Brigitte Handley has a new release out, as well an EP of vinyl featuring unreleased Dark Shadows live tracks.



In between all her German shenanigans she’s been recording again and pondering the evil sound that is autotune.



Time to talk about that ominous looking splatter vinyl pressing, the implications of releasing music on cassette tape and who the hell presses 7″ picture singles.



We meet at the scenic Madame Frou Frou Cafe to discuss Brigitte’s new releases and the implications of recording acoustic guitar in the same room as Shirley Bassey’s vocals.



So have a coffee and pull up a Cher.



Main photo by Mark Gowecke.



Brigitte Handley on BandcampBrigitte Handley on Youtube



Showing off the coloured splatter vinyl release from The Dark Shadows.


Cover of CyberNation release from Brigitte Handley. Just look at her peplum.


The last time we had coffee



Revelations so surprising, I’ve turned black and white with shock.

We catch up with the legend Tim Ferguson. Unsurprisingly he has a lot to say in just 12 minutes.



Hear his predictive powers for the last 9 Federal elections, why improvisational comedy has to go and the importance of an Australian pope.





“I think a bit of starvation and anger will create more interesting comedy.”
Tim Ferguson (married man that owns a dog AND a cat)








Tim is running his monthly stand up comedy night at The Harold Park Hotel in Glebe, as well as creating his artworks and generally telling people how to be funnier.



Drop in on our brief Conclave of Comedy.



Drop in on Tim’s site



Harold Park Hotel



Random Bunga Bunga episode



Maynard and Tim Ferguson

Australia’s Coldest 100 returns for 2025 this Saturday 25th January with @ozkitsch presenting 100 tunes you won’t find easily anywhere on any continent.



Just look at this list of artists that Andrew Sholl has curated that you’ll never again see in the same room. This is Andrew’s eighth Coldest 100 and he doesn’t see Farnham clips running out anytime soon.



The 2025 Coldest 100 brings you Sophie Monk, Des O’Connor, Shirley Bassey, Charo, Johnathon Coleman and a singing chicken. That’s just for starters.



Don’t like it? Then there is a rough end of a banana for you.



After all, anyone can put together a list of the latest hottest tracks. It takes a certain kind of expert like Andrew Sholl to put together 100 songs of Australian musical shock for 8 years in a row now.




“Things don’t always turn out the way they were intended…”
Andrew Sholl



It will all be going down on Saturday 25th January on X and Instagram @Ozkitsch Andrew Sholl shows no sign of ever stopping his annual festival of Aussie awkwardness.



.



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2020



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2021



Maynard plays you some video clips from The Coldest 100 2022



Maynard plays you some video clips from The Coldest 100 2023



Maynard plays you yet more video clips from The Coldest 100 2024





Johnathan Coleman sings the Aussie classics on Sounds.





Des O’Connor with Reeves & Mortimer (and their frypan)



Australia’s Coldest 100, 2025. What a bunch of spunks!

Triple J staff celebrated 50 years of Triple J on Sunday 19th January. Even the ABC itself did the same thing later that day.



Hear from Rusty Nails, Dr Karl, Sarah Macdonald, Craig Donarski, Andy Marinos, Dame Lush, Hannah Thompson and other ex ABC staff and current Triple J listeners.



The expectant crowd at ABC Ultimo await a tight set of 15 minutes of stand up comedy from the Prime Minister.


Here’s what happened at the Triple J 40th staff party…









Maynard Triple J Breakfast show 1989



Here’s a transcript of what transpired this time, at the 50th….Rusty Nails: An audio dildo!Maynard: At Triple J’s 50th birthday, and who’s the first guy I run into … drinking a cup of coffee! Is there anything in that Rusty Nails?Rusty: Just coffee this morning, Maynard, I’ve got some serious professional work to do.M: What year of Triple J are you covering?Rusty: I’m covering the 79 to 85-ish era, which is sort of like the Uncle Doug Mulray, Jono and Dano, Off The Record, and the J Team of course, and the Oils on the Water.M: How come commercial radio never snapped you up from your breakfast show at Triple J?Rusty: I was probably too rebellious. I did actually, funnily enough, talk to Trevor Smith at one point. He said, “Nothing wrong with your talent, but we don’t like your voice, it’s not Aussie enough.”M: Everyone knows that when an English guy speaks there’s authority. Or he’s a geezer, it’s either one or the other.Rusty: Oh, I’m a geezer.M: What do you reckon has been the greatest moment of Triple J over the last 50 years?Rusty: At this fiftieth, I’m proud to announce that I’ve almost finished writing, no, not finished, but I’ve almost finished writing my book for my daughter, and it’s called “Dear Emily, Extraordinary Moments in an Ordinary Life”, and it’ll be on the bookshelves by Christmas.M: I’ll look forward to that. Why do you think there’s never been a book about Triple J? Is it too complicated?Rusty: Well, there was one …M: Toby Cresswell was supposed to write one.Rusty: But there was that Twenty years of Double J and Triple J. They never reprinted it.M: All David Wales’ artwork through it, too.Rusty: It had the wonderful stories like Russell Gay answering the phone to the General at Victoria Barracks.M: I tell you what, Rusty, because I’ve got a lot of reel to reel tape, which I recorded stuff on, at the end of it, there was stuff that I hadn’t recorded over. And I’ve heard a lot of your unedited interviews, one with the Homecoming Queen’s got a Gun, Julie. I’ve got your interview with Julie Brown!Rusty: Wow! Unfortunately, I lost a mass of tapes moving continent to continent and stuff, but I think I might even have a Yahoo Serious interview somewhere.M: What’s the song for you that epitomises your time at Triple J?Rusty: Oh, shit. I suppose it’s gotta be when we were doing the Breakfast Program and Midnight Oil came in and world premiered their Place Without a Postcard album.M: Well, you have your coffee and I look forward to seeing you on stage, Rusty.Rusty: Yeah, yeah.M: Now, remember when you say you’re finished, wait for the applause to die down before you tell them what you finished.Rusty: Can I dance with you later Maynard?M: I hope so. See you, Rusty.Rusty: See you, Maynard.



Maynard: So over the years, you’ve got all the people you hear on the radio, but then you’ve got the people who make you hear the people that you hear on the radio, like Scott. Scott, you were the technical guy. You did everything, really. You, at one stage, held up the antenna during a rainstorm.Scott Wyatt: Yeah, well.M: The transmitting mast.Scott: Of course!M: What was the most challenging thing about being a tech guy try...

The audio from A Very Maynard Xmas 2024 for those that find all those colours hurt their eyes.



Broadcasting from the main arena at Maynard International Studios, just opposite the Gilmore Girls Memorial Auditorium, it will bring the magic of Santa’s grotto back into our lives. Hopefully in the good way.



Feature guests in A Very Maynard Xmas 2024 include Lesley Fountain/Glenn Keenan, Roy Darby, Chris Kelly of Ship o Fools. With Christmas greetings from Mari Wilson, Rob Darby, Christopher Laird of Radio Nowhere, George Hrab with The Christmas Sweaters, Brigitte Handley, Tony Push and his poinsettia, even Paul Field and Bronwyn Mulcahy of Countdown Live wave hello in this most awkward of Xmas variety shows.



David Hodo top of Xmas tree 2024


The Xmas show is going well.


Watch A Very Maynard Xmas 2024

In the Thermopylae of modern life, occasionally you encounter someone who is beyond a journeyman, way past a Renaissance man. In fact, George Hrab has gone straight through the Renaissance, leapt over the Napoleonic Wars, and now has his head currently right up the Jazz Age.



I first met and listened to George Hrab in 2010 when he was still a teenager. His podcast, The Geologic Podcast, once you get over the fact he never once mentioned, uh, igneous rocks, it’s actually a pretty good bath time listing. His latest funk fest of an album, Terpsichore, despite being named after the Olivia Newton John character in Xanadu, has not one single reference to roller skating.



Terpsichore album cover. Possibly not George Hrab’s tootsies.



Maynard: In fact, there is a mystery about your album that you’ve deliberately put in there. There’s a secret involved.



George: There is, there’s a little bit of a puzzle throughout my history of listening to records and you always get these myths and these urban legends arise. Did Pink Floyd consciously synchronize Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz? Because when you put those two on at the same time, a lot of interesting coincidences happen.



Was this foreplanned? Was it on purpose? Usually the answer is no. So I wanted to have something not quite as trippy as that, but I wanted to have something incorporated into the album that was a purposeful kind of puzzle. So far, only one person has figured it out.



M: Well, you can jump that number up to two because I have figured it out, George.



G: Have you?



M : First I thought, okay, it’s something about the time signature in the linking rhythms between the tracks. Then I thought, no, it’s obvious. You’ve basically redone Duran Duran’s Rio album.



G: I can’t answer if you’re right or not, you know, I don’t want to give it away to the audience, but that’s a damn good answer. That’s a damn good answer…





“Very smart people being very silly is incredibly appealing to me.” – Geo





George Hrab in the nudie. From the cover of his Interrobang album, 2005. Still a hottie today.



George’s album at Bandcamp



George Hrab’s podcast



George’s YouTube channel



Last time George was on the show Bond, Bee Gees und more

Australia’s Coldest 100 returns for 2024 this Saturday 27th January with @ozkitsch presenting 100 tunes you won’t find easily anywhere on any continent.



Just look at this list of artists that Andrew Sholl has curated that you’ll never again see on the same list. This is Andrew’s eighth Coldest 100 and he doesn’t see Farnham clips running out anytime soon.



The 2024 Coldest 100 brings you Barnsey, Alexander Downer, Tiny Tim, Cilla Black and a rubber chicken.



If that isn’t enough to incite your antipodean awkwardness, well, bugger ya.



After all, anyone can put together a list of the latest good songs. It takes a certain kind of expert like Andrew Sholl to put together 100 songs of Australian musical hoo-haa for 8 years in a row now.




This is a version of You Are The Voice you may enjoy, or not…
Andrew Sholl



It will all be going down from 10am Saturday 27th January on X and Instagram @Ozkitsch Andrew Sholl shows no sign of ever stopping his annual festival of Aussie awkwardness. So lean into it.



.



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2020



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2021



Maynard plays you some video clips from The Coldest 100 2022



Maynard plays you some video clips from The Coldest 100 2023





Muppets with their Kangaroo.





This family is chuffed with their new Jimmy Barnes alarm clock

Here’s the audio version of the Xmas show this year. To enjoy the full immersive cheapo experience, watch the show on the previous page. But enjoy both, it’s Shatmas.



A Very Maynard Xmas is the highlight of the year for people who don’t get out a lot. It’s just like an old style Xmas variety show, but without the style, or the show.



Our guests dropping by this year include Tim Ferguson getting a surprise gift, Lesley Fountain dancing with a choir, Brigitte Handley hanging out with some creepy German dolls, Christopher Laird eating some sort of donut, Tony Push reading his Bowie inspired Xmas poem, George Hrab becoming a super hero, Rob and Roy Darby supplying some quality original music and other people who should have something better to do at this time of year.



A Very Maynard Xmas 2023 promises you almost an hour of Xmas entertainment that you will only have yourself to blame for. Musically the show has everything from David Essex to The Gibson Brothers and Lulu. Plus a monkey washing a cat.



Tim Ferguson doesn’t seem too keen on the present Maynard got him for Xmas


A Very Maynard Xmas 2023 gift. A Golden Girls metal lunchbox


Lulu is the performer who will save the day on this year’s A Very Maynard Xmas




Tim Ferguson and I let you know what you can expect. You will have trouble describing it yourself.



Watch the video of A Very Maynard Xmas 2023



Watch A Very Maynard Xmas 2022



Watch A Very Maynard Xmas 2021



Watch A Very 2020 Maynard Xmas.

30 years ago this week, on a Sunday far, far away Sunday Afternoon Fever blasted across the 1993 landscape of Australia on Triple J…



Kirk Pengilly, world famous saxophonist from INXS was my special guest taking questions from live callers Molly, Lance, Rick, Damien, Jenny, Claire (Darwin), Fran (Syd), Melissa (Melb), David, Liz (Melb), Craig, Claire (Manly Vale), Erika, Elaine (Melb), David (Syd), Elvis Presley (Newcastle), Big Dave (Kempsey), Sam, Melissa, Luke, Vanessa and Paul (Brisbane). INXS latest album at the time was Full Moon, Dirty Hearts.



Their questions for Kirk Pengilly range from “What new bands do you like?” (Juice & You Am I) to “Do you remember what happened at the Kempsey RSL that night you supported Richard Clapton in 1980?”. (Let’s just say no bands were allowed there for a few years after the “incident”). Kirk turns up on the show 1 hour 55 minutes in.





INXS with their first single Simple Simon on Simon Townsend’s Wonderworld in 1980.



Listen to INXS at the 1992 Concert for Life, make up your own mind.



Other world altering events that afternoon include Steve in Adelaide forgetting to tape The Late Show last night. Lance & The Hollywood Kids gossiping about George Micheal, Rosanne, Corey Ham, Sharon Stone plus the shocking revelation that Brooke Shields was seen buying a book.



Crappy New Releases from Dr Ektomy and Mario Lanza. While Maynard’s mastermind finds Andrew wiping the floor with all the other contestants to win not only the new Duran Duran album, BUT also a picture of Nick Kershaw.



Always in step with international politics, I put in a call to order some new furniture for Boris Yeltsin. You know, just to be helpful.



I report on the Soloway sisters latest production from the opening night in LA Not Without My Nipples. Starring Janeane Garofalo, who was nice enough to give me a lift back to my hotel. Thanks for that.



Review of Not Without My Nipples in Variety.



But what snappy tunes are on the show Maynard? I hear you ask.



Pet Shop Boys – Normally I Wouldn’t Do This Kind of ThingWeddings, Parties, Anything – Mondays ExpertsElectric Hippies – It’s CoolGeneral Public – TendernessRen & Stimpy – Happy Happy Joy JoySpecial AKA – Free Nelson MandelaMr Floppy – Wuthering HeightsNew Order – WorldHoodoo Gurus – The Right TimeWeird Al Yankovic – Jurassic ParkCocteau Twins – Iceblink LuckKate Bush – Eat The MusicSalt N Pepa – ShoopTom Jones – It’s Not UnusualPet Shop Boys – Go WestFreaky Realistic – Leonard NimoyIce Cream Hands – You Can Smile NowPrince – PeachDenis Leary – AssholeStrange Tenants – Soldier BoyWeird Al Yankovic – Bedrock AnthemRadiohead – CreepBarbara Feldon – 99Violent Femmes – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?Terence Trent D’Arby – DelicateJuice Masters – Brady BunchMiki Howard – Ain’t Nobody Like YouINXS featuring Jenny Morris – JacksonDonny Hathaway What’s Going OnINXS – Need You Tonight (Ben Liebrand remix)Guy Delandro – Old Country LanesINXS – Simple SimonTrey Lorenz – Wipe All My Tears AwayFits Of Gloom – To LoveYothu Yindi – World TurningStan – SuntanWeird Al Yankovic- Achy Breaky SongApache Indian – Boom Shak A LakWeird Al Yankovic – Bohemian Polka

Bunga Bunga 74 answers the eternal question “what is art?” with Tim Ferguson and Maynard. “It’s on the wall you goose”, is the only answer you need.




“Art is problematic Maynard. Let’s face it. It doesn’t fucking go with anything.”
Wendy Harmer







Tim Ferguson has been making art, while Maynard has become a librarian. We find out what fridge magnets have to do with painting as Paul Livingston & Tim go big on the cask wine at their big arty opening at The Sheffer Gallery in Darlington. Hear from Wendy Harmer, Andrew Denton, Gretel Killeen, Russell Cheek and plenty of people who actually know what “outsider art” and “gestural” actually mean.



Come for the insults to an iconic Canadian mammal, stay for Herb Alpert’s maracas in your left ear.



Bunga Bunga 74 is the intersection that proves both Oscar Wilde and Wendy Harmer may be right. You don’t get that every day. But what you do get every day can’t be put on a wall with accent lights. It mightn’t be the Bunga you want, but in these contemporaneous times, it’s the Bunga Bunga you need.



Only 10 minutes after opening and it’s almost packed. Photo: David Art Wales


Have a look at the artworks of Tim Ferguson & Paul Livingston, there are only a few unsold.



Maynard likes this painting. It’s the only one done by both Paul and Tim at the exhibition. Paul talks about his desecration of Tim’s work during the podcast.



Paul Livingston artwork. Photo: David Art Wales



Tim Ferguson colour drawing of Paul Livingston. Photo: David Art Wales



Kylie Minogue relaxes during Bunga Bunga 74 recording.



Tim Ferguson and Wendy Harmer take a brief nap during the proceedings.



Details here for the online art contest Tim mentioned at the end of the show from Achieve Australia.



Bunga Bunga 73 was wild!

30 years to the month after the original broadcast, here’s Sunday Afternoon Fever, Maynard’s Triple J show from a public toilet in Ultimo for no apparent reason with The Andy 500, Rob Clarkson, and Melissa Tkautz. Even Simon Day sticks his head in.



There’s live music in front of a live studio audience. We even get into some True Crime (at 35 minutes) with a heartfelt plea from Simon of Redfern for his stolen trombone. A very emotional moment for all.



“Really big toilet you’ve got here Maynard.”Simon Day, 11th July 1993





The Andy 500 at The Metro in Sydney.



The Andy 500 dressed up smart and wowed the live audience with their smooth sounds (at around 1 hour 7 minutes). They played four songs including Too Close For Comfort, I Love Your Brain and Touch Me.



Lance of The Hollywood Kids (40 minutes in) goes to the opening of new LA club Babylon and spots Cher, Shannon Doherty, Tori Spelling and James Woods. And you’ll never guess who his dinner date was…..



“Things are getting, really, really WEIRD here Maynard.”Lance of The Hollywood Kids 11.7.1993 (about 2.49pm)



Melissa Tkautz was about to have a guest stint on Paradise Beach as the resident bitch character. She joins us for a chat (about 1 hour 57 minutes in) and you can imagine how the live audience was wary of a soap star coming on a Triple J show. But a really interesting phenomenon happened as I noted many times in my career. As soon as Melissa entered the studio and talked off air to the audience and was as highly professional as she always is, the crowd fell silent. No smarty bum comments, no looking down their noses at a pop star. It’s as if they realised she was actually talented as well as an actual person. She and Simon Day had a great old chin wag in the green room. She introduces her new single, Is It?



There’s Crappy New Releases (1 hour 50 minutes in), Maynard’s Mastermind Quiz (in which you can win a bow and arrow set to injure the child of your choice) and group Love Boat karaoke. It was a mint afternoon all round.



Join us in this show, the day when Pray by Take That was number one in the UK. In Australia, it was UB40 with Can’t Help Falling in Love. Neither of which are played on this show. But the Triple J feature album is from Paul Westerburg.



You WILL hear music from Matthew Sweet, Def FX, XTC, Straitjacket Fits, Phunk Junkeez and even Jimeoin.





Rob Clarkson with one of his songs he performed live on the show, The Human Equivalent of Penicillin.



Also the regular (very) odd couple segment of Richard Kingsmill dropping in live ( at around 1 hour 35 minutes) to give a hot take on a very early Burt Bacharach tune from his personal collection.



This tape doesn’t even cover all the show. Digital audio tapes were expensive in 1993, but I recorded this myself because Triple J wasn’t (and probably still isn’t) in the business of archiving most of their content.



So, get down in your underpants and pray to the Church of the Funky Chicken. It’s time for Sunday Afternoon Fever, July 11th, 1993.



Thanks to all our studio guests and especially the live studio audience for singing along with the Loveboat Theme.



Special thanks to the very professional Triple J Producer Anne-Maree Sargeant, Justine Lynch, Scott Whyte, all the studio 227 engineering crew and all at Triple J in 1993.



Sunday Afternoon Fever featuring Sultans of Pi...

30 years to the day after the original broadcast, here’s Sunday Afternoon Fever, Maynard’s Triple J show for no apparent reason with Kate Ceberano, Anthony Morgan, Lance & The Hollywood Kids, Crappy New Releases, Warren Coleman, Richard Kingsmill’s Hot Tip and Getting Your Goat.



Kate Ceberano calls us from her Melbourne sauna to let us know about her upcoming mini tour. She also has a problem with the audience applause audio on her Kate Ceberano & Her Septet album.



“Now I’m giving up smoking, it feels like I’m singing through mucus.”Kate Ceberano, 4th July 1993 (2.43pm)



Lance and John, The Hollywood Kids – Regular gossip reporters on Sunday Afternoon Fever


Lance and the Hollywood Kids segment reports on the hot new sex club in LA and who Whitney is suing this week. Lots of people calling in from around Australia. Bronwyn in Tasmania is using a new fangled mobile phone on a chairlift while Kevin Markwell in Paddington, Sydney has a farting Ren doll he thinks we need to hear. Jose calls in with news that Kate Ceberano’s 1989 Brave album has just been released in Argentina and is selling well.



Melbourne comedy legend Anthony Morgan is back on the stand up circuit after a bit of time away. He’s talking personal poverty and marching bands.



“I’ve had a lot of practice at being poor when I was younger and we thought it was a political statement.”Anthony Morgan 4th July 1993 (3.41pm)



Join us in this show, the day before Absolutely Fabulous went to air for the first time in Australia. A show that asks the eternal question, “why can’t Dire Straits make music as good as the Magilla Gorilla theme?





Anthony Morgan, Melbourne Comedy Festival 1995



Also the regular (very) odd couple segment of Richard Kingsmill dropping by to give a hot take on the upcoming release from Urge Overkill.



This tape only covers about half the show. Digital audio tapes were expensive in 1993, but I recorded this myself because Triple J wasn’t (and probably still isn’t) in the business of archiving most of their content.



So, get down in your underpants and pray to the Church of the Funky Chicken. It’s time for Sunday Afternoon Fever, July 4th, 1993.



Thanks to all our guests and callers.



Special thanks to the very professional Triple J Producer Anne-Maree Sargeant, Justine Lynch and all at Triple J in 1993.



Maynard at 1992 Melbourne Comedy Festival



Maynard on Foxtel Rewind Aussie Women special





Kate Ceberano on 60 Minutes 1992

30 years to the day after the original broadcast, here’s Sunday Afternoon Fever, Maynard’s Triple J show in all its unlikely glory with Tlot Tlot, Mrs Sinatra, Sultans of Ping FC and Anthony Ackroyd. Set your dial for plenty of 1993 goodness.




“When radio shows were properly and lovingly put together and interviews were entertaining.”




Jane Gazzo 2023



This is very much a regular sounding Sunday Afternoon Fever (SAF) show from my final year at Triple J with mostly contemporary music, plenty of comedy and relatable retro thrown in.



Regular Mrs Fred Sinatra showcases a new pair of purple shorts. Lance and the Hollywood Kids segment reports on the MTV movie awards with Duran Duran, Whitney Houston and Rod Stewart gossip.



Fred and Millie Sinatra


A few King Missile inspired comedy moments turn up with Molly Meldrum Was Way Cool and Detachable Trombone.



My Australian guests on this show are Tlot Tlot, one of my favourite 90s bands, who came into the studio to promote their pistolbuttsatwinkle’atwinkle album which included a guest vocal from Angie Hart. I had witnessed their “reverse stage diving” at their Hobart gig and still stand by my conclusion during this show that they are “the future of Australian music”.



Maynard and Tlot Tlot after the 1993 interview



We enter the confusing world of Sultans of Ping FC. I had been playing them for about a year on import and in 1993 they still hadn’t been released locally. Their drummer Morty McCarthy had phoned into SAF the previous week and after I quizzed him on air as to his identity with Ping trivia questions, I invited him onto the show.



Jane Gazzo called the studio during the show, I gave her his number and they are still great friends to this day. So if this SAF show achieved anything, there is that – and maybe we also convinced Sony to eventually release their music in Australia.





Sultans of Ping FC live in 1993 with Morty on drums



Anthony Ackroyd was fresh off the release of the Yahoo Serious movie Reckless Kelly, and announced his Reckless Ackroyd tour across Australia with Haskel Daniel supporting. We discover where he got those loud shirts from and learn he was “just to big for that movie”.



Anthony Ackroyd embarks upon his Reckless Ackroyd tour


Also the regular (very) odd couple segment of Richard Kingsmill dropping by to give a hot take on the upcoming release from Fishbone.



And this tape only covers about half the show. Digital audio tapes were expensive in 1993, but I recorded this myself because Triple J wasn’t (and probably still isn’t) in the business of archiving most of their content.



So, get down in your underpants and pray to the Church of the Funky Chicken. It’s time for Sunday Afternoon Fever 1993.



Thanks to all our guests.



Special thanks to the very professional Triple J Producer Anne-Maree Sargeant, Justine Lynch and all at Triple J in 1993.



Maynard at 1992 Melbourne Comedy Festival



Maynard on Foxtel Channel V at 2000 Melbourne Comedy Festival



Tlot Tlot with The Girlfriend Song

Brigitte Handley of The Dark Shadows has returned to Australia to let Maynard know what he is missing on German television. Also to remind all of us of the educational value of the work of Falco (even though he was Austrian).



She’s been exploring a new range of sounds there and has been working with Matahari Ranch to produce a full sound and stark video for Köln.



So enjoy a Sour Candy, meet us in the Kylie Minogue park in Glebe and prepare yee for the way of “Schlager”. Careful with your pronunciation of “Klaus Wunderlich”.



It’s great catching up with Brigitte, apparently Dr Who doesn’t translate well into German, but Skippy does?



Tilly Electronics have a new single as well “Tilly Pop”, but that’s a story for another day.



The Dark Shadows – Brigitte Handley, Ned Wu, Carly Chalker














Brigitte Handley’s Bandcamp



As mentioned, check out the lineup at The Sonic Ballroom in Köln

Bunga Bunga 73 has you wading fearlessly into the intellectual end of the inflatable kiddie pool with Tim Ferguson and Maynard.



You will soon learn your lesson in ethics as topics impetuously covered in this show include comedy, Gumby, cheese, poo and Peter Dutton.



Tim is writing a book, quelling a riot and giving advice to the Prime Minister. Maynard enjoys colourful plasticine.



It’s a great show! Just listen to these two tell you how good a listen it is. Look, cute puppy.



A ringing endorsement from your hosts. Look, cute puppy.



Tim Ferguson at home with Daphne the dachshund.


Get along to see Tim Ferguson at Adelaide Fringe this week for the world premiere of his new show Disability Rules!



Bunga Bunga 72 was pretty cool.

Jon English was a towering professional in the Australian theatre and music world from his first national appearance as Judas in the 1972 production of Jesus Christ Superstar.



I first met Jon when he was working on his musical Paris and he dropped in to the Triple J breakfast show a number of times. Always up for a laugh.



I last spoke to him in 2002 when he was touring a revival of Pirates of Penzance, shortly before his press conference at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle.



Jon talks about his early TV work and missing out on that zombie role he always wanted to play.



Jon English in HMS Pinafore.


Jon English in Wikipedia.





Jon English as Judas in the 1975 production of Jesus Christ Superstar

Australia’s Coldest 100 returns for 2023 this Saturday 28th January with world class musical curiosities that only this wide and very beige land of Australia can produce.



Just look at this list of artists that Andrew Sholl has curated that you’ll never again see on the same list. This is Andrew’s seventh Coldest 100 and he doesn’t foresee running out of clips anytime soon.



The 2023 Coldest 100 brings Bud Tingwell, Wickety Wak, Germaine Greer, Tina Arena, The singing Citizens of Macarthur, Johnny Raper, Ian Turpie singing some Nirvana, and the legend himself, Steven Farnham.



Thrill to wonderful jingles that remind you of the natural beauty that is Perth, Brisbane and a chicken restaurant chain in Melbourne.




A recession may be averted by the use of interpretive dance on the Sunrise show…




After all, anyone can put together a list of the latest good songs. It takes a certain kind of goose like Andrew Sholl to put together 100 songs of Australian musical flotsam for 8 years in a row now.




The Coldest 100 this year has everything from Marlene Dietrich to Steven Farnham…
Andrew Sholl



It will all be going down from 9am Saturday 28th January on Twitter @Ozkitsch Andrew Sholl shows no sign of ever stopping his annual festival of Aussie frippery. So lean into it.



.



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2020



Look and listen to The Coldest 100 2021



Maynard plays you some video clips from The Coldest 100 2022





Johnny Raper mightn’t sing that well, but Frank Sinatra couldn’t play rugby league.





The Kransky Sisters will make you go funny in your water.

A new book from longtime music industry insider Jane Gazzo fills in Australian music history from a time before oversharing became endemic. Sound As Ever: A celebration of the greatest decade in Australian music (1990-1999), a book with Andrew P Street covers most things that you should know about the optimistic musical decade that was dashed against the uncaring digital rocks of the 21st century.



Early 90s CDs from Australian artists (and The Sultans of Ping FC)


Maynard: With the Australian musical landscape, sadly, experiencing a slight, lack of interesting musical punters, one woman has stepped forward to toot the collective horn of the dark yet simultaneously blindingly colourful decade known as the nineties. Jane Gazzo has done that and been there. From inner city beginnings at Melbourne’s legendary 3RRR to Triple J, Triple M and BBC Radio, through to you seeing her on ABC’s Recovery on a Saturday morning and Channel V and Music Max on Foxtel, you probably know of Jane.



But have you ever shared a flat with her? Well, I haven’t either, but Sharky from The Prodigy and Courtney Love have, and all of them are better people from the experience. She’s written for Q magazine, but more importantly, Dolly magazine. Jane has published a book on John Farnham, but a new epic nineties book Sound As Ever – a celebration of the greatest decade in Australian music, 1990 to 1999, please make welcome my favourite Latrobe University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in cinema that strangely has not yet won an Academy Award. Talk about robbed! Welcome Jane Gazzo!



Not at all flattering still of Maynard & Jane Gazzo from Triple J 40th staff party 2015.


Jane Gazzo: Thanks Maynard, you are my favourite purple-suited presenter slash broadcaster.



M: I think you’ll find it’s aubergine. It’s great to be chatting to you once again. We bumped into each other at the Triple J 40th catchup party. That was the last time I think I saw you.



J: Oh, that was sooo long ago Maynard.



M: There was no one documenting that. There was no person from ABC Radio. There was no person from ABC TV. You had staff from 40 years of Triple J all in the one room.



J: It was a crime.



M: Some of those people are no longer with us. I’m glad that you are making your moment with the nineties here. Look, I was talking to a couple of people about this, Glenn A Baker, he reckons the seventies were the greatest decade in Australian music. I mean, you’re ignoring the work of Mother Goose. Even though they are from New Zealand. Richard Wilkins told me that the greatest decade in Australian music was the eighties and you can’t really deny the work of Joe Dolce. He did replace the Pope when he got shot that time, which is even better than an ARIA award in my book, you are ignoring a lot there for the nineties. So you gotta make your case. What’s so great about the nineties, Miss Pineapple-and-Vodka-Drinker?



J: It is a bold statement, I grant you that and yes, look, the eighties were fabulous but for me the nineties was the last decade of innocence. And by that, I mean, we didn’t have camera phones, we didn’t have mobile phones. Record companies had so much money to spend on bands and they pretty much did spend money on bands and the Australian music scene was in a really healthy state. But as the year 2000 progressed, that innocence seemed to dissipate.



M: Do you think the record companies spent their money wisely?



J: There was some flippant signings. I mean, The Sharp, let’s be honest.



M: Look,

Tim Ferguson & Maynard return to face their recent recriminations. Tim is making art. Maynard finds his art in a Glebe back alley. Contains occasional casual burlesque.



The Nitty Gritty dance that blew Tim’s mind is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S3Yt-NxY0E



The version of Moon River is Audrey’s vocal as used in the film. It wasn’t available outside the movie till after her death in 1993.



We sneak in Terri “Cup Cake” O’Mason mistaking her baking speciality by referring to her as “Cookie”. Sorry Terri.



Terri O’Mason doing her naughty thing.


Thanks to Ben Begley, Slice Radio & Peter Young for your Crankmail in this show.



Watch Lesley Fountain’s Wonderful World of Dance and be as impressed as Tim was by the video spectacular.

Mari Wilson, 80s UK pop glamourpuss, is our guest in this possibly career defining show for Maynard. From Neasden to New York, from “Just What I Always Wanted” to “The Eyes Have It” via “Ecstasy” and much carry on over the decades, Maynard and Mari have a grand old chinwag.



Joining fellow Neasden immortals such as Twiggy, Gerry Anderson and Bob Marley… Mari Wilson still often wonders what was the deal with the Neasden Sea Scouts, as Neasden is 40 miles away from the sea.




“I’ve got a thing about Tupperware. You’ve got to know the right way to let air out of it.”
Mari Wilson – Tupperist



Mari Wilson with her 1983 Tupperware collection.


Mari working on that beehive at home. Photo by ANL/Shutterstock


Mari having a musical good time in 2022.


Mari Wilson with her parents 1982. (Daily Mail)


Mari Wilson’s iconic Showpeople album cover 1983.


Mari Wilson demonstrates the peril of doing a calendar photo shoot with limited headroom for her famous beehive. By the legendary Adrian Boot. As mentioned in the show, Mari was wearing that June outfit during the recording of Showpeople. (It’s Crimplene.)



Mari Wilson’s dates supporting Level 42 in UK in November 2022.




Witness the quick change power of Mari during Baby It’s True. Thrill to this audience of Dutch New Romantics.





Mari on Dutch Top Pop show 1984.





Mari Wilson live performance of Cry Me A River on The Tube 1984 with her strings the Prawn Cocktails.





Mari with Matt Backer – The Eyes Have It.



Maynard’s research, a selection of Mari Wilson press 1980s.




“I may have overresearched this interview…”
– Maynard (overresearching )



Watch all the Mari Wilson video clips Maynard could find. A Mari Wilson video special.



Watch Mari on Top of The Pops with her fans and band having a great time 1982.



Mari Wilson’s site



What was The Castanet Club anyway?



Official looking transcript of Maynard’s interview with Mari Wilson



Maynard: Valued listener, only three musical artists deserve their very own section in my extensive music collection. They are ABBA, Tom Jones and our guest today, Mari Wilson.
From an early beginning in the backyard bathtub in Neasden, to the bright lights of New York City and Crouch End, Mari has wowed the world with her albums such as Showpeople, The Rhythm Romance, Pop Deluxe and Emotional Glamour. And the singles: from the perfect 80s pop of Just What I Always Wanted, to the cinematically dangerous Would I Dance with a Stranger, to any of the belting heartfelt ballads on Pop Deluxe, Mari’s worked with Boy George, Mark Almond, Heaven 17, not to mention Harry, Barry, Larry, Gary, Cary and, of course, Jim.
Despite never realising her lifelong dream of owning a donkey by the seaside, Mari has succeeded in breathing life and laughter into her catchphrase: it's a glamourous song and it's glamorously sung.
My favourite UK Type 1 diabetic, please welcome Miss Beehive, The Neasden Queen of Soul, eat drink and be Mari! In fact, be Mari McMillan Ramsey Wilson!