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Just recently I wrote about how poorly some British tourists/expats behave when they live/travel abroad. And I also acknowledged that my own fellow countrymen, Australians, can be just as guilty of bad behaviour as those Brits.
Well, in the last 48 hours those words have come to bite me in the *** because I have just played host to four of the rudest young Australians I think I have ever met. And such a shame too as they were four young girls from Manly ( my old home town ) and were graduates of a school I knew well…North Sydney Girls High.
Ha. One of those snobby schools most Sydney-siders would say - and I suppose they are correct. One would expect better manners from young ladies who had attended a school which does not accept just anyone. But then again…you have the combination of well-off parents, ‘Daddy’s girls’ who have always had whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it and a good example of what happens when certain young people lead a relatively spoilt and sheltered life.
When they go out into the big, wide world and come face to face with the harsh realities of life they simply do not know how to cope when Daddy is not there to run to.
These four little maids decided it was okay to place an order for a meal in our establishment and then not bother to leave their rooms to come and eat it; despite the food being prepared and readied for them. They were charged for the ingredients bought ( involving expensive seafood ), the time spent preparing the food and the fact that I had to throw it all in the bin.
They are not aware of the fact that should you order a meal in a restaurant and then get up and leave just as the meal arrives - for no reason other than you just cannot be bothered to sit and eat it - you are expected to pay for it. They seem to be ignorant of the fact that when you are a consumer you pay up for goods and services rendered…
Not these four. Personally, the sight of four over-indulged 19 year old females stamping their spoilt little feet and screaming abuse at being asked to pay for something they owed money for is not just a pathetic sight…it is a damning indictment on how young people are turning out today.
I have two sons in their age group and if I ever found out they had treated a business owner, or any other person, in such a manner I would be furious with them. That’s not how I raised them. Then again, my kids never had anything handed to them on a plate. A good education yes…a European holiday all expenses paid by Daddy - no.
And one last thing. As an Australian, I felt embarrassed by them. Remember this; when you are abroad the locals will judge your country by the way you behave.
Please. Don’t let the side down.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.Popularity: 7% [?]
If music be the food of life then call me a glutton.
Music has formed a continuous thread throughout my life and will always continue to do so. It lifts, it transports; it makes one forget and it makes one dream. It inspires tears, laughter, joy…expresses sorrow and all those intangible things in between - music is perhaps the most evocative medium we have.
To me composers seem to live their lives in phases. And what better way to celebrate a composers phase or two, or three…than to capture them on CD. One of my fave composers, Australian Phillip Wilcher, has recently seen a selection of his works to date released on CD to celebrate his big Five-O and I have had the pleasure of listening to this recording featuring some of the works which have formed a path for this man to the present day.
‘Into his Countenance’ is now released and is a fitting birthday present for a composer who writes music that is just made to be remembered. I often think that Phillip’s music is a combination of past and present…melodic (an absolute necessity in music in my opinion); romantic, edgy, impressionistic - Dali painted for the ‘eye’, Phillip ‘paints’ for the ear…
And when this is all combined with interpretation by the most astute of musicians - people who not only champion Phillip’s works but are also dear friends - you have quite simply, a gem. It is all here; the composer’s joy and irrepressible humour - deep insight and personal sadness.
Tolmie Tune written for, and performed by, the wonderfully gifted oboist Rachel Tolmie; a musical joke - proof that composers are not all seriousness - but very often playful and fun. What I love about this piece is that it shows us, that in Rachel’s hands, the oboe is not just the ‘plaintive’ voice of the orchestra we all know and love…it can be childlike, witty and even naughty. Here the oboist is the comedian and is joined in the fun by the versatile pianist John Martin - who get’s the last laugh…?
‘A Rose in Water’: Phillip’s own gift to his beloved mentor Miriam Hyde on her 90th birthday and beautifully played by Jeanell Carrigan. Few pianist’s have the gift of that ‘sympathetic touch’ with their instrument as Jeanell does. Few musicians can truly convey exactly what the composer felt when they wrote a particular piece - this is never more evident than in ‘One Tuesday in September’ . Written following the events of 9/11, the piece describes the composer’s reaction to that devastating event.
‘Into His Countenance’ is the title piece and surely the most personal work for the composer to date; written in the weeks following his mother’s death, and played by the inspired choice of flute and string orchestra, Phillip tells us of the journey of one woman’s soul towards ‘the countenance of God’. Not a final journey by any means - the soul is finite, we will never know just where a soul begins but we do know that it never ends.
The melody, played so beautifully by flautist Amanda Muir, has a floating quality which conveys sensitively the transition the soul makes as it becomes part of another time and place; it is a journey we are all part of eventually and with the strings of the Bourbaki Ensemble the music revisits a time when the pain of letting go, combined with the discovery of something so deeply spiritual, inspired a determination to honour his mother’s life. What better way to do this than through music…
There is so much to enjoy on this CD; music that is fresh, vibrant and very Wilcher. Of course behind every composer is a publisher and Publications by Wirripang provide that vital encouragement and support to it’s artists. This particular CD release (along with the composer) has been lovingly nurtured by Phillip’s publishers Anne and Brennan Keats. In an industry where composers can be regarded as little more than manufacturers, Anne and Brennan, through their care for the composer as a person, have earned the same respect and affection from their composers that they, in turn, afford them.
And last, but never least, the excellent recording itself; recorded and edited by Peter Bell, his work gives us the wonderful finished product and and is a fine example of his skills.
So what kind of birthday cake do you give a person whose life revolves around notes and key signatures?…I happen to know that Phillip has a leaning towards lemon meringue pie 
I spoke about phases earlier on. One wonders, if present recording technology was available centuries ago, how ‘Mozart at Ten’ or ‘Beethoven - My Romantic Period’ would have been like to capture on CD…we will never know, but one thing is sure - ‘Phillip at 50′ provides plenty for him to be well proud of.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.Popularity: 39% [?]
There is no doubt that Australian television back in the 60’s and 70’s was unique in that it was live, unpredictable, irreverent and just so bloody entertaining. We had the greatest of them all in Graham Kennedy, but when he stepped down his place on our screens was taken by a lanky, Yank from The Bronx - Don Lane and his ’second banana’ Bert Newton. Every Thursday night at 9pm Australians sat down to watch 90 minutes of pure entertainment gold…lets remember some of those unforgettable moments…
* James Randy: James Randy was a famed American magician who also was a proclaimed skeptic of such celebrities as Uri Geller and British Medium Doris Stokes. He claimed to be able to reproduce the same ‘tricks’ they used to fool their audiences - he appeared on the Don Lane show and attempted to prove, through similar trickery, that Geller, Stokes and their ilk were con artists. Don Lane, and admirer of both Geller and Stokes, lost his temper with Randy during the interview and told him to ” Piss off ” on live telelvision. He apologised at the opening of the next show.
* ‘Max’ and the prize draw: A competition draw to select the winner of a car was to feature a new way of drawing the winners name out during the show. A huge cage with tens of thousands of entries was suspended above the studio and the idea was that Don would stand underneath and pull a latch which would cause all the entries to shower down around him so that one could be caught and read out as winner. The latch refused to open and the ensuing drama saw stage hands, cameramen, Don, Bert and the famous ‘Max’ - who was Floor Manager - all attempting to get the cage latch to open and drop the contents. After about ten minutes mayhem ensured with Max making determined efforts to get the latch to open with a long pole - Lane, who had become quite annoyed by now, was seen shouting ” MAX, MAX, LEAVE IT ALONE MAX !! “. The audience screamed with laughter. The winners name was eventually drawn by standing on a ladder and reaching into the cage.
* Sammy Davis Jr: One of the truly priceless moments occurred when Lane’s friend, Sammy Davis Jnr, appeared on the show and just towards the end with about ten minutes to spare decided to sing some songs for the audience. This was totally unscheduled as Davis had just stepped off stage an hour earlier in Melbourne to travel to the studio for his appearance on the Don Lane Show. The audience thought they had died and gone to heaven; even though the national news broadcast was due to begin in ten minutes Don just handed the reins over to Sammy and he began to sing all his famous songs taking the show well over its scheduled air time. Channel Nine boss Kerry Packer watching from his office, realised that television-gold was happening and called Peter Faiman, producer of the Don lane Show, directly. Faiman was about to cut the show to the news but when Kerry Packer gave an order people followed it…that order was ” Leave it on ! “ The show ran one hour over time, but what the heck, when Sammy Davis Jnr was singing who in their right mind would want to see the boring old news ?
* Demis Roussos: This happens to be my own personal favourite moment from the show. Greek singing star Demis Roussos was in Australia touring when Bert came out for the ‘Wheel’ segment dressed head to toe as Roussos. With long black wig, flowing kaftan and kohl-rimmed eyes he sang in Roussos’ falsetto style directly into the camera “Forever and ever and ever I’ll BEEEEE your love”. Suddenly from backstage Roussos himself came out on camera glaring mock-indignantly at Bert who then put on a wonderful act of being surprised and shocked at Roussos appearance. The sight of Roussos chasing his dressed up alter-ego around the studio was something that still makes me cry with laughter.
* Bert as Gene Simmons (KISS): Bert dressed up for the Wheel segment as Gene Simmons from the band, KISS. Absolutely hilarious.
Don Lane and Bert Newton on the cover of TV Week.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.Popularity: 10% [?]
