The Kings Fool

Another Australian first for Jimmy Barnes

Liberation Music today announced that they will partner with New Found Frequency to launch Jimmy Barnes new album using USB technology: Alive Drive - a cutting edge, new technology delivering exclusive audio, video and image content, along with live updates to fans across the country via the web; all through a branded, USB wristband.

Jimmy Barnes is the first Australian solo artist to use the new format for the much anticipated Tour Edition of the ‘Out In The Blue’ album which also features a full blown concert recorded live at the legendary Playroom on the Gold Coast in 1984.

At the forefront of this technology is Melbourne-based music company New Found Frequency, who are bringing the patented USB wristband and software, otherwise known as Alive Drive, to the technologically savvy Australian marketplace. Alive Drive opens a world of opportunities to both recording artists and record labels with the need for new and clever merchandise to keep fans engaged.

Jimmy Barnes and Liberation were keen to embrace this new format for the re-package of the #1 platinum album ‘Out In The Blue’ album as it allows them to converge Jimmy’s recorded music and bonus content with the live concert experience on one very robust and portable device.

Jimmy commented, “When Liberation contacted me about utilising the new format, I thought the idea was perfect. It allows me to include the new album plus unique and archive audio and video content and then the live concert to round it off…I’m glad we have done it.”

Warren Costello, Managing Director of Liberation Music adds, “This new album project has been incredibly successful and we are very grateful that Jimmy has such a passion for music and a really solid understanding of new technology that allows us to present it to his audience on the newest format available”.

The ‘Out In The Blue’ USB Wristband can be purchased from Jimmy Barnes shows or at select retail outlets.

More about Alive Drive:

Different from a traditional USB device, Alive Drive is a flexi-wristband fully customizable by the client – cover it in logos, images, you name it; it can even become a key ring, necklace pendant or any other mouldable silicon item. Rubber aside, it’s the actual technology that makes this USB drive something out of the ordinary. Plug it into your PC and you’ll load into a world created especially for the company or artist – in this case Jimmy Barnes. Once plugged into an online computer – fresh, exclusive content and up-to-the-minute news are delivered directly to the local drive enabling fans to be updated with the very latest developments. For the fans, they’re ‘in the know’ regarding their favourite groups plus they’ll receive exclusive content only available via Alive Drive. And for the artist/company, this personal connection builds fan loyalty.

As technology evolves, artists and brands are looking for creative ways to promote themselves while connecting with their fans and adding additional revenue streams. With advances in digital media storage, file transfer bandwidths and online streaming, USB wristbands have become extremely popular merchandise items in North America and Europe, alongside the traditional array of CDs, t-shirts and posters. Already artists such as Matchbox Twenty, Ringo Starr and George Michael are utilising the technology. Now it’s Australia’s turn to follow suit.

At the same time that Jimmy embraces new technology for the promotion of his recorded material, he commences his Out In The Blue National Theatre Tour supported by daughter Mahalia Barnes who has also just released her debut album ‘Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates Volume 1’ through the Liberation Music label. *****NEW SHOWS ANNOUNCED FOR MELBOURNE & SYDNEY.

JIMMY BARNES – OUT IN THE BLUE NATIONAL TOUR – 2008

Special guest: Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates

Wed 25 June Canberra Theatre – Canberra ****SOLD OUT****

Thu 27June Settlers – Mildura ****SOLD OUT****

Sat 28 June The Barton Theatre – Adelaide ****SOLD OUT****

Fri 4 July Brisbane Concert Hall - Qpac ****SOLD OUT****

Sat 5 July Empire Theatre – Toowoomba ****SOLD OUT****

Mon 7 July Brolga Theatre - Maryborough: ****SOLD OUT****

Tue 8 July Caloundra RSL - Caloundra:

Thurs 10^th, Sat 12^th & Sun 13^th The Palms at Crown – Melbourne: ****SOLD OUT****

Tues 15 July The Palms at Crown – Melbourne ****NEW SHOW ON SALE NOW

Phone Bookings Ticketek 132 849

On Line www.ticketek.com.au

Wed 16 July Regent Theatre - Wollongong

Phone Bookings Ticketmaster 136 100

www.ticketmaster.com.au

Fri 18 July Newcastle Panthers - Newcastle

Phone Bookings 02 4926 2700

Phone bookings Ticketek 132 849

On Line www.ticketek.com.au or www.moshtix.com.au

Sat 19 July Enmore Theatre – Sydney : ****SOLD OUT****

Sat 26 July Enmore Theatre – Sydney ****NEW SHOW ON SALE NOW

Phone Bookings: Enmore Theatre 02 9550 3666

Phone Bookings Ticketek 132 849

On line: www.ticketek.com.au or www.enmoretheatre.com.au

Letter to Media Watch 2007

Hello,

I am writing to you today to comment upon the 24/7/07 edition of the 7.30 Report in which they covered the utilisation of the internet by U.S politicians in the lead up to the elections of 2008.

My criticism stems from the fact that the report completely neglected to mention Republican congressman Ron Paul of Texas who has had more success than any of the candidates at creating a grassroots campaign using Youtube and as of 6/7/07 had the second highest youtube views of any other candidate on either side of the coin.

On the 11/07/07 the Washington Post reported that “Mr. Paul has more campaign cash available than former Republican front-runner Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Federal Election Commission records show, and the antiwar conservative has become an Internet sensation”.

My major concern is that the ABC does not seem to do anymore than find the middle ground between the fuax left and right paradigm created for us by our leaders. If the ABC are only allowed to report a middle ground between the illusion served up to us by the mainstream media then we are severely limited in acquiring knowledge that is off of the grid. The illusion of objective reporting is becoming harder and harder to conceal as the veil is lifted.

I thought ABC reporters were trained to look beyond what the government and private spin merchants throw at them and do some real research.

The story was supposed to be about who is getting the “ratings”, not how the media darlings are doing in the real world of youtube support.

The excuse of Dr Paul not being well known enough in the media to warrant a mention in this story is irrelevant is flys in the face of the whole angle of this story which was to show how it is a successful tool for running politicians. There has been no greater success than Ron Paul a relative unknown before the election and someone who is still (as proven in this letter) finding it difficult to be embraced by the mainstream media.

Here are some real figures for you

Paul in 2nd Place
List of all presidential candidates and their number of YouTube channel views as of 9:12 am ET on July 6, 2007:

1. Obama - 5,186,833

2. Paul - 2,092,246

3. Clinton - 733,453

4. Romney - 669,455

5. Edwards - 572,384

6. Brownback - 468,432

7. McCain - 444,189

8. Kucinich - 420,830

9. Tancredo - 409,393

10. Dodd - 397,281

11. Hunter - 347,017

12. Biden - 251,058

13. Gilmore - 229,020

14. Huckabee - 164,076

15. Giuliani - 105,503

16. Gravel - 70,236

17. Richardson - 61,193

The report whilst professing to conclude that Youtube and the Internet was a way for smaller nominees to get their message heard, little was made of any of their message that were breaking through (though i know that this was not the point of the report), in fact the Democratic party line was towed. A short clip was played of Hillary Clinton claiming that all Republican candidates are in line with Mr Bush in regards to Iraq, and only her and her Democratic counterparts oppose it, an utter falsity, widley refuted amongst avid Youtube subscribers that are weighing into the debate in this forum.

The Major talking point of the last republican debate was Rudy Guiliani interjecting when Dr Paul spoke of the subsequent ‘blowback’ following the occupation of a country. The US media spoke about the fact that Dr Paul was out of lockstep with the partyline for days. This is one of the many reasons his campaign is garnering so much interest on the net as people research him for themselves.

So my question here is why is the ABC repeating Hillary’s invalid publicly refuted fallices, other then to question the truth in such remarks, if they themselves are not just parroting the state line?

Those who really know what is happening in this race and the issues that are concerning the people on the ground know that the war is only one very small part of it. The eradication of the federal reserve banking system and IRS are the two major policy points that are being suppressed by the major media outlets. Policies that Paul and democratic nominee Mike Gravel stand for.

The removal of the police state and the championing of individual rights are what these men advocate most and this is what the ABC are complicit in helping to cover up. It is time that the ABC stopped hiding behind the false veil of politically objective reporting and look past the labels to examine the issues and report on them in factually accurate manner ie/ call a spade, a spade not a shovel.

Why were only the media darlings amongst the contenders given any screen time?

John McCain was given screen time and he has even less money in the bank that Ron Paul. A direct consequence of the You Tube phenomenom.

In fact “RonPaul2008.com drew a 27 percent share of visitors to Republican candidate sites in May. (The highest of all contenders) MittRomney.com attracted almost 21 percent of visits last month, while JohnMccain.com brought in almost 13 percent.”

Please bring the 7.30 Report to task on this sloppy journalism. They should be doing their own research instead of broadcasting what appeared at times to be a syndicated report.

Regards,

Kieran Wicks

You can not always fix a problem with the same amount of intelligence that created the problem.

Long live the king
The king is dead.

What’s left is a legacy
An education in preservation
and naivety.

A loss so sobering
Dreading the binge
The fallout
The personal and collective self realisation

Another dead hero
admired by all who knew him
and those that didn’t.

A beacon on the hill,
An example of the here and now.
A reference point.
Quintessential

A zoo keeper with the world in his hands.
__________________________________________________________________

A master of communication with all living beings, Steve Irwin tapped in to the collective conscious at such a high level. This explains why he was always buzzing off of his head. It also helps explains his quick witt both in conversation and in his work both as a documentary film-maker and animal husbandrist. His ability to read an animals energy and predict its movements and communicate with animals in all manner of ways, would have seen him vibrating at an incredibly high rate.

Fear has gripped the hearts of many with the passing of our Steve Irwin.
Fear that comes naturally with realisation. The realisation that we have to pick up the ball and run with it ourselves, for everything that we know is right.

The same week the Croc Hunter passed away, another beloved Australian hero, The King of the Mountain, racing legend Peter Brock was also tragically killed in the line of duty, behind the wheel of his famed 05 racing number.

I found it hard to mourn for Brocky for a couple of reasons, that i couldn’t just put my finger on at first.

Then it struck me , why there was a marked difference in the depth of emotional outpouring and mourning between the King of the Mountain and the King of Conservation.

Nobility of their causes.

Peter was an Aussie racing car driver, Steve was a conservationist of global proportions.

In a time where the environment is at the forefront of many an Australians mind and petrol prices are the bain of our collective and individual budgets, it’s not hard to see how the conservationist is missed more than the glutton (ie/ natural resources).

I see both deaths as tragic, timely reminders of where we are in our evolution. We must act accordingly moving more and more towards eco-friendly energy sources.

Long Live the King - The King is Dead

R.I.P Steve Irwin
R.I.P Peter Brock

Untill we meet again,
TKF

Music is the most personal form of socialisation that people can give themselves. The thoughts our music provokes within us, form the very people we are, the conversations we have, the friends we make and the paths we walk. Strong communication amongst a network of likeminded individuals opens up a world of possibilities for all those tapped in. And it’s time for the new wave here in Newcastle. The REAL sound of Newcastle!

Sharing the stage with as diverse a range of artists as you can is the best way to build a profile and spread your message. Playing with heaps of different people will not only see the community strengthen as everyone gets to know one another and attract each others fan base, it will see the entire communities musicianship move to another level as Newcastle’s wealthy gene pool evolves together. The REAL sound of Newcastle!
Take advantage of the 6° of separation. Organisation is needed in order for any communication network to strengthen, for your fanbase to grow, which leads to bigger shows.

If you don’t start talking amongst one another now you wont ever be able to talk about anything. Now think about this for a moment -

Imagine a world where the words to your favourite songs were never written! Imagine a world where John Lennon had never sung a word!
It’s easy if you try…

It was the things Lennon did and said, the ideologies he stood for, and the words he sung, that helped to bring about the revolution of change in his era, and indeed ours. It is because of men like him that we can now sing and say what is on our minds. It is to such ‘in-tune’ songwriters as Lennon that we must turn to, in times of universal deceit, for it is such great oracles as him that the truth resides.

In an interview with Volume Streetpress in October 05, Ben Lee gave me a rather insightful summation as to the powers of pop music. It’s the “sugar that makes the medicine go down. How many great political, social and spiritual statements have been made, that we wouldn’t even have begun to of digested if they hadn’t been sung to a pretty melody?” The Times Are A Changing, you know, those things are important! I more and more want to embrace that method of communication with the world and I am getting more and more optimistic about the chances of infusing that with something of real substance. So that it’s not just a song to sing along to on the radio, it’s a song that can change the world.”

Lyrics are still nearly always at the centre of censorship scandals. Artists have only relatively recently been able to express their freethinking ideals so graphically. There are still plenty of cases where monkey wrench releases don’t even reach the record store shelves. They, being those in control of our daily lives, would prefer to replace our headphones with ears muffs, in order to distort opposing opinions, especially those that contradict the official fiction.

In old London town, a small group of people hold a weekly tea party on the grass of Parliament Square, with some members of the party garnering blank placards. “The non-demo demo, or tea party, is a legalistic response to a law, which says that, “no one may demonstrate within a kilometre of Parliament Square, if they have not first acquired written permission from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. If anything is written on the placards, or if someone makes a speech, then he or she is immediately deemed to be in breach of the law and is arrested”(2).

This silent protest takes place under the watchful eye of Winston Churchill’s statue, a man whose words resonate now more than ever. “If you will not fight for the right,” he once growled, “when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves”(2).
Sing like a bird, for the world is your stage.

Peace

Wicksy

Footnotes

1 - Pilger, John. (2002:2) The New Rulers of the World. Verso, London
2 - Porter, Henry. (29/6/06) Blair Laid Bare: the article that may get you arrested. Online source - http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1129827.ece
3- PTI (12/7/06) Mumbai blasts an attack on democratic way of life: Aus PM Online source - http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=23949&n_tit=World+Stands+with+India+against+%22Despicable%22+Terror+Blasts+