Pitch & Putt

JohnnyCeed

Hailing originally from Geelong, just outside Melbourne, Magic Dirt have become one of the stayers in Australia's rock-pop scene. The recent release of their 4th album has seen a resurgence in their popularity and spawned a new fan base in those too young to remember the early years.
Headed by enigmatic femme fatale frontwoman, Adalita Srsen, Magic Dirt have been cranking out rocking hits since their formation in 1992. Originally compared to Sonic Youth (who they supported in 1993) due largely to the distortion and unusual guitar tunings featured in their debut single "Ice", they have matured to a more accessible and polished guitar driven edgy pop sound.
Touring extensively and often, they have become one of Australia's most popular live acts. Adalita's humour and on stage rock- goddess personna (I just like her for her hair) has become as trademark of their performances coupled with Raul Sanchez' signature loud and driven guitar. Their latest release, "Tough Love" is a perfect follow-up to 2000's "What Are Rock Stars Doing Today?" It combines moments of sweet acoustic pop, killer guitar riffs and clever lyrics with the stand out tracks for me being, "Watch Out Boys", "All My Crushes" and the fabulous "Plastic Loveless Letter", sung to cynical and bitter perfection.
I'm not sure if they've toured the UK recently but if they do, don't miss the chance to see them live and in the meantime check out "Tough Love"- hopefully released locally or through import on Warner records.
Brigitte Tenni

JohnnyCeed

The Man from Delmonte were an underappreciated Manchester indie band with a silly name, but in a weird kind of way they saved my life.

It is the summer of '89. I am a shy, awkward, geeky teenager in an unhappy relationship with a girl who looks like Deirdre Barlow, and The Man from Delmonte are playing Middleton Civic Hall as part of an event called the Rochdale Festival.

Up until this point, I'd always regarded "alternative" music with suspicion. It seemed to be the realm of dreary, monochrome cardigan-wearing losers but The Man From Delmonte - an indie band by any definition - are different.

They're colourful and slightly exotic: Lead singer Mike West, an Australian who sometimes writes for the NME, is wearing a bright yellow T-shirt promoting a dance music compilation.

Uplifting singalongs like Drive Drive Drive and sweet, sad songs like Waiting For Ann seem to describe the life I wish that I was living: Student houses, love affairs, the big city - and unlike a lot of indie stuff, the songs aren't afraid of a good melody.

A few miles away, in that big city, the Manchester scene was coming to the boil. The Man From Delmonte's music wasn't part of that scene, but as Mike West's T-shirt showed that night in Middleton, their attitude was.

Their label, Bop Cassettes, also put out a magazine called Bop City. One issue had a free chunk of the Berlin Wall taped to the cover and another came with a tape that included a baggy dance version of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit.

Interesting times were just ahead, the music seemed to say, and it was time to break out and embrace a more exciting life. I don't think I ever quite managed it, but I dumped my girlfriend not long after that and things certainly got more interesting from that point on.

I was so impressed and uplifted and energized that I bought a smart-looking Man from Delmonte T-shirt decorated with song lyrics.

"It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be perfect for the part."

It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be a T-shirt."

I was stunned and embarrassed - I didn't think gay people played guitar - and I gave the T-shirt to my mum, who might still wear it today. (I was shocked and horrified again a few years later when I learned that Chris Evans was a big Man from Delmonte fan.)

Mike West now plays hillbilly music in New Orleans, and his marriage of seven years, to a woman called Myshkin, recently came to an end.

Life is full of surprises and thank God for that. - Sam Beckwith

(Sam Normally writes for the excellent Stumpymoose.com)

JohnnyCeed

The Hinnies were a great band, unfortunately I seemed to be in a minority in thinking this as they never achieved the fame that they so richly deserved. It was a case of being out of step with their times, a bit too soon.

I first saw 'The Hinnies' playing in Blackpool at an odd place called Sequins, it was odd as it was a typical Blackpool tacky club that for some reason had agreed to have an indie band night on once a week, the only such night in town. 'The Hinnies' were brilliant and helped by the excellent lighting that to a struggling 18 year old would be musician made them look like Gods.

They sounded a bit like The Pixies but with lush Beach Boy's-esque backing and pretty much exactly how I wanted my band to sound. (We didn't). Like the worst kind of groupies that bands get the late teenage boys that want to talk to bands for hours about what guitar pedals they use or what they thought about Sid Barrett, we were them and they ended up having to crash at my mums house as they had rather foolishly set off from London with a lack of forward planning.

We went to the pub the next day my friend, myself and the band and after many drinks Roger, the bands lead singer, guitarist and songwriter asked everyone if they could make their mum cry. I always remembered this as odd.

We would stay in contact with 'The Hinnies' and see them whenever they played anywhere up north. Then next time I saw them was in Preston, they were on The 'Strollercoaster tour' a spoof of the Jesus and Mary Chain's recent tour but this one for not so famous bands. We were sat backstage myself and a couple of mates from my band talking with a couple of 'The Hinnies' when John 'fat bastard' Beast of Carter infamy and tour organiser walked past and warned everyone about smoking weed backstage. Just as soon as we had finished dismissing him an over excited bouncer stormed in like he was a member of the SAS. He proceeded to find a tiny piece of solid on the floor and started to interrogate everyone with in the face over the top behaviour, now I would have dismissed him but then I knew no better, none of us did. Except Roger 'Hinnie' when confronted by this officious oaf he merely told him calm and simply to 'fuck off' and he did, well from him and back to us.

Later, half a dozen of us were escorted by the Police into the back of the van and onto Preston nick. Here we had to take off belts and shoelaces and give names and addresses and all looked and felt a bit stupid. Again except for Roger who when questioned on occupation simply replied 'musician'.
I was so jealous and in awe.

We spent the rest of the night in the cells, which was quite exciting, something in a perverse sense I'm glad I have achieved. We may not have been as rock and roll as 'The Hinnies' but they were from London, we were from Fleetwood and back home recounting our stories we felt every bit as rock and roll.

The Hinnies went on to record one album and split up, if you get the chance to hear it do as it was and still is a great album, if released today I'm sure it would have been a massive hit, well if the Stereophonics can make money, where's the justice?

Paul Burke

Pitch & Putt

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Most Miserable Songs

Magic Dirt

The Man from Delmonte

The Hinnies

The Show Turkey Shoot! Xmas 2004