Barrelfest in Mexico!!!!!

This has got to be some of the most amazing tube footage I have ever seen!!!. It's incredible to see some of the body posturing that occurs when someone is styling in the tube. The movie takes a little too load, but grab a coffee, it's worth the wait.

Brian Conley's The Hurricane Hunter

Raygun the beach culture.

Getting the chance to go through some of the mags I've collected over the years is always a good thing, it also seems to justify (to others) the reason for me hoarding them for so long in the first place. Old issues of surfing, skate, snowboarding and music magazines are boxed up in so many places I cant keep count, fortunately some of my faves are in the bookshelf at home. So the other day while Kim was in a cooking frenzy, I chilled with a few old issues of Beach Culture and Raygun. Both mags are from the early to mid 90's with Beach Culture preceding Raygun. Unfortunately Beach Culture only lasted 6 issues. But after that David Carson, the art director, set up Raygun which ran for a fair few years. Below I've posted two of my favorite covers, I honestly think that you could put both these covers on a magazine now and they wouldn't look dated at all.

Art Express and Nasi Goreng.

Spent a couple of hours at the N.S.W gallery yesterday. One of my favorite yearly exhibitions, Art Express, is on at the moment. After fighting the crowds for an hour or so I came up with 3 favorites (below) that I kept coming back to. Though, if i had to pick an overall, it would have to be the Tracey Moffatt inspired photos and words of Emily Diana Sijabats.The photo of the deaf girl in front of the caravan is still with me....... After that we went to the permanent collection where Kim got to see a Brett Whitely she hadn't seen in the flesh before (The Balcony 2) and I got to see the Jeffrey Smart paintings which will hopefully be hangin in my lounge room one day!!!(buckleys). On the way home we had a quick stop in Chinatown at the food hall, I'm not used to walking past BBQ King but the Nasi Goreng in the hall is pretty damn good.

Emily Diana Sijabat


Primrose Mary Rodley


Nell Isabella Pearson

Sea and Cake

If my memory is right, these guys have never toured here. I seen them play when I was living in London and it is still one of the best gigs I have ever seen. I'm sure the Annandale will be a primo place to see them again!!!.

Jindabyne

Just spent a couple of days down in Jindy, haven't been there in summer for years, had a great 6 buck schnitzel from the L J, helped Kims bro move some stuff, and took a couple of pictures. Though on the picture side of things, when I look at them, you can't tell its summer, too many winters down there make me see/want the dark and coldness, even when its not there. Kind of like when you look at some of the early Australian paintings the English done, their memory was so strong in their painting, that a lot of their pictures looked like mother England, not anything like Australia. One of my mates has a brilliant summer shot of Jindy on his wall (warbles and all), but did I take any shots when the sun was out, no chance?.
On the way back, for some unknown reason I kept wishing that I had Bluebottle Kiss's, Revenge is Slow cd to listen to, it's a damn fine drivin album, their newer double album is brilliant as well, I still hate their name though.

In Arcania

One of my good mates in London, Neil has just finshed his photography degree, and in the process had an exhibition at the Notting Hill Arts Club. The exhibition, titled, In Arcania contains his version of abandoned wastelands and dystopian landscapes. It's good to see Monty's interests have found an outlet, l remember when we would be going for a skate at Ladbroke Grove or lookin for a pub to watch Arsenal kick some butt, he would always be stopping and commenting on the old council estates and bridgeways, I can see some of that in this exhibtion. Have a geez for yourself. www.neilmontier.com

September.

This is gotta be my next buy, the people at Stranger magazine in the U.K have given themselves a goal. Get together a group of diverse people from the surfing culture, rent a house for 2 weeks in a different location each year, and make a book out of the experience. This issue they all go to West Ireleand. The book is called September.
When Adrenalin magazine disappeared from my local newsagent, I got on the net to search where it went to, whilst doing this I found Stranger magazine, an independantly published magazine from Cornwall, which caters for a different demographic than the 12-15 year olds that most surf oriented mags cater for. Cracker of a name as well, seems to be more in the late 60's vain of things, every time I think of the word 'stranger' I think of Georg Simmel's definition of a peripheral figure, one that is characterised by both nearness and remoteness. Damn fine name for a mag.


photo. Thor Jonsson


photo. John Eldridge


Photo. John Isaac

Night skate at the carpark.

This is one of my favorite shots that Camper has taken, theres plenty of other great action shots but this seems to show the emptiness and space in which we used to skate, not that its there anymore, you'd be dodging cars whatever the time now.


photo Anthony Camfield

Re-inventing the duet.

Against Me with Tegan, from Tegan & Sara.

Cloudstreet.

Everyone loves a good storm shot, me included, but when we lived on the bay one of my mates instilled a greater appreciation of storm photos into me, . He done this, by sheer enthusiasm, every time a storm came over, he scrambled for his camera and sprinted down to the water, and I mean sprinted!. This coming from the biggest sloth, lounge lying siesta havin person I know, he doesn't move fast for nothin. But when those big arse storms came up from the south over the National Park, he moved like grease lightning!. So when I saw these amazing photos from Jim Reed, a native of Wichita, Kansas (home sweet home Carolyn), I thought that the easiest way to show him was to put them up here.

Best movie of 08, so far, No Country for Old Men.

What can you say about this movie?,, Javier Bardem with the most freakish bowl cut ever, will scare the living shit out of you!!!. If I see a movie this year that even comes close to this, I will be over da moon. The Coen brothers have outdone,,,, even Fargo with this amazingly thrilling film (try saying that with a lisp). 5stars alone just for the bowl cut!

Best buy of 08, so far, The Felice Brothers.

Best spent money of 08 so far would definately have to be the $20 I sent to the felicebrothers@gmail.com. They sent me their second album titled Adventures of the Felice Brothers Vol 1. I still haven't really taken their 1st album, Tonight at the Arizona out of the stereo from last year. Their Dylan inspired, barnstorming tunes come straight from the heart and are extemely hard to ignore or stop listening to. Lets pray for a tour, the Annandale would be a prime venue!.

Sufjan Stevens, State Theatre, Sydney.

Belated review of Sufjan Stevens at the State Theatre, Sydney. Sunday night gig.
After chowing down some great Indonesian food with Trouble x 2 and Phil we were off to see Sufjan!!. Unfortunately the food and beer part of the night made us miss My Brightest Diamond, but we walked into the State Theatre with 5 minutes to spare before Sufjan and his mighty of mightiest band came on. Phillum was the only one who wasn't too familiar with the professionalised high school band that is a Sufjan Stevens touring outfit, and what an introduction he got!!. Two hours of intensely beautiful music combined with ridculously funny storytelling between songs made for one hell of a night. Also to his cudos, anyone who can wear a pair of fabric wings plus get his band to oblige and pull off some wicked moves with the hoola hoop deserves to be king of Sydney for at least one day.

Mr Goreng.

In the afternoon a good ol rainless storm moved its way over Sydney, Nas diggetty thought that was just fine and sat on the roof of the house chillin, just watchin it all happenin. Strong winds and plenty of cloud cover but not a drop of rain.