Comments on: 21 characters, 4 lines… http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/ ...for all your Bon Scott needs... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:40:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: BEN SCOTT http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-171 BEN SCOTT Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:36:51 +0000 http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-171 THE SIGN SHOULD SAY... WELCOME WEARY TRAVELLERS TO THE TOWN WHO BRED THE MOST INFAMOUS OZZY ROCKER "BON SCOTT" THE SIGN SHOULD SAY…

WELCOME WEARY TRAVELLERS
TO THE TOWN WHO BRED
THE MOST INFAMOUS OZZY ROCKER
“BON SCOTT”

]]> By: Michelle http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-164 Michelle Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:24:05 +0000 http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-164 I note your reference to Alanna MacTeirnan considering the economic consequence of 'jumping at the chance of putting our Bon on DPI land'. Just to add another reason for her excitement is the fact that her electorate is none other than Armadale, which by all accounts is considered a safe Labor seat and no doubt home to MANY Bon fans. Methinks Alanna can see some political mileage outta this one. She's a pretty smart cookie (an incidentally very respected for being good at her job and a strong advocate for walking, cycling and public transport). I note your reference to Alanna MacTeirnan considering the economic consequence of ‘jumping at the chance of putting our Bon on DPI land’. Just to add another reason for her excitement is the fact that her electorate is none other than Armadale, which by all accounts is considered a safe Labor seat and no doubt home to MANY Bon fans. Methinks Alanna can see some political mileage outta this one. She’s a pretty smart cookie (an incidentally very respected for being good at her job and a strong advocate for walking, cycling and public transport).

]]> By: Lucas http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-163 Lucas Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:41:02 +0000 http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-163 oh I should add: The Chamber of Commerce is VERY involved in heritage projects - John told me that they are working on Fremantle Trails - which will involve particular sites where you can visit and the kids can take a pencil or crayon rubbing of tactile plaques in a special collectable Freo "passport". Wherever and whenever Bon finds a home, he will be included as a feature site on one of the trails... see: <a href="http://fremantletrails.com.au/" rel="nofollow">http://fremantletrails.com.au/</a> oh I should add:

The Chamber of Commerce is VERY involved in heritage projects - John told me that they are working on Fremantle Trails - which will involve particular sites where you can visit and the kids can take a pencil or crayon rubbing of tactile plaques in a special collectable Freo “passport”. Wherever and whenever Bon finds a home, he will be included as a feature site on one of the trails…
see:
http://fremantletrails.com.au/

]]> By: Lucas http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-160 Lucas Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:19:02 +0000 http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-160 Indeed, Mickie. I checked, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Maiden" rel="nofollow">Iron Maiden</a> <em>is</em> bigger than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook" rel="nofollow">James Cook</a>, on the Wikipedia. Ah, there are so many issues here. How about this one: some of those "best behaved examples of culture" were not such great examples after all. Former Aussie Prime Minister John Curtin has a bronze statue in Freo (see a pic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Curtin_statue%2C_Fremantle.JPG" rel="nofollow">here</a>). Like Bon, he died due to his own unhealthy lifestyle: <blockquote>Curtin's recent biographer, David Day, concludes that the heart attack of late 1944 was 'the culmination of years of stress, heavy smoking, alcoholic binges and a simple but poor diet'.</blockquote> Like Bon's death, the cause of Curtin's is <a href="http://john.curtin.edu.au/audio/00955video.html" rel="nofollow">disputed and worried over</a> endlessly, but that certainly didn't delay the placement of his bronze effigy in prime position in front of the Freo Town Hall... I agree with your analysis of the salutary benefits of alternative histories. But at the other end of the scale is money. I would hesitate to claim that everyone who supports the local placement of the Bon statue is doing it for the reasons which you advocate. As much as the Freo Chamber of Commerce criticises the heritage "stick-in-the-muds", and is thus an ally to the BON IN FREO lobby, their catch-cry is not "alternative histories" but "progress". (See <a href="http://www.fremantlechamber.com.au/publications/news/heritage-of-the-future" rel="nofollow">this statement on heritage</a> issued by their President). And "progress" is a one heckuva slippery word... Indeed, Mickie.
I checked, and Iron Maiden is bigger than James Cook, on the Wikipedia.

Ah, there are so many issues here. How about this one: some of those “best behaved examples of culture” were not such great examples after all. Former Aussie Prime Minister John Curtin has a bronze statue in Freo (see a pic here). Like Bon, he died due to his own unhealthy lifestyle:

Curtin’s recent biographer, David Day, concludes that the heart attack of late 1944 was ‘the culmination of years of stress, heavy smoking, alcoholic binges and a simple but poor diet’.

Like Bon’s death, the cause of Curtin’s is disputed and worried over endlessly, but that certainly didn’t delay the placement of his bronze effigy in prime position in front of the Freo Town Hall…

I agree with your analysis of the salutary benefits of alternative histories. But at the other end of the scale is money. I would hesitate to claim that everyone who supports the local placement of the Bon statue is doing it for the reasons which you advocate.

As much as the Freo Chamber of Commerce criticises the heritage “stick-in-the-muds”, and is thus an ally to the BON IN FREO lobby, their catch-cry is not “alternative histories” but “progress”. (See this statement on heritage issued by their President). And “progress” is a one heckuva slippery word…

]]> By: Mickie http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-159 Mickie Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:48:57 +0000 http://www.bonscottblog.com/2008/03/05/21-characters-4-lines/#comment-159 The concept of 'heritage' needs reform. I remember reading about an heritage lobbyist (i think that's what he was) who advocated for all kinds of heritage, especially things that were bad, or mediocre, or only kinda good (along those lines), rather than our ongoing habit of just selecting the best behaved examples of a culture. He advocated selecting banal architecture, like a shitty old inner city football stadium, as things to remember an era by, y'know, "warts n all". I think he conveniently said "you gotta learn from your mistakes, after all", or i could be making that up because i believe it's part of it, and i can't remember who the dude is to go searching for the article. It's pretty radical, but a great idea. Alfred Park swimming pool in inner city Sydney is a prime example. So lame, so good. In the age of Wiki when the space allocated to the history of a band like Iron Maiden is as big, if not bigger, than the space taken up by, say, Captain Cook, then of course Bon Scott should be prominently displayed in Freo, cast in bronze for all between Scotland and Freo to see as an historical destination. To the uptight and conservative heritage advocates interfering in this decision: this is good appreciation of history, dammit! ps: i haven't checked the relative size of Iron Maiden versus Captain Cook on Wiki, but when stumbling onto the Iron Maiden page in the early days of Wiki, i was thoroughly impressed with the wealth of history and analysis, and especially because it wasn't just in a dedicated fan-site, but in the great leveling "public space" like Wiki. The concept of ‘heritage’ needs reform. I remember reading about an heritage lobbyist (i think that’s what he was) who advocated for all kinds of heritage, especially things that were bad, or mediocre, or only kinda good (along those lines), rather than our ongoing habit of just selecting the best behaved examples of a culture. He advocated selecting banal architecture, like a shitty old inner city football stadium, as things to remember an era by, y’know, “warts n all”. I think he conveniently said “you gotta learn from your mistakes, after all”, or i could be making that up because i believe it’s part of it, and i can’t remember who the dude is to go searching for the article.

It’s pretty radical, but a great idea. Alfred Park swimming pool in inner city Sydney is a prime example. So lame, so good. In the age of Wiki when the space allocated to the history of a band like Iron Maiden is as big, if not bigger, than the space taken up by, say, Captain Cook, then of course Bon Scott should be prominently displayed in Freo, cast in bronze for all between Scotland and Freo to see as an historical destination. To the uptight and conservative heritage advocates interfering in this decision: this is good appreciation of history, dammit!

ps: i haven’t checked the relative size of Iron Maiden versus Captain Cook on Wiki, but when stumbling onto the Iron Maiden page in the early days of Wiki, i was thoroughly impressed with the wealth of history and analysis, and especially because it wasn’t just in a dedicated fan-site, but in the great leveling “public space” like Wiki.

]]>