Les petites maisons de la rue Crémieux
Rue Cremieux is lovely in the pre-dawn, and not too bad later in the day when two old men strolled along the pave playing along on their trumpets ... looking for well-earned tips for their Saturday tipple.
Four wakes and a funeral for Andrew McMillan
Andrew may be gone but won't be forgotten - there are plans for an annual writers' retreat in the town and those of us lucky enough to pass through Larrimah from time to time will be be stopping in to share a drink or ten with Andrew - again. And the NT Writers' Centre is accepting donations for the Writers' Retreat ...
Darwin’s 4th Estate – last drinks on 20 years of “typing to dance to”
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, revolutionary rock journalism act DARWIN'S 4TH ESTATE will be unveiling new songs and old at the Railway Club, Somerville Gardens Rd Parap, from 8pm on Friday April 29. With bass, drums, guitar, sax and ten typewriters driven by some of the city's finest journalists, writers and broadcasters, guest vocalists will include Shellie Morris, Tracey Bunn and Mary Anne Butler. Other special guests will be announced soon.
A Living Wake for the “Jesus of Westralia Street”–Darwin Railway Club, 3 December 2010
Well he’s up late at night with the work light on, He’s gonna write a book but first he’s getting out his bong, He’s drinking red cask wine, smoking home grown reefer, Got the stereo on, he’s listening to Aretha, They call him Jesus of Westralia Street. Lyrics for "Jesus of Westralia Street", Tracey Bunn/Colin Holt
An update on Andrew McMillan’s Living Wake – 3 December @ Darwin Railway Club, Parap
Andrew -- a proud sort of bloke -- has always refused to go on the dole, so has scant resources to fall back on. That's why his friends and colleagues are staging a "Living Wake" to raise funds for his needs until he is back on his feet again. The idea of a Living Wake has some appeal to Andrew – he will be around, in the words of Big Bill Neidjie – the Kakadu Man – “to hear the nice things said about me”.
“Oh Humpty Doo…” The Swamp Jockeys: live at the Darwin Railway Club
The Swamp Jockeys were (are?) in that great tradition of Australian bands that form and play just for the sheer fun of it - they must have run out of fun after a few years or found something else to do and for most of us have passed slowly into the happier realms of our memories.
Ten questions for Greg Barns. Lawyer, music-lover, runner and trouble-maker
I think that this is a long-term strategy but that what is inevitable is that we will see the end of prohibition policies. They are unsustainable. There is a global trend now to re-examine the policy of prohibition of drugs. It has been an abject failure. I think it will happen in Australia. It will be an incremental change and it'll happen over the next decade. But it is inevitable.
Ten questions for Omar Musa – Ubud Writers Festival diary
Omar Musa: Where do we go when we are dead? I have no idea. I cannot even begin to fathom it. I understand this idea of heaven and hell because I was raised in a strict Muslim family but...I know where I want to be buried though. I want to be buried next to the Molongolo River in Queanbeyan. I have such a strong connection to where I grew up in Queanbeyan. I guess that is spiritual.
What do you do when you win 15 grand? Give it away of course…
Chips Mackinolty: "Katherine was isolating in those days. Unless you’d stayed in town for at least two wet seasons people would look at you as an outsider. And if you were crazy enough to do a third wet season they sort of thought, 'Well, he might be a lunatic but at least he is our lunatic.' "
Alice Desert Festival diary day two: the Bush Bands Bash!
The best band of the night for mine on the night was the Iwantja Band from the remote South Australia town of Indulkana. They didn't have the slick moves and showmanship of Papunya's Tjupi Band but they sure had their musical chops down.