WE TOTE + WE VOTE : DON'T KILL LIVE MUSIC

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Patrick Donovan's article on page one of today's THE AGE begins :

CENTRAL Melbourne came to a standstill yesterday as more than 10,000 musicians and music fans hit the streets in support of the city's live music scene.

In one of the biggest public gatherings over an arts issue, the crowd sent a loud message to the state government about the liquor licensing regulations that have resulted in the closure of venues and forced others to turn off live music. ...

Photo by Joe Armao
Read the article here

MELBOURNE⪥BRISBANE: punk, art and after

In a fine bit of coincidence, a new exhibition MELBOURNE ⪥ BRISBANE: punk, art and after by guest curator David Pestorius opens today at the Ian Potter Museum of Art at Melbourne University.

Read about it
here : David Pestorius Projects
here : Dive for your memory, Karl Quinn, THE AGE

There are some connections between yesterday's march and this exhibition. Primitive Calculators (below) performed last year, for the first time in 29 years, at The Tote. It was the closure of this legendary Collingwood venue, as a consequence of sledge hammer government legislation, that triggered yesterday's mass action.

In the late 70s and early 80s Primitive Calculators were an important part of Melbourne's diverse energetic music scene. They were one of the core groups (along with Whirlywirld and Use No Hooks) out of which and around which The Little Bands formed.

Alan Bamford presented a music program at 3RRR back then. During the week he would record gigs, at venues similar to The Tote, then play them to his radio audience within the week.

Here's Alan at The Tote in 2009 with a copy of the Primitive Calculators album he recorded in 1979 at Hearts, North Carlton, when they were supporting The Boys Next Door.

For this exhibition, he has remastered the Little Bands tapes and produced a compilation. Also, gathered together an archive of things from that time.

There were connections galore between the musicians and visual artists. Here's one between Nick Cave and Jenny Watson.

Performance by The Boys Next Door with Jenny Watson’s
"An original oil painting (black & white) (For Nick Cave)"
at the Crystal Ballroom, Melbourne', 1979
photograph courtesy John Nixon

detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...

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