Jet drummer Chris Cester has announced his award-winning rock band are taking an indefinite break.
In a statement on the band’s MySpace page, he joked “We’ve all given ourselves 100% pay cuts, which means we are all fired.”
It seems years of relentless touring have taken their toll, with Chris adding that “We sat ourselves down and realised that with all the time we have spent away from home, Jet could finally use some down time.”
That down time is likely to give the band members the opportunity to work on solo projects and other musical endeavours. Nic Cester will be playing some solo sets, Cam Muncey is reportedly writing new material, and Mark Wilson and Chris Cester have recently done some production work for Japanese band Superfly.
Something tells me the lads won’t completely disappear from our radar any time soon.
November is Ausmusic Month on Triple J and the ABC’s jtv live! The radio station and their sister television program are
serving up some great talent to celebrate.
Starting on Thursday November 1, the ABC will screen six massive local concerts. The fun will kick off with John Butler Trio’s performance in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
In the following weeks you can catch shows by Missy Higgins, Powderfinger, Grinspoon, and The Cat Empire.
The concerts will screen on ABC at 11.25 pm every Thursday in November. If you have digital television you can watch it at the more civilised time of 9.30 pm on Tuesdays.
Triple J has always been a big supporter of local music, but you can expect to hear even more of it in November.
The station will kick off the month with a massive party on the roof of their Sydney studio. Triple J listeners could win passes to enjoy a free Aussie BBQ and live performances by Clare Bowditch, Tim Rogers, and Gotye. Of course, if you don’t win you can always listen to the show on the radio.
Stay tuned to the ABC and Triple J next month for your Aussie music fix!
Image source: Gabriella Fabbri @ Stock.xchng
Nick Cave will be the toast of the ARIAs when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame this Sunday, but it’s an honour he’d rather do without.
“I’m actually dreading it to be completely honest because I have to go to the ARIA Awards,” Cave said.
“That’s something I’ve been avoiding for 25 years because I think it’s so fucking tedious.”
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia’s Prince of Darkness is actually planning to escape after his induction and get a kebab!
So we won’t expect him at the after-party then? I seriously doubt it. When The Herald asked the Aussie ex-pat whether he was keen to catch up with his local contemporaries he sarcastically replied “Yes, I’m desperately excited, I’m extremely excited to hang out with Powderfinger.”
Ouch! If it’s going to be that much of a drudge Nick, it’s not too late to back out!
Image source: Waddie @ Flickr
Ex-Bardot poppette Sophie Monk has bared all for a spicy new ad campaign. The advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) encourages people to become vegetarians.
I’m not quite sure whether the image of a naked Sophie on a bed of chilli peppers will persuade people to give up their steak, but it’s worth a shot. You can check out the sexy ad here.
Sophie practices what she preaches. She’s been a vegetarian since she was a teenager, and said the decision is good for her, and animals.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that going vegetarian has made me feel better not only physically but also because I learned about the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for food,” Monk said.
“I feel good knowing that I’m not contributing to that.”
Sophie’s fiancé, Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is also a vegetarian, which must make it a lot easier at mealtimes!
Well here’s some unexpected touring news! Vanilla Ice only had one hit in Australia, and that was 17 years ago, but he’s not going to let that stop him visiting our fair shores.
He’ll play “Ice Ice Baby” of course, but don’t think that’s all you’ll hear. Word is that the Ice Man does mean cover versions of “Satisfaction” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.” A little AC/DC should go down a treat with his Aussie fans (they do exist, right?).
As you can imagine, he’s not exactly packing out entertainment centres these days. You can catch Vanilla Ice kicking off his Aussie tour at the King Street Hotel in Newcastle. From there he’ll visit Coffs Harbour, Wollongong, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Airlie Beach, and Cairns. Am I the only person who thinks this tour may be a good excuse for a surfing holiday?
Kid Kenobi, MC ShureShock, and The Stafford Brothers will add some much needed cred to the gigs.
The Divinyls appearance at this year’s Homebake won’t be a one off. This seminal chick rock band plans to release a new album next year.
The Divinyls are responsible for radio staples like “Science Fiction,” “Pleasure and Pain,” “I Touch Myself” and “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart.”
Founding members Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee are working on some new songs with Pat Thrall and Charlie Drayton in the United States. Drayton plans to join the band on tour, along with guitarist Charlie Owen. They will apparently announce a bass player soon.
The Divinyls will play Homebake on December 8, The Enmore in Sydney on December 11, The Forum in Melbourne on December 15, and Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre on December 20.
And then there were five. Last night we said goodbye to Australian Idol nice guy Daniel Mifsud.
“It’s been such an amazing time,” he said after the verdict. “I’ve learned so much.”
I don’t think anything last night came as a surprise to anyone. While Daniel started out as an early favourite, he’s been let down by some dodgy song choices. Not that making the top six is anything to sneeze at.
Natalie, Matt, and Carl all earned touchdowns for their awesome performances, so it makes sense that Marty and Tarisai joined Daniel in the bottom three.
I wonder whether the unique announcement technique, where all the Idols stood on the stage, was used to add some interest to the fairly predictable proceedings.
Next week the Idols will celebrate the ARIAs by singing homegrown hits. It’s a nice broad theme that should result in some fantastic performances. If Marty doesn’t break out some John Butler Trio I’ll be shocked and amazed.
Redfern Records Entertainment is looking to bring indigenous hip-hop and urban music into the mainstream.
The record label was formed to help “project the dreams and aspirations of Aboriginal people around Australia,” said label co-founder Stephen Ridgeway.
“Urban Aboriginals and Aboriginals from the bush have the same settings as Afro-Americans, dealing with drug problems, violence, bad health, poor living standards, living in ghettos,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The indigenous hip-hop scene draws on the traditional Aboriginal values of community and sharing through storytelling.
“It’s the same thing we were doing thousands of years ago, but in the modern interpretation,” explained Alice Springs’ J-Dash-P. “Our stories are passed down, whether it’s song and dance or storytelling or music and hip-hop.”
The advent of Redfern Records should encourage more indigenous youths to get involved in music. According to Matt Noffs, who operates the youth urban music initiative Hiphoperations, this can only be a good thing.
“When these young guys and girls, black or white, get up and belt out a rap, you can be sure they’re feeling empowered and ready to live another day with strength,” he said.
Image source: Redfern Records MySpace
The Idols have faced harsh criticism over their song choices in recent weeks, so it must have been a relief to hand the control over to the judges. At least for half the night. Last night our Australian Idols sang a song picked by the judges, and another of their own choice.
It proved to be a winning combination, with three touchdowns and some stellar performances.
Tarisai Vushe was first to perform Marcia’s choice of “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love.” It should have been a perfect song for her, and I suppose it was, but I still feel a wall between Tarisai and the audience when she performs. It felt a bit pageanty and fake to me, although I did enjoy seeing a lighter side of her. It was only a matter of time before Tarisai brought out some Whitney, and she did so with “I Believe in You and Me.” Vocally this was superb, and I felt like she connected with this one a lot more. Having said that though, Tarisai seems interchangeable with so many other diva singers. There’s nothing new here, and I’m getting a bit bored with it.
Marty Simpson had a stellar night. I really think he just keeps getting better and better. He clearly relished the opportunity to sing reggae, first with Marcia’s choice of “No Woman No Cry,” and then with his own selection, “Last Kiss.” The second song was my favourite, and in my opinion it was worth a touchdown. But we all know if you don’t do big notes and deliver a big performance, you don’t get those. Marty’s really not a “performer,” but when you have your guitar I don’t think you really need to be. I’d much rather watch someone with their instrument than see someone dancing around a stage.
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Ear Sucker is a guilty pleasure in the b5media music channel family. This is the blog to read if you want to learn about Amy Winehouse’s latest drug bust, Britney’s latest breakdown, and other celebrity mishaps.
But it’s not all tabloid fodder. In her recent Top 10 Bands You Should Discover Today post, Roberta stepped out of the mainstream to deliver some truly unique musical gems.
Ear Sucker is one of the music channel’s most popular blogs, and it’s easy to see why. Roberta really knows her stuff, and she has a wicked sense of humour.
So pop on over to Ear Sucker and see what all the fuss is about.
Image source: Helmut Gevert @ Stock.xchng
