Blog — Page 116 of 282

The Formative Years – Maximumrocknroll

There are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to the creation of a fanzine.

Having the core interests and common denominator somewhat defined as it was the case with punk rock in the 1980s and the potential audience having had to overcome to an obstacle or two to find their way to the scene, the creation of engaging content with a resulting emotional connection and a sense of belonging was a tad easier to achieve as at least in the beginning, the recipients of fanzines was a rather exclusive club looking to immerse themselves in and find information about their passion.

Delivering content in a relatable, conversational style and having idiosyncratic writers that infuse the publication with their own personality, always helps to further refine a personal style that make the editorial content stand out, to add character and ultimately – at least back in the day – it trumped stylish design.

A major drawcard for me as a juvenile delinquent that attracted me to reading – fanzines or other literary emissions – was that I learned something from it, no matter if it was something factual, inspiring, opinions and insights and that it was challenging in some way and, almost equally important, to experience a reduced barrier between the writer and myself.

Enter “MRR”, i.e. Maximumrocknroll from San Francisco.

I do not think that it would be considered a hyperbole to claim that what was initially derived from a radio show and found its first incarnation as the accompanying booklet to the fantastic “Not so quiet on the Western front” compilation, MRR in the pre-internet age quickly became the bible for anyone looking to learn about punk rock subculture and its branches outside the confines of their own scene, city, country and continent.

Founder Tim Yohannan and his crew managed to create a consistent beat and an overarching structure that enabled readers to easily find what they were looking for, while the diversity of the contributors kept the reading experience fresh and engaging.

With the usual ingredients of music related interviews, news and review, especially the columns section with a wide array of relatable international scenesters sharing insights on their scenes and independent coverage that other established mainstream magazines could only dream of.

Literally every reading session of the hefty magazine, ended with me employing an English dictionary to write to contributors and engage with people from the ad section to trade records or order in bulk from distributions that advertised in MRR from all over the world.

Given the interactive environment MRR created, it should not be further wondrous that when they published their guide “Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life” in the early 1990s, it became the ultimate guide for bands to book tours, finding venues and likeminded people when traveling overseas, and to initiate contacts on the ground and go from there.

My first visits to the US and other countries saw me armed with the aforementioned book and the most recent issue of MRR to guide me through the respective cities via the addresses for record stores and venue advertised. Many friendships resulted and evolved, some of which eventually transitioned into the electronic realm and continue to this day.

After MRR created the blueprint of what a worldwide punk rock fanzine could look like and by never not championing a DIY attitude, it spawned the welcome advent of many other fanzines, which again enriched and cross-pollinated the scene and at times helped to ignite a feud or two.

Eventually, in 2019 and after over four hundred issues, MRR ceased to have a physical release and moved online, which naturally took away a bit from the tangible charm it once had before the advent of an age where information was readily available at your fingertips without ever sacrificing its relevant for punk rock.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer - Jetty Road Brewery

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, visits to the local watering hole have become few and far between, however, when possible they are occurrences to be savoured. During a recent one, the owner and craft beer enthusiast of my local of choice proffered an emission from Jetty Road, a brewery that so far has gone underneath my radar.

Having done a bit of research, it shows that while the slick and borderline corporate appeal of Jetty Road is based on a carefully planned approach that finds its roots in a sincere dedication and passion for the creation of good draft beer.

Having started by humbly brewing beers at their homes and trial by error, they organically evolved and eventually found an entry into the world of commercial brewing, which proved to find an instant success that spurned them on to expand their portfolio and operations beyond their core range of brews and they began to undertake excursion into more adventurous terrain as far as hoppy, limited and seasonal emissions go.

Needless to say that after sampling one of their Pale Ale, I had to get a hold of their accolade decorated IPA, the can design of which I found not only subtle and aesthetically pleasing but full of character, accentuated by berry and fruity notes that rest on a solid foundation of well-calibrated bitterness, pervaded by caramelly highlights.

Taking things up a notch or two is the Infinite IIPA.

Now we are talking. With an ABV of 8.8.% and comprised of a melange of eight different deliciously resinous hop variations, the Infinite fires on all cylinders in a beautiful clear way and thereby stands out from the sea of IPA epigones. While there are fruity notes materializing on the roof of the mouth, the Infinite is not trying to be overly exotic but pay homage to the more traditional IPAs in terms of bitterness.

Given the exquisite quality of the two IPA variations, one cannot help but look forward to Jetty Road’s future experiments.

Karl Hagemeister - Das Licht, das ewig wechselt

Wienand Verlag

“…das Licht, das ewig wechselt” is a tribute and compendium of Karl Hagemeister’s oeuvre.

Now, chances are that the villages in the German region of Brandenburg, which is where Karl Hagemeister grew up and remained focussed on with his artistic endeavours, is all Greek to you.

However, the impressive way and dedication with which Hagemeister captured and portrayed natural phenomena catapulted him to the forefront to the German impressionist movement, where his position as a luminary remains undisputed until the present day.

With his credo being that you need to surround yourself with the subject matter you are depicting, he did not create his paintings from the removed confines of his atelier but from the midst of nature, in a bid to be deliberately impacted and affected first hand by the same challenging phenomena and adverse conditions he was depicting.

There is a quality to the resulting realism that gets under your skin – literally.

Hagemeister channels his alchemy in a way that eliminates distance and makes movements, seasons and even temperatures palpable, e.g. ripples on water and surfaces; the interplay, projections and impact of light and shadows and the way wind plays with everything in its path.

With immediacy at the core at any given point, Hagemeister’s approach is clearly informed by the endeavour to break down barriers instead of elevating art into abstract academic spheres. An approach that is further cemented by his connection to his natural habitat, which he ever really left.

As the title of this tome suggests, i.e. what roughly translated to “…the ever changing light”, the paintings depicted show nuances at a level that do not only please aesthetically but make one reassess and revisit how one perceives natural phenomena and how they impact one’s outlook on life.

The Triffids

Fremantle Press

Vagabond Holes: David McComb & The Triffids

Despite having left a legacy of fantastic music and an album that should not be missing from the record collection of anyone remotely into independent music (my entry point recommendation would be the classic  “Born Sandy Devotional” album), the reverberations of which can still be felt on terra australis, the Western Australian post-punk band The Triffids are not exactly a household name.

However, aficionados can be found around the world, especially amongst acclaimed musicians of which quite a few contributed to this tribute in literary form, many of which are esteemed luminaries from the realm of Australian independent music and if you are not familiar with some of the names, this book can serve as the ideal trigger for a journey down the rabbit hole of Australian musical greatness. Needless to say that big ticket names such as Steve Kilbey and Nick Cave are there as well to contribute to-the-point elaborations on their appreciation for The Triffids.

Eye candy is delivered courtesy of Sean Dower along with photographic depictions and poetic writings and fiction, which round out this book and tackles the sujet nicely from different and up until now unexplored angles.

The book is not a chronologically narrated biography but essentially a printed shrine for Triffids fans and the uninitiated those who would like to be inducted through an elegant compendium to a band that captured the context and DNA of their time of existence in Australia like no other.

With the loving and gritty recollections of fellow artists on one hand and borderline academical essays on the, Vagabond Holes manages not only to catapult you back to the times of a band that was led by their enigmatic front man David McComb and his undeniable talent but also portrays his uncompromising commitment to his art.

Beautiful Waste

Having left an evocative catalogue of music after his untimely departure in 1999, part of David McComb’s artistic appeal was his lyricism and poetry that dealt with addiction as well as the mundane and metaphysical in equal measure.

Beautiful Waste is a collection of his literary emissions during his most productive era, i.e. his Twenties and Thirties, when The Triffids were at the height of their career and in essence, a complementing volume to Vagabond Holes.

Given that it is the first time that McComb’s poetry is published, ordering it alongside Vagabond Holes should be mandatory as it lends both depth and perspective to what drove and concerned the creative force behind The Triffids.

Water of Life - Kings Cross Distillery

It was about high time for Sydney to have its own locally grown gin distillery and since July this year. While Australia has a myriad of gin distillers, up until July this year there was a King Cross Distillery shaped hole, i.e. a dire need for a local hoochery that not only honours the tradition and DNE of what has become known as Australian gin making but is also paired with a stylish watering hole.

Kings Cross’ might still be known as being Sydney’s red-light district, however, it has not exactly been a prime go-to nighttime spot over the last couple of year.

In essence, Kings Cross Distillery draws its inspiration from a decade that ultimately culminated in WW II, i.e. the age of the “blue ruin”, the Thirties, which due to the prohibition was a time period that became a hotbed for the creation of clear distilled grain spirit infused with botanicals.

While traditions and original recipes are honoured, Odelia Potts, the lady behind KCD, channels her alchemy in an idiosyncratic was as she employs the single shot method, refined by the utilisation of her two hundred litre still. Apart from the staple botanicals, i.e. juniper beans, cardamom and coriander, a local Australian twist is added via the infusion of extract from local myrtles.

What best materialises mixed with dried lemon peel and tonic water is a devil’s left hand that beautifully meanders between citrussy, treacly floral and subtly spicy coordinates.

With gin not normally being my first poison of choice, I found KCD’s first emission immensely enjoyable, even while sipping it on its own and it made me curious about their physical incarnation, which is fabled to be housed in what apparently still emanated the charm of hybrid of a den of vice and an ex-adult book store. Talk about authenticity and paying homage to the illustrious history of its location.

Once COVID-19 restrictions lifted, a visit shall become mandatory as I will not only have to inspect their personalised gin lockers have but word around the campfire has that Kings Cross Distillery will apart from proffering its own vapour infused creations also have a well-curated premium selection of whiskies alongside of Australian and international spirits on offer.

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image from company website