maarts' newsagency

[maarts]

Review

George Telek/David Bridie


* The Vanguard, Sydney, December 10, 2004
* The Salarium Couch Bar, Newcastle, Australia, December 11, 2004



Having never had the opportunity to see George Telek live (he was scheduled to appear on the Morning Star concert, but sadly wasn't there) I was more than happy to grab the opportunity and see the great man live. The Telek and Serious Tam-records have been regular stalwarts in my player over the year as I truly love the marriage of the Not Drowning Waving (Bridie's former band- mvv)-like electronic-ambient atmospherics, the crystal clear acoustic stringband-strumming of the guitars and, on top, the flexible tenor of Telek, like a slightly hoarse Youssou N'Dour without the vocal histrionics...great albums that deserve a place in any home, even if you don't care for world music.
With David Bridie in the support-act slot it couldn't go wrong...the second night of the three-part NSW-visit happened on the 10th of December at the Vanguard, a restaurant/music club where the patrons can nosh up their expensive fish and watch good acts from the blues/folk/pop/classical scene. Call me oldfashioned but I find this type of arrangement a bit insulting for the musician as he is being made subservient to the food, like a pianist playing jazz standards in a fancy restaurant. That the patrons were fans made it at least bearable.

David Bridie looked very tired when he strolled onstage and got the gig underway with a beautiful solo-version of Blue Black Sky...just him and the electric piano and you don't miss the strings at all. Joined by the indomitable Phil Wales on Atari, melodica and guitar, Amanda Brown on vocals and violin and Greg Patten on skins he set out on a list of fan favourites with the inclusion of Not Drowning Waving-track Blackwater and the playing of clips on a white sheet behind the band- sadly the stage was the size of a stamp so not everything was visible. The good 100+ crowd was entertained though and this particular evening I was more than happy to see the closer being Walk Me Home, a NDW-classic that has been one of my all time favourite songs of the band. Highlights include the stripped-down version of The Tender Trap, On A Day Like This and Canopy which included the added percussion of Telek-bandmember Benny Hakalitz. There's always something special about a DB-gig, even if the man himself isn't 100%- Phil's entertainment in itself and the beautiful 'Helen Mountfordian'-vocals of Amanda Brown are always a welcome addition. Not his best gig but certainly very enjoyable.

Telek's gig followed after a short break and the first a-cappellatrack titled Tolili had the whole crowd immediately silent. Telek's eyes intently went through the room, his forehead blocked with a cap on which several long feathers stuck. For the remainder of the gig George was joined by David, Phil and Greg and Benny Hakalitz on guitar and percussion and bass player Glen Low, all dressed in colourful Papuan-design shirts.

The appeal of Telek's music is clear- with the obvious joyous vocals on top of a musical backing that has many references to the Tabaran-album, it has appeal to a large audience. A song like To Pol with it's stringbandroots firmly in Rabaul could easily have been the missing link in the world music patchwork of Paul Simon's Graceland. Bridie's keyboard-arrangements bring out the most hypnotic elements out of the songs with Telek's masterful voice the ace in the hole. It really is a wonderful romp, from the NDW-pop of Go Ralom or Midal (which sees Phil Wales exorcise his guitardemons and rock out!) or the Toure/Cooder-bluesylike Amette, traditional stringbandmusic in Abebe (where several acoustic guitars shiny jangle their upbeat themes together) or the banana-pluckers chant Waitpela Gras with a wealth of percussion and audience participation. The tribute to West Papua in its namesake song raises the roof. It is a pity that the set has to be broken off earlier as planned because of time restrictions so there's no time to work to a highlight...a real shame.

Fortunately all works well on the final gig of the tour which is the following night in Newcastle. The only bad part is that David's really crook (stomach bug), still he manages to complete his set, closing off with The Last Great Magician. Tough to see the tour end for him like this- hope he now can enjoy a well deserved break.

It's a tribute to the guy that he comes onstage with Telek's band and manages to enjoy himself whilst playing- and why wouldn't you? The crowd (large for Novocastrian measures) is thoroughly enjoying the gig. The Salarium's a very unusual kind of stage with couches and cushions littered over the floor, the stage barely elevated above and waxinelights and cheap Christmaslights the sparse illumination...it's wonderfully intimate, yet Telek manages to rock them out. With crowd support fully behind them and the inclusion of great songs like Melbourne City and Boystown in the setlist, it is obvious that we have a special night here...the banana pluckers chant's being sung with full gusto, the band's trading smiles throughout the gig and the chemistry's fully there. All expertly announced by Bennie who displays a wonderful comique sense of presentation next to expert musicianship.

The set closes off with the band joining the people on the floor for a stringband-encore, highlighting how close the band is with the audience...a brilliant and uplifiting finale.

A special mention must go to the wonderful Tim Cole who has been like the Energizer Bunny throughout this tour, setting up, breaking off and glueing together the many brilliant pieces of film and video-footage!

[Dr. Drum]

Good to see the newsagency back, maarts.

[Philemon]

INDEED !!

[maarts]

Cool. No need to change the formula too, methinks. Although I needed to park this item because the original website I wrote this for is about to be deleted....

[maarts]

Squeak of brakes


A mouse caused a two-car accident in Germany - after crawling up a motorist's trousers.

As the rodent squirmed up his inside thigh, the driver slammed on the brakes, causing a rear-end collision with a car driven by a female motorist.

When the woman got out to give him a piece of her mind, the man opened his trousers and hauled out the wriggling mouse, a police spokesman said.

[maarts]

Too close to home



A squad of firefighters accidentally set their own sauna ablaze but could not extinguish the fire despite their training.

The sauna, at Lappi, 225 kilometres west of Helsinki, was destroyed despite the volunteer firefighters' efforts, Finnish news agency STT said.
But the fire caused no injuries.

Bathing in a sauna is a national pastime in Finland, especially in winter, and most households have access to one.

[maarts]

Musical Jesus gets crucified


Plans to broadcast a London musical that features a nappy-wearing Jesus who admits he is "a bit gay" have sparked a record 5500 complaints to the BBC.

The national broadcaster nevertheless vowed to go ahead with its plan to show Jerry Springer: the Opera, based on the controversial US talk show starring David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame, and which is still playing to packed houses in London's West End.

"It is a serious work," a BBC spokeswoman said. "People who can't get to London to see it at the theatre can now see it in their own home. It will transmit well after the 9 o'clock watershed and carry appropriate warnings."

The opera contains a total of 3168 references to the word f--- and 297 to c---. The expletive-laden songs include Pregnant by a Transsexual and Here Come the Hookers.

British media regulator Ofcom said it had received 5500 complaints about the plan to broadcast the show, which is due to be screened today as the centrepiece of Jerry Springer Night on BBC2.

That figure is three times as many as the previous record holder, Martin Scorsese's film The Last Temptation of Christ, which sparked 1554 complaints when it was shown on television in 1995. The BBC said it had received more than 15,000 calls from viewers concerned about the program.

[maarts]

Labels say it all


A toilet brush that comes with the warning: "Do not use for personal hygiene" has won a US award for the wackiest consumer label of the year.

Second prize went to a label on a children's scooter that said, "This product moves when used". And third prize? A warning for a digital thermometer that said: "Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally."

The eighth annual awards are organised by anti-lawsuit group Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, which says the goal is "to reveal how lawsuits, and concern about lawsuits, have created a need for commonsense warnings on products".

[maarts]

That's life

Australia wasn't the only place to publish a bizarre newspaper story in 2004, although the vibrating sex toy that sparked a security alert when it began humming from a rubbish bin at Mackay airport was a noble contribution to the genre.

German papers reported a best-selling gadget that berates men if they use the lavatory standing up, telling them: "Put the seat back down right away, you are definitely not to pee standing up."

A Mexican man killed his lover in a drunken fight, cooked the man's body in tomato and onion sauce and ate it over three days.

And a Zambian man hanged himself in shame after his wife rushed into their house to investigate a noise and found him having sex with a chicken



_{Stupid....that Mexican should've stolen the Zambian man's chicken....}

[Philemon]

Fuck !! Some people REALLY need their fix ...

BTW, that's a lot of meat to eat in three days !!

Better have his cholesterol level checked ...

[maarts]

Better should have used a good Bearnaise-sauce and some salad.

[maarts]

Hello, Morris

More than half of South African drivers - 51 per cent - talk to their cars, according to a new survey.

The drivers believe that bonding in this way will make the machines more reliable, the survey by insurance company Auto and General found.

About 79 per cent of respondents believed that a good relationship between human and car was the key to confidence on the road.

"Many drivers think of their cars in almost human terms, and believe that a few words of encouragement or a pat on the dashboard can keep them going," Auto and General director Angelo Haggiyannes told the Star newspaper.

But maintenance was a better way to avoid breakdowns, he said.

[strat-0]

If you like this thread, you'll probably also like "Funny / Bizarre News" under "CE."

[maarts]

I do like that thread too! I wanted to start writing more reviews but I'm a sucker for stupid news.

[maarts]

Silver lining

A Russian lawyer has staked a claim on the world's clouds.

Vladimir Osipiv is using a law that allowed an American man to claim the moon. He hopes to sell the clouds to environmentalists who will take legal action against governments that let clouds be polluted.

"The conquerors of the Wild West used the same principle, when they pronounced their ownership of the land," said Osipiv, 48, from the Krasnodar region. "It is probably incomprehensible for the vast majority of people that clouds can be privatised. However, I am absolutely sure that I will get support both in Russia and in the international community."

Dennis Hope, an American who claimed the moon in 1980, has since sold plots of land there to more than 2 million people. A legal claim to the clouds has so far been posted in 150 countries, the Russian media reports.