Hitting the ground running and trying to catch up.
Wondering where the politeness, basic respect and common sense has gone.
Trying to be patient with those who are trying and those that try me.
New beginnings, a different outlook and some new letters.
On the look out for those things that touch the innocent side of us that is always there,
but isn't accessed enough.
There is something important to be said...
TRIAD tour
Well that was an experience. Getting to play this kind of experimental, improvised
music throughout the country with two of the nicest and talented blokes around was a pleasure. The first leg in Tasmania was a nice start, the gig and workshop in Devonport (Tom's hometown) went well, the response was positive and the folks at the gallery are great to work with. Thanks Ellie and co.
The show at our co-sponsors Inflight in Hobart was also great, nice to play with
Soundtracks Will Dissolve as well, they were great as per!
Onto the mainland leg. My fear of flying was kept at bay and it all ran fairly
smoothly apart from a couple of hiccups.
First Melbourne show that The Make It Up Club @ Bar Open was fun.
Listening back to the recording there was lots of meandering on our part,
but some nice moments emerged.
On before us was an incredible set of power electronics by Absoluten Calfeutrail followed by a free jazz odyssey by Jeff Henderson, Kris Wanders, Rory Brown, Mike Majkowski, Sean Baxter and Robbie Avenaim. Highlight was the guy in the loud shirt and the frizzy hair doing the 'Warlock' dance during that set. Awesome!
Just minutes away from show time at the wonderful 'Stutter' at Horse Bazaar in Melbourne, the 1st hiccup, we got word that our first show in Sydney had been cancelled, or rather it perhaps had never been booked, still not sure what happened there. Also the second hiccup, my laptop up and died literally moments before we started. So for me it was guitar through analogue effects and a bit of angst for this show, seemed to go over okay.
The cancelled show in Sydney meant that we had a day off to do a bit of a photo session and some field recording/improvised open air performing around Circular Quay and Hyde Park. These may well become something in the future.
Our only performed Sydney show was at the Don't Look Gallery in Dulwich Hill, a great little place run by the ever friendly Greg and we got to play on a bill with Seaworthy who did a great set. Tom opened with a solo spot too. Got to catch up with old mate Felix, ex-Conductor guy Cy and met Jo from Sound Travellers (our main sponsor) which was all very cool.
Next show was in Perth. I was pretty nervous before this one, not sure why. Possibly because it's the first time I'd been to Perth, let alone perform there. Listening back it turned out to be what I think was our best, most consistent performance of the tour. Got to meet the great Cat Hope (sub-dronester!) and her partner and got to hang out with dear old buddies Susie, Dale and their daughter Charlotte.
Final show in Brisbane was a hoot! Being that it was the last the show and Tom's current base we thought we'd try something a little different. Let's just say that some of the metal in our blood made it's way out. Here is a positive and not so positive response.
There are some images, videos and sounds from the tour up on the TRIAD myspace page that will give you are sense of what went on. We would like to thank Sound Travellers and Inflight for your support. All the folks we stayed with and who came to the shows, all the people we played with, (it was great to see/hear such a superb and varied bunch) and especially the great supportive venues and bookers!
Thank you all it was great! There's a few 'possibles' for TRIAD in the future, but it's too soon to say anything yet. Stay tuned.
There is one last live thing to mention and that was a mumble(speak) set at Tom's place for his monthly 'Sonic Boom' night. It was initially due to be a Broken Tiny set, but due to my laptop being unwell, I was basically beat-less and re-worked the set to be mumbly! It was a very short doomy/drone set because it was shut down by the police (though I don't think the mumble set prompted this). Go to the mumble(speak) myspace page to hear the set and read about it.
As it happens Scot and I performed a short DÜO doom set afterwards (at lower volume)...such rebels!!!
So is that kind of racket, befitting of someone with a D and an R before his name should he choose to place it there? Perhaps there should be more PhD folks making doomy noises with guitars! Perhaps I should be worrying less about who should be doing what! Yes the degree is done and I'm through without a hitch or corrections to the paper which was a very pleasant and large surprise. I have a reasonable head on my shoulders, but I would find it very difficult to consider myself an academic. I work very hard at what I do.
The tour ended and I essentially hit the ground running back in Hobart. The very next day I was back teaching at the artschool, (albeit as a fill-in for someone else) and a day after that back to my regular gig in Emedia. An artschool is an interesting and rewarding place to work in many ways. It can be quite moving to see someone's practice evolve and feel that one little suggestion or pointer you gave may have helped in some way. But a question that comes up for me is "Can some things be taught?" "Are there some things that are simply known or felt?" Ticking the 'right' boxes for assessment purposes are a necessary administrative element of being a student at the artschool, but it's not what makes art (good bad or indifferent). I would always consider what I do as facilitating rather than teaching. I've seen a few things, I know a few things, I've made a few things. I can give advice, but I don't think I can teach someone to be creative. I sometimes wonder how people find themselves at an artschool. I found myself there, it wasn't planned from my childhood, but it was meant to be I think. I'll say nothing more other than patience is a virtue, I need to remember that, so do students. Art is not and perhaps should not be easy!
So it seems, Australia is swamped with Swine Flu. I must say I was surprised at the number of cases that seemed to be confirmed. Now of course I suspect that the suggestion of covering your face will not do a whole lot of good in preventing you contracting the illness. However, outside of this or any other flu, what I do find alarming is that apparently people need to be told by the government that they should cover their mouths when coughing or their noses when sneezing! For crying out loud this is not playschool. Surely that's common sense regardless. I'm not a snob who is overtly concerned with good manners, but I don't want someone's snot flying at me anytime.
A couple of blog posts ago I pointed out my aversion to censorship. It is was bought to the surface for a lot of people recently with the Bill Henson affair and also the Internet filtering proposal put forward. I have in the past been fairly vocal about censorship, going back to John Howard's notion that a blanket ban on all 'R' rated movies would have prevented the Port Arthur Massacre. A letter to the paper that was published setting out my point of view may not seem like much of a stand, but perhaps it got people talking. Perhaps something more visible would be a public protest, something that will be happening in Hobart tomorrow afternoon following the ABC (apparently the more progressive TV station) sacking of Amanda Duthie (the Head of Arts, Entertainment and Comedy) supposedly as a result of allowing the sketch by "comedy" troupe 'The Chaser' (yes I deliberately and snottily placed quote marks around the word comedy) that was controversial and caused a bit of a public outcry. I believe The Chaser's show 'The Chaser's War On Everything' has been taken off the air for a couple of weeks too.
This puts me in a bit of a bind I must say. I couldn't care less if we didn't see The Chaser on TV ever again. I personally think they are smarmy little gits, courting controversy for the sake of it (rather than wittily presenting an alternative view) who I basically don't think are funny. However, and its a big however, my own conscience tells me that censoring them via removal is not right, nor is the sacking of someone trying not to stifle someone else's "artistic integrity" (there I am being snotty again) by approving a sketch to air. It's a tough one, because I hate the little brats, but I want them around so others can love them and hate them too.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,"
- Evelyn Beatrice Hall 1906, referencing the beliefs of Voltaire.
More info on the Chaser stuff.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25619891-26103,00.html
http://wotnews.com.au/news/Amanda_Duthie/
I recently exhibited in the group show "Lust For Life" curated by Lucy Bleach at CAST gallery in North Hobart with my work Exhalation 2009
The group show 'Parallel' I've mentioned in previous post continues to tour and is currently at the Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale until July 12.
Upcoming projects: I will be part of this years 'Amplified' festival in conjunction with 6a ARI, presenting a very interesting incarnation of three of my recent sound works. They will be presented in an underground battery in Princes Park, Battery Point on Saturday July 17.
mumble(speak) is also due to perform and launch a new CD the night before.
We have lived in the same house for 8 years, ever since arriving back in Australia after living in Canada from 1999 - 2001. That's a bit of a record for me I think. I moved around a lot when I was a kid and since living in Hobart, residencies didn't last much longer that 2 or 3 years. Due to various circumstances we are moving again and although it's a big process, it will be worth it. It is very much time for a change.
Take care of one and other.
RIP - Hugh Hopper
Listening: Harmonia - "Musik Von Harmonia" (1974), AFX - "Analogue Bubblebath" (1994), Jandek - "Telegraph Melts" (1986), LULL - "Like A Slow River" (2008)
Watching: "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (Dir: Sydney Pollack 1969)
Reading: Franz Kafka - " The Zürau Aphorisms" (1918/2006)
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