Contents
04 11
FROM THE EDITOR
05
design by jude #WEWEARAUSTRALIAN
FILM NOIR - KISS ME DEADLY
16 22
MEET PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLA DRACOULIS
making faces PORTRAIT DRAWING SERIES
28
denise on fiction THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS
31
LIFE IS A CABARET
35 40
PPS ALBUM REVIEW rain dogs, tom waits
A MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE music industry abuse
45
POP TO THE SHOPS
49 get shite done formula The Hornet Press is part of the Jimmy Hornet Group. thehornetpress.com
From the Editor Well, here we are, re-opening with what we are told is “new confidence.” This is not my experience. In booking events for the venue, I have been surprised at how many seasoned artists declined the offer to play again, due to a lack of confidence. It's not about having faith in the roadmap out, but it is nonetheless a direct result of the pandemic. Whether we've been affected by health anxiety, experienced increased work stress, or dealt with loneliness in lockdown, the last two years have been difficult for us all. I too have had my self-belief knocked around. My entrepreneurial style is generally very gung-ho, but now I find myself second-guessing decisions with an element of fear for the unknown. THE SOLUTION IS TO TALK! Talk to others about how you’re feeling. Listen to their experience and try to have an honest exchange. Enable the offload of worry and reconnect in order to feel less alone. Most importantly, quit the negative self-talk! Try to be aware of when you're engaging in it, and work on a mantra you can recite to turn your mind back to the positive. Onward and upward!
Anthea Palmer anthea@jimmyhornet.com
A candid chat with a young designer whose #wewearaustralian messaging is making a much-needed impact. How would you describe your brand's aesthetics? Our aesthetic is very much much about gender-neutral, thoughtful layering with a modern twist on eastern style cutting using asymmetric shapes and angled design lines to enhance the human form. Our pieces don't follow trends and tell their own story, which I feel also makes them timeless. We are also very much about using luxurious natural fibres in nature inspired colours.
What is your first fashion memory? Definitely seeing my Mum dressed in her impeccable wardrobe every day when I was young! I would also sometimes follow her to the tailor where she got her matching pantsuits made and watched how she matched everything flawlessly with her accessories, shoes, and bags. It was certainly 90's power dressing at its best!
How did your study in Fine Arts impact your clothing and brand? Studying fine arts and majoring in painting has become a huge influence in my work and continued until today. I think of each piece as a composition, almost like art-making in a more 3D form, where the same rules for proportion, line, shape, texture and colour still apply. I feel that seeing fashion from a fine art point of view has given my work a different dimension.
If you could wave a magic wand, what would you fix within your business? Ooh, hard question! I think my business grew very organically and I have made lots of mistakes and experienced a lot of trial and error. However, I don't think I would change any of these experiences, as they have all helped me to grow and mature as a designer and person. I don't really see things as needing to be fixed, but more like I am just continuing to grow and evolve. Also for me, I think respecting the process as much as the final result has been an important lesson.
Are there programs you use for designing, or do you use a traditional illustration method? I had studied the various CAD programs while studying fashion which has definitely been useful. However, when I started my label, I have just become extremely lo-fi in the way I approach designing. I find a sketchbook, pencil and fine line pen are the main tools I really need! I love this more tactile way of designing and I feel I can be a lot more flexible too.
What other designers do you admire or seek inspiration from? I have always found Vivienne Westwood inspiring, as she has also approached her fashion work from a non-fashion background. I think this really makes her stand out in the way she cuts and drapes her clothes and I love that her clothing makes a social and political statement and really is a voice for the times. I also admire how she is using her fashion label to essentially try to save the planet and to deliver important messages about climate change to the world.
What advice would you give someone considering the launch of a career in fashion? I would always say to find your own voice with your work and not get caught up in imitating passing trends. I think it is also important to think how your work will affect the environment and people and how it can create positive change. Also if you have a strong vision, it is important to be tenacious and go with your gut as you encounter obstacles along the way.
What aspects of the fashion industry would you like to change? This one is easy! Definitely the amount of waste that the commercial fashion industry creates and the impacts it has on people and the planet. Through what I do with my label, I hope to show people that there is a sustainable way to enjoy fashion by buying less, choosing well and creating your own timeless style instead of following seasonal trends. I am always looking at ways to streamline my business to make it more sustainable and ethical. By making our clothes in small runs with Melbourne based makers as well as in house, favouring the use of natural fibres, using deadstock fabrics in our ranges, creating a zero-waste policy where we upcycle our remnant fabrics from production and by creating small collections which all tie back into the previous one, we have created a slow fashion business in our own small way.
What goals do you have for 2022? Coming out of 2 challenging years for my business and managing to survive the pandemic has certainly been scary at times, but has also taught me a lot of new skills and made me excited about the future of my label. I plan to focus more on growing my online presence, finding new and exciting ways to activate my store with meaningful events, finally attend all the design markets which got cancelled this year, work on getting my collections stocked in more stores and strive to create happiness in everything I do!
Do you have any other passion projects or interests aside from the label? Yes! During lockdown I have been working on a range of home art which includes home decor, paintings and wall hangings. I loved working on these pieces while at home as it was a marriage of my love of painting with my love of fashion and textiles. This mini collection will be out at the end of October and it will just keep evolving and growing as the season rolls along.
VISIT DESIGN BY JUDE
Kiss Me Deadly Robert Aldrich 1955 by Steven Scheloske
Robert Aldrich’s 1955 film noir masterpiece, “Kiss Me Deadly” is one of the most influential films of its genre despite its flaws and shortcomings. It is a B movie, it is sleazy, sexy, seductive and at times silly. On the surface it seems to be a confusing blend of noir and sci-fi, but scratch beneath the obvious and discover the deep, metaphorical film that has inspired so many others, including modern auteurs Quintin Tarantino and David Lynch to Steven Spielberg.
The story revolves around hardened street level private investigator Mike Hammer (played perfectly by Ralph Meeker) who, in the opening scenes, is forced to stop his car in the middle of the night by crazed girl called Christina, wearing nothing but a trench coat. Naturally, he gives her a ride. While in the car Christina she tells Mike, “Whatever happens… remember me.” Within moments, they are side swiped off the road by some well-dressed faceless thugs and Mike passes out to the sounds of Christina being tortured, presumably to death. The thugs then place Christina’s body and the unconscious Mike into the car and push it off a cliff. The next shot sees Mike awaken in a hospital. Believing the murder of Christina is linked to something big, Mike decides to investigate.
I want you to kiss me. Kiss me. The liar's kiss that says I love you, and means something else.
This all happens in the film’s opening minutes. From there, Mike and his friends become embroiled in a bizarre and murky underworld involving more kidnapping, murders, a mysterious box that contains something that glows (yes Tarantino’s inspiration for “Pulp Fiction”) plus there’s the eerie multi-level, secluded beach house (à la David Lynch’s “Lost Highway”) and the opening of the mysterious box clearly inspired the opening of the Ark in Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Ralph Meeker (who is in part the inspirational source Rick Dalton the character played Leonardo Di Caprio in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) delivers his best performance, embodying the tough guy detective with menace and savagery. As for the other performances, well let’s just say that you are not watching this film solely for its acting chops. Bit part actor Nick Dennis (who plays Mike’s mechanic friend, Nick Va Va Voom) deserves mention for one of the most ridiculously over the top performances of all time. Some of the “stranger” performances in the film were definitely an inspiration for art minimalists of the future.
Critical opinion has been greatly divided. Upon its release in America, the film received mixed reviews. The mysterious box with the glowing substance appeared to many to be a metaphor for the atomic bomb. The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce (popularly known as the Kefauver Committee) condemned it, making it a film that few critics would want to be seen praising. Remember, this film was released before the decline in the influence of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The French, however (as is often the case) loved the film. And it is European accolades for this film that gave it a long life and masterpiece status. The genre bending film does plays out like an extended episode of “The Twilight Zone”, but it does so beautifully. The camera work is classic noir, lots of shadows, sharp angles and unusual shots that make you want to see what is happening just outside of the frame. The cinematography in the opening and closing scenes alone are worthy of cinema’s highest accolades. Throughout the film there is a discreet focus on art and even literature, in a way it is telling the audience that this is more than a film – it is a work of art, it has an artistic and/or literal soul.
The films greatest attribute, however, is its ability to take a conventional detective noir and weave through a mind melting nihilistic metaphor involving science, corruption, and the atomic bomb. Right from the opening scene, with those crazy credits that roll backwards, you know you are in for something different. “Kiss Me Deadly” may not be a film for everybody. It has its flaws, but it’s a wild ride that every film enthusiast should see.
q u i e t d o c u m e n ta ry i n v i v i d c o l o u r Meet Photographer Nicola Dracoulis You know when you meet someone and you just get a "feeling" about them? I was introduced to Nicola by a colleague and immediately knew I was in the presence of someone creative, and with something to say. Turns out (little self pat on the back) that this creator's work is right up our callejuela.
How would you describe your style of photography? My style of photography is mostly quiet documentary in vibrant colour, observations, and explorations of real life, real places, real people. Sometimes it's a full of life and movement celebration and sometimes it's a quiet contemplation.
What drew you to photography as a medium and what keeps you shooting? I always loved photography since a child, in fact, I initially wanted to be a filmmaker, but the still image won. My most vivid memory of high school art class was making collages using images from the classic The Family of Man book of documentary photographs from around the world. The combination of learning about people/culture and the divine experience of visual graphic tension is what has always kept me involved in photography.
Which of your photographs is your very favourite? That's a hard one!! I will just point you to the images I've sent you that I continue to get joy from, especially after this era of lockdowns and isolations, I have been musing on freedom of movement and human interaction.
What are some of the challenges you've faced in pursuing photography? Photography requires persistence, and also is a costly business to get into, often you need to invest a lot of money (in gear or in exhibiting costs) so it's risky. Also, the industry was in the process of changing when I started, so the photojournalism jobs I imagined having were fading into a freelance culture. Getting your work seen and championed is always a challenge. For long-term projects, working alone and really owning the progress of a project can be a challenge, you really need to sometimes just hold it close to your heart and carry on with no real external support.
What kind of subjects do you enjoy shooting most? I enjoy shooting people who like to be photographed! My favourite is to be in spaces where I am learning about other people's stories and ways of being. But I equally love shooting spontaneously and encountering this magic moment where life aligns within the frame without much direction from me.
Of all the exhibitions and competitions you've been featured in, which one is the most memorable? The featured exhibition at the Head On Festival 2014 has been my favourite experience so far because I got to work with a curator to design a conceptual installation which included an audio soundscape that I edited from my ambient recordings playing in the room so it was this more immersive experience than the average photos hung in a row on a wall.
Which photographers do you admire? There are soooo many, and I have different phases of inspiration! Some older photographers are Gordon Parks, Isabel Muñoz, Dorothea Lange, Roy de Carava, Joel Meyerwitz, Carrie Mae Weems. Contemporary photographers like Lauren Greenfield, Wayne Lawrence, Kristin Bedford, Lisette Poole. There are so many more and I hate to miss out names I will kick myself for forgetting, but hopefully, this selection will inspire your readers.
How do you generate income from your photography? My long-term projects don't really generate income, so my bread and butter photography involves a range of freelance jobs from documenting projects for arts and youth organisations (my preferred job since the values of community work tend to align with my own). I also work with galleries, corporate events, corporate portraiture, and architectural photography.
What are you working on at the moment? Not a lot! I am mostly looking after my 18-month-old twins at the moment. I have 3 long-term projects that are ongoing and unfortunately, the pandemic has hindered them - I was due to be in Brazil this past year. Am hoping to pick these up next year... I have one in Brazil, one in London, and one in Melbourne that all involve periodic (7-10years) follow-up. In the meantime, I am showing one piece at a festival in the US this coming October, in The Eyes on Main Street Festival in the US.
What have you been spending your lockdown days doing? I had twins in March 2020 right at the beginning of lockdown, so I have basically been intensively parenting!
VISIT NICOLA DRACOULIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Let's Make Faces Portrait Drawing Series by Award-Winning Artist Lois Jessop
Welcome back! I hope everyone is well and using their lockdown time productively...
One way to do this is to continue practising your drawing skills, building a memory bank of methods and techniques by experimenting and discovering what works for you! In this segment, we look at adding the rest of the necessary elements to complete the beautiful face of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Take out your developing sketch... look at Part 3, Step 6, where we decided on the position, shape, and angles of Liz's eyebrows, and drew them in. This time, look at the intersection of the horizontal nose-line and the central vertical line.
Part 4: Nose and Mouth The tip of anybody's nose is the most protruding element of their face. We are going to try to make the nose look three-dimensional... how can we do this? We use light and shade to bring the nose forward.
STEP ONE I begin at the intersection of the horizontal nose-line and the central vertical line. This is not the tip of Liz's nose, but rather the Infratip, (just beneath the tip) flanked either side by the nostrils. It is usually a U-shape. Consult the photo of Liz... observe the width of the Infratip, and lightly draw the U-shape in place. Later we'll apply a little white to the tip of the nose to bring it forward.
STEP two (A) Consult the photograph... see where Liz's nostrils are positioned, their shape (like teardrops), size, and angle. Lightly draw them in. Now see where the nostril "wings" is located... Look at the photograph. You can use the inner corners of Liz's eyes to align the vertical curves of the nostril wings, which are directly underneath the eyeliner in the inner corners of Liz's eyes. Lightly draw the nostril wings in.
STEP TWO (B) Here's where shading creates the optical illusion of receding... consult the photograph and observe where the shading under Liz's nose is light and dark. Apply shading accordingly. See Step 2a and 2b sketch
STEP THREE - MOUTH I always begin with the top lip. Your original horizontal mouth-position line will indicate the lower edge of Liz's top lip. The upper edge almost follows the classical "Cupid's Bow" shape, centred under the nose; the indent almost follows the same shape as the shading cast by Liz's nose! Look at the photograph. Observe the position, shape, and size of Liz's lower lip and draw it in lightly. See how Liz has slightly curled the left side of her top lip upwards, creating a beguiling expression. Look at the shading in the photograph... Liz has parted her lips a little, creating dark shading under her top lip. At this point you don't have to colour Liz's lips in with the soft lead black pencil, rather, you can use a rose-red lipstick colour, or any colour you like, really! Observe the shading beneath Liz's lower lip, and how it feathers out softly on either side but is sharper directly beneath. Draw accordingly. Take your kneadable eraser and carefully remove the original vertical nose construction line. It has done its job!
STEP FOUR - FACIAL CONTOURS There's no other way to put this, facial contours aren't easy, take a lot of consulting the photograph, and re-drawing and re-drawing! Keep your kneadable eraser handy. I start sketching lightly, then when the contour looks right and the shading, and fading of shading looks right, apply a little pressure to make the shading darker. Where shading fades totally away, to reveal pure skin tone, I sometimes use my forefinger to smudge the pencil. Smudging provides the softest fading effect. Look at the area just beneath Liz's cheekbones... the contour is subtle, whereas all around her jawline, shading is darker. There are no actual lines here. The shape of anybody's face is defined by the areas bathed in light, against those areas in the dark, such as under Liz's chin.
STEP Five - hair Drawing hair enables us to loosen up a bit, and use long, sweeping lines to represent Liz's luscious waves. The 8B soft black lead pencil does a great job here, providing a really deep black. Look at the photograph to see the location, size, and shape of Liz's hairline and hairstyle. Draw lightly and when it looks alright, draw in darker.
STEP SIX - ADDING COLOUR Dame Liz was fond of eyeshadow to complement her unique mauve pupils, so you can apply anything you like... metallic ink or gel pens provide a realistic glossy, or sparkly effect. As stated previously, you can apply any colour you like to Liz's lips, and a little touch of rouge helps to bring your portrait to life.
Remember to sign and date your finished piece. I hope you enjoyed your step-by-step journey through drawing a portrait of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. This is the method I use in each of my portraits, and over time I've found the steps become like second nature. Next time we'll look at making funny faces... caricatures, based on realistic faces, but altered! So Cheers until then... keep well! And keep drawing!! Lois X
Contact Lois Jessop
DENISE on fiction The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker I love the retelling of ancient myths if done well. As a result, I am a fan of Madeline Miller’s novels Circe and The Song of Achilles, and I listen again and again to Stephen Fry’s podcasts ‘Mythos’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Troy’. It was just a matter of time before I picked up Barker’s marvellous account of Achilles’ capture of Briseis, a Trojan queen less familiar to us than famous Helen. Barker’s publishing career began in her forties. Now in her late seventies, she has garnered numerous awards for her books including the Booker and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She has been awarded a CBE.
Her writing is straightforward and accessible. The voice of Briseis sounds alarmingly familiar to the modern ear. We first hear it as she and her household of woman, crammed into a smelly room, wait for the Greeks to win the city and take them captive. Her opening paragraph leaves us in no doubt about how she feels about her prospective victor, and how she wishes us to view him.
Achilles chooses Briseis as a prize following his successful sacking of Lyrnessus. She spends much of her time sitting in a cupboard until each evening she is called to climb into Archilles’ bed. Her only escape from her servitude is an occasional dip in the ocean, into which she sometimes considers walking to the horizon until drowned.
‘Great Achilles. Brilliant Achilles, shining Achilles, godlike Achilles… How the epithets pile up. We never called him any of those things; we called him ‘the butcher.’
A fight between Achilles and his commander Agamemnon, results in the transfer of Briseis as a chattel to the more senior of the two. Her status is confirmed during the argument, where she is referred to as ‘it’. Treated less well in this king’s retinue, Briseis lives a stifled life, weaving by day and lying as close to a crack in the wall as possible at night in order to find fresh air. What we realise hasn’t changed from this time to ours is the tendency to see women as the cause of men’s problems. ‘Sometimes Helen would go into the inner room even before I left and then I’d hear the chattering of the loom, the rattle as the shuttle flew to and fro. There was a legend – it tells you everything really – that whenever Helen cut a threat in her weaving, a man died on the battlefield. She was responsible for every death.’ In Barker’s skilful hands we accept without thought that Achilles’ mother is a god, and that his armour is god-made. We don’t think twice when it is suggested the plague that devastates the Greek army is visited upon them by Apollo as a result of a priest’s prayer, or that the dead body of Hector, despite brutal treatment every day in camp, is returned to flawless condition every morning by the gods.
She depicts the brutal treatment of women both in military rape camps as well as everyday life in both Trojan and Greek society. Although the treatment of women is appalling, Briseis’ refusal to accept subjugation and her courage in the face of constant fear brings a nobility to her life that makes it possible to bear the story. Barker’s genius lies in her ability to make us see, rather than to turn our heads, overwhelmed by Briseis’ reality. (And by the way, I enjoy trying to guess which words an author particularly enjoys using at a point in time. My guess is Barker was keen on ‘liminal’ during the writing of this book. See how many you find.)
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LIFE IS A Part 3: The Craft of Cabaret The Art of Good Patter Welcome, mes aims! In this month’s edition, I would like to look into the craft of a cabaret from a performer’s perspective and provide some guidance on a unique element of the cabaret genre: the art of ‘Patter’.
What is ‘Patter’, exactly? The dictionary defines ‘Patter’ as: “The talk with which an entertainer accompanies a routine”. In the context of a cabaret, the patter in performance is used between songs to provide a sense of added meaning and context to the overall show - it links the songs together and provides an arc for the show.
Jack Lynch on stage at Jimmy Hornet
What makes for GOOD patter? Good quality patter in a cabaret performance should make for seamless transitions between your songs. Ideally, you want every member of the audience to come out of your show feeling as if they have spoken with you directly and had an honest and meaningful conversation. This is where cabaret differs from musical theatre - you get to show your authentic self and involve the audience actively within your show. Patter provides the chance for the audience to see you as a PERSON as opposed to just watching someone sing: it breaks the fourth wall and lets the audience join you for the journey on stage.
How to write and prepare your patter Write down your ideas/stream of consciousness: Begin by writing down any ideas you may have - good or bad. This just helps to get them OUT and once they are on paper you can find the ‘diamonds in the rough and start developing what you want to say.
Le Pustra (centre) with Charly Voodoo and Lada Redstar (Daggi Binder)
Record yourself saying it aloud Recording your patter can help you understand if your patter ‘flows’ and helps to keep it in a conversational tone - you don’t want to sound like you are reading a script when chatting to the audience.
Show a friend or mentor Showing your work to a friend or a professional can help you get out of your own head and see what works and what doesn’t. Going to Open Mic nights is also an excellent way to test out an audience!
Create your own ‘queue’ lines Once you have figured out what you are going to talk about within in each patter section, I would suggest creating numbered ‘queue cards’ from the start to the end of the performance. Instead of writing out your patter ‘word for word’ - just give yourself simple queue lines, or a phrase that you definitely want to include. This allows you to ‘ad lib’ in between your queues - this keeps the patter fresh, whilst still having anchor points to ground yourself.
Jack Lynch performing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
How to get your patter ready for performance In order to get your patter ready for your performance, I would suggest to not script your patter ‘line for line’ or memorize it as a monologue - you want to be having a conversation WITH you audience - not talking AT them. Bear in mind, that every night your patter will be slightly different depending on the audience and their mood, this means that you can adapt and change things throughout your run. Don’t be afraid to IMPROVISE...if you give yourself the freedom to riff off your queues and audience, you will often find ‘nuggets of gold’ lines that come to you in the moment - you can then write these down and use them again!
Final thoughts I hope this article has been helpful and provided some insight and direction into creating great cabaret patter. Cabaret patter can be a difficult and to some, intimidating art to master; but once you have the knack - it can make you a much more versatile, honest and endearing performer!
Until next time, Mes Cheries: à bientôt!
jack lynch
Tom Waits "Rain Dogs" 1985 By Victor Stranges
Those familiar with Jim Jarmusch’s 1986 black and white independent movie, “Down By Law”, will recall the disjointed music from the opening scene. The camera initially focuses on a black hearse at a cemetery as it begins its travels through the architecture of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. The song is “Jockey Full Of Bourbon” by Tom Waits and it was lifted from his album from the previous year, Rain Dogs. Such an inspirational fit for a movie which Waits also starred in alongside jazz musician, John Lurie and Italian acting legend, Roberto Benigni.
Rain Dogs is the ninth studio album by Waits and is the second album in a trilogy that is bookended by Swordfishtrombones (1983) and Frank’s Wild Years (1986). The themes centre around fringe personalities that are down and out in New York. There are countless characters described throughout which are often borderline comical, borderline tragic or both. Such examples exist in “Cemetery Polka,” which resembles a potential list of prospects for a funeral home or an estate planner.
“Uncle Bill will never leave a will And the tumor is as big as an egg He has a mistress, she's Puerto Rican And I heard she has a wooden leg.” - Cemetery Polka Lyrically dense, Rain Dogs is a delight if you enjoy great story telling. It is accompanied by a mid-career junkyard musical style he had only just adopted for his previous album, Swordfishtrombones. A seven album career up until that point saw Waits occupy the territory of folk rock balladeer, blues and jazz meanderer that peppered his songs with beat poetry and Leonard Bernstein inspired orchestrations. On his debut album, Closing Time (1973), we hear a definite country tinge to his voice without the growl but with a slight raspiness. His songwriting was heartfelt and he was musically interesting. Songs from his debut were covered by other artists such as “Martha”, recorded by the late Tim Buckley and “Ol’ 55” covered by label mates, The Eagles. This is a significant point as many Waits songs would later be covered by such diverse artists as Bruce Springsteen, Jane Birkin, Johnny Cash, Ramones, Queens Of The Stone Age, Tori Amos, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Marianne Faithfull and 10,000 Maniacs. Waits is first and foremost an inspirational songwriter. We hear throughout his albums that his voice gets progressively more growly. Either you like it or you don’t.
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Artwork by Meg Kolac
Back to Rain Dogs. Waits' growly voice sits perfectly alongside Marc Ribot's oddball guitar, some whacked out jazz horns and some strange percussion choices. It’s almost like Waits instructed his percussionist to buy whatever instruments he could find at a pawn shop or local rubbish tip with a budget of $50. There are nineteen songs over 54 minutes ...just fitting onto a single vinyl LP. Waits was the producer and we hear a diverse range of musical styles. From the melancholy ballad “Time” to the hypnotically rhythmic, “Clap Hands”, Waits covers some pretty big ground. One could argue that another producer may have had less patience for the contradictory song style choices he made, but his lack of restraint as a self-producer is its strength.
In 1985, Rolling Stone’s Anthony Decurtis wrote that ...”Waits’ biggest problem has always been a tendency to romanticize the abyss. His claustrophobic night world — peopled with crusty old salts, whores with hearts of gold and threetime losers — is all margins and no center, a sentimental never land where grotesqueness isn’t merely accepted — it’s a badge of authenticity and hipness.” He goes on to argue that singing about marginal characters will mean that he won’t achieve main stream success. I doubt that Waits would really care about this. His songs are all the better for it. A surprise guest background vocal wailing from Keith Richards on “Blind Love” gave an authentic Americana country feel as he played alongside other guest guitarist, Robert Quine (Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Matthew Sweet, Lou Reed). Other standout tracks included “Hang Down Your Head” (co-written by Waits’ wife and musical partner, Kathleen Brennan), “Big Black Mariah”, “Gun Street Girl” and the future Rod Stewart cover, “Downtown Train.” There are moments of musical drunkenness (“ Walking Spanish”), New Orleans funeral music (“Bride Of Rain Dog”) and Jack Kerouac/Neal Cassady inspired beat poetry (“9th & Hennepin”).
“And no one brings anything Small into a bar around here They all started out with bad directions And the girl behind the counter has a tattooed tear “One for every year he's away”, she said Such a crumbling beauty Awe, there's Nothing wrong with her that $100 won't fix.” - 9th & Hennepin
Probably the most lasting musical legacy of Rain Dogs is the album’s sonic nature and experimentation with unusual instruments such as marimba. The notable absence of where cymbals normally sit in a rock combo make this a victorious album in that it sounds like nothing else. Various percussive sounds make you think...”what was that?”It makes it a fresh and joyous listening experience. Waits recalls his approach to getting sounds. “...my engineer would say… why are we wasting our time? Let’s just hit this little cup with a stick here, sample something, take a drum sound from another record and make it bigger in the mix, don’t worry about it.’ I’d say, ‘No, I would rather go in the bathroom and hit the door with a piece of two-by-four very hard.’” There is no doubt that Rain Dogs is a masterpiece. The album’s soul can be summed up in the track, “Anywhere I Lay My Head” which has an almost gospel vocal styling from the depths of The Bowery via New Orleans. This is a musical triumph that solidified Tom Waits as the songwriter’s songwriter.
MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE by Nathan Brenner
SOUND OF SILENCE - 4 CORNERS MUSIC INDUSTRY ABUSE Taking a beat from the performance and live column, to opinion the current music industry 'turmoil'. Yet, the silence IS deafening. The reasoning sensible.
Article: Sony Music and toxic regime of Denis Handlin.
Article: Universal Music Australia, George Ash Investigation
The 'police investigating the police' 'process', is the 'go to' damage control minimalist PR mandate. This approach, complete with company quotes "...we have, are or will be/creating a respectful workplace culture for everyone ...We take all allegations of bullying, harassment and other inappropriate behaviour from our employees and investigate them vigorously.."
Much is said about toxic culture, the abusive workplace practices. Not much is said about music industry culture. The idea that this treatment starts and stops with staff, is nonsense. How many artists want a bad Industry reputation, airing the dirtiest of all laundry? Owning up to being a slave? Enabling and perpetuating the future of serfdom, if you open your mouth, goodbye / terminate your career, and with extreme prejudice? None of this trivialises alleged abuse, alleged rape, alleged misappropriation of funds. Record, Publishing, Performance Rights Agreements, and contracts are labeled Article: regarding the exploitation of Black American recording artists.
Not much was reported in Australia concerning the treatment of indigenous artists. One "positive" (?) - exploitation in the industry is equal opportunity.
And the apparent hypocrisy; the ethics and morality could be said to be alive per aria quote in response to the 'Four Corners' investigation: "No one should feel unsafe, harassed, discriminated against, or bullied in the workplace. ARIA will continue to work towards safety, inclusion, and equality across the music industry including through the cultural change process that was started in May this year. We will listen to the voices that need to be heard and provide our wholehearted support every step of the way". Article: Music Stars Argue Contract Freedom Country music star LeAnn Rimes advised at the time: "I just turned 19 last month... I will be 35 when (the contract) is met."
'I just turned 19 last month ...
I will be 35 when (the contract) is met.' - LeAnn Rimes
n Film, Scarlett Johansson can go from one project to the next, produce her own 'vehicles', work with any studio she can form a one-off relationship with, yet recording artists are under exploitation contracts for years and may not leave. Staff at Record Companies are paid WorkCover and Superannuation, have mechanisms for complaint, work under OH&S guidelines and Codes of Conduct, as a general rule. They can leave employment under numerous circumstances and take legal action in an equitable fashion. Staff Wages and Bonus' are/were paid, weekly, monthly, annually.
Not for the bulk of recording and publishing artists, the 'Term' (employment 'work for hire') for recording and publishing artists runs for years. Generally, recording artists are accounted to every 9 months (for the previous 6 months 1 1/2 years after a 'sale') under contracted opaque methods, where it is difficult to question, let alone action any anomaly or underpayment. In many contracts, the record/publishing company can extend the agreement if the artist asks too many questions about earnings and may take punitive action, make veiled threats, and/or diminish the artists' importance at the label, provide less stringent 'service'. Artists I have managed have been threatened. This historic 'culture' was ingrained with exploitation, slavery, and abuse. Consequently, it should come as unsurprising that Executives at record and publishing companies could feel emboldened, strengthened in their disposition regarding the management of artists and then, staff.
Logically it should come as unsurprising that a despot could evolve from a toxic environment. To me the only surprise is that it has taken long for the media to pay any sanguine attention to this abuse. It seems disingenuous for the ABC to look at one side of the problem and not at all where the problem came from. It wasn't one guy, one group, a period in time. The ABC may not have clean hands here, it could be argued, in that they have failed to acknowledge their perceived conflict of interests in both ABC Record and ABC Publishing. Thoughts should turn to their contracts with recording and publishing artists, as 'exploiters'.
For taxpayer funded SBS, how many Eurovision Competitors were Sony Artists and/or managed by the related 'Sony' Artist Management Company? Who benefits from this tax payer funded commercially infused enterprise? The mere commercial convenience of artists being defined as 'work for hire', not employees, is one that even Uber and the 'gig economy', has moved on from. Not the recording and publishing industry, broadly.
WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY? The true story of slavery and abuse and without diminishing in any way from the horrid treatment received by staff at Sony? How convenient to yet again be told, directed by the media, look over here, not here, the basis of the exploitation culture. How convenient for the ABC, as they do little investigation into the recording and publishing industry. Try to remember the last time any media in AU reported on concerns, except for those published or reported on,out of commercial self interest? But that illustrates why little help and attention the AU recording, composing and performing artist gets in the first place. Little AU Airplay, gig opportunities, help during the pandemic, no minimum wage, no protection from exploitation. Naturally you'd think there would be protection from 'the Unions' but little, if any. Industry groups haven't said much. To me this shows, even now, how the boys club works, how begrudgingly they act, as if to imply, there's more to this than meets the eye.
It should be noted that it was in 2019, that ARIA decided to include several women, on the Board. Likewise their silence on this matter is likewise disappointing. I'm sure these women may all have something to say. I've seen record companies, publishers and performing rights organisations abuse artists. I've seen women as manager's not taken seriously, denigrated by their male counterparts. The term 'boys club' applies. Gussying up organisation to include woman as a 'beard', again I've seen this, for appearance sake, not much deckchair rearranging. It could be the case that having struggled a great deal, made many compromises to get on in the business, women may feel more competitive with other women for position, as there's little opportunity for advancement. The Queen Bee syndrome. Here's an interesting article on why women may not help one another: Article: Why Women (Sometimes) Don't Help Other Women
Unfortunately 'Hope' is not a strategy, isn't a solution, it's purely the vapours of an aspiration.
By Nathan Brenner
Next Month ..back to Gigs and how to best prepare...
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