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June 2002
ALBUM
We ventured to Gary Beers' Mangrove studios, set in glorious bush in the hills behind Gosford with Christian Scallan and Nick Littlemore to record all the band tracks and vocals for my album in May. It is all completed and we begin mixing in July. Still a fair bit of sorting to go before I have an idea of what the record will sound like but it was a pretty intense week and a half of recording, with many highlights, the most obvious of which was recording a duet with Dave Mason from the Reels on the song, Blue Black Sky. I think in my youth I saw the Reels more than any other band. Dave was an utter hero to me, so it was a major highlight of my musical career so far to record with Dave; a delight to work with and let's hope he'll do some recording. As well as the duet Dave, together with Amanda Brown (who used to sing with the Go Betweens) sang BVs on Safety Haven which has come up a treat—all fat bottom end dubby. Floyd Vincent played some wonderful guitar as did Phil Wales. The rhythm section was provided by Sam Nixon and Felix Bloxsom (mates of Nicks) and, on tracks such as Looking after Ourselves, Nation and 100 Flowers in Bloom (an early single contender), they took the songs to a place I am very happy with. Michael Barker also played drums on a few, though he was unable to make it to Mangrove as he was on tour with Alex Lloyd. Overall a range of loops meld with the live playing, and whilst the tempo of the album is more up, the texture of sound is similarly overlaid like it was on AoFC. Bart Willoughby from No Fixed Address and Mixed Relations came down from Brisbane to sing Message for Young and Old, which was another highlight. I'm happy with the vocals, and we're now at a stage of reduction—editing and thinning out the tracks. It will be a fairly intense time leading up to the mix but hopefully we'll come up with something special. The combination of Nick, Chris and myself producing is working a treat. I think the record will sound unlike anything else and will tread that fine line between artistic adventure and giving EMI some tracks they can service to radio (which they want). Time will tell. The wonderful Kate Noonan from george sang some great vocals on Nation and Looking After Ourselves (she's a wonderful woman to work with and came to the session with a number of lateral ideas). I'm waiting to receive the pro tools sessions back from Rebecca (singer with San Francisco band Halou, also on Nettwerk). The album won't be out til next year but I'll keep you informed on its progress.
CAKE
We're all very happy to have CURIOUS out on my own BLUNT label through EMI (which I think is how I'll release the second solo record as well). An effortless process compared to the solo record and we began the tour in Hobart with three sold out shows, lots of sea food, relaxation and late nights watching the World Cup in Hobart. We're playing the whole of the record plus some more favoured Cake tunes and are going all round the country with it over the next two months. As always, it's such a great band to tour with, we all get on really well, and it all feels quite effortless, no grief in this.
(Note: You can buy Curious here.)
WEST PAPUA CONCERT
We have the concert hall in Melbourne booked for February 28th, 2003 for this consciousness-raising event. It will coincide with the release of a book Papua Merdeka, a photographic/journalist book that details the cultural, political and historic story of the Melanesian people of West Papua who are going through a struggle for independence that parallels that which the people of East Timor have gone through over many years. The concert will be a major event, featuring West Papuan band The Black Brothers (who are huge throughout the Pacific) and some traditional singers and dancers from West Papua as well as some major Australian acts. I have been talking to Lisa Gerrard, Alex Lloyd, George, Midnight Oil, Powderfinger, P'nau, The Living End, Andrew Denton, Rachel Griffiths, Bob Brown, Tim Flannery amongst others. It's too early to say if all of these people will be involved—it obviously depends on commitments at the time—but all have expressed a willingness to support the concert. Not Drowning, Waving together with George Telek, Ben Hakalitz and Glen Low will definitely reform for the night and I am greatly appreciative of all my former band mates for allowing this to happen. So keep that date in your diary and if anyone is prepared to give of some time to help us make the event as wide reaching as possible, send in your name to the website, it would be most appreciated.
GARMA
I am doing music workshops with some Territory bands at the Garma festival in Arnhem land in August. I'm really looking forward to this, swagging north. The festival, organised by the Yolngu mob and Yothu Yindi, along with the WWF, is a proud cultural event that covers a whole bunch of indigenous and environmental issues. I'm doing a solo gig in Darwin as part of the Darwin Fringe Festival at Browns Mart on Saturday the 11th of August before heading out bush.
BLUNT
As I said I now have my own label which will be run in cohoots with my manager Chris Gough. As well as releasing the Cake, the NDW back catalogue, the soundtracks and my own solo releases, we'll be looking to release the occasional other act though its all early days. We're just waiting for the right artists to become apparent. It will be a mixture of stuff that will sell and keep our heads above water financially and special projects that we think we can give some push to that maybe other labels wouldn't take on. A compilation of West Papuan music to coincide with the big concert and book next year is one of the projects we have in mind.
John Phillips' CD for the theatre work Spheres by the Strange Fruit Theatre company is available for purchase here. As with all of John's work this is thoroughly recommended. I've just heard some of the early tracks for Ben Frost's CD and it sounds fantastic; keep an eye out for this.
DVD
If there's a will there's a way. Somewhere, somehow, with massive quantities of caffeine and global networking, the DVD is actually becoming a not-too-distant reality. Judging by the working screen-shots, special emphasis is being made to keep with the AoFC texture and atmospherics. And for all you die-hard punters, a few unreleased audio gems and behind-the-scene pics are bound to find their way to the finished product. Stay tuned.
Listening to
Fred Smith - Bagarap Empires
Halou - We Only Love You
Badly Drawn Boy - About a Boy soundtrack
Carter Burwell - The Man Who Wasn't There soundtrack
Plaid - Double Figue
Hector Zazou and Sandy Dillon - Las Vegas Is Cursed
Arvo Part - Alina
Northern Nights Music from The Top of the World (A comp. of Scandinavian Folk Music)
Grant lee Phillips - Mobilize
Laurie Anderson - Life on a String
Tricky - Angels with Dirty Faces
Speedstar - Bruises You Can Touch (great debut album from Brisbane band)
Ol Voes Blong Vanuatu (great compilation of traditional Vanuatuan music)
Sean Sennett - Lost and Found single (a fantastic song reminiscent of Lloyd Cole and Stephen Cummings)
Stephen Merritt - Eban and Charley soundtrack
Finally got round to seeing Rabbit Proof Fence. Probably should have been made by Rachel Perkins; films like these should be made indigenous film makers but nevertheless a beautifully made must-see film about the stolen generation.
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