At the weekend, the likes of Kanye West, Soundgarden and Noel Gallagher entertained more than 30,000 at the Gold Coast Parklands for the Big Day Out. But it appears that not all attendees had an enjoyable experience.
Morgan MacManus was a punter on Sunday (Jan. 22) and has forwarded the following open letter to Big Day Out promoter, Ken West. This is only one side of the story, and Scene acknowledges the conduct alleged by Mr MacManus does not reflect the work and efforts of the vast majority of police officers.
MACMANUS OPEN LETTER:
Mate, I just wanted to contact you in response to a quote of yours that I read when googling "Gold Coast Big Day Out 2012 Fights". The quote I wanted to talk to you about has you saying: "At least we don't have a problem that dance festivals have where everyone takes their shirt off and some of them are on steroids and are picking fights." - Big Day Out promoter Ken West
In response to that I wanted to bring to your attention the fight at the smoking side section of the Boiler Room during Royksopp in which a "Shirt off....Steroid" boy started a fight with me by flicking his sweat drenched shirt in my face and saying "I'll fuck you up. I've got so many boys here", followed instantly with 2 jabs to my front teeth followed by a taller skinhead friend of his punching me repeatedly. The initial idiot wrestled with my buddy, then another friend of his took it upon himself to knee my friend on the tip of his tailbone, while he was on the ground still wrestling with the first wanker.
This was all followed up by me trying to seek medical advice for my loose, numb front teeth. The doctor in the medical unit refused to give me painkillers, just ice. I then went to another medical tent a couple of hours later and was refused ice by the same doctor. He refused to allow me to sit even though I was still sore and my teeth/gums were still bleeding. In fact, he called the cops over because I made several requests for my teeth to be inspected properly.
Four police officers hand-cuffed me, pushed me to the ground and then yanked me up so hard that my elbow was dislocated as well as my shoulder, which had previously been injured. Prior to being escorted to the paddy-wagon in the police-holding area in the Big Day Out Festival grounds, two police officers kneeled on my back over my kidneys for several minutes, while I was in handcuffs, forcing urine from my bladder. They then ridiculed me, calling me "pissy pants". A police officer also punched me in the eye while I was thrown in the paddy-wagon. I was not intoxicated and requested a breath-test as proof. The response I got from the police was further ridiculing with taunts of "pissy pants, shut up pissy pants Macmanus". An officer, by the name of Dodd was a main offender in abusing me. No breath testing ever took place. I was let out of the Southport watch-house about 5 1/2 hours later still not having received the medical attention that I had been requesting hours before. You need to think again, Ken West, before you jump to conclusions about the behaviour of Big Day Out attendees compared with other music festival participants. I will definitely be taking this matter further.
Morgan MacManus
If there were any witnesses to the alleged incident on Sunday involving Morgan MacManus, or if you've been involved in a similar incident, we'd like to hear from you.
Readers may recall that only last week, NSW police were fending off allegations of brutality after footage surfaced depicting a man, clearly under the control of police, being repeatedly assaulted.
After last year’s Creamfields after-party, where Canadian artist Deadmau5 was involved in an incident with a local DJ, James Cameron, another member of Brisbane’s clubbing community has had a run-in with an international star.
This time it involved New York City’s Pete Rock, who was performing at Alhambra Friday January 6. Rocking Horse Records staffer and veteran DJ, Kieron C, was at the show as a punter when he noticed sound issues with Rock’s DJ set.
“He was having issues with Serato, you could hear it in the first record. He wasn't getting good signal through the cartridge, and so it just sounded like shit. And so he's just jumped on the mic and started bagging out the system, saying it’s all shit and that he's a professional.
“I told the promoter what the problem was and he asked me to go up there and fix it. I initially said no, 'cause I said 'it's not my job mate', and he kind of looked at me and said 'please'. So I went up there, waited a couple of seconds, got Pete's attention and said 'the problem with that turntable is a stylus issue', and he basically turned on me and said, ‘this stylus has been solid for me all over the world, I'm not gonna stand here and let you tell me this shit'. And I was like 'No Pete it's the connection, you can see it in on your Serato’ — there's a signal bar on Serato which lets you know whether or not you've got solid connection, and you could see that it wasn't performing, and I said 'Look it's on your Serato mate, you just gotta reset your cartridge or check the IPA', but he just blanked me and ignored me and I just left him to it.
“Terry, who was doing the photos, he said a little bit later (that) he just took the cartridges off, gave them a lick and stuck them back on, and once I found that out I just thought 'oh, you're a tool, should've just done it when I said it’.â€
Is Brisbane’s clubbing community getting the raw end of the prawn with their friendly offers to assist visiting DJs with technical issues? Or should we allow international artists to act in a manner that lives up to their rockstar billing?
“Well if the dude couldn't fix his own fuckin' Serato then he should have a word with his flunkies who set it up for him, and set it up right,†Kieron says. “It's just a matter of refitting the cartridge and you're away, happy days and he just douchebagged it. He made himself look like a fuckin' idiot. Maybe it was just lost in translation mate.â€
What you were reading in 2011
Who doesn't love a top 10? We do — and we've decided to follow-up our writers' choice Top 10 print tradition with an online most popular Top 10.
Scene Magazine's publisher Howard Duggan says "We've always known our readers are an eclectic and diverse bunch and our Top 10 'Most Read Online' bears that out. Where else are you going to see Boy Girl Wall, Snoop, Drag Queensland and The Oceanics all side-by-side vying for 'most read' status?"
We can't leave without noting that Scene Mag is fortunate to have genuine quality in its writer stocks. We won't name names, but a quick scout around our excellent content-rich site will bear testament.
And if you're interested in all-time time Top 10, then look no further than our home page.
| Artist | Genre | Author | |
| 1 | Joelistics |
Urban | Matt Shea |
| 2 | Snoop Dogg |
Urban | Matt Shea |
| 3 | Boy Girl Wall |
Theatre | Miss Yonemama |
| 4 | Fortafy |
Urban | Colleen Edwards |
| 5 | Drag Queensland |
Theatre | Matt Shea |
| 6 | The Queensland Country Comfort Hour |
Rock | Matt Shea |
| 7 | The Oceanics |
Rock | Matt Shea |
| 8 | DJ Sheep |
Urban | The Matchstick |
| 9 | Electric Playground First Birthday |
Electronic | Lady Lex |
| 10 | Blunted Stylus |
Urban | Matt Shea |
Reality Television in Preview
“‘Laguna Beach’ is about rich kids getting around in their daddy's $200 000 Merc. This show is something people can actually relate to.â€
Coming straight from Sydney’s northern beaches, MTV's newest teen reality drama 'Freshwater Blue' is undoubtedly Australian. 2000 kilometres east of 'The Jersey Shore' or 'Laguna Beach', the show documents 12 adolescents contemplating love, careers and alcoholism - one Jägerbomb at a time.
“We're just normal people. Everyone has their own story, their own little characteristics, own past and aspirations. It's hard to relate yourself to Whitney or Lauren. We all have normal jobs, half of us are still living at home and no one works at Teen Vogue,†Nicola jokes, briefly adding she wouldn't turn it down for Season Two.
The show is centred around Nicola, your typical 'girl next door' so Luke, (her best friend) at 25 years old is much more the veteran and mentor figure of the group. “The show touches heavily on life after school. It's amazing how much has happened over the time we've been filming. Everyone started with a boyfriend or girlfriend, friends have changed, people have moved on. It's not tainted and it's rough in places - people will love it!â€
Produced by Toby Yoshimura, (NBC America's, go-to 'reality auteur'), the eight episodes have been cut together from an entire year of filming and recording from microphones - all the good, the bad and the drunken moments. Filmed predominantly in Sydney, but venturing into our sunny state for a Surfers Paradise Schoolies Week episode, it is evident both Luke and Nicola are still adjusting to the non-presence of cameras.
“I've learnt so much from Toby, the way his mind works. You're not protected against him. You don't have your guard up. You'll be talking to him and then, shit, a camera comes out of nowhere and it's been shooting the whole time,†Nicola laughs. “You end up trusting Toby soooo much that you pour your heart out to him.â€
“You become friends with all the cameramen and all the audio guys, they're like our counsellors. So, it's like you’re just hanging out really. They're obviously living this experience alongside you. They all know what's going on,†Luke explains.
Targeted for a younger audience, the 4.30pm timeslot won't be the most practical for those working nine to five. Even so, MTV forecasts an audience of 13-30 for the teen drama. But be warned, there are downsides to reality TV stardom - attending the 2010 Arias, dates with Jason Derulo, and super slick parties with Ruby Rose cutting the decks.
Actually - sign me up for season two!
'Freshwater Blue' airs on MTV, every Thursday at 4.30pm.
Episode 2: Hunter
If you eat the meat, should you be able to kill the animal?
It's a question that plagues the minds of the “ethically†and “environmentally†inclined. I put these two words in little bunny rabbit ears because, well frankly, they're somewhat arbitrary terms.
From culture to culture, location to location and person to person, ‘ethics’ change like my senile Grandma's names for me (which, at one stage, included the name “whatseesfaceâ€). Likewise, the words “environmentally friendly†have become so in-vogue that you could slap a Green Earth sticker onto a nuclear bomb, drop it on downtown Logan and claim that you're saving the planet.
So, if like me you're one of the many heartless, disgusting, insensitive, carnivores out there, do you think you could bring yourself to whip out a shiny, sharp knife and slide it through the (thick) skin of a wild pig? Or shoot a kangaroo for that matter?
Environmental activists argue that instead of cattle farming, we should look towards kangaroo meat to help save the world from global warming. You see, kangaroos don't emit very many greenhouse gases, they're not hoofed, so they don't damage the soil and farming them helps reduce land clearing - but they are our national icon and do look rather charming on the coat of arms. Oh and remember Skippy? That cute and freakishly intuitive animal? Well, he was a kangaroo too (at least his stunt double was). So what do you do? Assassinate the star of his own TV show and the cutest thing in Australia besides the koala and Isabel Lucas?
And how about pig killing? It's true that feral pigs do an immense amount of environmental damage, killing both native and domestic animals and eroding water holes, but they're also kind of cute - especially when they talk as can be seen in the movie 'Babe' and 'Babe 2, Pig in the City'.
I've always thought that if the opportunity ever presented itself to kill an animal that I, being the sinning, loathing, vile meat-eater that I am, would have to kill it or else I wouldn't be able to live with my own hypocrisy. What I never counted on was being thrown into a pig-ridden scrub with a knife and having every hypocritical move I make being caught on camera. It's when this happens that you realise that 'meat' is in fact the dead word for animal.
Find out if I can pull the trigger (so to speak) on Dave in the Life, 9pm Thursday Nights, SBS One. Episode 2: Hunter.
Roll up; roll up
Sporting a freshly-grazed knee after coming off second best when trying to demonstrate a “derby stopâ€, Hula Tula exudes enthusiasm and pluck – essential ingredients for a roller derby skater. The Northern Brisbane Rollers representative joined Pinch Anna Punch from the Sun State Roller Girls and Unforgiving Bunny from the Brisbane City Rollers at the Scene office last week to give a brief rundown of flat-track roller derby in Brisbane.
“With the three leagues, you can see two or three bouts a month now,†Bunny says. “And quite a few people support all three; the derby community supports each other and there is a derby following … it keeps building.â€
The sport itself sees two teams of five skaters compete against each other around an oval track in bouts, which consists of a number of two-minute ‘jams’. Each team consists of three ‘blockers’, one ‘pivot’ and one ‘jammer’ – the point scorer.
For those interested in signing up, each league has a different season start, but all hold “fresh meat†trials for girls - for the BCR, boys are also welcome.
“We hold fresh meat tryouts which are advertised on our websites ... and they vary from league to league,†Tula says. “But most leagues you have to pass a minimum skills test … you have to make it as safe as possible.â€
A highly-supported activity in the 60s and 70s, the sport’s popularity waned in recent decades until a revival movement, which began in the US in the early 2000s, put the sport back on the path to mainstream – with a greater focus on athleticism than performance.
While all of the women acknowledge the importance of the “revivalâ€, they also agree the sport has moved beyond that to be considered as a legitimate sport in its own right.
“I think it has gone beyond ‘the revival’ now, and it is a fully-fledged sport and it is going strong,†Pinch Anna Punch says. “It is completely different to the derby of old … there is now less on ‘show’ and more of a focus on the athletic, (the skaters) are strong and fit … but in the 70s and 80s it was a bit like rock and roll wrestling!â€
The Northern Brisbane Rollers will host the Geelong Bloody Marys at the Brisbane Convention Centre Oct 16. The Brisbane City Rollers will travel to Carrara to take on Tweed ENRG on Oct 23. While the Sun State Roller Girls host a Halloween bout at the Beenleigh Arena Oct 30.
We Built This City
After six months of slowly building (pardon the pun) anticipation, the 4ZZZ station headquarters is now a colourful three-story, high-art piece that will gain exposure across the world.
Charge Your Glasses
One generally doesn't need much of a reason to enjoy a cold beer in the relaxed confines of West End, but one of the precinct's newest venues - Archive - is set to provide added incentive on Sunday July 18.
In a first for Brisbane, the Boundary Street Australian speciality beer bar and bistro will open its doors for International Brewers' Day (IBD). Since 2008 the day has celebrated the contributions to society of the men and women who brew beer, all while drinking an awful lot of it in the process.
July 18 was chosen as the day because it's the feast day for one of the most well-known patron saints of brewers, St. Arnulf of Metz, better known as St. Arnold.
Now touching down at Archive for the first time, IBD celebrations - to be run in conjunction with goodbeers.com.au - will feature tastings from one-off kegs including Otway Farmhouse Ale, BlueSky Smoked Wheat, Mt Blonde and Murrays Whale Ale. Archive's grazing menu will be available throughout the day and will include a variety of foods that best accompany the different beers on offer.
Austhotels Group Operations Manager Dan Rawlings believes the inaugural celebration is set to become an annual date claimer for Brisbane beer lovers.
“We are very proud to be part of a world-wide celebration, which not only honours the product of beer but also the people that make that product possible,†he said. “International Brewers' Day has been around for awhile but I don't know if any hotel has embraced it as we're about to.
“We want to make sure everyone realises how many good beers there are out there in Australia and that's what we trade on (at Archive); we only stock Australian boutique beers and we like showcasing what this great land has to offer.â€
The selection of beers available on July 18 is impressive. In addition to the aforementioned brews, Black Giraffe from Burleigh Brewing Co., Byron Bay's Stone & Wood and the limited edition Little Creatures Brown Ale will all feature, resulting in there being more than 20 speciality brews to sample.
“During the day we'll have ten rotating taps,†Rawlings explains. “We've got one keg of each and after that keg is gone we'll move onto the next one. It will be exciting. We want people to realise the beers that are out there in Australia. It's not just XXXX, it's not just VB. People don't need to look any further than their own back yard to get a good drop.â€
In what is sure to attract a clued-up crowd of brown lemonade lovers and home brewers alike, the celebrations will feature an educational aspect as well.
“We will also have a number of brewers on hand to discuss their own products one-on-one with interested guests, including Hayden Mokaraka from Blue Sky Cairns, Luke Scott from Otway Estate (Barongarrok, VIC) and Ian Watson from Murrays (Port Stephens NSW),†Rawlings explains.
“It will be a relaxed, casual and fun day to have a boutique Australian craft beer and have a conversation with the very people who created that beer.â€
Since opening three months ago, Archive has quickly found favour with West End revellers and Rawlings believes supporting events like International Brewers' Day is set to further endear the burgeoning bar to locals.
“I'd like to think we've started something here,†he says. “It's such a pleasure to work in a bar with people who appreciate your product. We're doing our own thing here with Australian beers so we've really taken on our market. With the urban planning that's coming on in South Brisbane, there's going to be 30,000 here in the next five to ten years so we've set ourselves up for a good run.â€
International Brewers' Day kicks off at 11am on July 18 and will run until late.
The Ground Floor
Platform is a weekly night held at The Elephant & Wheelbarrow dedicated to giving local artists a leg-up in the music industry. Platform’s host, Nathan Ward, describes the event’s beginnings.
“Basically Platform is the brainchild of Duncan, The Elephant & Wheelbarrow venue manager. It came about through him doing some digging with some agents and seeing where and what access young bands had to showcase and to develop themselves into professional artists. And he found pretty quickly that there wasn’t a lot. So his idea was to start developing artists and quickly got Jack Daniels and Billy Hyde on board and asked me to host and run the night,†says Nathan.
The event involves unknown bands showcasing their talent every Tuesday night. After just four weeks, Platform is on the radar.
“It’s snowballing. We just finished our first month. Tuesday just gone we had some unbelievable original artists come through; their names were Black Whiskey, Company Sin and Burn Down Hollywood, and all three pulled massive crowds, and in terms of their musicianship and showmanship, were unbelievable. Each week has really developed. It’s just gotten bigger and bigger. We’ve had two cover nights and one night of unplugged acoustics, and the Tuesday just gone was original bands.â€
Rather than treating the event as a competition, the creators consider it as a development program for emerging artists of all types.
“Basically we look at Platform as an introduction into the industry. The way we’ve broken it up is into two basic categories; cover musicians and original artists. And then every format in between that; they can do solo, they can do duos, they can do dance. For the original artists they’re going through rounds to have the opportunity to play with the main headliners at The Elephant & Wheelbarrow. In the past it has been bands like Butterfingers and The Butterfly Effect. As opposed to a band competition, we look at it as a footstep into a career in the music industry.â€
As a professional musician himself, Nathan’s input is industry-based as he provides bands with the appropriate contacts.
“Personally, I go through industry contacts and point them in the right direction. Whether it be through agent contacts, management contacts, bio writers, helping them with street press, or helping them build a following. Whatever need be, I’m really on offer to answer any questions and help them in the right direction.â€
Nathan says the event has so far produced some incredible talent, and he is looking forward to seeing what the rest of Brisbane has to offer.
“Each week it never ceases to amaze me how many great young musicians there are out there and it’s just a matter of tapping into it and giving them the opportunity to jump on stage and show you what they can do. It’s phenomenal actually, the raw talent is there and they just have to be pointed in the right direction.â€
Band competitions have been around for eons, but the Platform organisers believe there is a lack of support for rising musicians currently on offer.
“Unfortunately, the south-east Queensland music industry – from the time that I started, which was back in the mid 90s – has really shrunken and it’s become ultra competitive. Bands don’t seem to have the networks of helping each other out anymore.â€
Nathan says his career began with help from a supportive local scene and feels it is his duty to provide this for new musicians.
“I believe that all professional musicians making a living out of it, like myself, should put something back into it. I had guys when I started out that were just instrumental in helping me develop into a professional musician.
“Any bands that are ready to come in and play a 40-minute set, I’d just like to appeal to them, and give them the opportunity that I had as a younger kid, to come forward and have a crack.â€
With an event of such good intentions, Nathan felt the need to acknowledge the team behind Platform.
“Queensland does have an unbelievable amount of talent … and I can’t thank The Elephant & Wheelbarrow enough for what they’re doing. It’s really comforting to know that there’s a venue and some management out there that see a bigger picture, and are willing to sink some of their own money into supporting that.â€
PLATFORM HAPPENS EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW.
Media Space in Preview
Have you been looking for a space to share your passion for technology and creation? The Edge might be just the ticket. It's so awesome when the little city you live in surprises you. Despite living in the shadow of our southern neighbours, Brisbane every now and again pulls something out that really makes us realise that we do live in a progressive and ever-growing town.
The latest example of such progression is a new government space, which is just about to be launched, called The Edge. Located in the heart of the riverside arts wonderland (a stones throw from GoMA), The Edge is a truly exiting initiative that will most certainly get the tech-minded community frothing.
Described as a visionary space, The Edge will act as centre for a diverse world of creativity. Once nurtured, this new environment will showcase Queensland innovation, invention and imagination. Technology, the arts and enterprise are The Edge's main focus points. Workshops, programmes, think tanks and forums will provide a foundation for exploration in the areas of sound, digital media, writing, sustainability, science, and all forms of design.
I was lucky enough to have a preview viewing of this soon to be opened space. Needless to say, I was left speechless almost immediately. The location is superb, with a complete riverside Brisbane City view. On top of that, the array of technology and the configuration of the space is extraordinary. It's almost the answer to one of those gear head hypotheticals, like 'if you could build a dream technology/ studio space, what would you put inside it?' For all the tech-minded crew out there, here is a basic list of the arsenal The Edge is packing.
In terms of computer equipment, there are 11 high spec computers that are fully dual platform; 22 of the most up-to-date operating systems including both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 Ultimate, Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, Xammp, iPhone SDK, Logic Studio, Final Cut Studio, Pro Tools | HD, Skype, Live Messenger and Google Talk. Other equipment on hand includes digital SLR cameras, flipcams, HD video cameras, a range of vocal and instrument microphones and high-end condenser microphones. The list really does speak for itself.
After digesting the technical power The Edge has to offer, one may ask the question, 'why would you provide public access to such an array of technical gear?' In many ways, The Edge is filling a very specific gap within the 15-25 year old demographic in Brisbane. There are many young people out there who are gifted or simply have a passion in the creative and technical areas. Up until now, the main option in furthering these interests was tertiary study. Although this path can offer an enriching experience, it is not for everybody. In some cases the academic pathway of arts and technology education can deter or hinder an individual's potential of achieving their creative goals. Also, failure to reach particular pre-requisites for entry to an institution can cut short the education experience.
Offering a bright solution to this scenario, The Edge provides a space in which this demographic can further their 'education' in a different way. A peer-based learning environment is a powerful entity, especially on this scale. An experienced staff is also on hand, providing real and world advice and help at the request of the visitor.
On top of the great gear at hand, all visitors will have access to free wireless internet, AV facilities, extremely comfortable meeting spots and a coffee shop. The Edge also has large auditorium, rigged specifically for all types of audio and visual performance.
The Edge is truly an exciting new world to experience. Despite being in an empty room, with never before used equipment, I felt nothing but excitement for its future. Once the public have access, and the wheels are in motion, The Edge will hopefully reach its full potential. The stage has been set; it's now up to YOU to put this truly amazing resource to good use. Go forth and create.
The Edge launches at the State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Staney Place, South Bank on February 26 with music performances by DZ, Dot.AY, Felinedown and Impossible Odds. www.edgeqld.org.au
