City of Darwin’s Youth Services are currently organising a series of workshops for young people in January 2012 during the school holidays, focusing on Graphic Design and Music.

The workshops will be on 16 and 17 January 2012, and will be run by Caiti Baker and James Mangohig from Darwin electronic soul duo Sietta! If you don’t already know about Sietta, check out the video for their song “What Am I Supposed To Do”, their single that has captured the attention of Triple J.

Sietta are currently one of Darwin’s hottest exports, and have been touring constantly this year on the festival circuit, and with artists like The Herd and Illy. Caiti Baker, the singer, has many years of experience as a professional graphic designer, and James Mangohig, the beat maker, has heaps of experience in recording and production.

GRINDonline is after your input into the workshops; if you’re from Darwin, and between 12 and 20 years, tell us what you want to see in the workshops! Caiti and James have a wide variety of skills from recording, to graphic design, to the music industry.

You could learn about things like:

• Designing posters
• Flyers
• CD / band art
• Recording
• Production
• Touring
• The music industry
• Stage Presence
• Releasing an album
• Business Ideas
• …AND MORE!

How’s the tour going?

It’s going very well, beyond all expectations. So far. I always expect them to be fairly average but this one’s turn out really good. There’s been a lot of people coming tot the shows and the band has been sober enough to play the songs with a certain amount of professionalism which I enjoy. We’ve made skateboards.

When were you last in Darwin, and why’s been so long since you were here?

Well, it’s a long way away, but that’s no excuse, and we’re very negligent that we haven’t been up there recently. I’m looking forward to getting up there actually, it’s been ages, I can’t even remember, was it Bass In The Grass the last time we were here? [Yes] Yeah, so it should be a triumphant return.

Tell us about the new album and what was it like working with Bill Stevenson?

It was a lot of fun. He was a bit of a slave driver which was quite good for us and we didn’t slack off at all. He was quite brutal especially with my vocals. As soon as I’d sing something he’d be straight into the microphone “That’s s**t, do it again, it was s**t, do it again, do it again.” It was good to be kind of pushed a bit and sing and play to the best of our abilities. Yeah, it’s good. It’s a real production line over there. They really know their s**t. It’s good to work with people who are really so enthusiastic about that sort of music. [Laughs]. It’s kind of what they’re into so it’s great.

So you guys are big Descendants fans?

Yeah, massive. Like a dream come true working with that guy. Yeah, it was really something else. The Descendants were actually rehearsing in one of the rooms, and because we were sleeping in the studio we were woken up at about 9am by the Descendants rehearsing in a room next door to us, which is very exciting.

So what was it like being a part of the Descendants first ever Australian tour?

Yeah, that was cool too. I never thought I’d see that band play live so it was really great to be involved and I guess that was the tour when we kind of approached Bill and said can we come over your house and record a record and he said pay money and we said ok.

So what do you think of the support acts you’ve got down for the Darwin gigs?

I’m excited, I hear we got three support acts so it’ll be like a mini local Darwin Festival. Yeah, I reckon they sound pretty good for me.

So how did you go about selecting the bands?

Uhh, we put the band names up on the wall and we threw turds at it and whichever that band name had the most turd on it at the end of it got support. So Gordy (the drummer) actually threw his own turd at the wall this time and it spread out over three bands so we had to pick all of them.

The Darwin gig is a licensed all ages gig, do you do a lot of licensed gigs or do you prefer 18+ gigs?

Yeah, it’s all ages licensed and everyone gets a look in, so that is, you know, my favourite type of gig. So if you’re a hundred years old you can come along and enjoy it or if you’re three and a fan of the band you can come along.

Anything else?

You should definitely come along to the show at the ski club. It’ll be the night of your life, I can guarantee 100% that it’ll be the night of your life or you get triple your money back, but that may or may not actually happen. It’s going to be good.

FRENZAL RHOMB at the Darwin Ski Club

Supported by Unbroken Expanse, Aborted Jesus Milkshake, and Burrfoot

CHECK OUT THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK (click here!)

Have you been to Darwin before?

Yeah, a couple of times, I can’t remember the exact dates, ’97, something like that… Been there about three times I think.

How do you feel about the status of the Saints as one of Australia’s seminal rock bands?

Gee… It’s not something you can go into knowing how these things are going to pan out. I formed the Saints when I was in high school, and it was what I wanted to do then, and it kind of lasted even after the original band split up, after my involvement in the band finished. Those records didn’t disappear… Yeah, they have had some kind of resonance….

Yeah, I bought I’m Stranded on vinyl the other day actually…

Oh really? Yeah probably in a lot of ways those recordings, it’s the best way to hear them, on record. I don’t know, it’s something about music that’s made at a particular time, and the way it goes with the media that’s contemporary to it. Yeah, they sound good on record.

Yeah look, has [The Saints] impacted on me in music that I’ve done outside of it? I mean most of my life has been outside of The Saints. I formed the Saints in 1973 in my last year of high school, and the band split up in 1978. So we’re talking about something that is ancient history in some ways; the fact that people are even still connected with it is fantastic – it astounds me that it could have lasted that long. But most of my life has been doing something else.

I hear the Saints stuff occasionally, and I think, “s*** that sounds good”. I don’t think about it in terms of “that’s me”, just as something else almost.

What do you think the most important changes in the music industry since you started playing?

Oh, there’s always changes happening. Some things kind of stay the same: it’s always been a hard job to do to make money, to make a living out of. That hasn’t really changed. I guess the things that have stayed the same are probably more profound than the things that have changed.

One thing I suppose that is significantly different now is that when The Saints started, one of the things we did that we were credited for is doing things ourselves. We were probably one of the first bands in the country to release our own record.

Nowadays you say that to somebody and they shrug and “say so what? Everyone does that.“ And that’s true – a lot of people do that now, but back then it was fairly unique, in fact it was completely unique. So that’s a big change.

The perception of the control that record companies had, because the Saints proved that you could do it anyway. You’ve always been able to do that, but now that more people are doing it… In some ways things haven’t really changed, it’s just the numbers of people that do things differently have shifted.

Can you talk a bit about what inspired the changes between genres you’ve made over the years? You moved from punk to jazz influenced post punk with the Laughing Clowns, and then to grunge and all sorts of other things with The Aints and more….

When I moved to England with the Saints, we moved there I guess to enable ourselves to continue recording, one of the things I kind of got exposed to when I was living in London was a whole lot of music that I wasn’t too familiar with, growing up in Brisbane. I just ended up with some things which I guess you could loosely call Jazz – but I’m hesitant to use that term because I know it’s one of those musical terms that gives people the wrong idea. The Laughing Clowns were not jazz. Whatever people’s interpretation of ‘jazz’ is, we weren’t it. And yet there were some things that were influenced by avant-garde jazz, which was sort of incorporated in the sound.

I guess it was more a development of what I was doing in the Saints. I mean, if you listen to the first album, and then listen to the second, and by the time you get the the third one, you kind of see a line developing towards the Laughing Clowns first album. To me it was just a fairly logical continuation of ideas that I was pursuing. Maybe some people thought I was jumping around a bit, but it was just that a lot was done in a short period of time. It becomes more cohesive as you step back from it.

After the Clowns broke up I went through a slight re-appraisal of what I wanted to do as a solo musician. In the Clowns I would always write songs with the band members in mind. But when The Clowns split up I could write anything I wanted to, without having to write a horns line or whatever it was. That’s kind of been my approach ever since.

With the Aints, that was sort of a little side project really, where I wanted to take some ideas that I thought I hadn’t developed enough from the early Saints and Clowns days. I never saw the Aints as a grunge band really, it was more like, if The Aints was influenced by anything it was by The Saints or The Laughing Clowns.

What have been your best moments or proudest achievements in your music career?

Oh, look, there’s kind of a lot of them. And then I kind of feel s***ty because I don’t remember all of them, or don’t regard them all equally. But I guess, when I did the first record, that was kind of a high point. When I did the first recordings in a fairly good studio in London that was a high point. Yeah, it just various bits and pieces, there are a number of things that I’m proud of, but I don’t dwell on it too much. Maybe that’s something I’ll do when I retire or something.

So what can we expect at the show ‘Rearranged’?

The show we’re doing in Darwin is myself and Mark Dawson, Mark plays drums. It’s going to be kind of loosely based around a recording that we did quite some years ago called Today Wonder, which is sort of treated acoustic guitar, vocals and drums. It’s an ambient acoustic thing, I think I’m quoted as having described it as ambient rockabilly and in a way that’s kind of accurate. It sounds like itself really, I’m not sure I can refer it directly to anything else that I’ve done. It was an important record for me, so we’re drawing on a bit of that stuff, but not exclusively. The main thing is that we’re playing a range of songs with that instrumentation arrangement. I think we’ve got a few local Darwinians joining us on backup vocals as well.

You were fairly young when you started The Saints and released I’m Stranded. What sort of advice would you give to a young band these days?

Oh man, I think there’s always a lot of people who are going to tell you you can’t do things, it’s hard, but you have to have a strong belief in what you want to be doing artistically. You just need to pursue it; if you feel you’re right, there’s a good chance you are. When The Saints started there were a lot of people who basically told me ‘you can’t play guitar, the songs are s***house, the worst load of rubbish I’ve ever heard’ and you know, maybe all that stuff’s true, but we continued, kind of made a thing about it.

Post Bass In The Grass, the boys have taken a well deserved break from their strenuous practising regime. They plan to “hit the studios” and record something over the next month or so, so keep your eye out, and in the meantime, don’t forget to like them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/NEDANDFRIENDS

We pick up our interview where we left off; in a quiet section of the Stuart Park McDonalds…

Me: Do you guys have anything in particular you would like to say?

Jack: Have we got an email?

Ned: I have an email.

Jack: No, for the band?

Ned: Ah, no. We’re in the process of setting up our own email server so that we can get ned@ned&friends, sean@ned&friends, jack@ned&friends and mitchell@ned&friends. We’d like a lot of special fan mail sent to us. Stuff from the heart. And donations.

(Mitchell starts playing music on his laptop. Ned & Friends proceed to free-style rap.)

The stylin’ sounds of Ned & Friends (freestyle rap) by GRINDonline

Ned: So right there is really the art form of what Ned & Friends is all about. Freestyle and…

Me: So like a big improv group?

Jack: Yeah.

Ned: For sure, for sure.

Me: That’s your song writing process.

Sean: We use Sibelius. A lot.

Me: Is Sibelius like some random music generator?

Ned: Yeah, you could say that.

Me: You know there’s WIFI here?

A dramatic re-enactment of the phone call.

Ned: What? Let’s update our Facebook statuses.

(My phone rings)

Me: Ah, Liam keeps on calling me. Hey Liam.

Mitchell: Hey Liam.

Jack: Hey Liam.

Ned: Hey Liam.

Sean: Want to join Ned & Friends?

Me: (Talking to Liam) So, I’m still in the interview. Yeah. Ok then. Alright. Well I might, I might. Where are you guys having lunch?

Sean: McDonald’s.

Me: (Talking to Liam) Oh, he’s not? Where will you go? The Indonesian? Alright. Ok. See you.

Sean: Guys, do we have anything serious? Should probably ask three questions and add some seriousness.

Ned: Yeah, wait – we’ll do some serious stuff now. If you wanna?

Me: We kind of have.

Ned: That’s cool then. Don’t even worry about it.

Sean: I think the most serious we answered was that-

Ned: That’s my dad. (Ned points out the window) He just drove past.

Jack: Really?

Ned: Yeah, in the Courier.

Sean: He’s alive? Anyway, goooood lunch. Ned & Friends.

Ned: Ned & Friends. That was our lunch time.

Jack: Yeah, we got to get back to school.

Ned: Yeah, we probably have to get back to school now.

Sean and Jack from Ned & Friends, playing at Bass

Me: Ah yes, you-

Ned: Lang, let’s go for a skate.

(We then ramble on about latest happenings. How it is possible that some Year 11s have their Ps already. Various movie trivia. Making strangled noises. Exchanging phone numbers.)

Me: Well, I guess we shall conclude the interview of Ned & Friends here at the McDonald’s Stuart Park.

Sean: Get amongst it.

Ned: I guess I’ll see you later… Olive.

—

And thus ends our definitive interview with Darwin’s premier rock/jazz/punk variety act NED & FRIENDS. You can probably find Ned, and his Friends, bumming around Darwin on any given afternoon, being sik ladz. Like them on their Facebook page, or stay tuned at GRINDonline, for any news on the band.

The act is performing at the Darwin Entertainment Center on Saturday July 16th, and is also doing a workshop in Darwin during the school holidays, courtesy of Darwin Community Arts.

Workshop, you say? The ‘Loop the Loop’ music and voice workshops are a wonderful opportunity for the youth of Darwin to learn from music industry professionals. The versatile artists from this exhilarating (and very funny)  production conduct classes in:

• Improvising, Spontaneous Composition & Vegetable Music! – Conducted by Adam Page

• Body Percussion & Junk Drumming – Conducted by Gene Peterson

Where is it? The workshop is being held at Darwin Community Arts’ Chambers Crescent Theatre in Malak on Friday July 15th at 2pm.

How much does it cost? The cost is set at $10 per participant, but DCA are willing to negotiate if there are genuine difficulties in meeting this cost.

How do you book a spot? Email jessicakatefoster@yahoo.com or call Darwin Community Arts on 89457347. There are limited places available and DCA will fill the workshop on a first in basis.

Two successful albums under his belt, Victoria born Illy is quickly becoming one of Australia’s seminal rap artists. The Obese signed artist has been travelling around Australia to promote his most successful album to date entitled The Chase. Before his Darwin show, I had a chance to have a nice conversation with him.

Markus: So are you looking forward to coming to Darwin?

Illy: Yeah, I’ve never been before, even for a holiday, so I’m really keen to check the place out it’s one of the last few big places I haven’t played yet, so it should be cool.

Markus: So you’re looking forward to doing all the sites, etc.

Illy: Yeah well hopefully, I mean I’m not too sure how long we’re in town for but hopefully we get a bit of time to check out the place.

Markus: So I notice that your Darwin gig is an 18+ gig, would you like to do more underage stuff?

Illy: Yeah I’d love to, it’s a pain in the ass that it’s so difficult to organise underage shows or all ages shows, but yeah, every chance that I get to play an all age or an underage show I jump at because a lot of people that are really passionate about aussie hip hop are under 18

Markus: So you worked with Owl Eyes, and Phrase, and so many great artists, who was your favourite to work with?

Illy: Oh that’s tough man. I guess the two people I worked with the most are M-Phazes and J Screw. They’d definitely be up there, I’m not sure if they’d be the only two, but I enjoy working with everyone or I wouldn’t work with them, you know? But those two, yeah, they’d probably be my favourites just cause of how talented they are.

Markus: So working with M-Phazes, what’s the creative process like with that?

Illy: Basically he’ll have a beat in some form, at various levels of completion, but he’ll have a beat there, I’ll get it, listen to it, and if I like it I’ll write to it. Once I’ve written something and recorded it, I send it back to him and then the finishing touches are put on it. If I’ve got any ideas, like if I want the beat to be changed I’ll tell him after I’ve recorded my stuff.

Markus: Sounds pretty cool.

Illy: Yeah, It’s efficient.

Markus: Are there any artists you’d like to work with in the future?

Illy: There’s stacks man, There’s so many, even in Australia, that I’d love to work with. I don’t think I’d be able to get around to working with them cause there’s so many. 

Markus: Who are a few that inspire you?

Illy: Well off the top of my head there’s The Jezabels, even a more pop singer like Megan Washington, that’d be amazing. Even, there’s a group from Darwin called Sietta, who I’ve only just started getting into but they’re making some really cool stuff as well. Yeah anywhere man, there’s so many talented Aussies around that it’s hard to just name a few.

Markus: So I’ve been listening to The Chase (Illy’s latest Album) a lot and I’ve noticed that it’s more polished and produced than Long Story Short. How do you feel about that? Do you think it helps you be more mainstream, in a way, like, are you trying to reach more people with this album?

Illy: Well it definitely is more polished. I don’t think… It wasn’t a conscious decision, like ‘yeah, we’re going to try and market this to as many people as possible’, it was never like that. I don’t really approach music like that, but I think the polished-ness sort of came from having the experience of making Long Story Short. If I could go back to Long Story Short, it would probably sound more polished as well, just because I know more [about] the album making process and I’ve got more experience with making songs as whole songs.

Markus: Yeah

Illy: Yeah I guess that’s sort of a long winded answer to your question.

Markus:  (laughs) That’s fine! So you’re album’s called The Chase – Why is it called The Chase? Can you talk about some of the underlying themes of the album?

Illy: Well the idea behind the title, [is that] it was written, recorded and made in the period between releasing Long Story Short, and… Well, a 16 month period basically. In that time, making the album, we did about 80 shows, and I was finishing a uni degree, so I was always, bringing effort to achieve the goals that hadn’t come to be realised. It was all working towards the bigger picture. So that’s where the title came from really, just the chase of your goals I guess.

Markus: So what sort of direction do you see your next album going it?

Illy: Not sure man, we start work on it tomorrow.

Markus: Tomorrow?

Illy: Yeah, the first session’s tomorrow. So yeah, I got no idea, but I probably should…

Markus:  Any ideas on titles now?

Illy: Nah, that’ll come right at the very end I’d say.

Markus: Well I’m looking forward to seeing your show in Darwin.

Illy: Yeah man, should be cool, hopefully it’ll be a pretty big one.

Markus: Yeah, it’s gonna be great. Thank you very much, for doing this interview.

Illy: Yeah, I’ll see you at the show.

Markus: See you later man.

Illy: Catch ya

If you’re over 18, you’ll be able to go see Illy at Discovery Nightclub this Friday. Supported by local hip hop group Pott Street and special guests. Entry is $24.80

Here’s what to expect:

Around 7500 Northern Territorians attended the annual Savings and Loans BASSINTHEGRASS on Saturday the 21st of May, and I would say that at least half of those people ‘moshed’ at one point in the day or another. I was one of them. Every year I tell myself that I’ll go dancing on the outskirts of the crowd and I won’t follow my friends into the mosh pit, and every year I find myself in the middle of the crowd being elbowed in the face, stomped on, and being grinded by the person behind me.

Being claustrophobic I should’ve noticed what was happening before I got to this stage, but I was too busy listening to the music and having fun with my friends. That was, until I got to the middle of the sea of drunk, high on life (and possibly other substances), dancing people. At this stage I thought it couldn’t get any worse, so I decided to stick it out, at least until the next band started playing. At that point the girl in front of me started stomping her in feet in what felt like concrete boots, and waving her fist in the air, narrowly missing my face with her elbow and fist every time.

Just as I moved my head away from her deadly fist I barely missed a very hairy and smelly armpit covered in sweat. I realised at that moment that I’m that (not so) perfect height of just being able to see the stage- so long as no one taller than me goes in front (which happens all the time), being hit in the head and having sweaty armpits smeared across my face. I was almost thinking of getting out of the mess when my boyfriend holstered me up onto his shoulders. Now this would’ve been great- I was getting out of the crowd and I could breathe, but I’m not sure what greater fear I have- tight spaces or heights. I wouldn’t let go of his head until I was firm on the ground again, even if it meant being in the mosh pit again.

After this I decided that my legs and feet hurt too much from being trampled on, but all my friends were in the mosh pit, and there was no way in hell that I was going to try and make my way out of there alone, and potentially find myself deeper in. I stuck it out to the bitter end and made my way out in a chain of my friends pulling each other along.

The music was fantastic and I loved it. Some people go to music festivals for the mosh pit, and that’s fine, it’s just not for me. I’m fine sitting down or dancing around the outskirts of the crowd, and next year I’m promising myself that’s just what I’m going to do.

Bass in the Grass is one of the biggest, if not the biggest music event of the year in the Territory. On Saturday 21^st, people of all ages headed to the place of large music performances: the Ampitheatre!

A rundown of the day is in order.

Opening at 11, Bass in the Grass started with local Darwin acts, unfortunately this reporter arrived too late to see them! I arrived around 2.30, just in time watch the last songs of The Potbelleez. The mosh pit was happy and lively, the people pleasant and the beat was good. The little I heard of The Potbelleez act was amazing.

Next up was Dead Letter Circus, who rocked out enthusiastically. While many of my friends enjoyed them, and I didn’t think their music was bad, I ended up sitting down and watching their act from afar.

Local band Ned & Friends, winner of the Battle of the School Bands (which was held at the BIG GIG, brought to you by GRIND), was the following act. They took the venue by storm, dressing in outlandish outfits, performing stunts and throwing in heavy rock and jazz together. They also heralded the “Tax Me” activism, which was collecting signatures during the day.

Art vs Science delivered a pumping track, playing electronic tunes all produced on stage. Good to mosh to, good to listen to, they got the crowd jumping and screaming. The crowd also started a ring fight in the mosh pit during their act. Maybe their music pumped the crowd so hard they had to act on it?

Heading into the evening, Birds of Tokyo took the stage. Their indie beats soothed the crowd then got them jumping! Playing a mixture of obscure and well known songs, they made sure that people didn’t want to see them leave.

Of course, the music was not all there was to Bass. A local Tax Me actvism campaign was running during the earlier part of Bass, collecting signatures of those supporting the carbon tax.

Security certainly weren’t left twiddling their thumbs either; there was an astounding number of people who drank to excess, took illicit drugs and smoked in the strictly smoke-free venue. And the amount of rubbish left behind was enough to plaster the entire grassed amphitheatre.

Despite these things however, it was a fine night. The costumes people wore, the music and the atmosphere makes Bass in the Grass memorable and the government is sure to keep Bass in the Grass around for years to come!

Jack, Mitchell, Sean and Ned (from left to right) of Ned & Friends

The band’s quick rise has provoked interest in several high-profile media outlets and has finally drawn the attention of GRIND Online, which sent out its best interviewer/reporter, Olivier Hasan-Fourcard, to track them down…

___

I’m waiting eagerly to meet Ned & Friends at the popular lunching place McDonald’s, in Stuart Park, hoping to get a quick interview with the band. Writhing in the excruciating agony of anticipation, they finally arrive, 45 minutes later than planned and apologise by ways of giving me exclusive rights to the interview.

I was in for a treat. Because this is what they said…

Me: Can you guys first-

Jack: What did you do yesterday?

Me: Could I get you guys to, ah-

Jack: What do you do?

Me: Well, I celebrated International Day of Shut Up – I’m the one asking the questions. Can you guys introduce yourselves and tell me what you ordered?

Mitchell: Ah, I, I just went and got a small coke. I had to kind of ask some other guy for money though. Um, I got four straws so that we could all share but no one… it’s cool.

Ned: What’s your name?

Mitchell: Uh, I’m Mitchell.

Ned: (drawling) Hi Mitchell.

Jack: Hi Mitchell.

Ned: Hi, I’m Ned and I just bought I think the manliest drink you can get. Pink frozen coke. (& Friends stare at Ned). I rest my case.

Jack: I’m Mick Jagger. I bought a large frozen coke. You know what my favourite thing about frozen cokes are?

Me: (shaking head) No, no.

Jack: They’re frozen.

Sean: Well wait, what about normal cokes man?

Jack: You know my least favourite thing about normal cokes? They’re not frozen.

Ned: Damn. Wisdom.

Sean: I’m Sean, my nickname’s Sean. I got a burger, with some chips and a drink and some extra napkins for when I like to get dirty with it.

Me: I can see already (Sean has burger sauce all over his face and on the table).

Jack: Like he gets really dirty.

Sean: Like close your eyes.

Ned: Super dirty.

Jack (left) and Sean (right, getting dirty) from Ned & Friends

Me: That leads us to my next question. You guys just won Battle of the Bands last week, how do you feel about playing at Bass In The Grass this year?

Ned: Bass?

Jack: Oh, actually it’s been changed. It’s called Ned In The Grass, now.

Mitchell: Chief Minister announced it this morning.

Jack: So yeah, we’re pretty excited at playing at Ned In The Grass.

Me: So they’re naming the event after you now?

Ned: It’s a pretty big achievement.

Jack: They asked us to release it to the press.

Sean: They’re not, (points to the other band members) they’re mucking around, it’s called Bass In The Grass.

Jack: Ned In The Grass.

Ned: Bass.

Me: Well, Bass Ned In The Grass. Has the date been changed or is it still on May 21?

Ned: It’s still the 21^st, but it’s been changed to Ned & Friends Month, Ned & Friendsay, based on May. Next question.

Me: You thanked somebody called a Based God at Battle of the School Bands, what is Based God?

Mitchell: Bass In The Grass. Based God. It’s not hard to put together. Don’t confuse me here-

Sean: Honestly, are you retard?

Jack: Olive, I’ve been hanging out with you and listening to Based God for a long- Why would you even need to ask that in an interview?

Me: I had no idea-

Jack: You’re my friend. I always listen to him with you.

Me: I’m sorry Jack, you know-

Jack: You would know exactly what I’m talking about; I’ve seen you go on his Wikipedia page.

Me: You know my memory’s pretty bad.

Sean: I don’t want to do this anymore, I’m going guys.

Me: Come back!

Sean: Alright.

Me: Thanks. So, are you guys releasing an album?

Ned: We’re actually recording this weekend at Darwin’s newest studio at Kormilda (College). What’s it called, um-?

Sean: It’s Kormilda’s new, completely, ah-

Jack: Ned & Friend’s Studio. They named it after us.

Mitchell: There’s a plaque, above the ground.

Ned: We’re actually cutting the ribbon. Ribbon cutting.

Jack: In the foyer there is a statue of Ned naked.

(Video below – Ned hard at work in the studio at Kormilda, preparing for Bass Ned)

Me: How did you get this deal with Kormilda College?

Mitchell: I am friends with, um well, not friends – that’s not the right word. I just, I’ve just been around members of the Board, the Board of Schools and they took, ah, took a shine to me. Money exchanged hands, favours exchanged hands. Got a studio.

Jack: That’s kind of the same way we won, oh, the…

Sean: I also asked my dad if we could use it and he said yeah.

Me: So you know a lot of people then?

Ned: A lot of people know us.

Jack: That’s true.

Ned: (winking) A lot, of people, know, us.

Jack: A lot of people know us, have you seen our Facebook, man?

Ned: Our Facebook man, I think we have-

Sean: 344 fans.

Ned: And rising, man, and rising.

Sean: Slowly.

Me: That is pretty good.

Ned: Living the dream

Mitchell: It’s actually – it’s funny, because AJM have like 500.

(Silence)

Sean: AJM are (colourful expletives deleted).

Me: Do you guys have any ex-members?

Mitchell: We do, but we don’t talk about them.

Ned: Oooh, ex-members, yeah we don’t talk about them.

Jack: That’s a touchy subject buddy.

Sean: Wait, we do?

Ned: Well, there is-

Sean: Leo -

Jack: Get the camera out of his face! (Swats Ned and his digital camera away from Sean)

Ned: There is, there’s definitely Elroy.

(Realisation dawns around the room)

Mitchell: Elroy?!

Sean: Oaaaaaahhhh!! Why did I say Leo??

Jack: Dude, you didn’t even remember him, man?

Ned: So obviously he’s not really that… he was-

Jack: Wasn’t eating those chips?

Ned:  Ah, he was a kindred spirit. But, ah, we were glad to see him go.

Me: Sorry to bring that up guys, um, do you have a roadie?

Ned: Multiple roadies, actually.

Sean: No, Leo’s our only roadie.

Jack: Are talking about the one’s that sex you?

Sean: That’s groupies.

Ned: Nah, groupies, bro.

Me: Do you guys have something to say, that I have to censor?

Ned: Yes.

Sean: (expletives deleted) Get amongst it.

Ned: Get amongst it (expletives deleted).

Jack: We want to make it known to the press that Ned & Friends merchandise is in the works.

Sean: Ned & Friends merch. We’ve got, completely custom shirts being made. We’ve got a designer from Darwin making the design. They’ll be for sale at Bass In The Grass for $20. With that you’ll also get a CD with-

Jack: What if Bass In The Grass tax us on the shirts?

Sean: They don’t.

Jack: They don’t?

Ned: They better not.

Jack: I bet they would.

Sean: If they do, we’ll just walk around, selling them.

Jack: At Ned In The Grass, that is.

Sean: The shirts are 20 bucks each, they’re mediums, smalls and larges. You get a Ned & Friends CD with a couple of tracks on it that have been rerecorded and remastered at the Kormilda College studio. You also get a little memento. We’re all going to go into our houses and find little things we don’t really need and you get something from that. So used tissues, used co-

Mitchell: I’d like to take the time to say, that this is the most artist to fan thing that has ever been done.

Mitchell & Sean: Ever.

Sean: Ever. In the history of music.

Jack: We are going straight to the fan base and…

Mitchell: Giving them our stuff.

Ned: Some have called us, ah… The Beatles.

(& Friends laugh)

Jack: “Are you guys The Beatles?”

Mitchell tests his tri-straw

Me: So people have genuinely, gone up to you and mistaken you for The Beatles?

Ned: No, no, prior to one of our gigs. I mean, it’s a common misconception. There’s four of us and there’s four members of The Beatles.

Jack: Writing songs about my generation.

Ned: You know, people ask, “Are you guys The Beatles?” and we’ve had to respond with a modest, “No”.

Mitchell: I love my life. Yo, Ned.

Ned: Sick straw, bro.

Mitchell: Wait a sec.

(Mitchell is just finishing to connect the four straws he had together, to form one long straw. He then successfully drinks his coke through it.)

Mitchell: Oh my god, it works.

___

Please don’t take this interview in full earnest.

Although, in all honesty, Ned & Friends assured me that there really will be band merchandise available at Bass In The Grass and that they’d like to see everyone in a Ned & Friends shirt, as well as donning whatever goodie they get from either band man’s house.

For $20, you get a cool band shirt, a CD with awesome music in it and a personal do-hickey from one of the band members. Be sure to hear, see and buy from them before they sell out at

BASSINTHEGRASS
Darwin Amphitheatre
21 May 2011

NED & FRIENDS WILL BE PLAYING ALONGSIDE ACTS LIKE:

THE PRESET
BIRD OF TOKYO
ART VERSE SCIENCE
BRITISH INDIAN
HALEY WANER
AND MANY, MUCH MORE

Coming Soon: Part 2 of this McInterview, with added rap.

Don't Do It Johnny

Exit Pursuit rock. But I’ll get to that later. You see, on this particular night out on the town I was in search of something far greater and more cosmic than simple rocking good times. I was in pursuit of Happyyess. Not looking for building. No. I was in pursuit of that feeling you attain only so rarely in Darwin when you are entirely content to be exactly where you are and wouldn’t wish to change places with any other southerner or foreigner for all the soy lattes in Melbourne. That elusive emotion that is found so often at Happyyess it is for me synonymous, but by no means guaranteed with entry. It requires a lot of elements and never quite the same mix. A big, beardy face behind the bar is a good start. Chris the brand new barman serves me up a smile and I’m on my way. I turn my self to the stage and I’m greeted by another brand new Happyyess fixture Don’t Do It Johnny. A talented group of larrikins whose lyrics speak of mudcrabs and V8s and whose repertoire is littered with laughs and damn good tunes. I can feel it all coming together.

Room 105

Room 105 , formerly Jambulance, formerly The Nobodies, step up to the stage with a confused introduction, but there is nothing confusing about their musical abilities. These guys have me dancing when I’m sober and that is a rare talent indeed, shared only by pretty girls and highschool gym classes. I share a look with Kris on lights and sound as he demands an encore so he can watch us dance some more and I know I’m almost there. Now I need something to raise me up to the next level. Something a little bit different. My wish is granted by the debut of a talented trio by the name of Exit Pursuit.

Before even having heard a note of their insane instrumental rock/grunge/metal/blues fantasyland noisefest I could tell I was going to enjoy the work of these jam-carnies, just from their outfits. Liam Parry-Mills on guitar dressed like a 60s self help swami guru whose colours had run in the wash, Olive Hasan-Fourcard on bass looking like he was auditioning for a Nirvana cover band, and fill-in drummer Jack Reedy appearing as though he was an audience member who had wandered incoherently on stage as part of a dare from his drunken roommates. But my eyes don’t get a chance to dig into this visual feast before they are blasted back into your skull to help my ears with the extra sensory input that comes abruptly from a band that doesn’t need any introductions, even from themselves.

Exit Pursuit

Liam opens up with a delicious smooth blues-tongued lick and then it’s playtime on the merry-go-round of paranormal jingles. Just like the players themselves the songs have no given names and each one viciously slides in and out of each other with what could be excessively good improvisation or well disguised manically rehearsed organisation. I lean towards the former, not because these guys seem disorganised, but just insanely talented. Exit Pursuit have me on my way to Happyyess when …

Disaster. Alas, after being camped next to the speaker for barely 5 minutes of these fuzzy metallic beats I am dragged outside by the people who were formally my ‘friends’, now my adversaries, in the pursuit of Happyyess. But fear not. I’m saved, because Exit Pursuit has a range not just in musical taste and ability, but also in the most tangible of ways. Even from outside they still manage to drown out every moment of my assailants boring conversation with sweet incandescent tunes. Here lies the crux of why Exit Pursuit defiantly rock, no matter where you stand. They are never boring. Whether you love a barrage of mixed sounds and chronic improvisation or not you would never dare call Exit Pursuit boring. Alright, maybe you can’t dance to them as easily as Don’t Do It Johnny or Room 105 (aka. Jambulance, aka. The Nobodies). But heck, I can’t dance to anything that well, so don’t pretend to care like you some Fred Astaire.

Exit Pursuit

I’m there. Happyyess. Good bands. Good people. The brand new sound of Exit Pursuit still thrumming in my mind. And yet, it doesn’t feel quite right. It seems there is something missing. I sit outside on the pavement staring at the ruins of the old town hall pondering what it was I forgot to add to the evening to make it to Happyyess. And then Caiti brings out the bins and asks me if the shoelace she found was mine. Though I am clearly wearing thongs I claim it as my own. And I’m there.

MJ*

*This has been in no way edited by Liam Parry-Mills, Exit Pursuit guitarist and GRIND facilitator