Month: May 2008

(Not) Peter Russell Clarke

At ABC Radio National, Jasmin, Cecilia and I sat for a radio interview with Amanda Smith. It was broadcast yesterday, and here is a podcast of it! Personally, I don’t think I come across as particularly entertaining in this one. I dunno, maybe all my energy was consumed by the pint-size ocker chef we had just thrillingly encountered…

But it’s worth listening to, if only for the pieces of audio heritage that Amanda has managed to dig up: Bon singing with Fraternity, and a sound grab from an interview he did in the late 1970s… You’ll note that the podcast is currently a long audio file featuring other interviews besides our one about Bon (including a short and worthy homage to the recently deceased art legend Robert Rauschenberg…) scroll to about half way through to hear our bit…

(Sooner or later, that audio file will be removed from the ABC page. When that happens, try listening to it here instead…)

Oh, and thanks to the ever-vigilant Jon for this oddball one – your chance to vote for Bon as “hottest of the hot” Aussie Blokes… (Although it looks like simply being alive has helped Hugh Jackman surge ahead of Bon for the moment…)

And finally, cheers and thanks to everyone who read and emailed me about the article, Bon To Rule by Iain Shedden, in the Australian Newspaper over the weekend. The blog-as-art is getting a good outing these past few weeks eh!

Art Project Pays Homage to Bon Scott

abc tv vodcast

Lots of media coverage this weekend! Thanks to Jon for sending through the link to this video clip that appeared on ABC TV Stateline on Friday night.

As you can see from the screengrab above, the Hamilton Hill Clan is featured. The TV cameraman has done a great little piece of trick photography in their AC/DC den – one after the other the family members pop into the picture miraculously! Worth watching just for that! (And also for the bit when the ever-polite Jasmin exclaims “Look how hairy his chest is!!” he he…)

[PS: Anyone got any tips about how to capture/download that video?]

Reunions at the Gallery

veronica stevo and lucas

It was a big night for reunions! Here I am in my Bon Scott Nook with Veronica and Stevo. I’d just finished explaining their story to my friend Mish (using a photo pinned onto the wall behind the beanbag as a visual aid) when, speak of the devil, they showed up! By this stage of the evening my camera had run out of batteries, so Mish snapped this one off on her mobile phone.

I’ll upload some more photos soon.

If anyone else has any shots (or movies!) from the exhibition launch they’d like to share, send em through and I’ll put em up! –> lucas[at]bonscottblog[dot]com

Oh, and some lovely comments came through last night! Thanks Alyssa, Susan from Alabama, Andrew, Rich from Montana, and of course, the ever loyal Pablo from Argentina.

Ben Scott, the lovechild, was stuck in Esperance (8 hours drive south of Perth) and so didn’t make it, although plenty of people at the exhibition asked after him. But I heard on the grapevine that he was the first caller to speak to Bon through Madam TV’s professional mourning service, so I guess he was here “in spirit”, so to speak…

Any other stories from last night?

The exhibition, almost there…

lucas in his nook
Me in my Bon Scott Blog nook writing this blog entry!

Here I am writing in my little nook under the stairs at the Fremantle Arts Centre. In an hour the exhibition will open. FAC/DC (facca dacca) are rehearsing “Ride On”. A fluffy white dog just walked past (not joking!). I wish my girlfriend could be here. Someone just brought me a cup of black tea (no beer for me yet). My phone says “No Space For New Messages”. I shall have to delete to receive. I just wandered around the galleries and took a few snaps. Not all the works are visible yet (some are behind locked doors and others are videos waiting to be switched on. But here’s a little taster for you!
Continue reading “The exhibition, almost there…”

Consult a Professional Mourner…

madam tv on her day off
[Madam TV on her day off. When “on duty” she looks a bit more demented than this…]

If you can’t make it to Fremantle for the launch of the Bon Scott show, why not speak to Bon on the phone through “Madam TV”?

“Madam TV” is one of the artists in the exhibition. She describes herself as a “professional mourner“, and she specialises in facilitating discussions between our world and the other side.

I went to visit Madam TV at her flat in the suburbs of Perth last week, to ask her about this business of speaking to Bon. As you can imagine, I had a few questions for her.

Question: Madam TV, what’s involved with this “channelling of the dead?”
Answer: I go into a kind of trance. This sometimes occurs after a couple of bourbons and some frenetic dancing to some very loud music. If the conditions are right, I might begin to feel Bon hovering around.

Question: What’s Bon been up to lately?
Answer: He is surprisingly gregarious and happy to chat. The last time he showed up, he was very horny, not having had any action for over 28 years. So his conversations were cheeky and flirtatious… Boys, bring your girlfriends along and get em to speak with Bon. After a few minutes with him they’ll be all worked up and you’re sure to have a good night! He he.

Question: So you’re saying I should use Bon as an aphrodisiac for my own sex life?
Answer: Yeh, but not only! Bon is usually happy to chat about whatever’s on your mind. But remember his attention span isn’t what it used to be. There are a lot of distractions up there (out there? down there? whereever he is!) and so it’s best if you come with a question or a topic of discussion you want to get stuck into.

Question: How long does Bon like to chat?
Answer: He averages about 5 minutes before his attention drifts off onto other things. But if you strike up a particularly engaging conversation, it could last longer!

Question: When will Madam TV be available to channel Bon?
Answer: Friday 16 May 2008, from 6:30pm to 3:30am Perth time. This incredibly late time frame is for two reasons: first, because after midnight is the best time for a chat with the old fella. Second, to allow international callers to call at a time which is good for them. To check your local times against the time in Perth, go here.

Question: How do I call? How much will it cost me?
Answer: It depends where you’re calling from. If you go along to the launch of the Bon Scott Exhibition, try to find my Madam TV cronies, who will be circulating in the crowd with a video phone you can use to call me for free! If you are calling from your own phone, you can either make a video call (if your phone is that way inclined) or a regular voice call. For Aussie callers: if you’re on the “3” network it will be cheaper. For international callers: it’s hard to predict the exact cost, but it shouldn’t be extravagantly expensive to speak for only a few minutes. And besides, a conversation with Bon is priceless!

Question: So what’s the number to call?
Answer: from Australia: 0433 466 709.
From the rest of the world: +61 433 466 709

Greg’s Story

If you plug away, blogging every day about a particular subject, sooner or later you strike gold. Today this happened to me.

My mum mentioned to a guy at her work that her son was doing a project about Bon Scott. As seems to happen fairly regularly in Perth, her colleague, Greg, casually replied that he “had nearly met Bon” one time back in the 1970s. He began to tell her the story, but mum’s eyes glazed over. Her grasp of the phenomenon of Bon is fairly weak, to say the least. But she passed on the website address, and Greg promptly wrote up this great tale, which I am proud to present in its entirety here. Thanks Greg.
Continue reading “Greg’s Story”

Facca Dacca Rocks Out!

facca dacca

Apparently when the Bon Scott Project was announced, tribute bands from all around the world contacted the Fremantle Arts Centre (F.A.C.), offering to make their way to Freo at their own expense, and perform for free!

But the arts centre decided to form its own supergroup, called FAC/DC (or facca dacca), consisting of prominent members of Western Australian musicians. Here’s the lineup:

Bon – Clair French (Sure-Fire Midnights)
Angus – Dom Mariani (The Stems)
Malcolm – Steve Joines (The Kill Devil Hills)
Cliff – Vanessa Thornton (Jebediah)
Phil – Warren Hall (The M-16s)

See a classic “band photo” here.

Last night Jim picked me up and we drove down to a freezing warehouse in the meat processing district on the outskirts of Fremantle to see FAC/DC rehearse.

They’ll be performing at the launch on Friday night, and they’re still getting the song progressions together. I took a few little videos, but I can’t manage to upload em to youtube (sorry!) so you’ll have to be content with this photo above.

Facca Dacca was having a great time, especially Warren the drummer, who was grinning like an idiot as he bashed out the rhythm to “Jailbreak”. On his way to the fridge for another beer, Warren took a moment to declare: “I feel like a fourteen year old again!”

“Jailbreak”, it seems, is easier than “Whole Lotta Rosie”. Nobody was entirely sure how long Angus’ guitar solos were supposed to go for. So Claire pulled out her little ipod with speakers attached and they sat around listening to “the real thing”. And wow, if the song wasn’t just as damn powerful coming out of the tinny little speakers. Here’s a shot of Claire and Vanessa paying close attention to the ipod:

ipod whole lotta rosie

For the record, the guitar solos in “Whole Lotta Rosie” go for a REALLY long time.

AC/DC agnostic celebrates the ultimate live wire

acdc agnostic
This article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald Today. (Thanks to Vanessa for spending $1.30 on a newspaper and taking a photo of it on her back lawn for me…)

See the whole article online here (it’s also mirrored on The Age).

I had a nice chat with the journalist, Clare Morgan, yesterday. Continue reading “AC/DC agnostic celebrates the ultimate live wire”

TXT BON NOW!

text bon

OK, here’s the lowdown. From 17th of May to 29th of June 2008, you can send an SMS text message to Bon Scott!

Well, sort of. You can send it to little ole me, and then I will select the best ones to go up on the Fremantle Welcome LED sign, to be seen by thousands of motorists as they pour over the bridge into Fremantle!

Bon rests in peace in the Fremantle cemetery, just five minutes drive from the sign.

What’s more, each day, a digital photo will be taken of that day’s chosen message, and it’ll be put on display in the Bon Scott Project Exhibition at the Fremantle Arts Centre. I’ll also post em up here on the blog!

So don’t miss your chance to contribute to this historic event.

Here’s the rules:

*Make it short (the sign can only display 21 characters wide by 4 lines high – if you go over this limit, don’t worry, I’ll fix it up and make it fit for you, so don’t sweat it too much).

*Any language is fine (so all you Spaniards and Argentinians who I know are reading this, don’t feel you have to bust your culo to translate your message. In the afterlife, there are no language barriers.)

*If you’re in Australia, text this number: 0423 745 736. If you are texting internationally, then try this number (61) 423 745 736. (You’ll have to do whatever you need to send international texts from your country). Alternatively, email em to me: lucas[at]bonscottblog[dot]com, or leave a comment below!

*umm, are there any more rules? (I hereby reserve the right to make up more rules as I go along…)

*oh yeah, here’s one! they only have CAPITAL LETTERS!

*and I keep thinking of more rules: can you make sure that along with your message, you send me your name (or pseudonym) and where in the world you are sending your message from? And your age, if you want!

hooroo
-Lucas The Bon Scott Blogger