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Contents

04 05 10 13

From the Editor

Todd Simpson Interivew

Life is a Cabaret The Makings of a Genre

Let's Make Faces Portrait Drawing Series

Business Book in Brief The Passion Conversation

Musician's Perspective with Mark Morand

26 31

Denise on Fiction Light by M. John Harrison

PPS Album Review Spring Hill Fair

Manager's Perspective with Nathan Brenner

41 44 46 50

Film Noir Review In A Lonely Place

Small Biz Bulletin POME

Typography Design A to Z

Pop to the Shop Four of our Favourites

From the Editor With immunisation targets in place and a push toward the “new normal,” what is re-opening going to look like? It’s a question I’m constantly asking myself as I book events for the venue and product extensions for our retail business. During the last 18 months, I have seen the doors of shops and hospitality venues close, but alongside this trend, I’ve witnessed the dawning of a new, elevated level of customer service. The pandemic restrictions and workarounds have raised the expectation of customers, now anticipating a more personalised experience. There is more emphasis on appointment-only shopping and one-on-one or small group consultations. My prediction is that people will be cautious about spending money as they step out from lockdown, and will need a damn good reason to engage with a brand to the point of purchase. The impact on brands, like mine, is a necessity for communication around the WHY of things, with understanding "niche" all-important. It’s an almost intimate connection with the customer that will separate a brand from the pack. With all of this in mind, Jimmy Hornet will soon be launching a new, and edgy spin on shopping. The expected launch is just around the corner in October 2021, so stay tuned!

Anthea Palmer anthea@jimmyhornet.com

Todd simpson no more screwed up thaN usual LUXRUG We are guilty of spending way too much time glaring at images on Instagram and Pinterest, but when you come across an artist as marvelous as Todd Simpson, that time spent reaps a mighty fine reward. Add to our delight the finding that Todd is a local Melbourne artist.

How would you describe your art in one sentence? Through my art, I endeavour to convey everyday beauty that is often overlooked in the midst of our busy lives.

LUXRUG

Which Artist has had the biggest impact or influence on your work? I'm in awe of artists with the technical skill to accurately render what they see to the point where you have to question whether you're looking at a photo or a painting. On a trip to the National Gallery in Canberra many years ago I was spell bound by a photorealistic portrait by US artist Chuck Close that got me started on my journey as an artist.

Your body of work includes sculpture, painting, and portraiture. Which medium has been most successful from a commercial viewpoint? Definitely the streetscape paintings of the last couple of years, these are typically snapped up within hours of being made available and some have even sold on the basis of a 'work in progress' image on social media.

Of all your many awards, is there one that stands out as the most memorable or LUXRUG important? Last year I was a finalist in the inaugural Darling Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, no trip to Canberra has ever been complete without a trip to the NPG so to be hung amongst so many of my painting heroes was a thrill. Incidentally I also had a painting hanging at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery at the same time so the Trans-Tasman double was special.

How do you get into your creative "zone?" I've found the key to being productive in art as in most things is turning up and getting on with it. I don't wait to feel in the mood, I have a dedicated studio, my projects well planned in advance and I treat my art like a job. I'm constantly thinking about the next project, gathering ideas and references as I go so I'm never really out of the zone.

Via which online platform do you sell the most art? LUXRUG

Bluethumb – it's an online space where Australian art is bought and sold and represents over 11,000 artists with more than 230,000 artworks listed. The way art is sold has slowly been moving away from the bricks and mortar galleries to online, a trend that has accelerated since Covid.

What do you find most difficult in running the business side of your Art? Anything that takes me away from making the art. At the moment it's the time taken to get artworks uploaded – the photos, artist's statements, social media posts, and so on, and when an artwork is sold it's the time taken to pack and ship. Good problems to have though because it means I'm selling.

Can you shed any light on the Art scene in New Zealand versus Australia? The main difference not surprisingly is scale, Australia has an abundance of public institutions, private galleries, and collectors that just aren't there in New Zealand, consequently it's a lot easier to be a starving artist in New Zealand. Other key differences would be the respective influence of Aboriginal and Maori artists on the local scene and the influence of a very different physical environment on what artists choose to create.

Looking ahead, what plans do you have for 2022?

LUXRUG I love what I'm doing at the moment so the plan is more of the same. My first solo exhibition was canceled last year because of Covid and all the works were subsequently sold online through Bluethumb so putting some new pieces aside and working towards a new exhibition in 2022 could be a plan. "Stilled Screwed Up - Cover Portrait Artist Statement When I was thinking about the artist's statement for this painting I was tempted to make something of the ambiguity of the title along the lines of the literally screwed up image and a figuratively, lockdown induced psychologically damaged artist. Far from being traumatised by months of the Melbourne lockdown I've been fortunate to have endured it with relative ease. The truth lies somewhere between attempting to find an interesting approach to tackling a self-portrait and being no more 'screwed up' personally than usual.

Visit Todd Simpson

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! This column is dedicated to all things CABARET! Here, I will discuss the multi-faceted world of this unique art form from craft, my own personal experience, history, and interviews with people in the local and broader industry. So, étranger, if you are curious about the Wonderful World of Cabaret, read on, s’il vous plait... The Big Question: What IS Cabaret? Cabaret to many people seems to be quite an elusive art form, for the genre makes use of many mediums and is diverse within itself. A ‘Cabaret’ performance can feature music, song, dance, spoken word, comedy, or drama - or a combination of all these theatrical elements. The word ‘Cabaret’ is defined as: “entertainment held in a nightclub or restaurant while the audience eat or drink at tables.” A typical Cabaret performance is more informal and relaxed than a typical theatre show. The casual atmosphere allows for a more intimate connection between the audience and performer, and creates the chance for audience involvement akin to a stand up comedy show or gameshow.

The history of Cabaret performance dates back to the late 1800s, first appearing in France. The shows consisted of a series of amateur acts, linked together by a ‘Master of Ceremonies' (MC). One of the most iconic cabaret venues of the time is ‘Le Chat Noir’ which is thought to be where cabaret was born. This venue served as a hub for aspiring artists, musicians, and writers and became an underground movement for people who could poke fun at conventional bourgeois society. The Cabaret movement then spread to Germany in the 1900s, and to other countries such as Holland, Russia. It eventually made its way to the USA during the second half of the 20th century. Perhaps the most commonly understood idea of Cabaret would be the 1972 film “Cabaret” starring Liza Minelli and directed by the legendary choreographer, Bob Fosse. The film takes place in ‘The Kit Kat Club’ in 1930’s Berlin, just before the Nazi uprising in Germany. The film mirrors the ideals of the Cabaret genre: entertainment as an escape from mundanity and hardship encompassing political satire, “gallows” humor, and the challenge of conservative beliefs. It is a wonderful film which won many awards, and I would recommend this to anyone who is unfamiliar with the genre as a great introduction.

In Australia, we have a unique Cabaret scene - some Melbourne-based artists of note would include: Tash York, Dolly Diamond, Gillian Cosgriff and Valerie Hex who leads the Queer performance troupe “Yummy”. Some of Australia’s most iconic cabaret venues are located here in Melbourne: namely, The Butterfly Club on Flinders Lane; also Chapel off Chapel in Prahran and The 86 in Fitzroy. Cabaret is a forever growing and changing art form: always pushing boundaries and providing an open platform for a diverse array of performers and followers alike. I look forward to sharing more about the wonderful world of Cabaret in the next column, but for now: à bientôt!

By Jack Lynch About the Author My name is Jack Lynch and I work as a host at Jimmy Hornet, as well as being a musician, songwriter, and cabaret artist/creator. I hold a Bachelor of Music from Monash University in Popular Voice, and have performed my own selfdevised cabaret “Confessions from the Bell Jar” - a show exploring mental and emotional health through the work of Sylvia Plath - at the Melbourne Fringe in 2019 at the Butterfly Club and at Adelaide Fringe in 2020. I am currently working on a new cabaret show about Diana, Princess of Wales which I premiered at Chapel off Chapel in July this year.

Let's Make Faces Portrait Drawing Series by Award-Winning Artist Lois Jessop

Part 2 I hope everyone is well and looking forward to putting all your homework vertical ovals to good use. I've chosen an unusual face for us to begin drawing. Dame Elizabeth Taylor was described as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her facial features meet the criteria of symmetrical and proportional perfection, but not many human faces do.

Most of us look out from faces that are asymmetrical; the left side of our face is different in proportion when compared to the right side. We can test this with a mirror held vertically at a right angle to our face, against the tip of our nose. The reflected image may surprise you.

I have provided a face-to-front image of Liz, with even lighting, and in monochrome, so we can explore the variations in tones from our 6B to 8B soft pencils. I also have provided scanned step-by-step progressions, so you can see how my interpretive mind and method works! And some explanation notes...

Are you ready? Is your kneadable eraser handy? First, write the date up in the corner of your page... Let's start at the very beginning... Basic Construction of Facial Proportions I look at my blank page and imagine a vertical oval in the centre, large enough so there is space to add ears either side, and hair later. Draw lightly, round and round. You don't have to get it right first time!! There are about 16 lightly sketched ovals on my page here!

Step 1 Now draw a pale vertical line down the centre of the oval. I sketched my line roughly, almost straight. It doesn't have to be perfect. Please don't use a ruler!!

Step 2 Now determine the horizontal centre of the oval and lightly sketch a horizontal line across the oval. This is the 'eye position' line because the top of the oval is the top of the head, not the hairline. Trust me! Upon this line is where Liz's famous mauve eyes will be positioned.

Step 3 Now, look at the space beneath this horizontal 'eye position' line and the bottom edge of the oval. Roughly determine halfway and lightly draw another horizontal line. This line will guide us as to where to draw the tip of Liz's nose. Now look at the space beneath this horizontal line and the bottom of the oval, determine halfway, and lightly draw another horizontal line across the oval. This will be where Liz's famous red lips will be positioned.

Steps 4 and 5 The Eyes Have It! It has been observed by experts that most human eyes are positioned with a space between them that equals the width of one eye. This space appears across the bridge of the nose. So, to draw this structure accurately, first look at the picture of Liz. Observe the size of her eyes, and how much space they fill, from the outer corner at the temple to the inner corner, at the tear duct. (Don't include her eyebrows yet.) At the intersection of your first central vertical line and the horizontal 'eye position' line, lightly draw an eye-sized horizontal oval around this intersection point, so the oval is centred. Then lightly draw another horizontal oval, same size, on the 'eye position' line, to the right of the first one, and then lightly draw another to the left of the first one, so you have three, all the same size, all on the 'eye position' line.

Step 6 Now you can take your eraser and remove the centre horizontal oval. It has served its purpose. At this stage of the process, this basic facial construction 'grid' could be developed into almost anybody!

Once you know how to construct and position the main facial elements, you can manipulate the proportions to capture any likeness, including those with asymmetrical features. Look at actor Shannen Doherty, whose 'eye position' line is not conventionally horizontal... her left eye socket is not level with her right eye socket. It's one of her unique facial features, and that's how you would draw her. Draw what you see. Practise these basic facial construction steps, and experiment with other peoples' faces. Try a self-portrait! (Remember your mirror image, that you see all the time, is back-to-front to how others see your face.) Next time we'll continue developing the beautiful face of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Until then, I wish you well. And if we're in another lockdown, keep drawing! Cheers Lois

Contact Lois Jessop

WANT

DRAW

WITH

LOIS?

Join in and submit your finished portrait. Three will be selected by Lois to be featured in the magazine. Selected contributors will receive a mystery surprise package from The Hornet Press and Jimmy Hornet. Submission and queries to: info@jimmyhornet.com

thehornetpress.com

Pencils ready?

bIZ

b ook

in brief ROBBIN PHILLIPS | GREG CORDELL | GENO CHURCH | JOHN MOORE It's no wonder there are four authors, given the amount of research conducted in support of this book. There are great "love stories," otherwise known as case studies on business, but for the purpose of being brief, I'm going to give you an outline of the three most important chapters. Let's get straight to the take-home message, and then we'll talk about some action points.

NO PASSION, NO CONVERSATION. NO CONVERSATION, NO WORD OF MOUTH. NO WORD OF MOUTH, NO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. Although this magazine is pointed toward people working in a creative field, we believe you can work passionately and with creativity in any business. Also, just because you're "a creative," with an emotional connection to your work, doesn't mean you're communicating that message effectively.

understanding word of mouth (WOM) marketing It's About People, Stupid. A simple and you might think an obvious message, but are you really considering the PEOPLE you're trying to attract with your marketing? We face so many marketing problems. Which platform, what format, what to spend, what to measure. The take-home message in this chapter is to reframe those issues as PEOPLE problems. This will change your perspective on how you market.

SPARKING (WOM) marketing IIf you understand WHY people talk, you have a far greater chance of sparking conversation about how your brand fits into their lives. Your customers have three triggers for engagement:-

Functional - sharing useful information.

Social - impress others, express

uniqueness, increase reputation.

Emotional - strong emotional feeling evoked.

A further breakdown of each category is provided in the table.

SUSTAINING word of mouth (WOM) marketing This lengthy chapter is full of engagement theory. Again, for the sake of keeping this "brief," here's a list of the 9 things you can do to sustain the LERVE! 1. Tend to it - be consistent and engaged. 2. Focus on early engagers - energy goes where energy flows! 3. Keep it exciting - try new things and mix it up. 4. Go out on dates - look for face-to-face opportunities with customers. 5. Show kindness, respect, and admiration. 6. Live and learn - be flexible and look for new opportunities. 7. Renew your vows to each other - reconnect with customers. 8. Remember that you aren't in it alone - it has to be about building relationships. 9. Look for and appreciate diversity - strong communities embrace diversity. Should you Read this Book? If you are developing a marketing strategy or trying to build an audience, then the answer is a definitive YES. Given every business is dependent on communicating with customers, this easy to read book, with entertaining antidotes, is worth spending the time on.

MUSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE with mark morand The unique continuum of participants in the music performance business

It's pretty clear… The business of being a performing musician is completely unique and pretty tough. Of all the industries I’ve worked in (which is at least a dozen), only one other share the characteristics that make being a performing musician so unique, and so tough. And that’s before Covid. So in this second article in a series of six, I’ll spend some time describing a taxonomy of participants in the music performance business, to set the context around why it’s so hard to make a living from it. I want to stress that there is no judgment implied or intended in this taxonomy, and I’m also not making the case for change here. it’s just the facts as I see them. This context will inform the next four articles in the series. Starting at the top of the pecking order, there are musicians who can pretty much name their price. There are very few other industries (actors being one) where this is the case, and it’s a tiny slice of the total population of musicians. They include high-profile vocalists and bands who record original music that sell at high volume globally, and who perform to stadium-sized crowds.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are musicians who play for free. These include young people just starting out, weekenders who play occasionally, and older people who might have been playing for decades and will still show up for events such as jazz festivals.

In between these two extremes is everyone else. This includes orchestral musicians who are employed under an award; session musicians who command minimum hourly or session rates such as those set by the MEAA; musicians who, for example, perform in large venues with ticketing systems and audience sizes that MAY deliver solid returns to performers. It includes musicians who take gigs where they can get them, at rates of pay ranging between say, the hourly rate equivalent of our wonderful hospo community, through to an hourly rate that professionals in conventional industries (medicine, engineering, accounting) might receive – bearing in mind that professionals typically collect that rate every hour over a 40 (80?) hour week, whereas the musician is usually collecting that rate only for the 1, 2 or 3 hours of each performance. None of these rates (with the possible exception of full-time musicians on an award) include the hours spent rehearsing and practicing, the money spent on equipment purchase and maintenance, rehearsal room costs, travel costs and time, stage clothing costs, and the list goes on.

This taxonomy can be reduced to four ‘types’ of performing musician:

• Musicians who generate wealth beyond any sense of ‘reliance’ on an income • Musicians who rely on performance as their primary source of income • Musicians who don’t rely on performance as their primary source of income • Musicians who perform for free Those in the third group include musicians who operate a ‘portfolio’ of musical activity to maintain an income, including but not limited to performance. It is this group that I believe, post-covid, has the best chance of building an achievable and sustainable career in music. The sixth article in this series “Portfolio Theory for Musicians” will take a closer look at this group. I hasten to say now what you may already be thinking - which is that over the course of time, a performing musician might belong to multiple groups, up to and including all four groups. Those in Group 1 volunteer their time to good causes. Those in Groups 2 and three play for free at the school fete.

It’s simpler again to consider those in Group 1 to be outliers – beyond the curve and comprising a tiny percentage of the whole cohort. By the same token, most musicians that I know would agree with the proposition that they are all, or have all, been members of Groups 1, 2, and 3 at various points in their lives.

But that curve? It's not a standard distribution. The supply of musicians who will play for free – again, no judgment, and I’ve done it myself often enough – is pretty much endless, especially in a city like Melbourne. I’ll spend some time discussing this reality in the fourth article in this series, “The second-toughest industry I’ve ever worked in”.

The key message for this article is the reality of the performing musician business being such a special case. There is no such typology for accountants, engineers, and doctors.

At the top of the article, I mentioned one other industry, one other economic group in our society that is a much closer match to the performing musician than any type of employee professional. They are, paradoxically, those most likely to be providing opportunities to performing musicians. That’s people who work for themselves. Small business people. Say, for example, venue owners…

It’s love. Love for what we do. It's our love for what we do that drives us to do it; regardless of which group we belong to in that taxonomy, on any given day. And, it's pretty clear….

Visit Mark Morand

DENISE on fiction Light M. John Harrison is a s c i e n c e f i c t i o n w r i t e r. Light was first published in 2002. Winner of many awards, The Guardian ranked it #91 in its list of the 100 best books of the C21. The story spans four centuries. It is located in the Kafahuchi Tract, a huge complex phenomenon that hangs in the sky, home to ‘burnt-out stuff, litter from the galaxy’s early evolution.’

The novel unfolds in apparently unconnected chapters. We meet from well into the future Seria Mau who seems barely human and prowls the Tract looking for work and trying to understand a package from someone called Uncle Zip. ‘The visible part of it lay on the deckplates in a small room in the human charters, in a shallow red cardboard box tied with shiny green ribbons…..

The box, however, was the least of it. Everything inside was very old. However Uncle Zip dressed it up, neither he nor anyone else could be sure of its original purpose. Some of these artifacts had identities of their own, with expectations a million years out of date.’ Also from the future, we meet Ed Chianese, who escapes the real world when he can by living much of it in a virtual reality tank. Michael Kearney is much more of our time. He is a scientist who believes he is forced by a creature called Shrander to murder. Although keen to disconnect from this monster, he kills as easily as emptying a pocket of old sweet wrappers. Light is not an easy read. You learn the language of Light piece by piece. Like an English speaker trying to pick up Spanish, you have at first a sense, a guess at what something might mean, but you have to stay focussed to build your literacy. Concepts such as shadow operators, fetches, tank farms and stochastic resonances reveal themselves over time, but only if the reader remains vigilant. And yet it is in this process you realise the brilliance of the book. Harrison is not a writer who translates for the reader. M John Harrison simply describes what he believes ‘is’. If you need likeable or admirable protagonists, this book will not scratch that itch. If you wish to become immersed in a wild future ride, the book will reward with an ending that leads you to believe you have understood the way things work.

Visit Denise Picton Author M. John Harrison

INTIMATE MUSIC LOU NGE

The Go-Betweens "Spring Hill Fair" 1984

I bought Spring Hill Fair on cassette at a Brashs store in Dandenong, of all places. I was still in my early teens and so my only exposure to alternative music (we didn’t call it “alternative” back then) was The Cure, The Church, Depeche Mode, and New Order. No longer was it Countdown Magazine or Smash Hits where I sought out new and interesting music. I put aside my childish ways. It quickly became NME, Juke and that weird little pocket sized local magazine called A To Z that I picked up at Sound Circle. Spring Hill Fair became my gateway drug to independent music.

Of course, I didn’t realise that there was a history to this band. This was their third album and they were from Brisbane. The only other band I knew from there was The Saints and they were pretty good, I thought. I had an open mind. I then learned that Send Me a Lullaby (1981) and Before Hollywood (1983) were their earlier releases and they had somehow been signed to Rough Trade in the UK.

As I put on the cassette into our Vector Research VCX400 cassette deck, the first song came on. Starting with the gorgeous “Bachelor Kisses,” the album made a statement by wearing pop on its sleeve. Singer/songwriter, (the late) Grant McLennan, once commented; “I think we are a pop group, but we’re the most unusual pop group there’s ever been. Although we work with melody, we sometimes work against it, and that’s like one of the cardinal sins of pop music.” I didn’t find anything remotely musically angular or lyrically ironic in this song. Just some interesting and heartfelt pop hooks and melody. In retrospect, it kind of reminds me of Prefab Sprout who were also making their mark in the UK music scene at the time. This is thoughtful, articulate pop music. By the second track, “Five Words”, I now totally get what McLennan was saying about working against the melody. This wasn’t untuneful; just different. Nice acoustic rhythms with vocal assertions coming from Robert Forster whilst counter-balanced with McLennan’s melodic sense. McLennan and Forster exchange lyrics and are blending so much that I forget who is singing and when. In the background are Lindy Morrison's rim-shots and brushwork tying it all together with new bassist, Robert Vickers.

“The Old Way Out” is an instant classic. The song is so memorable that you can literally sing the chorus after one listen – this is just good pop that forces me to invest my loyalty into the hooks. Then there’s the tasty two note guitar licks. I’m sold. No buyer’s remorse here. The next couple of songs see Forster taking charge of the lyrics and vocal duties. Of particular noteworthiness is “Part Company” where we hear Forster excel as a lyricist. “That’s her handwriting, that’s the way she writes. From her first letter, I got to this her Bill Of Rights, part company.” This not bitter songwriting as Forster expresses his “fine line of tears.” His chosen lyrical delivery device is a pop song that occasionally cuts across to an almost beat poetry style adaptation. This is a fitting approach for someone that has lost somebody so dear and it seems entirely relatable in the way he finds solace within the song itself. It appears the band is trying to deconstruct or reinvent pop music; or at least are deliberately attempting a broken version of it. Side two starts with Vickers’ tasty funk bass playing leading into... funk guitar playing! But it’s not funk. It sound like a band playing funk but not trying too hard to do so. I know, it doesn’t make sense but it sounds more Australian than funk. “I got myself a mortgage, it didn’t save the marriage. We weren’t insured, insured against breakage. If you believe in orphans there’s still a chance for love,” blurts out McLennan. And then Memphis style horns fade in during the chorus whilst still sounding Australian.

“Draining The Pool For You” is a 1984 version of The Pixies, in its chordal structure, its stop-start beats, its guitar noodling, its laid back feel, its simple guitar solo that leads into some Kim Deal-esque “la las” and Black Francis style phrasing. The only difference is the guitars aren’t loud or heavy. This is one fine song. A slow drum beat with a bass line fading in with a discordant guitar is the perfect opening for McLennan’s overlaid spoken word storytelling in “River Of Money.” The voice is so clear and dry with the author so close to the listener that it’s almost haunting. The story is like watching a little black and white film shot somewhere north of Victoria. This is cinematic and it kind of reminds me that we once had our own version of Bob Dylan in Australia. There is even harmonica at the end of the song. “Unkind And Unwise” and “Man O’ Sand To Girl O’ Sea” are just as exciting to hear today in their Smiths-like pop approach.

Interestingly it sounded like they were using a drum machine in some of the songs of which years later I found out was true. Producer, John Brand, “...spent the first week with drums and drum machines – just a very, very bad scene.,” said Forster. It’s reported the band found the sessions frustrating because it wasn’t as organic as previous efforts in the studio. Side two of the record “...is harder than anything we ever did. It was recorded on an SSL desk and it’s sonically quite ferocious,” added Forster.

“I think we are a pop group, but we’re the most unusual pop group there’s ever been. Although we work with melody, we sometimes work against it, and that’s like one of the cardinal sins of pop music.” Some reviews have not been kind to The Go-Betweens on this album. Some called it substandard but I like the diversity and I get what they are doing because the impression they leave is not an immediate one, it comes with repeated playing. There is a certain vulnerability that this band omits and it makes some people uncomfortable; maybe a bit like The Smiths. Perhaps the most illuminating commentary I have heard about this band around this time came from Grant McLennan himself. In an interview for Melody Maker in 1983 he said “people often mistake subtlety or reticence for naivety or wimpiness…if people do that then it's quite pathetic. You just can't have those two qualities if you want to be in the charts, so that's our dilemma…" The lack of large scale commercial success eluded this wonderful group but at least they did put their music out there. In today’s day and age, one will find them if they are looking hard enough.

By Victor Stranges

Visit Pop Preservation Society

MEET OUR NEW COLUMNIST

N AT H A N B R E N N E R A hack ‘manager’ with 40 years of global experience. Starting as a Roadie, he’s managed more successful (record sales, streams, merchandise and tour income) artists, than any other Australian music and entertainment manager. Nathan is experienced in a variety of industry roles, Production Manager, Stage Manager, Tour Manager. His mother, a Viennese concert pianist, his father a women’s fashion label manufacturer, Nathan has Music + Business DNA. He’s also a rock photographer, practiced art + designer, created iconic photos and award-winning album covers. He’s not a very good drummer, instead learning to play the calculator and briefcase. Nathan has produced and directed both MTV and HBO Music Specials and other Concert TV Broadcasts in Europe. He’s run a record and publishing company funded by major labels and publishers. Nathan has put on shows in people’s back yards, small venues, prisons, and promoted concerts; a variety of performances. Acts managed have performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Gardens, Radio City Music Hall, EU Outdoor Festivals and all major concert venues in AU, where he’s also acted as Promoter. Nathan works out of Luxembourg on the Board of the International Music Manager’s Forum, (immf.com) serving additionally as its Treasurer and also helping out the charity, the Australian Road Crew Association. Currently, Nathan is being engaged by the Australian Government to provide Grant Fund Assessments in Contemporary Music – Office for the Arts, during the pandemic.

MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE the basics

Apologies to those in the know, but always worth remembering

A few years ago, at Midem, the iconic Music Industry Conference, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes, France; invited as a conference speaker, I asked those in the audience to raise their hands if they were ‘property owners’. Few did. As a musician, composer, collaborator, what you create is your ‘property’. Intellectual property. Every jot, note, arrangement, verse, melody, bridge; it’s all a creation and deserves not only respect in itself, but also for the creator. Above all it deserves Protection. Pride. Respect.

With owning property comes the responsibility of protection, care and maintenance. The first thing to do is to register your/your collaborator’s ownership of your property. In such a way, you’re helping to protect the ‘works’, and also registering them to earn money when the ‘works’, your property, in recorded or in live form, are performed. The first global performing rights organisation you should consider registering your owned works’ at’, is the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA). Don’t be intimidated by the process, join as one of the 110,000 Australians, as a writer member:

JOIN APRA AS A WRITER

Here’s a copy of one of my act’s 1987 registration cards, before APRA digitised the registrations and destroyed the actual registration cards around 2000 (I’ve removed the individual shares, as it’s a private commercial arrangement between the members). This ‘property’ / Composition, is worth 10 million + dollars and overall generated even more to the record, publisher, and other performance rights organisations around the world.

Your performances / works generate money if they’re played or performed live, registered or not. If you don’t register, then the funds accrued that can’t be traced, because the works couldn’t be identified as to ownership, are termed ‘Black Box Money / Royalties’.

The big Publishers and Record Companies don’t want to talk about it, as they benefit from creators not registering and protecting their works / songs.

So how much is in the Black Box? Well, there’s every reason to believe that last year alone, over 3 billion dollars went unpaid to composers, performers, and owners of works created. So now is the time to register your songs with APRA. Also, keep track of when and where you play them so you can complete ‘performance returns’; not just live performance but also recordings and when the tracks were ‘released’. So PPCA…. If you’ve released a recording, even for streaming, but overall on a ‘record, disc, download etc.’, you should also register for a separate rights protection and payment via P.P.C.A. (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia]. It provides exactly the same type of rights as APRA, but NOT when a composition is performed live.

So what most musicians don’t know is that despite the current pandemic, record, and Publishing, Streaming organisations have made more money, than when artists toured. More people listening, streaming, buying. So while you’ve perhaps got some time on your hands, please ensure your work is protected. It’s the least you could do. Go for it…

By Nathan Brenner

In A Lonely Place Directed by Nicholas Ray Starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame 1950 By 1950 there were several Hollywood films that were willing to turn the camera inwards and capture the darker, seedier, and brutal aspects of the movie business. Nicolas Ray’s masterpiece “In A Lonely Place” however, is so much more than this. Ray manages to deal with celebrity, status abuse, agism, male vulnerability, alcoholism, relationships, friendships, and of course love. He does this all while delivering a thrilling drama noir that is, at its heart, a love story that begins and ends with a murder. Legendary Humphrey Bogart delivers his greatest performance as the gifted, albeit slightly washed up and embittered screenwriter Dixon Steele, who brings home a very young and enthusiastic hatcheck girl, Mildred Atkinson, back to his home to provide him a summary of a novel that he has been asked to do a screenplay of. Later that night Mildred is murdered, and Steele is the prime suspect. Luckily for Steele his new neighbour Laurel Gray, played flawlessly by Gloria Grahame, provides him with an alibi. Once acquainted Steele and Gray very quickly form a relation that leads to romance.

The romance does not last long as distrust is introduced. As police begin to doubt Gray’s alibi, she begins to see a side of Steele that is bitter and aggressive. This ignites fear that while Steele may not have committed the murder that he is accused of, he might just have the temperament to do it. The film goes deeper into a dark abyss with the police, still determined that Steele is guilty, exploiting Gray’s uncertainty about the relationship, to plant the seed that if Steele is the type of person that could kill another person, could he have actually killed Atkinson? Bogart and Grahame both own their characters. It has been said that Bogart brought in many of his own mannerisms, making this character closer to his own than any other character he has portrayed. His inner duality in being a vulnerable yet machoistic angry man is perfectly presented. Grahame’s strength, independence, and care are brilliantly balanced. The love they create on screen, albeit brief, is beautiful and beguiling. Their pain, their torment, while other worldly, is utterly relatable. It is a tale that most can be captivated by.

It is a great shame that this film is not on the top of everyone’s list when Humphrey Bogart’s name is mentioned. It is just as great as Casablanca, The Big Sleep, and The Maltese Falcon. Equally disappointing is that director Nicholas Ray’s name is being slowly erased, despite directing one of the greatest coming of age movies of all time, Rebel Without a Cause. He is now relegated as a foot note. In “In A Lonely Place” Ray captures the beauty and the grit of Hollywood like never before. The screenplay, written by Andrew Solt, is both classic and contemporary. It includes a closing line, that while being significantly darker, is ultimately even superior to Bogart’s last line in Casablanca. The cinematography is stunning, its use of true deep black and white is breathtaking. The sets and location are emotionally transportive and all contribute to an all-encompassing and engrossing experience. “In A Lonely Place”, despite being labeled as such, is not a traditional piece of film noir. It does not end in a big shoot out. It is a drama noir; it is a dark and doomed love story and an exploration of a man’s soul and heart, that is just as relevant now as it was in 1950. It is the hidden gem that anyone with even a mild interest in classic film should experience.

By Steven Scheloske

SMALL BIZ BULLETIN THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE POME welcome to the Palace of Magnificent Experiences

Down what owner Bernie Clifford likes to call "The Paris end of Swan Street" you'll find his Palace of Magnificent Experiences aka POME. It is a unique space that acts as a home and launching pad for varied art forms and artists. Bernie spent fourteen years planning for and working on the concept prior to opening in 2020. With an esteemed career in photography and filmmaking under his belt, Bernie also runs a successful Accessibility Consultancy, which has enabled his new, passion project,

The space has been cleverly designed for multi-function, with the stage, bar, and other fittings being mobile to provide maximum flexibility for an ever-changing platform. It is an ideal spot to hire for a launch, or even as a photographic studio.

A unique and valuable touch to the POME format is a Q&A experience with all artists during their exhibitions and before musical performances. These intimate artist experiences give patrons an exclusive insight into the creative process, providing a rich and educational experience for the patrons and a growing fanbase for the artist. Moving forward, POME will offer a dedicated 24/7 arts channel streaming to all of Australia and internationally. Bernie Clifford is a serial entrepreneur who remains full of creative ideas and enthusiasm for the Arts industry. This focused and hard-working entrepreneur also owns an independent cinema in Geelong.

EXPECT TO FIND live music, burlesque performance, art exhibitions, food and beverage tasting events, and many other magnificent experiences.

VISIT POME

We’re surrounded with typography - street signs, brand logos, restaurant menus, web pages - almost everywhere we look. Although we don’t give it much thought, most typeface has been carefully planned for the specific use. Typography is easy to define. It is the visual aspect of the written word. A text is a sequence of words which remains the same regardless of how it is represented, however once printed, on paper, a screen or a billboard, typography comes into play. It is the way fonts are displayed and the combination of different fonts within a typeface that gives personality to your text.

Typography and Branding The goal for any brand is to create an experience which resonates with customers emotionally. Components of brand include logo, colour palette, texture, imagery, tone of voice, animations, customer service and of course……typography. Subliminal messages are presented to us through branding communication and carry a wealth of meanings. The contrast and modulation of the strokes, how a stroke is shaped and the height to width proportions determine whether the typography is perceived as warm and friendly, or cold and mechanical. The right lettering can help consumers identify the key characteristics behind a brand’s attitude.

Typography and Interior Design Words, phrases, and slogans are also on-trend when it comes to interior design. Typography is common on cushions, lightboxes, and fabrics. Brands such as Typo have pioneered typography in home accessories. Typography in interior design has expanded to the personalization of messaging at home with DIY vinyl lettering and stamps.

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Our Favourite Typography Designers If you want advice on typography or a font designed specifically for your brand, there are specialist designers to assist. These two are the cream of the crop! Alex Trochut was born in Spain. After completing his studies he established his own design studio in Barcelona before relocating to New York City. Through his design, illustration and typographic practice he has developed a distinctive and expressive visual style. As a designer, Alex focuses on the potential of language as a visual medium. He pushes language to its limits so that seeing and reading become the same action. Text and image become one unified expression.

VISIT ALEX TROCHUT

Craig Ward is a British-born Designer and Creative Director. Although best known for his typography work, Craig is also a best-selling author and contributor to various industry journals. He is currently based in New York.

VISIT CRAIG WARD With personal and commercial brands continually trying to stand-out and identify themselves as unique, the art of typography design is destined to become even more prevalent. Next time you stroll through a shopping center or order from a menu, pause to consider the typography you're presented with and how it communicates the brand or message to you.

pop to the SHOP We care about the survival of brick-and-mortar retail and would like to introduce you to 4 of our favourite shops.

RETRO STAR VINTAGE CLOTHING 37 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC This huge store is a vintage shopper’s paradise, with large sections for menswear, womenswear, vintage band T-shirts, and merchandise. It also houses costume pieces and festival fashion. You'll find vintage, reworked, and upcycled pieces.

pookipoigA 64 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC Selling ethical, sustainable, and with fair trade ethos, this shop donates a meal to vulnerable Australians with every purchase made. Win, Win! A terrific spot to find that special, or last-minute gift. Homewares, books, face and body products, clothing accessories, and much, much more.

Shop like your high street depends on it!

pop to the SHOP WILLIAM TOP 452 William St Perth WA Touting as unique goods and gift ideas, William Topp loves finding interesting, useful products that will excite your imagination and enhance your life. Expect to find a range of homewares, jewellery, toys, books and other treasures.

ONE RUNDLE TRADING 20 Stuart Road, Dulwich SA one Rundle is inspired by the decoration and design of European country houses throughout the centuries. Their focus is to inject timeless period style with the freshness and vitality of the Australian interior. That's the official desivription, our is "one of the coolest shops EVER."

Shopping small? You're kind of a big deal!