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February/March 2001
Hi there, I'm heavily ensconced in the studio, behind time, attempting to complete the soundtracks before the band heads to London for the UK release of Act of Free Choice. The scores are going well enough. Recorded the orchestra for My Brother Jack (director Ken Cameron) the other day with the help of cakester Helen Mountfort and my bass player Chris Scallan. Never ceases to amaze me the breadth of sound that an orchestra gets. Emphasis on French horns and oboes and sad strings, with the occasional uplifting moment and not a flute to be seen! We begin the dolby surround (5.1) mixes next week.
For Tempted (director Bill Bennett), which is a far more edgy and gritty score, John Phillips came in from the bush and laid in acres of wild bilas guitar, Ed Kuepper came in for a Sunday session, and Hope Csutoros contributed mad electric violin. The loops are from the swamps, the mood is a Mississippi psychosis and the track Act of Free Choice gets a look-in as one of the chase cues. Also much French horn and bass clarinet and euphonium to acclimatise with the New Orleans horns, though not in the same style.
I have new management now; in Australia it's Bernadette Ryan, who also manages the Avalanches, and in the UK a top Geordie fellow named Seamus Morely. Many thanks to my mate Bruce Butler—who is quitting show business in order to get his life back—for all his efforts up until this time.
WOMADELAIDE was magnificent but unfortunately George Telek couldn't attend due to understandable Rabaul land disputes, so the lads and I did two solo sets in the treacherous Adelaide heat Even at 40 degrees, the park setting, the atmosphere of 20,000 music lovers causing no grief to nobody, amidst a varied list of amazingly talented and diverse musicians, made for a great weekend. Highlights were doing Act of Free Choice with a Pitjantjara fella, Russell Smith, on didj and playing as laconicly as buggery to a receptive audience.
BYRON BAY CANCELLED. We had to pull out; I'm not going to play festivals when they pay peanuts. Apologies if that mucks up anyones plans, however, that too looks like a great bill including Tony Joe White and Emmy Lou Harris.
UK RELEASE on 16 April. We play two gigs in London on 23 April at The Garage (for general punters) and 1 May at the newly refurbished Electric Cinema in Portobello Road, Kensington (for the chattering media). We'll be projecting the 16mm films as well, although the dancing girls will not be in attendance!
Performed for Studio 22 recently. It goes to air on 19 April on ABC TV. Hopefully it's okay. It was slightly weird tho the audience were great and I got to play on a Steinway and Michael Barker wore ridiculous Dr Spock headphones for some bizarre reason.
The Deserters is the next single with a film clip made in the boxing club of Ross in rural Tasmania. The b-sides are all songs recorded in the AOFC sessions with Ian Caple but never made it on to the record: Hide, Wire's 'Map Reference', and Malaria, a song composed whilst suffering that fever, with a heavily tropical swamp layering and co-written with Michael Barker. Probably touring in June, hopefully doing some more shows with the Doves.
Produced a track called Coolabah for songwriter Frank Yamma recently, which is to go on an album called Corroboration. This song is a corker. Frank, as anyone who has seen him will testify, is a unique songwriter; his songs detail the contradiction between traditional outback life and the urban drama of Alice Springs; prison, alcohol abuse, brotherly support, racism. He is top class and his chronicles are right up there with the best. Definitely as good as the best Archie Roach songs, which is saying something.
Thinking about recording a record later this year, although it's more like to be the first two months of next year, but I'm starting to formulate ideas. Chris and I have been working up some beds of rhythms and textures in the studio and even the occasional word gets jotted down in the book.
The cake have an album ready to record, it's just a matter of getting around to doing it. It will include songs such as Mangrove, Better Than This, Kelly Kwalik, Curious, Kilana Stringband, Leave, I Like it Like This, and It's All in the Way that You're Mine, amongst others.
I don't have cable but I wish I'd been able to watch the cricket. The second and third tests were as good as the game gets and the radio broadcast was so exciting. Hasha is a legend and even Greg Matthews was listenable, and V.V.S. Laxman and Harbishan were brilliant. My cricket side in C grade blue got beaten in the last over of the semi final. Also an amazing game of cricket. I made an extremely ordinary 20.
The Australia West Papua Society has opened up an office in Brisbane. Their address is PO BOX 5409, WEST END QLD 4101. Further background on the issues of concern in West Papua, including the environment, can be found in the Australia West Papua Information Kit.
Check out the link to the band King Curly who have kindly done a link swap.
Am never touching drugs again because of the pamphlet that John Howard and Brian Watters sent in the mail.I never realised they were so bad for you.I'll stick to alcohol, cigarrettes and valium; they're all legal.
I've decided to call my studio The Enormadome, for all you Spinal Tap trainspotters. It is the ultimate bloke's shed!
Helen Mountfort has recorded and released a cd in cahoots with Paul Petran from Radio National that is called UPSIDE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD. Check out the Cake website re purchasing. As with all of Helen's work, it's a mixture of beautifully moody cello compositions and the occasional Penguin Cafe moment!
(Note: You can buy Helen's CDs here.)
The web-only cd of some of my film works and studio scatterings will be out in a couple of months and includes excerpts from Dogwoman, Thomson of Arnhemland, demos, Waiting at the Royal and a couple of Bob Mouldish tunes.
SIGUR ROS are touring Australia in January.
Sean Condon's book FILM (Sean once helped out with organising gigs for NDW in the early days)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (great score except the dreadfull song over the credits)
The Sigur Ros cd
The Go Betweens cd is still getting played in my car
and go the Demons
Cheers!
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