The Church - yeah, the band - have been en regalia lately. Had the good fortune to see 1 Steve Kilbey fiesty poetry reading in Northcote + 2 Church gigs (Corner Hotel & Spiegeltent) in two days. Bravo gents on all fronts. Kilbey the elder is is fine quipping and spiffing form ready for hosting his tonight show featuring the fine musical talents of himself on vocals and bass and Peter 'the rock' Koppes, Marty Willson-Piper & Tim Powles in an astonishing game of instrument-swapping musical chairs. I signed The Church to Mushroom after noticing they'd become part of the wallpaper at EMI, and they pulled 'Starfish' and 'Under the Milky Way' out of their hats. To hear them play now, you realise just how many hits and great LP tracks this mob plus early drummer Richard Ploog have given us.

Now they've become part of the wallpaper at Music Sales Publishing OS it seems, with rumours that Kilbey's publishing was repeditively on-sold and many thousands of dollars are unaccounted-for.

This band are relaxed, healthy, delighting in performing and in their prime. Current Liberation 'unplugged' ARIA nominated album 'El Momento Descuidado' selling so well that the forthcoming new Church album featuring some band co-writes has had to be held back. And so good to see these sweethearts and even catch up with my long-lost goddaughter Elektra Kilbey and her sister Miranda in the Bondi waves, sweet warm soul sisters here from Sweden and hi to their mum Karin in Stockholm, miss ya

http://www.thechurchband.com/
and Steve's terrific blog
http://www.stevekilbey.blogspot.com/

De Havillands Bookshop has closed (so long, Shelton Lea, who died 13.4.05; you are so missed pal). I'll be doing some writing and interviewing from Melbourne this year for Mediaweek, James Manning's subscription Sydney newsletter with all the news for the music industry, radio, TV, advertising and the film industry. Keep those werewolves from the door! And continuing to do some editing...write novel... Fourth book out round April, poetry through Flat Chat Press. Back to Uni Melb B. Creative Arts... Love on the horizon? Hmm... Universal love always on the horizon...

tired but wired
eyes propped open with straining matchsticks
roll on beach escape