Category Archives: General

General, Retro

The Killjoys for breakfast

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The Killjoys from Melbourne were always one on my favourite bands from that city. Although musically the opposite of bands like The Bachelors From Prague and certainly TISM, they carried a similar fun loving spirit about their music and live they were always, well, a delight.

On 5th July 1991 I recorded this for the Triple J breakfast show and it has gone unheard since then.

The Killjoys formed in 1987 and at this time in 1991 their album Ruby won an ARIA award for Best Independent Release. If you are a keen scuba diver, you may be able to find that award at the bottom of Darling Harbour near the wharf, as it was dropped accidentally overboard, shortly after it was awarded to the band, while they were on their way to a post awards party. The Killjoys even hired a diver to look for the ARIA award next day.

It has yet to be found.

Get together with Caroline Schwerkolt, Craig Pilkington (who went onto The Blackjacks), Anna Burley and Will Larsen (up the back playing a hell tambourine) to hear One & Only and the sweet Calling Me On.

Start saving up for a vibraphone, because after hearing The Killjoys, you’ll want your own.

AND the best news is that they are back together and you can experience them again.

The Killjoys recording session engineers at Triple J for this were Geoff Overmyer & Chris Norris.

The Killjoys official website

The Killjoys Bandcamp page

General, Retro

Dave’s Dud Discs – 1 Rare Ungroovy

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Dave Mulligan brought Dave’s Dud Discs into my life originally in 1986 on Radio Stupid, the Saturday morning show on 2SER-FM. “Rare ungroovy” would be the best way to explain the collection of over 10,000 7″ singles that are in Dave’s collection.

These segments are from the Triple J breakfast show 1988 & 1990 and you will hear these previously unheard discs from the 50s & 60s, perhaps for good reason.

Asiatic Flu – The Uptowns
Taxtime – Cab Calloway (Mr Minnie The Moocher)
The Ballad of the Green Hornet
I Just Can’t Wait – Noel Harrison
The Joker Went Wild – Brian Highland
I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter – Connie Francis
Boeing Boeing – Roger Miller
It’s Summertime USA – The Pixies Three
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – The Temptations
Ain’t No Surf in Portobello – The Valves
The Rockin’ Teenage Mummies – Ray Stevens
Desafinardo – Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd
Just What I Always Wanted – Mari Wilson
Louie Louie – The Surfaris
Isn’t This Just Like Empty Vee? – The Atavistics

General

Spring is here on the 2017 Maynard calendar

September is here in the 2017 Maynard calendar, and to celebrate the burst of colour that is Spring, it’s in full black & white monochrome.

Do you recognise everyone pictured?

There’s Stuart Wagstaff & Rachael Beck from my appearance on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The Teen Queens when they dropped in on Mind Twist one Saturday morning. DJ Sveta and myself DJing at Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day, and a publicity shot from Triple J breakfast show.

You can download the entire calendar for free here.

General, Retro

Voice of the Beehive, Sydney, 1992

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Voice of the Beehive played toured Australia in 1992 and rocked my world during their Sydney shows in 1992.

Voice of the Beehive sisters Tracey Bryn & Melissa Brooke Belland, as well as Daniel “Woody” Woodgate (Madness) blew into the Triple J studios one Friday afternoon. Wearing fairy outfits and waving magic wands with Woody sporting a huge grin, I knew this interview was going to be fun. It was. The songs I Walk The Earth, Perfect Place, Don’t Call Me Baby, Adonis Blue and their power pop cover of I Think I Love You are some of my favourite pop songs of the late 80s/early 90s.

Voice of the Beehive played Enmore Theatre and the northern beaches while in Sydney in 1992 and I never have found out the secret about the possible surfer guy or why Woody always has a clean white t-shirt on tour.

Voice of the Beehive on Wikipedia.

Voice of the Beehive on Myspace.

Have some fun with Melissa & Tracey as the show off their fashion and dance moves 1988 style.

Voice of the Beehive join a top lineup to play Indie Daze in London, October 4.

Tracey Bryn, Melissa Belland, signed I Think I Love You CD single
Tracey Bryn, Melissa Belland, signed I Think I Love You CD single
General

Oh my, it’s George Takei in Australia

Having only met George Takei the once, last time he was in Sydney, I found him to be a total charmer and exactly the kind of guy you’d love to meet at a cocktail party. No matter what planet it was held on.

These clips should give you something to talk about with him on top of his constant media presence for the last 50 years, alleged difficulties with William Shatner, support of same sex marriage worldwide, reality TV show and his outspoken opinions on the new Sulu character in Star Trek.

We’ll be taking the Planet maynard podcast to George Takei’s shows in Sydney, so if you see us there don’t be shy. George won’t be.

All ahead full stop!

George Takei has had to postpone his Australian visit due to him getting actual movie work in July.

NOW HEAR THIS (write it in your Captain’s Log)

The New Dates now for An Evening with George Takei are:

MELBOURNE TOWN HALL
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16

SYDNEY STATE THEATRE
MONDAY NOVEMBER 20

OH MY COCKTAILS WITH GEORGE TAKEI
THE ESTABLISHMENT BALLROOM SYDNEY
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25

General

Adam West, Batman’s Bright Knight

Adam West was fond of saying that the 1960s were about the three Bs; Beatles, Bond and Batman. While that may be an over simplification, I am overly simple. So I’ll go with that.

I’ve curated a short video list of Adam West performances below that are well worth your screentime.

The mere idea that William Shatner AND Adam West could have starred together in weekly series of Alexander The Great in 1963 should have been sign of big things to come. Big camp 1960s things.

The Last Precinct was a little seen police sitcom that had a short run in 1986 and was a good vehicle for Adam West’s surreal side. A side that would be explored in full as Lookwell and Mayor Adam West.

Ty Lookwell, as the capsule description from 1991 states, was a “washed-up TV action detective hero who falsely believes he can solve crimes in real life.”

I enjoyed the obvious serious psychological issues that Lookwell has and how the voice of the Shakespeare statue he regularly visits helps him (accidentally) solve the case. How this would have been treated with Robert Smigel (Triumph The Insult Comic Dog) and Conan O’Brien (everything good in this world) writing the ongoing series would have been a festival of wrongness to say the least.

Lookwell was green lighted and was due to go into production for NBC, but the pilot didn’t do well with audiences and the network never took the series up.

Enjoy these few snippets of Adam West. We can all take the advice of Ty Lookwell when being unceremoniously removed from the police commissioners office, as he admonishes a junior police officer for not recognising him from his 70s detective show;

“Maybe if you watched more television, you’d be better at your job.”

To the Batpole…

The Last Precinct

Lookwell

Alexander The Great

They May Be Drinkers Robin..

The Batusi

Batman surfs

Mayor Adam West and his cat launcher

Some more of Mayor Adam West

Great interview with Adam West from 2016
http://www.gilbertpodcast.com/adam-west/

That time I thought I was a crime fighter

General

Australia’s Scorched Earth Plan- Sue Rosen

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In 1942 the Japanese invasion of Australia seemed imminent and inevitable. Scorched Earth plans to deny the Japanese invaders were drawn up across Australia and Sue Rosen uncovered the very detailed New South Wales Scorched Earth plans that had been forgotten and misfiled at the end of the Second World War.

The plans drawn up included everything from starting aggressive bush fires to hinder the Japanese and using sharpened Ironbark as improvised bayonets to making sure no soldier of Japan captures your tennis shoes.

December 1941, Australian Women's Weekly, What To Do in an Air Raid. This advice also holds good when your housemate has a rave at your share house.
December 1941, Australian Women’s Weekly, What To Do in an Air Raid. This advice also holds good when your housemate has a rave at your share house.

Sue Rosen’s Scorched Earth page with extra details and maps

General, Retro

The Dynamic Hepnotics are back (one show only)

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The Dynamic Hepnotics cut a rug across Australia & New Zealand in the 7 years they played across your wide brown land. And they are returning for 3 shows only. 1 in Sydney, 2 in Melbourne.

These days they are busy people with busy music careers, so I put my foot in the door of the lead singer and all round playboy, Continental Robert Susz, at his swanky Kings Cross apartment. An apartment that Adam West himself would be jealous of.

Join Continental Robert and myself in the Suszland music room for wine, music, gossip and Undercover Elephant.

If you don’t go to their upcoming shows you truely are a burden to society.

Get up offa that thing!

The Dynamic Hepnotics official site and tickets to their shows.

Continental Robert Susz site

Soul Kind of Feeling clip (see if you can spot Dave Wray/Frank Bennett)

Get all their remastered tracks at iTunes or Bandcamp

Become a Patreon of Planet Maynard and be a big shot podcast Producer, you’ll love it.

Robert Susz boxing in 1970s
Robert Susz boxing in 1970s. “I stopped boxing because I didn’t like getting hit.”
General

What Double J Should Sound Like turns 150

The latest What Double J Should Sound Like has the groove brought to you by myself and DJ ADHD. Here’s a list of the tunes you’ll find inside episode 150.

Episode 150 track list

Go Home Productions – Essex Doves (David Essex vs The Doves)
La La Land cast – Another Day of Sun
CCS – The band played the boogie
James Brown – Get up offa that thing
Shellyann Orphan – Shatter
Coach Dave Daubenmire – Cropped Hair Wide Bottom Girls
Band of Holy Joy – Route of Love
Scott Edgar & The Universe – Trapped in a Constable
Cut Slash Kill (Philip Brophy) – The Many Deaths Of Andy Warhol
Ru Paul – Back to my Roots
The Evolution Control Committee – DJ Pantshead – Fock It
Alison Moyet – Invisable
The Cure – The Walk (Razormaid mix)
Tlot Tlot – Box O’Gods
Pulp – This is Hardcore [Tipsy’s Swedish Erotica Remix]
DJ Paul Holden interview