But it may not matter because the consequences are the same.

Detachment is the only alternative.

Hence I will re-define retirement. Retirement is in the context of Earthenware as a “musician”, which he was a complete failure at and no one liked, except for half a dozen exceptional people. Earthenware as a poet seems to have a future, so this subsidiary of the Earthenware Corporation will perhaps remain operational while the music division closes down.

I was talking to a friend who worked as a roadie for some big tours lately. Bands like Pearl Jam and Britany Spears have 20-30 semi-trailers full of gear. The main reason for Earthenware’s retirement was that he required several semi-trailers of gear and half a dozen crew for every show. On my current income of $550 a fortnight, and a 10 year career total of album sales amounting to about 5, this was not feasible.

The poetry costs nothing, just bring the vocoder for additional voice effects and a casio for the peices that I can’t read in the right tone without a droning accompaniment to react against.

Highlight of the gig was that there was not a single trendy cunt in the audience. I think most of the audience were much older than me, which confirms my suspicion that I was born 10-20 years too late. But, perhaps it’s not too late after-all to put the mountains of poems to use, but it’s certainly made me feel justified in my hatred of my peer group. The feelings mutual so there’s no love lost.

Another highlight of the show, was that besides the mind-blowingly brilliant performances by ALL of the artists, during Sean’s set, a very wasted, junkie-looking chick who I would assume was from the housing commission across the road, did an impromptu burlesque routine / interpretive dance. This was good because at least she was no longer heckling (which I was tiring of), and she sort of became a part of the performance without harrassing/hurting anyone as such people often find themselves doing. I guess that is the magic of Pi O’s events that he organises, at any other event, randoms like that create a problem. But in this occasion, with some tolerance and understanding everything works out fine.

It’s good to be in places where security isn’t required to play parent/guardian and beat patrons up. I suppose a similar vibe is created at Camp A Low Hum, apparently someone was raving about it because it has no security. It’s ironic, but completely understandable that we feel more comfortable when there’s less security around! In the rich suburb where I live…there is the least amount of crime in the whole state, yet all the new houses have prison-like security entrances. This is ridiculous and funny, because I would feel like a security enterance would be appropriate in (enter outer suburb at end of metro train line name here), but here it’s pointless. Obviously people read too much herald sun and watch too much today tonight. If they actually talked to their neighbours instead of imprisoning themselves, perhaps they’d realize that the TV is not reality and that they’ve wasted $20,000 on a fence and an alarm system that they didn’t even need.

But I digress;

I travelled home on the tram, in the rain. I got saturated and tested the water-tightness of the gig bag. It passed, although i need a lock for the zip because the water peeped in where the zip came apart. It was fun getting drenched (had my instant-dry soccer shirt on) and even more fun being in the city to witness numerous rain-induced wardrobe malfunctions! After watching people got boring, I decided to get the number 6 tram because it seemed the 64 must have been cancelled. The rain had stopped by then so the prospect of walking the extra distance didn’t bother me.

Much Casiolove to everyone who attended and showed their appreciation, especially the lovely people I met, shout out to Shannon for rocking up and letting me eat some of his chips. *(missed all my meals again today, but did drink 4 bottles of Mogu Mogu Thai Orange drink at the gig, which I just scored before the Asian shop on Brunswick St. shut. Also, word up to the North Indian Taxi driver I had on the way in, one of the most chilled taxi driver’s ever!

Tonight the MT-400 shone like a brilliant star that it was destined to be.

(note to self: Fix battery bay, re-screw in case, add modulation switches, separate outputs etc, also add fake bumper sticker that reads “My other 80’s home keyboard, is an 80’s home keyboard”, or “I’d rather repair a Casio than play a Yamaha”, or even “I wish my wife was this Azn”)

Set List

1. Checkout Chick Blues (in the key of Auto-tune)

2. It Was Just A Metaphor (in the key of Class War)

3. If You Can Afford It, It’s Not Worth Having (Duet with transposer)

4. Half A Poem (of which I read exactly one third)

5. Three Day Week (with added profanities)

6. Artificial Selection (Lebonese Wedding Singer Sound System Version)

Anyhow, as an individual who has experienced being completely marginalised by society, I would like to advocate that these “enclaves” are actually a good thing.

Back in the 1950’s white Australians also lived in “enclaves”. People didn’t have cars (an environmental blessing!) so they tended to live, work and socialize in their own suburbs. This independence of suburbs resulted in rivalry between suburbs, which was expressed through football, in the VFL. Also each suburb had it’s own unique character as a result. The houses didn’t have high fences like they do today…people were friendly and actually communicated with their neighbours.

Anyhow, if you take the opposite of this, also an example from the 1950’s; the stolen generation, who were stripped of any sense of community, history and identity…what happened to these people? They suffered from this social marginalization and died early deaths from drugs and criminal activity as they had no means of coping with being simultaneously removed from their own culture, while not being accepted into white culture. In my personal experience I can relate to this. If you have no knowledge of your family history, or if that history is a particularly negative one, then it is very hard to build a positive sense of self, and very hard to find direction in life because you have no blue-print or positive role-models to learn from. I think if you have no past, to some extent there is no future as well.

So I find it really disgusting that white Australians, via the media, are being “critical” of any culture / suburb that is able to maintain a unique character and sense of community. Because white Australians have lost any sense of community or family allegiance, and have the social problems to deal with as a result, they are apparently jealous of any culture who still has what they discarded. This jealousy is expressed through racism. At least these communities can deal with their own problems in a way that is culturally sensitive and they maintain their links with the past, and thus, have a sense of belonging.

White communities are completely fragmented. Families and friends live hours apart, who all live hours from thier workplaces. The automobile is the only thing that holds our society together, and that is why automobiles, mobile phones and the internet are so important to us now. Without them we would be in complete isolation, imprisoned behind high-fences.

I don’t like how the culture I am supposed to assimilate with and function within, relies upon all these unsustainable technologies to maintain a sense of connection. Enclaves are a practical and sustainable of building and maintaining communities, as demonstrated by the hipsters, cyclists and artists who live in an “enclave” of their own in the Fitzroy-Northcote areas. But then, the media doesn’t need to run scare campaigns to dismantle this community, they simply keep pushing up the rent until artists can’t afford to live there anymore.

Assimilation is mandatory, even for white Australians. Racism can be extended to dole bludgers, artists and anyone who looks or thinks differently in the pursuit of a homogeneous culture, devoid of diversity or sense of community. Once again, it is moronic for the media to continually call for the development of more “community values” when condemning violence and vandalism, while simultaneously marginalizing any group who attempts to maintain or establish their community values, and using the never-ending growth in the “housing market” as the soul measure of our nation’s collective wealth, optimism  and happiness.

?? / ?? / 00 - Monash Uni, Churchill, Open Stage, also performed pre 1999 material w/ Lucas Wade.
24 / 06 / 01 The Tote (as guest of “Portraits Of Hugo Perez” - played before Limit Of Shunt played)
?? / ?? / 02 - Regular Live Improvisations, Thursday Nights 2-6am, Dreaming Electric, 3CR 855AM
21 / 06 / 02 Swinburne Uni, Hawthorn, Daycare Festival (Only bands showed up and 3 punters)
Bands enrolled in Daycare were: Huon, Steward, Dangerous With Machinery, Celebrity Rescue.

Optimistic Years 2003-2005

13 / 06 / 03 Meet Loscha at Undue Noise - Loscha performing as Koba No Gomi w/ Casio SK-5.
04 / 10 / 03 Good Morning Captain (As Reverse Engineers) Commonly known as “Best Gig Ever”
18 / 03 / 04 Kent St Cafe - (as Reverse Engineers - James Earthenware absent - Loscha’s shit stolen)
20 / 03 / 04 The Shack, House Party Carlton (As Reverse Engineers) - filming for ABC TV.
30 / 05 / 04 Bar Open (As Reverse Engineers) w/ Casionova, after airing of Mondo Thingo episode
11 / 09 / 04 The Vic - Brunswick - Melbourne Water Compilation Launch / Age Article released.
13 / 09 / 04 Undue Noise - Bendigo (As Reverse Engineers) - Final Gig
10 / 03 / 05 The Vic, Improvised gig with XG-1M & Sampler. Supporting Rose Turtle Ertler and Casionova. Rose drew a portrait of me at the gig, Bar management was threatened by Akai S612 and almost didn’t let me play.

“Difficult Years, 2006-2008″

02 / 08 / 06 Transformers Doco by Gef Senz, MIFF screening, (feat. Reverse Engineers) @ ACMI
17 / 08 / 06 Kent St - DJ set with Loscha and improv. set using Casio and Electronic Tambura.
21 / 09 / 06 Glitch Bar, (mostly DD-6 and guitar) Supporting Robot Turbo Marie and Casionova
07 / 12 / 06 Kent St - Tried to test new songs but couldn’t hear myself above patrons chatter.
2007 - Buying equipment and failing to get funding for archiving projects & overseas touring.
19 / 04 / 08 Golden Vine - Bendigo (Collab. w/ Lucinda Scott) Supporting the Cannanes.
09 / 05 / 08 Idgaff - Abbottsford (as W. Korgenware) (w/ The Artisans and Ross Cottee (Timezones))
22 / 11 / 08 Art Exhibition Opening - Northcote (Heckled and Power turned off by punters)

“10th Anniversary, Farewell Tour 2009-2010″

13 / 02 / 09 The Old Bar - Perception Management Launch / Zine Fundraiser w/ CFPP and 99.
17 / 05 / 09 Earthenware Radio Special – w/ Greg Wadley, Two In The Valley, 3CR, 855AM.
05 / 06 / 09 RTR FM Breakfast Show, Perth, WA. (Played one song & interview)
06 / 06 / 09 78’s Records, Perth, WA
06 / 06 / 09 Bar Open, Club 234, Perth, WA. (w/ B-Town Casio Explosion., The Gizzards, Adem K)
07 / 06 / 09 Hyde Park Hotel, Perth, WA (w/ B-Town Casio Explosion., The Gizzards, Adem K)
25 / 06 / 09 Kent St DJ set
25 / 07 / 09 Kent St, DJ set
28 / 07 / 09 Edinburgh Castle (w/ The Bon Scotts, Cigarettes For Ping Pong)
28 / 08 / 09 Missing Link Records (w/ Cigarettes For Ping Pong) Very sick before show.
13 / 10 / 09 Tabiya sock shop, Northcote. - (w/ Talkshow Boy, BlastCorp, Ai Yamamoto)
27 / 11 / 09 Old Colonial Inn, Unusual Work #8, Launch - 1st show as a Performance Poet.

Documentation of live shows
If I can get hands on all this material, it will be used for the DVD box set.

1997 Groper Live performances for media project. (Original Line Up) VHS
1998 Groper Live At Ballam Park S.C. Lunchtime Concert, AUDIO, others have VHS.
2002 Entire log of Dreaming Electric performances on CD-R. No audio or video of NYE gig.
2002 Daycare - Audio of all bands performances except James Earthenware. CASSETTE & CD-R
2003 One song from first gig, Sung by Loscha. Possibly more files on Jaymz’ computer. MP-3
2004 Mondo Thingo - ABC TV interview - Rip from VHS.
2006 Transformers Short Doco. on DVD, uploaded to Loscha’s website.
2008 Idgaff performance. 1st half on CASSETTE > CD-R. Gef and Mik have entire show on video.
2008 Alma Club video, filming for unrealised promotional video.
2009 Old Bar - Most songs on VIDEO
2009 Perth Tour, Have AUDIO of radio interview. All 3 shows filmed for Casiofest documentary.
2009 Edinburgh Castle - Casionova filmed and set up projections, Have AUDIO, Someone has VIDEO
2009 Missing Link - YouTube footage of 1st half of set, Others have HQ video of entire show.
2009 Tabiya “James Goes To Sydney” set…AUDIO, but I do not have copy.

There is no video documentation of the following side projects:
Steve Layout, Cam Salad, Celebrity Rescue, Dangerous With Machinery, Screwburner, Paint Dry.

Do have backing tracks for Tote, Daycare and Old Bar shows, however I tried a few weeks ago to re-record over these backing tracks, which reminded my why those gigs were such an abortion, since the backing tracks were all at the wrong tempo and set the wrong mood for each song. These early experiences put me off using backing tracks altogether, although when I do use them now it’s much better because the tempos are set appropriately for each composition.