1. art and entertainment
2. music

ShortCutz
WHEN WAKE MAGAZINE WAS OFFERED THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO ZIGGY MARLEY WE JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY.
THE FOUR-TIME GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING REGGAE ARTIST (AND ELDEST SON OF BOB MARLEY) HAS BEEN SPREADING
THE MESSAGE OF LOVE TO THE WORLD FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND WE WERE KEEN TO HEAR IT FOR OURSELVES
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SneAkY Sound SYStem is easily The hoTTesT dance acT in ausTralia aT The momenT.
hiTs like ‘ufo’, ‘i loVe iT’ and ‘picTures’, haVe skyrockeTed Them onTo
radio-sTaTions and dancefloors ausTralia-wide and They are haVing
an absoluTe ball. wake managed To snare mc double d (daimon
downey) for a Quick chaT in-beTween Their massiVe ausTralian
Tour and liVe earTh performance. eXTraordinarily, he used To be a
waTerski insTrucTor aT herVey bay in Qld and has spenT his fair share
of Time aT The Qld cable parks. WordS: kim gillan
WE DISCOVERED AN INCREDIBLY SPIRITUAL MAN, WHO HAD A
MESMERIZING VOICE AND WAS INCREDIBLY DEDICATED TO HELPING
BETTER THIS WORLD IN ANY WAY HE COULD. PLUS, IT DOESN’T GET MUCH
BETTER THAN SPEAKING WITH A REAL-DEAL JAMAICAN REGGAE STAR.
Words: Kim Gillan
It’s difficult to argue with Ziggy Marley’s life philosophy (and title of his latest
album), ‘Love Is My Religion’. It’s a simple idea, but one that is readily forgotten
in the modern hectic world.
Ziggy, 38, is on a self-inspired lifelong journey to spread the message of love
and will preach to anyone who will listen about its importance.
“I call it the evolution of the consciousness,” he said.
“We have progressed physically and technologically, but the real world can’t
seem to get there. With all of mankind’s progress, we still would be nowhere
without love. All the new technology don’t matter if we can’t love each other.”
Ziggy is the second eldest of Bob Marley’s 12 children. his mother, Rita, named
him David Nesta Marley, but his father nicknamed him Ziggy, rumoured to be
in honour of a big spliff. As a child, he learned to play guitar and drums from his
father and draws most of his musical inspiration from his father’s generation.
“It has more spirit in it than popular music today,” he said. “Love songs today is
shallow, not as much into the soul.”
But it has been life experiences that have formed the basis for his songs.
“Songs just come to you, when things happen in life and they need a song,”
he said.
“I’m looking into the sky and there is the sun and there is a song! Sometimes
it’s a feeling, like a wind and you feel the chills…”
Ziggy first rose to stardom in the ‘80s in a band with three of his siblings,
called ‘Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers’. They broke up in the ‘90s,
after winning three grammys and Ziggy has since continued a solo career.
‘Love Is My Religion’, his second solo album, was released last July and has
been embraced by music lovers right across the world, who are thirsty for his
“quenching music”.
“The key ingredient in reggae music is this vibration,” he said.
“Reggae music is about grooving, not moving too fast. It’s just like you are on
a wave…”
he won a grammy for ‘Best Reggae Album’ in February, but rather than be
proud of his individual achievement, Ziggy viewed it as a platform to continue
spreading his message.
“The message got a better chance to be spoken about and heard about – it’s
about the message, not so much about my music,” he said.
Ziggy discovered love at a young age and has spent his life helping others
discover its power. he has been involved in many charities and is particularly
passionate about helping children. Along with the Melody Makers, Ziggy
founded URgE (Unlimited Resources giving Enlightenment), and has used it to
help children throughout the world. They recently donated some equipment to
a Jamaican orphanage to help them set up a tuck shop to generate money
for themselves.
“I just want to make them smile sometimes,” he said.
Ziggy thanks his father for many of his beliefs. he shares Bob’s passion for music
and has continued his father’s Tuff gong concept, which was a dream to one
day own his own music. “I am here to continue the movement of my father’s
beliefs and words … we are keeping the truth alive,” he said.
These beliefs, ultimately come down to love for one another.
“I know the strength of it (love),” he said.
“I have experienced what it means. I like what it does to me and I like what it
brings to my life. you have to be so sincere for that interruption to take place. I
keep this attitude because I know I like it!”
you can hear Ziggy’s message for yourself when he comes Down Under in
April, for the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival.
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ShortCutz
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SunDirtWater. The band has hailed iT Their “mosT inTeresTing and risky album To daTe”. kim gillan called up
singer Vikki Thorn aT her uTah (us) home, and had a chaT abouT The new album and The hisTory of The waifs.
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As Nick, Whitey and Peanut emerged from the inside of the Lionel bar on Cantebury
Rd, St Kilda, and joined me on a table outside, they struck me as a fairly ordinary
bunch of guys. Decked out in casual street-wear, they joked around with each
other, giving the distinct impression they were in fact a few local British footy players,
rather than rockstars who are dominating the charts worldwide.
In fact that impression is no coincidence, considering the band are self-confessed
football lovers, to the point that their name comes from the South African soccer
club Kaizer Chiefs. Sadly for these lads, they barrack for Leeds United FC but that
doesn’t stop them having a quick soccer session while on tour. They had spent
the day before our interview in the company of a couple of AFL footballers at a
St Kilda oval, kicking a soccer ball around.
“The heat immediately killed us, but those guys had endless energy,” Nick said.
“At the end, we walked home to our hotel, but they just didn’t stop running and
ran off into the distance!”
In between telling stories of their travels and struggling with the fancy teacups
their English Tea was served in, the three Kaiser Chiefs boys constantly joked
around, light-heartedly picking on each other. They were surprisingly perky
considering they had flown in from Sydney that morning, on the tail end of a
whirlwind international tour promoting their latest album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob.
Their fleeting visit to Melbourne was for one sold-out show at the Prince Bandroom,
just down the road from our interview location in St Kilda.
“It is pretty good to do what we do … sell out gigs wherever we go,” Peanut said.
As their success has continued to expand, the band has re-assessed their goals.
“When we first started, our goals were to get a record deal and maybe get into the
charts,” Peanut said. “Now I think it is more about live shows. To do big arena-style
concerts all around the world and headline some festivals this year or next year.”
They’ve had a fantastic response to live performances of songs from Yours
Truly, Angry Mob. “There’s a noticeable difference between the reactions to
the old songs and the new songs,” Peanut said.
The guys had mixed opinions about how the Aussie crowds compared to their
native Brits.
“At the start we thought it was a tough crowd, because in England we play the
first chord and everyone goes nuts for it,” said Peanut.
“I got the opposite,” said Whitey. “I thought they were more mental over here
because they’ve had longer for the album to be out and for the lyrics to be
learned. When we were in England a month ago, the album came out halfway
through the tour, so people didn’t know as many songs.”
Spending so much time on the road means the band often miss out on life’s
simple pleasures. Their sleeping patterns are thrown into mayhem, and the only
regular food intake they can rely on in most countries is bread.
“This morning I had Marmite on toast and a cup of tea … and I was like this is
brilliant – this is the best thing that has happened ever!” said Nick.
But for experienced travellers, they certainly didn’t appear to have anticipated
Melbourne’s intermittent weather. The day of our interview happened to be on
one of Melbourne’s random 37-degree March days. Whitey was decked out
in a beanie and long-sleeves and Peanut certainly appeared to be having a
few issues with the heat (they offered me a squiz at his sweat-soaked back, but
I politely declined). “Blimey, it’s hot!” Whitey joked.
They appeared to enjoy Australia on the whole, although lamented about the
distance we are from other big continents.
“I actually really like it here – everyone is friendly, everyone likes a beer and they
speak English, which is good for me,” Nick said. “If Australia was where France
is, I’d live here.”
Asked what they would be doing if they weren’t in a band, there was slight
hesitation, before Nick confidently blurted out: “We’d be a dance trio!”
Whitey begged to differ: “I’d like to be a professional wakeboarder.”
Yours Truly, Angry Mob is in stores now.
ShortCutz
ShortCutz
Brisbane four-piece funk/hip hop band, Resin Dogs are back in Australia to release what
they claim to be their best album to date. The 10-year veterans of the Australian music
scene have spent the past four years touring the world, and only recently found the time
to sit down and record a new album. The result is a wholesome album, with a groovy blend
of styles and influences that belongs in boat stereos across the country.
They’ve collaborated with stacks of respected
international artists, including Abstract Rude,
Mikah 9 and Demolition Man, to create a truly
diverse album. Kim Gillan had a chat with DJ Katch
recently, to find out what Dogs’ fans can expect from
the new album More.
Your latest album More was released in
November, almost four years since your
last album: Hi Fidelity Dirt. What took so
long?
There was a lot of collaborations with people
overseas. It was just coordination of people’s time
and money as well, which is an unfortunate reality in
this day and age.
I hope people enjoy it. It’s been a long time in the
making and we’ve changed our sound a bit. It’s a
different sound, so we hope they get something out
of it.
Why the name More?
It means anything - more Resin Dogs, more music,
back for more … whatever!
How do you personally feel about the
new album?
I think it’s the best thing we’ve done to date, I
feel it’s world class. It’s got more song structure,
a more solidified sound. The last album there was
four writers, and it was a bit of a mish-mash …
like a compilation. This one has a lot more playing,
whereas we used to be a sample-based band.
Have you had a chance to perform the
songs live?
We road-tested a lot of the stuff overseas. That’s
how we got a lot of collaborations done. We’ve been
overseas for the past three years touring. We have
been received really well.
What were your favourite places?
Probably Hungary and Barcelona. We were well
received in Dublin as well. People accept our music
and we’re really excited about it.
How have you developed relationships
with other artists to make
collaborations?
I’m usually a fan of theirs, from buying records over
the years. A lot of people recommend artists. It just
seems to fall together!
You’re in charge of samples – where do
you find them?
I find most of my samples travelling overseas and
stuff. I still go through stuff I have been collecting
in this country … jazz, rock, funk. Going to England
recently I got inspired. Lately I’ve been into Indian,
gypsie sounds, reggae flavours…
How big is your record collection?
Well you know those Ikea shelves that are 5X5? I
have four of them. I think I have about 20, 000+
records. I’ve been collecting them for about 24
years.
Who do the Resin Dogs really admire?
It all changes from bands like Midnight Oil and
Ozomatli, to Bob Marley and Doctor Dre. We take a
lot of inspiration from everywhere – people that are
true fighters for what they believe in.
What do you want the Resin Dogs’ legacy
to be?
That we brought something different to the table
for Australian music. We came out in an era where
there was a lot of rock. We were playing in between
Frenzal Rhomb and 28 Days. It was a major thing to
do a hip hop thing live in Australia.
When I first started taking turntables on the road in
1995, they would look at me like a strange alien.
Now it’s accepted.
We were one of them at the forefront of the change.
There wasn’t anyone doing what we were doing – a
stand-up drummer and a DJ on turntables and an
MC.
You’re well-known as a festival band,
having performed at Big Day Out for
seven years, Splendour, Meredith, Good
Vibrations, Byron Bay Blues and Roots
and heaps more. What is your favourite
festival?
Sziget in Hungary – it’s more of a world music
festival. The audiences are totally different to here.
They go there to see bands, not get off their face.
People accept you for who you are. It’s held in
Budapest on an island and gets about 200, 000
people at the six-day event.
What is your favourite live venue in
Australia?
Prince Of Wales in Melbourne and the Zoo in
Brisbane.
Which songs off your new album would
you recommend to wakeboarders who
want to get pumped up before a ride?
‘Nasty and Nice’, ‘Sex Sells’, or ‘Move Up’ could work.
What would be a good road trip song?
Track 14 – ‘Smoking In The Darkness’ – it’s all
instrumental and the band just sessioning.
More is in store November 3.
36
Kanye West
graduation
Kanye the king of pop
hip hop is back with
his third booty-shaking
album Graduation.
Once again he’s proven
he knows the perfect
recipe for an album to
get the party started.
This album offers a definite progression from his
last album Late Registration, with a contribution
from Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Daft Punk
sampling.
Hit singles ‘Stronger’ and ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’ have
been receiving widespread radio play all over the world.
The album is full of surprises, from the poppy sounds
of ‘Champion’, to Chris Martin’s piano work in
‘Homecoming’, to the dramatic tone of ‘Barry Bonds’.
This album guarantees to make you smile and get
the party started. It will be your anthem for this
summer on the water.
Sharif Galal
Beach Suite
Beach Suite is the latest
compilation album from
renowned Australian DJ
Sharif Galal.
The former Triple J
Groove Train presenter
has pulled together a
catchy collection of
tracks from various artists, including many from his
new Suite Musique label. The album includes music
from the Resin Dogs, Regal, Breakestra and Enur
feat. Natasha.
The first disc is a funky collection of tracks that will
get your feet tapping. The second disc tones things
down a bit and would make an ideal sunset CD, to put
on in the background after a full-on day on the water.
Perth kids can catch DJ Sharif Galal at his weekly
Beach Suite night at the Oyster Bar on the North
Fremantle beach in WA. Everyone else will have to
be content with this compilation – the perfect warmup album for summer-night parties.
Grinspoon
Back On Track
Grinspoon featured prominently in the news in
the past year, as lead singer Phil Jamieson publicly
battled an addiction to crystal methamphetamine.
But with a fresh new album released in July, the band is
ready to start headlining for the right reasons – making
darn good rock and roll. Kim Gillan had a chat with bass
player Joe Hansen about everything from playing soldout shows in Vegas, to road trips in a Tarago.
When a band has been around for almost 13 years,
they’re bound to have a few stories to tell. So when I
was given the opportunity to speak to Joe Hansen, the
bassist from one of the most successful rock bands of
our generation, I didn’t know where to begin.
Luckily he turned out to be a genuinely nice guy, who
was more than happy to answer any questions this lowly
wakeboard reporter threw at him.
After a year marred by trials and tribulations, the
Grinners were stoked to get their fifth studio album,
Alibis & Other Lies out of the studio and into fans’
hands.
They’ve had a blast playing the fresh catalogue at
concerts and have been stoked by the audience
response.
“With this one, we tried to make a rock record that
would translate well live,” Hansen said.
“We wanted it quite heavy, but we wanted it to have
that perfect mix of heaviness and melody.”
The result is an album characterized by diversity.
There’s a string-laden ballad, ‘Minute By Minute’, a
country-ish song, with backing from Jamieson’s sister
Fiona, ‘Find Your Own Way’, and a bunch of trademark
Grinspoon rock, notably the album’s first single, ‘Black
Tattoo’.
Over the years, the band has developed a careful
formula for appealing records: it has to have peaks
and troughs to keep things interesting; ballads are
occasionally allowed, but they can’t be too “cheesy”;
and it has to be traditional Grinspoon heavy.
“Heavy stuff is what we grew up with and it’s our most
natural style of writing,” Hansen said.
They’ve spent much of the last decade loaded up in
Tarago vans cruising the open roads of Australia (and
America), making their way from one concert to the next,
always with a set of dice for an after-show wind-down.
“Each night, a massive dice competition goes on,”
he said.
“Our guitar tech is in charge of looking after them at
the moment. It’s a very important job.”
The other thing they never hit the road without is a
steady drink supply. Hansen drinks beer, guitarist Pat
Davern drinks vodka and drummer Kristian Hopes gets
into the Jack Daniels.
“Phil doesn’t drink any more, which is good because it
leaves more for us!” Hansen said.
The band stood by singer Jamieson during his recent
rehab stint and refused to let it get in the way of
making music.
“We’ve been through a lot in the past, a lot of which
hasn’t been publicised,” Hansen said.
“The whole rehab thing has just been another
challenge. I’ve known Phil since he was 17 and you
don’t just abandon people because they are going
through some tough times. The fact that we believe in
the music that we are making together – it’s something
we don’t want to throw away.”
Thirteen years, without a line-up change, suggests the
band understand the key to longevity. But asked where
Hansen thinks the band will end up in another 13
years, he had no answers.
“Probably doing the Countdown Spectacular!” he said.
“You just take it one album at a time. You never think
about 12 years down the track – we’re just going to get
this record out and then start making more music.”
37
White Stripes
Icky Thump
The White Stripes’ latest
offering, Icky Thump,
cannot disappoint
long-time Stripes’
fans. It’s got that
White Stripes signature
experimentalism,
distorted guitar and quirky
sounds.
Like the Stripes’ previous albums, you can expect a
few twists and turns and surprising new effects.
The album was released just weeks before the
Stripes’ 10-year anniversary and provides an
appropriate homage to their work from the past
decade. It’s a mature album, with something for
everyone. Folk, blues, country and rock influences
allow Icky Thump to take you on a clever journey
through musical genres.
Crank this one in your boat stereo and just wait for
the rhythm to infuse your body and make you ride
like never before!
Dizzee Rascal
Maths & English
If your rig is decorated
like a pimped-out
gangster ride, then Dizzee
Rascal’s new album
Maths & English belongs
in your stereo. Pull on
your biggest scowl-face
and nod your head in
time as you cut laps in
front of the nearest riverbank to the admiring gaze
of the ladies on the bank.
But seriously, this distinctly British hip-hop album
is a brilliant collaboration of tunes, over-layed with
Dizzee’s distinctive raps. Dizzee specifically set out
to create a party album that allows listeners to be
blissfully ignorant of the problems in this world. And
he absolutely succeeded.