November 2004
Thursday night...

Has been 6 months since I typed away at a “what’s been going on in my music life” kind of thing,.. so here goes again... it may ramble (they always do).

 ...much to report on goings on in the past 5 months and what is coming up ahead... As I write this only a miracle in some parts of Ohio will prevent yet another political disaster in the western world as ideologically to the right governments rule our world of television and... oil and mortgages, with a touch of the Christian family thrown in and whatever else Murdoch and co believe in. Get amongst those oil shares as quickly as you can. Bit depressing really, still haven’t recovered from the Australia election, twas bad enough that little Winston will be a 4th term PM, but it was the increased majority that pains. Our concerns seem so fiscally self-orientated... lessons for our children? Don’t care, don’t think, just invest in real estate and mineral shares and whatever you do, don’t let anyone else in to our little burger king.

Honiara anyone?

No... once we recover, it’s time to think about fighting damn hard for what we believe in, like you guys in Queensland had to when Bjelke Petersen was in power... Civil disobedience not as a fashion statement but as a necessity... Time to fight the good fight. But first let me polish off this bottle of “forget the pain” juice... Mmm as Dr Smith said, “oh the pain, the pain!”

 

Telek/David Bridie "Amette" Tour November/December
Telek AMETTE on Blunt through Shock

To coincide with the release of the third George Telek album, AMETTE, we’re doing an east coast tour starting in a couple of weeks on Nov 14th. In most places the tour will be a double bill with myself playing support to George. As Phil Wales and Greg Patten and myself are playing in both bands, it seemed to make sense to go out on the road together. My ‘ol NDW cohort, Tim Cole, will be doing the sound mix as well as triggering the visuals. I’ll be having my Act of Free Choice and Hotel Radio films projected and Tim is preparing a Melanesian visual spectacular to accompany George. The Telek band will have Glen Low from the Barike band of Rabaul on bass and Ben Hakalitz from Buka on percussion who also plays with Yothu Yindi and was on the Tabaran tour. We’ll play selections from all the three records plus a few new tunes. Please come and support the tour... tis expensive bringing the lads down from PNG and we promise to provide you with value for money with the two bands and film shows. Copies of Telek’s Amette record will be on sale plus Nautical Forlorn, the Black Paradise CD and other family favourites! It’s a bit of a big deal for Telek. I guess having done a third record is a major achievement and evidence that Telek is a major artist and not just some curious side project. George put a lot of effort into the writing of Amette and is very proud of his achievements. Russel Bradley has done the amazing artwork for “Amette” as well as having just updated and redesigned the Telek website.

 

The tour dates are as follows:
(all gigs with Bridie unless stated)

Sun nov 14th Tanks art centre CAIRNS(arvo 3.30pm)
Shrubbery mission beach evening(telek only)

Wed nov 17th Joe’s waterhole EUMUNDI 8.30-11pm

Thurs nov 18th Star Court theatre ,LISMORE 8pm-11pm

Fri Nov 19th The Troubadour,BRISBANE 9pm-12

#MFTCC at THE SPIEGELTENT nov 20 and 21

#Fri Nov 26th David will be performing with the Ennio Morricone Experience providing a live soundtrack to the film Living Dissent,a commentary on the Eureka Uprising as part of the Eureka 150th festival

Sat Nov 27th Queenscliffe Music Festival 8.30pm(telek only)

Fri Dec 3rd Famous Spiegeltent MELBOURNE 7PM(telek only)

Sat Dec 4th Eureka 150 Echoes of Freedom. Ballarat 1PM(telek only)

Sun Dec 5th Oceans Pavillion,Warrnambool Surf Club 4.30pm.

Wed Dec 8th Tilleys Café CANBERRA 8.30pm

Thurs Dec 9th The Heritage Hotel WOLLONGONG 9pm

Fri Dec 10th The Vanguard,Newtown SYDNEY 9pm

Sat Dec 11th The Salarium,NEWCASTLE 9pm.

 

EMI Unlimited Supply...

It’s all over... I’ve been dropped by yet another record company, though the good news is I leave with full ownership of all my music.

Why did I get dropped? I guess the bottom line is I don’t sell enough records, Mind you I’m not Robinson Crusoe in that regard... Anyway it has happened, nothing I can do about it... Was depressed about it when it happened, thought I was “loser, loser, pants on fire...” Now I just want to move on... I still really believe in the records. Both of the solo ones were the records I wanted to make and the reaction from the people who have had the chance to get into AOFC and HR has been really positive... I’ll make another solo record, not sure what approach yet, but I’ll just make the music and write some words, and delve into the sounds and feel of it and worry bout the sales and the make up to cover my ageing at a later point. Am pissed off bout them making the decision to drop (not just me but the Cake the week after My Friend The Chocolate Cake released a greatest hits record (at their behest!!!! Go figure...) and the Cake filled the Forum in Melbourne (something few bands can do)... Also EMI’s attempts at copy control showed absolute disdain for the people who buy records and placed me in an unenviable position... Every time I tried to pass on the feedback I was getting from punters back to them they got pissed off with me and didn’t listen... I received some pretty lame emails in response to this issue, and unless they come to terms with these new technology issues in a far sighted and respectful way to the people who buy their product they’ll end up selling real estate in Paradise Waters before they know it. But the EMI experience was overall a great one... When Tony Harlow was there it was a very exciting place to be... as the Pistols sang “Who... EMI... Unlimited supply” And so I am off to the Liberation label... Back with Michael G in Melbourne. David Bridie, My Friend the Chocolate Cake and Not Drowning, Waving records will be on The Blunt Label through Liberation; Telek and Black Paradise and soundtrack releases will be on Blunt through Shock.

Not Drowning, Waving
Had a meeting with Liberation, and it has been deemed most sensible to not go with Womadelaide until 2006 [Editor's Note: Stuff happens... Plans change... NDW is now confirmed to be playing at THIS YEAR'S Womadelaide Festival - March 5th and 6th, 2005] and make that gig the last in a tour that will hopefully include Homebake, Splendour, East Coast Blues Festival (and bring out of the closet all those classic NDW blues tunes!!) Port Fairy and a couple of shows like the forum and the Opera house... Whilst I know we continue to stuff around those of you who are hanging for these NDW shows, this gives us more time to get our house in order... Finish the remix album, etc. So as this goes to print, that’s where we are up to. The NDW scenario has not been helped by the record company fiasco (see “EMI Unlimited Supply” below). It won’t happen overnight but it will happen!!!! Apologies all round.

 The Elusive DVD
The DVD is getting ever closer... James Littlemore’s EPIPHANY film is stunning, Tim Cole’s MESSAGE FOR YOUNG AND OLD is as well and I haven’t seen it yet but Ian Corcoran has done a film for ANTI CHASE MUSIC... Once Rik recovers form the US election we’ll move to the next step...

 ARIA Award for Nautical Forlorn
Twas pleased to get the ARIA for best soundtrack for Nautical Forlorn, an album I’m proud of. Whilst awards can be a bit naff, these, voted by your peers, and for a record that because it didn’t come out on a major label, didn’t get a huge push and was mainly available on this website and at my gigs. But the record, featuring music from the soundtracks to The Man who Sued God, My brother Jack and Yeperenye as well as the duet with Bart Willoughby “Message for young and old”( for which Tim Cole has done an amazing film clip for set on communities in outback NT and which will go on to the DVD release of Act of Free Choice and Hotel Radio which is nearly ready I promise!!) is a low key affair though containing music that I’m really proud of. Big credits to Helen Mountfort and Chris Scallen who had a major role in the two soundtracks...

And whilst I’m crapping on bout awards, Land of the Morning Star won the AFI award for best sound and music in a non feature an award I shared with the amazing John Patterson and Tony Vacher. This was important for two reasons. It gave me an opportunity to give an obituary for Mark Worth amongst the film community. The AFI’s never gave Mark credit and I was tempted to say, ”and Mark would like me to pass on a message... you can all fuck yourselves!!!” Mark was too scattergun and I’ll disciplined for the Australian Film Industry in some regards but it was these faults that also were his strengths... His blind commitment to Melanesia and pursuing the truth in Bougainville and West Papua, risking his life when people more sensible would have stayed away. Mark was an amazing story teller as I’ve said many times before and surely that s the essence of a good film maker and that is what the AFI awards are about. We miss Mark and as I’m about to embark on a Telek tour, I reflect on the fact that I wouldn’t have met George if it wasn’t for Worth and it’ll be weird playing a gig in Sydney and not ending up in the Jayapura room in Bondi post gig having a few drinks and smokes with ‘mauswara Mark”!!!

 My Friend The Chocolate Cake...
The Parade tour has been a beauty! Great gigs and we felt like we played as well as we’ve ever done... We introduced some songs into the set that we hadn’t played for a while. Aberystwyth had a haunting soulful quality thanks to Andrew Carswell’s pearler of a tin whistle line and the military snare that Greg played in the outro that reinforced the “the ol burial ground” lyric and I finally learnt how to sing the bloody thing properly. Lighthouse Keeper also rocked... Don’t think we played it badly the whole tour. A highlight was the encore of the Ormond Hall gig where Andrea Keeble joined us on stage for the encore giving us two violins and a four part string section giving the 70’s disco string thang all the oomph it needed, Greg and Dean really locked in as a rhythm section. With tracks such as Kelly Kwalik, I Like It Like This, Mangrove and Lighthouse Keeper being lead by the groove in the drum and bass departments this became a new feature of the Cake sound and is an indicator of where some of the the new material may venture. I guess we proved to ourselves that after 15 years we still love doing it and have something to offer, and the response, not only in the cities but in places like Eumundi and Meenyian was fantastic. Thanks to all of you who attended... There’s still life in the ol dog yet... and playing at venues with the ambience and architecture that the Forum, the Theatre Royale (Hobart) and the Tivoli (Brisbane) possess adds another dimension to the playing. You soak in the history and ambience of the rooms and it affects your playing and what you put into the songs. Other highlight gigs for us were the Kanak Playhouse in Mossman and the gigs at Tillys and Hepburn Springs. We’ll get into some more writing soon and look to record another album in 2005,.. We look forward to our return to the Spiegeltent on November 20 and 21 and the Apollo Bay and Port Fairy festivals next year.

 BOORONG NIGHT SKY
The Planetarium at Scienceworks will be screening “Boorong Night Skies”, in the coming months. I composed and recorded the sound and the music for this Planetarium show with Byron Scullin and it involved collaborations with Kutcha Edwards and Jida Gulpilil in surround. Tis the perfect environment for a surround sound recording as you are there in the Planetarium, in the comfy chairs leaning back, totally absorbed staring at a 360 degrees simulated night sky

 Astronomy is the oldest of the sciences, and has been practiced by the most ancient cultures in the world. For countless millennia, Indigenous Australian peoples have lived underneath the night sky. Thousands of years of careful observation and understanding are recorded in the star stories handed down from one generation to the next. All aboriginal nations have their stories; each as different as the languages they speak –The keen eyesight of these Indigenous Australians saw things that their northern counterparts did not. But while most Australians are familiar with the night sky stories from European cultures, they remain unaware of these unique perspectives on the Southern sky.

One clan who were proud of their astronomical knowledge were the Boorong clan; Wergaia speaking people near Lake Tyrell in northwest Victoria. Their stories were first recorded by the pastoralist William Stanbridge in the 1850s.

The Boorong clan no longer exists, but many of the North West Aboriginal nations include their descendents. Over the past decade, these communities have worked with historian John Morieson to recover the stories of the Boorong.

These stories express not only knowledge about the night sky but also reflect aspects of Boorong culture. The changing skies speak not only of stars and planets, but of landscapes, the activity of animals and plants throughout the year, right conduct, healing and the Law.

Byron and I ventured up to Lake Tyrrell with surround microphones recording night ambience, wind and wire harmonics, footsteps and noises and based a soundtrack around these organic sounds. Kinda similar to the template for “Tempted” except using the sounds of the dry salt lake Tyrrell instead of the Mississippi bayous. Layers of sound, grooves underpinning drones of wind and wire and clap sticks and Jida’s unique indigenous vocals (his father is David Gulpilil) and occasional Enoesque piano ambience and a bit of dub thrown in for good measure. It was rare for me to do the sound as well as the music, so we had total control of everything audio. A really interesting project.

 HONIARA
The Telek band toured the Solomon Islands for two weeks in July August playing 6 gigs in remote locations plus Honiara and Malaita as part of the one year anniversary of RAMSI (Regional Assitance Mission to the Solomon Islands). The band (the same as for the Amette tour except Ben Hakalitz was unable to attend and with the addition of two Solomons musicians, Arnold Natei on percussion and Robert Foreman on guitar, played all over the island nation from Avo Avo on the remote weather coast (where some villagers had walked 40 miles to see the concert...!) to Gyzo out in the west close to he border with Bougainville, PNG and finished with a free concert in Honiara attended by 12,000 people (a the time it was the largest crowd ever assembled in Honiara. This has now been surpassed by the crowd who attended the Australia vs Solomons world cup qualifier). Telek had played the Solomons twice before in his heyday with his band Painim Wok, and many of the punters knew his songs. The fact that Solomons pidgin is quite to similar to that spoken by people in PNG assisted familiarity with his tunes. We played a rock set, Phil being in his element sweating though his Pixies black t shirts and screaming his guitar. Rob Miles, Hunters and Collectors and sometimes Cake sound mixer, accompanied us and performed his stadium rock sound tricks getting sounds out of PAs that he had no right to. We got flown into the remote gigs in Bristow Choppers fulfilling our rock-n-roll fantasies and man we had a good time. The helicopters flew low over beautiful coral atolls and reefs... Tis a seriously beautiful country and the people there were enjoying a peace and recovery from the civil disturbances that had threatened to turn the small nation into a basket case. Ill bung some of the photos over to Rik and get them put up on the web site.Phil,Greg and I did a solo gig to 400 people at the Mandana Hotel after George and Glen returned to PNG on the last night which was a bit of a hoot. We made lots of mates with local musicians who helped us out gear wise and also played at the Honiara gig. We swam a lot, ate seafood and drank our fair share of Solbrew, the local ale. The schedule was very hectic and unfortunately we had very little time to hang out in the remote locations overnight(we finished the gig, packed up and jumped back in the chopper with the gear once wed packed it up but I’d love to head back there and have more of a look see... Yet another Pacific nation with an amazing history, and stories to tell... More of this kind of touring please.

Frank Yamma...
Simon Polinski and I have been working up some slow groove Pitjantjara tracks with Frank Yamma, after we collaborated on The Alice soundtrack. The ending song in that telemovie sung by Frank worked so well that we arranged some time in the Enormodome whilst Frank was down here to record a few more. We have 5 tracks recorded now, each song a traditional Pitjantjara vocal sung over a drum and bass groove featuring natural sound elements gathered for either the Yeperenye or Boorong Night Sky projects... filtered insect pulses, wire and wind harmonic drones or the ol favourite kick drums from 44 gallon drum hits. Simon, Michael Barker and I recorded an album with Frank in the late 90’s that never saw the light of day (though a few of these tracks are on Franks latest CAAMA release and Coolibah of course was on the fantastic Corroboration CD put out by Festival Mushroom) Ten years ago there were heaps of indigenous Australian artists signed to major record companies... Christine Anu, Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi, Tiddas, Kev Carmody, Tiddas, Nokturnl... Now there’s bugger all. Tis a major failing of Australian record companies at present I think. It’s not like there’s no artists out there. Can you imagine a New Zealand record company with no Maori artists signed. I think its part of their responsibility.

 

LATEST NEWS FROM WEST PAPUA
West Papua has never been known to the world politics, except for its rich natural resources. Many countries have contributed to various catastrophes facing the beings who live in this western half of New Guinea Island, the world's second largest island.

 In September and October 2004 alone, there have been a number of reported incidents where the Indonesian army, fully trained, fully armed and equipped by the western powers have been hunting down tribal peoples who honestly and directly refuse to get along with the foreign vested interests activities in the territory.

 On October 2004, in Paniai Region of Enarotali Regenci, Disctrict Obano, under the leadership of current Indonesian armed forces commander, May. Gen. Nurni Zailan MM ordered the attack on gardens, houses, villages, and the killings of animals and the peoples.

 According to the report received by WPNews, five villages became targets in a recent military operations: Tipakotu, Kotomoma, Yametadi, Uakotopa, and Wiyogei.

 The attack occured early morning when the army fired arms, and villagers scattered and ran to the bush due to the fear of death. Fifteen (15) people were shot on that morning alone; five people dead, and ten others are in critical condition. The five who were killed were local villagers, who were on their way to escape from the attack:

1. Yusak Pigome (Tribal Elder)
2. Elisabet Boma (Mother)
3. Rev. Yusuf Tebay (Church Elder)
4. Benny Uti (Youth)
5. Bernadus Pigai (Child)

 Not only humans, but also pigs and other domesticated animals were also completely killed off as the operation went on.

 On October 07, 2004, another youth from Baliem Valley by the name of Frans Oagay was killed by the Indonesian Special Forces (Kopassus), accusing him of being drunk and not controlling himself. He was killed in Hom Hom village, about one kilometres from Wamena town. He was killed by a sudden shooting from a hiding place when on the way to his home.

 Meanwhile in Wamena, some 2 hours to fly from Obano District, two tribespersons who were suspected as the "rebels" (even though they were actually innocent) were brought to the court and sentenced for 15 and 20 years imprisonment. Both Yerenggy Murib and Jigi Jigibalom were charged without any convinving proof of their crime. The lawyers assisting the two prisoners are preparing to challenge the decision.

 Some weeks before that, on 14 September 2004, two people in Ilu District of Puncak Jaya Regency (half way between Wamena and Obano) were both shot dead. While the daughter of the church elder Elis Tabuni is in a critical condition due to the shooting in the village. She has been shot on her right ear and the bullet went out to her face. Her father died on the spot.

 The killings, intimidatin and terror in West Papua have been systematically carried out by the Indonesian army and police without any pressures from the international communities who claim to be promoting and protecting human rights and fighting for democracy. Radio Netherlands reported on 03 September 2004 that the Indonesian army has carried out systematic arrests, intimdation, terrorism and killings all over the territory of West Papua. The Indonesian National Commussion on Human Rights reported to the Radio Nederland that these brutalities have been fully sponsored by the state.

 The Commission furthermore outlined that the violations of human rights in West Papua is categorised as a gross violation, and state-crime against humanity.

 It also demanded the Attorney General to form a Special Judiciary Committee to further investigate the Commission's finding and to bring those perpetrators to justice.

Judith Wright Two Fires Festival of Arts and Activism
The Judith Wright Two Fires Festival of Arts and Activism MARCH 18,19,20 IN BRAIDWOOD just outside of the ACT. I have been invited to perform and speak at this amazing festival next year inspired by the poet Judith Wright. If you can make it’d be well worth it...other artists, writers, activists in attendance will be Phillip Adams, Kavisha Mazzella, Kate Grenville, Shane Howard, Leah Purcell, Mick Dodson, Richard Frankland, The festival aims to to celebrate and extend the legacy of Judith Wright in regard to the creative arts, nature conservation work, place education, and reconciliation work, and to explore linkages between these areas of work and to demonstrate the contemporary and ongoing relevance of Judith Wright’s legacy for younger Australians.

 Thanks to Paul Petran from Radio National’s music deli, I got invited up to far norh Queensland to play at the Innesfail Shire Council Hall as part of a live radio broadcast along with the legendary 75 year old Torres Strait Island singer Seaman Dan. Dan, who I had met for the first time the week before as we were both receiving our ARIA awards in Sydney, sings songs of his time, pearling and islander songs that breeze through with ukelele accompaniment. Seaman Dan was responsible for penning the classic Mills Sisters song “T.I. Blues” (which we sang together at the concert accompanied by Ben Hakalitz and Seaman Dan’s band) and for me was a total inspiration. What a lovely bloke with tales to tell in abundance. It was a special night for me. Also on the bill were the Briscoe Sisters, three sisters from Cairns who, like Tiddas have drop dead gorgeous harmonies and that certain something on stage... I expect we’ll hear more from them... Alos played a gig with “The Breathing Game “ at the Cairns centre for contemporary art... Steven is a fine songwriter, a wordsmith who unfortunately will not get far staying in Cairns and deserves to be heard by far more people. 

UPCOMING PROJECTS
The soundtrack to a documentary on abortion rights campaigner (and how timely is this documentary!) Dr Bertrand Wainer where I will be working once more with the fabulous John Moore who did “Thomson of Arnhemland”

 The soundtrack to “Call Me Mum” a feature length drama for SBS... an absolutely amazing script, a true life story about a Torres Strait island child up for adoption set amongst Colonial Queensland’s finest monarchists. Produced by Michael McMahon and directed by Margot Nash. May get to collaborate with TI musician and artist King Kadu.

 Producing an EP for the very talented Djana Reykovic, a young woman singer songwriter who I me thru the recent Darebin mentoring programme and who impressed me so much that I offered to produce a few songs for her. I reckon she’s got something different. She certainly has passion and intensity and a little bit of he Patti Smith’s about her.

 

Listening to:

Tallulah The Go Betweens (as I drove around Mossman.. how good is the bass line in “I just get caught out”... am sure Amanda Brown will join us for a couple of songs at the Sydney vanguard gig)

Best of Parliament (I want the bomb I want the P Funk!!)

FOURTET ROUNDS

MARCEL BORRAK HELP

STEWART AND MELVILLE SCENES E on col daniel’s vicious label (great songwriting and radioheadish production... great bloops and sounds from the Sydney duo...thoroughly recommended)

Soundtrack to MYSTERIOUS SKIN by Harol Budd ...fantastic