Puff'n'Stuff

Attention all Adelaide bands: if you think you've got what it takes to make it, then Puff dares you to put your money where your mouth is - the annual Riverland Battle Of The Bands is taking place at the Loxton Hotel on Wed 23 July, with the big, all-ages grand finale following up later in the year. So if the majority of your band is under the age of 26 then get yourself in the running to win some fantastic prizes including a recording session, a prestigious spot on Riverland's festival Hand Picked, as well as the opportunity to support some of Australia's biggest touring bands. For further info on entering the competition call Rob McLean on 0412 013 035 or Adrian Winter on 0419 843 431.

One band that's certainly already 'made it' are The Casanovas (right) who are heading down our way on Sat 15 July for their California single launch at the Enigma Bar. This is the second single off the guys' second album and they'll be bringing along Melbourne's The Vandas and Brisbane's Gin Club so it should be one seriously rocking show.

Another big name soon to be visiting Adelaide is Something For Kate, who will be holding an exclusive free live performance and signing at Jive on Wed 12 July at 8 pm to celebrate the release of their brand new album 'Desert Lights'. The doors open at 7 pm and the show is all ages, but if you pre-order or purchase the album from any Big Star Records store you'll get a free ticket to go along and see the guys.

Melbourne's Long Walk Home are also heading down to Adelaide for a not-to-be-missed show with local pride Mr Wednesday on Sat 8 July at the Jade Monkey, as will fellow Melbournians Sons Of Lee Marvin on Sat 15 July at the Crown & Anchor.

Having just completed recording their debut album, one of Adelaide's youngest bands Pocket Ace are set to play a show at the Governor Hindmarsh on Fri 21 July along with Day On Fire and The Tony Font Show. Puff hears they're destined for some big things - Pocket Ace have just signed with Blastbeat Records and are also getting ready to tour Europe and the U.S. early next year.

Smoked Water, fresh from the Tasman forests, are coming to Adelaide on Fri 7 July too for their first ever, ever Adelaide performance, along with Adult Book Store at the Exeter Hotel (Rundle St), as is veteran guitarist John Earl Walker all the way from the U.S. for a show with local rocky blues act Bluestone at the Kingsford Hotel on Sat 8 July.

Thurs 13 July will see impressive Brisbane boys 26 rock Jive with local faves The City Riots and Benchplayer, while Fri 7 July will see local controversial locals Mayfield launch their new album at the Rocket Bar along with special guests Syds Gate and The Bovines.

So where to start? It seems just about everybody is getting their asses arrested lately like it's going out of fashion, but the 'Jailbird Of The Fortnight' award definitely goes to Richard Ashcroft who, now that Puff thinks about it, also gets to take home the 'What The Fuck? Of The Fortnight' award. It seems that Ashcroft, uh...burst into a youth club and asked to work with the teenagers present, then proceeded to get himself arrested and fined for disorderly behavior. How rude. Either way, Puff is willing to bet that's the last time Ashcroft offers a helping hand to the youth of Great Britain - be like that then!

The runner up award goes to Axl Rose, who seems to have started taking lessons from the Peter Doherty manual of shame. The raven-haired one decided to bite a security guard on the leg. Always one to uphold his dignity, Rose spent an entire day doing the jailhouse rock in Stockholm after being arrested for threatening and attacking the bouncer as well as damaging the hotel room he was staying in. Although the exact reason behind the scuffle is unclear, according to The Daily Aftonbladet website, it is believed the guard tried to intervene when the singer picked an argument with a woman in the lobby of the Berns Hotel. Classy.

On the more serious side of things, fallen rock producer Phil Spector is awaiting a trial early next year for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson four years ago. So far Spector is claiming innocence and has paid U.S.$1 million bail, while his lawyers maintain the argument that Clarkson committed suicide after an autopsy report revealed the actress (and star of such films as 'Barbarian Queen' and 'Amazon Women On The Moon') had a revolver placed and fired in her mouth.

Puff also has an update on the Boy George scandal, in which the former Culture Club singer though it would be really hilarious if he called the cops and reported a false burglary incident at his apartment, a'la Bart-and-Moe. Too bad he forgot to get rid of all that cocaine, however, because now the star is being ordered to serve five days of community service. "I'm going to be teaching basketball in Harlem!" Boy George announced to reporters upon leaving the courtroom...Do you really want to hurt him? Think about it.

Lil'Kim may be out of prison, but she's still serving a house arrest sentence following an incident in 2001 during which gunfire broke out when her entourage crossed paths with rappers' Capone'n'Noreaga at a radio station. The singer first claimed she never noticed two of her close friends at the scene, but was sprung when the two pleaded guilty to gun charges.

Meanwhile, DMX finally decided to show up in court last week to face his speeding charges after being arrested for also making unsafe lane changes, not wearing a seatbelt and not having a drivers licence. You may also remember the rapper from such incidences as 2001's concealed weapon outside a nightclub and refusal to wear a seatbelt upon a London flight. Can anyone say 'I am the laaaw.'?

They may not have gotten themselves arrested yet, but it's still bad news - indie trio Sleater-Kinney have decided to call it quits. According to Billboard.com the band came close to splitting up even before the recording of 'The Woods' which sold 73,000 copies in the U.S. alone. "I think Entertain is definitely the song that was great, we kind of clung to that song like, 'ok...there's got to be more in there somewhere, but we all had to get there,'" guitarist/vocalist Corin Tucker told Billboard.com.

And The Arctic Monkeys' founder and bassist Andy Nicholson is making an exit too, according to a statement released on the band's official website. Likewise, it seems that Backstreet's not back, alright. After 13 years, Kevin Richardson has announced he's leaving The Backstreet Boys to pursue other interests just as the band has entered the studio to work on their new album.

Queen's Brian May has also recently revealed he is keen to pursue other interest, but how's this - May is completing a PhD degree in astronomy! See, who said rockstars are really robots? In the 1970s May was writing a thesis on zodiacal dust, which concerns the light reflected from asteroid dust, however, his involvement with Queen soon got in the way of that. Now May is planning on submitting his thesis to the Imperial College in London for assessment.

Speaking of colleges and all things proper and English...Puff hopes you've kept your diary free because tonight, Wed 5 July, Coldplay and Youthgroup are playing an insanely-anticipated show at the Adelaide Entertainment Center.

Also on Tue 11 July Dean Roberts will play with Kynan Lawlor at the Exeter Hotel (Rundle St).

The whole world certainly has gone Wolfmother-crazy and the 'it' trio are playing two Adelaide shows at the Thebarton Theatre on Thursday 13 July, then on Fri 14 July again at the Thebarton Theatre - the latter show also featuring Dungen and Tucker B's. Whoo, bring on the afros!


And just when you think it couldn't get any better, get this - You Am I, along with The Drones, are playing a show at the Governor Hindmarsh on Sat 15 July in support of their brand newie 'Convicts'.

And finally, it's safe to say that the gods of gigs have certainly been smiling kindly upon Adelaide for a change, because they've also decided to bring Death Cab For Cutie over to Adelaide on Mon 17 July, at the Governor Hindmarsh.

So don't you dare tell Puff you're 'not up to much' over the next couple of weeks...

Get Out Of The House!