We had an excellent show launching The Fall & Rise in Sydney on sat night -could it be that they are starting to get it?

Through thick and thin I have managed to stay fond of Sydney despite the delicious ongoing humiliation and maltreatment. She is like a beautiful but nasty dominatrix with vulgar taste for the shallow and always on the make for cash for comment (invariably fantastic as a result) We artists take our brutal punishment with pride knowing that we grow strong and that elsewhere art is destroyed with kindness.

But she knows no limits and it seems that the poor (artists) can no longer even find a place to live in Sydney, due to the ‘competitive’ nature of the rental market. A number of my brilliant associates including two members of King Curly are in such a position and may have to move elsewhere.

I’m wasting my breath of course, but Sydney – you will regret it. A city without downtrodden artists has no soul. I predict that in 30-50 years people will start to notice our absence and no doubt an attempt to remedy the situation will be hashed by some special Arts Department – ending in the importation of a legion of fire-twirling, juggling robots.

Check out this abandoned housing development in Taiwan. It stands as an example of what can go wrong when clawing forward with too much greed and abandon. They cant even knock them down because the buildings are “heavy with evil” and so the frightened demolition teams (normally brave) keep their distance. Look closely Sydney… KC
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Radelaide shone as usual over the weekend – nursing King Curly toward full power in the opening shows of this short tour. The hospitality we are shown there is overwhelming to the point that I become tired of saying thanks and trying to think of some reciprocation beyond a copy of The Fall & Rise.The Singing Gallery in Maclaren Vale was a great show – A converted Church packed with music lovers. Local trio The Joans, opened for us and then accommodated and entertained us later on. I was excited to find a cone smoker amongst them – Such an ancient and dignified activity (like snuff ).

Sunday found us in Adelaide at the Wheatsheaf Hotel

- We left the stage in flames and headed back (a little bushed) to our opening act’s house. I’ve always loved the beautiful sound of the John Baker Duo/Trio but was unaware until then that Gayle comes from a fantastically eccentric family. At their home they had a 19th century electric-shock machine that they use to give willing visitors electric shocks – as a bonding kind of thing. I gather it also has applications for good health,(hence the dubious benefits of electro-shock therapy etc I suppose). I must say that Elmo and I woke up the next morning feeling impossibly refreshed.

A sincere thankyou from all of us Radelaide.

KC

Zoe kind of got married yesterday – to Evan Mannell. He’s a reasonably steady, moustashioed character who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for a while now. He has a history with King Curly too, drumming on some memorable tours and also featuring on Doomsday Piano and the new tracks on the Fall & Rise record.

They did a special puppet show for the guests, re-enacting their controversial SECRET MARRIAGE ONE YEAR AGO IN TASMANIA with a couple of bewildered old people as witnesses.

It was a good show and afterwards they sang a duet ‘I Got You Babe’ – to a lukewarm response.

Zoe’s parents brought apple juice in from the farm. It was excellent but not quite as good as usual – apparently because this batch was made from Granny Smith’s

Good will everywhere among good people

I’m pleased to find that the King Curly tune, “I Am Coming Back (In A Revenge Song)” – has been reconfigured for the Dance Houses of the world (Mr Creighton is pleased too)

You can download it here as a free MP3. DJ Mattydogg tells me he came across King Curly playing live at a couple of recent festivals when he noticed a promising correlation between the music and physical movement. He is now working on a dance mix for a new tune on ‘Fall & Rise’ called ‘Falling Downstairs’.

KC

Download: (Right Click and “Save Link As…)

I Am Coming Back (In a Revenge Song) Scythe Mix MP3

I Am Coming Back (In a Revenge Song) Wasteland Mix MP3