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MYLES FROM NOWHERE
It makes Howzat! mad that Adelaide's Myles Mayo is not a
big star, so how does he deal with the lack of recognition?
"I hire a lot of hookers," he jokes. Hopefully things will
change with the release of Myles' self-titled solo debut
(out now on Other Tongues), which comes after four albums
fronting Special Patrol. The opening line is, "With a head
full of fear", so why a solo album? "For a number of reasons,
but mainly because it gets hard to organise four other people
all the time," Myles says. "It's great being able to start
recording an idea while it's really fresh, whereas in a
band there are many more processes to go through before
you can record a song - learning, changing, demoing, big
studios etc."
Myles is a vivid storyteller. The new album documents moving
to the big city from a fictional town called Chambers, with
Myles singing, "I was running from the place that I belong."
"Chambers is code for the place where we grew up/were born,"
he explains. "There's an area called Chambers Gully in Adelaide,
so this became the name of the town that was central to
the story. In real life it's not actually a town. Chambers,
for me, is Adelaide, I guess. But in the story it's a town
of no more than 100 people."
So will there be more Special Patrol? "I don't think so.
We have talked about doing one big last show in Adelaide
and even talked about a CD called 'Special Patrol's Greatest,
Ultimate, Must Have Hits That Never Were Hits'. We all still
hang out and work together. Some of the members played bits
on this new record and [guitarist] Sonny is part of my new
live band, but I don't know if we'll make another album
as Special Patrol."
THE PINK TAX
Levies might not be popular at the moment, but Howzat! recently
suggested a 50c levy on all tickets for international acts.
The money raised would allow the music industry to fund
itself and not be reliant on government handouts. It would
ensure ongoing funding for Music Victoria, The Push, programs
such as Vic Rocks, and establish a Hall of Fame in Melbourne.
We pointed out that such a levy on each ticket sold for
Pink's 2009 Melbourne shows would have raised $120,000.
And how 'bout a 10c levy on all international artist CDs
sold locally? Such a levy on all Pink albums sold in Australia
in the past decade would have raised $294,000.
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
His new single, Busy Bees, has been called "the best pop/rock
song you've ever heard about existentialism". Yep, Tobias
Cummings is a clever bastard. But he's trying not to think
too much. Just check out the bonus track on the single -
a cover of Kanye West's Runaway. "Someone said to me that
I think too much and act not enough," Tobias tells Howzat!
"So I recorded this song almost directly in reaction to
that, as quickly as I could." Did he have to get in a particular
headspace to sing lines such as "24/7, 365, pussy stay on
my mind"? "Just popped in my diamond teeth and away I went,"
he smiles. His favourite line in the song? "That line about
comparing a convertible car with Ichabod Crane - the hero
from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - gets me every time. What
a stroke of genius." Who knows, Tobias might play Runaway
at this Sunday's show at the Northcote Social Club. It's
a co-headliner with Khancoban, who are launching their new
single, Until It Takes You Over. "Khancoban are a brilliant
and criminally overlooked Melbourne band," Tobias says.
"I like their songs very much - they're soothing and troubling
simultaneously. It's going to be one helluva show."
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Will Jackie Barnes - Barnesy's son - be the new drummer
in Cold Chisel?
ROCKIN' THE SUBURBS
Howzat! recently said Melbourne was lucky because poker
machines had not affected the live scene as much as they
had in Sydney. But a mate disagreed: "I don't think that's
right. There might still be a strong live scene in the inner-city,
but it's a wasteland in the suburbs." When U2 played at
VFL Park, Bono declared that all the great rock came from
the suburbs, and Howzat! has fond memories of a misspent
youth at the Village Green, the Manhattan and the Ferntree
Gully Hotel. Sadly, gigs at these suburban beer barns are
now irregular. The home of suburban rock is now an unlikely
venue just around the corner from the Foresters Arms in
Oakleigh. And the Caravan Music Club, at the Oakleigh RSL,
is hosting the "Carnival of Suburbia" during the 10-day
Oakleigh Music Festival, which kicks off this Thursday.
Acts appearing include The Blackeyed Susans, The Darling
Downs, Tim Rogers and Adalita. More info at caravanmusic.com.au.
CHART WATCH
Still no homegrown hits in the national Top 20.
Friday To Sunday JUSTICE CREW (number 28)
Who's That Girl GUY SEBASTIAN (30)
Rapunzel DRAPHT (33)
Art vs. Science debut at number two.
The Experiment ART VS. SCIENCE (number two, debut)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (11)
Aftermath HILLSONG UNITED (16)
Twenty Ten GUY SEBASTIAN (18)
Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (21)
Running On Air BLISS N ESO (27)
Zonoscope CUT COPY (29)
Immersion PENDULUM (35)
Altiyan Childs ALTIYAN CHILDS (36)
Little Bird KASEY CHAMBERS (38)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Leave The Party MYLES MAYO
Busy Bees TOBIAS CUMMINGS
Here She Comes SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR
Downlow WAGONS
Biggest Bitch FIONA LEE MAYNARD
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