Seeking past times

Shortis and Simpson often appear with offsiders and this was one and it was apt, given the theme was 1966 and all that, about that key year in popular music when The Beatles released Rubber Soul and Revolver and the offsider was a member of The Seekers, the Australian folk outfit who had kept the fab four and The Monkeys at bay with hits in the US  and Britain and Australia.  The offsider himself was band bassist and singer Keith Potger who happens to live outside Canberra and close enough to John and Moya.  These may be inspirational artists but they are also local.  And this may be the past that they were singing, but it was close for many in the audience who could singalong when called for, not least me.  But then these are key songs of a key year so widely known: big names, like Dylan, the Beach Boys.  WE hear do the Seekers performing with The Beatles and Rolling Stones at the New Musical Express Poll Winners gig that year, along with Dusty Springfield, Spencer Davis, Tom Jones, The Who, Yardbirds, perhaps more.  Big!  Cream, Hendrix, The Doors, the Monkeys and Zappa were also mentioned, although not at that gig.  So this was a big year and this was our take on this story.  I can't list the tunes, but some stuck, mostly Beatles but others including our Seekers.  The Beach Boys were a response to the Beatles and we heard God only knows what I'd do without you, which Paul McCartney apparently noted as the best pop song ever.  I knew the song, not so much as a fan, but hearing it again struck me with its truly glorious melody.  Other stuff happened that year, too, decimal currency, Menzies switching to Harold Holt, the Opera House NSW Government/Jorn Utzon split that we heard recounted as The tantrum of the opera.  Nice!  And I liked the politics of another later in the night, Dangers from the Right, to the music of Strangers in the night, obviously enough.  I also loved Keith's harmony on Homeward bound, sung by his partner Elizabeth Hawkes: probably the closest I heard to the luscious tones of the Seekers.  So a joyous and informative visit to 1966, getting on to high hippy times and the Summer of love and its downfall at Altamont.  It's all history and lovely to revisit a relatively optimistic year.

John Shortis (piano, vocals) and Moya Simpson (vocals) performed 1966 and all that at Smiths with ex-Seeker Keith Potger (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Elizabeth Hawkes (vocals).

Sober on Bacchanalia

There are a string of musical communities in Canberra and I've touched on just a few in these pages but it can be eye-opening to visit others.  I remember playing with the Cashews and how overwhelmed I was, and that was a group I'd heard of but not heard.  So the opportunity to visit the organisers of one community was revelatory.  Shortis and Simpson were running one of their Under the Influence sessions where they explore the lives and activities of, this time, Nigel and Beth, beloved hosts at Smiths Alternative.  So we visited family and country roots, studies (science and art), influences and a history of their exploits as musicians and local musical promoters, through the Canberra Musicians Club and McGregor Hall and the Backyard Bacchanalia and now Smiths Alternative.  In fact, along the way we also learnt of S&S's pathways, some shared with B&N and even soundman Bevan.  I've touched on both their communities at times, but being somewhat single minded missed out on the Bacchanalia and more.  But what I took from this session was awe at B&N's work over time and Nigel's perceptive, often humourous songwriting and Beth's lovely voice and quite magical harmonies.  How's this for a telling line: "Love is better left to experts /.../ Love is better served at breakfast".   I was not the only one to draw breath at this one.  Interestingly, we also touched on the history of S&S, especially in relation or in crossovers with B&N, and even with Bevan.  Interesting to see them all come together in this most inviting and varied and bohemian space that is Smiths Alternative for this visit to the lives of Nigel and Beth.

Moya Simpson and John Shortis ran a musical interview session with Nigel McRae and Beth Tully at Smiths.

The pleasure of displeasure

It's hard to laugh at the state of the world these days, not least the state of Australian politics, but it's easier when you are in an obviously like-minded group. Even more so when you realise you'd missed a few things that they'd caught. That's a fairly rare occurrence for me, as I keep abreast of the news, but I'd missed that Pauline Hanson had mistaken (or misspoken?) NRMA for NRA. ScoMo mostly doesn't make such errors although his lump of coal in Parliament will never be lived down. But that was another political year, not 2019, which was what Shortis and Simpson were serenading and recounting. They are a great local treasure, or perhaps Bungendorian pleasure, but not known widely like the Wharf Review. Not quite as flash professional but equally witty. It was a sad story they had to tell, the political story of 2019, and the laughs were tragicomedy rather than belly, until their spoonerism routine came towards the end of the night. How clever was that! ... to quote another theme of the political year. Aptly they started with just that, singing "How good is Australia / How good is 2019" with ScoMo providing the first notes. As the marketer he is, he'd no doubt consider this a great success, his line searing into the thought patterns of the country. The next song was of the drought, again, searing into the thought of the country, with no thanks to the LNP. Then on through the characters, Bill and Albo and Trump. I won't give away the joke, but the decision on the relevant element for ScoMo, after he was dubbed "Man of Titanium" by Trump was a great laugh. Folau got in there with a Mark Twain quote I'd never heard "Go to Heaven for the climate, to Hell for the company". Then on through the Prince of Whales (apparently another mistake, this time by Trump, and also one I'd missed). Then horses and 11,000 climate scientists and Hawkie's demise and Boris/Brexit, of course, and the election and the surplus and School excursions to Parliament and Greta and a few shorties on Medievac, NSW Abortion bill, NBN and an encore on their home town, inviting ScoMo to Bungendor-ière. And lessons, too, for Canberra locals who drive through, about the bears and that mysterious hubcap. Well, I never! We ended in uproarious laughter but the year remains what it was. Bad and probably just getting worse.

Shortis and Simpson are John Shortis (vocals, piano, ukelele) and Moya Simpson (vocals) and they performed their annual political satire show at Smiths.

That time again

It's that time of year. The buildings are aglow at night and we celebrate Canberra Day and enlighten ourselves with Shortis & Simpson appearing with a historian mate to explore a past year of our national history. It's apt that it should be in Canberra and it occurs at the National Archives. After all, the records were made here and later stored and released here, even if they were decided on by visiting ministers. This year they were investigating 1988/89. S&S looked at the social circumstances and Nicholas Brown, their new offsider ANU historian, looked at cabinet documents. I amuse myself by thinking of these as a double act, S&S as the funny man and NB as the straight man, but Nicholas was witty enough in his own right/write. There's an impressive amount of work in this and it deserves much greater awareness. John Simpson spends many hours in the National Library leading up to this event and he and Moya create a truly impressive cabaret-like visit to the era in words and song. 1988/89 were the era of Bob Hawke and rising tension with Keating over leadership; the cheapest mobile phone cost $2,796; it was the time of the first commercial Internet, GPS, email; Australia had the most McDonalds in the world per head; a Sunbeam frypan cost $59.95; Mandela was still in prison; George Bush Snr won an election; it was the time of the Bicentenary and Charles & Dianna at Sydney Harbour and protests and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody following the Brewarrina race riots of 1987; pilots' pay dispute and the Kiribilli Agreement; Tienanmen Square Gorbachev and Glasnost (the Berlin Wall fell in 1989) and Home & Away; the new Parliament House was opened. S&S sang songs from the year to accompany the history lesson: Bette Midler Wind beneath my wings; Kylie I should be so lucky; Louis Armstrong (returned from the grave) What a wonderful world; Bangles Burning flame; Cher If I could turn back time; Crowded House Better be home soon; Paul Kelly Dancing on his grave; Celebration of a nation; Tracey Chapman Fast car; Bobby McFerrin Don't worry be happy; Proclaimers 500 miles; maybe others. It was also the time of the first ACT election resulting an in assembly containing four members who didn't approve of self-government after 2 months counting of the metre-wide ballot paper. And Jo Bjelke-Petersen and the Fitzgerald Inquiry and Peacock/Howard and a better national awareness of the Separation of Powers.

Nicholas Brown started with a joke but soon resumed more academic rigour. He spoke on the politics of the time after release of Cabinet papers. Interestingly, these are the formal papers presented to Cabinet. The Cabinet Notebooks (~= minutes of Cabinet) are held for 50 years. There were strains in government and Australia. The Labor government were putting through a broad-ranging set of neo-liberal changes and not all was well. The election theme was "Let's stick together". A new language entered public policy: micro-economic reform; productivity; restrictive work practices; incentives; reciprocal obligations (and you thought this was all Liberal thinking?). Keating spoke of a "new social contract" and "bring[ing] home the bacon". Hawke spoke of "no child living in poverty". There were disenfranchised groups, divisions in cabinet, retrenchments, rising interest rates. There was the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) and the Accord Mk4. HECS arrived and there were immigration reforms, ATSIC was created and the environment became an issue. John Button spoke of a "productive culture" and the MFP (Multi-Function Polis)idea was floated. Keating spoke of Placido Domingo. Qualitatively, NB spoke of the strong work of the APS, the well-argued policy papers, the strength of ministers to push for change. Perhaps this is personal memory, but it was a time of turmoil in Australia under a government that implemented harsh changes but at least tried to support the losers, if not always with success, and the "recession we had to have" was coming. But there were winners, too, and it led to the Australian "miracle economy" that we are seeing fade right now.

To some degree this is nostalgia - certainly many in the audience would remember this time - but also it's serious and important history and it's ours and there are a million quotes to argue that we should know it. S&S are our local gems and they make a formidable intellectual team with Nicholas Brown. Catch them whenever you can. Shortis & Simpson are John Shortis (piano, chatter, vocals and extensive research) and Moya Simpson (chatter, vocals). They were accompanied by Dr Nicholas Brown (ANU historian).

John Shortis' new history website

What goes with acid-wash

I've said before that Shortis & Simpson are local gems and I stand by it. Capable musicians with wide knowledge of popular song and political wit in a cabaret package. S&S are a Canberra institution and how perfect are they for this town with its seat of government, as disappointing as it may sometimes be! We got to another of their Out of the Cabinet annual series. It's held at the National Archives of Australia, it looks at recently released Cabinet documents in music and in more prosaic historical form, with a summary from the NAA's resident historian. What a lark.

The year was 1986/87. Hawke and Keating were in power. Unleaded petrol cost 51cpl; a house in Duffy sold for $79K; DINKs, acid-wash jeans and scrunchies were just discovered; the first computer virus arrived and Email was still the name of a fridge. Halley's comet arrived with the grim reaper and Badgery's Creek was on the agenda (some things never change). An early mobile phone conversation between Peacock and Kennett was hacked and caused ructions in the Opposition. Keating was the Boy from Ipanema with the Banana republic and other brilliant putdowns. Jo blew the Coalition's election by going for PM and The Moonlight State led to the Fitzgerald Commission and the exposure of corruption up north. It was the International Year of Peace if we ignore Libya, Nicaragua, Arms to Iran and Starwars. Marcos fell and we were more interested in Imelda's shoes. Chernobyl led to Sting's haunting song, Russians ("We share the same biology / Regardless of ideology / What might save us, me, and you / Is if the Russians love their children too"). Hawkey promised no child would be living in poverty by 1990. And MFP, Fiji coups, Defence White paper (anothery),Collins Class subs, Land Rights legislation, Maralinga Royal Commission (there's a RC with a real purpose), Qld & Tassie forests, blonde jokes (how did that get in there?), Neighbours and Kylie, final Countdown, Lady Gaga b. 1986, Andie married Fergie and Malcolm Fraser was caught with his pants down (we ignore that he was doing worthy international work at the time). As for songs, think, Crowded House Don't dream it's over, Paul Simon Gracelands, Cyndi Lauper True colours, U2 Joshua Tree and Hunters & Collectors' enduring Australian anthem Throw your arms around me. John gathers all this after extensive time in the National Library combining with his love of popular music. On stage, he's piano and harmony and chatter. Moya is chatter and song with malleable voice ("Donald Malcolm Where's Your Troosers") and tongue-in-cheek wit. Dr Jim Stokes is their straight-man and occasional whipping boy. This was Jim's last Cabinet show after his recent retirement.

We were there that year as were the many grey hairs in the audience. No surprise there: it's great as a relived memory while perfectly good as history for others. Great mirth and pleasure and intelligence and even a bit of wisdom amongst the laughs from S&S, another discrete Canberra gem. Shortis & Simpson are John Shortis (piano, chatter, vocals and extensive research) and Moya Simpson (chatter, vocals). They were accompanied by Dr Jim Stokes (NAA historian, retired).

An open Cabinet

The host introduced 1984/1985 as years of memories from childhood, but it was a lot closer to most of the audience, and to Megan and me too. We were at the National Archives to see Shortis & Simpson, the humourous and clever musical duo who sing of politics and Canberra, and in this case, pop culture. We were also there for Dr Jim Stokes and his summary of recently released Cabinet papers from the years 1984/1985. Something I didn’t know is that Labor recently reduced the waiting period for Cabinet records, and more recent years are being gradually released for inspection and study. Thus two years.

There’s a lot of work in this show, on both sides. John told of spending two days reading newspapers in the National Library, and then the writing of lyrics for whatever melodies and the learning of the show and jokes and patter. I’m impressed. Shortis & Simpson are a local gem. Clever, funny and informed; knowing but not defeated. In this case, we heard from them of Cyndi Lauper (Girls just wanna have fun, Time after time); what a $1 coin or $100 note would buy (they were each introduced in these years); of dotcom, Apple Mac and Windows (neologisms of the time); Madonna’s rejection for a part in a musical (to Like a virgin and Like a surgeon); of Medicare and the Hawke reelection and of David Lange and nuclear visits and French nuclear and MX missile tests (to Stevie Wonder and Redgum); of Les Mis (first year on the stage in English, in London, and still in the pop culture zeitgeist) , of Abba and Chess (the musical) and Michael Jackson buying up rights to the Beatles songbook; of Green and gold for sports and Mondo Rock and Wham. At one stage, Moya said “For baby boomers like us, the more we move into the ‘80s, the harder the songs are to love”. I’m sure the audience sympathised.

Then the serious stuff, with Jim rushing headlong through Australian political history. Bob Hawke, family tribulations, tax summit, The Gang of Four, Peacock and Howard, bank reform, MX missiles and Palm Sunday peace marches, Anzus and NZ, Lionel Murphy, the Accord, Button’s Car plan, the Australia card, Royal Commissions - Evatt’s on chemicals in Vietnam (read Agent Orange) and McClelland’s on British Nuclear tests in Australia (read Maralinga) - affirmative action and women in the workplace and land rights and the continuing story of illegal immigrants (not then boat people, as I remember). Even Cabinet agreement for a Bill of Rights, which was something I didn’t remember. Now, that’s a big list, and the issues are important and this was over only 2 years, or perhaps less. It helps to view this from a distance. One thing I realise is that many of those themes continue. Many reforms get put on the backburner for reasons of politics. Some get settled (GST); others linger like a bad smell. Also, how good is a government that achieves so much. It makes you admire the leadership we had then. Keating with his razor wit and Hawke with his public affability. Jim mentioned some elements leading to Hawke’s success: consensus, management skills and hard work. It was Hawke/Keating Labor that did those economic changes that the dries claim and love (deregulation, banking and financial reform, floating the dollar; the consumption tax/GST waited for Howard to claim) but they did it in a way that recognised issues of winners and losers (distribution of wealth) and consensus. We have issues with poverty but we are nowhere near the 1%-99% societies courtesy of Thatcher and Reagan. Also, we are the ones in the comfy position in world economic terms, so their inequality hasn’t even served those economies. Enough on this, but it gets you thinking. The Archives are one component in knowing our history through evidence rather than through ideology and/or ignorance.

S&S finished off with another few snippets of pop history. Movies (1984, that’s obvious, but others), Thatcher’s win over miners to the accompaniment of Sting (We work the black seam together), Neighbours (apparently the first, unsuccessful incarnation was on Channel 7 in 1985, before it moved to Channel 10 and international success a fews years later), and to a finish on Leonard Cohen’s classic song Hallelujah.

The other pics are from the touching NAA exhibition On their own : British child migrants. “More than 100,000 children were sent from Britain to Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth countries through child migration schemes from the 1860s onwards. / The lives of these children changed dramatically and fortunes varied. / Some succeeded in creating new futures. Others suffered lonely, brutal childhoods. All experienced disruption and separation from family and homeland.” (http://www.naa.gov.au/visit-us/exhibitions/on-their-own/index.aspx, viewed 2 Feb 2013). Another eason to visit the Archives.

Shortis & Simpson are local gems, no doubt about that, but so are the worthy and informed branches of the APS such as our National Archives and their quietly informed people. All components, if not always conspicuous, of this interesting city of Canberra. Shortis & Simpson are John Shortis (piano, vocals) and Moya Simpson (vocals). They came out of the Cabinet at the National Archives of Australia with Dr Jim Stokes (researcher).

Tragic but ya gotta laugh

Our recent politics has been tragic and to survive, you’ve just gotta laugh. Julia and Tony battling it out and political parties purposeless and denialism and emotionalism rife. So last night we set out to have a laugh with our excellent local political satirists, Shortis and Simpson, supported by The House Howlers and the Shiny Bum Singers.

The House Howlers are a choir from the Parliament House Press Gallery; the Shiny Bums are our renowned public service choir. They all take the mickey by relyricising popular tunes to hilarious results. Some quotes will give you the idea: “Canonisation / that’s the name of the game / with each veneration / they play it the same” on Mary McKillop and the Catholic Church; “Greens to the left of me / Katter to the right / Here I am, stuck in the middle with you” on our minority Federal government; “I am rich / I’ll pay for anything / I am Malcolm [Turnbull]” to the tune of I am woman; “I should have danced all night” on the unfortunate consequences of the Office Christmas party. Singing upmarket with Bizet’s Carbon and an amusing history of all the Prime Ministers, and downmarket to Rocky Horror. As for S&S, I’ve written about them here before and they were just as entertaining this time. They presented new material and some older material updated, but always with their good humour, sharp tongue and professional cabaret presentation. Last time I heard them at Vivaldi’s with a grand piano and a bar environment which was great for the intimate and inclusive context. This was a bigger show with a bigger venue and bigger support. Who could forget the drunk spoonerist and the rolling of Rudd or the “two Wongs and a White”. I was surprised by some unexpectedly touching tunes. One was about Edward Barton who lived in an attic, cooking over embers, a classical scholar who would rather speak latin with the Pope, but had to lead a cabinet of Kings. Another was on the live export of cattle and how their treatment was well known for 11 years before our recent moral and political panic. I especially enjoyed the final tunes for each set where S&S were supported by the combined choirs. The first was the heavy and repetitive “We don’t need no tax on carbon … Hey, Gillard, leave our cash alone” to the tune of Pink Floyd’s Brick in the wall. The second was the wittily worded anthem on the Liberal Party presidency, “Give Reith a chance” to the tune of Lennon & Ono’s Give peace a chance. That had us all singing and waving our arms which was no surprise: it’s an infectious song and obviously of the era of this boomer audience. Great times, great wit, great laughs and even some seriousness. S&S are a local gem.

Talkin’ ‘bout our politicians*

“Queer old dean” is a well-known spoonerism, and “shining wit” is a funny put down and the one I know best of all I won’t write here. Shortis and Simpson didn’t use any of these, but the most talked-about song of the night was the “bloke from the bar” act that was replete with all manner of original and challenging and political figures of speech. Like “bop the stoats” (=stop the boats) or “Oh Jockey” (=Joe Hockey). These are obvious enough, but they come at breakneck speed so not it’s easy to catch them all. “No more Revin Kudd / on the job 74/2 / the fart smeller” or “what an uck fup / they’re all a wunch of bankers”. You get the idea: lively wit and political awareness required. The bloke finished it all to raves and cheers and summed up somewhat touchingly: “Pong for one lolly / that could give us soap in our holes”. Shortis and Simpson were in performance for the Friends of the ABC as they closed their ACT branch, so a desire for soap in our holes is not at all out of place. Our politics is desperate and bedraggled these days, so we can do with some hope, and for that matter, some soap.

S&S were a cabaret romp through the fields of recent political theatre: the elections, and pomp, the triviality and disappointments. They’ve been good years for disappointments and S&S don’t miss a beat. A mix of songs we know and love, somewhat altered in lyrics and intent, joined with originals and chatter. It’s foot tapping, humourous, intelligent, but with a wry and serious side. “Rudd is in the air” (from Love is in the air). “Two Wrights and a Wong” amongst a list of parliamentarians in our “well hung Parliament”. Or on election debate worms: “A worm is a turning thing” (from Wheel of fire) or “They’re only worms / and worms are all I have / to send the votes away” (from It’s only words). Or for Mark Latham when he ambushed Julia Gillard during the election: “Disastrous Mark is lurking in the Park (from Macarthur Park, of course), then the election “Suddenly / there’s a place that’s hanging over me / an election booth I have to be” (from Yesterday). Or a few for the mad monk: the paeon to Bad Abbott (from Bad Habit) and the rollicking “Canonisation / that’s the name of the game / with each veneration / you play it the same” (from Multiplication). You get the picture. If this all makes sense to you, catch Shortis & Simpson. Put on your thinking caps and don’t be too precious. Excellent satire and perfect political entertainment for Canberra insiders and fellow travellers.

*Somewhat forced, but sung to the tune of Talkin’ ‘bout our generation / The Who

Canberra cantata (Sat 1)

First of a double bill for this Saturday was the Canberra Cantata. It’s a new work in cabaret style. Not a serious, staid cantata with glorious rising choral work, but a joyful, tongue in cheek look at Canberra from a local cabaret star, and featuring some well-known local names. Peter J Casey was the composer and presenter, and a pianist and singer for several tunes. The other performers ranged widely indeed.

The show started with the Royal Military College (acronym: RMC) All Stars Big Band and continued with 13 tunes played by a rich range of artists. The Canberra Youth Choir sang a tune composed to the words of a local primary school student, Keean Walton, a paen to Canberra life called “I love where I live”. Natalie Magee teamed with Peter J Casey and the RMC band for a skit on Northside/Southside rivalries. The Singing Ambassadors (as far as I know, these were 12 real, honest ambassadors) sang about their appointments to Canberra in a song called “Tiger look at this”. They obviously enjoyed their unison singalong, and carried it off with aplomb. A classical trio (Suzanne Powell, piano; Anne Ewing, cello; Nicole Canham, clarinet) played the “Roundabout rondo”, dedicated to roundabouts on Canberra roads: nice one. The Gay and Lesbian Qwuire sang a deliciously beautiful love song written for same-sex marriages called “For all of us”. The RMC Band played a rousing big band tune with shouts of Canberra acronyms, appropriately called “TLA” (=Three Letter Acronym). John Shortis and Moya Simpson performed a tune dedicated to “Stasia the Soup Lady”, an institution in Canberra for many years. Lucy Bermingham, Moya Simpson and classical soprano Louise Page jokingly sang “Don’t make me choose” (between the Brumbies and the Raiders). Peter J Casey himself sang a tune about writing and performing the cantata, complete with a topical reference. Louise Page teamed again with Suzanne Powell and Nicole Canham on a tender piece (“Beautiful”) that spoke of the cockies that appeared in Canberra after the fires of a few years back. Four names were memorialised (Alison, Peter, Douglas, Dorothy), presumably the four lost in our local disaster. More happily, Queenie Van de Zandt sang with the RMC band about Canberrans making their names overseas but returning (We move back home). The show ended with a lively bash from the Big Band, with a string of solos, including Reuben Lewis who was sitting in on trumpet, and a wonderful, rolling drum solo from Amanda Waite, who I reported playing with Zip in my first post on CJBlog.

The other star of the show was the Llewelyn Hall. It’s been refurbished after a lengthy repair and restoration following a damaging hailstorm over a year ago. The new hall is decked with soft timbers and raked seating, to give improved wood infected acoustic and better audience ambience. It sounded rich and sweet to me, although there was a good bit obviously passing through the PA on the day. Being free and part of the Canberra International Music Festival, it was well attended by families young and old, again typically Canberran. I had a nursing mother on one side with a cute 12 week old girl and a toddler behind me continuingly observing the bebe (=baby), bebe, bebe, bebe…. A very pleasant event, and an opportunity to hear these singers and musicians I miss in the core jazz scene. Much enjoyed.