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Children Collide are part of plethora of Melbourne bands successfully achieving the one aim of many Australian acts, that of international success. After storming shows at SXSW, across the US and the UK the band is now stopping briefly to finally solidly their line up, management team and to record a debut album. During possibly one of the most technically plagued interviews I've ever conducted in which a passing thunderstorm continually disconnected us, I managed to glean a few words from guitarist / singer, Johnny.<br><br>How, when and why did you decide to start the band?<br>I used to live with our current bass player (Heath) and our first drummer, I was writing heaps of songs, the drummer bought a kit and we just started jamming and getting trashed in the lounge. We got offered a gig, then another, then another and it kept snowballing from there. Nothing premeditated, it just happened from getting trashed together.<br><br>There are quite a few that start like that!<br>Yeah.<br><br>You formed on Halloween, so it was the band's Birthday yesterday, how do you feel about the bands life so far and where it will go from here?<br>Yes indeed, Happy Birthday to us! We've been on a pretty solid upward trajectory since we started and it can only get better. We've got to travel, we've been around the world twice, we're recording our album in LA in February and we're getting to do what we want to do.<br><br>You've been going for two years, doing pretty well and so far without an album, why has it take so long to get round to recording an album?<br>I guess because we've changed management and labels a few times and it often comes down to those people to help you plan such things, so every time our plans have changed to. Now we're with a label we really want to do our album with and a management team that we're confident in, so feel we can do it properly and make the best album we can. If someone had approached us in the first year we would have probably jumped at the opportunity to make an album but it wouldn't have been right, now it will be the best album we can make.<br><br>Despite not having that crucial album that a lot of industry people are always after, you've still managed to attract industry interested in working with you, how have you managed to do that?<br>It hasn't always been roses, we have missed out on a few things, for example until recently we've missed out on national tours and festivals like Splendour in the Grass because we didn't have that album. We've just been at it hard, rehearsing a hell of a lot, always putting on a good live show and that impresses people and that keeps the ball rolling.<br><br>You've also had a lot of drummers haven't you?<br>We're up to our forth drummer, we figure it's the same as changing labels or management, when people are focusing on an aim or a goal, and you don't share the same goals with other members of the band, then you have to change and find someone who does share a similar outlook. I'm afraid there's no gardening accidents or spontaneous combustions, just artistic differences.<br><br>You've been playing in a lot of countries, what's been your favourite show so far?<br>We spent a lot of time in the UK, I loved hanging out in London, but probably some of our best shows have been in the States, the first show at SXSW was one of our best ever and the crowds were enthusiastic and appreciative which is all you ever want in a show really.

Bright Yellow are floppy. Floppy hair, floppy shirts and floppy rock. Their smooth, loose and laid back rock infused with psychedelic overtones is an odd and possibly bad choice for a support band and their set doesn't quite seem to be hitting the spot with the crowd at the Evelyn tonight. However the band admirably and competently press on, ignoring heckles such as 'Play a song we knowî at the very least gaining respect from those in the audience paying them any attention.<br>At the complete opposite end of the spectrum British India are so full of energy and dynamism it feels that they may literally 'blow the roof off'. Declan Melia on vocals is so full of passion, enthusiasm and charm you can't take your eyes off him as he bounds around the stage, his battered and tramp like shoes surely a testament to the grim reality of life as a professional musician when the lights are off and the crowd's gone home. Will Drummond on bass is the epitome of cool, polo neck collar up, dressed in black and catching the eyes of many a girl in the audience even if he wont acknowledge it. Nic Wilson provides a set full of blistering solos that lift the crowd in all the right places and Matt O'Gorman on drums never lets up for one second, pounding away profusely for the set's entire duration.<br>The band are young, and have thus far seemingly crafted an entire set of epic anthems, which may bore the pants of some older and more jaded punters but for their fans, they can do no wrong. The songs could occasionally be deemed to be verging into that dreaded 'emo' territory, but very occasionally and very slightly, so lets let them off that hook. Cast aside aspersions of age, experience and song writing maturity, the songs may all be a little similar at this point, and all be based around the same sorts of themes, but these kids know how to rock a damn sight better than some twice their age and put on an astounding show. From the second the band takes to the stage until they leave after an encore that could have quite easily lasted all night there is an electric atmosphere that few bands have the ability to generate.

It's very disorientating to enter a venue previously visited on the other side of the world in a completely different place, but that's the wonder of the Speigel Tent.

This is the Trojan Horses first gig in two years and the rapidly filling Gershwin room at the Espy is enjoying the warm Summer evening that is the perfect accompaniment to the band's lilting Ska beats. Most of the band members take turns on lead vocals, injecting their own unique styles into each track, they're sharp, tight and from the crowd's reaction, obviously sorely missed in their absence.

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere summer has just reared it's hot and sweaty head, and with summer comes festivals and international artists! So suddenly Australia is awash with bands from across the globe playing what are affectionately termed 'Sideshows', it's good news and bad news as everyone struggles with time and money to catch all the acts they want to see who will probably never return to these shores any time soon.

Ding Dong is sadly a little empty tonight, maybe everyone is at home performing some last minute research into the capabilities of their local party candidates. We hope.

My latest column is an interview with Experimental noise four piece 'Embers'.

The past 10 days I've been stupidly busy with some freelance work editing videos for a State government project, ohh the glamour!

My latest column is a brief foray into the Politics of Music in Melbourne, and poses a few questions, some of which I may be wrong on, and some I may be right on...

<strong>Why did you guys decide to get together and form a band?</strong><br /> When we first met each other 18 months ago we were pretty disillusioned with other things in our lives, University wasn't quite what we expected it to be. We saw like-minded people in each other and decided to do something together.

The Drones are an Australian Indie institution, but largely unknown outside of their growing and loyal fanbase. Yet another interview I entered without knowing a great deal about the subjects, however, after hearing so much about them from friends, I was eager to learn more. I spoke to Mike Noga (Drums) about the bands busy history and how he celebrated his 29th Birthday by being mugged in London, life on the road!

I reviewed one of <em>Dr Dog</em>'s past albums, though now looking back through their productive back catalogue, with an album every year, I'm not entirely sure I remember which one it was. The band subscribe to the pack them in and out quickly approach, <em>We all belong</em> is 38 minutes long and not exactly over produced. It is eleven tracks of laid back bluesy, maybe 'swampy' multi-instrumental rock, chocker-block with slick harmonies and chunky riffs, all skilfully played by a bunch of mysterious Americans who's names all begin with the letter 'T'. It's simple, straightforward, uncomplicated and succinct. Just like this review.

The Drones are something of an enigma, they posses an extremely loyal and fairly large fan base throughout the world, but outside of their followers, they remain largely unknown. As an illustrative point, The Doorman of the Corner is heard to say in response to a passer by, 'The Drones are playing tonight, never heard of them, must be popular though, it's sold out.î

Kathrin deBoer of Bellaruche has a star quality, an ability to captivate and draw in a crowd, no matter how large. She fills the vast stage at the regal Metro nightclub with a stunning appearance and presence, her delicate and kookily sensuous dancing keeping all eyes firmly planted on her. This is before even mentioning her silky smooth voice that effortlessly floats above Bellaruche's chilled and mellow tunes, with guitar provided by the infinitely smiley Rickey Fabulous and scratches and beats provided by a last minute substitute (due to a plethora of immigration problems) in the form of Brisbane's DJ Thief.<br /> The band set the mood admirably and the sold out crowd are starting to slowly bob and move their feet to music provided by DJ Thief, the mood is electric, friendly and up for a long night. The air starts to fill with the smell of Marijuana, and whilst this flaunting of the smoking ban annoys some of the crowd it wouldn't feel like a Reggae/Dub/Hip-Hop gig without that fragrance hanging in the air.<br /> There's something to be said for making occasionally forays into less familiar genres, to witness the talent and technical ability that some musicians posses, and to see how some crowds actually show their appreciation for the music they are watching, rather than attempting to look fashionable the entire set.<br /> Perhaps the best and most fascinating thing about Fat Freddy's Drop is the individuality of all the members, Joe Dukie is the epitome of cool, pristine attire and seemingly the most controlled and effortless voice in the business. Warryn, Tony and Ho on horns each posses their own comically differing traits, Tony is sharp and restrained, looking like a cooler English Public School boy, and Ho has no shame, stripping off throughout the gig and treating the crowd to some of the most outrageous and embarrassing dancing. The band plays so well together, and put on such a professional, tight and enjoyable show it's hard to resist the throbbing beats and seductive melodies. It's clear that a lot of the set is improvised, with basic song structures in place for the feel of the evening to take hold, but the band are such a tight and close unit that it only takes a slight wink or nod for everyone to know what's going on and what's happening next. It means that no two shows are the same, but any crowd lucky enough to be witnessing Fat Freddy's Drop is guaranteed to be part of one of the most vibrant and dynamic shows in town.

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon after a seemingly long weekend as music fans slowly start to emerge in the fineries of summer, T-shirts, Thongs and a slight glow as the days get warmer and the nights get longer. No one wants to stand tonight, rather lounge around The Northcote Social Club's floor and Sir aren't going to force them to commit to anything as they ease out the weekend with their sullen blend of sordid sexiness, love laments and brooding ballads. Jesse Jackson, the bands' male vocalist gloriously underplays his role as 'front man' and band leader, eyes rarely meeting the audience, his baritone voice wooing the crowd despite his tales of sadness and betrayal. Guest vocalist Jane Badler purrs through songs, her lips pouting, her eyes alluring, she posses that perfect 'Holywood' blend of glitzy glamour and restraint, giving you just enough to be lured into her trap, but no more. The band provides a near perfect bed of backing music to proceedings, creating and maintaining just the right moods for each song. Much like the subjects of several of their songs, the band leave to soon, the crowd wants them to spend more time, but it's not to be.Guy Blackman and Sly Hats have just returned from a two month world tour, and tonight is their homecoming show. The guys look tired so they've got a backing band together for the occasion and take it in turns to play each others material. The songs deal with subjects common to artists of this ilk with both artists sitting at opposite ends of the spectrum, Sly Hats leans to the side of romanticised and fantastic tales of life and Guy Blackman weaves narrative lyrics around tales from his life, moving into a new area, his Mum, things like that. The music is 'nice'; a horrible word to use, but it's the best description that will gain instant understanding. The tunes trip along in a happy-go-lucky manner, ending slightly prematurely, but never challenging or demanding too much from the audience. These two songwriters are almost brotherly in appearance and their songs share an equal degree of similarity, a fine pair of musicians who produce great music apart and even better results together.

<strong>When, why and how did you get into music?</strong><br /> My Dad is almost wholly responsible, he always had music on. Saturday mornings are filled with Sun and Music in my memories. He bought me a guitar for my 11th birthday and I never really looked back. I had older sisters who got me into everything that was terrible about the 80's, but also some gems. Lloyd Cole for example. The Beatles were an incredible learning experience for me too - I learnt all the little parts and sang along. I also got into hip-hop and then blues, which led to jazz and improvised and experimental music. Now I guess I'm back to rock n roll and folk which is kinda where I began.

It can't have escaped many people in the world's attention that the North of England has been producing a tremendous amount of popular and fashionable music over the past two years. Led by the success of bands like <em>Kaiser Chiefs</em> and Maximo <em>Park</em>, a lot of sound-a-likes spawned, creating a glut of poor imitators and glory chasers and often those who didn't sound anything like any of the glory stories were left by the wayside. The <em>Dance to The Radio</em> label led by <strong>Forward Russia</strong> and <strong>The Pigeon Detectives</strong> has been a mainstay of the 'Northern music scene', showcasing some of the smaller acts from the region and <em>Out of the Woods and Trees</em> is the labels fourth compilation, weighing in at 20 tracks. Some do sound a lot like what's come before, and sadly, what you almost expect from Northern England (Angular guitars and disco beats), but there are a few gems lurking on the compilation including the likes of <em>The Taste, You Slut! </em>and<em> Grammatics</em>. Possibly the 'scene's' time is now over, but judging by this compilation there's still the usual amount of great bands plying their trade, and undoubtedly they couldn't care less if anyone's paying any attention.

And now for something completely different

Geoff O'Conner is one of a multitude of Melbournian musicians with a penchant for side projects, his band 'Crayon Fields' already has several tours and releases under his belt, and now his solo persona 'Sly Hats' is rapidly catching up recently returning from a two month world tour with fellow songwriter 'Guy Blackman'. I caught up with a nervous Geoff and over cups of herbal tea we discussed Music, Melbourne (and sadly after the recorder was switched off and he finally relaxed) and the ways of the World.

(I wrote a whole long and detailed post, then lost it... So now I'm just going to a brief summary!)

My latest Indieoma.com post is an interview with Melbourne hipsters (or are they?) Dardanelles...

Once again, I've let personal posts lapse to the point where I've forgotten when I last posted one and what I said...

This week my column is something a little different, I've moved out of Indie Rock and it's a description of a demonstration of John Cage's Prepared Piano I saw during the Melbourne International Arts Festival, read it here.

A short and sweet interview with Ned Collette can be found here.

Firstly I wanted to share with you a recent experience of editing...

The latest instalment of my series, featuring Folk Music from the 70's onwards can be found <a href="https://www.indieoma.com/public_journal.php?d=d395771085aab05244a4fb8fd91bf4ee" target="_blank">here</a>

This week was another week where various elements kept pointing me towards a certain way of thinking, again, I'll just go through the week and ramble a bit...

According to a forthcoming research report to be issued by overseas student recruiter IDP Education, International Student demand in Australia will double in the next two decades with Universities struggling to meet the demand. Currently Overseas students comprise approximately 17% of the Australian student body with just over a quarter of those studying in Victoria, how much does and will this affect Victorian students?

I Heart Hiroshima are one of many Australian bands operating on independent labels who distribute through major companies (In their case MGM), funding releases from touring, merchandise and hopefully previous releases. It&rsquo;s a model that their label &lsquo;boss&rsquo; Paul Curtis believes is a template for the future, he&rsquo;s a man who&rsquo;s brain I intend to pick more of in the near future&hellip;

p>I&rsquo;m sure the booze and drug fuelled &ldquo;characters&rdquo; of Collingwood keep stealing CD&rsquo;s from my post box, as yet again I enter an interview with an artist who&rsquo;s album I never received. Never mind, it&rsquo;s making for interesting conversations as both parties struggle to make sense of each other and all the local Junkies are gaining a healthy and varied taste in music.