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February 2003
How goes it? I apologise for not having ventured into diary land for a while but been busy. The major preoccupations for me at present are the album, HOTEL RADIO, which gets released on the 7th of April, and the MORNING STAR CONCERT which happens a very soon Friday, February 28th.
THE MORNING STAR CONCERT FOR WEST PAPUA (Website)
''Tis all locked in and happening. A years worth of hectic arrangements have gone into this campaign. It is something I’m very proud of and one I hope all Melbournians who read this will attend and those elsewhere will listen to on JJJ or Radio National who are broadcasting it. You can also buy the CD, West Papua: Sound of the Morning Star and book, West Papua: Follow the Morning Star. There’s a whole bunch of people who have stood up to be counted and put time and effort into this. People in my record company, sound engineers and musicians who I have worked with , friends and neighbours, people I know through film work and so forth. To them I say thanks heaps and I have admired the way they have gone about it. Hopefully,at the end of the day, more people will make some connection with this regional issue ,and their plight will be recognised. At the very least, music lovers will get a blast out of the concert and the cd and be switched on to some music of the Pacific and the work of artists on the bill.
“WEST PAPUA:SOUND OF THE MORNING STAR CD”
OUT NOW ON BLUNT THROUGH EMI.
This CD is released now and will be launched, along with the book, by Senator Bob Brown and John Rumbiak on Wednesday the 26th of February at noon at Trades Hall in the New Ballroom. The cd contains 14 tracks of traditional West Papuan material together with sound grabs from news items ,village conversations remixed with loops and analogue keyboards by ten of Australia’s leading soundscape exponents such as Paulmac, Pnau, High Pass Filter, B(I)ftek, Tim Cole, Drum Drum, Snog, frost, Darren Steffan and myself. The feel of the cd is somewhere around My Life in the bush of Ghosts, NDW’s Tabaran, Boards of Canada; textural remixes with a Melanesian thread. Once again all proceeds go to the Papuan Resource Centre. The CD can be bought over the web from Mana Music or from any decent music store.
HOTEL RADIO
The single is out now with four other tracks—the non-album version of Nation (of the heartless kind), Anti Chase Music, a piano and glitch-based atmospheric instrumental that I did in collaboration with Ben Frost, an upped tempo version of Hotel Radio (5 bpm quicker) and a track from the Tempted soundtrack, King Bluster, all mad horns and drums and Ed Kuepper and Phil Wales’ wall of guitar distortion. The film clip was done by Nick Littlemore’s brother James, in trashy 60s outback motels, abandoned grain silos at Duneedoo and Tamworth and post bushfire Forster. I think there’s too much of me in the clip but at least the colours are all saturated and I’m blurred by the fast moving and deliberately out of focus camera. James is a very talented man and a great guy to work with. He did the animated Silverchair vid amongst others. We’ve been talking about making some more abstract films for the songs to use in the live shows as well as for the DVD at a later stage, and he’ll also do the clip for the second single 100 Flowers in Bloom.
The album is out April 7th. Ian Caple’s guy, Tim Young mastered it in the UK. I normally don’t think mastering does as much as some people rave on about… but in this case it tightened things, made it louder and more punchy. Russel Bradley, NDW’s drummer and graphics guy, is doing the cover and booklet design which is nearing completion. Great working with Russ again and he has a cool perspective on all things visual. I am working on films for some tracks again. Tina Gonsalves, a filmmaker I met whilst up at Garma last year, has already done one for the track “Canopy” whilst on a three month boat trip. She has a web site of her work which is worth checking out. Lynne Hamilton, who did the great Found Wanting, super 8 film off Act of Free Choice is planning a film for The Tender Trap. We’ll tour nationally in June hopefully together with San Francisco band Halou. Their live show utilises visuals and quality sonics… They’re cool people so hopefully it’ll all work out for them to get across the Pacific. They have a new record which I haven't heard yet but am dying to get hold of. I’d like to have my DVD stuff better worked out than last time. The Act of Free Choice DVD is completed and compiled by Rik Nicholson but the plan is to hold it (no point bringing it on now with the new album coming) and release the two DVDs together for this Christmas. However, given all the promises and failure to deliver with the AoFC DVD, I don’t blame you for not believing a thing I say.
As for overseas releases… probably go with Nettwerk again in the USA and Canada, not sure bout the UK… too early to tell… but I'd like to make further inroads. We will keep you posted.
Anyways, that’s about all. The peace rally in Melbourne was huge and good for the soul; a totally perverse war they’ve got planned. It was good to feel that the other 200,000 on the streets of Melbourne town thought the same—oil and Israel—lousy excuses. As for Donald Rumsfield, one minute dealing with Hussein to oppose Khomeini and turning a blind eye to Iraq’s gassing of the Kurds, the next minute he’s wanting to bomb the living daylights out of them. The same goes for Osama Bin Laden. Rumsfeld was involved in funding him to fight against the dreaded Commies in Afghanistan… Then surprise surprise they turn their US funded weapons on the hand that fed them. I wish it was a pathetic conspiracy theory but unfortunately it’s all true. He is a mean spirited man and dangerously close to the triggers. Lets hope some sense prevails.
Some odd little thoughts… Bowling for Columbine was magnificent. The newsreel 1950s ten pin bowling footage is beautiful, the construction of the argument about it being fear that drives the US gun death rate is interesting, and I must say it changed my opinion of Marilyn Manson.
Touring with Norah Jones —mmmm spoilt brat— great band though. In Sydney at the Opera House she refused to allow Amanda Brown (Go Betweens) to sing some backing vocals in my 30 minute set. Amanda had turned up to the sound check and was told she couldn’t perform and that she had to leave. Something about no female singers in the same show. Ah show business; go figure. Norah is certainly very talented, although I’m not a fan of lite jazz. They were great venues for me to play in and great audiences to play to.
Get along to see High Pass Filter if you see them playing… they have a record as does Ben Frost which is absolutely brilliant but both acts can’t find a label willing to release their CDs, which is also a musical injustice. Hopefully they’ll both get them out. They are two of the best records I have heard in the past two years.
Took my daughter to see 8 Mile. I didn’t mind it. Eminem is a genius, quite subtle for mainstream US cinema. I haven't made up my mind bout the new Massive Attack record although the last two tracks are really strong. Listened to Linton Kwesi Johnson throughout my tour; just love it. I have a video with him on tour with John Cooper Clark. I think it’s the Ten years in an open necked shirt video. Byron my sound guy and I were singing Inglan is a bitch all fortnight.
Upcoming soundtrack work: There are two projects of note, the first being a short film called Queen of Hearts by indigenous director, Danielle Maclean, produced by Caama films out of Alice Springs. The script for this film affected me greatly, the tale of a grandmother dying of cancer and passing on her soul to her grandaughters. The point of view is of the grandchildren and it is a subtle work and offers great scope musically. John Phillips and I worked with Danielle before and she was great to work with.
The other is a documentary by Mark Worth about two West Papuan men who attempt to fly to Brussels in 1969 to complain about the Act of Free Choice referendum but were prevented from travelling by ASIO who were under instructions to under no circumstances allow them on the airplane at Jackson Airport, Port Moresby. Mark has the telex message in his possession that says words to that effect. Should be a great doco. I have worked with Mark heaps before… he’s an old mate, the person who led me to travel to Papua New Guinea in the first place.
The Imax movie, Australia Land Beyond Time, that Helen Mountfort and I scored last year (directed by David Flatman) is to be released on the big big screen next month. It's worth seeing just for the aerial shots of the deserts of this country on Imax size screen. The soundtrack for Tempted is still available via Mana and from this website. The film will be on video soon. I have a feeling that in the states, it went straight to the cable movie channel. MFTCC’s It’s all in the way is being used in the US programme John Doe.
Here’s hoping we ain't been at war by the time I write next. Hope you enjoy Hotel Radio. I'm very proud of it.
Take care,
David
EMI have a David Bridie Message Board set up on their website. You can access it from the home page of this website as well. Good for setting up a discussion about my lack of fashion sense, the poor state of my teeth etc.
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