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What's going on in Sydney? Are there copious amounts of young men mating with drum machines, synthesizers and 80's dropouts? The city seems to be spawning a lot of electro bands recently that generally favour epic, fantastical sounding names and presentation.

Unless listless inmates around the world have been ganging together and forming bands, 'Convict-Core' could only really come from Australia and it would be safe to assume that it would sound like something of a mish-mash of the influences upon Australia's history. With these assumptions in hand The Currency's mix of high octane Celtic folk blended with Anglo Punk will come as no surprise. The Currency's live shows are legendary, it takes very little time for crowds to be pulled into the melodic maelstrom, grabbing friends and strangers and pulling them into a frenzied mosh pit of flailing limbs and hair, booze flowing freely in all directions. Whilst this debut album lacks the pure energy of the band's awesome live shows, the inter-twinning battling flutes, fiddles, mandolins and a plethora of other instruments will cause embarrassing toe-tapping, head jiggling and humming on public transport or at your workplace. The energy of the music aside, the stories contained within the songs are enticing and compelling, whilst there may not always be a conventional narrative, you pay attention to and follow the lyrics. By sticking to edgier themes of Australian life such as drought, workers rights, colonialism, the struggles of a young nation and tales of woe and regret The Currency manage to inject just enough 'Australiana' into their lyrics without sounding cringworthy or potentially alienating a global audience, maintaining an edgy, dangerous, dark and brooding brand of folk music to drown your sorrows to with beer, whisky and dancing until the early hours of the morning. Don't buy one copy, buy several and send one to anyone you know overseas and hopefully we'll inform the rest of the world that we're not just a nation of bleached-blonde surfers.

Bones are an archetypal Melbourne band, all skinny men, tight trousers, cool looking guitars and discordant noise. There's dozens of them out there pounding the boards at Inner city venues night in and night out, but Bones posses a little extra 'Je ne sais quoi' to raise them above the rest of the throng. In amongst the messy noise and jagged edges are some amazing harmonies and crazy off beat guitar riffs that are so surprising they make you sit up, take notice and even start to smile.Damn Terrain are a man down, their bass player 'sucksî (according to the band's singer and guitarist) and despite their best efforts it notices. Both remaining members are putting in 110% to fill in the gaps but it still doesn't quite grab the crowd who begin drifting out to smoke and hang around the Tote's (now saved!) jukebox.There's something about bands from Western Australia, whether due to geographical frustrations or the lack of anything better to do, WA bands are typically extremely proficient, tight, professional and possess amazing stage presences, Will Stoker and the Embers do nothing to dispel this stereotype. The band have a strange dynamic, Will Stoker looking like a cross between Jeff Buckley and David Boreanaz but with crazier hair, eccentrically dressed he is the classic image of an Art school student. The rest of the band however are all out hard rockers through and through, long hair, amp stacks, black clothes and lumberjack shirts. You can imagine the band starting out, meeting this enigmatic front man and all saying, 'he's crazy but it might just work'. The gamble was a good one because Will Stoker & the Embers are an extremely unique act, the combination of hard rock and eccentricity creating an awesome and entrancing bravado as Will flings himself around the venue through a sequence of bizarre dance moves, leg wobbling and posing, backed by a band as solid and loud as they come. The crowd is mesmerised, they barely move, captivated by the spectacle before them, a show possessing quality that usually has come a long way.

Grafton Primary possesses an eclectic fan base, drawing in an increasing amount of musical sub genres, uniting them for fleeting moments in one room. Taking up centre ground are the chattering fashionistas, eyeing each other up and comparing clothing brands. Bang in front of the stage are an unruly bunch of mainstream-esque dance fans, jostling for space, hassling photographers and generally annoying most around them. Hanging around at the back are groups of lesbian punks and lurking in dark corners are gaggles of old school 80's Goths, the breadth and contradictory nature of the bands fan base also sums up the band and their music. An equally strange combination of retro electro, dark layered moods and modern rhythmic aggression is executed with flawless precision, perfectly suiting our era's obsession of regurgitating the past into gleaned pastiches.

I'm old enough to remember the great laments aired when vinyl started to die it's still ensuing slow death, how would musicians and their artists still be able to shrink their exquisite works of art down from a whopping 12" to XX CD inlays. Well, unsurprisingly they coped, they managed, they learnt new tricks and still created a mixed bag of wondrous masterpieces and piles of crap. There have been some classic Album covers that I feel wouldn't have even worked on vinyl. Radioheads' 'OK Computer' is one example, pop out the CD holder and you find a wealth of extra art lurking beneath the surface. Not forgetting cardboard covers, flexipacks and a wealth of DIY efforts that were far simplified by the smaller size of a CD. CD bodies themselves also offer an extra surface for artwork that previously never existed, not to mention those more adventurous musicians who add bonus material through the extended CD format.

A license is not required to ride a bike on Melbourne's (and most other cities in the world as far as I know) streets and sometimes knowing quite what you are allowed and not allowed to do or indeed what others should be doing around you is difficult to ascertain.

I finally got my fist experience(s) of Australian festivals this summer, albeit a gentle one-day only festival introduction and I hate to say I wasn't greatly impressed.

I find this small collection of images documenting London's derelict underbelly appealing for two reasons. I know the author from his days as an Indie label 'boss' and the fact that he turned to a successful sideline in snapping pictures of abandoned buildings is fascinating. Secondly a lot of the subjects within the book are familiar to me, sometimes in the same state as within the book and sometimes in their previous non-dilapidated state.

<a href=https://www.slowguides.com.au>www.slowguides.com.au</a>

I&#39;ve been intending to write this for months, but never quite got around to it, a theme that will run through this article? I was also quite proud of the piece and was hoping I might be able to get it published, but alas, no joy in that area and as I say above, it&#39;s content is long overdue.

Umberto Eco is often a difficult read, he has a tendency to take a really good (semi-fictional) plot and wrap in a lot of intellectual posturing that can become annoying and fundamentally far too distracting to continue reading. I am well aware of his vices and whilst I frequently have no idea what he is talking about I still really enjoying reading his books and would even list him as one of my favourite authors. The Island of the Day before is perhaps one of Umberto Eco's easiest reads with a fairly simple plot by his standards and enough beautifully written descriptions and prose to cope with a relatively small amount of intellectual discussion. The story tells of a young noble in the 17th century who gets abandoned on a mysterious ship in an unknown location and his (and the western world's) coming to grips with discovering new worlds, sciences and cultures whilst attempting to cling on to the familiar, mystical and old world. A wonderful read with a lead character that you will love, despise, support and become frustrated with throughout the book.

Whilst I do not believe in God by any means and would certainly describe myself as an Atheist, my biggest issue with 'The God Delusion' is what Richard Dawkins would describe as his 'Devout Atheism'. The fervour and passion he writes with is almost on a par with that of a religion devotees and thus at times is equally as awkward to digest. Perhaps it could also be due to a conditioning of our modern world he describes, in that we feel awkward discussing religious topics in public, in case we offend someone around us, even when reading the book I found myself occasionally hiding the title in front of possible 'religious types' in case I offended them. The book is generally easy to read and full of intriguing, interesting and thought provoking topics and nuggets of information only occasionally wandering into intellectual territory that may be lost on some readers.

Michael Franti appears to be something of an institution in Australia, possessing a modicum of popularity in most of the world but verging on something else on our far flung shores, acting like a shaman and appointed leader for the current or reformed hippies, crusties and ferrals. It takes a rare talent and presence to grasp the crowd in the palm of your hand and inspire them into singing along with every word you utter, to have them clapping and dancing to every beat from the opening notes and first word of your first song, and appropriately, that first word was 'hello' in several languages. To then keep the vast majority of the crowd hanging on to every word you say, responding to every local reference, dancing and screaming on demand and spontaneously for the entire set in some kind of cult-like fervor with hidden subconscious messages flowing through the crowd is an even larger achievement, Michael Franti manages it with the greatest of ease and this is only an acoustic set!The set is bursting with simple and effective songs about peace, love and understanding, covering politics, community and harmony, no-one is left out, every race and subculture is mentioned for good measure in Franti's rapid fire lyrics, perfect topics for a full-to-the-brim venue on the seaside with the evening feeling a little like a holiday camp with Michael Franti as chief red coat leading proceedings.Some would accuse Michael Franti of verging on the cheesy side and of producing the occasional cringe on the more discerning music fan's face. Cast your aspersions and cynicisms aside, for a performer who produces such warm fuzzy feel good feelings, for a performer that creates music that makes everyone feel good and leave their problems aside, Michael Franti can't be faulted.

For a band with a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, The Stranglers look in remarkably good shape. Despite the drugs, the changes in musical direction, losing their original singer, losing their original singer's replacement, the good albums and the frankly abysmal albums, the band are still standing strong with some of their original line up and a back catalogue full of catchy and familiar songs. Most importantly, the band looks damn good on stage, resplendent in uniform black. Bassist JJ Burnell is built like a tank, the veins on his neck showing above a tight muscle hugging t-shirt as he pumps out his familiar 'barracuda bass' sound. 'New' recruit Baz Warne on guitar and vocals provides more than enough spit and bile necessary to deliver the songs of the Stranglers, whilst, cool as ever, Dave Greenfield delivers some of the most memorable and recognisable keyboard lines from the 70's and 80's one handed as he sups his way through the contents of a personal bar. Most notably, The Stranglers stage show is so un-complicated for a band of their size, no road crew constantly adjusting things, no constant swapping of guitars, no fathing about, just tune after tune delivered with a consistent high energy and professionalism.

The Hives are past masters at staging a rock show, working their way through all of the tricks in 'Rock Live shows for beginners', the vast majority of 'Rock live shows for intermediates' and making fair headway into the advanced volume. Even before the band take to the stage we have subdued red lighting, a vast backdrop and a tremendous amount of 'milking it' as the crowd gets rowdier awaiting the band's emergence.

The Byzantine Empire was a long forgot segment of Mediterranean History that seems to be undergoing something of a rediscovery recently. I'm unsure why it's history seemed to slip down the back of the rhetorical sofa as it's certainly a most tumultuous and colourful history full of victory, disaster, insane characters, powerful characters and the usual battles, religious turmoil and tales that accompany any medieval history. This is a summarised version of John Julius Norwich's three volume Byzantine history and he does a remarkable job of covering a thousand years of history in a clear, concise and engaging manner, never dull, never losing momentum and with a pace almost worthy of fiction as you look forward to reading further to see what happens next.

So I guess you'll just have to wait

My Nan died recently so for obvious reasons I've been thinking about Death a fair bit. Death in the family has never been something that has emotionally bothered me a great deal, probably due to me having a small family, my Mum dying at a young age and being brought up to celebrate life, not spen time mourning things that cannot be changed. The things that do bother me about death is the vulture like swooping of various parties after the event and the sudden deconstruction of someone's life. I feel very awkward discussing estates, possessions, value and legalities, to me it feels disrespectful. One of my earliest memories of this is after the funeral of my Mum's Dad when all the family descended on his house to divvy up the possessions with gleams in their eyes. I know all these things have to be discussed and sorted out, but everyone seems to so keen to bring the issue up whilst assuring you they're very sorry about what happened, much like in the antiques roadshow when you know all everyone is waiting to find out from the experts is an items 'insurance value'.

Rules of the road<br>Chris Chinchilla<br><br>A license is not required to ride a bike on Melbourne's (and most other cities in the world as far as I know) streets and sometimes knowing quite what you are allowed and not allowed to do or indeed what others should be doing around you is difficult to ascertain.<br>The fact is that when you are on a bike you should be obeying the rules of the road, but a lot of rules and regulations are squarely aimed at car drivers and if you haven't taken a license test, how are you supposed to know what they are anyway?<br><br>Here are a few rules and regulations that directly affect cyclists, so you can be aware of your rights and responsibilities.<br><br><b>Keep to the left</b><br>You should keep to the left of the lane, if the road is too narrow or clogged with traffic then you are perfectly within your rights to take the lane completely, a generally touted figure is to keep a metre from the curbside. Cyclists are also allowed to overtake on the left of a vehicle, but not if the vehicle is indicating or turning left. <br><br><b>Riding together</b><br>Often a subject of confusion, you are allowed to ride two abreast and a third cyclist is even allowed to overtake, so car drivers put away those horns.<br><br><b>Bike lanes and paths</b><br>Another common grey area, this one even surprised me. If there is a bike path or lane present, you are obliged to use it if practical. Cars are also obliged to give way to cyclists in lanes and paths.<br><br><b>Hook turns</b><br>Whilst not completely required for cyclists, at major intersections where trams are present it will assist your safety and visibility if you take a hook turn instead of a 'normal' one.<br><br><b>Traffic signs</b><br>Cyclists are required to obey traffic lights, stop signs and give way signs, failing to do so is an infringement and could result in a fine.<br><br><b>Opening Doors?</b><br>Speaking from experience, being hit by a car door is unpleasant, opening a car door into traffic is also illegal. The law states 'A person must not cause a hazard to any person or vehicle by opening the door of a vehicle?' a fact that will surprise many cyclists and car drivers alike. However, it does mean that if you are hit, you are well within your rights to take down details, claim any damages and if necessary, report the incident to the Police.<br><br><b>Compulsory accessories</b><br>A warning device such as a bell or horn.<br>An approved helmet.<br>At night a white front light and red back light.<br><br><b>Traffic Fines</b><br>Disobeying traffic lights : $220<br>No Helmet : $55<br>No Lights : $55<br>Riding on a footpath or other non-approved path : $55<br><br>In fact, cyclists are subject to the same fines as car drivers, so if you're very unlucky or not careful you could find yourself hit with a very unusual fine.<br><br><br>So bearing all of this in mind, why do so many cyclists seem to break these rules, putting themselves into danger, trouble and giving so many of us law abiding cyclists a bad name? I thought I'd do a little probing and try to understand why so many carry a chip on their shoulders about sharing the road and don't try to ride harmoniously with every other user of our public roads and footpaths.<br><br>A common reason for jumping red lights given by many cyclists is momentum. Unlike a car, it's is human endeavour and effort that propels your vehicle, stopping at red lights reverses all of the momentum you've just built up, starting up again can be a lot of effort. This is a fair point, but in my personal opinion, not completely valid and generally bought up by those who like to travel particularly fast or who have fixed wheel (i.e. one gear) bikes, utilising gears properly (as with a car) makes stopping and starting a fairly simple process. Yes, traffic lights are damned annoying, but they generally exist for a good reason and not obeying them could endanger you and others, ignoring the recurring issue that you will also potentially infuriate other road users, increasing cyclist animosity. Of course there are also those lights that simply don't trigger for cyclists, in those cases then you really have no option than to jump them or cross on the pedestrian crossing.<br><br>It does sadly seem that many cyclists suffer something of a superiority complex, taking the fact that they're 'doing their bit for the planet' as a carte blanche do what they like on the roads. Then there's the rebellious attitude that accompanies a lot of cyclists, the attitude that initially drives you to rebuke the four-wheeled majority and take to two wheels carries on into just doing what you damn like. Whatever your opinion or attitude, there are rules in place for a reason, if you don't agree with that reason or feel you are inappropriately represented or covered by regulations and rules then flaunting them isn't necessarily the best approach. One person breaking a rule because they feel justified or safer (which may have unforseen repercussions) in doing so achieves nothing, taking your complaints through official channels and making more intelligent larger scale protests through lobby groups (some listed below) or attending related public events can achieve better results.<br><br><br><br>www.bv.com.au<br>www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/BicyclesPedestrians<br>www.austroads.com.au/abc<br><br>www.melbournecyclist.com/forum/topics/rule-breaking-cyclists<br>

'Slow' is an increasingly popular worldwide movement encouraging us to all, well, slow down. To take time out from our increasingly (and frequently self inflicted) hectic lives to appreciate what is around us, to take time to notice little things that were previously unnoticed, investigate places un-investigated, try new experiences and treat the world in a different, more relaxed and inquisitive manner.

Friday night gigs need to start earlier to pull in the punters and keep them awake, bar a few overly enthusiastic members of the crowd, most of those hanging around the Northcote Social Club band room are looking like they'd rather be in bed and the support band's job is a tough one to extract any sort of enthusiasm or energy.

Let down the wall, try not to use a piano, you'll amaze yourself.

_A poem written completely in predictive text_

Cup eve is a strange night of the year, everyone feels obliged to go out and enjoy themselves but haven't quite got over the weekend yet.<br><br>The Jacks play an uncomplicated rock-a-billy punk crossover and certainly look the part, resplendent in turned up jeans, shirts, t-shirts, low-slung guitars and tattoos aplenty. The music's not complicated, there's no messing around, no confusion over what to expect and an awesome start to the night.<br><br>Assassination Collective take to the stage in their usual shambolic glory, trying to fit 7 members on any stage is hard, nigh on impossible at a venue like Pony. The band compromise by bringing their awesome loud and raucous sound into the audience, the rotating vocalists bounding around the venue shaking everyone out of their holiday lethargy.<br><br>Actor / Model are an odd choice on the bill, their mellower sound sandwiched between several louder and more frantic bands. A couple of songs in the set drag a little, wandering into meandering instrumentals that feel extraneous to what are generally catchy and interesting numbers.<br><br>Shooting at Unarmed Men's gig schedule has been somewhat sporadic and random over the past year, a situation that beautifully summarises the band's music. One of the tightest three-pieces in Melbourne the songs are definitely punchy, catchy and well crafted, but full to the brim of tangents, suddenly flying from one random part to another without notice or prediction, a refreshing change from a sea of predictable bands. The audience tonight are just as unpredictable with some of the most bizarre heckles anyone (including front man John Chaplet who's probably experienced a fair few) has heard in a long time being shouted, screamed, sung and hollered throughout the entire set. Despite this Shooting at Unarmed Men pull off a brilliant set, somewhat enhanced by the situation, airing new songs, playing some old favourites and reminding Melbourne that despite their absence, they are still a musical force to be reckoned with.

As a cyclist you encounter so much stress, grief and abuse you at least hope that when you enter a bike shop you will be greeted by a friendly and supportive face. However even this isn't always the case as some cycle shop staff can be rude, patronising and unfriendly, especially to new and keen cyclists. So what a refreshing change it was when I set foot into Human Powered Cycles in Brunswick, not only friendly and approachable, but also passionate and with a big heart, lets have a few words with them.<br><br><b>Top Maintenance Tips</b><br>Keep your bike regularly maintained, oil the chain and wheels, keep all moving parts clean and basically just keep an eye on everything.<br>Make sure your light's batteries are not running out, especially on your back light as you may not always notice it's strength. On a related issue, don't buy two back lights to save money, this will confuse other traffic and could endanger you.<br>When adjusting gears don't rely on playing with the High and Low adjusters on the gear cluster, try adjusting the gear wire instead.<br><br>If you want to learn more about cycle maintenance then conveniently Human Powered offer some very competitively priced classes and rates for their own work, even providing courtesy bikes whilst yours is being fixed.<br><br><b>Top Riding Tips</b><br>Get a bike that fits you properly!<br>Don't hug the kerb and keep weaving in and out between packed cars, stay out in the road and stick to the same spot.<br>Don't ride timidly, assert yourself and be confident.<br>Obey the rules of the road, if you don't know them, learn them.<br><br>Human Powered's business has been sufficiently successful over the past seven years that they have been able to fund a program for recent Immigrants, providing bikes and cycling lessons, a quite unique scheme that you can help with by donating any old bikes you no longer require.<br><br>I asked the guys what they thought of some of the current issues that affect cyclists in Melbourne.<br><br><b>Why do you think that so many motorists in Melbourne are so 'bad' and have so little respect for Cyclists? </b><br>I feel that unlike many European cities motorists in Australia have priority, if they hit a non-motor vehicle then the victim is in the wrong. Perhaps this leads the attitude of motorists here, they feel they are always in the right. Generally most motorists get annoyed with pedestrians and cyclists because they slow them down. At the same time I dislike certain cyclists who abuse the rules of the road, annoying other users doesn't help, it will simply lead to more motorists disliking cyclists and treating us all with disdain and mistrust.<br><br><b>Do you think that if Cyclists paid a road tax we would be treated with more respect and get better facilities? </b><br>This is actually somewhat of a myth, the tax that motorists pay mainly goes into accident prevention / cure and then general administration costs of the tax. Cyclists have very little impact on council property and we pay for this with rates anyway. In fact, encouraging cyclists is in the interests of councils it leads to less wear and tear and increased health benefits.<br><br><b>What would help the future of cycling? </b><br>More education for all road users and more promotion of cycling as a viable and positive method of transport, both of these would hopefully lead to a change in attitudes.<br><br>Human Powered is a great self sufficient operation like so many in the inner suburbs, right down to their wonderfully informative website, their workshop computers running Linux and Bees in the backyard on the banks of the Merri. They are soon moving to commercial prosperity, hopefully it wont change the nature of the business.<br><br>38 Harrison St<br>Brunswick East<br>90296504<br><br>Soon moving to :<br>563 High Street<br>Thornbury<br><br>On the 1st December, drop by for opening specials!<br><br><a href=https://www.humanpowered.com.au target=î_blankî> www.humanpowered.com.au </a><br><br>The guys at Human Powered Cycles are so nice they've also offered anyone who mentioned Aduki a 10% discount.<

Steph Brett possesses a peculiar quality rarely found in singer-songwriters but one that delights and ensures an audience firmly on your side. Technically she is not brilliant, she fumbles chords, awkwardly plays with the microphone and even manages to pull the jack plate out of her guitar towards the end of her set. Un yet there is a vibrancy and character in her silky, caramel voice and personality, an understated charm that wins through every problem and technical hitch, as an example, to counter the lack of electrics in her guitar, the last song becomes acapella, with most of the audience providing hand claps for the duration.

Applecore<br>Broken Door<br>Commercial crap<br>Cat flap<br>High crime<br>Sign of the times<br>Night clubs<br>Seedy pubs<br>Rubbish bin<br>Collecting tin<br>Bus stop<br>Bent cop<br>Run down school<br>Drunken fool<br>Paedophile<br>Give us a smile<br>Traffic jam<br>Bang bang<br>Road work<br>Office jerk<br>Broken homes<br>Millennium dome<br>Drug dealer<br>Office cleaner<br>Broken bottle<br>Full throttle<br>Boarded up shops<br>Office blocks<br>Social life<br>Beaten up wife<br>Dodgy bloke<br>Being broke<br>Sick on the ground<br>Too much sound<br>Political shit<br>Hypocrite<br><br>City life, don't you just love it<br>

This book took me a very long time to read, months in fact, the topic is a weighty one, not hard to understand or absorb, just one that can only be digested in short sittings. It deals with the long running conflict between Rome and Jerusalem, dating back to the latter years of BC and effectively (through recurring anti Semitism) running until now. However this book deals with events primarily up to 4th Century AD and the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, including the fascinating reign of Constantine who took the Roman Empire from abusing Christians, to spreading their word and simultaneously alienating even more in the Jewish world.A fascinating read, but not for the faint hearted or those expecting to learn more on the subject any time soon.

Its always amazing to see the backing bands of jet setting solo artists, a group of musicians who at the drop of a hat can just pick up a set of songs and play them like they've been playing them all their lives. Most of Mark's set tonight is of fairly melancholic plodding numbers with an alt-country twinge, all reverb laden guitars and low booming vocals, very reminiscent of the headliners former outfit. The skill of the musicians around him brings out Mark's songs, lifting them from a middle of the road rut they could easily fall into. Towards the end of the set Mark takes a strange change in direction and adds in some 'novelty' songs that don't sit well in the mix, like someone trying to tell jokes who just isn't funny, it makes the audience squirm and exchange awkward glances, they weren't necessary and Mark loses a little kudos for doing it.

The Zombie State's tagline is 'Melbourne finds itself in the grip of the vengeful dead. Who will stand and fight?. Not wanting to give too much away, this is somewhat misleading and doesn't quite allude to what the play is really 'about'. For student theatre this is a big budget production, a high quality nightmare corridor with two plastic booths stage front form the set for most of the production, with many door ways providing ample opportunity for the cast to appear from in a disconcerting way.Technically the production is ambitious. When action is taking place in either of the booths the sound quality takes on a shrill, claustrophobic character. Some scenes also happen backstage with video cameras streaming footage onto two large screens at the front of the stage, an interesting and novel method that causes a few (apparent) technical problems with microphones malfunctioning causing sections of dialogue to be inaudible.