Bring on the Beautiful Life

AdP from their viral KEXP performance in Feb 2026

This place is driving me crazy. ‘Straya - the assume they’re Lucky Country. Here’s the extract that garnered that predominantly hackneyed phrase - “Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people's ideas, and, although its ordinary people are adaptable, most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity about the events that surround them that they are often taken by surprise.” So yeah. The empty-headed, confirmation-biased, mean, muckraking and just plain false bullshit being thrown about. In discussions amongst acquaintances, friends, as news, as opinion, as “facts”, as alternative “facts”, as emotional responses and all in just the plain absence of anything worthwhile or real is sickening and insulting. Back in the 90s they promised us a golden age of information, a panacea of knowledge for us all. Now, the internet may as well be a squalid wall that any fool can write their stupid graffiti on. It’s making me sick. Fortunately, there’s a few bright spots to think about. Last week, Angus Taylor blew the dog whistle and lots of them came running to him. The dogs are scared and they need the reassurances. It’s not enough that our very own political Ronald McDonald says all the things they so desperately want to hear… oh yes, they want the big, loud dog whistle. Thus, Hanson will soon be wringing her hands and Gina will be sad. That will be fun, but nowhere near as joyous as leaning into Angine de Poitrine. »»»»» When I first heard them, sans visuals, in a Berlin kitchen just a couple of months back, I thought it might be confected rubbish. Then I saw their visage and knew immediately things were quite the opposite. And I could go on talking about what they do, but that’s easy to learn given how viral they are, but sometimes, you get what you need. For me this was it - clearly for millions of others too - AI just was never going to throw this up. They make me reflect on my love of Zappa, my 90s fandom for Primus, the “serious” music conceptualisations scattered about from my uni days, the dadaist imagery along with straight up younger person type mirth and absurdity their characters engender. I also love their “interviews”. Thank you, human beings, for this. Thank you thank you thank you. »»»»» More to be thrilled about is the continuing work on a project I have happening in the big smoke. There’s more to come on this, but suffice to say, this new outfit is sounding ever so slightly Kraut-Rock, tossed about with the atmospherics of modal jazz and the languid glissandos of slow western swing and Hawaiian thematics. It’s has inspiring membership and it even has a name. I’m sticking mostly to pedal steel for this band, having to also get my head around some fairly complex extended harmony, yet having notes in common through stacked intervals. Drones basically. There will also be some regular electric guitar and a composition or two I’ve had floating about for close to two decades. »»»»» The Re-mains have also been fairly active, routineing new material in weekend getaways and also by playing a few shows. We just returned from another successful stint in Melbourne, where with next to no media assistance we managed to pull a slightly larger crew than last October, probably helped along by Van Walker’s excellent new outfit, Badlanders. A great night. Plenty of rock n roll happened. Our long set consisted of around 2/3s new material, so things are coming along well for the three long-players we have planned for staggered release. On the way home, we played a fun show with our great pals Lot 56 at The Tattersalls Hotel in Tocumwal, first place over the border in NSW. Afterwards we sat about the Toc Barrel while an errant huntaway brought a large stick for us to try wrenching from it’s powerful jaws. From there it was only 900km home. »»»» Then it was ANZAC DAY and our homegrown nazi and racist scum figured it was OK to boo the Acknowledgement of Country at several dawn services. Yes, there really are vapid, bigoted arseholes in this place and within my circle of friends. I resist clearing them out, but perhaps that needs to change, for my own sanity. Too easy, ‘Straya. Too easy.

BER/DE