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Am I ever gonna see your face again? Nuanced and thoughtful, Kickin’ Down the Door puts The Angels back in the spotlight

When I was a kid, my dad Max took me to basketball games at Melbourne’s Entertainment Centre. I’d wait in my plastic bucket chair as the cheerleaders shook their pom poms and the teams did lay ups. The music was loud, and around the time everyone had found their seats, one song would often come on. It opened with a wailing, single note guitar, followed by a chunky, palm muted riff, driving along until bursting into the chorus when the vocals would demand “Am I ever gonna see your face again?” And as I licked my lemonade icy pole I’d delight as the whole stadium would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/australia-culture-blog/2014/apr/15/australian-anthems-the-angels-am-i-ever-gonna-see-your-face-again">chant back</a> “No way, get fucked, fuck off.” I had no idea the band was called The Angels. I didn’t know they were supposed to be the next AC/DC but didn’t quite “make it”. The intense relationships at their core were lost on me. I was just delighted by how wild it felt, this song the audience owned, breaking rules, answering back. A new documentary, Kickin’ Down the Door chronicles Australian band The Angels across four decades, from suburban Adelaide to the gloss of <a href="https://themusic.com.au/news/iconic-alberts-music-studios-to-be-torn-down-to-make-way-for-luxury-apartments/wSnS1dTX1tk/08-10-15">Albert Studios</a>and beyond. The classic Oz rock vibe is omnipresent: dudes, riffs, volume. But this story’s star quality is how hard it works to showcase the band from both front of house and backstage, offering something far more nuanced than the well-thumbed tale of these national music icons. <h2>Finding intensity</h2> The documentary centres on the songwriting team of the Brewster brothers, vocalist Bernard “Doc” Neeson, and a revolving cast of drummers, bass players and producers. The themes are what you might like in a documentary about Australian rock ‘n’ roll: journeys to adulthood, mateship, resistance, lashings of hope, dollops of luck. Interviews from the band and their nearest and dearest sidle up against archival footage with cute animations bridging scenes. There’s the ubiquitous drop-in from a couple of international names to provide cred – thankfully a Bono-free endeavour. There’s a slither of pre-hat Molly Meldrum. The eye candy of 70s and 80s Aussie life abounds. The songs are central to Kickin’ Down the Door, but rock ‘n’ roll has always been about theatre, and front man Doc Neeson’s lead in creating an unsettling intensity at live shows lifted The Angels beyond the meat and potatoes of standard Oz rock. In one scene, the lighting guy talks about how Doc used silence and darkness as a tool of intensity – the antithesis of rock show bombast. <h2>A complex portrait</h2> Like The Angels did with rock ‘n’ roll, Kickin’ Down the Door offers a key change in the way it positions the people behind the scenes. Director Madeleine Parry has brought together a complex web of relationships pivoting on creative jubilation, obligation, devotion and estrangement. At an early gig, the Brewsters’ mother is recalled as dancing on a table in a “sea of blokes”. These were her boys, who could do no wrong. Mothers, girlfriends, wives and children are elevated close to the story’s centre, anchored within the nostalgic rhythm of white suburban Australian life to contrast with the band’s sprint – then marathon – to rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Beyond the band bubble, everyone’s sacrifice is apparent. “We all supplied the stability while they chased the dream,” says Neeson’s then partner. In bringing women to the front, Parry frames the main players as multi-dimensional, emotional and expressive. The intensity of volume, riffage and flamboyance sits in dialogue with each band members’ reflections to present the way that “performance” seamlessly slides across gender and genre. This deep thoughtfulness shines through the dizzying foray of complex legal and financial arrangements bands can be thrown into, setting them up with lifelong debt. This is the persistent myth of “luck” in rock ‘n’ roll. This myth grinds against the power imbalance inherent in an incredibly competitive, brutal and sometimes hedonistic global business culture. For decades, rock ‘n’ roll has relied on the exploitation of artists who sacrifice family, health, economic security and friendships to have sustainable careers. This documentary skilfully weaves the devastation that comes when these pressures evaporate years of work for bands and their teams. It isn’t so much a story about the big bad music industry swallowing up another Australian wanna be. Rather, it is a well-crafted assemblage of the pervasive way rock ‘n’ roll’s mystique works behind the scenes, prioritising profits over health and wellbeing, and the sustainability of artists and their families. <h2>The sonic legacy</h2> Undoubtedly the biggest names now in Australian guitar driven music – Amyl and the Sniffers, Courtney Barnett, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala – are part of the sonic legacy of bands like The Angels. But they also show a marked shift in how they do business when courting international markets, maintaining elements of independence and control that The Angels had no blueprint for. This current crop of bands also show we are on the road to far better gender representation of what contemporary rock music looks and sounds like. And in other genres, artists like Baker Boy, Genesis Owusu, Barkaa and Jaguar Jonze continue to contest and take ownership of “the sound” of Australian music. Incidentally, I never went on to play basketball. I picked up an electric guitar instead. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/am-i-ever-gonna-see-your-face-again-nuanced-and-thoughtful-kickin-down-the-door-puts-the-angels-back-in-the-spotlight-194057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

If you want your child to be more resilient, get them to join a choir, orchestra or band

One of the most important qualities for a young person to develop is resilience. This involves their ability to overcome adversity. Resilience is perhaps more important now than ever. Today’s young people have been <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-youth-in-brief/contents/summary">facing adversity on a mass-scale</a>, thanks to COVID and all the disruptions to their education and social, home and working lives. The good news is, resilience is not just something you are born with. It <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/ca34a20a-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/ca34a20a-en#chapter-d1e10348">can be learned</a> from our experiences and interactions with others. Parents may not be aware that one way to develop resilience is through group music making, such as in a school or community choir, orchestra or band. <h2>Our research</h2> We wanted to investigate how group music making can develop skills beyond just learning to play an instrument or sing. Our <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project">study</a> is based on the Tasmanian Youth Orchestras, which include accomplished musicians aged from 14 to 25. This includes the state youth orchestra as well as two other orchestras, specialist ensembles and two choirs. For our project, we collected comments from players, managers and conductors/teachers on a closed Facebook site and then did eight follow-up interviews. Our findings show how qualities like teamwork, empathy and grit – all components of resilience – can be developed through group music making. <h2>Teamwork</h2> In order for a group of players to make a piece of music work, they have to work together. People have to listen to each other, understand what is happening around them, and be prepared to change how they play something (slow or fast, loud or soft) depending on how the group is performing. You need to be able to value the contributions of other people, not just your own. So, <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project/teamwork">we found</a> if you are playing in a band, you are learning team work skills. As David*, a conductor told us: "After a while, players realised that they were ultimately responsible to the other players not to the conductor." <h2>Empathy</h2> Players also need to be able to understand others in a group and share their feelings. In a choir or orchestra, the music making is a shared creative experience – that involves the whole body. And this is where <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project/empathy">empathy</a> comes in. Empathy, like teamwork, can be cumulative, growing over time through rehearsals and performances, as players and teachers support one another. As brass player Tom said, "I have to understand that I am not always going to be the main focus of a piece." Another player, Simon, told us about his realisation that other people were also having to work hard (and it wasn’t just about him). "You certainly aren’t the only person having to practise your doubles [playing two notes at once] for that piece." <h2>Grit</h2> It is important for young people to develop a “<a href="https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/">growth mindset</a>”, where they understand effort makes them stronger and learning is a long-term commitment. This is where <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project/grit">grit</a> also comes in: pursing a goal and sticking with it even if it takes a lot of work or gets difficult. It can take many months to learn a piece of music up to performance standard. And learning an instrument requires practice every day. So commitment is a key part of learning music. Lawrence, a player, told us about participating in his school musical, "There were many points throughout the year which I felt like giving up […] but it was something I had committed to […]. I kept working on playing the music to the best of my ability, even if it felt like I couldn’t do it." Tory, a choir conductor, described performance as both “safe and unsafe”. Young people in a choir learn to deal with the unexpected as part of performance. And this takes a kind a bravery. "You’ve got safety in numbers, to some extent, but you are still stepping into the unknown every time you walk on stage to do a thing. You can rely on each other, because you’ve rehearsed, but stuff does go pear shaped. Stuff happens […] It’s an incredibly useful life skill to be able to go, ‘well, that sucked’ […] and go, all right ‘let’s [go again]’." <h2>Why music?</h2> But what is so special about music in fostering resilience? Young people also work in sporting teams or academic assignments. They can also work together while playing games. Playing music provokes activity in many different parts of the brain at the same time. Listening to music that we like triggers the pleasure/reward centre of the brain. Dopamine and serotonin are released, resulting in that “feel good” sensation, and <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/this-is-your-brain-on-music-daniel-levitin/book/9780241987353.html?source=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjw48OaBhDWARIsAMd966B_bnNSq0206FOdSKqjfAEbrRWPkyKsh1tlY4v7eD1JGqZMB5qYGmoaAgmKEALw_wcB">providing an incentive</a> to keep engaging with music. Learning a musical instrument also <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2021/01/14/JNEUROSCI.1985-20.2020/tab-article-info?versioned=true">strengthens connections</a> in the brain, linking the auditory cortex to parts of the brain involved in the processing of complex information. This link has <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02023/full">been shown</a> to improve memory, motor functions and learning in other subject areas. Making music with others also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661313000491">affects levels</a> of the bonding hormone oxytocin, supporting a sense of togetherness, while reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and boosting immune function. For young people, music can provide valuable respite from study and daily life, and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732320944142">help</a> manage and express their emotions. So, if you want your child to be a team player who is empathetic and shows grit, our research suggests that joining a music group could be the answer. *names have been changed Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-you-want-your-child-to-be-more-resilient-get-them-to-join-a-choir-orchestra-or-band-190657" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Fleetwood Mac member loses his battle to cancer

Famed Musician Brett Tuggle has lost his battle with cancer, aged 70. He was best known for being the keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and a founding member of the David Lee Roth Band. Brett is survived by daughter Michelle and son Matt, who confirmed that their father died from complications related to cancer. "He was loved by his family so much," Matt shared. "His family was with him throughout the entire time of his illness. He was a lovely father. He gave me music in my life." Fellow musician and good friend Rick Springfield was one of the first to pay tribute on Twitter. *embed tweet Tuggle was a founding member of the David Lee Roth Band in the 1980s before he joined Fleetwood Mac in the '90s. He was with the band for two decades, after officially taking over Christine McVie's keyboard duties when she left in 1998. He later worked with Fleetwood Mac stars Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on their solo ventures, which caused conflict among the group and reportedly led to his exit. "I care about them all," he said. "They're all a big part of my life." Image: Getty

Music

‘A gentleman with the mad soul of an Irish convict poet’: remembering Chris Bailey, and the blazing comet that was The Saints

Inala in the early 70s was bleak. A Brisbane suburb of wide dusty streets, treeless and bland. A planned community, meant to grow over time. Austerity, accented by the cheap houses – weatherboard, red brick, concrete – stifled the suburb like a blanket on a hot February night. It was boring. Beyond boring. The only concession to communal childhood joy was the pool, and the crazy concrete skate rink. But if you wanted a creative outlet, you needed to search elsewhere. Ivor Hay, (future Saints drummer), was heading to the picture theatre in Sherwood one Saturday night in early 1971, "and I saw Jeffrey [Wegener – another Saints drummer] with these two longhairs, Chris [Bailey] and Ed [Kuepper]. They were off to a birthday party in Corinda and asked me along. That was our first night." Bailey was raised by his mum, Bridget, in a house alive with siblings – mostly girls, who looked after the kid. He got away with a lot. “None of us had a lot of money,” Hay tells me. "Both Chris and I were raised by single mums in reasonably sized families. Chris’ mum was pretty feisty, with this Belfast accent which was just fantastic. They all looked after ‘Christopher’, he could do all sorts of things and they would accommodate him. His mum would have a go at him about the noise, but we’d just go to his bedroom and rehearse and bugger everybody else in the house!" Kuepper taught Hay to play the guitar: Stones and Beatles and Hendrix. Hay passed the knowledge down to Bailey, who was keen to learn. Neither Kuepper nor Bailey learned to drive, so Hay became the driver in those wide suburbs where driving and cars were everything. There was politics in Bailey’s house – his sister Margaret chained herself to the school gates to protest uniform policy – but this pervaded the town. The conservative government had no time for the young, and the police force did their best to make life difficult. But there was a sense that these young men were making something new. As Hay says, "We used to sing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internationale">The Internationale</a> at parties. I don’t know if we were revolutionaries, but we had that sense that something was happening. [With the band] we were doing something that we thought was going to change something. Chris was particularly good at pushing things, at being anti-everything." <h2>Out of Inala</h2> To escape the suburb was to head north to the railway line. It was the lifeline to the centre of Brisbane – record stores, bookshops and other forms of life. Kuepper remembers going into the city with Bailey. "We had intended to steal a record, and we went into Myers […] both wearing army disposal overcoats […] these two long haired guys walking into the record department with these overcoats […] surprisingly enough, we were successful!" Like the railway line, Ipswich Road joins Brisbane to the old coal town of Ipswich. It slices through these western suburbs, carrying hoons in muscle cars and streams of commuters, the occasional screaming cop car or ambulance. On Thursday nights, the boys used to sit at the Oxley Hotel, overlooking Ipswich Road, “just sit up there having beers, we wouldn’t have been much more than 17 or 18 at that time. Chatting about all sorts of stuff,” says Hay. "Chris and Ed were comic collectors and Stan Lee was the hero […] there were political discussions, philosophical discussions. Those guys could talk underwater." They talked and played and sang. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5YP_tsPzmg&t=905s">And Bailey had the voice</a>. It was a force, not just loud and tuneful, but full of snarl and spit. Soon they had songs, and in 1976 scraped the money together to record and release their first single on their own Fatal Records label. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpMwMDqOprc">(I’m) Stranded</a> took Bailey out of Inala, out of Brisbane and into the world. He never looked back. <h2>A changed city</h2> The Saints released three albums in as many years – (I’m) Stranded, Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds – before Kuepper and Hay returned from the UK to Australia, leaving Bailey to his own devices. Bailey remained in Europe, releasing a cluster of solo albums and many Saints records over the next 40 years. He wrote some achingly beautiful songs. It is a testament to his talents as a songwriter that Bruce Springsteen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ4a_tgJp4I">recorded a version</a>of Bailey’s Just Like Fire Would in 2014. There’s no doubt that Bailey and The Saints changed Brisbane forever. People around the world who love music know Brisbane exists because of The Saints, The Go-Betweens and bands like them. Peter Milton Walsh (The Apartments) was one of many who benefited from The Saints legacy, "They blazed through our young lives like comets. Showed so many what was possible – that you could write your way out of town." “Without The Saints,” Mark Callaghan of The Riptides/Gang Gajang told me, “we probably wouldn’t have started. ” "They just made it all seem doable. It was like, ‘Well, they’re from Brisbane!’ So we started our first band, and at our first gig we covered (I’m) Stranded! We even took a photo of the abandoned house in Petrie Terrace with (I’m) Stranded painted on the wall. But it never crossed our minds to stand in front of this. It would be sacrilege, you know? And we were trying to work out a way that we could get it off the wall intact, because we recognised it was a historical document." Chris Bailey isn’t the first of our creative children to leave this life behind and move on into memory. With their passing, like the returning comet, the past is freshly illuminated, allowing us to look back at our young lives. Back when the future was broad in front of us, urged on by voices like Bailey’s to open our eyes and see the world. And Bailey’s was a unique voice. Kenny Gormley (The Cruel Sea) remembers him singing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYA5WdP47Y0">Ghost Ships,</a> "But ah, I’ll never ever forget seeing Chris pick that shanty, alone at sea in a crowded room, holding us sway, wet face drunk and shining, quiet and stilled in storm, cracked voiced with closed eye and open heart. And that was Bailey, a gentleman with the mad soul of an Irish convict poet.“ Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-gentleman-with-the-mad-soul-of-an-irish-convict-poet-remembering-chris-bailey-and-the-blazing-comet-that-was-the-saints-181059" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Legendary band hits back after PM’s ukulele session

New Zealand band Dragon have hit back at Prime Minister Scott Morrison after his "cynical" cover of their cult classic song on a special interview with 60 Minutes. In the sit-down interview with Karl Stefanovic, the PM is filmed with his family, strumming a ukulele while singing the band's smash hit April Sun in Cuba. In a response to the serenade, Dragon has accused Scott Morrison of using their song to "humanise" himself in the face of the Australian public ahead of the upcoming federal election.In a statement released by the band, they accused the PM of dragging the band into the headline for "all the wrong reasons" in what they believe was a "cynical" act of electioneering in order to strike a cord with Australians. The band also used their statement to resurface damning criticism of the PM for taking a family holiday to Hawaii during the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis, which saw 34 people lose their lives and nearly 3,000 homes destroyed. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from the band Dragon after the Prime Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a> appeared on television singing one of their songs. They said it was “a cynical move by a politician to co-opt music in an attempt to humanise themselves come election time”. <a href="https://t.co/85RVXFtF2S">pic.twitter.com/85RVXFtF2S</a>— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenMcDonell/status/1493057963753418754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2022</a></blockquote>"It is a cynical move for a politician to co-opt music in an attempt to humanise themselves come election time," the band's statement said."Maybe if his trip to Hawaii had not been cut short, he could have learnt the lyrics to the rest of the chorus."In the now-viral video of Scott Morrison performing the tracks he repeats one line twice ("Take me to the April sun in Cuba, oh oh oh"), rather than progress the song along with the original lyrics.The song was originally penned in 1977 by two New Zealanders who were living in Australia, and became a smash hit in Australia and New Zealand after placing in the top 10 in both country's music charts. When the video of Scott Morrison playing the ukulele first surfaced in a preview for the 60 Minutes interview, it was instantly branded as "extremely cringe" by viewers. Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, suggested the performance was a cynical ploy to improve Mr Morrison’s image ahead of the federal election.“We need to brace ourselves for how far he will go the more desperate they get,” she wrote on Twitter.Image credits: Nine - 60 Minutes / Twitter

News

‘The Beatles: Get Back’ glosses over the band’s acrimonious end

In the new film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9735318/">The Beatles: Get Back</a>,” “Lord of the Rings” director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/">Peter Jackson</a> tries to dispel the myth of the the Beatles’ breakup. In 1970, Michael Lindsay-Hogg released “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/original-let-it-be-movie-michael-lindsay-hogg-peter-jackson-get-back-1250561/">Let It Be</a>,” a film documenting the band’s recording sessions for their eponymous album. The movie depicted George Harrison arguing with Paul McCartney – and it hit theaters shortly after news of the band’s breakup emerged. Many filmgoers at the time assumed this depicted the days and weeks during which everything fell apart. By the time it hit theaters, nearly 16 months after filming, this rehearsal footage got mistaken for a completely different time frame. In 2016, Jackson gained access to Lindsay-Hogg’s original footage. Over the course of four years, he edited it into an eight-hour, three-part series, thanks to a streaming deal with Disney+. In their press rounds, both Jackson and McCartney have been eager to recast the legacy of this period. “I kept waiting for all the nasty stuff to start happening, waiting for the arguments and the rows and the fights, but I never saw that,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/20/i-just-cant-believe-it-exists-peter-jackson-takes-us-into-the-beatles-vault-locked-up-for-52-years">Jackson told The Guardian</a> and others. “It was the opposite. It was really funny.” “I’ll tell you what is really fabulous about it, it shows the four of us having a ball,” <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/paul-mccartney-says-the-beatles-get-back-documentary-changed-his-perception-of-their-split-3095528">McCartney told The Sunday Times</a> after seeing the film. “It was so reaffirming for me.” It seems to be working: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/arts/music/beatles-get-back-peter-jackson.html">A recent New York Times headline proclaimed</a>, “Know How the Beatles Ended? Peter Jackson May Change Your Mind.” A lot of these sessions contain the irrepressible gags that made the Beatles famous. (Lennon and McCartney singing “Two of Us” in grandiose Scottish brogue almost steals Part Three.) But in their interviews, Jackson and McCartney accentuate the positive as if to paper over the acrimonious <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/paul-mccartney-says-he-sued-beatles-save-band-s-music-n1235898">history of lawsuits</a>, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/beatles-catalog-paul-mccartney-brief-history-ownership-7662519/">the loss of the Lennon-McCartney publishing catalog</a> and the lurching solo careers that followed. <h2>A muddled chronology</h2> The timing of the theater release of the “Let It Be” sessions seeded confusion over how the group unraveled. “Let it Be” was shot in January 1969, just weeks after the “<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/review-the-beatles-white-album-186863/">White Album</a>” hit stores. The band then put these tapes aside to work on the larger project they intuited from this material, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-beatles-revolutionary-use-of-recording-technology-in-abbey-road-124070">Abbey Road</a>,” which they completed seven months later. The split actually came at a September 1969 meeting, when <a href="https://theconversation.com/inside-the-beatles-messy-breakup-50-years-ago-130980">Lennon told the others</a> he wanted a “divorce.” They persuaded him to keep his departure quiet until the band completed some contract negotiations. Then, in March 1970, <a href="https://theconversation.com/inside-the-beatles-messy-breakup-50-years-ago-130980">McCartney publicly proclaimed</a> he was “leaving the Beatles” to release his first solo album. An epic descent into suits, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-courtroom-hit-parade-the-beatles-top-ten-lawsuits-414216.html">countersuits</a> and press squabbles ensued. Harrison even wrote a song called “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzdw2WcSmb0">Sue Me Sue You Blues</a>.” Only in May 1970 did the “Let It Be” album and film come out, with the band’s messy divorce as the backdrop. After the initial theater run, “Let it Be” fell from view. For decades, the only way you could get a glance of it was through a black market copy. The Andy Warhol-esque, <a href="https://www.artforum.com/print/196704/the-value-of-didactic-art-36733">so-real-it’s-boring verité style</a> – the non-narrative approach then in vogue – flummoxed even 1970 audiences. But because the “Let It Be” album and film came out after “Abbey Road” – which was released in September 1969 – it quickly got mistaken for telegraphing their breakup, <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/paul-mccartney-says-the-beatles-get-back-documentary-changed-his-perception-of-their-split-3095528">a belief that the Beatles themselves seemed to internalize</a>. The Beatles’ own traumatic memories of this period kept the raw footage from this project in the vaults for over 50 years. In the meantime, bootleggers published nearly all of its audio. <h2>Conflict brewing</h2> Now at significant remove, the remaining Beatles – McCartney and Ringo Starr – <a href="https://variety.com/video/peter-jackson-get-back-beatles-secrets/">seem to have hired Jackson</a> for a rescue operation, disingenuously dubbing the film a “documentary” when they, in fact, served as executive producers alongside their Apple Records directors, Jeff Jones and Ken Kamins. In response to Jackson’s three-part series, which coincided with the release of <a href="https://variety.com/2021/music/reviews/get-back-book-review-beatles-let-it-be-transcripts-1235087090/">a book of transcripts from the “Let it Be” sessions</a> and McCartney’s songwriting memoir, “<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-paul-mccartneys-the-lyrics-can-teach-us-about-harnessing-our-creativity-170987">Lyrics</a>,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/arts/music/beatles-get-back-peter-jackson.html">media outlets</a> <a href="https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/the-beatles-get-back">around the world</a> appear to have embraced this new version of history: that these sessions actually scanned as lighthearted, that – poof! – the scars had vanished. But the strange and beguiling thing about Jackson’s edit rises from how it displays an unstable mixture of groove and conflict. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Auta2lagtw4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> The trailer for ‘The Beatles: Get Back.’ Despite the walkout from Harrison and continuous disagreements about what the project was – first a TV show, then a feature film and album, which needed a rooftop concert for a “payoff” – the band ultimately rallied to write the now-classic tracks “Something,” “Oh! Darling,” “Octopus’s Garden,” “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” along with Lennon’s “Polythene Pam” and “I Want You.” So Jackson’s “Get Back” clarifies the Beatles’ resolve to resume work and put their extra-musical squabbles aside. The music pulls them inexorably forward, and they trust these early song fragments enough to carry them. They have had bust-ups and walkouts and uncertainties and failures, and always found their way through. For Lindsay-Hogg and 1970 audiences, this all seemed bewildering and tense – the band kept a tight lid on internal rows. To the Beatles themselves, and to anyone who’s ever worked to keep a band together, it felt about par. Telling the average person to watch eight hours of freighted doubt and raw, undeveloped material is a big ask. <a href="https://www.theonion.com/new-beatles-doc-gives-man-greater-appreciation-for-how-1848132216">As The Onion joked</a>, “New Beatles Doc Gives Man Greater Appreciation For How Long 8 Hours Feels.” But there is a moment in Part Two of Jackson’s series – the first day on the set when Harrison doesn’t show up – when the rest of the band sits around talking about the situation. McCartney suddenly goes quiet. The camera lingers on him, and you can see him drift into a thousand-yard stare as he contemplates the looming uncertainties. He doesn’t quite tear up, but he does look as unguarded as he ever does, and markedly tentative. The moment catches hold because it’s so out of character – McCartney rarely displays himself unveiled, without pretense. The shot lingers and takes the measure of the man and the project, how much they have to overcome and how precarious everything suddenly feels. [Over 140,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world. <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-140ksignup">Sign up today</a>.] In retrospect, the miracle is not that they finished “Let It Be,” but how these sessions served as the warmup for their final lap, “Abbey Road.” After upending expectations with the contrasting breakthroughs of “Sgt. Pepper” and the “White Album,” figuring out what to do next would have confounded lesser souls. That five-decade gap where fans waited for a refurbished “Let It Be” tells you a lot about how fraught January 1969 seemed to its four principals – and how deep those scars went.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169914/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-riley-440673">Tim Riley</a>, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director for Journalism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/emerson-college-3140">Emerson College</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-beatles-get-back-glosses-over-the-bands-acrimonious-end-169914">original article</a>. Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Movies

INXS guitarist Tim Farriss sues over severed finger incident

Lead INXS guitarist Tim Farriss has explained to a Sydney court why he is suing a boat owner after his major accident. Farriss says he was forced into retirement after a boating accident severed one of his fingers. Farriss hired Omega Clipper, 34 from John Axford to celebrate an anniversary with his wife, Beth, during the Australia Day long weekend in 2015. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843566/inxs-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c7f396031de2458e9ea750e07ca36dac" /> The musician took issue with kinks in a “rusty and dirty” anchor chain at Akuna Bay, in Sydney's northern beaches. Court documents have claimed it became a major issue when the foot-controlled deck stopped working. He was then given instructions via text message, the winch became working again. Horrifically, his left hand was caught in the machinery and he lost a finger. Farriss is suing Mr Axford in the NSW Supreme Court for negligence and breach of Australian Consumer Law. "How would you now describe your occupation?" his barrister, Adrian Williams, asked him "Forced retirement," Farriss replied. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843565/inxs-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ffce8c1f3f334a718315f1a2ab2f1f8b" /> Mr Williams told the court that Farriss's reattached finger was "useless" and the musician was depressed. "It is in a state now where he cannot play the guitar and he cannot compose in the manner he was accustomed to," Mr Williams said. Farriss has claimed he has extensive injuries. "My hand was covered in rust, blood and mud, but I could see one of my fingers had been severed and the others were disfigured, badly lacerated and bleeding," he recalled in the documents. The 64-year-old said he finds it difficult to look at his injuries without wanting to faint. He argues that his instructions should have been clearer and that the equipment should have been better maintained. The court’s major question is whether INXS is going to embark on a comeback tour after drummer Jon Farriss announced on stage, during a 2012 Perth show, that it would likely be their last. Tim Farriss told the court he was "shocked" by the comment at the time, but said it ended up producing "great marketing opportunities". Farriss has been accused of "downplaying" his "extensive" experience with boats, a claim the guitarist denied. John Turnbull, who is for the defendant, said there would be a "significant factual dispute" about Farriss's position when the accident happened. "At some point, Mr Farriss must have loosened the winch clutch and stepped on the up button or perhaps the down button, but of course only he knows what happened," he said. "Our case is this is a misadventure, sadly, by Mr Farriss who has undoubtedly been injured as a result of, somehow or another, the chain and his fingers ... coming into contact with each other." Mr Turnbull argued there was "no doubt" a risk of harm from the machinery, but not for someone who would have been "acting reasonably". "A reasonable person, though, had alternative options available," he said. "A reasonable person would not have been injured if they had exercised reasonable care." Farriss told the court he has nightmares about both his hands and his feet being dragged into the winch. Mr Turnbull suggested to the musician that he had accidentally stepped on the “up” button on the deck, which activated the winch. The defence went on to say the version of events was recorded by an ambulance officer at the scene. "That's what you told the ambulance operator," he said. "No, I didn't tell him that," Farriss replied. "That might be something he assumed." The hearing is expected to run the rest of the week. Images: Getty

Music

The now grown up baby from Nirvana's album cover is suing the band

The baby who appeared on the famous Nirvana album cover in 1991 is now suing the band. Spencer Elden, who is now 30 years old, is suing surviving Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Kurt Cobain's estate for allegedly violating federal child pornography statutes and child sexual exploitation. The lawsuit also names the photographer who snapped the image, Kirk Weddlem and the labels behind the release fo the album. Spencer was photographed naked as a child for the band's most iconic album cover, and is now claiming his legal guardians never signed a release “authorising the use of any images of Spencer or of his likeness, and certainly not of commercial child pornography depicting him.” Spencer claims he has suffered “lifelong damages” and is also suing for distribution of private sexually explicit materials and negligence. The famous album cover was snapped by chance, as Spencer's father Rick was a good friend of the photographer. Nick spoke to NPR in 2008 and said, “[Weddle] calls us up and was like, ‘Hey Rick, wanna make 200 bucks and throw your kid in the drink.” The image, which shows a baby Spencer in the pool diving after a $1 note, quickly became an iconic image and Spencer has recreated the album cover several times to celebrate anniversaries of the release. The lawsuit filed by Spencer states, “The permanent harm he has proximately suffered includes but is not limited to extreme and permanent emotional distress with physical manifestations, interference with his normal development and educational progress, lifelong loss of income earning capacity, loss of past and future wages, past and future expenses for medical and psychological treatment, loss of enjoyment of life, and other losses to be described and proven at trial of this matter.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Legal

Why Princess Beatrice’s wedding band is so special

Princess Beatrice added her own personal touch to the royal wedding tradition as she married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday morning. Being the first royal to wed at Windsor’s Royal Chapel of All Saints, Beatrice was forced to keep a guest list of 20 people due to COVID-19 guidelines. And while everyone is focusing on the stunning wedding dress she borrowed from her grandmother the Queen, they forgot to focus on one accessory that’s different from many royal brides before her. Her wedding band. Beatrice’s wedding band was designed by jeweller Shaun Leane, who also created her Art Deco-meets-Victorian engagement ring. According to Hello, the platinum and diamond band was made to fit around the engagement ring and was crafted in consultation with the couple. "I am thrilled for the happy couple, it warms my heart to see two wonderful people unite in love as much as Edoardo and Beatrice do," the British jeweller said in a statement. Over the last 100 years, most royal brides have chosen gold wedding bands, which is why Beatrice’s ring is different from the rest. Many royal wedding rings have been created from a single lump of gold taken from the Clogau St David mine in Wales since 1923. These include the bands belonging to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Old family tradition or not, it was clear Beatrice had her own vision for her wedding ring.

Beauty & Style

KISS surprise fans and cancel Australian tour days before it was meant to begin

Rock legends KISS have cancelled their planned farewell tour of Australia just days before it was meant to begin. KISS fans have been through a whirlwind, as the group rescheduled the first date of the tour three days before announcing the cancellation. This is due to the founding member and guitarist Paul Stanley’s ill health, and the new start date of the tour would have been the 19th of November in Adelaide. However, the band decided to pull the plug on the entire tour. “TEG Live and One World Entertainment, the promoters of KISS, regrets to advise the November/December tour has been cancelled,” a <a href="https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=KISS19">statement released</a> reads. “Earlier this week it was announced that U.S doctors had advised Paul Stanley to rest due to a bad case of influenza, prompting the rescheduling of the tour’s first show in Perth to the end of the run and the cancellation of New Zealand. It was hoped the extra few days rest would allow Stanley the chance for a complete recovery so the tour could proceed as planned.” “However unfortunately this has not occurred. Stanley has an additional infection in his throat requiring complete vocal rest and medication for at least two weeks and possibly longer.” The news has devastated the loyal fanbase, as the tour has been billed as the last-ever Australian tour for KISS. “Words cannot begin to convey our massive disappointment in having to cancel our End Of The Road tour of your incredible country. Our connection to you is unparalleled and decades deep,” Stanley said in a statement. “We waited as long as we could and held out hope to the last minute that my situation would clear up and we would be able to march forward. Doctor’s orders ultimately have taken precedence and finally we now find ourselves with no choice but to surrender. With heavy hearts, KISS.” Information on refunds for the KISS tour can be found <a href="https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=KISS19">here</a>, and those who purchased tickets via card can expect full refunds in their accounts within 14 days.

Music

How KISS are preparing to make their mark in Australia

Rocker band KISS are known for delighting their fans and when they head to Australia, it’s looking to be no exception. They’re performing for a new audience in November: Great White sharks. The band will be performing underwater to the sharks and eight lucky fans as they travel off the southern coast of Australia. According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/kiss-australia-great-white-sharks">Fox News</a>, the band will stay above board on one vessel and the fans will be lowered beneath the surface of the water from a second boat into the viewing sub. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v=XeepkIfg_r0"></iframe></div> The area that they’ll be lowered into is well known for shark activity, and the band will begin to play using underwater speakers. The result? Sharks and submerged fans rocking out to KISS. “Research has indicated that low-frequency and pulsed sounds can be attractive to some shark species. Interestingly, different animals (even within the same species) appear to respond to sounds differently,” said Dr Blake Chapman, of Australia Geographic. “Sharks are among the world’s most misunderstood animals. It’s important for people to learn that sharks are worthy of respect and protection.” The event will be taking place in the Indian Ocean off Port Lincoln in South Australia costs $50 and proceeds will be going to charity. Not ones to disappoint, KISS will be in full makeup and costumes for the performance, which will be at least four songs.

Music

The band Queen are now richer than Queen Elizabeth due to Bohemian Rhapsody success

The rock band known as Queen are very happy with the worldwide success of the film Bohemian Rhapsody, despite the film being panned by critics when it was released last year. The remaining members of the group, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon are now worth a combined $815 million (AUD). This means that when combined they have a higher net worth than the Queen, who is believed to be valued at $678 million. Despite the film seeing Rami Malek winning a Best Actor Oscar and a BAFTA for his portrayal as Freddie Mercury as well as the film winning best film at the Golden Globes, critics weren’t a fan of the film. Many reviewers left comments saying, “Freddie Mercury biopic bites the dust” and, “This karaoke-style paean is all style and no soul”. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtQh4ZBH4_W/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtQh4ZBH4_W/" target="_blank">Freddie & Rami side-by-side for the Live Aid scene in #BohemianRhapsody ✨</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/officialqueenmusic/" target="_blank"> Queen</a> (@officialqueenmusic) on Jan 30, 2019 at 4:13am PST </div> </blockquote> The remaining members of the band didn’t seem to mind as the film has made almost $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide despite costing $73 million to make. A film insider revealed to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6994685/Queen-band-richer-Queen-success-Bohemian-Rhapsody-film.html">The Daily Mail</a> that the band will be very well off due to the success of the film. “They will be massively in profit. Because Queen Films made the film, they are quite high up the waterfall of money that cascades down from the film. “This film was created and managed by Queen, which means they can protect their share. I would expect the studio to get around 50 per cent and the rest to go to the surviving Queen members and the Freddie Mercury estate.”

Music

5 things you didn’t know about the Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) have been around for 36 years and have created some amazing music in their time, including songs like Otherside and Under The Bridge. However, with a band that’s been around for so long, there’s bound to be some interesting facts. Here are the top five. 1. Their first album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik was recorded in Harry Houdini’s old haunted mansion This was detailed in the documentary Funky Monks, where producer Rick Rubin explained that members of the band had found it to be creepy. Rubin has since made the mansion into his home studio, but this is where the RHCP made their first album. Anthony Kiedis, Flea and John Frusciante stayed in the house while recording, whereas drummer Chad Smith found it too creepy. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuPfvTFHq0L/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuPfvTFHq0L/" target="_blank">let me stand next to your 🔥</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/chilipeppers/" target="_blank"> Red Hot Chili Peppers</a> (@chilipeppers) on Feb 23, 2019 at 3:06pm PST </div> </blockquote> 2. They’ve had seven guitarists during the band’s existence The guitarists in the RHCP changed like the weather. The list of guitarists is as follows: <ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Hillel Slovak: 1983, 1984 – 1988</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Jack Sherman: 1983 – 1984</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Arik Marshall: 1992 – 1993</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Dave Navarro: 1993 – 1998</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Jesse Tobias: 1993</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">John Frusciante: 1988 – 1992, 1998 – 2009</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Josh Klinghoffer: 2009 – present</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Jesse Tobias: 1993 </li> </ul> </ul> 3. Seven out of the RHCP’s eleven albums are certified platinum. For an album to go platinum, this means that they have to have sold at least one million copies. Out of the seven that are platinum, six are certified multi-platinum. The awards don’t stop there. The RHCP have also won six Grammy awards with a further sixteen nominations. 4. Flea, the band’s bassist, has a surprisingly normal name Flea’s real name is Michael Balzary, and he was born in Australia. He met Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons in Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, which is where the band was born. 5. There are only two original members left in the RHCP Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose in 1988 and was found in his Hollywood home. Their drummer, Jack Irons, left soon after because he “didn’t want to be a part of something where my friends are dying.” The only two members of the RHCP that have been with the band since the beginning are Anthony Kiedis, on vocals, and Michael “Flea” Balzary, who’s the bassist.

Music

Ozzy Osbourne pens emotional tribute after passing of bandmate

Veteran hard rock guitarist Bernie Tormé has died at the age of 66 after suffering “pots-flu complications.” The Irish musician passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 17, a statement from the family has said. “He had been on life support for the past four weeks at a London hospital following post-flu complications. “Bernie will be remembered for dedicating his life to his music for five decades. He will be sorely missed.” Tormé played with Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple singer Ian Gillian as well as his own solo bands. The sudden death comes a little more than a month since the guitarist was admitted to hospital following a virulent pneumonia in both lungs. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824914/bernie-torme-1990.jpg" alt="Bernie Torme, 1990" data-udi="umb://media/2c570e626cd343bb9bfe1698e6f6a231" /> Bernie Torme, 1990. Tormé worked for many years with Gillian and on his own solo projects, although he is most known for his brief stint in Osbourne’s band in 1982 immediately after Randy Rhoads died in a tragic plane crash. The musician completed a tour in support of the Shadowland album, The Final Fling in December before being admitted to hospital. Osbourne took to social media to publicly mourn the life of the former guitarist. “What a sad day. We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed,” he tweeted this morning. “I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> What a sad day. We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie. <a href="https://t.co/Nx1bCiYbkO">pic.twitter.com/Nx1bCiYbkO</a> — Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/OzzyOsbourne/status/1107678965827665922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote> His latest studio album Shadowland was released in November of last year, although his family posted to social media claiming late payments are due to the artist. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Bernie remains in intensive care and asked for the following statement to be released: “PledgeMusic owe Bernie Torme almost £16,000 which was due last December on completion of his recent ‘Shadowland’ Pledgemusic campaign." — Bernie Tormé (@Bernie_Torme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bernie_Torme/status/1096464431071023105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2019</a></blockquote> “PledgeMusic owe Bernie Tormé almost £16,000 which was due last December on completion of his recent ‘Shadowland’ Pledgemusic campaign,” the statement read. Another tweet from Tormé’s account read: “Bernie has paid for all recordings, merchandise, CDs and all postage costs to honour his fans' pledges out of his own pocket. “He has as yet been unable to pay his musicians, drummer Mik Gaffney and bass player Simon Morton for their work on the album.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Bernie has paid for all recordings, merchandise, CDs and all postage costs to honour his fans' pledges out of his own pocket. He has as yet been unable to pay his musicians, drummer Mik Gaffney and bass player Simon Morton for their work on the album. — Bernie Tormé (@Bernie_Torme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bernie_Torme/status/1096464965043740672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2019</a></blockquote> Sharon Osbourne also took to social media to share her condolences. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> I cannot believe that Bernie Torme has passed. Bernie helped out Ozzy and I at a time of great need and we will never ever forget that. Love and condolences to his family. — Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsSOsbourne/status/1107679701957373952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote> “I cannot believe that Bernie Tormé has passed. Bernie helped out Ozzy and I at a time of great need and we will never ever forget that,” she wrote. “Love and condolences to his family.”

Music

The surprising stories behind iconic band names

Once a band makes it to the airwaves, we rarely think to wonder about the origins of its name, but the stories are often fun, fascinating, or downright weird. Let’s take a look at some iconic band names, and how they came to be. 1. The Human League Originally named “The Future”, this late-70s-formed band decided a rebranding was necessary once lead singer Philip Oakley came aboard. Keyboardist Martyn Ware suggested “The Human League”, taking inspiration from a science fiction board game called Starforce Alpha Centauri. 2. Chubby Checker While not a band, Ernest Evans (aka Chubby Checker) took on his stage name after being inspired by Fats Domino. Already called “Chubby” by his friends, Evans added some tasty alliteration with “Checker” for a name that rolls off the tongue. 3. The Velvet Underground This band was shown Michael Leigh’s book about the 1960s’ secret sexual subculture, and loved the name so much that they borrowed it for themselves. 4. The Killers Easily one of the most iconic bands of the 21st century, the Killers took their name from another group’s music video. New Order’s 2001 single, “Crystal”, featured a fake band named, you guessed it, “The Killers”. 5. Lynyrd Skynyrd The Freebird rockers took their name from their high school PE teacher, Leonard Skinner, who didn’t approve of boys who had long hair. Skinner had a good relationship with the band, however, once introducing them at a concert, and allowing them to use a picture of a sign for his real estate business inside their third album. 6. Simple Minds The Scottish group initially had a false start as Johnny and the Self-Abusers, but after a lone single was released, the group broke apart, and reformed with new members to become Simple Minds. The name was taken from iconic David Bowie song, “Jean Genie” (“So simple minded he can’t drive his module”). 7. Coldplay Apparently, a friend of lead singer Chris Martin’s told him that his own band didn’t want the name “Coldplay” anymore. Upon hearing this, the band now formerly known as Starfish (and Pectoralz prior to that) seized upon the name. The original Coldplay is reported to have taken the name from a children’s anthology of poems entitled Child’s Reflections: Cold Play. 8. Pink Floyd Band member Syd Barrett took the names of two blues musicians (Pink Anderson and Floyd Council), and smooshed them together to create one of rock’s most iconic monikers. What’s your favourite weird band name? Let us know in the comments!

Music

Why so many old bands are making a comeback

David Beer is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of York. His research focuses on pop culture and new media. The announcement that 1980s pop trio <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39691240" target="_blank">Bananarama are to reform</a> is the just the latest in a long line of recent comebacks. From Boyzone to Wet Wet Wet, Take That to Jamiroquai, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Stone Roses, The Verve, Sleeper, These Animal Men, Northern Uproar, S Club 7, 5ive and Cast, musicians of old are intent on trying on their faded stardom for size. Even Menswe@r tried it, albeit with only one original member. The news that <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/music/elastica-reunite-return-studio-1956368" target="_blank">Elastica were reuniting</a>, however, disappointingly turned out to be premature. Comebacks seem to be everywhere. They are not limited to a particular genre, but they do often seem to be bound to a particular era. The success levels might vary somewhat, but we seem to be living in a cultural moment that is defined by the comeback. Of course, there have been plenty of comebacks before, but right now they’re close to being ubiquitous. It’s tricky to know exactly what is happening here. Music cultures have always had one foot in the past. Classic songs, signature sounds, attachments to older formats like vinyl, intertextual reference points, remastered and reissued albums and the like, have long been a central part of how music is made and consumed. But the comeback is a more material and pronounced version of these tendencies. The comeback represents a more obvious and direct impulse to revisit. Why come back? Nostalgia undoubtedly plays a part. Inevitably bands who return for a second innings are driven by a desire to revisit particular moments or to experience again music from more youthful times. The myths and memories are likely to mix together a little here. Some suggest that the prominence of the comeback is further evidence of <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/is-pop-music-evolving-or-is-it-just-getting-louder/" target="_blank">culture stalling</a>; that we have reached something of a <a href="http://thetornadotimes.com/opinion/todays-music-lacks-authenticity-and-creativity-s/" target="_blank">creative dead end</a> and therefore can only <a href="http://ppcorn.com/us/2016/01/02/the-demise-of-creativity-in-the-music-industry/" target="_blank">look backwards</a>. The point here, mistakenly, would be to think that an absence of creativity has left a void that the comeback fills. A slightly more positive take on this is that we have seen the emergence, over the last ten years or so, of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/back-on-record-the-reasons-behind-vinyls-unlikely-comeback-39964" target="_blank">new kind of retro culture</a> which looks to the past for its resources and which uses pastiche to enliven culture today. Simon Reynolds has called this mythical revisiting of music’s archives “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/29/retromania-simon-reynolds-review" target="_blank">retromania</a>”. This may play a part, but I’d suggest that we need look beyond explanations bedded in the music industry if we are to understand the rise of the comeback. We can gain a richer understanding of these comebacks by thinking about how music scenes are deeply rooted in our identities – and about the important role that music takes in shaping how <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1749975508091034" target="_blank">we connect with the social world</a>. A sociological view <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038506062030" target="_blank">Research has shown</a> that music fans continue to have an attachment to the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=1ZSG7ApWrvwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&ots=drtHkps3-_&sig=qzfIlAlBtAggseDdiRUz_6Vl5wo#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">music of their youth</a> as they move into later life. They might listen to other things and change their style of dress, but the <a href="http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7700/" target="_blank">music remains embedded in their identities</a>. We have a strong connection with the music that forms a central part of our own biographies. Elsewhere it has been found that music plays an important role in how we handle our emotional lives. A classic study by the sociologist <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/sociology/sociology-general-interest/music-everyday-life?format=PB&isbn=9780521627320" target="_blank">Tia DeNora</a> found that we use music in our everyday lives to influence and stimulate our emotions and feelings, to negotiate our moods or to help us to recall or revisit memories and times. This shows that people are likely to seek out opportunities to engage with that musical past both in terms of reaffirming their identities but also because of the emotions and memories that the music embodies for them. So we need not see these comebacks as a sign of cultural failure. This comeback music will have been central to how generations of people have negotiated their lives, so having a chance to experience it in the live arena is likely to be appealing. Music scenes, are, after all, moments when our personal biographies mix with broader social changes and cultural movements. The comeback is hard to explain because those explanations are likely to be based upon a kind of inbuilt nostalgia. When we compare music’s past with its present we are also comparing different moments in our own lives . It is hard to understand changing music cultures when we are basing this understanding on our own changing biographies. Bananas about Bananarama Yet Bananarama’s comeback is undoubtedly part of a cultural movement, a comeback culture that is far greater than before. Like vintage and retro clothing, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/back-on-record-the-reasons-behind-vinyls-unlikely-comeback-39964" target="_blank">resurgence of vinyl</a>, retro arcade video gaming, the trend for revisiting and remaking classic films and TV shows (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493405/" target="_blank">CHIPS</a> being the most recent), and “<a href="https://theconversation.com/keep-calm-and-carry-on-conquered-the-world-but-it-was-too-mundane-for-world-war-ii-28519" target="_blank">Keep calm and carry on</a>” style memorabilia, the comeback trend illustrates how complex relations are between yesterday and today. The comeback is, above all else, fuelled by a desire to access and experience the cultural moments that defined our lives and identities, not the collapse of cultural creativity. It is rooted in the attachments that people form as they live with music and as they recall those times and experiences. And so the political and social uncertainty that has defined recent years might well provide the backdrop for the comeback to thrive. It is much more likely that people are seeking assurance and security by turning back to the songs that provide an anchor for their identities or which enable them to negotiate the emotional impact of a seemingly uncertain social world, than that they feel alienated or disappointed by the music of today. Written by David Beer. First appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-become-more-forgetful-with-age-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-70102" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.<img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/76810/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/>

Music

Singers band together for Bee Gees special

International singers joined together with sole surviving Bee Gees member Barry Gibb for a Bee Gees special on CBS. The Stayin’ Alive special was taped in LA and was a Grammy salute that celebrated the legacy of the band in the form of a disco celebration. The Bee Gees who formed in 1958 won 15 Grammy awards and sold more than 220 million records worldwide before the deaths of Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012. The special which was taped on February 14 fell on the 50th anniversary of the Brothers Gibb. <img width="498" height="345" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35508/bee-gees_498x345.jpg" alt="Bee Gees (1)"/> The special also marked the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever which starred John Travolta but featured the Bee Gees on the soundtrack. “Something happens to me when I put on a white jacket trimmed with black,” Travolta said onstage. “I just have this involuntary urge to do this [doing Tony Manero's signature pointing move].” Celine Dion, whose husband Rene Angelil passed away last year, sang an emotional rendition of Immortality. <img width="499" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35506/celine_499x330.jpg" alt="Celine"/> Celine. who stunned in a navy-blue Elie Saab gown, came into the audience to serenade Barry who was sitting in the front row. Music icons Stevie Wonder and John Legend performed together How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. Musicians who also appeared in the tribute include Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran, Tori Kelly and Kelsea Ballerini. Demi Lovato also appeared on the special to participate in the opening medley and her cover of If I Can’t Have You. On February 12 some of these singers appeared in a shorter tribute to the Bee Gees during the Grammy Awards. Image credit: CBS via Twitter

Music

Grandmother treated to mariachi band for 85th birthday

Last week it was Josie Reza’s birthday. To celebrate, her family booked a mariachi band to play for her. The music choice was an especially significant one, as Josie use to enjoy listening to the Mexican folk music with her late husband. In fact, it was the last thing they had all done together as a family just before he passed away. Josie’s 85th birthday was the first time she had listened to mariachi music since, and she clutched a framed photograph of her husband throughout their performance. In one photo, she is starring at his picture as she listens to the music. Josie’s granddaughter, Alicia, told Buzzfeed “She misses him very much every day… we all miss him… It was a bittersweet moment”. Alicia added that it was one Josie and her family would remember forever. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/08/how-i-feel-about-becoming-a-senior-citizen/">How I feel about becoming a “senior citizen”</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/07/is-happiness-really-what-we-are-after-in-retirement/">Is happiness really what we’re after in retirement?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/07/my-simple-secret-for-a-happy-retirement/">My simple secret for a happy retirement</a>

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News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Am I ever gonna see your face again? Nuanced and thoughtful, Kickin’ Down the Door puts The Angels back in the spotlight

If you want your child to be more resilient, get them to join a choir, orchestra or band

Fleetwood Mac member loses his battle to cancer

‘A gentleman with the mad soul of an Irish convict poet’: remembering Chris Bailey, and the blazing comet that was The Saints

Legendary band hits back after PM’s ukulele session

‘The Beatles: Get Back’ glosses over the band’s acrimonious end

INXS guitarist Tim Farriss sues over severed finger incident

The now grown up baby from Nirvana's album cover is suing the band

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KISS surprise fans and cancel Australian tour days before it was meant to begin

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The band Queen are now richer than Queen Elizabeth due to Bohemian Rhapsody success

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Why so many old bands are making a comeback

Singers band together for Bee Gees special

Grandmother treated to mariachi band for 85th birthday

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