Melbourne Football Club has launched into training, heading towards it's quest for AFL glory in 2012. The team, in the presence of new coach Mark Neeld as well as other new members of the coaching team; Neil Craig and Jade Rawlings took to Gosch's Paddock in front a large Demon crowd. The boys impressed and there were plenty of new faces on the park. Thanks to Carlie my roaming reporter for covering this very important event on the Dees 2011/2012 calendar! If you haven't renewed or grabbed your 2012 membership, do so quickly - you will all need to be part of this amazing ride we are about to embark on. I cannot wait to see my boys take to the MCG in Round 1 - I will be joining them for my 34th year and signing on for my 18th season. Bring it!
C'mon Demons!
Click READ MORE for all the pictures from the Dees first training session for 2012!
Here's the 2012 fixture for the red and blue faithful. A decent draw I reckon, considering we were handed a dream draw last season, we will really have to make up for lost ground and take advantage of our opportunity to dominate early. The Dees start their pre-season training tomorrow at 9:30am at Gosch's Paddock. If you are going, get in touch, I'd be more than happy to post your photos up on theaussieword to share with supporters. Bring on Round 1 at footy's mecca!
Click READ MORE to see the complete draw for Melbourne in season 2012.
Our Queen of Pop, Kylie Minogue has been spotted arriving at a London office sporting a sexy black tight-fit number! These pictures proving our girl is in great shape, happy and still flaunting what her mamma gave her!
Darren Hayes performs a Savage Garden medley with X Factor contestants
Darren Hayes wowed the X Factor crowd last night with an amazing performance of new Aussie single Bloodstained Heart as well as a very special Savage Garden medley. We were treated to Savage Garden hits To The Moon and Back, I Want You and a personal favourite Affirmation. Darren appeared back on stage to perform Bloodstained Heart - this one is a must see, it was nothing short of spectacular! Darren Hayes arrives in Melbourne for his show 'The Secret Tour' at the Forum this time next week (November 2nd) - limited tickets available, people of Melbourne, make sure you get along and support!
Darren Hayes - Bloodstained Heart Live on the X Factor
Dolly Parton takes us behind the scenes in episode 9 of the Dolly Parton webisode series. Watch as she takes us through the filming of the first single from the brand new album Better Days.
Duck Sauce have revealed their new video Big Bad Wolf to the world. Watch and judge for yourself...You have been warned! Parental Guidance is recommended....better still I'm upgrading the classification to an MA18+.
Michael Bolton will be performing with Orchestra Victoria at the Regent Theatre in April 2012. The tour focusing on Bolton paying homage to Luciano Pavarotti. This is Michael Bolton, the man who gave us eight top ten albums and a mammoth nine #1 singles around the world. He's a Grammy legend and he will be here - hair locks and all.
JAMES LEON, the London based singer/songwriter caught up with me for this very special exclusive interview. Having released two singles thus far Purple Heart and Caught Up In Your Vanity, James Leon is fast building on his status within the musical industry. There is no doubt we will be hearing plenty more of this young chap as the years go by.
A big thank you to James for taking the time out of his busy schedule to catchup with myself in this special interview.
So tell us, who
is James Leon?
Well I am a London based singer and songwriter; I’ve been playing clubs and festivals,
slowly building a following. I’ve released two independent singles ‘Purple
Heart’ and ‘Caught Up In Your Vanity’ both of which got quite a lot of
attention from music blogs e.t.c. I’ve been recording tracks for some time, so
now seemed a good moment to put some of the material I have worked on together
and get an album out there.
For me being a songwriter is an integral part of who I am, I write all
the time – it really important means of self expression as much as anything.
But equally I love performing, when I am on stage it does feel kind of feel like
second nature. I’m huge music fan
myself, I love pop – and what I always aim to be is a pop artist but in a way
that is hopefully interesting, with some depth and in a way which is unique to
me. An American guy described my music as ‘super-fun but real’ which I thought
was great, because if I was going to sum it up I couldn’t ask for something
better really.
James Leon - Purple Heart
What first got
you interested in music?
Well music was always around at home growing up, my parents used to play all
kinds of stuff such as Elton John, The Carpenters, Michael Jackson, lots of
70’s/ 80s music. I was obsessed with ABBA as a kid (and still am!) – which
really wasn’t ‘cool’ then, and I actually remember trying to write a song in
their style when I was about 8 years old. I was always moved in quite a
powerful, overwhelming way by songs even when I was really young. That made me
really want to write songs myself, so even from that age I was writing lyrics
and coming up with little melodies. Because I was quite shy, and because it
didn’t seem like something viable – it took a long time to actually admit to
myself that it was something I really wanted to do and to begin pursuing it
seriously, that came much later.
What are some of
the biggest goals that you hope to accomplish as an artist?
Well obviously in this business you aim high, I would love to have an
album that was successful around the world. To do a proper tour and visit
different countries would be great, I’ve picked up some fans from different
parts of the world via the net and it would be great to be able to build on
that. I think if I’m honest, perhaps in the past I would have dreamt of huge
stardom but while I guess there is always a part of you that likes the idea of
that – I am sure it would actually be a huge amount of pressure in reality and
I would be happy to be able to have a more steady, sustainable level of
success. To be able to have a lasting career in music, maintain a fan base, and
be able to keep making music, developing all the ideas I have and performing
would be amazing.
Your album ‘Never Been Cool’ is out now.
Can you tell us about it?
The album is a collection of tracks that I have
worked on over quite a long period of time. Being an independent artist this is
the only way I have been able to do it, but as a result each song I feel
represents a specific moment in my life. I’ve really tried to make them hang together
in a coherent way though and hopefully I’ve managed that. I guess the overall
style would be classed as electro/pop, but I flirt with different influence and
styles – more dance orientated on some tracks such as ‘Purple Heart’, a little more
of maybe a rock/new wave influence on the title track, and out and out synth
pop on say ‘The One Before me’.. Many of tracks, if not all, are written from a
personal perspective, expressing things I’ve been going through in my life,
perhaps with a bit of added bit of poetic license here and there. Be that,
relationships, struggle for freedom to do what I want to do with my life, be
who I am, or simply interesting and fun experiences. On some tracks, there is
maybe a certain theme I am writing about e.g. ‘Camera Shy’ which is kind of
about the cult of celebrity but on others such as ‘Bad Guy’ it’s totally about
something personal I’ve gone through myself. One reviewer described it as
feeling like a bit of a journey which is something I hadn’t thought about but
which seems quite apt, because effectively it really is that.
I’d like to think the album touches on the different aspects of who I am,
the emotional side, the fun loving side, the questioning/thinking part of me
etc.
Looking ahead,
what plans have you got coming up?
Well the first thing is I have a (belated) album launch party planned –
because I am still doing all the management and promotional side of things
myself, I wanted just to get the album out there first. Now I’ve had some time
at last to plan this, so will be nice to perform a few tracks, celebrate it
being out there and generally have a bit of a party.
Beyond this, I would love to be able to maybe do some kind of tour next
year – we’ll have to see what happens, and I will of course continue to promote
the album. I have been doing a lot of writing again recently so am keen to get back
in the studio, so hopefully there will be some new material next year.
Was it difficult
starting out, like getting your music out, getting noticed?
To be honest, yes it was
really hard. I didn’t go to stage school or anything like that, and I didn’t
grow up with people who were into making music, so I had no idea how to follow
this path and it is constantly a learning curve. It’s been a case of one step
at a time; I became friends with someone who encouraged me to start turning my
lyrics into songs, wrote some tracks with them then found a producer to do my
first demo with. From there I started gigging. I think social networking and
blogs have turned things around in many ways, because before then it was just a
case of sending music off to record companies etc and trying to get people to
come to your gigs. But with social networking you can get people all around the
world to hear your music, blogs have picked up on my music this way and this
has given me a platform to work from. I’ve definitely worked very hard and
struggled quite a bit – funding my music myself, organising my own gigs, releasing
stuff independently etc. But more recently this seems to slowly be starting to
pay off with the interest I am getting in my music now, which is really
rewarding. It is a really good feeling to put an album out there and know
you’ve done it on your terms, of course people have collaborated and helped me
with stuff but there is no big machinery behind me and ultimately it is all my
own project. There’s definitely a big sense of achievement in that.
Who are your career influences?
Well I often get comparisons with 80’s synth acts like The Human League,
The Pet Shop Boys, Erasure etc – all of which I love and no doubt have been
influenced by. The Pet Shop Boys especially being an act that I’ve always
looked up to, Neil Tennant – great lyricist, and consistently clever,
intelligent and above all great pop songs.. But my influences are much broader
than that, obviously I’ve already mentioned ABBA who I just think were amazing
songwriters, superb singers with the best production ever, so much more than
just the cheesy, kitsch band associated with Dancing Queen that they are often
seen as. Blondie are another band whose spirit and attitude I totally love, so
pop and mainstream yet punk and did it on their own terms. Debbie Harry –
amazing, one of my all time idols so cool and unique, love her ‘couldn’t care a
less attitude’. Success came later to her as well which made her even more her
own person I think. Of course, Madonna has consistently been a great pop artist
and performer, and George Michael in my opinion has one of the best voices ever
and is such an amazing songwriter. More recently, I love all the stuff
Xenomania have done with Girls Aloud – quite envious of some of the songs they
have written, so clever.
James Leon - Caught Up In Your Vanity
Do you use
social networking such as twitter to promote yourself, and how do you find it?
Absolutely, I think these means are essential for any artist today. I
find twitter great really because I’ve been able to make contact with people
who have found my music via this medium, it enables you to get your stuff heard
by people who might not otherwise have done so. It’s really cool being able to
build a relationship with your audience – the people that are supporting you,
when people tweet you and tell you they like your music and love particular
songs its great– it makes all the work that goes into doing this worthwhile. I
think there are music fans out there who really like to be able to discover
something for themselves that has not been fed to them through mass marketing,
Facebook as well is of course really useful and letting people know what you’re
up to, releases, shows e.t.c and for spreading the word.
Michael Buble is set to release a Christmas album this year. The album titled 'Christmas' will feature all the favourites recorded in a very special arrangement, such as the hit All I Want For Christmas Is You, watch the sneak peak video below. For fans pre-ordering the album, they will be treated to 3 bonus tracks, plus an ornament to be tucked inside the extended album covers. Nice work Mikey!
Daryl Braithwaite has been a part of Aussie music for decades, we got hits such as Rise, One Summer, Let Me Be, Higher Than Hope, As The Days Go By, Don't Hold Back Your Love and The Horses. All tracks topped the Australian charts in their own right with single The Horses his biggest fan favourite. Daryl will be releasing a very special DVD shortly, here's the 70 second short...
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be release a very special limited editon live album on vinyl. Only 5000 copies of the record Kiss My Amps (Live) will be pressed for release. Click read more for the official track listing.
'After 14 years, 26 top ten hits including 14 number one singles'.... Westlife are calling it quits. The end. Splitting. Quite a career for the boys who were the biggest exports to come from Ireland and the UK. We will get a Westlife Greatest Hits album which hits stores on November 25 as well as the new single Lighthouse. Watch the behind the scenes footage to Lighthouse below by clicking on READ MORE. We're gonna miss you boys!
Aussie Sydneysider Brendan Maclean will be the supporting act for Darren Hayes when the tour kicks off in Australia in a little over a weeks time. Melbourne's Forum is the place to be to see both boys in action. Darren has been on the receiving end of some rave reviews in London, it will be a warm welcome to Melbourne - a town fond of his talents. Check out this video from Brendan Maclean - this one is 'Cold and Happy'. Few tickets for the November 2 show at the Forum are still available, don't miss it.
Darren Hayes delivers a special insight and behind the scenes look at the making of new album 'Secret Codes and Battleships'. This Friday 21st of October is the official release date for all us Aussies!
Click READ MORE to watch the exclusive behind the scenes preview!
Madonna join the likes of Antonio Banderas, Debbie Harry and Calvin Klein at the premiere party for new flick The Skin I Live In.
Madonna popped in to congratulate Banderas - 20 years after she had her 'moment in the sun' with him on her doco-film Madonna: Truth or Dare. Madge rocked up with current model boyfriend Brahim Zaibat as well as ex Carlos Leon - Lourdes' papa.
A very special sneak peak into some of theaussieword's personal pictures taken from my recent visit to Uluru and Alice Springs. If you are visiting my blog from abroad, this is only some of what our beautiful country Australia has to offer. The trip was amazing. Plenty of rich indigenous influence throughout Ayers Rock and the surrounding Alice Springs community, the aboriginal art culture a major highlight... Words do not do justice. Seeing is believing.
Click the READ MORE link below to visit the exclusive photo roll.
Australian network ABC is rubbing it's hands together with the success of it's latest televised drama series The Slap. Based on Christos Tsiolkas' biggest selling novel, the series has been branded 'bold' and 'provocative'. The 8 episode series stars Alex Dimitriades, Sophie Lowe, Anthony Hayes, Melissa George, Sophie Okonedo, Essie Davis and Jonathan LaPaglia.
That's it folks, it's your last chance to grab those tickets to see Dolly Parton Live In Australia! Dolly has added one more final show to her Australian tour, Sydney the lucky city on November 29.
Melbourne Football Club have poached the services of Mitch Clark from the Brisbane Lions. Clark has accepted the deal, rumoured to be a four year $2.2 million dollar contract. Melbourne has swapped their No.12 NAB AFL Draft Pick for the services of the big forward/ruckman. 2012 is shaping as a mammoth year for the Dees, who have already signed quite an impressive coaching team - lead by Senior coach Mark Neeld.
Watch Tim Harrington and Matt Burgan in this DeeTV update...
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will tour Australia in March - April 2012. The group to take stage at Rod Laver Arena on April 3, tickets go on sale October 18. Expect to hear all the songs you know and love...'Oh What A Night'
Watch the video for December '63...go on, I know you want too!
Change Your Mindis the latest of unreleased tracks to have made it to the world wide web from our very own Miss Kylie Minogue, supposedly left off the Aphrodite album. These hidden gems continue to appear over time, we have had some rare B sides and tunes leaked on the internet that have sounded more like releasable album material. This one, another pop classic!
If you're wondering, Kylie did get in first....way before Alexis Jordan...see what I mean by clicking on READ MORE to listen to the track!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words...especially when they involve players from the Melbourne Football Club. Here are a couple of them. Dees supporters, make of it what you will.
Sneaky Sound System have made a comeback to the Aussie music scene with a catchy new tune 'Big'. Taken from the new album From Here To Anywhere, the group are poised to peak in some new charting success. I'll go out on a limb and say that this new album could just about be their best work...ever! Click READ MORE below to watch the video clip to 'Big'.
Melissa Tkautz, the Sexy Is The Word, Read My Lips and Skin To Skin hit maker is back with a new track 'Something About You'. Melissa, best known for her television soap roles on E Street and Pacific Drive is making new music, this one a catchy pop dance track - just intime for the Aussie summer! Click READ MORE below to watch and listen to the preview.
Chris Isaak returns to Australia to promote the new album Beyond The Sun showcasing some of the legendary names of rock 'n' roll. The new album will feature hit tracks from iconic artists such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. Check READ MORE below to see the track listing and listen to the one of the new tracks!
At first we were afraid and petrified... that Madonna was in fact coming to Australia after a 20 year drought. It was not to be... all the hype, rumor and speculation was just that, nothing but a cruel hoax. Here's what caused all the hoopla...
The 'fake' press statement supposedly from Live Nation
Thanks to my roaming reporter eye Scott Harrah in New York for this one! It's our girl Dannii Minogue giving us a behind the scenes peak into her Stella Magazine cover shoot this month.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor conquered Melbourne last night with an amazing performance before a sellout crowd at Melbourne's GH Hotel. The UK pop sensation appeared on stage at 11.30pm to the adoring cheers of fans, within moments, she was tearing up the stage with all her biggest hits. Fans were treated to the disco themed Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer, Not Giving Up On Love, Get Over You, Take Me Home, If This Ain't Love (Groovejet / Spiller), Yes Sir I Can Boogie, Music Gets The Best Of Me and the #1 smash Murder On The Dancefloor!
Sporting the trademark glitter and blue eye-shadow, Sophie had the crowd clapping, dancing and cheering. The show was a complete sellout, tickets for the event sold out not long after going on sale for the exclusive one night only show in Melbourne. Sophie was to perform in Sydney tonight, a day after new album Make A Scene was released across Australia. Sophie took the time after the show to meet and greet diehard fans and promised the Melbourne crowd she would return! An amazing show Sophie, thank you and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Darren Hayes has given fans around the world a sneak preview into the brand new album Secret Codes And Battle Ships which is officially released in the UK on Oct 17 and Oct 21 for the rest of the world. The album boasts a beautiful sound, a tune with great beat. It's what great records are made of, a sure hit.
Darren will showcase his best work to date at the upcoming tour of Australia - Melbourne's Forum on November 2nd. Listening to the preview tonight sent shivers down the spine. They are new tunes with a 'Spin' and a touch of true Savage Garden sound. It's an absolute masterpiece, an album you won't want to miss! Take a look at the preview!
Thanks to @Matty_Boy_89 on Twitter for the sneak peak into Kylie Minogue's 2012 calendar snap shots! Dare I say that the 80's are well and truly returning for Kylie? Hold on to your....denim!
Watch the speeches from Melbourne Football Club'sJames Frawley, Jack Trengove and best and fairest winner Brent Moloney after the club's 2011 Best and Fairest dinner.
Ever wondered what happened to Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini... Here she is in stunning pictures snapped recently alongside countrywoman Gisela Dulko and world famous German champion, Steffi Graf. Boy, those were the days...
What an episode! Days of Our Lives has hit the reset button, turned back the clock and given fans a glimpse in one episode at what the future will be like in Salem. It's bright, it's dramatic and full of romance. The return of old cast members, the jazz and all the glitz, glamour and suspense was what hit screens across the US on Monday September 26. Watch all the drama right here!
