Wednesday February 22, 10.23am. Check out this great tree Danny from The Thousands planted in front on the Taj Mahal in India. Danny has this master plan to travel the world planting trees and hey, Danny, please don’t leave us when you hear that The Vodafone Foundation’s just launched the World of Difference program and are encouraging five people to quit their jobs and work for a charity. In return they’ll pay a salary of up to $60k plus expenses! Can somebody find a not-for-profit that picks coconuts from beaches on secluded islands for us?
Tuesday 14 February, 3.33pm. When RAOB GAB announced that their second Lazerbern party would be called ‘Episode II – The Battle for Naboo‘ there was no way we could anticipate them commissioning gigantic Jar Jar and B1 Battle Droid heads from professional prop-maker Matt Cotter to put behind the decks. The guy actually worked on the prequels. It’s going to be the Battle of Grassy Plains done right this time. This somehow makes lemonade out of the worst (Gungans generally and Jar Jar Binks specifically) and most confusing (The Galactic Trade Federation) parts of what was a gigantic lemon. If the ol’ RAOB GAB can find a way to redeem midichlorians and Han not shooting first everything will finally be right with the world. Check out the work in progress:
Tuesday 14 February, 3.01pm. Are you a Melbourne-based jewellery or object maker? Check out NorthCity4. It’s a new not-for-profit group and warehouse space founded by Katherine Bowman, Romani Benjamin, Anna Davern, Caz Guiney and Ali Limb. The official launch of the warehouse in Weston Street, Brunswick is March 2, but tenancy applications are open now. You can apply for a long-term studio tenancy, a short-term workbench with lockable drawer, or let them know you’re interested in the Access Space, which will be available to rent on a half day, daily and weekly basis.
Tuesday 14 February, 1.15pm. Last time the Real Hot Bitches Dance Troupe ran a dance class series it was plain bitchin but this time it will be “BITCHING OUT for Human Rights!!” Head bitch (bitcheroo?) Molly Moonshine has decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Amnesty International, but first she needs money to get to the bottom of the mountain. Book a $10 spot in one of the upcoming Bitch classes and 100% of your money goes to Molly’s mad mountain challenge. Here are the routines you will learn:
Tuesday 21 February: ‘Respectable‘ by Mel & Kim
Tuesday 20 March: ‘Africa‘ by Toto
Tuesday 17 April: ‘Walk like an Egyptian‘ by The Bangles
Tuesday 15 May: ‘Vogue‘ by Madonna
Tuesday 19 June: ‘Eye of the Tiger‘ by Survivor
Molly says, “Ace bitching prizes to be won by best fugly ’80s-inspired outfit at each class!” To book one Tuesday class or many, email realhotb.tches@gmail.com. They’ll tell you the place and the time.
Wednesday 8 February, 9.46pm. PRE-LUNCH ALERT. As of yesterday, the Grace Darling’s city-brother Strange Wolf basement bar is doing lunches. Burger lunches. Burger lunches served with ‘fries and rosemary salt in a cone’. Cath says they’re “opening at 11am- cookin’ til late”. See below for a pic of Maurice posing with the first burger off the grill. The burgers are not officially named yet (except for the classic Wolf – grilled beef, caramelised onion, pickles, mozzarella, roma tomato and iceberg lettuce) but their working titles are ‘Mushroom’, ‘Bacon Burger’, ‘Waygu Deluxe Burger’, ‘Grilled Fish Burger’, ‘Free Range Chicken Burger’ and ‘Split Pea Burger’. Also, there’s a gluten-free option on everything. Downstairs, 71 Collins St Melbourne (entrance via Strachan Lane off Exhibition St).
*Burger basement update concludes*
Thursday 2 February, 12.01pm. In another coup for Speakeasy Cinema it has just been announced they’ll be screening The Ballad of of Genesis and Lady Jaye at ACMI on Monday 5 March at 8pm alongside a Q+A with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV). The documentary concerns P-Orridge and his artistic partner, muse and lover Lady Jaye; their surgical attempt to become one pandrogynous being, an account of life lived as art. Or maybe you are just not interested in meeting someone William S Burroughs called “the only person I’ve ever met who I had hero-worshipped.” Tickets will be available from ACMI on Monday 6 February ($30 +BF).
Wednesday 1 February, 2.34pm. Mark W Free just left our studio. What was he doing here? Making us coffee. What do you think? Makin’ black coffee from implements out of his backpack is like a nervous twitch for this guy. He has to do it. And he has been doing it at his Black Coffee pop-ups which have been popping up at an infrequent rate over the past year or so. No more infrequency though. Mark will be in operation from this Saturday and every Saturday after in varying locations for the rest of his life.
The launch of this life-long commitment will happen at Patricia Coffee Brewers, 493-495 Little Bourke Street (enter round the back via Little William St) this Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Next weekend it will be at Parts and Crafts Auto Zine, 13-23 Faraday St, Carlton. And the week after that? Who knows. Keep updated. If you are interested in having Mr Free do a Black Coffee pop up at your home, wedding, bah mitzvah, whatever, get in touch with him markwfree+blackcoffee@gmail.com. He just bought a postie bike so can pretty much go anywhere.
Tuesday 31 January, 3.42pm. You guys, normally we wouldn’t tell you about a party in Sydney, except this one has a ticket competition that includes flights. Vice are launching Rdio, which is basically an unlimited, on-demand social music service from the makers of Skype. It’s based on cloud access, meaning you can listen to whatever you want (over 11 million songs and more coming) on your smartphone or iPad, in your car or online. You can build your own playlists and friend lists through Rdio as well as Twitter and the Zuckerbook. Anyway, check it out. (Also we started an account this week – Arthur Russell TOP OF THE LIST)
The launch party is called Chateau Rdio and it’s happening this Saturday 4 February from 7pm at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel. The line-up includes Das Racist, Canyons, Alpine, Collarbones and Jonti, plus DJ sets from Twin Shadow and Austra. You can enter to win tickets here (they’ll know you’re from interstate by your postcode and put you in the flights draw). When you enter you get the option of a free Rdio trial. If you don’t want to enter but you’re into the music thing just go straight to rdio.com and sign up for a free trial there. (PS: We just rang and asked how to pronounce it and it’s arrrr-de-oh. Like a pirate.)
IMAGE: A picture of Das Racist.
Monday 30 January, 4.00pm. The Ursa Art Foundation is a contemporary art institution based in Brisbane. The Ursa Prize was created to enable the projects of young and emerging artists from Australia and New Zealand by offering up an annual award of 2000 big ones (AUD) to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in their creative practice. Entries are now open for the 2012 Ursa Prize. If you are a photographer, painter, illustrator, graphic designer, digital artist, sculptor, jeweller, textile designer, fashion designer, potter, glassblower, or printmaker AND you are under 30 by the closing date for entries (9am, Monday 16 July) we think you should enter! For more info, check out their website, Facebook, or Twitter.
Monday 30 January, 12.23pm. All thieves are bastards but bike thieves and guitar thieves in particular are extra bastard faces! Dick Diver are a band who ooze good karma so it’s especially sucky to hear that Rupert got his guitar stolen over the weekend. If you see a fender telecaster tobacco burst with maple neck hanging out in Cashy’s or on Gumtree please let the band know. It’s similar to the guitar pictured below, but with black edges – see Rupert playing it here. They also took some pedals (a black RAT distortion, a Silver Janglebox and an Ibanez Chorus Pedal). If you see them around let the band know: dickdiverband@gmail.com.
