Month: August 2007

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jim Keays’ Cancer Fight

Aussie rock legend Jim Keays has revealed he’s battling myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.

The former Master’s Apprentices frontman fell ill while holidaying in England last month. He was suffering from back pain, but the greatest problem was a build-up of toxins in his kidneys. When British doctors diagnosed cancer, there was no doubt in Jim’s mind that he needed to return home.

Despite his serious condition, Jim is staying positive.

“It’s treatable and it often goes into remission,” he told the Herald Sun. “I started chemotherapy last week and I am on dialysis, and I am confident both will work.”

He hopes to rejoin his current bandmates Russell Morris and Darryl Cotton on the road soon.

“We have had to drop a few gigs, and Russell and Darryl played Saturday night together, but I hope to be back in business and playing with the boys next month,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky. I’ve had good health all my life. Until this I had never been to hospital — and I plan to get out of this one quick smart.”

Jim’s wife Karin is also optimistic that her husband will make a full recovery.

“The doctors are quietly confident that Jim’s kidney function will improve. Jim has such strength of will that I have no doubt he’ll make it happen.”

Jim Keays burst onto the Australian music scene in 1966. His group, The Master’s Apprentices, stormed up the charts with hits like “Elevator Driver,” “Turn Up Your Radio,” and “Because I Love You.” In the last few years, Jim’s enjoyed success as part of the trio Cotton Keays and Morris. He recently completed a solo album called Resonator.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Cat Empire Come Home

After a whirlwind world tour, Australia’s biggest ska success story, The Cat Empire, are glad to be home. Their performance at last weekend’s Splendour in the Grass festival kicked off what’s shaping up as a busy couple of months for the Melbourne sextet.

The Cat Empire will release album number four, So Many Nights, on September 22. To promote the release, they’ll perform shows in Cairns, Noosa, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide.

Can they break their own record in Sydney? In 1996 the band sold out seven consecutive shows at The Metro. This time around they’re booked in for eight appearances. Considering how long these funksters have been away, I’m pretty sure they bouncers will be turning away fans at the door.

So make sure you don’t miss out! Check The Cat Empire’s website to see when they’re playing near you.

Image source: MuntyPix @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fergie Tops Aussie Charts

Aussies just can’t get enough of pop diva Fergie. Her single “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and album The Duchess are both sitting pretty at number one on the ARIA charts.

The ladies are doing well on the charts, boosted by recent high profile tours. Gwen Stefani’s The Sweet Escape bounced back into the top 10, while Christina Aguilera’s Back to Basics jumped from number nine to six.

It seems like “Girlfriend” was number one forever (or was it just me?). I wonder whether Avril Lavigne’s newie “When You’re Gone” will do just as well? It’s debuted at a respectable number five.

Grinspoon, Powderfinger, and Lee Kernaghan are flying the flag for the Aussies in the album charts. Alibis & Other Lies is at number four, just ahead of Dream Days at Hotel Existence at number five and Spirit of the Bush at number eight.

Image source: Robin Wong/Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kylie Gives Love Rat Marriage Ultimatum

Kylie Minogue and Olivier Martinez have had more break-ups and make-ups than most celebrity matches, and that’s definitely saying something.

But rumour has it that the glamour couple is back on again after establishing some new ground rules.

Kylie wants Olivier to shed his ‘love rat’ tag and marry her. She’s also insisting that he quit posing for the paparazzi with other women.

But Olivier’s not the only one compromising. He said Kylie must give up on her dreams of having children to be with him.

It’s a tough break, but a source has told The Daily Mail that Kylie willing to do anything to keep the troubled relationship afloat.

“She sees Olivier as the love of her life. He made her feel like a woman again when she lost her hair. They still have a massive connection.”

Image source: Rob Young @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Is Damien Leith The Latest Idol Failure?

Spare a thought for last year’s Australian Idol winner, Damien Leith. “22 Steps,” the debut single from his first original album has already fallen out of the Top 20.

Since its launch two weeks ago, “22 Steps” has dropped from number 11 to number 27. While critics see this as the beginning of the end for Damien, perhaps we shouldn’t be so hasty.

Early reports indicate that his forthcoming album, Where We Land is a solid piece of work. And it should be. After all, this is the first album made under Idol’s new format. Unlike other Idols forced to release a disc in a week, Damien was given time to write and record something he was happy with.

He was always billed as an unlikely Idol, not much to look at but with the voice of an angel. Not exactly the sort of guy that young girls clamber to get close to, but a big hit with the mums. It’s not a coincidence that kids buy the majority of singles, but adults wait for the album release.

Where We Land will hit shelves on August 20. Only then will we learn if Australia’s moved on to the latest reality TV superstar, or whether they still have a soft spot for this likeable Irishman.

Image source: Dave Keeshan @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Slideshows” – Thirsty Merc

Since I bought tickets to see Thirsty Merc in a couple of weeks, I figured it was about time I picked up a copy of Slideshows. As I listened to the opening track’s crunchy guitar chords and clever lyrics I wondered why it took me so long.

The opening ditty, “She’s All I Got” is a corker, with straight-up riffs and a sing-along chorus. It’s backed up by the anthemic radio hit “20 Good Reasons” and new single “The Hard Way.”

There’s a reason why radio loves these guys. They’re genuinely good fun, with cleverly crafted melodies and quirky lyrics. They’ve also become a very safe band, seemingly unwilling to take risks.

That’s not exactly a bad thing, but it does make some of the later album tracks, including “Hey Jacinta” and “She’s My Brother” feel a little tired.

While their self-titled debut showed plenty of cheek in “Emancipate Myself” and “I Wish Somebody Would Build a Bridge,” Slideshows presents none of this naughtiness. It’s a shame.

Slideshows feels like a natural progression for Thirsty Merc. It’s not likely to win them any new fans, but there’s certainly enough here to entertain the ones they have.

For me, it doesn’t have quite the same spark as their first disc, but it’s still a whole lot of fun.

Image source: BigPond Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Season of Idol’s Worth a Look

Another season of Australian Idol kicks off tonight, and I don’t mind admitting that I’m excited.

If you’re a fan, you know the reality talent quest appears to be stronger than ever. Last year it took the revolutionary step to allow musicians to use their own instruments.

Personally this seemed like a no-brainer. After all, don’t we want competitors who are more than karaoke kings and queens?

Anyway, the move encouraged a whole new breed of performers to audition, including series winner Damien Leith, folky Lisa Mitchell, singer songwriter Chris Murphy, and the awesome Bobby Flynn.

Inspired by the success of these gifted individuals, I’m sure we’ll see even more quirky, talented musicians step up this year to try their luck. I can’t wait to watch their journey.

If you’re still not convinced, there’s another reason to watch: Dicko’s back. Dicko: honest, knowledgeable, kind of hot in an old-man way Dicko. While I still have to suffer through Kyle’s malicious snarkiness, Mark’s inane comments, and Marcia’s fence-sitting, knowing I have Dicko to balance things will make it that much easier.

It’s very easy to be cynical about Idol. But think about it this way music fans. How many programs actually showcase new Australian talent these days? We’ve lost Countdown, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, and Recovery. This is one of the only places we can still see young Aussies playing music. For that reason alone, I think it’s worth a look.

Australian Idol kicks off on Channel Ten at 7:30 tonight.

Image source: Wikimedia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Song Obsession: Love Me Like The World is Ending

I caught Ben Lee performing his latest single, “Love Me Like The World Is Ending,” on Sunrise this week. I must admit, although I’ve always liked Ben Lee, I’ve never been a massive fan. But after listening to this song I can’t wait to hear his new album Ripe.

It seems Ben’s mellowing, becoming less pretentious and allowing us to see more vulnerability. This performance, with just an acoustic guitar as accompaniment, showcases that perfectly.

Amazing, right? If you’re in Sydney and enjoyed the song as much as I did, I suggest you get down to Warringah Mall today. Ben will be performing and signing copies of “Love Me Like The World Is Ending” from 1 pm.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fans Fork Out Thousands for Police Tickets

You might remember me talking about how the massive rort that was The Police ticket auction. The end of the Melbourne auction yesterday proved there are some Police fans with very deep pockets.

According to the Herald Sun, punters have paid up to $1600 for a pair of front row seats, a significant mark-up on their $1000 value.

So did the auction discourage scalpers as hoped? Not a chance. Ebay’s still flooded with tickets from all around the MCG, including plenty of seats within the first few rows.

To be fair, a significant number of these tickets are being sold at their face value. Still, there are plenty of people out there looking to make a profit on the show. One scalper is asking $1000 for two sixth row tickets, which originally cost $250 a piece. The sad thing is, he’s likely to find a buyer too.

So, apparently these official auctions aren’t the way to prevent scalping. Even though I’m not at all surprised, it got me thinking: what would stop the fans getting ripped off?

I’d hate for us to get to the point where we needed to show ID when presenting tickets. That’d penalise the people who can’t attend a show and hope to simply recoup their money. But is this the only way to prevent scalping? I’d love to hear your views!

Image source: Isuperwang @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Veronicas Prepare to be Slimed

Australia’s powerhouse pop duo, The Veronicas, will host the country’s most lighthearted awards show, the 2007 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.

But don’t expect the pretty pair to don expensive designer clothes. They know they’re likely to leave the event dripping in green slime.

“I think it’s kind of a given as hosts that we’ll get slimed so we can prepare ourselves for that,” Jess Origliasso told AAP. “I think we get to slime other people as well so that makes up for it.”

Jess is also relishing the opportunity to attend the ceremony for the first time. While The Veronicas took out three awards last year, they were unable to attend due to recording and touring commitments.

“We were really bummed we couldn’t make it, so it’s great to be able to host this year,” she added.

The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards hits the Sydney Entertainment Centre on October 10.

Image source: Joel Telling @ Flickr