Video: Motorhead’s ‘Jesus’ Lands His Own Biopic

“F*ck Keith Richards, f*ck all those dudes that survived the ’60s, flying around on Lear jets,” argues Foo Fighters’ front man Dave Grohl in the trailer for Lemmy: The Movie. “You know what’s Lemmy’s doing? Lemmy’s probably drinking Jack and Cokes and writing another record.”

Now, who can argue with that? Well, some probably could, but they’d have a hell of the time convincing anyone with a sense of music history that Grohl is out of his mind.

Long before he landed a gig as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, got kicked out of Hawkwind and launched the foundational outfit Motorhead, Lemmy Kilmister was born to rock and rock hard. Which is what Motorhead has done since 1975, influencing Grohl’s Fighters, Slayer, Metallica and many, many more. Which is another way of saying that Lemmy is overdue for a rockumentary. As one fan in the trailer argues, “He’s f*ckin’ Jesus Christ!”

Lemmy: The Movie lands not like a Lear jet but a B-52 bomber on the eyes and ears of fans, doubters and sonic dilettantes. Having recently entered his 60s, Lemmy’s feted by a big-name cast: Grohl is joined by metal stars like Alice Cooper, Slash, and Ozzy, as well as punk and pop pioneers like The Clash’s Mick Jones and New Order’s Peter Hook.

View the clip

The Melbourne Stencil Festival has started!

This year the festival will also present several satellite events at various venues. Check out:

- “Spray The Word” at J-Studio’s Library Gallery at 100 Barkly St, North Fitzroy (last year’s festival venue). Until 16th August.

- “The Power of Color” – live spraying of San Francisco-based aerosol artist ChorBoogie at Federation Square. The Amphitheatre, Flinders St on Saturday, 2 August from 2 pm.

Go to www.stencilfest.com to find out more

Artist Feature – Ralf Kempken
Let’s bring it home this week and learn a little about our own Ralf Kempken. For years, Ralf Kempken has mastered the art of producing paintings with multi-layer stencils and aerosols. “My approach to the stencil is primarily that of a printmaker”, say Kempken. “I produce multiples that are always similar but by nature of the medium, never the same. The stencil is a method of reproduction that sits across the disciplines of photography, painting and printmaking.”

Although he is not a street artist Ralf’s brilliant works have been exhibited at the Melbourne Stencil Festival in 2006 and 2007. In the up-coming 2008 Melbourne Stencil Festival Ralf has been selected as one of the main featured artists in the Five Continents – Six Artists  showcase, representing the Australia-Pacific region.

The history of stencil art
For centuries stencils have were used in home decoration, fashion, ceramics and many other decorative arts. Stencils can been found on the walls of English mansions, like the Treasurer’s House in York and on my Chinese dinner bowls.
As a decorative art technique stencils have been largely ignored by high art but that has changed. Like other decorative art techniques, silk screens and fabric work, stencils are now a contemporary art technique. Art has moved out of the gallery and on to the street.

Debate over new anti-graffiti laws in Victoria:
The new laws are based on the premise that “illegal graffiti is a serious problem” and not a minor nuisance. The new laws are draconian. They reverse the onus of proof, requiring the person charged to prove that they had a legal reason to poses spray cans. Harsh anti-graffiti in Europe and America haven’t stopped graffiti but it has decreased the quality of the street art where it has been enforced. Instead of large multi-coloured pieces ‘throw ups’ in one or two colours are common. Confusing illegal graffiti will all types of vandalism the Victorian Department of Justice cites an ABS 2005 survey on crime where vandalism was identified as ‘a problem’ by 26% of households. However, according to the same ABS 2005 survey 33% people believed that house break-in was a problem. And 30% of respondents believed that there was “no problems in their neighbourhood.” The cost of graffiti removal is another point frequently argued. This is a weak argument as graffiti laws and policy, unlike many other crimes, determines the cost of graffiti removal.

A Reminder
•    The Festival will be held at the Yarra Sculpture Gallery warehouse at 117 Vere Street, off Hoddle St, near the Collingwood Town Hall, Melbourne
•    The Festival will run from 1 – 10 August.

Mu-mesons August Program Picks

Friday 1st August
Nomi Song
Cult figure on the new wave scene during the 80’s Klaus Nomi managed to perfectly marry disparate worlds such as rock, pop, opera, and performance art. He lit-up the underground with his bizarre and freakish appearance, and had a penchant for twisting his counter tenor vocals around a hook-laden pop song. Director Andrew Horn draws on a mixture of vintage footage and celebrity testimonials to flesh out Nomi’s tale, offering a moving portrait of an artist who strived for originality, and was cruelly plucked from the world just as his dreams of bursting into the mainstream looked set to be fulfilled. Mu-Meson Archives Doors 7.30 for 8pm start $10 with supper.

Sunday 17th August
Miss Deaths Knitting Group
Do you want to learn how to knit, crochet and any other craft? Or you just want to come along for a social? For the new ladies who are coming for the first time bring a friend. Boys are welcome as long as they do a craft or something useful. Mu-Meson Archives 4pm with a plate.

Mu-Meson Archives at Crn Parramatta Rd & Trafalgar St Annandale, Sydney NSW at the end of King Furniture building up the steel staircase. Phone 02 9517-2010

For More extensive and detailed information please visit Mu-Meson Archives web site http://www.mumeson.org

Out There Radio: Nikola Tesla vs. Zombie Cockroaches

I haven’t listened to a lot of Out There radio before but seeing as the catchy title kind of had a resonance with my current Zombie theme… I thought I’d give it a whirl. Interesting podcast but you have to be patient and get past the hokey kind of overly long intro…which is befitting of college radio (yes I’ve done my time too). But it;s fun – worth listening to – and maybe even putting in your fav files. It’s Athens, Georgia y’all!!

Alien Communications, Death Rays and Free Energy for all! In this episode of Out There Radio we exposes the futuristic vision of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors of the 20th century. We’ll also talk about DARPA insect cyborgs and the ATF’s crackdown on ninjas and our civil liberties.

Podcast…

Graphic – State of Design

Mu-Meson film highlights – July

The Start of World Youth Day runs for a week and so in conjunction Mu-Meson’s will be screening an array of Christian related films maybe heretical maybe blasphemous but what else would you expect from Jay Katz and Miss Death — for those who attend the Tue to Fri screenings pay for 3 get one free but you must attend from Tuesday.

Monday 14th July
God Told Me Too (1977)
A Catholic police detective (Tony Lo Bianco) searches New York City’s occult underworld for answers to a series of bizarre and seemingly unrelated killings. In a strange twist, it’s not the murderers themselves he’s after — they didn’t even try to elude the law, and all are in custody. However, each had only four words to say when confessing: “God told me to.” Comedian Andy Kaufman appears in a small role as a police officer who begins shooting in the middle of New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. 16mm Annandale Hotel 7.30 Donation

Tuesday 15th July
Para(noid) Politics in the Archives
Gods Banker
An investigation of the conspiracy surrounding the Vatican. Was P2 a Masonic take over of the church? Has the Vatican Bank laundered Mafia Money? Which Popes are suspected of being murdered? What about Ratzinger’s Nazi past and his recent campaign to create more exorcists than any other Pope in the history of the Vatican. All will be revealed. Mu-Meson Archives Doors 7.30 for 8pm start $10 with supper.

Wednesday 16th July
Margenalised Movies
If the Footmen Tire you what will the Horses do (1971) Christian propaganda delivered here in it’s most bizarre form. Exploitation filmmaker Ron Ormond together with evangelist Estus W. Pirkle did a handful of movies to be shown to church-goers in the darkest areas of Tennessee. The plot of ‘If Footmen Tire You…’ is apparently America is doomed if the people don’t turn to God and Jesus again and ask for salvation for their wicked ways of living! Those unspeakable things as TV, dancing, music, drugs, cartoons, novels and drive-ins! And how is all this going to come about well God will forsake the people and the evil Cuban communists will be able to invade America. Burning Hell (1974) The Southern-accented Moses with the fake beard (“Y’all let mah people go”) – the idiot teen bouncing around on the seat of his motorcycle before crashing it and plunging into HAYull – and the silly Satan whose face was painted like the Partridge Family’s bus – you can only say that with the amateur histrionics and Ormond’s inept-as-ever direction, those who view this film may well enter heaven, for they’ve already been through “The Burning Hell.” Mu-Meson Archives Doors 7.30 for 8pm start $10 with supper.

Thursday 17th July
Christian Propaganda
It’s Film-Nite again! Those old-time Church Films you can’t resist!
Educational, inspiring,…sometimes wacky great fun for everyone! but to kick off the night we have a special live performance. Fat Fat Ho is Australia’s #1 ‘chippie’. That is, a Chinese hippie. His mission is to spread peace, love and understanding throughout the entire known universe. Please do not make fun of the way he speaks. (World Premmy-Bloody-Air).Its going to probably be a very un-pc evening, how mu-mesonarchives of us.
Mu-Meson Archives Doors 7.30 for 8pm start $10 with supper.

Friday 18th July
Demonia (1990)
Professor Malcolm Evans leads his archaeological expedition into the Valley of Temples in southeast Sicily. His companion and former student, Liza Harris, is looking forward to her very first dig. But Liza feels a strange sympathy with the valley and her recurring nightmares seems strongly tied to the nearby ruins. She is drawn to the remains of a 16th Century convent and its grisly legend of Satan worshiping nuns and crucifixion. Directed by Lucio Fulci. Mu-Meson Archives Doors 7.30 for 8pm start $10 with supper.

Saturday 26th July
Sounds of Seduction Saints & Sinners
Get out your habit, robes, and crucifix and get down to Hermann’s Bar to exorcise the after taste of World Youth Day on the dance floor. You will be able to dance to the rarest grooves with the original crew Jay Katz, Miss Death, guest DJ’s and of course Go-Go action. Put on your dancing sandals and get on down for a Go-Go frenzy. Hermann’s Bar Crn City Road and Butlins Ave, Sydney UniMu-Meson Archives at Crn Parramatta Rd & Trafalgar St Annandale, Sydney (NSW) at the end of King Furniture building up the steel staircase. Phone 02 9517-2010Annandale Hotel at 17 Parramatta Rd Annandale, Sydney (NSW). Ph 02 9550-1078

Hermann’s Bar Crn City Road and Butlins Ave, opposite main gate Sydney University, Wentworth Building, Sydney

For More extensive and detailed information please visit Mu-Meson Archives web site http://www.mumeson.org

Concrete Culture

SquatSpace has been invited to be part of an exhibition at the Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney. This is the gallery where it all started, back 3 years ago, when for the curated show Disobedience SquatSpace organized the first two Redfern/ Waterloo Tours of Beauty. As part of the current show, Concrete Culture, yet another Tour will be offered.

CONCRETE CULTURE
Asian and Australian projects at the intersections of art and architecture, private and public spaces Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan(Philippines/Australia), Ou Ning (China), SquatSpace (Australia), Richard Goodwin (Australia), Ashok ukumaran (India)

Curator: Felicity Fenner
Exhibition: 29 May–5 July 2008* 
Forum: Monday, 23 June 2008, 9.20am–5.45pm
Extra/Ordinary Cities: The Cultural Dynamics of Urban Intervention

Convened by the Centre for Contemporary Art & Politics, UNSW and the Biennale of Sydney with Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in connection with a Linkage Project funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC)

Bookings: www.bos2008.com/app/biennale/event/8

Tour of Beauty: Sunday, 22 June 2008, 1pm-5pm
There are some *strictly limited* places on the Tour of Beauty bus – please book immediately.
Bookings – email info@squatspace.com.

Meet at ID Gallery, Selwyn St, Paddington, NSW
Load into our special tour bus (book in advance), or arrive on your bicycle(no booking required).

COST:
We don’t like to charge for the tour, but we would request a donation of $5 or $10 depending on your means, to help cover the cost of the bus, fuel and driver. If you can’t afford it, come along anyway as our guest!

Microbubble shower to replace dog shampoo

Many dog owners worry about whether dog shampoo is safe for their animals. Now there is an alternative from IDEC, which has modified an industrial wastewater machine into a dog washing device. The unit creates a wave of ion-saturated microbubbles which are gentle to the skin but remove dirt and grease clinging to the animal hair. At JPY600,000-JPY700,000, the new washers are expensive and are targeted at pet stores, but we think it won’t be long before home versions become available.
(Source: TT commentary from nikkei.co.jp, Jun 12, 2008)

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20080611D11JSN07.htm

‘Don’t Shop’ Zine exhibition

The Don’t Look 2203 Collective presents ‘Don’t Shop’.

This exhibition will showcase some of the great ZINES that are being made by individuals and collectives around Sydney (for the uninitiated, Wikipedia describes a zine as “a small circulation, non-commercial publication of original or appropriated texts and images”. They are generally fiercely independent and an antidote to the mind-numbing mass media).

More than that though, these zines will come alive spreading into the gallery via graph art, video projections, sound and other mediums. Come and have a look at the exhibition and take away a zine in the process (some are *free* while most just charge to recover printing costs).

WHO: Zine artists and the Don’t Look 2203 Collective
WHEN: Opening:  June 6-21, 2008
WHERE:  Don’t Look 2203, 419 New Canterbury Rd, Dulwich Hill, Sydney
(a block back from the corner of New Canterbury Rd and Marrickville Rd)
CONTACT: Phone: Matt on 0404 654 757, Email: dontlookgallery@gmail.com
ENTRY: Gold coin donation to assist with costs

Poultrygeist rips a new orifice for the film industry

A bold satirical comment on the chemical-industrial food complex, Poultrygeist forces us to ask why – in the 118-year history of cinema – have we never been shown this before?

Poultrygeist: Kate Graham and Jason Yachanin as Wendy and Arbie Troma – the production company that brought you the low budget schlock-horror classics The Toxic Avenger and Surf Nazis Must Die <>- has ruffled feathers in the gorehound community with its latest release Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead <>, a moving tale about a fast food restaurant built on a native American burial ground that inevitably results in a disco-dancing chicken/human hybrid zombie apocalypse.

(Transvestism-obsessed director Lloyd Kaufman says it’s a “fromage” to the film The Happiness of the Katakuris <> directed by Takashi Miike.)

Poultrygeist isn’t subtle. In one scene a rectum is ripped out and tossed on a sizzling griddle.

“McDonald’s moved into the neighborhood next door and put their garbage in front of the Troma building,” director Lloyd Kaufman told the Arizona Star. “[Now] there are rats the size of raccoons in the basement.”

In short Poultrygeist – described by Variety as “a veritable Cluckwork Orange” – is the movie Fast Food Nation could have been if it hadn’t sucked.

More…