Spiderbait; Screamfeeder; Snout; The Fauves; Verona, UWA Refectory, November 30, 1996

Energised with a huge young fan base, their energy and machismo overflowing, the upper echelons of the Australian scene finally deserve a clap. Case in point: Spiderbait nestled amongst the Xmas ‘Best Of’ pap in the charts. Truly a reason to be thankful.

Weathervane; Slugfest; Mosten Powell, Carlton Hotel, March 9, 1996

It was, I swear, the Zelda Fitzgerald Room of yore – the man sitting at the piano taking your money at the door; the musician sitting at his Wurlitzer, thumping out its wide selection of drum beats that he played with his feet while strumming a guitar; the viola player, back and to the right; … Continue reading “Weathervane; Slugfest; Mosten Powell, Carlton Hotel, March 9, 1996”

interview | The Big Day Out ’96 – Local Line-up

folks, here are 10 of the bands from the line-up. fill in the gaps by inserting The Tearjerks, Externals and Challenger 7 where you think they fit in the narrative. sorry, it’s quite long, but it is afterall ten bands and there is some extra stuff about Dirtbag and Atmosfear for CD launch/going away reasons. … Continue reading “interview | The Big Day Out ’96 – Local Line-up”

Huge cash injection for China state media

Large Western media organisations could do nothing but shake their heads this week as reports came out of China that $US7 billion dollars was to flow into state media. While newspapers, television, radio, and even internet properties in the Western world were being gutted by their parent organisations, China spoke of expanding its reach in … Continue reading “Huge cash injection for China state media”

Thaksin continues to dodge extradition to Thailand

Over this past weekend, it was confirmed that Britain had revoked the visas of fugitive former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and his wife – barring them from re-entering the UK. The billionaire had been living in London after skipping bail in August to avoid corruption charges in Thailand. On Monday, the Reuters news agency … Continue reading “Thaksin continues to dodge extradition to Thailand”

Tongan dual citizenship overdue

The people of Tonga have, for decades, been moving from their homeland in search of work and a higher standard of living. In fact, the biggest contributor to the economy is remittances from Tongans abroad. Which is why, last year, the Tongan parliament amended citizenship laws to allow Tongans – especially those living overseas – … Continue reading “Tongan dual citizenship overdue”