RIP Rowland S Howard Loses Battle With Cancer

The news of Rowland S. Howard’s death at age 50, comes as quite a shock. I personally knew members of the Birthday Party having lived with Phil Calvert (then drummer of the Birthday Party) in the 80s in London. All the guys, at that time, Nick Cave, Tracy Pew, Rowland S. Howard, Mick Harvey and Phil Calvert were quirky and nice, if not, drug fucked and brilliant.!

It is true I hadn’t seen Rowland in many years, but was considering going to the Northcote Social Club to see a performance in line with the release of his latest album Pop Crimes. A mighty effort by all accounts and Rowland’s much anticipated musical venture after a ten year wait.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine this month, Howard admitted that he had liver cancer, and was awaiting a transplant. He told the magazine, “If you’re trying to write about the human condition there is only so many things you can choose from. Being told that you’ve only got a couple of years to live without a transplant is a pretty frightening experience and certainly changes the way you feel about your life, [it] makes things so much closer.”

This except about Rowland S. Howard’s death this morn comes from Mess and Noise

Excerpt: Australia’s music scene has lost a true icon with the reported passing of Rowland S Howard today (December 30). While no official statement has been made by management, close friends of the guitarist have confirmed reports that he lost his ongoing battle with liver cancer at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital this morning.

Howard, 50, was a former member of the Young Charlatans, The Boys Next Door (who later morphed into The Birthday Party) and These Immortal Souls. He penned the underground hit ‘Shivers’ for The Boys Next Door and memorably dueted with Lydia Lunch on Lee Hazlewood’s ‘Some Velvet Morning’.

GG note:  At least Rowland you can catch up with Tracy and have a snort! Much respect, you will be missed. rosiex

Youtube video of Shivers

World War Whale download and godinpants plankton juice

In a future much like the present, the Earth is host to a variety of Cetaceans within its seas. These giant fleshy beasts of the deep have long been sought after sources of riches, providing enough oil to lubricate a robot army for weeks, and enough pre-digested plankton to fill a million sea monkey tanks.

It is in this future we find godinpants, documenting the great downfall of mankind against its Cetacean foes.

You gotta love this! x

More more more from 8bitcollective. And yes apart from being a very fanciful story of whales-at-war it’s also a Free download of ‘World War Whale’ – new release from experimental / chiptune artist

Twitter name @godinpants

Have Zombie Go Go action with Mu-Mesons for New Years Eve – Sydney party

Thursday 31st December
Sounds of Seduction
Celebrity Zombies

Well into the 21st Century and especially in 2009 our notion of celebrity has become unstuck. When they are worth more dead and the living ones are acting like the undead its time for the Sounds of Seduction to embrace this theme and to douse our audience with fame. Come and do the moon walk in the grave yard with Mu-Mesons on New years eve as we turn the Annandale into a Dawn of the Dead shopping mall of the Stars. With Zombie Go Go action and zombie visuals all night long. Prizes for the best dressed. Knock yourself out.

Annandale Hotel – 9.00pm to 3.00am $20+BF pre sale (02) 9550-1078 $25 @ the Door

Annandale Hotel at 17 Parramatta Rd Annandale, Sydney, Australia.  Ph (02) 9550-1078

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year from #geekgirl. Smooches and pooches to ALL!

Merry Xmas from us – Monkey, Alex and RosieX to you all.!!

I am very blessed to have my wonderful family, who I adore so much. I look forward to doing something different with my site in 2010. Who said you can’t teach an ol’ dog new tricks

May your turkeys be synthetic and your gizzards warm and fuzzy!xxx

ABC wants your mashups for Q&A

CALL FOR 1 MINUTE VIDEOS TO SHOW ON THE ABC

Q&A is looking for 30-second to 1 minute mash-ups, political, satirical and humorous videos, to end each show. This is a great opportunity for filmmakers to get their work on national television.

Deadline: Ongoing

More info can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/mashups.htm

#Melbourne Laneway Commissions for 2010

CALL FOR PUBLIC ART SUBMISSIONS

The City of Melbourne continues its successful annual Laneway Commissions. They are seeking innovative proposals from artists or group of artists which respond to Melbourne’s distinct urban setting.

Deadline: 22 January, 2010

Artists must obtain a project brief.

Diturbing pics of snowman, wow this is shockin’!

If you’re building a snowman, you’re going to need the essentials: a carrot, a scarf, a bucket of blood. While the last one may seem unusual to most, it’s a key component to the sculptors of these disturbing snowmen. Well, that and a twisted mind.

From the (sic) minds of Huffington Post (more pics).

Miss Cellania looks at 8 Truly Strange Christmas Customs

The holiday called Christmas is an amalgam of many winter holidays from around the world. The name is designated as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, although the date is not recorded in the Bible, and people at that time did not place particular important on birth dates. Scientists say the actual date was June 17th, 2BC because of the appearance of the star that beckoned the Magi. December 25th was set as the date for Christmas in the 4th century by Pope Julius I as an attempt to Christianize midwinter pagan holidays such as Solstice and Saturnalia. Customs such as bringing evergreens inside, eating fat-laden foods, and hanging lights are universal responses to the cold, dark winter season. Some of the stranger Christmas traditions are remnants of those older pagan holidays, and some have been changed over the centuries until their origins are hard to discern. Others were just made up to boost business!

1. Krampus

St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, or Santa Claus is the weirdest Christmas tradition ever, but he is so well known and so well documented that his origins are beyond the scope of this particular post. As a tool to encourage good behavior in children, Santa serves as the carrot, and Krampus is the stick. Krampus is the evil demon anti-Santa, or maybe his evil twin. Krampus Night is celebrated on December 5th, the eve of St. Nicholas Day in Austria and other parts of Europe. People dress as Krampus and roam the streets looking for someone to beat with a stick. Since it is also a night for drinking, the beatings probably don’t hurt much. (Image by Flickr user salendron.)

More from Miss Cellania

Psycho: 50th anniversary of this suspense masterpiece, film screaming with live score Syd Opera House Jan 5, 2010

Have you ever truly forgotten that shower scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho? The 50th anniversary of this suspense masterpiece will be celebrated at a special screening at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on January 5, 2010. Hitchcock’s Psycho as never before for one night only, as Bernard Herrmann’s score is performed live by the Sydney Lyric Orchestra.

Bernard Herrmann’s spine-tingling score will be brought to life when for the first time ever in Australia Psycho will be digitally projected onto the big screen in the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall accompanied by a specially assembled all-strings Sydney Lyric Orchestra.

Academy Award-winning composer Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975), collaborated with Hitchcock in 1960 to produce the soundscape- score for Psycho, which stands today as one of the most dramatic and effective examples of film & music coupling. The noted American composer, who worked on many of Hitchcock’s motion pictures including Vertigo, The Trouble With Harry and The Birds, is recognised for his keen awareness of the effect that music plays in film. There can be no better example of this than Psycho’s infamous shower scene – which Hitchcock had originally planned to leave unscored, but after hearing Herrmann’s composition agreed.

Unique among Hollywood films, the score of Psycho was written by Herrmann solely for string instruments, enabling him to achieve the brilliant sound the film is renowned for. With Concert Master, Adrian Keating – the Principal Violinist for the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra – ably leading the Orchestra, the live musical soundtrack will drive the drama of an engrossing story as never before! Psycho at the Opera House will be a feast for the senses. Conductor, Nic Buc, explains- “the sound of Bernard Herrmann’s music with its piercing strings underlying every jab of violence really is one-of-a-kind and well ahead of its era, and truly creates the excitement, tension and fear”.

Kick off the New Year with a scream and book your place in the shower scene!

VENUE: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
DATES: January 5th 2010 (Tuesday)
DURATION: 109 Minutes
BOOKINGS: P +61 2 9250 7777; E: bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
W: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/psycho_with_orchestra.aspx

Check out Mozo’s Vice Calculator and become Australia’s first vice president.

It’s on the search for Australia’s first “vice” president using the quirky Vice Calculator. The “vice” calculator shows how much you will spend on vices in your lifetime.

Here’s a chance to figure out your vices, either giggling heartedly or nervously at the results! Mozo is asking people to post their “vice score” and a campaign pledge on Facebook to win $5,000. Perhaps a great way to bring some levity to the excess of the silly season and fuel for a New Year resolution!

Check out the campaign landing page and maybe find out your vice score:

• http://mozo.com.au/vice-calculator