quiet paws.

A saving grace is often viewed as a desirable trait or feature that redeems something from being entirely worthless. So what does Saving Grace redeem us from? They lift our listening experience out from the mediocre and tantalise our ears with their moving emotive music.

While the last twelve months have seen Saving Grace go from strength to strength, the launch of their debut EP River Road late in 2006 has been one of the band’s most memorable music experiences to date. ‘Our EP launch was an unbelievable experience for all of us. It came at the end of an enormous year for the band so it was the perfect way to wrap up the proceedings of 2006. It had also been the result of all the hard work, time and money we had put into the initial recording, mixing, mastering, design, marketing, publicity and finally practising for the debut EP. We had a brilliant crowd of at least 500, great supports and in all, a perfect night.’

Sometimes it is easy to forget that musical releases are so much more than the end product; they are the result of a whole lot of time, money, angst and hard work. While such a process can seem overwhelming, Saving Grace seems to take the challenges in their stride. ‘We really had no idea how much work it would be and how long it would take. It was good to spend a lot of time on just the five songs because it meant we were able to hear all the little intricacies involved in each of our parts. It was a long process and a very demanding one at that. It also came at the end of the year which meant not only the biggest gig of our year and trying to create as much hype as possible but the winding up of everything else in our year as well. I think we would do some things differently next time but not too many.’

As a significant milestone in the life of any band, a debut release not only makes it easier to reach a wider audience of listeners, it can also be a life changing experience. ‘We are definitely maturer as a band and as a group of friends. I think we’ve all shown each other and our fans that we have a commitment to the band and our music that we all respect and that has been coming out at our gigs so far this year. We have set new goals and hope that 2007 is bigger and better. We feel as though we just need to keep pushing ourselves and enjoying the ride.’

While the process of releasing music is heavily resource intensive, it also requires some significant decisions to be made. For instance, deciding what songs to record, and then making the potentially bigger decision about how you want the songs to actually sound. Perfectionism can be a double-edged sword, it can result in a better product, but this is balanced against a huge input of time and effort. ‘I think the fact that we have all had a very musical up bringing and having studied at the Con means that there is a slight desire for perfectionism in all of us. We found this when we were recording and having to do endless retakes for minor imperfections. I think we all know that each player’s part is important but it’s more about what the role of that part is within the song as a final product that is more important. We all want to bring out the meaning of the lyrics and create what the music is really about.’

The life of a musician is based around many competing priorities like recording, promoting and performing, while also trying to live a life and make time for everything that comes with that. ‘Time is something that a musician has to work really hard against all the time. It’s about being able to manage everything perfectly. Within the band we are able to be flexible with each other but the fact that we all have our own jobs within the band means that everything gets done and everyone’s always happy. The greatest advantage for us is that performing, recording and writing are all our favourite things to do so we can make the most of our time.’

Balanced against the structured process followed when recording music, is the spontaneity and interactive nature of performing live. ‘I think the most rewarding thing about our music is getting up on stage and seeing people smiling, moving and really enjoying what we’ve have created as a group. That connection is what it’s all about in the end and that’s definitely what fuels us to keep going.’

Saving Grace are known for their soulful music and heartfelt lyrics which really connect with their audiences. The inspiration for such moving lyrics can come from many sources, but for Saving Grace’s Adrian Leung it seems the world around us offers plenty of source material. ‘The songs I write are always driven by a real life experience, usually one big enough to inspire me to write a song. That being said, sometimes the songs aren’t physical experiences but instead visions or dreams or ideas I imagine. I always try to write honestly because I feel that if I am I can write something different and unique to the next person. Songs are so important to my expression as a person and it’s definitely always a reaction from an experience that has had an impact on me.’

Looking back on what the five-member band has achieved to date shows just how far the band has come, especially in the last twelve months. ‘We have all worked really hard to get to this point but I think we are still doing amazingly well. We’ve picked up some great gigs including headlines at the Basement, Vanguard and Hopetoun not to mention our debut EP in our first full year together. And with a stronger management team this year we can only hope that it keeps getting better.’

Speaking of the future, what does Saving Grace hope to achieve with the passing of the next twelve months? ‘Well we’re open to suggestions at the moment but we’re trying to hook up a distribution deal so that people will be able to buy the EP online. We have a stronger management team this year so hopefully a tour is on the cards and playing at some festivals would be a great! Other than that, we’re hoping to keep building a stronger fan base, gigging lots and continue to writing new stuff and adventuring with new sounds and ideas.’

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

Jim Baggott is the multi-talented author of books such as ‘The Meaning of Quantum Theory’, and ‘Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory’. Fortunate for us readers he has the impressive ability to tackle big scientific and philosophical issues with ease. By breaking down complex explanations and drawing on practical and contemporary examples without any condescending overtones, Baggott is an author who inspires as much as he informs. Following on from my review of Jim’s book, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Reality‘, I caught up with the man himself to gain some insight into his works, discuss his approach to writing, and find out what his next authorial project is likely to be.

TS: How did you come to be particularly interested in both philosophy and quantum theory?
JB: In my book ‘Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy and the Meaning of Quantum Theory’ I argue that modern quantum theory actually is philosophy. It is virtually impossible to dig beneath the surface of quantum theory without being confronted by innumerable philosophical conundrums. The theory itself forces you to take more than a passing interest in its philosophical foundations and the implications for our ability to comprehend the nature of reality.

TS: How do you decide what ideas will work as a book and what ideas won’t last the distance?
JB: Impossible to tell. Publish and be damned, I guess.

TS: Could you elaborate on your current book plans?
JB: I’m working on a proposal for a popular book about the race to build the first atomic bomb. Now, there are lots and lots of books out there already on this subject but most tend to come at the story from one perspective or another. I’d like to try to bring together what we know about the German, Allied and Soviet atom bomb programmes and tell the story in “real” time with the pace of a modern thriller. It’s a challenge but – hey – somebody has to do it.

TS: Does getting to the publishing stage take longer than you first anticipate?
JB: It can be a bit hit-and-miss. There’s usually no real alternative to doing your homework properly and explaining what you want to say, why you want to say it, why you want to say it now, why readers might be interested and what it is that makes you uniquely qualified to write it.

TS: Who are some of the authors that you read? Who inspires you?
JB: Tricky one. Inspiration depends on the kind of mood I’m in. Over the years I’ve read a good many works of fiction that I’ve found moving without necessarily inspiring me to take up the pen (or put fingers to keyboard).

A recent example would be ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini. I’m fond of several authors and have fairly catholic tastes, ranging from the serious to the downright silly. I don’t have a favourite author of popular science (because professional jealousy gets in the way). I guess inspiration for what I’ve written in the past has come rather from the slow dawning realization that I can actually understand a subject, and feeling compelled to tell people.

TS: Was becoming an author an ambition you’ve always held?
JB: Yes.

TS: Do you follow a writing routine? For instance, writing every day for an hour, listening to certain music or simply writing whenever you can.
JB: I can’t say I have much of a routine. When I’ve got going I find it extremely difficult to stop sometimes, and time just slips away. I don’t force myself to write something every day. I do tend to write linearly (by which I mean I tend to start at the beginning and work through to the end, rather than write chapters or passages at random).

TS: How do you balance your other working life against your writing life? Is it a challenge to balance time between the two?
JB: I don’t manage the balance at all well.

TS: Do you have a tendency towards perfectionism? Is it hard for you to stop tinkering with your words before you’re happy with them?
JB: I have the opposite affliction. When I’ve finished work on a piece I find it sometimes very difficult to see how it can be improved. This is where a good editor comes in handy…

TS: Which book did you most enjoy writing?
JB: The next one.

Many thanks to Jim Baggott for taking the time out of his exceedingly busy schedule to answer these questions for QuietPaws, and for writing such wonderfully entertaining, challenging, and informative books.

Are you among those guilty of ignoring classical music and classical instruments in an effort to avoid snooze inducing pretentious music? Well it’s time to refresh that viewpoint as amazingly original compositions and covers of artists such as The Beastie Boys and Metallica are given the string treatment.

Welcome to the world of FourPlay where preconceived notions of how a string quartet should sound need to undergo serious revision. Band members Lara Goodridge, Tim Hollo, Shenton Gregory (Shenzo) and Peter Hollo between them have a wealth of individual musical experience, which combine to create an exciting musical blend.

The transition from classical string quartet to electric string quartet may seem like a significant jump. However speaking to Peter Hollo, cellist and vocalist with FourPlay, it seems that the transition was more of a natural progression. ‘There was nothing to it, really. We were all Uni students who were into indie, rock, pop and what have you, and felt the strong desire to play that kind of music. We discovered that you could do pickups on string instruments, and as the four original members were all friends playing together anyway, we just decided we’d all get them and do some rock covers. Then the UNSW Band Comp came round at the start of 1995 and we thought we’d sign up, literally as a joke, but a serious enough one for us to put together a short set and go crazy. We did go crazy, and so did the audiences, and after being snapped up almost immediately for a support slot with Max Sharam at the Metro, would you believe, the rest is history!’

Known for their stunning original arrangements, FourPlay have also built a reputation for their interpretations of a diverse range of covers such as Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’, Radiohead’s ‘2+2=5’, and Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’. The mix between original and cover tracks continues to inspire and challenge the band. ‘The initial impetus for the band was covers, although almost from the start we’ve been doing originals too (and these days we play a greater proportion of originals than covers in most sets). We’ve certainly grown more insanely diverse as we’ve gone on. I particularly love the Radiohead cover ‘2+2=5’, which realises a long-term goal of ours to cover that band. And I enjoy playing the Mingus cover, which Shenzo introduced to us, because it lets me go a bit crazy with block jazz chords in the middle, and Shenzo’s soloing never ceases to amaze. I also love our take on the Velvet Underground’s ‘Femme Fatale’, which doesn’t get pulled out at gigs quite as much any more but is still there in our repertoire. We recently did a Sufjan Stevens cover, which was harder work than you might imagine! That man does some complex arrangements!’

Given the wide pool of songs to choose from FourPlay tend to trust in their instincts to make the right cover song selections. ‘Generally we cover a tune because we love it, or at least, one or two of us do. That said, not everything’s going to work, and we’ve developed a fairly good instinct for what will go well (for instance, driving riffs and in general a good rhythmic drive is something we can latch onto with our playing). But we also surprise each other and ourselves quite often. Sometimes we will hear something on the radio that we think will go down really well, and we will give it a go because we think it’ll attract a particular audience. But even then, we’ve got to all like the song, no kind of cynical cover choices really work for us.’

Aside from the musical tastes of current band members, line up changes over the years have also impacted on the musical styles explored by FourPlay. ‘Veren, who was in Shenzo’s role before him, was a great gypsy violin player and improviser, and added those styles and that passion to the band, while still rocking out. Shenzo is a brilliant swing jazz player and improviser, as well as having an abiding (and scary) love for cock rock. He can do the gypsy thing too, but under his influence we’ve brought more jazz and blues into the band too, as well as more experimentation with loops and effects. So our upcoming shows will feature some pretty electronic and post-rock-sounding stuff too!’

The lives of musicians are often a delicate balance between competing priorities like writing, performing, promoting and recording. So does FourPlay find the balance difficult to maintain? ‘It’s a huge challenge. And we do have other commitments, whether it’s other aspects of our lives, our families or whatever. So it’s a continual juggling act. Because we don’t all live in the same city at the moment, we have to deliberately make time for developing new material. At The Studio at The Opera House we’ll have the privilege of being able to combine performing and recording, with all three shows being recorded to multi-track and the best tracks being released as a digital EP, initially exclusively (and free) to everyone who comes along to the gigs. The future is here!’

Speaking of the future what does it hold for FourPlay? Well a series of live dates are scheduled over the coming months, including a performance at the St Kilda Festival where the atmosphere is bound to be energetic. ‘Live music is ALWAYS more exciting, for the listener as well as the musician. I listen to recorded music non-stop, and love it, and when a recording goes well (such as our latest, Now To The Future), it can pretty much capture the perfect sound, but still there’s nothing like playing to an audience that’s right there with you. Strings are pretty emotive, and the audience tends to get pulled along, and pull us along. In the studio you can tweak this here, add this bit there, and if you’re lucky you’ll end up with just what you always wanted from a song. But then you’ll get on the road, and play in a venue with great sound to a bunch of people who are there just to see you, and that’s what it’s all about.’

FourPlay brings a unique perspective and captivating intensity to the crafting of their music, thereby challenging listeners to abandon their preconceived ideas about musical styles and boundaries. With them nothing is off limits and all forms of music are given the respect and attention they deserve.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

The release of Liz Stringer’s debut album Soon in late 2006 sees the culmination of all her musical experiences to that point. It seems that music has been in her life and in her blood since childhood, ‘I heard a lot of folk music growing up. I think the storytelling element of that folk music has influenced the way I write.’ Time spent overseas provided these musical seeds with fertile grounds in which to flourish and allow for experimentation with many different musical styles.

‘I reckon my musical tastes and my own style evolved overseas. I was playing in a punk/rock band in Germany. The longer we played together, the less punk it became, but at the start we were basically a really loud garage band playing through crap amps. It was a great feeling though, playing with a band. The other guys were great players, especially the bass player. He actually introduced me to a lot of music I hadn’t listened to before and I listened to a huge range of stuff while I lived in Germany, from punk to electronic to rock and death metal. It broadened my musical horizons.’

So with the passing of time these musical threads and influences were gradually woven together to create the rich tapestry of sounds which appear on her debut album. And what impact has the release had on Stringer’s life? ‘I have a lot more CDs sitting at my house now! It’s helped me get my music out to more people. It’s been really good to have a recording that I’m proud of to give to people as a representation of the music I write and perform.’

While life has lead Stringer down this musical path, this does not mean that the process of releasing her album has been an easy one. ‘There were so many factors that had to come together to release it. It was actually a fairly frustrating experience for me, partly because it was the first time I’d ever done it and I don’t think I approached it in a particularly organised way! We just managed to get it to the printers in time for the tour with Mia Dyson. So, I think next time I do it I’ll be a little bit wiser!!’ At least all the hard work that has gone into bringing the album to life has been rewarded with the receipt of high praise, but I wondered whether this praise adds any pressure to the creative process. ‘Nah, not really. I am just trying to write new stuff that I like, so it’s all about trusting my instincts and my own judgements about what’s good. I reckon I’d go insane if I thought too much about what other people think of the songs. Of course I think about it to a degree, but I try not to let it get anywhere near my writing. It’d just get in the way.’

Something that can be easily forgotten is that being a musician is so much more than the music which is heard on CDs or watched delivered on stage. Fundamentally songwriting comes back to words on a page, and the inspiration for these words can come from many sources. So where does Stringer find her inspiration? ‘People mostly. Sometimes people I know, sometimes people I’ve heard or read about or people that I just make up. Humans are complex beings, obviously, so there’s a never ending source of inspiration there.’

Stringer herself is more than a singer-songwriter she is a musical ensemble, displaying her talents with a wide range of instruments. But does she have a stronger affinity with one instrument over all the others? ‘Nah, I love them all. I love playing acoustic guitar and banjo, and I recently bought myself an old lapsteel which is awesome fun. It’s got a beautiful sound. I also recently played some electric guitar for a friend of mine in her band which I really enjoyed. I play piano and cello too but I don’t own either of those instruments so it’s all about the guitars now! (oh, and the blues harp, I’d really like to get good at playing that!).’

As a musician it can be a challenge to find enough time to split between the competing priorities like writing, promoting, touring and recording. Hopefully for Stringer the future will allow her to dedicate more time to simply practicing her craft. ‘The problem is that I still work in hospitality. I’m only doing a few days a week this year but last year I was working full time and touring, playing locally and writing as well. It was pretty exhausting. It’s really nice to have a bit of time during the day to just play.’ The career of any musician is generally built on two critical factors; the recording of albums and performing live to an audience. Is there a preference between the two? ‘I love performing live. I like recording too in some respects but the spontaneity of live performance is a real rush and the energy generated in a room between the performers and the punters can be extremely intense sometimes. Recording is a much more meticulous process. My patience threshold is much better suited to live stuff!’

So the album is out there spreading music to the masses, a series of live performances including an appearance at the St.Kilda Festival are scheduled and it’s a brand new year, what else does the future hold for Liz Stringer? ‘We just had a bit of a rest over Christmas, so this year I want to tour as much as possible and just play, play, play. Adam and I are getting to know eachother as musicians better every time we play so I just wanna work really hard this year and get better at what we do. And I hope that we’ll record the second album in the middle of the year. The writing process is constantly going on for me. I’ve got lots of new songs, its just a matter of choosing the ones that go best together to put on the new album.’

With introspective lyrics that speak intimately of life, it is fortunate for us indeed that Stringer opens the door on her thoughts from time to time and allows us to share in the experience. The pleasure is truly all ours.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

With The Wellingtons music is fun again. Their upbeat happy pop tunes and vibrant energy ensure that listeners can’t help but enjoy the experience. Speaking recently to band members Zac Anthony and Kate Goldby, it sounds like they are as happy with their musical style as we are in listening to it.

‘We’re aware there are plenty of sad, unjust things going on in the world right now. So I think if we can get people’s feet tapping, theirs hands clapping and have them singing and smiling then that’s a great achievement. At the same time we also hope to have a song or two on each record that will maybe show you a sadder side of life or tell a story to give you a new perspective on things.’

Made up of four band members The Wellingtons bring together individuals each with their own musical experiences and their own views to add to the mix. However there are definite advantages in coming together to collaborate and combine their musical efforts. ‘I think we all come from a pretty similar place musically, we all have a good idea of what the song needs and try to add our parts to compliment the song. Sure different influences will affect what those parts and suggestions are and contribute to the overall sound of the final song.’ This collaborative approach is also evident in the way that melodies and lyrics are written, ‘Zac writes the chords and melody and most of the lyrics then I (Kate) tell him what to change!’

Given the advantages found in pooling their talents and energies I wondered whether The Wellingtons were hampered by trying to achieve perfection with their music. ‘Yeah absolutely, it takes a lot of work to get a song ‘right’. I (Zac) run over song structures, melodies, and instrumentation in my head all day so by the time I bring it to the band its 95% done. I also home demo and arrange everything on my computer. I like to think of our tunes as being pretty well crafted which takes time. It can be a lot of work but it’s also very satisfying to get the end product. I like complex harmonies and layering and there can be differences of opinion about when a song is finished which is a very hard decision to reach when there are whole group of people involved!’

Aside from building a solid fan base in Australia, The Wellingtons have been cultivating an impressive overseas following, in fact launching the latest album in Japan late last year. These overseas experiences have had an influence on the band and their musical style, ‘We’ve been ordered by the people of Japan to use more keyboards and female harmonies, so there’s your hot tip for our next album!’ ‘The general positive response we’ve received from our first two albums overseas has inspired me (Zac) just to keep doing what we’re doing, and doing it well. There’s even a song on the new album about our Japanese fans! It makes a big difference to know people are eagerly waiting to hear the new album, it spurs me on to do my best!’

While the band’s overseas travels have influenced their music, have they noticed any differences in how their liver performances are received throughout the world? ‘America was a similar vibe to Australia, generally pretty receptive but you have to win them over. Japanese audiences on the other hand were so enthusiastic, excitable and loud! They’d sing along to the songs, dance and clap in time, then they’d line up for autographs and photos afterwards!’ ‘Some Japanese fans brought us gifts which was ace. They were also silent between songs, waiting and watching, very polite and damn cute too! It’s not about egos or social standing there, like Australia and the U.S can be a lot of the time.’

With the release of their second album For Friends in Far Away Places not too far away I thought the approach to this recording may have been a smoother process than the release of their first album Keeping Up With The Wellingtons. ‘Our first album was recorded in four locations with three different producers and For Friends in Far Away Places was recorded with two line-up changes in three different places too, but surprisingly both sound reasonably consistent!’ Zac elaborates, ‘I think we learn a little more each time we enter the studio so each time you go in you’re a little more prepared and know what to expect. The band has a pretty consistent sound really, the song writing process was the same for both records. I’d somehow invent a chord progression while attaching a melody to it and then once I’d crafted it a little and written a structure I’d show the others and get them to help out with the lyrics that sucked or ones that I was stuck with.’

Once released though the second album won’t give the band much time to themselves for rest and relaxation. ‘Being a self managed band that’s pretty much been the case for the last three years. It’s a heap of work but as good as playing live and song writing is, if we don’t do the management side of things like booking tours, contacting record labels, and arranging promotion then our music wouldn’t get heard and wouldn’t have a life.’

It can be easy to forget that being a musician is more than just the music, there is time spent in writing, recording, performing and promoting to make sure the musical career continues to flourish. This can result in a juggling act between competing priorities. ‘I (Kate) would say it’s more difficult trying to find a balance between working a day job to save money for recording and touring and actually doing it!’ ‘It’s really hard to find time to write songs actually, particularly when you’re touring new countries, or recording, doing interviews, managing a band or working a day job that affords you to do all of the above. That’s always on my (Zac) wish list, more time to write songs and maybe even some time to relax!’

While we hope that they do find that elusive time off to rest and recuperate from time to time let’s hope that they don’t disappear for too long, we would miss all the happy positive energy which they so successfully spread throughout the world.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

At any place that affords a scenic view of the land whether that is from the top of a mountain, a lookout point or a cliff edge, visitors can take in a broad view of the land which stretches out before them. From this elevated height it is possible to appreciate the world from a completely different perspective. All those things you once looked at from the ground and dismissed as being uninteresting like a soaring skyscraper, the curve of a river bank or the arch of a bridge suddenly take on new life when viewed from above. Returning to ground level you have a new found respect and deeper appreciation for those everyday and commonplace visions of life.

However there are another group of people, a particularly rare breed known as singer-songwriters who are able to view life from such unique perspectives at any time without needing to go in search of impressive vistas. Fionn Regan is one such musician who through his album ‘The End of History’ allows us to experience the world through his own eyes for a time.

Since the album’s release in 2006, Regan has met with widespread praise and appreciation for his musical abilities and songwriting prowess. Like anything though there is a story which sits beneath the finished product and shows us that the production of music is equal parts talent and tenacity. ‘Making this record was like building an ocean liner with a butter knife, that’s how it felt. Like you’re standing around trying to build it and you don’t have the tools, the crew or the money bankrolling you. Everyone is looking around and whispering to eachother, ‘what’s he up to?’

From the outside making music can seem like a romantic process. However for people embarking on this journey exposure to the darker side of the music industry can be a perilous experience. ‘Relatively speaking I had a bit of a bumpy entrance to the music industry and I also got to see the plastic side, the knife in the back side of it very early on. I don’t really know anyone my age that would have been able to handle the kind of pressure that came with regards to negotiations and also trying to keep everything together. I got to the point where I got disillusioned with all that and it’s very easy to get quite cynical about things. I think for me the journey that I embarked on and the place that I found myself at I realised that I needed to go off on my own and do it my own way.’ However following his own path did not necessarily mean that he was without help, with much support coming from other musicians. ‘I’ve been lucky to the point that many songwriters and big bands have appreciated what I do and I’ve been very lucky in that sense that people have wanted to help me out. That doesn’t always happen.’

While some artists are willing to compromise their artistic integrity and pursue fame at any cost, Regan has stayed true to his original goals. ‘I got to a place where I just wanted to make a record and not really have any sort of ideas about what was going to happen with it. The only idea was to make the record and document the sounds as they were happening.’

And what drives his songwriting and lyrical inspiration? ‘Songs are often evidence of some kind of struggle and evidence of some kind of triumph at the end of the struggle. That’s what really makes a songwriter, you are providing people with evidence of the internal dialogue with a conversation that happened and things that happened along the way. I don’t know whether there’s any one glowing thing that inspires me. I’m not sure whether I even like the word. Songwriting is an extension of your character. If you’ve got dirt under your fingernails sing about that, if you don’t sing about that.’

Regan has been praised throughout the industry, has received positive reviews from the media and has caught the attention of many. It seems though that all this buzz has not impacted negatively on Regan’s creative processes, ‘External things are very fickle. It’s better to have people deciding that what you do is great than people not paying it any attention.’

This positive attitude has allowed Regan to look beyond the frustrations and restrictions which have presented themselves. ‘I’ve done a huge amount with this record which is considered to be pretty much a miracle in some circles. We had good people around us, but practically no money to promote the album. So everyone had to come looking for us which has been great because it’s been a very organic process. One person finds out about it and then that person turns into five people, which then turn into ten people and so on.’

Rather than be weighed down by a lack of resources, Regan’s experience shows that if you produce a quality product than it will find its own path to success. ‘I went from playing in England before the record to something like 60 people and then ended up playing to 250 people and the last venue was like 800 people so it’s as if every single thing has been growing. Usually it takes a lot of brown envelopes filled with cash to make those sorts of things happen. In our case there wasn’t even enough money for the envelope never mind the cash. So we’ve come a long way so far. Now it’s time to figure out what to do next.’

One thing that Regan will be doing next is a visit to Australia for a series of live performances. Regan adopts a flexible and spontaneous attitude towards what can be expected from his live performances, ‘It’s all hypothetical at this stage I don’t even know what to expect from myself later tonight. I’ll be there and I can only react to my surroundings. I’m not going to sit down and calculate it. I would say expect nothing and we’ll see what happens.’

The challenge of balancing his time between the competing priorities of promoting, writing, recording and performing has not really had an impact on Regan to date, but from the sounds of the coming year he has busy times ahead. ‘After I tour England I’ll be in Australia and then America, on to Paris and then back to England. It’s only just becoming apparent to me that I have to manage my time a bit more so that I can take some time off. People sitting in a room don’t really understand what it takes to go out and play. It takes its toll on you in one way or another; it would be ridiculous to think that it doesn’t.’

With his album announcing ‘The End of History’, after listening to his music and talking to him about his craft I think he may just be right. History is behind us and Regan has joined those rewriting the future as he ushers in a new era of reflection and beauty.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

Here is the long awaited second half of my interview with Rob Pensalfini, Artistic Director of the Queensland Shakespeare Company. In this article we discuss differing audience responses, favourite Shakespearean productions and views on modern interpretations of his plays. You can read the first part of this interview here.

While people the world over have many similarities, we also exhibit many differences, such as the way in which we appreciate and respond to art in all its forms. Does this apply to theatre as well? ‘Without a doubt, though my experience is not broad enough to be able to speak with authority about the world. What I can tell you is that contemporary white English-speaking audiences tend to be quiet and insipid thinking they’re being respectful or polite, but in actual fact diminishing the excitement that a live theatrical event can potentially have. By contrast, many other audiences will call out to actors, jump, stamp, whistle, clap and cheer. Shakespeare’s audiences threw oranges from time to time. We could use a little more of that (maybe not so much the oranges).

When I was growing up in Perth, I did a few productions of Italian plays, in Italian, for predominantly Italian-speaking audiences. Sunday matinees were usually full of OLD Italians, people who had not been brought into the cinema-going culture, where one sits in the dark and pretends there’s nobody else there. These old folks would talk back to the actors, call out to tell us what was going on and make suggestions. For me, having gotten accustomed to the well-behaved silent audiences, this was at first quite off-putting. Once I got used to it though, and started to see theatre acting as a two-way relationship between actor and audience, I found that the audience gave me energy and permission to transcend my limitations and expectations of role, character, and text. The experience became more exciting for me, I became more alive, and my audiences responded in kind.

Conversely, when I went to see a show at the Chicago Shakespeare Rep theatre about seven years ago, I was appalled to read in the program notes instructions to the audience which told us not to sing along, to talk, to even tap our feet in time to music, as this would be distracting to our fellow audience members! A clear directive that an audience is to pay its money and be voyeurs, not participants, in the theatrical event. This is theatre trying to kill itself. Theatre is a live event which brings diverse (hopefully) elements of a broader community together into one room to share an experience. Why pretend it’s something else?

The above is one of the reasons why I prefer, whenever possible, to work in a theatre where the audience remains lit throughout the show, so that they can see one another, and even more importantly so that the actors can see the audience as well as the audience sees them. I’ve only ever worked in Australia and the US, where by and large audiences are pretty much the same.’

Shakespeare offers everything from tragedy to comedy and many variations in-between, so it is understandable that choosing a favourite amongst those is a difficult thing to try to do. So does Rob have a clear favourite? ‘Whichever one I am working on at the time. Among my favourites are Twelfth Night (which I directed in 2000, and which I’ve been in two different productions of playing different roles), King John (I’ve been involved in three productions of it), Romeo and Juliet (which I’ve only done as a short), all of the Roman plays (I’ve done two of the four), and Henry IV, Part I (which I’ve been in a production of in the US). Oh and Hamlet, Richard III, and The Tempest. But name others and I’d go “oh yeah, and that one”. They are all wonderful explorations of the human condition and of the basic questions “what does it mean to be human?” (the universal question), “how should be behave?” (the social question) and “what must I do?” (the personal question).

But, if I had to give a definitive answer, rather than ‘all of the above’, I reckon today my answer would be Twelfth Night (ask again tomorrow and you’d get a different answer). Among the things I love about this play are the large number of meaty roles (a true ensemble piece), the rapid transition from comedy to farce to tragedy to romance, from the most inane hilarity to some of the cruellest scenes Shakespeare wrote. And of course the presence of music (‘music’ being the second word of the play, after all, and songs are integrated into the action throughout). I like the redemption of most of the characters, and the fact that not everything is tied up neatly at the end (Antonio, for example, is left hanging, and what does indeed come of Malvolio?) This play is a multi-faceted gem – every time I turn it a different way it seems like a different play.’

Shakespeare is produced and presented in many different ways, and can appear as anything from classical full productions, to modern interpretations of his texts and characters. ‘I’m not really a big fan of ‘interpretation’ of any sort if what is meant by that is deciding ahead of working on the play what it is about and what it’s going to look like. I believe that ought to come from delving deep into the text with the community that is going to perform it (hence the whole ‘ensemble’ thing).

It depends also what is meant by classical Shakespeare. For a lot of people, this means prancing about in tights putting on upper class English accents. I hate that, for a variety of reasons. First of all, and most of all, the accents. Shakespeare did not speak in a nineteenth century upper class accent (this accent did not exist yet when Shakespeare was alive and furthermore Shakespeare was decidedly NOT upper class, nor was he from London). And we are Australians. So why would we use an aesthetic that is neither ours nor his? The Brits themselves stopped doing this kind of Shakespeare about 40 years ago, and the Americans have been happy to use their own accents for a long time. Australia is kind of the last hangover of this dreadfully elitist and exclusive Shakespeare.

As for the tights… If Shakespeare’s company wore tights and codpieces on stage, it was only because that, for them, was contemporary dress. What little evidence we have suggests that they pretty much wore street clothes, embellished with the odd bit of flair such as a crown to signify kinghood, or maybe a sash over the shoulder for the roman plays. They did something quite brilliant really, which was to simultaneously (through costume) indicate their own time and the time of the setting. We have a similar aesthetic. In Coriolanus, for example, our costumes used mostly contemporary elements but with elements that suggested classical Rome without “being” authentically Roman (best look at the photos on the QSE website rather than have me try to explain what I mean).

At the other end, contemporary interpretation, I think it’s important to remember that what Shakespeare wrote was HEIGHTENED – so contemporising is fine, as long as you don’t try to make it kitchen sink. Staring at the floor and mumbling, wearing jeans and t-shirts, probably won’t cut it, as you lose the heightened aspect of the work. It’s not naturalism, it’s epic realism. So something in there has to tell us that while the story is very much our story, very much of our time and place, it is also something bigger, something that rises above the mundane and speaks to the universal.

Both in terms of design and use of language then, I encourage people very much to be as they are, who they are, the nationality and class they are, but to be the biggest version of that person they can be. Shakespeare often wrote verse, which is heightened language, and it ought to be delivered as such, with heightened rhythm, a sense of the sounds as well as the meanings of the words, so that it speaks not only to the intellect but also to the rhythms of the body and the spirit of the audience. But there’s no need to be putting on British accents, that only sends the message that these stories belong to someone else, and that’s dangerous.

Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of ‘clever’ reinterpretations, of the sort “Hey, let’s set The Tempest on a space station in the year 2300″ or “Let’s do Julius Caesar in a 1980s boardroom”. These typically tend to constrain the play and make it a much smaller event than the text demands. Also, as Bogdanov (the British director) said, these kinds of concept tend to place yet another layer between the text and the audience which must be negotiated, resulting in a more obscure production. I’m not a big fan of being obscure.

However, I am not ruling out that we would ever do such a re-telling, as long as I could be convinced that the concept came out of the text itself, and, most importantly, out of the confluence of text, context (the society and audience in which we are performing), and actors.’

Thanks to Rob for providing such fascinating and comprehensive answers in the two parts of this interview. I know I for one will never think about or look at theatre in quite the same way again.

Live theatre for me as an audience member is all sweaty palms, swiftly beating heart, and sweet anticipation. When theatre is as theatre should be it is like being welcomed into and absorbed by another world. I often wondered what the experience was like for those on the other side of ‘the curtain’. And just what is involved in bringing that ‘other world’ to life? In order to find out more about the practicalities of bringing such magic to life, I recently spoke with Rob Pensalfini, Artistic Director of the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble (QSE).

Forming in 2001 QSE presented their first full production, As You Like It in 2002. ‘We wanted to kick off the company’s performance history with a comedy that had plenty of music, sexuality, wit, romance, a bit of violence and darkness, and was fairly well-known while not being over-performed.’ By 2003 the company was ready to tackle something darker. ‘The western world was about to go to war in Iraq (again), and questions were being raised about what makes a good leader, both military and civic. Coriolanus, a little-performed play, seemed to be the right play for the time.’

Finding themselves with two sets of similar looking actors in 2005, Comedy of Errors seemed to be the perfect play to present. ‘We’d just come off a number of fairly dark plays in a row, and it seemed time for some slapstick.’ In 2006, the year of the World Shakespeare Congress in Brisbane, QSE expected that most companies would be presenting Shakespeare productions and so took the opportunity to do their first non-Shakespearean play, Metamorphoses. ‘Many folks in Brisbane thought it odd that a Shakespeare company would do a non-Shakespeare play. But if you look at the big Shakespeare companies around the world, you will find that only about half of their productions are of Shakespeare plays. And we never set out to do exclusively Shakespeare – his texts are the home to which we always return, and the stone on which we whet our skills and passions, but we have always intended to branch out beyond.’

This year QSE will return to comedy with a full production of Much Ado About Nothing, a play that I have been longing to see live for some time. ‘We’ve got some magnificent actors in their 30s, ideal to play the older lovers in this play. Also, we are looking to work in our new larger venue, and think that this play has a good chance of attracting a bigger audience.’

Given the variety of productions which the Ensemble has already undertaken and the tremendous choice of works which could be selected, I was curious to find out how particular productions are decided upon. ‘A typical QSE year, pretty much for the last five years, consists of one full production, and a more experimental or ‘workshop’ production and / or a staged reading. The difference between the ‘full’ and ‘workshop’ production comes down largely to budget and length of run. Our full production typically runs for three weeks, has a bigger budget, and tickets cost $20-$25 (full). The workshop productions run for about a week, have a much smaller budget, and tickets cost around $10. So, bottom line: how do we decide on a mainstage production? It’s a combination of factors including: Who is in the company? What’s the buzz in our society (local, national, global)? What seems like the next logical step for the company given what we’ve done?’

So the decision is made to present a particular production, but then what? How does it go from words and directions on a page to what we see as the completed product on stage? ‘Very generally speaking, a full production has twelve weeks of rehearsal, while a workshop production has six. This is a lot more than the standard commercial model of a four week rehearsal period. Again, the difference lies in the notion of “ensemble”. In a commercial theatre, the actors arrive on their first day of rehearsal to find that the set and costume design are already completed, and the director has a very clear “concept” of what the play is about and how it’s going to look. Actors are often reduced to being meat puppets who physicalise someone else’s idea of the play. With an ensemble, we already know who the main actors are going to be before we even choose the play, so the choice of play is influenced by the particular configuration of actors, their desires and abilities. I like to think this is a bit more like Shakespeare’s own company, where it is very clear that Shakespeare wrote many of the parts with specific actors in mind.’

‘We also typically employ a process called ‘dropping in’, developed by my teachers Tina Packer and Kristin Linklater, which is a means of viscerally connecting the actors to their text, and providing opportunities to mine the language for all of its resonances, personal, universal, contemporary, historical, layers of meaning, sound and symbolism. This is a rather lengthy process and can take the first week or two of a rehearsal period, and this is done before the actors ever play a scene or begin to learn their lines.’

Modern society offers us so many different entertainment options from television, to movies, to music, to the internet. Does live theatre still hold a place? ‘People don’t seem to mind spending $15 to see a movie and if the movie’s a piece of %*@#, they just say “oh well, that was pretty bad” and shrug. But those folks seem loathe to spend $20 to see a piece of live theatre. Studies of this have suggested that audiences don’t want to risk being disappointed by a piece of live theatre. And yet they don’t seem to mind being disappointed by a film.’

‘Why is bad theatre more disappointing than bad film? I think it’s because theatre engages us on a deeper level, a more immediate and visceral level. The actors are living breathing human beings, filling the same air that the audience breathes with their thoughts, their feelings, their sweat, their breath, in real time. The connection is more real, and therefore we are more disappointed, and rightly so, if it turns out the actors are faking, lying, pretending, being dishonest.’

‘Sadly, I think that a lot of theatre today simply tries to emulate film – to emulate the spectacle, the acting styles, and the values that film espouses. But if theatre simply tries to be film’s poorer cousin, it will become completely redundant and disappear. Film can out-special-effect and out-spectacle theatre any day of the week. Film can outdo theatre when it comes to tiny subtle ‘naturalistic’ acting, thanks to the close-up. And film can reach many more people than theatre ever can, with Tom Cruise appearing simultaneously in dozens of cinemas all over the world. If theatre is to survive, it must be on its own terms – what can theatre do that film cannot? The answer is, theatre can put real human performers in direct live relationship with audiences. There we all are, in the room together. I think therefore that the future of theatre must be in forms which honour the live and immediate relationship between actor and audience.’

For me, good theatre completely entrances and captivates so that the passing of time feels like mere moments, but obviously not everyone is going to have the same experience. I wondered whether there was any pressure to present shorter productions given that life often seems so busy. ‘There’s probably a more alarming reason for the need to shorten plays, and that’s the ’sound-bite’ world of contemporary communication. Professor Michael Silverstein, a former colleague of mine at the University of Chicago did some research on the changing nature of political speeches. He compared a speech a mere hundred and forty years old to some of our time. He looked at Lincoln’s Gettysburg address (“Four score and seven years ago…”), a trifle of two hundred words that some credit with changing the direction of the US Civil War. This short speech contained references to historical events, and used the linguistic arts of rhetoric in such a way as to move the audience to action. This is the sort of thing we find all over Shakespeare, and some three centuries later this tradition is alive and well in Lincoln’s work. However, he then went to the political speeches of Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II, and found these to essentially be sound bites: “Read my lips: no new taxes”, “Mission accomplished”, “It’s the economy, stupid”. If it can’t be said in under five seconds, it won’t be said at all. Unfortunately, most complex issued CANNOT be outlined and analysed in five seconds or less, and the result is that the complexities of issues are not discussed.’

‘So I see the place of theatre, and of classical theatre in particular, as being part of the antidote to the simplistic thinking and black and white reductivism of contemporary public discourse. Shakespeare is great for this – there are no heroes and villains in Shakespeare, or rather, we see the dark side of every hero, for example Henry V, and the reasons behind the villainy, for example Richard III. To understand Shakespeare means to be able to hold the complexity of a thought through a sentence that might range over five or six (or more) lines, with nuance and many shades of grey. Therefore I am largely resistant to the idea of any emendation to Shakespeare’s texts that renders them more simplistic, that means we no longer need to be able to follow a complex thought or argument. Contemporary audiences are not more stupid than earlier ones; we have simply come to expect stupidity from our performing arts. Let’s reverse that expectation.’

‘Now, as to the question of ‘modernising’ the language, we don’t do it. We have never felt the need. One of the things that we have built a strong reputation for is clarity and accessibility of our text in performance. The reason is that Shakespeare’s language IS modern. Linguistically, it is known as early modern English, a variety of the English that we speak that is a mere four centuries younger and more juvenile than our own. Shakespeare’s language IS hard to read off the page, but that is simply because it was never written in order to be read out of a book, it was written to pour forth from the mouths of actors who understood and embodied every syllable. When Shakespeare’s language is hard to understand in performance it is INVARIABLY because the actors and/or director do not understand it – it’s never the audience’s fault.’

‘QSE works a great deal with language, with the multiple meanings of words, with the sound symbolism, with the rhythms and rhymes in the verse, and when we go out on stage we live the language. We do not hold it at arms length or intone it as if it were some precious gem; we dive into it and let it take us over. Most actors are scared of the text; we revel in it. Surprisingly or not, audiences at show after show tell us how clear the text was, and many of them are convinced that we have ‘modernised’ the text because they report understanding Shakespeare ‘for the first time’.’

The second part of this interview will be posted in the not too distant future.

Viva Computer may not have been on the Australian music scene for all that long, but they certainly prove that individuality and unique musical soundscapes are alive and well. Guitarist Jonathon McCarthy recently shed some light on what makes Viva Computer tick. Based in Tasmania, this group of five strapping young lads are still figuring out exactly where they want their music to take them, but wherever that is they’re likely to be joined by many fans on the journey.

‘Experimentation is good and we’ve tried lots of things. We try to avoid repeating ourselves but I guess it’s pretty inevitable having a recognisable sound. Each member prefers different aspects of our sound. I like how our songs sound like a bunch of guys doing different things and want to write more songs like ‘Send it Through the Wire’, whereas Will wants pop.’

On their recently released EP, We Are the Fourth Emergency they produce atmospheric music with a dark, dirty edge which may come more from their musical influences rather than be part of a conscious decision to create a certain sound and feel. ‘The atmosphere might be a result of being influenced by, but being nowhere near as good as, Sonic Youth. We were trying to use feedback in our music like they do as it tends to texture songs. We also recorded our EP in a big open house, which tends to drown everything in natural reverb and Will likes to cover his vocals in absurd amounts of reverb. The tone of our next release is looking to sound far more pop and upbeat than We Are the Fourth Emergency. So there are no solid ideas about how our albums should feel.’

Just as a famous bard once said, ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’, the same also seems to be true of any recording process. Bringing We Are the Fourth Emergency to life most certainly came with its challenges. ‘It dragged over about 6 months. Our drummer Tim was sick for a few days of the recording; we recorded the EP ourselves and didn’t really know what we were doing. We didn’t have an 8 track so we could play as we do live. There were problems with cover art designers and we were endlessly re-recording pieces as we started to dislike a few of the songs. Jordy joined the band half way through the process so we wrote and added his parts. Also Will was in London for the bulk of the recording so we had to record his parts when he got back.’

In a group of five, there are bound to be different musical influences and inspirations that come together to make up the band’s sound as a whole. ‘The differences have a positive influence, probably because no one is adamant about playing a particular kind of music. We figure it’s probably harder to be original if every band member’s influences forced a band to work within one genre. We think the best songs strike a balance between accessibility and inaccessibility, pop and noise.’

An example of the positive influence of these differences is the approach taken to write and develop each song. ‘It’s collaborative, Will tends to write the bulk of the melody lines and lyrics and each member tends to write much of their own parts. But we wouldn’t sound like we do if it wasn’t for every member in the band. Each member influences each other member’s parts. It’s a pretty long critical process that requires everyone’s input. I think, in reality, it would be pretty hard to be in a band and not have a collaborative process, especially if you think being in ‘a band’ isn’t just about your songs.’ While they are often positive, these differences also introduce diversity in the way band members approach the task at hand, even though everyone is striving for the same goal. ‘Will is quite capable of winging some things and Jordy frustratingly likes to improvise. It takes a long time to get songs right. Even after all that I end up hating some songs after I’ve felt that we’ve done everything we can to them, whilst other members love them.’

Aside from writing and recording, Viva Computer has also been building a reputation on the live circuit for being solid rock performers, and this is something with which Jonathon readily agrees, ‘We’re probably at our best when we’re loud and in a small room.’ The inspiration for getting out on stage no doubt in part comes from their own experiences of great live music. With that in mind I asked Jonathon what band he’d like to perform alongside. ‘I can’t speak for the other guys but for me it would be Gerling; sounds a bit low key but I really loved their live show. I saw them in Launceston once just as I turned 18 and there were about 12 people. They came onto the stage and said, “Ok, I know there’s not many people here but PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR” and went completely insane. They also seem like nice guys, they’re not too big. Hopefully we’ll fall into that one day.’

With their first EP already out and about, I asked what the immediate future held for Viva Computer. ‘We’re recording (hopefully an album) with some other artists “Charles du Cane” “Peter Escott” and “Lily Pearce”. We’ll play shows again when our drummer Tim gets back from Thailand and when our bass player Kieran gets back from Colorado around April 2007. Unless the new album goes amazing and we can get it together live with our collaborators.’

While Tasmania may sometimes seem to be a world away from fame and fortune, I think Jonathon sums it up best when he talks about why location doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. ‘We’ve always been of the opinion that if you are good enough you’ll “make it” no matter where you live.’

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

With music that speaks of dark places, cloudy atmospheres and the dirty underbelly of life, there is nothing lightweight and easily dismissed about The Kill Devil Hills. With rich vocals and deeply textured music they are a band which captivate listeners and provide a genuine story telling experience. Always intense, often reflective and sometimes deeply introspective these six musicians are about more than just music; they offer musical experiences. With a new album currently doing the rounds and not being the type to rest quietly on their laurels, the boys from The Kill Devil Hills are set to hit the road again for some more live performances that are sure to cement their reputation as brilliant live musicians. Speaking recently with band member Alex Archer, he spoke of their approach to the latest album, their creative inspiration and plans for the future.

Released in October 2006, The Drought is the follow up to their debut album Heathen Songs. With this release coming about 18 months after the release of their first album, I wondered whether the creation and release of this album differed from the process followed the first time around. ‘Well, for a start, The Drought was recorded in the cool comforts of winter in a sleepy little south west town, while Heathen Songs was recorded in the angry throes of summer in the bowels of an intercity sweat box two doors down from the sun. Secondly, we spent about eight months on The Drought, which was substantially longer than what we spent on Heathen Songs. Thirdly, there has been a slight line-up change, we lost our pianist and gained a mandolinist, so inherently that changes the dynamics within the band.’

Their lyrics and music are firmly grounded in reality in that they are dark, heavy and gritty just like life can often be. This honest, rough and ready sound imbues their music with a genuine feel, though perhaps not necessarily taken from real life experiences. ‘Lochee is in his second year apprenticeship with the boneyard rider (he’s always showing up to rehearsals with saddle rashes and smelling of graveyard soil). Brendon is currently serving a 6-year prison term because he shot a man who stole his boat, and Steve of course is a card-carrying member of the WWHSU (World Wide Heathen Society Union). So yes, the song writing is a definite reflection of everyone’s personal life.’ And what of the different musical tastes that each band member brings into the mix? ‘The musical tastes range from Slayer to Leon Redbone, so somewhere hidden in the middle we’ve accidentally stumbled onto a genre to which scientists haven’t a name for yet.’

The Kill Devil Hills are a wonderful conglomeration of styles, covering everything from echoes of country to alternative rock and soulful blues. This diversity is no doubt due to the styles, interests and inspirations which each member brings to the band. ‘I’d have to say that there is such a vast spectrum in everyone’s musical taste (some hideous and some impeccable) that it would be hard to pin-point exactly what influences the band as a whole.’ Whatever the individual influences may be, The Kill Devil Hills are a truly collaborative band, with everyone contributing to the mix. ‘Everyone in the band writes. Brendon at the moment has the most little golden stars on the song writing board. The general procedure is: someone brings a beautiful, well written song to a rehearsal, then its everyone else’s duty to dismantle the piece, strip it of it’s integrity, then rebuild it into a strange Frankensteinish score, clobber it with distorted violin and guitar antics, then baptise it on stage.’

Unlike some bands that have to try hard to create something different, with The Kill Devil Hills ‘all in’ approach and already distinctive sound, each musical release is bound to take on a unique life of its own. ‘There is never a definitive aim to create an ‘all new sound’ for ourselves or for our albums. The changes from one album to the next are indicative of line-up changes, different recording environments, longer beards and of course having another year under our belts of playing together and refining our sound.’

In the years that they’ve been together, the guys certainly have grown both professionally and artistically, but would they call themselves perfectionists? ‘In the beginning, it wasn’t even a concern if we didn’t know how to play the instruments that we were holding. Now we do spend a little more time trying to get things right. I wouldn’t go as far as saying obsequious perfectionism, but we are trying to find an agreeable medium between playing a rowdy Melbourne pub and an album that you can enjoy listening to on your own in a comfy chair.’

Seeing as the album release wasn’t all that long ago and that touring never seems far from their minds, I asked what was next for The Kill Devil Hills. ‘More touring, then some more, then just a little bit more around Australia a few more times and then Europe in a year or so. Writing? Well we all want to get back into the studio already.’ Whatever they get up to and wherever they end up it’s nice to see that their sense of humour and goal setting ambitions are alive and well. ‘We won’t rest until we are the backing band for Cindy Lauper’.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.