News:
· Puff 'n' Stuff
Everything that's happening in Adelaide this fortnight.
· Industry
The latest from the music industry.
· Puffio
Theatre news.
· Dance
Dance and electronica news.
· Metal
Updates from the wide world of metal.
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Puff 'n' Stuff.
Puff trusts that we Australians all are rejoicing in our youth
and freedom - and, of course, in the fact that our home is girt
by sea. Yes, the day after this issue hits the street is Australia
Day, the most patriotic day on the national calendar, and Puff
assumes that you will also be standing atop Mt Lofty swathed
in an Australian flag, facing the Southern Cross and singing
Waltzing Matilda at the top of your lungs until being
taken out by police and psychiatric nurses. It's a proud annual
tradition, no matter what the courts say, and let's just say
that this year it'll take more than 100cc of Zolazepam administered
by a high-powered hunting rifle to quench Puff's fierce ANZAC
spirit. You've been warned, authorities.
Of course, then there are those who choose to express their
love of this wide, brown land through less directly confronting
song. Like, Puff presumes, The Scholars who are all set to launch
their proper debut CD 'Nemesis' at the Jade Monkey on Fri 27
Jan with Leigh StarDust and The LC3s.
Ms Bindi Blacher has also completed work on her folksome second CD: it's called 'Green Just Grows' and she's launching it at the Jade Monkey on Sat 4 Feb.
The sassy Jayne-Anne Power has her new disc ready for launching,
which is why she's doing exactly that: 'Substance' will be set
free at Garage on Sat 28 Jan.
Roo Shooter are also launching a CD, and then promptly splitting up. Yes, once they've gotten 'Corruptor Of Me' out of their systems they're ringing down the curtain at the Jade Monkey as part of Melvofest 06 on Sat 28 Jan, in the company of Spindickle, Sweet Raxxx Horse Lover Fat and Antony Of The Future.
The babyishly sweet bluesperson we like to call Sweet Baby James
has finished his 'Rhythm'n'Blues' album (along with percussive
sideman Rob Eyers) and will be launching said disc at the Wheatsheaf
Hotel on Sun 5 Feb, with The Dolls in support. It's an early
show, mind, with things kicking off at 4pm.
Nova 91.9 have been throwing their weight behind Fear In Dakota and Fighterpilot lately, so they're returning the love with a Nova-sponsored show at Fowler's Live on Sat 28 Jan, along with Blow Up Betty and Muscle Car.
Four years. Four freakin' years: that's how long the Prince
Albert has been hosting their monthly Ekoosika show, and they're
all set for a birthday bash par excellence. On Thurs 2 Feb the
all-star lineup of Cookie Baker, John Woods, Leigh StarDust
and Tom Barnes will be rockin' it for your listening pleasure.
Puff hopes there'll be cake.
Remember Pornland? They were much loved around these parts, although it didn't stop them moving to Melbourne and eventually splitting up last year. However, several of the Pornsters (Landsters?) have reconfigured themselves as the more-sartorially-staid but no-less-musically-interesting combo The New Electric and they're making their debut Adelaide appearance at the Rhino Room on Fri 27 Jan.
Speaking of new/old faces, The Petersons make their debut appearance
at the Enigma Bar on Sat 18 Feb. Not ringing any bells? What
if Puff mentioned it's the new band for Chris Moerman and Adam
Ganglen, late of Hummel? Yeah, those guys. Now you know.
And the old Adelaide scensters keep reappearing! Sat 28 Jan
marks the first show for Running With Horses (aka Aiden Moyse
and Sarah Masters, until recently the rhythm section for the
gone-before-their-time Bad Girls Of The Bible) at the Grace
Emily, with Southpaw - and they might as well stay there, since
they're supporting Brian Henry Hooper there on Thurs 2 Feb.
Hopefully Mylo wasn't the sole reason that you were hanging
out for the Big Day Out, since he's just announced he's been
forced to pull out of the whole tour. "Myles contracted a virus
over the New Year which resulted in partial hearing loss in
one ear," a spokesperson explains. "Unfortunately the situation
has since worsened and he has lost hearing in one ear completely,
and has only partial hearing in his other ear. He was hoping
that a couple of days rest would help regain his hearing. However,
since his arrival in Cape Town for a show and receiving specialist
medical treatment, unfortunately no progress has been made.
As a result of this, he is grounded in Cape Town and unable
to move at the moment." So there you go. Here's the 'Lo, and
sadly it's as close as we'll be getting for a while.
Stuff From Puff: Everybody's heading for Splitsville in 2006:
latest cab off the amicable-separation rank is Further Seems
Forever, although they're promising a (presumably US-only) farewell
tour and a disc of rarities before they go... Prince
Paul has also confirmed that Handsome Boy Modeling School is
dead: pitchforkmedia.com reports that relations between the
Prince and his former collaborator Dan The Automator are now
officially non-existent: "It was business things. Things that
needed to be addressed weren't addressed," he explains. "When
I announced my retirement, that was it. He didn't call me, his
manager didn't call me, the Handsome Boy manager didn't call.
Either they hate my guts, or it just didn't work out"...
Keyboard wrangler Eamon Hamilton has also bailed on British
Sea Power to concentrate on his (former) side project Brakes.
Of course it's all amicable, blah blah blah... Meanwhile,
in one of the least expected comebacks ever, briefly-lauded-then-immediately-discarded
mid-90s new-Oasis-wannabe types Kula Shaker have announced their
reformation. Clearly, the Apocalypse is nigh... New Edition
have also announced a reunion tour featuring all six members
(including Bobby Brown) - but it's not happening until 2008...
And the hot rumour at the moment is that Smashing Pumpkins are
set to reform as a headliner for this year's Coachella Festival
(and a leaked Coachella lineup includes headliners Depeche Mode,
The Strokes, Gorillaz, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Portishead, playing
their first date in a decade). Billy Corgan's MySpace site teases
with "The surprise I have in store for you all will be announced
soon enough... Don't you just love the suspense?"... Puff's
Wild, Completely Unsubstantiated Speculation Corner: Now, Puff
isn't about to jump the gun on predicting a Pavement reunion,
but word is that Mr Stephen Malkmus played no less than six
tunes by his old band whilst supporting former Spinanes frontperson
Rebecca Gates in New York on Tues 10 Jan (including Box Elder
and - oh bliss! - Gold Soundz). Malkmus has hitherto
refused to play Pavement songs, much like Frank Black did with
Pixies songs up until a few years ago - and we all know how
that turned out... The rumours about a reconciliation
between Eminem and his ex-wife of four years Kim Mathers turned
out to be completely true: in fact, Kim & Marshall retied the
knot on Sat 14 Jan. Proof was Em's best man, and DJ Lord Sear
played the reception. Awww... But even as one love blossoms,
another dies: David Hasselhoff has filed for divorce from actress
and fellow former 'Baywatch' star Pamela Bach, his wife of 16
years and mother of his daughters Taylor-Ann and Hayley. Fortunately,
like all divorces, they "remain on good terms" according to
the unbiased opinion of Hasselhoff's publicist... Time
for the regular fortnightly rundown of rock'n'roll injuries
and illnesses: they might have written off their tour van on
the road in Wyoming, but word is that the chaps from Every Time
I Die are OK, although they were forced to miss a few dates
on their Story Of The Year tour, presumably while they checked
out some car dealerships... The White Stripes, meanwhile,
had to postpone their Japanese tour when Jack White was diagnosed
with an "acute vocal cord problem". He was ordered not to speak,
let alone sing, for two weeks to allow his voice to recover
and thus avoid blowing out the 'Stripes headlining berth on
the Big Day Out... HIM have also had some
tour rescheduling to do: their UK and Ireland dates have been
reshuffled after guitarist Linde fractured his wrist. Their
forthcoming Australian tour - for which an Adelaide date hasn't
been announced, might Puff just add - should go ahead as planned...
Coldplay's Chris Martin and that wife of his, Ms Gwynyth
Paltrow, have clearly been making some sweet, sweet love: she's
pregnant with bub #2... Lordy, everybody's
popping out those sprogs: Dave Grohl has also just announced
that his wife Jordyn Blum is expecting the couple's first child
mid-year... And Puff was saddened to hear of the passing
of the man who gave us In The Midnight Hour and Mustang
Sally, the mighty Wilson Pickett, after he suffered a fatal
heart attack on Thurs 19 Jan, aged 64. Rest well, you timeless
soul legend and r'n'b pioneer.
More non-Adelaide touring: Kathleen Edwards hates us in February,
The Posies are missing us when they come to Australia in March,
as are the original lineup of Dinosaur Jr and metal sorts Il
Nino, and in particularly galling news The Mountain Goats are
skipping us on their return visit in April. Puff's going to
sit in a dark room and compose gloomy poetry about how no-one
loves us anymore.
Don't forget the Fringe-exhibition-fundraising-show-thing at
the Rocket Bar on Fri 27 Jan, in which the likes of My Sister
The Cop, The Mandala Project, Diamonds Are Dead, San Jose, Belittle
League, DJ Henri, the We Like To Dance Dancers and MC Labia
Del Rosso will be lending their talents in the service of Art.
And you like Art, right?
The very day that this issue comes out - Wed 25 Jan - is also
the night that Anberlin make with the all-ages rock at the Enigma
Bar. And Puff would say you should totally go, except that the
show's totally sold out. He who hesitates is lost, and all that.
Puff's legal corner: It's official: Vietnamese authorities formally
charged Gary Glitter (aka Paul Gadd) with committing obscene
acts with two girls (aged 10 and 11) on Fri 6 Jan. It's also
alleged that he agreed to pay the families of the children to
secure their testimony, which is why he's been charged with
the lesser, non-death-penalty-incurring offenses... Ms
Dynamite, meanwhile, has been charged with assault on a police
officer: allegedly the UK hip-hopstress was having a birthday
shindig with her brother, but became violent when police arrived
to prevent her kicking in the door of West London's Paragon
Lounge. Her brother has also been charged with obstructing a
police officer. Mama and Papa Dynamite must be so disappointed
... And Michael Jackson's getting sued for approximately
the zillionth time: this time by Dinnes Memorial Veterinary
Hospital for unpaid vet bills totaling over $US91,000... Puff
believes this briefly edged Jackson ahead in his ongoing battle
with Courtney Love as to who can accrue the most in unpaid bills
- however Love came roaring back when she lost her Olympia home
in a foreclosure auction on Sat 7 Jan after failing to pay over
$US386,000 on her mortgage. The house received no bids and so
is now owned by a LA mortgage company. Her sister-in-law Kim
Cobain was living in the property at the time... US rapper
Mystikal has just had a year for tax evasion added to the six
years jail time he's currently serving for sexual battery against
his former hairstylist, although he's being permitted to serve
the sentences concurrently. He will also have to pay his $US271,000
in back taxes plus penalties... Axl Rose
is getting his lawsuit on over the non-delivery of two luxury
cars - a 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo and a 2005 Porsche GT3, as
it happens - after accepting deposits of $US20,000 via the sale
of Rose's 1999 Ferrari Maranello. Speaking of Mr Rose, he's
told 'Rolling Stone' that Guns'N'Roses' 'Chinese Democracy'
will definitely be out this year, echoing the identical promises
he made in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2005... And you can't
say "rock person" and "legal hot water" without thinking of
Pete Doherty. Yes, he's been in the wars again, if by "wars"
you mean "thing where your guitarist Patrick Walden quits just
before Babyshambles' UK tour and then you get arrested in London
for possession on Sat 14 Jan when your band is meant to play
a gig in Austria, which they do without you, much as they were
forced to do when you failed to turn up for a show after appearing
in court on Wed 11 Jan where you pleaded guilty to possession
of heroin and cocaine." What a busy boy. Sometimes he plays
music too, you know.
The Wheatsheaf know how to make with the patriotism: that's
why they've enlisted Brenton Manser, The John Baker Duo and
The Audreys to entertain the nation (well, the part of the nation
that fits into the pub) on Thurs 26 Jan. And since it's a 4pm
gig, what could be a more appropriate accompaniment than a sizzling
beer garden BBQ? Ah, the Wheaty: they think of everything.
Sky City are laying on the comedy with a trowel on Thursday nights: and it's all completely free! Thurs 26 Jan features Jason Chong, Rohan Harry, Bec Hill, Mark Trenwith and Fabien Clark, while Thurs 2 Feb showcases Rich Naberhood, Big Al, Mujahid, Steve Sheehan and Lindy Jane.
Cappella sorts The Idea Of North will be performing at the Governor
Hindmarsh after undertaking rock's least-strenuous load in on
Fri 27 Jan.
There's no stopping Mr Xavier Rudd: when he gets a bit of summer in him, he's off around the country on tour after tour. Why, he's even heading this way for two shows at the Governor Hindmarsh on Sun 5 Feb (which is all ages, in fact) and Mon 6 Feb with his new Canadian pal K'naan.
Sure, it might be the height of the Australian summer - but
you can barely declare yourself a bonza (let alone dinkum) bloke
or sheila if you don't slap on some 30+, affix some dangling
corks to the brim of your Akubra and...
Get Out Of The House!
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