PETER COMBE
by Scott McLennan

If you’re an Aussie kid who grew up in the 1980s, there’s a strong chance you’ll have various fond memories soundtracked by ARIA Award winning children’s entertainer Peter Combe. Rip It Up’s personal recollections include performing at a school concert dressed as a giant pizza while singing the Adelaide songwriter’s 1985 hit Spaghetti Bolognaise.
As his fans have hit adulthood, Peter has found a lucrative market for playing licensed venues around Australia performing hits such as Toffee Apple, Newspaper Mama and Mr Clicketty Cane. Finalising his biggest Australian tour to date at the Governor Hindmarsh prior to heading abroad for children’s shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Peter remains excited by the way his older crowds embrace the music from their childhood.
“The inner child emerges and it’s something I always find quite fascinating and lovely that people can be in their 20s, come along to a bar in huge numbers and just let themselves go,” Peter states. “I’m always touched by that and it’s fantastic.”
There’s currently a lot of talk in mainstream press about drunkenness and delinquent behaviour among youth today, but Peter disagrees with this tabloid sensationalism of the issue.
“I’d say the opposite. At my evening shows the audience buy a couple of drinks, but it’s rare at one of the evening shows to come across somebody who’s smashed. I come away from these shows with a really good impression of young people – they’re coming to a pub to have a lovely time and it’s a very innocent thing they’re doing, singing along to songs they grew up on. Of course they’re going to have a beer or a glass of wine or whatever, but we’ve only had one guy at the Gov who was really drunk and he actually threw a glass of beer at the band.”
Peter’s shows might rely on songs ‘80s kids committed to memory after countless cassette plays, but his crowds show the rowdiness of a punk gig.
“We had a guy who stormed the stage at the Metro in Sydney,” Peter recalls with surprise. “He just appeared with me on stage in the middle of my last song Juicy Juicy Green Grass, dancing and hugging me. I don’t know how he got through security but I think he leapt up from the floor and was up there before they knew. It’s not something to be encouraged but I didn’t mind that – it was part of the whole momentum of the night and what makes these shows utterly unique. There was some crowd-surfing in Perth or Fremantle, since occasionally the crowd momentum is so strong that someone gets carried away with the music.”
Past interviews have suggested Peter is disappointed by the marketing styles of children’s acts of the modern era.
“I actually got to know Greg Page, the original yellow Wiggle, and he’s a nice guy. They’re all nice guys, it’s just that we’re almost in different fields. My emphasis is totally on the music, but The Wiggles have gone very heavily down the merchandising road.
“There’s nothing wrong with that per se,” Peter concludes, “but you have to be careful that it doesn’t take over from the music.”
Peter Combe & The Juicy, Juicy Green Band play the Governor Hindmarsh on Sat Aug 2 for a 2pm all-ages matinee family show (with the Theatre Bugs) and an 18+ show. The new DVD Live At Jive is out now.

GALLEON (FORMERLY FORESHORE)
by Robert Dunstan

“I’m just waiting for some clever journalist to come up with the line, ‘The boys have left the foreshore and are now sailing off in their galleon’,” singer and guitarist Nick Deegan says of his band’s change of name from Foreshore to Galleon. The band will do so at Jive’s 5th birthday bash on Sat Aug 2 (alongside Special Patrol, John Woods, The Dairy Brothers, The Trafalgars and Mildura’s Jackson Firebird) before the indie pop quartet officially launch their new name, Galleon, at Fowler’s Live on Sat Aug 23.
A change of band name, especially after the release of two CDs, is always fraught with danger.
“We thought about it long and hard,” Nick says over a coffee in a Waymouth St café. “But the thing is, I’m now the only member left of the original band so it’s not really Foreshore these days even though I’ve written the songs the whole way through.
“So, with Galleon, we just wanted to make a fresh start especially with the energy of the three new guys in the band now. It’s definitely something new, so we thought it best to change the name.”
The change has upset a few faithful followers however.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re shitting ourselves at the moment. But hopefully we won’t be starting completely from scratch. We’re hoping people will stick with us and still come to shows. Foreshore have been around for six or seven years and some people have matured with us. And it is interesting because I’ve found we’ve reached more people than what you’d actually think. I remember having a chat to a random guy who asked what I did. When I told him I played in Foreshore, he said, “I love you guys’, and then started singing one of our songs. And I thought, ‘Geez, where the fuck has he heard us?’ How does he know about us?
“But now, whenever I say I play in a band called Galleon who used to be Foreshore, people say, ‘Oh, Foreshore. I’ve heard of them. Who are Galleon?’ So I have to explain it’s really a brand new band and not really Foreshore.”
The band have been doing a lot of recording in St Kilda with Patrick ‘Patch’ Robertson of Motor Ace and frequenting a café known as Galleon on Carlisle St.
“Patch and the studio engineer said they had the best coffee, so Galleon became a bit of a haven for us. You could draw a triangle from the studio to where we were staying and the café. It just became a regular route but it’s a little, tucked away place that feels like someone’s living room. And not too many people know about it. And I ended up writing a lot of the lyrics while sitting in there drinking coffee. It became a little home away from home.
“So it’s a simple story,” Nick laughs as we round up the conversation. “I just wish it was a little more interesting.”
Galleon (formerly Foreshore) play Jive on Sat Aug 2 as one of six acts to help celebrate the venue’s 5th birthday. They then play Jive again with Sydney’s The Sunpilots on Fri Aug 8 before officially launching themselves as Galleon at Fowler’s Live on Sat Aug 23.

LOCAL HYPE

TRANSMISSION’S 4TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY!
Transmission is turning four and will be celebrating in epic fashion by throwing a huge Transmission Fourth Anniversary Party! Not only is it four years since Transmission changed the face of the Adelaide indie scene but it is also the last Transmission for resident DJ Naomy before she goes travelling around the globe. They’ll be sending her off in style, so make sure that you head along on Fri Aug 1 to the Bull and Bear. The tunes will be provided by Resident DJs RossRossRoss, Naomy, Kraig Black as well as original resident DJ Travis, who is being flown in from Melbourne to lay down some dance floor bangers. Expect to hear the likes of Bloc Party, Presets, The Smiths, Rapture, MGMT, Joy Division and much more. The action starts at 10pm with the first happy hour of $2.50 schooners, with normal drink specials all night. There will also be a free transmission anniversary gift at the DJ Booth. Everyone’s welcome at the Transmission Party!

SQUATTERS ARMS HOTEL
On Thu Aug 31, head to Squatters Arms Hotel to catch up with Skagnetti, The Trophy Wives from Melbourne, Stew Tabert, Phillistines, Freeloaders, Hands Of Time, Kamakazi, Black Nail and Molotov Cocktease, who will be playing their first gig. Doors will be swingin’ open at 8pm.

A NEW ERA BEGINS AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR
On Sat Aug 2, Quiet Child along with Melbourne heavyweights Bushido will be rocking out for the biggest show yet in the successful re-launch of one of Adelaide’s most loved live venue – the Adelaide University Unibar! Hot off a string of huge supports including Cog, Dead Letter Circus and Mammal are local act Quiet Child with their latest single Discipline starting to build up some talk. Along for the ride, Bushido have just come off an east coast tour with Sleep Parade and have been busy wrapping up pre-production for their debut album, due for release later this year. With local favourites Saving Savanah and Life Like along for the ride, the line-up is set to go off with a bang with free entry all night. Bands kick off at 8pm so get in early.

SALT ‘N’ PEPA PARTY
Home Slice are teaming up with The Buck’s Boys and are bringing the love to a two level Black’n’White party at Rhino Room on Sat Aug 2. At this Salt ‘n’ Pepa party, expect more of the same themed looseness you’ve come to love at Rhino. Add some new DJs such as Sidestep, Naomi and new kids on the block Will and Dev (UK) plus all your old favourites George, Prince Aaronak, Jumbo/Alistair Cookie, Hands Solo and Bunyip and you’ve got one big, loose and Black’n’White shindig!

SURFABILLY FREAKOUT 2
Freaked out because you missed Slingshot Dragster and The Saucermen play together last time? Never fear, Surfabilly Freakout! 2 is here. So, if you like your rockabilly raucous and your surf sleazy, The Exeter on Rundle St the place to be on Sat Aug 2.

FRINGE TIME!
It’s that time again! This is a call to all South Australia’s budding and established artists and designers to become a part of Fringe history by entering the iconic Adelaide Fringe Poster Competition. Not only will the winner enjoy the kudos of being the designer of the hugely exposed Adelaide Fringe poster but they will also win a return flight to Thailand plus four nights accommodation. Now a long-held Adelaide Fringe tradition, the poster competition is an ideal way for both established and up and coming designers to showcase their talents while actively contributing to the look of the next Fringe. Regularly attracting hundreds of entries, the competition is a fixture on the design competition calendar with high calibre entries received from artists, designers, students and amateurs alike. So if you think you’ve got what it takes, download the design brief and entry forms from <adelaidefringe.com.au> and ensure that it’s submitted before the cut off date on Thu Sep 18.

VIRGIN BLACK
Virgin Black, Adelaide’s dark prodigal son, is set to make a very long anticipated return to the stage. The band will play its one and only Australian show for 2008 on Sat Sep 6 at Live On Light Square with support from two highly regarded Melbourne acts, The Eternal and Ne Obliviscaris. The subsequent weeks will find Virgin Black on tour with Amorphis, Leaves Eyes and Samael as they tour Mexico, USA and Canada. Don’t miss the rare opportunity to check Adelaide’s own before they gallivant off again! Oh and head to <myspace.com/virginblackofficial> for more details.

NSS
Head up to Elizabeth’s Northern Sound System (NSS) on Sat Aug 2 for some Northern Metal Madness. Featuring Tidal, Skintilla, Octanic, Blood Covered Shovel, Forget All This, Ridiculed Belief and Absinthe Betrayed, entry for this line-up is only $12. Measly! Doors open at 7pm.

TUXEDO CAT
Rooftop bar Tuxedo Cat that was open at this year’s Fringe Fesitval will be active again for SALA, so head to the Market Bazaar in Synagogue Place and look up! Grab a drink at the bar and warm by the fire as you view sculptures and animations on the roof, then step inside the red room to see paintings, drawings and photographic work from new and seasoned artists. There is also an exciting live program featuring poetry, live music and a rock’n’roll quiz night. Open from Wed to Sun from 3pm, the full calendar can be viewed at <tuxedocat.com.au>.

QUEENS THEATRE
Calling all blues cats! This October, Rossi Boots will present the inaugural Juke Joint At Queens, featuring some of Australia’s finest blues talent – and they’re giving local acts the chance to win their way onto the bill! For one night only, the Queens Theatre will be transformed to recreate the juke joints of ’30s Mississippi where weary workers sought release in the simplicity of a cold beer and the grinding rhythms of travelling blues musicians. Heats for the Killing Floor Blues Challenge begin at Edinburgh Castle on Wed Aug 13 and the winning act will open the show at Queens Theatre on Sat Oct 4. To register, contact Chris at <chris@adelaidbluesfestival.com>.

LOCURA
Adelaide metal band Locura have posted a brand new song titled Bringing Me Down on its MySpace page, so check out <myspace.com/locura1>. The track comes from their debut, full-length album called Draconian Measures which is available online from their MySpace page or from selected music stores. It’s even receive rave reviews from Triple J’s Full Metal Racket’s Andrew Haug, so check it out if you’re a fan of the ol’ metal genre.

SLEEPLESS
From their beginnings in the early ’90s Sleepless have remained steadfast in their commitment to melodic and literate guitar based pop. Last year the band released their most recent collection, Semaphore, available free at <sleepless.com.au>. See them live in a nostalgic once off evening with The Artisans (the band they played their first ever gig with) at Jade Monkey on Sat Aug 2. Keep posted for their appearance at an upcoming Triffids commemoration at the Grace Emily. That was now and this is then!