amount of water, and is extremely energy intensive. This raises the question: what are the environmental implications of enjoying a cold beer after a hard days work? Drought, climate change and the Emissions Trading Scheme are big issues in Australian society, and have left Australian consumers increasingly conscious of the products they buy.
Tapping into the emerging market for sustainable and environmentally friendly products, two very different Tasmanian breweries have developed their own way to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly beer. The end result is the 100 per cent carbon neutral beer, Cascade Green, and craft brewers the Two Metre Tall Company's range of ales. Cascade and the Two Metre Tall Company have two very different approaches and philosophies when it comes to brewing their beer. However, both have positioned their beers as high quality, premium products, that consider the many environmental implications that arise from brewing beer.
Major Tasmanian based brewer, Cascade, looked into all the elements of the product's life cycle; growing and souring the ingredients, brewing production, packaging, distribution and storage. This allowed them to calculate the total embedded greenhouse emissions, and thus successfully reduced emissions by 16 per cent. In contrast, the Two Metre Tall Company is a farm and a brewery all in one, which aims to grow all the ingredients using organic principles and using compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. It is very conscious of food miles, so the aim is to keep everything on the farm and to promote Tasmanian grown ingredients.
To address water usage, Scott Delzoppo, Sustainability Manager at the Fosters Group, (who owns Cascade) explains how Cascade implemented a range of strategies including reusing and recycling water to irrigate. These include the installation of two water-recycling systems and applying a water management plan to increase water efficiency. These strategies have enabled Cascade to reduce their total water consumption by 30 per cent per unit of production over the past six years. Through rigorous monitoring, Cascade can calculate water usage and efficiency monthly.
The Two Metre Tall Company's aim is similar. They try to minimise water usage where possible;, reusing water throughout the brewery and recycling water to irrigate the paddocks.
Water usage is a major factor when brewing beer. Owen Johnston, head brewer at Moo Brew, explains that the Moorilla Brewery also recycles their water to irrigate their vines using a grey water irrigations system.
However, Tasmanian breweries are not yet leading the way in water reduction. The drought in Queensland has seen strict water restrictions implemented in their state, and the Yatala Brewery on the Gold Coast has reduced their water consumption down to 2.2 litres of water for every one litre of beer produced. In contrast, Moo Brew uses 10 litres of water to produce one litre of beer. Still thinking that drinking beer saves water?
Water is not the only factor that needs to be considered during the brewing process, especially if the brewery is trying to position itself as environmentally friendly. Both Cascade and the Two Metre Tall Company have identified that where the ingredients are sourced from will impact on the level of greenhouse emissions generated in the overall brewing process.
The Two Metre Tall Company is the world's only farm-based brewery. It is located in the Derwent Valley and is owned and operated by Jane and Ashley Huntington. Jane Huntington explains, "We are very conscious of food miles." They have planted their own barley crop, but source hops from Bushy Park in Tasmania's Derwent Valley - a ten minute drive from their brewery. Their aim is to keep everything from growing to brewing on the farm site whenever possible; even the spent ingredients are fed to the cattle on the farm.
Cascade has a similar approach to sourcing ingredients. Delzoppo explains that hops and barley are sourced from Tasmanian farmers to ensure the transport component of the raw materials is reduced.
Ingredients and water are two parts of the Green Beer issue. Carbon offsetting and emissions trading schemes have become a big issue for Australians. In addition to this Johnston explains that there has been a change in consumption trends, leading to a decline in Australians consuming beer. Australians are now choosing to eat and drink healthier options. Both Cascade and the Two Metre Tall Company have identified that there is consumer demand for premium quality and environmentally friendly beers.
Delzoppo says that Cascade conducted extensive research prior to the launch of Cascade Green to determine the consumer willingness towards environmental products. The research found there was an increasing appetite from everyday people to make greener choices in their lifestyle. Delzoppo believes that developing the beer has given consumers the ability to contribute to reducing carbon emissions - drinking the green beer allows them to do something that is within their reach and lifestyle.
The Two Metre Tall Company has a demand greater than their supply. The Huntingtons explain that their customers are interested in taste, quality and they value the use of local ingredients in the brewing process. A fundamental part of the Two Metre Tall Company's strategy and positioning came from identifying that people are increasingly more interested in the quality of the food and drink they put into their body. Two Metre Tall Company does not use any preservatives in their ales and uses a natural fermentation process. This allows them to tap into the food and health conscious consumer, as well as the environmentally aware.
Carbon offsetting has become a major factor in Australian society, allowing businesses to make their product more environmentally friendly. Cascade and the Two Metre Tall Company have two completely different approaches when it comes to offsetting their beer.
Delzoppo explains "The Green component is built upon a number of layers; the ultimate part is that we are offsetting 100 per cent of all the green house gas emissions that are generated." Cascade has calculated that a carton of 24 beers produces 16 kg of carbon emissions. To offset, Cascade follows the guidelines and standards set out by the Department of Climate Change and this enables them to purchase carbon credits to offset the emissions. Reducing greenhouse emissions during production has been achieved through using hydro-power and reducing the use of oil fired boilers and boil time. However, since Tasmania joined the national electricity grid through Basslink, not all electricity used in Tasmania is hydro generated.
It is all well and good that there are now environmentally friendly beers available that consider water use, food miles and carbon offsetting, but will this mean taste is sacrificed? Both Cascade and the Two Metre Tall Company argue that, in fact, it is the complete opposite. The feedback received about their beers' taste has been overwhelmingly positive. Delzoppo says the beer has a "distinct fruity aroma and people are responding favourably." He adds, "The environmental offsetting is seen as an added component to the fact that it is a really good beer." Huntington says that they "use the older variety hops to get full flavoured aromatics which is fundamental to the flavour of the beer."
Depending on what you look for in a beer, whether it is the environmental component, quality or taste, Cascade Green and the Two Metre Tall Company appear to meet the criteria. It was very interesting to learn that drinking beer to save water is in fact a complete sham. Unfortunately for all the avid beer drinkers out there, drinking more beer does not help save water at all. However, if you are after a way to help ease your 'green conscience' perhaps ask for an environmentally friendly beer next time you are at your favourite 'watering hole.'
HUMAN TRAFFICKING - Jenny Baxter
Legally, slavery no longer exists. It was officially abolished in most of the British Empire on 1 August 1834, 173 years ago. To further enforce the abolition, Article 4 of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rig hts prohibited slavery, and the slave trade worldwide, on 10 December 1948, 61 years ago. Despite these injunctions, illegal trafficking, and the related crime of illegal slavery, is a huge, hidden and lucrative enterprise.
Today, slavery of men, women and children occurs in greater numbers than ever before. Precise numbers are difficult to obtain because slave traders operate underground. However, David Bales of non-for-profit organisation Free the Slaves, has done extensive research to arrive at the figure of 27 million people who are subject to slavery globally.
Human trafficking is the modern-day term for the slave trade. It is now the fastest growing illicit activity in the world, second in size only to drug trafficking. Siddharth Kara, author of Sex Trafficking, wrote that "the total revenue generated by the exploitation of all victims of human trafficking in 2007 was $US58.6 billion".
It is the multiple 'use' of humans that makes their sale so lucrative. Some women are forced to service multiple clients, seven days a week, 365 days a year. No reprieve during their monthly cycle, no downtime if they are sick and no way out if they are pregnant. It is estimated that 80 per cent of trafficked victims are destined for involuntary sexual servitude, most are women and children.
Christine Caine is a Greek-Australian itinerant speaker based at Hillsong Church, Sydney. She was horrified to learn about trafficking when she saw the walls of Thessaloniki airport, Greece, covered in photos of girls who had 'gone missing'.
In response, she began the A21 Campaign, which is administered from Sydney, Thessaloniki and California. Annie Dollarhide, A21 Campaign's Marketing and Communications Manger, said girls in Thessaloniki are physically and psychologically abused, and forcibly confined to do work they find abhorrent. "Girls may be locked in a room, or held simply in a prison of fear," she said.
"Often the police are clients. So if a girl escapes she may be sent back to the brothel or else she may be charged for being an illegal immigrant. She may also be deported, but her family are so ashamed of her, she is often rejected."
Only one per cent of victims, are rescued - their rehabilitation takes time, care and dedication.
Professor Les Holmes, of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne has done extensive research into human trafficking, particularly in Europe.
"Legalisation of prostitution in some states means there is social approval. This increases demand, which increases supply" Holmes said.
Demand is created by consumers and a supply is provided by traffickers, tapping into the bottomless pit of those desperate enough to be deceived.
Australia is not exempt from trafficking. The 2007-2008 Federal Budget allocated $38.3 million to counteract people trafficking over a four-year period. While the number of people trafficked into Australia is low compared to many other countries, the Australian Government is committed to combating all forms of people trafficking, including trafficking for sexual servitude and labour exploitation.
Project Respect is an Australian organisation that promotes the rights of trafficked sex workers. Due to the nature of the problem, definite figures are difficult to obtain. However, Project Respect estimates about 1000 women are trafficked into Australia each year. Nina Vallins of Project Respect is pleased the government has allocated funding, but disappointed no one is paid to research the exact extent of the problem.
"We don't have a sophisticated awareness of the continuum of trafficking here - from willing prostitution all the way to involuntary servitude. So how can we know what we are fighting?"
Australia's involvement in the sex trade is not confined to our own shores. Male holidaymakers travel to Asia and engage in so-called 'holiday sex', often unplanned but sometimes well orchestrated. Research conducted by the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, indicates Australians make up the largest proportion of foreign sex offenders in Thailand. These figures were based on studies of arrests and prosecutions from 1995-2006. Bernadette McMenamin, CEO of ChildWise Australia said, "There is a growing demand for child sex. The figures [from John Hopkins University] do not indicate travelling sex offenders are the main offenders - locals also take part in sexual activities with children." The pattern once again emerges: demand entices traffickers to supply the victims.
While sex slavery is a common 'use' for trafficked victims, the buck does not stop there. Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia, recently interviewed David Batstone, a Professor of Ethics at the University of San Francisco and President of the Not For Sale Campaign - an organisation, which according to their website, "equips and mobilizes Smart Activists to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery".
Batstone remarked, "Car tyres are made by slaves in Liberia; cotton, sugar, cocoa and coffee beans are harvested in West Africa; and pig iron is extracted for cars in Brazil".
No country is exempt. In Sex Trafficking, Kara comments on the Chinese practice of children being sold for organ harvesting. He wrote, "There is no crime more disgraceful than murdering innocent children, profiting from the removal of their hearts, livers, kidneys and eyes, and tossing the remains out like refuse".
John Miller, former US State Ambassador said, "We are not talking here about whether someone gets a longer work break, a few more cents per hour or if someone in a brothel gets a condom. We are not talking about working conditions. We are talking here about slavery - the loss of freedom. We are talking about the threat of force or the actual use of violence to deprive someone of their freedom."
So, what is being done to combat this 'crime against humanity'? In 2000, the United Nations adopted the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Palermo, Italy. Among other actions the Palermo Protocol prohibits the trafficking of children, ensures trafficked persons will not be punished, attends to immigration and visa issues, and suggests traffickers should be punished in proportion to their crime. Many UN states, including Australia, agreed to the Protocol, but enacting it is not straightforward. Professor Holmes said, "many countries have not done the changes necessary, with at least 70 per cent of states having worked hard on the punishment and prevention side of the issue, but have not done much in regard to the protection of victims".
Costello suggests there is hope. We can make a difference. "Through projects that prevent people from being vulnerable to trafficking, to protection of victims, effective prosecution and policy, World Vision's work is helping to bring this atrocity to an end". But it is not just up to World Vision or governments to end injustice. "Each person can take a stand against human trafficking and slavery each day. Our Don't Trade Lives campaign is about equipping everyday Australians, to make everyday choices that reduce demand for exploitative labour and raise a voice for our neighbours, particularly in South Asia, who are impacted by this immoral trade," Costello said.
As much as we enjoy a 'she'll be right' attitude, Australians must take responsibility for this situation. We are the ones creating the demand. Our men insist on sex with young Asians both here and overseas. We want cheap clothing, we consume outrageous amounts of sugar and we gorge ourselves on chocolate. Then, in the biggest twist of all, we have lowered the bar by reducing the intimate act of love-making, into a legitimate occupation which can be legally bought and sold.
Professor Holmes said, "Neo-liberalism focuses on the ends rather than the means, which has led to a decline in ethics". We so easily forget that nothing comes cheaply - if we don't pay, then someone else does.
Peering through the undergrowth on a clear Tasmanian night, a pair of luminous eyes gleam at you. Before you can register what the animal is it leaves without a trace. Your last vision is of the tip of its tail and the grass parting as it moves like a snake slithering to safety. What do you think it is? Did a fox ever occur to you?
In the last decade, the likelihood of seeing a European Red Fox in certain 'hotspots' around the state has increased considerably. Since it was formed in 2006 the Fox Eradication Program (formerly the Fox Free Taskforce) has gathered enough physical evidence, in the form of scats and footprints, to confirm the presence of these elusive creatures and it is widely recognised that these introduced predators are now roaming our island. In 2009, the taskforce identified 10 positive scat marks in various locations across the state. Unfortunately, while the evidence does exist, sceptics still remain in both Tasmania and interstate. Foxes are wary and elusive, and the discovery of fox activity is often insubstantial. While Matt Marrison, Community Engagement Section Leader of the FEP, argues that: "The Fox Eradication Program receives tri-partisan support from the major political parties in Tasmania and has widespread support from the general public", the Federal Government has decided to strip the Program's funding, which has inevitably placed enormous strain on its capacity to effectively eradicate foxes.
This announcement has perturbed many; including Greens MP Environment spokesperson Cassy O'Connor who believes that the Federal Government's decision cannot be justified.
"I think in part it's inexplicable because there is enough scientific evidence to prove that there are foxes in Tasmania." Ms O'Connor is concerned that the Federal Government might be listening to the sceptics. "Unfortunately, there is a small group of sceptics who have really managed to muddy the water," she said.
In 2006, the Tasmanian Government committed to provide $2.53 million per year for the next 10 years (funding commenced in 2007) indicating that foxes are a serious threat to Tasmania's environment, biodiversity and economy. However, this funding has been slashed by more than half, to around $1 million per year. Mr Marrison is deeply concerned with the reduced funding.
"The Fox Eradication Program has been, and is currently, reviewing all operations to find ways of cost-cutting to achieve the goals of the program with substantially less funds," he said. Some of these changes include cutting back staff, which, in turn, results in a reduced number of field operations that are an essential part of the program.
"Many timelines will now have to be extended to achieve program targets and goals. The longer the timeline for an eradication program, the less likely it is to be successful," Mr Marrison said. The consequences that threaten the survival of the program appear too serious to ignore.
After this significant financial blow, it is clear that the FEP needs continued support if it is going to claw its way back to being Tasmania's most suitable option for fox eradication. Ms O'Connor, a passionate advocate for the State's 'clean and green' image, is aware of the processes that need to be put in place.
"The first thing we have to do is strengthen the arm of the Program and support their work and make sure they are properly funded," she said. Equally important, according to Ms O'Connor, is to educate the public. "I believe that the Government does need to engage in a really effective advertising campaign to alert Tasmanians to the dangers of foxes," she said.
According to a report conducted by the FEP, the greatest threat foxes provide is to livestock, wildlife and ecotourism. Foxes kill up to 30 per cent of lambs in some areas of Victoria. Foxes can carry distemper, mange, parvovirus and hydatids, which can be spread to native fauna. In a recent transcript, Ms O'Connor states that if foxes are left to establish themselves in Tasmania, 78 native species will be placed 'at risk', including the Eastern barred bandicoot and the long-nosed potoroo. Yet, instead of supporting funding to prevent maximum impact, funding has been cut. Nevertheless, Ms O'Connor continues to rally support for the program. "I think that the Fox Eradication Program has done such a good job in getting the evidence that the voices of the sceptics are getting smaller and smaller," she said.
Michael Scanlan, of Jane Franklin Hall at the University of Tasmania, praises the program's swift action after he and his wife saw a fox as they drove through the little village of Westerway late one Sunday night in January 2007. "We approached a railway line with caution and approximately 20 metres in front of our headlights a fox crossed the railroad. We'd been spotlighting at Russell Falls National Park for hours beforehand so we were still in the mindset."
"I have seen plenty of foxes. We are from the mainland, you see, and I have even shot at one before," he said. As the sighting was at night Mr and Mrs Scanlan thought it best to wait until morning to ring the FEP even though the Program does have a 24-hour hotline. "On the phone my wife described the fox as being orange in colour, having a very long snout and tail while quickly gliding into the long grass before disappearing," he said. "They definitely thought that it was a credible description and described the location as a 'hot spot' for sightings," he said.
Mr Scanlan is also aware of the scepticism concerning the eradication program. "I think it's a shame that people rubbish it because the risk of foxes establishing themseleves is so great. Sceptics usually have issues with the Government and its funding. They often bring other issues into their argument," he said. A fear that resonates with the FEP and particularly Mr Scanlan , is the potential impact of foxes in our State. "The real issue is if foxes become established there is no doubt that they will do tremendous damage to the native habitat," Mr Scanlan said.
This fear will become a reality if the FEP does not receive adequate funding. In actuality, the long-term impacts may well cost the State Government millions in repairing the damage to Tasmania's eco-tourism, wildlife and agriculture. The irony being that it would inevitably cost taxpayers more than what the FEP currently requires enacting its preventative measures. Mr Marrison is all too aware of these potential ramifications.
"Without the support of the community, or if we pull resources from the program too soon, we will never again live in a fox-free Tasmania."
"I personally would hope that this issue serves as a reminder to all in our community that we need to take responsibility to manage and conserve our precious and unique wildlife. It is a shame that many people only realise what they stand to lose when it is too late and long gone."
