one fellow's political coverage, music ramblings and general hijinks across decades under a range of guises at several locations often in a state of awe.
Ammonia were the big boys of the Perth music scene for a few years in Perth. Here, Dave is on the road touring in the US, speaking from some motel somewhere. It gets a bit clique-y as we’ve all known each other from go-to-woe – they broke up in 1999 (1996; 11 mins)
Continue reading “broadcast | Ammonia’s Dave Johnstone, 1996”
The loudest if not finest of Creation Records’ glory days, Swervedriver never lost that feeling. Their drummer Jez, mouthy and blunt, speaks of their Anglo/US cross-references, the then-current Creation crop and their glorious guitar attack being two men with one brain (1996; 17 mins)
In the world of 808 State, hip hop gave way to baggy, rave gave way to freestyle, and their namesake 808 drum machines now serve as dusty benches for their TR909s. Nine years on and with their new album Don Solaris again reflecting the state of dance and subtle indie crossover in 1996, may we see yet another celebration of the State similar to the progressive hits of Pacific and the UK gold albums Ninety, EX-EL (featuring Bjork and New Order’s Bernard Sumner) and 1992’s Gorgeous? Or is nine years in dance just pushing it a little.
Continue reading “interview | 808 State – Interview with Darren Partington”
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. yay.
adm.
blah blah blah ADAM CONNORS spoke to them blah blah
A very lucky thirteen local bands make up the Big Day Out’s Perth contingent this year: an amorous mix of metal, mellow and funk punk fanaticism. From kicking off the day until well into the evening many of the bands will be smashing their tamborines, crooning and cutting sick for thousands of sundrenched spectators in what will be, for many, their biggest stage spots yet.
Continue reading “interview | The Big Day Out ’96 – Local Line-up”
(check surnames, ta!)
Anyone who has ever dared to try slipping on a little Magic Dirt before bedtime has made two fatal errors: wartime test have proven that it is difficult to sleep to the screams of landing aircraft and two, ah, the old sit-bolt-upright-in-bed secret track conspiracy.
Continue reading “interview | Magic Dirt (1996) – Interview with Adalita”
“Whatever people say about our music, I would say that you can always hear a melody running through our songs, no matter how spastic the rhythm ideas may be!”
I read this remark by Ash Bowie before confronting him myself. They seemed to be the words of someone clinging to hope, a faint hope that someone, somewhere, may have some idea about what he is up to.
Continue reading “interview | Polvo (1996) – Interview with Ash Bowie”
After spending the best part of the last six months touring Europe’s festivals and America’s metal hotspots, New Zealand’s driving, melodic powerhouse Shihad bring their stadium experience to this summer’s Big Day Out entourage. ADAM CONNORS shared a moment with Shihad’s Tom Larkin.
Somewhere between San Diego and Los Angeles, but about 15 million light years straight up, is the possible origin of the group known here on Planet Earth as Supernova. The three members of Supernova, on a speakerphone from their earthbase in California, claim to crave tinfoil in their otherworldly wiles. But dare I say the Supernova storyline could simply be another side effect of the dangers of prolonged exposure to aluminium – or aluminum as they erroneously call it Stateside?
If you squint, just a little, the deserts of Texas and the deserts of WA could look fairly similar to the untrained eye. ADAM CONNORS spoke to Mark Pirro, of Dallas’ Tripping Daisy, about yet another similarity.
It was with infinite sadness that one of Perth’s worst bands, The Feends, left this plane of existence last Friday night. By the way, ‘worst’ is their word, not mine!
Continue reading “The Feends; The Dumb Angels, Harbourside, January 12, 1996”
