Journalists, as a rule, don’t write the headlines. They’re designed to catch your attention, especially in our click-based economy, and unfortunately aren’t always an accurate reflection of the story they’re selling. But even as a journalist who knows this all too well, I’m still troubled by one headline from a few years ago that read: “Peter […]
Peter Dutton: Bacon got back Read More »
Not many people would find John Farnham’s You’re The Voice a difficult song to understand. Borrowing from the chorus for a moment, it makes a noise and makes it clear: we all have a role to play in civil society. From its opening line, it’s an imperviously optimistic appeal to human nature’s better angels: “We
You’re the voice. Vote yes Read More »
On Tuesday, Australia’s freshly minted prime minister, Anthony Albanese, drew on the words of a songwriter – and committed socialist – in announcing his first ministry. “Just because you’re going forwards doesn’t mean I’m going backwards,” Albanese said. He was citing one of Billy Bragg’s early songs, To Have And To Have Not, a bitter
Hey ho, let’s go, DJ Albo Read More »
The Australian rock musician Jimmy Barnes had some strong words for the Australian government ahead of a rally on the Parliament House lawn in Canberra to remove children and their families from indefinite detention on Nauru. Tuesday’s rally saw the delivery of a petition of 170,000 signatures to the government by the newly elected member for Wentworth,
Jimmy Barnes calls for kids to be removed from Nauru Read More »
It was October 1984 and Peter Garrett, the frontman for Midnight Oil, should have been riding high. The band’s fifth album, Red Sails In The Sunset, had just topped the Australian charts – the band’s first number one. Instead, he was restless and preoccupied. In his memoir, Big Blue Sky, he admitted he hadn’t contributed much
Midnight Oil: 1984 Read More »
Down by the (supposedly) crocodile-free creek that runs alongside the town of Barunga, an Aboriginal community south-east of Katherine in the Top End, 24-year-old Yirrmal Marika – son of Witiyana, co-singer and clapsticks player for Yothu Yindi – is holding a large crowd in the palm of his hand as he furiously strums a familiar
Words are easy, words are cheap Read More »