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THE WIZARD OF OZ
As the name suggests, "Living In The Land Of Oz" is all-Australian,
and it's one of Howzat!'s favourite radio shows. It's on
979fm from 2 to 4pm on Mondays (streaming live at www.979fm.net).
Host Lee-Roy Stancliffe started the show in 2001, when he
borrowed the name from The Shine - "Support Your Local Rock-Gods".
The latest name references Ross Wilson's first solo single.
The first radio interview Lee-Roy did was with Dave Rogers,
who was then with Klinger. Since then, Lee-Roy's chatted
with many of his rock heroes, including Angry Anderson,
Phil Judd, Greg Macainsh and Dave Graney. "I sometimes have
'holy crap, I'm talking to …' moments," Lee-Roy smiles.
"Having Defryme, one of my favourite 90s bands, announce
they had reformed on my show was special." You can hear
Lee-Roy's interviews at www.livinginthelandofoz.com. His
site even comes with some drummer jokes: What's the last
thing a drummer says in a band? "Hey guys, why don't we
try one of my songs?"
Toughest interview?
"I interviewed a band called Ward C, who didn't tell me
they were going to be 'in character'. Their premise was
that they were in a mental asylum. When asked how they formed,
they said the aliens had told them to start a band. It was
a rocky start, but it ended up being an okay interview."
What was your 2009 album of the year?
"Sarah Blasko's As Day Follows Night. I first saw Sarah
perform many years ago at the Town Hall Hotel supporting
Petronella. It's great to see how far she's come."
Your 2010 musical hopes?
"The broadcasting authority to ban Nickelback from the airwaves."
Aussie act you'd most like to interview?
"I'm a big Split Enz fan (they're Australian, right?) and
I'd love to interview Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Noel Crombie.
I got to interview Phil Judd, which was a highlight."
What are the major challenges facing Australian
music as we enter the 2010s?
"Aussie music seems to be in a good place at the moment,
but obviously illegal downloading is still affecting the
music business. Having the major labels merging and downsizing
doesn't help either. I think we need a record company that
really promotes Aussie music like Mushroom Records did,
and a TV show along the lines of Countdown or Recovery to
put these bands in the public's eye. It's good that Hey
Hey is returning, as they were great at showing local talent."
TOTE DEVASTATION
Words cannot express how sad we feel about the Tote closure.
SO WHAT WILL 2010 BRING?
2010 is in full swing and some major milestones are on the
way. It would be great if the major labels followed Aztec
Music's lead and did some deluxe reissues in 2010. Here's
a list to prompt their memories: It's 30 years since Australian
Crawl's blockbuster debut, The Boys Light Up, Cold Chisel's
East, INXS' self-titled debut, and Flowers' debut album,
Icehouse, as well as Split Enz's biggest hit, I Got You.
It's three decades since the biggest-selling Australian
single of all time, Joe Dolce's Shaddap You Face, with estimated
sales of six million copies worldwide. And it's 30 years
since The Boys Next Door became The Birthday Party. It's
25 years since Paul Kelly's landmark Post, GANGgajang's
self-titled debut, Hoodoo Gurus's Mars Needs Guitars!, Models'
Out Of Mind Out Of Sight, INXS' Listen Like Thieves, Men
At Work's final album, Two Hearts, and Barnesy's For The
Working Class Man. It's 21 years since Kylie was 21. Also
21 years ago, the Max Q album was release, Young Talent
Time was axed and RAM ceased publication. It's 20 years
since Archie Roach's unforgettable Took The Children Away.
It's 30 years since Skyhooks split and 20 years since their
comeback chart-topper Jukebox In Siberia. It's also 30 years
since radio changed forever, with the start of commercial
FM stations EON and Fox, as well as 2JJ becoming 2JJJ. It's
40 years since the start of Daddy Cool, and the release
of the Masters Apprentices' classic Turn Up Your Radio.
It's 15 years since silverchair's debut album, You Am I's
Hi Fi Way, and Spiderbait's The Unfinished Spanish Galleon
Of Finley Lake. And it's 10 years since Popstars changed
reality music television. It's also a decade since the label
Eleven started, the Oils donned their "Sorry" suits at the
Sydney Olympics, Savage Garden hit number one in the US
with I Knew I Loved You, and Horsehead played their final
gig. Meanwhile, Michael Hutchence would have been 50 on
Friday. And AC/DC's upcoming tour will coincide with the
30th anniversary of Bon Scott's death.
THINGS THAT ANNOY HOWZAT! #279
We love diversity and respect the right to change your mind.
But too often artists trash their past to promote their
present projects. "That wasn't really me (insert name of
last album, which failed to sell)," they tell the press.
"This new album really represents what I'm all about." Take
Sarah McLeod. The Superjesus singer always presented herself
as a "rock chick" - hell, she even inducted Rose Tattoo
into the ARIA Hall of Fame. But now she's released a dance
pop single, stating: "I feel this music is more me, I've
always loved pop." The single is called Tell Your Story
Walking.
CHART WATCH
Just one Aussie single in the national Top 10.
Black Box STAN WALKER (number six)
Art Of Love GUY SEBASTIAN (13)
According To You ORIANTHI (17)
One Way Road JOHN BUTLER TRIO (21)
This Is Who I Am VANESSA AMOROSI (22)
Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (23)
Like It Like That GUY SEBASTIAN (25)
Good Day HAYLEY WARNER (29)
Let Me Be Me JESSICA MAUBOY (39)
Stan Walker also leads the way on the album chart.
Introducing STAN WALKER (number eight)
Golden Rule POWDERFINGER (13)
Walking On A Dream EMPIRE OF THE SUN (17)
As Day Follows Night SARAH BLASKO (18)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (26)
Like It Like That GUY SEBASTIAN (31)
Curiouser KATE MILLER-HEIDKE (32)
Hazardous VANESSA AMOROSI (33)
Been Waiting JESSICA MAUBOY (34)
Wonder LISA MITCHELL (38)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Will You Shine? PERRY KEYES
Intense Wear Lipstick THE VIDEOMATICS
If I Were A Bird JACK HOWARD & THE NIGHTBIRDS
Tickety Boo STEPHEN CUMMINGS
Don't Change INXS
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