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Living within the European focussed world view that many of us have had instilled into us from an early age it is often hard to forget that there are and were highly developed civilisations besides the Europeans, and the Europeans weren't necessarily always the first to achieve or discover things. In 1421 Gavin Menzies sets out a believable hypothesis that the first nation to 'discover' and 'chart' the rest of the world outside of their own locality was the Chinese and not those who we're led t...

Cycling is experiencing a worldwide renaissance and Melbourne is no exception with sales of bikes out stripping cars by a scale of six. Wether it be environmental, health or practical reasons, cyclists are rapidly becoming a consumer and user group large enough to start making some demands. So here's a short wish list to make any keen Melbourne cyclists life a little better, and frankly, in these days of environmental crisis, a little more valued in the part we play in doing the world a favour....

Perhaps the closest reference point to Douglas Coupland for those of you unfamiliar with his work is Kurt Vonnegut, a reference point that I'm sure Douglas Coupland hears frequently. If you're unfamiliar with either's work then I guess the best description would be, 'different' or maybe 'hyper real', characters sort of shamble through in a state of confusion that no one else suffers from with odd occurrences happening to them that no one else considers odd. JPod is a book about and aimed at Gee...

One bright sunny day I stepped out on to Sydney rd in Brunswick to be greeted by a surprising and pleasurable sight, no cars! It was Moreland Council's first [Cyclovia](www.cyclovia.org), with one of Melbourne's busiest, cramped and most hectic roads open only to bikes, pedestrians and public transport for several hours. The previous night I had cycled up Sydney road into the wild lands of Coburg experiencing a more typical journey including reckless drivers attempting to take my life, hollers, shouts, honks and...

It's hard to effectively review a guide to cycle paths in South East Queensland when you're stuck in Melbourne with no chance of attempting them anytime soon. The guide produced by Bicycling Australia is exceptionally well produced and thought out with ring bound easy to clean laminated pages for those journeys where your hands spend more time fiddling with oily parts than on the handlebars. There are 47 rides spread across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to keep you busy for ma...

Hey Mr C, how you? Yes, it's been too long, I'm very well thank-you. I've Mainly been finishing Capital, releasing the 'This Gun' EP and trying to get my live gigging self shipshape for next year. Had a struggle with lineups and lack of rehearsal time but it's coming together now and it'll be an ace year. **Blair's gone, Howard is gone, Bush is going to go, is the world changing or are we just replacing like with like still?** It's not massive change but it still counts - it's not like-for-like e...

In another example of Western governments unable to comprehend why their populations are dead set on destroying themselves in a wave of hedonism or violence, and instead of attempting to understand the motivations behind this they instead restrict them every way possible with an ever increasing amount of legislation. In its infinite wisdom the Victorian state government has decided to follow Queensland and introduce a 2am lockout in the CBD in an effort to curb late night violence. Melbourne i...

Kids are looking younger, reviewers are feeling older, fake ID's are getting better or a combination of all of the above, but the extremely enthusiastic crowd at The Palace tonight looks exceedingly youthful and full of vim, vigour and exuberance.<br>The Getaway Plan's guitarist has an uncanny and highly skilled knack of playing his guitar extraordinarily frantically whilst giving the impression that it's stuck to him, his black plank barely moving a millimetre from his body. The band are obvio...

A bitterly cold winter's Sunday is a hard night to stage a gig and expect a crowd to venture out into the wild winds. However Manchester Lane seems to be everyone's perfect choice to evade the inclement weather outside, there is a constant to-ing and fro-ing of waiting staff from the Kitchen, the bar is busy with clanking glasses and the venue is nigh on full with an enthusiastic and appreciative audience chatting in these highly civilised surrounds. Laura Jean and the Eden Land Band more appea...

Whilst descending the Hifi's mysterious winding staircase The Shake up grab you with an immeasurable charm, a distant beat and melody that draws the listener in, causing an urge to push to the front of the milling crowds and discover the band who are creating such a loud, catchy and cohesive sound. The big surprise is that the band are only a three piece, the bigger and more pleasant surprise is that the venue is nigh on full, appreciating the band's efforts and not just idly killing time befor...

Sebastian Bach represents everything good and / or bad about heavy rock depending on your point of view. He and his band tick all the anticipated and expected boxes, long flowing curly locks, tight (and for some members, stripy) jeans, sleeveless vests, stupendous Marshall stacks and some on stage moves straight out of 'Rock moves 101'. The crowd is equally suited to the band, resplendent in a sea of metal band T-Shirts, VB cans, Devil hands and increasingly drunken swaying. The music is more...

Sailors and Swines show little care that they are first act on the bill tonight, playing to a half full room of waifs and strays. Their blend of edgy, disjointed, noisy angst ridden rock grabs your attention and hits you right between the eyes like a brightly coloured brick. Some of the band's material is a little samey but they are young, new, fresh, exciting and perform the audience wake up role admirably.I Heart Hiroshima posses that care free attitude so common in bands from Queensland, the...

- Applecore - Broken Door - Commercial crap - Cat flap - High crime - Sign of the times - Night clubs - Seedy pubs - Rubbish bin - Collecting tin - Bus stop - Bent cop - Run down school - Drunken fool - Paedophile - Give us a smile - Traffic jam - Bang bang - Road work - Office jerk - Broken homes - Millennium dome - Drug dealer - Office cleaner - Broken bottle - Full throttle - Boarded up shops - Office blocks - Social life - Beaten up wife - Dodgy bloke - Being broke - Sick on the ground - To...

I'm dancing on the edge of normality, waggling my arse at the people inside and loving every minute. The faces stare back at me, they don't understand, they don't see, what it's like, to be me.

Cate and I got a bus, the 160 that used to run from Catford to Sidcup, we got off the bus near where I used to live, on the south circular, which was near where it used to go, but slightly off route. We got off the bus and all the shops were exactly as I remembered, as we walked down the road (which was a major street for traffic) we came across a fruit orchard, trees of apples, plums, gooseberries and more, I kept trying to take photos of the fruit and Cate kept getting in the way saying 'stop...

Megalomaniac had death at the press of a button, he'd declared war on the rest of the world and he wasn't backing down now. The world hadn't taken him seriously, hadn't met his demands, he'd have to show the world fear and harm. Head of a multinational, fifth richest man on earth, it was never enough, he always wanted more, needed to be the best, wanted everyone to call him sir.Sod ethics and morality, everyone else is dirt. With money from his lies, he pointed warheads to the skies, buried h...

Fancied damaged boy any box or coy Cox kiss lips as they lisp. Awake, cycle, be late and laud Kate. Wall walk, tall talk, the next newt goes for God's loud love by Jove. The tie vies for kid's lies, lids off with odd Ned picking and shaking his sibling in the lame land lane. If he goes in, I'm gone home, good. Gas has, ice had, water waves and rates save. Jesus jests while pests rests. For eons the doors shut in situ, waiting, waving their dues for ever.

_Phone on table, centre stage. Phone rings._ X : <i>(Enters from Stage L, Answers phone)</i> Hello?<br />Y : Hello. X : Who's this? Y : Oh yes, sorry, God here. How are you? X : Fine thanks. Y : Good. Is life alright? X : Yeah, no complaints. Y : No faults or problems, or complaints? X : No, not really, none that I can think of. Y : Good, marvellous. Ok, goodbye then. X : Bye. <i>Phone down, X leaves the stage at Stage L.</i>

Tell me what the matter is, I really want to know. Don't keep it to yourself; you've got to let it go. Don't tell me it's not important, I really do care. Don't tell me another time, lay your burden bare. Don't sit there feeling sorry with your head against the wall. Talk to me, relate, and forget about it all.

There's an odd and intriguing dynamic within Actor/Model, Karen on guitar and keyboards and Phil on drums seem to spend a vast proportion of the set staring at Ricky on guitar and vocals, giving the general impression that he's the only one who has any idea what's going on. The band have a foot firmly planted in early to mid 90's Indie but are unashamed to admit to it, hammering through a set of meandering guitar noises underpinned by awesome fat and fuzzy keyboard sounds.Bachelor of Arts are o...

The prester quest is a story of two men's present day retracing of a journey from Italy to Ethiopia made by a Papal Emissary in 1177. His mission to deliver a letter to a supposedly (and widely believed to be) real King of a fantastical Christian land in the heart of Islamic lands. I read a similar 'retracing the steps' book (Victoria Clarks, The Wayfarers) about a year ago, which was an amazing read, so this book had a lot to live up to. It starts slowly and doesn't really get going until abou...

Whoever named tonight's event 'Uh Huh' should be given a gentle slap round the face for concocting such an uninspiring name for such an inspiring line up. The Corner is sadly sparser than expected tonight but those of us present are up for a full on (especially with no mind numbingly annoying and boring lengthy sound checks) night of cutting edge Rock and Roll in the company of some of the hottest and most vibrant bands in the Country. Reptiles are a big fuzzy mess, lank and greasy hair covers...

Playing Rock & Roll with a drum machine is a tough task, trying to maintain passion, emotion and flexibility within the confines of a machines rigid confine. Whilst TV for Cats aren't the most engaging band to watch, their lack of human backline doesn't notice and musically they are as flexible and fluid as any band with a sweaty skin pounder in the back row. The tunes are bright, edgy and catchy, with ingenious arrangements and musical tricks scattered throughout their set. Skull squadron hav...

Allow me the indulgence of stepping outside the traditional third person / present tense to make an observation on context, situation and assumption. Once I saw Cameron (lead singer of Baseball) sat at a tram stop, his usual crazy haired self, decked in the un official uniform of Melbourne musicians, tight jeans, singlet and Dunlop volleys. Outside of his element people were avoiding him, labelling him as one those 'crazies' and best ignored or stared at. In his element fronting a rock band all...

One man talking solidly for three hours with no breaks and only taking one drink the entire time is a pretty intense experience for all involved, especially when one of those is Henry Rollins. He stands rigid in one spot, legs arched, tense, constantly looking as if he's about to leap into a fight. He covers topics from war and politics to loving music and sex, never elitist and never patronising. He tries hard to remain down to Earth and on the side of the common man, at times I find this hard...

The Knockouts are straight ahead psychobilly rock and roll, feeling slightly stifled but warming up towards the end of the set. Strangely similar in delivery to old Ska band, the Selecter, their material is fairly paint by numbers, simple and uncomplicated conjuring images of Smokey bars in the American deep south, surrounded by far too much leather and cigarette smoke if it hasn't been banned yet? Gentle Ben and his sensitive side features Ben from 6ft hick on lead vocals showing his, well, u...

Let down the wall, try not to use a piano, you'll amaze yourself. Take care to keep them straight; whilst not easy it's within reach. Run mobile discos, but it's pointless my guru told me. All you need is cash and the girls like it, I never realised it would become a clichÈ. Some of them have bits of me, evidently the line to use next time. Rubbing away the planets and playing rhythm guitar, the 90's were a good idea. Fantasies of eyes on stalks and by coincidence we rode a scooter.Ah we...

An image man does what his image can When he's on his own he'll be himself But while you're waiting he'll tell of all the girls he's known And tales of things he's done You'll be his mate forever as long as you're impressed

Putting on gigs in venues that are a little outside of the normal circuit is always a challenge, you pick a good night of the week, get a good line up together and promote the hell out of it unyet attendance is still not what it could and should be. Such is the lot of the Noise Bar tonight, a buzzing and eclectic line up but just because it's that little bit further from Coolsville the 40 or so people here are the only ones privileged and smart enough to realise a good deal when they see one....

I have a recently rediscovered passion and interest for History, absorbing many tomes over the past few months, my favourite being brief surmises of 'all of History'. Possibly it's laziness or a fear of delving to deeply into specific areas of History so early into my enthusiasm, or perhaps a desire to get an overall picture of the state of the world before specialising. Whatever the reason Bill Bryson's infamous book that comes highly recommended from many sources is nothing to do with human...