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THE URBANATION OF AUSSIE COUNTRY
An Aussie has conquered the country world. But has our country
music become too Urban? John Elliott - the country music
writer, not the blabbermouth former Carlton president -
delivered a lecture in Tamworth last week called "Let's
Get Real: The Need For Authenticity In Australian Country
Music", declaring: "Country music in the past 10 years has
become very ordinary." John traces the decline to "the day
Slim [Dusty] died". "Slim was a shining light," John told
The Australian, "since Slim died, it's almost like the day
the music died." Sadly, Australian country artists have
no major outlets for their music. Radio play is rare, and
record companies are usually not interested unless the artist
has been involved in some reality TV show. Has the result
been artists selling their souls in the hope of a pop crossover?
"There's still some great country music, but it's become
overwhelmed by stuff that is just ordinary," according to
John Elliott, who has written books about Slim Dusty and
Smokey Dawson. "It's not rocket science - it's country and
it's music. There has to be some sort of connection with
the country for it to have meaning. Country music has always
had respect for what's come before. Without that respect,
it becomes very bad pop music." Before Keith Urban's recent
Rod Laver Arena show, Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?
played over the P.A. But reviewers remarked that Urban's
music no longer had a close country connection. "The years
spent cultivating pop stardom have sanitised his music into
a slickly produced commercial product," Patrick Emery wrote
in The Australian. "Urban was indistinguishable from any
buffed West Coast pop star." But country guru Dave Dawson
declared: "He may have deviated from the roots of his raising,
but now has audiences taking him places that Hank never
dreamed of … so maybe it's hats off to a soaring star who
doesn't wear one."
WE TOTE AND WE VOTE
Sony Music boss Denis Handlin is fond of saying that crisis
presents opportunity, which is how the local music industry
should be viewing the devastating news regarding the Tote
and the Arthouse. As Bruce Milne told the crowd at the Tote
protest, "We're not going to let this happen to other live
music venues in Melbourne. We have to protect something
that's incredibly important." It would be wrong to paint
the Brumby Government as being "anti-rock" - they continue
to fund Vic Rocks, which helps fund tours and albums, and
The Push and FReeZA Central. Hopefully, the Tote publicity
will help the government understand that Melbourne has a
thriving, positive music community, and it's time for them
to truly embrace the industry, so that they can benefit
from promoting Melbourne as Australia's rock capital, if
not the world's. The timing could be good - there's an election
on the way, and with the departure of Lynne Kosky, we have
a new Arts Minister (Peter Batchelor). Unfortunately, the
local scene has no body that speaks for the industry as
a whole. The industry is a mix of disparate, often competing,
forces. We need a group that can effectively lobby government.
Howzat! is pleased to report that work is going on behind
the scenes to create a "Music Victoria" body, involving
representatives of APRA, AIR, The Push and the Australian
Music Industry Network. Its time has come. As well as fixing
the liquor licensing problems and making things easier for
venues that host live music, the state government should
hook up with ARIA to create an ARIA Hall of Fame in Melbourne
- an actual place that music fans can visit and celebrate
Australia's rock history. If the state government doesn't
step in soon, a less worthy city will get the gig. The Hall
of Fame should be centrally located - at Federation Square
or the Arts Centre. Or how about the unused ballroom at
Flinders Street Station?
LEARNING TO FLY
Who were big influences on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers?
None other than Melbourne's own Daddy Cool. Tom played Eagle
Rock and Come Back Again on his radio show last year, and
now keyboards player Benmont Tench has revealed that DC
helped bring the band together. "I was lucky enough to walk
into a room and meet Tom and (guitarist) Mike (Campbell)
and have them show me songs by so and so and me show them
songs by so and so. For instance, we all loved this band
named Daddy Cool, an Australian group that was just fantastic
and obscure as you can get. One of the first times I went
to Tom's house he said, 'Check this out', and put on this
Daddy Cool record. It was something I'd heard a couple weeks
before on the college radio station and was blown away but
didn't know who it was. And I'm sitting there with Tom and
thinking, 'Okay, this is good, this will work.'" Daddy Cool
celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, but frontman
Ross Wilson is focusing on a new solo album. He's getting
set to release a new single, I Come In Peace, written with
Rick Brewster from The Angels.
CHART WATCH
Kate Miller-Heidke's Caught In The Crowd returns to the
Top 40, while Broken, the debut single for Sam Clark (Ringo
in Neighbours), breaks into the Top 50. Meanwhile, Sia is
aiming for her first Top 40 hit - You've Changed arrives
at 42.
Black Box STAN WALKER (number eight)
Art Of Love GUY SEBASTIAN (14)
One Way Road JOHN BUTLER TRIO (18)
According To You ORIANTHI (20)
Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (23)
This Is Who I Am VANESSA AMOROSI (25)
Like It Like That GUY SEBASTIAN (31)
Good Day HAYLEY WARNER (33)
Let Me Be Me JESSICA MAUBOY (37)
Caught In The Crowd KATE MILLER-HEIDKE (40)
No Aussie albums in the national Top 10.
Introducing STAN WALKER (number 13)
Golden Rule POWDERFINGER (18)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (20)
Walking On A Dream EMPIRE OF THE SUN (21)
As Day Follows Night SARAH BLASKO (22)
Curiouser KATE MILLER-HEIDKE (34)
Like It Like That GUY SEBASTIAN (35)
Been Waiting JESSICA MAUBOY (38)
Hazardous VANESSA AMOROSI (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Will You Shine? PERRY KEYES
Taste Of Your Heart PARALLEL LIONS
What Can I Do TOKENVIEW
Intense Wear Lipstick THE VIDEOMATICS
Happy City STEPHEN CUMMINGS
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