27Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: GRANDPAPPY'S COLUMN <return to top>
The 'Pappy's desk has had several inquiries from people
wondering how this year's big ARIA award winners Killing Heidi came
up with their name. The band usually explains in their interviews
that the name is to do with a loss of innocence, with the effect
heightened by the use of the innocent-sounding name Heidi. And because
it's such a snappy name, of course.
The juxtaposition of contrasting words in a band name is an old
trick, of course, as used by the likes of '80s Brisbane band the
Vicious Kites, and there was that London performance poet who went
under the moniker Attilla the Stockbroker. Using "killing" in the
title of your band is not usually the guarantee of fame. There have
been a number of bands who have tried the trick such as Killing
Addiction, Killing Time and Killing Culture, although the best known
of them is Killing Joke. Their name came from a comic book story
which pitted Batman against The Joker called Killing Joke. There
have been dozens of songs which used "killing" in the title, most
famously Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly With His Song and Howlin'
Wolf's oft-covered blues tune Killing Floor. The Cure were the subject
of controversy when people took the title of their early song Killing
an Arab out of context. it was actually inspired by Albert Camus'
novel The Outsider, where the protagonist kills an arab and that
is seen by some as less of a crime than not crying at his mother's
funeral. And then there was that 1985 debut album from speed-metal
merchants Megadeth, whose Killing is My Business ... and Business
is Good pre-dated gangsta rap by a good few years. Peter of Townsville
asks: Is the title of Smog's latest album Dongs of Sevotion the
worst spoonerism in the history of rock? Yes. In the history of
the planet, probably. Write to Grandpappy at: GPO Box 130, Brisbane
4001. Or e-mail cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au.
(c) 2000 Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd.
Source:
COURIER MAIL (QUEENSLAND) 27/10/2000
26Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: SHIHAD
MISSES OUT AS HEIDI MAKES KILLING <return to top>
TEENAGE rockers Killing Heidi confirmed their status
as Australia's hottest new music talent when they scooped four gongs
at this week's Australian Record Industry Association awards.
They were equal top performers at the awards, along with pop dance
music outfit Madison Avenue, each snaring four awards.
New Zealand band Shihad was nominated in three categories, but missed
out to Killing Heidi for each award.
Killing Heidi took out the best album, group, new artist (album)
and rock album categories.
(c) The Dominion, INL 2000.
Source:
THE DOMINION 26/10/2000 P27
25Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: Ella rips into the
limelight <return to top> ELLA Hooper may be new to music fame but
she stole the limelight at last night's ARIA awards.
The 17-year-old and her band, Killing Heidi, walked away with four
of the event's biggest awards.
Full report, pictures: Page 4.
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
Source:
DAILY TELEGRAPH (SYDNEY) 25/10/2000 P1
25Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: Heidi kills 'em <return to top>
By GRETA McMAHON, entertainment reporter.
KILLING Heidi was the ARIAs giant killer last night with four awards,
including Album of the Year.
The rockers led an awards blitz by Victorian acts.
Dance duo Madison Avenue won Record of the Year, Best New Artist
(single), and Highest Selling Australian Single for their smash
hit Don't Call Me Baby.
Melbourne-born singer Tina Arena was honored with an Outstanding
Achievement award.
Killing Heidi has risen to prominence this year with its No. 1 album
Reflector. The band led by brother and sister Ella and Jesse Hooper
also won Best Group, Best New Artist (Album) and Best Rock Album.
They were incredibly proud of Reflector.
"It doesn't wear off and we are still stoked every time we play
our songs," said Ella Hooper.
(C) 2000 Herald and Weekly Times Limited.
Source:
HERALD SUN 25/10/2000 P5
25Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: Heidi
makes Killing as newcomers rule ARIAs <return to top>
By Iain Shedden and Barclay Crawford.
MELBOURNE band Killing Heidi endorsed their sharp rise to pop stardom
last night by collecting four trophies at the annual ARIA Awards.
The band, unknown 18 months ago, pipped their fellow Victorians,
pop duo Madison Avenue, who won three awards on the strength of
their hit song, Don't Call Me Baby.
"I hope our success will show kids who like our music that it doesn't
matter who you are or what you look like, you can win four ARIAs,"
Killing Heidi singer Ella Hooper said after the ceremony.
The 14th annual awards, hosted for the first time by Rove McManus,
honoured country veteran Slim Dusty and Tina Arena for outstanding
achievement, and gave a special achievement award to former Hey
Hey It's Saturday host Daryl Somers.
Also on the winners podium was alternative country singer Kasey
Chambers, taking the title of ARIA female artist of the year.
"It is a little overwhelming. I'm just this little singer from the
Nullarbor Plains," Chambers said. "I hope, more than anything, this
award gives country music a bit more mainstream recognition, especially
with kids."
Awards veteran Kylie Minogue, whose comeback single Spinning Around
made No1 here and in Britain, was winner of the best pop release
award. But there was no luck for another Melburnian and fellow Olympic
ceremony performer, 19-year-old Vanessa Amorosi, who left empty-handed,
despite being nominated for six awards.
Madison Avenue, who also performed at last night's ceremony, won
the record of the year award, presented to them by Olympic gold
medallist Lauren Burns and her singer father, Ronnie, as well as
best new artist (single) and highest-selling Australian single.
Of the other awards, Sydney artist Alex Lloyd took out male artist
of the year, while Savage Garden's sole award came for the highest-selling
Australian album, Affirmation.
International artists Fun Lovin' Criminals and Muse presented awards,
but Ricky Martin and Fatboy Slim were last-minute withdrawals.
Not all winners were superstars with platinum album sales or plans
to party late into the morning.
"I'm only a part-time musician with a passion for the fiddle," said
Chris Duncan, winner of the best World Music album. "I'm a mechanic
by trade and I've got to be at work at 7.30am tomorrow."
Olympic swimmer Michael Klim was among the stars at the ceremony.
He came down the red carpet with former prime minister Paul Keating's
daughter, Katherine, on one arm and Australian pop diva Leah Haywood
on the other.
Meanwhile, Sydney's famous hotel to the stars, the Sebel of Sydney,
prepared itself yesterday for the traditional after-ARIAs party,
which also marked the last night of its 37-year reign. Just hours
before the party, the hotel, which had a number of ARIA winners
as guests last night, removed all of the priceless signed photographs
that have adorned the walls.
The Sebel is to be knocked down next month to be replaced by an
apartment block.
And the winners are ...
Album of the year: Killing Heidi, Reflector
Record of the year: Madison Avenue, Don't Call Me
Baby
Best group: Killing Heidi
Best male artist: Alex Lloyd
Best female artist: Kasey Chambers
Best new artist single: Madison Avenue, Don't Call
Me Baby
Best new artist album: Killing Heidi, Reflector
Best video: Madison Avenue, Who The Hell Are You &
Don't Call Me Baby
Best adult contemporary release: Karma Country, Into
the Land of Promise
Best dance artist album: Pnau, Samba Nova
Best alternative release: Dirty Three, Whatever You
Love You Are
Best blues and roots: Matt Walker, Soul Witness.
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
Source:
AUSTRALIAN (THE) 25/10/2000 P3
24Oct2000
- TPA: Gig report 24.10.00 <return to top>
14th Annual ARIA Awards Killing Heidi x 4 -Best Group
Album Of The Year, Best New album and Best Rock Album for Reflector
.plus a sensational (fully) live set at start of show. What a year
this past 12 months has been! Thanks for the mention TPA is only
too happy to be of help in the overall process...
21Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: Students
kill boredom in game of Heidi seek <return to top>
By Amanda Watt.
A GROUP of Maryborough teenagers have become the most popular at
school after securing chart-toppers Killing Heidi to perform at
the town's newly built theatre. Tickets to the November 30 concert
go on sale on Monday and students plan to camp outside Maryborough's
Brolga Theatre tomorrow night to secure some of the 900 available
seats. The teenagers behind the concert are members of youth group
Young Adults Making Maryborough an Interesting Town - YAMMIT - which
is linked to the Maryborough-Hervey Bay Crime Prevention Partnership.
They formed 2 1/2 years ago with the aim of providing entertainment
for the town's bored youth. A $5000 grant from Arts Queensland's
Youth Entertainment Scheme has allowed them to stage the event and
to keep ticket prices to $35. YAMMIT member Adam Head, 14, said
"everyone" at Maryborough High School was talking about the concert.
Maryborough would be a place with nothing to offer young people
if it was not for the activities of the group, he said. "You can
go to the movies but that's about it." The youth group is aiming
to cover the costs of the concert rather than make a profit. The
key objective is to keep down ticket prices. Under the direction
of Crime Prevention Partnership co-ordinator Barbara Quinn and with
the support of Maryborough City Council, the students developed
a budget and a proposal for the concert which they submitted to
Arts Queensland for the grant. They have also organised accommodation
for the band, hired security and promoted the event. Mrs Quinn said
the idea of the grant was to provide music-based entertainment for
young people that was managed by young people.
"When you look at Maryborough we've got high youth unemployment
and kids don't always get the opportunity to access these things
- they have to travel to Brisbane if they want to attend concerts,"
she said. "(The Killing Heidi concert) makes them feel like they're
on the map ... maybe then they'll think Maryborough is not the hole
they think it is."
The concert has also landed two local bands the best gigs of their
lives as support acts. Maryborough band Laconic and Hervey Bay's
Care Factor Zero
will each play for an hour before Killing Heidi take to the stage.
Laconic's bass player Chris Kaminski, 16, said supporting Killing
Heidi was an incredible opportunity for a young band. Two local
young people will also be chosen to act as MCs for the concert.
The Arts Queensland Youth Entertainment Scheme was launched this
year and aims to provide "access to affordable music-based entertainment
for young people in regional cities and rural areas".
Applications for the scheme's next funding round close on October
31. Contact Arts Queensland on 3224 5309.
(c) 2000 Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd.
Source:
COURIER MAIL (QUEENSLAND) 21/10/2000 P7
19Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA:
Killing Heidi's class act / Pacific Circle Music <return to top>
To musicians, arguably the most extraordinary aspect
of the PCM will be the series of masterclasses where wannabe rock
stars can learn a few lessons from the real deal.
Each day, the masterclasses will concentrate on a different discipline.
Tomorrow's lessons look at vocals and songwriting; Sunday the focus
is on keyboards, technology and guitar; Saturday's sessions will
be strictly for those who have a thing about controlling the beat.
And the pair that make up one of the hottest rhythm sections in
the country today - Killing Heidi's Adam Pedretti and Warren Jenkin
- will be two of the high-profile teachers in the bass and drumming
masterclasses.
Pedretti and Jenkin are the locomotive behind vocalist Ella Hooper
and her guitarist brother Jessie. This Saturday, they'll be sharing
trade talk and answering questions in a bid to shed more light on
the strange and wonderful relationship between drum and bass.
"We'll be talking about how we work in the studio and on stage and
explaining things like dynamics and fill-sampling," says Pedretti.
"Drumming is so primal - it was the first instrument after all -
but the bass has more melody so there's an amazing connection there."
Says Jenkin: "We'll be working through a couple of our favourite
songs and some of the Killing Heidi stuff and talking about the
sound of the era and the sound of now. Our show is a pretty big
one with extra guitars and mixing, so we'll just run through how
we use them."
A great rhythm section has the power of telepathy. The left hand
always knows what the right hand is doing. Often, it' s about knowing
your partner as a person not just a musician.
"I knew Ben and I would work well together because the first time
we met we sat down in the pub and had a really good chat. We were
on the same wavelength and that's a big part of it," says Pedretti.
"It's a trust thing," says Jenkin. "I know that if I fall off the
beat, Adam will just slot in there and vice versa. Both our parts
on Reflector are pretty full on so when the album became a pop record
we were like: `Go figure!"'
When Adam Pedretti thinks of the great rhythm sections, he talks
of guys like Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams of AC/DC and Danny Kerry
and Justin Chancellor of Tool.
For Jenkin it's funk and soul legends Sly & the Family Stone
and Parliament.
But both agree that, as Pedretti explains: "It's guts. It's art.
It's gart."
* FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 - VOCALS & SONGWRITING
Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), Dean Manning & Abby Dobson (Leonardo's
Bride), Dave McCormack (Custard & The Titanics), Mark Callaghan
(GANGgajang), Kylie Burtland (1999 National Songwriter of the Year
1998/99), Jeff Cohen and Jimmy Little.
* SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 - DRUMS & BASS
Adam Pedretti and Warren Jenkin (Killing Heidi), Garry Beers and
Jon Farriss (INXS), Buzz Bidstrup (GANGgajang and The Angels), Chris
Bailey (GANGajang and The Angels) and Dave Plenty (Head of Percussion
Australian Institute of Music).
* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 - KEYBOARDS, TECHNOLOGY & GUITAR
Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads, Casual Gods), John & Rick Brewster
(The Angels), Martin Hailey (Lo-Tel), Robert James (GANGgajang),
Craig Tilmouth (Nokturnl), Leon Lucas (Pitch Black), Endorphin and
Daryl Beaton (Musical Director - Human Nature)
Cost: $100 per day (some places still available at time of printing)
Where: Fox Studios.
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
Source:
DAILY TELEGRAPH (SYDNEY) 19/10/2000
12Oct2000
- AUSTRALIA: Ella wants
to big note Australian music <return to top>
By Music Reporter MICHEAL DUFFY.
KILLING Heidi's lead singer Ella Hooper was reminded of her own
humble beginnings yesterday as a nervous young band made its public
debut. In Adelaide to launch Australian Music Week, Hooper watched
Gawler High School band, Meetbix, play against the backdrop of high-flying
skateboarders on North Terrace's new skatepark.
Killing Heidi, the patron of the week-long celebration of Australian
music, is preparing for the ARIA Awards in Sydney, where it has
received seven nominations.
But it was Meetbix, a band of young teenagers, which reminded Hooper,
who is still only 17, of her own group's rise to stardom.
"That's exactly how we started out, performing at a local arts festival
in our home town of Violet Town (in Victoria)," she said yesterday.
"That's how it happens.
"I remember wanting to do this for a living and now it's incredible,
we're considered respected musicians.
"That's why Australian Music Week is important - to put the focus
back on Australian music."
Yesterday was the first time the launch has been held in Adelaide.
While Hooper did not perform, she answered questions from an eager
audience of mostly teenage girls. The launch featured performances
from Adelaide band The Trims, DJs Pabb and Griff and a demonstration
by the Gawler Skate Kru.
The president of the Australian Music Foundation, 70s rock singer
Brian Cadd, explained the program of live entertainment across the
country was about changing the mind-set of the music-buying public.
"We aren't saying don't listen to music from other countries, that's
never going to happen," he said.
"But we're just trying to say, stop and have a listen to the local
music and appreciate the talent we have here."
Hooper said it was a critical time for Australian music.
"We're reaching this pinnacle of Australian music with the bands
coming up, and the older groups are still making great music," she
said.
Liberal MLC Angus Redford, a member of the SA Board of Ausmusic,
said getting involved with the local music scene had the added benefits
of bringing people together and building interpersonal skills.
Australian Music Week officially beings on Saturday with acts such
Diana Ah Naid, Honeyfix, Renee Geyer and The Brown Brothers playing
in Adelaide venues throughout the week.
(C) 2000 Advertiser Newspapers Limited.
