MAN ABOUT TOWN

It's long been said that the difference between a straight man and a gay man is six beers (and perhaps a back-rub). Here, at last, is scientific proof!

I'm drawing to the end of my third week hosting 3RRR's Breakfast show, and I have to say, I'm loving it! Getting up around 4am is still killing me, and consequently I've been taking a 2-4 hour nap every afternoon, but I'm definitely getting into the rythym and routine of doing a 3-hour radio show every morning. I'm also getting some great feedback from listeners (as indicated by some of the feedback on this very blog, as well as some lovely, generous phonecalls). Still, when it all wraps up at the end of January and I get to hand the reigns back over to Fee B, Willow and Spang, I won't regret it! * * * * * Survived Christmas just fine, despite all my initial concerns. Having mum there to take the heat off worked a treat - especially as she slightly over-indulged and I spent part of the afternoon looking after her: making sure she was drinking enough water, sobering her up with a strong black coffee, etc. Consequently I didn't have time to get into any po...

In no particular order, they are: Bang Bang Rock & Roll – Art Brut [Fierce Panda/Shock] Simple, sharp chords reminiscent of The Buzzcocks or The Fall coupled with semi-chanted lyrics from vocalist Eddie Argos. Art Brut this year were London’s answer to Franz Ferdinand. Self Titled – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah [independent] This delightful album skipped, jumped and twirled through 12 tracks of exuberant indie-pop, referencing artists as diverse as Talking Heads and Tom Waits without sounding contrived. Takk… - Sigur Rós [EMI] The fourth album from post-rock quartet Sigur Rós was simultaneously more vigorous and less bleak than its predecessor, 2002’s ( ) ,and with its moments of transcendent, tear-inducing beauty, recalled their 2000 breakthrough album Agaetis Byrjun . Outside Closer - Hood [Sensory Projects/Inertia] Imagine the organic electronica of Pretty Boy Crossover fused with the bleaker moments of Art of Fighting, with just a hint of Portishead thrown in for good measure, and...

My mum's homemade shortbread, made from the recipie her mother used, which brings back memories of being dwarfed by kitchen benches, being at eye level with adult's knees, drinking red cordial, and oh, the lolly-jar that was only bought out when I'd been good. Then there was the Christmas I was given a jumbo-sized package of Smarties, ate them all in one sitting, and vomitted rainbow-colours shortly afterwards. Wherever you are, I hope it's a stress-free day. Currently lounging about at home in Fitzroy, and calling a taxi to take us out to Epping in half an hour...

Christmas is not my favourite time of year, although I've mellowed towards it as I've got older. Back in the late 1980's and early 90's I actually boycotted it for quite a while, for a number of reasons, ranging from my then-idealistic stance towards religion and capitalism, to an unfortunate reaction by my Mum soon after I came out, years ago. She told me that my grandfather would be unhappy with me bringing a partner home for Christmas (which I read as her being uncomfortable with the idea). Fine, I said, then I just won't come home for Christmas at all; and I didn't, for at least five or six years. During this phase of my life I also refused to give Christmas presents. No I wasn't being cheap; it was a stance - admitedly a slightly pretentious one! - in reaction to the consumer frenzy which Christmas has become; and wherever possible I tried to give back any presents I received (an act which one year greatly upset my late paternal grandmother), while a...

Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain is the most important gay film in decades, argues Richard Watts Despite being a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and a paid-up member of the Australian Film Critics Association, I can’t remember the last time – indeed any time – that a love story about a 20-year relationship between two men has generated as much buzz as Ang Lee’s forthcoming Brokeback Mountain . That’s because it’s never happened before. The hype around this so-called ‘gay cowboy movie’ was immediate once its stars were announced: Australian actor Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal ( Donnie Darko ). With the Oscars now only a few months away, the buzz is becoming deafening. Already the film has won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and been awarded Best Picture, Actor and Director by the New York Film Critics Circle. It is widely tipped for similar success in the upcoming Golden Globes, perceived by many in the film industry as an indicator of which wa...

I was lucky enough to interview Captain Paul Watson this morning: me sitting in a comfortable RRR studio in East Brunswick; him on the sattelite phone live from Antarctica, where his ship, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society flagship Farley Mowat , is hunting Japanese whalers with the aim of blocking, obstructing and generally disrupting their illegal activities. The Japanese ships are hunting fin and humpback whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, in direct breach of international law (these two whale species are protected under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Flora ); and our government, and countless others, are turning a blind eye. As well as violating the Sanctuary, the Japanese ships are violating the International Whaling Commission moritorium on commercial whaling . Consequently, the Sea Shepherd flagship Farley Mowat will do their best to draw international attention to, and disrupt where possible, the whaling ships, in conjunction with tw...

After a late night at Q + A , I was up early in order to be at my friend Glen's place in Northcote by midday. He wanted us all there by 11am, so we could get away by 12, but I didn't understand the fuss for leaving so early, and stalled a little (for which I now apologise profusely - next year I want to get away as early as possible in order to get a good campsite!). Eventually we met, we prevaricated, we packed, and eventually we got underway in the 12-seater Budget minivan that Glen had hired. Talk about organised! After much music and laughter (and a couple of beers on the road, or ciders in my case) we stopped for a late lunch in Ballan, and then at about 4.30pm we turned onto the dusty road which led to the Merdith Music Festival site, a farm about 2 & 1/2 hours outside Melbourne. We also hit a queue of traffic that was banked up a fair way, but it wasn't long before we were inside, and setting up our campsite, nicknamed 'the Northcote Social Plaza'. By r...

10.26am on Monday night and I'm absolutely fucking exhausted. I had a huge, magnificent, wonderful time at the Meredith Music Festival on the weekend, and promise a full update soon. In brief, the Friday night Bollywood Extravaganza , the Saturday night set from Sons and Daughters (Scotland) and Sunday's Meredith Gift (the best nudie-run in the world!) were among the highlights. Huge thanks and hugs to my lovely mate Glen for organising our transport: the homo-bus of love (well, there were two straight people and seven gay guys, but the straights were honorary queers for the weekend anyway). Great to spend more time with guys like Cam and Andrew and Darren, and much fun meeting and becoming friends with Anna and Rob. Despite the weekend's debauchery I was up at 4am today, after about 5 hours sleep, preparing for my first Summer Breakfasters fill on RRR from 6-9am. Worked at the station til 12, came home, had lunch, caught up with Damien at Melbourne Fringe, then back hom...

My face is back to its normal size, my black eye has faded to almost nothing, and I'm feeling good. Thanks to all for their messages of support and concern, which came from as far away as London, and from unexpected quarters. I've often wondered just how many people read my blog, and from the numerous comments made about my last post, it would seem that there's quite a lot of you! In other news, I'm off to the Meredith Music Festival this weekend (although I still have to chase up a tent, and find somewhere that sells cider in cans, as glass is not allowed), and then on Monday I start presenting Breakfasters on RRR over the summer, through til the end of January. The early morning starts are going to be a challenge, but I'm really looking forward to presenting the show. I'll be taking a break from Smartarts during this time, but hopefully I'll be able to squeeze a few arts-related interviews into Breakfast! Today (Monday) I'm trying to catch up on a ...