26Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm:
Reflection on their past<return to top> After the 12-date tour of Northern Queensland
(as part of Triple Js' Year of the Outback tour), it's safe to say
Killing Heidi would be back to finish recording/producing their
yet-to-be-titled but long awaiting follow up album to Reflector.
As
a result, there has been no news regarding Killing Heidi within
the past week or so, so with that being said, no updates to this
site either.
However, although there is no current news, there
is a huge news archive exclusive to this site, so you check it out
now.
News reports date back to Adam Pedretti's band prior
to Killing Heidi, Non-Intentional Lifeform.
There's some very interesting articles amongst the
reports, so take the time and check it out..you're sure to relive
some Killing Heidi memories.
<LINK: The Killing Heidi Realm
News Archive>
20Apr2002
- The
Killing Heidi Realm: Heidi don't seeks so Innocent now do they..?<return to top>
A dastardly crime has been committed and we need YOU
to help solve it!
A brand-new Malibu surfboard, given as a gift to the
Federal Science Minister Peter McGauran, has been stolen just after
he received it!
The only people who could have possibly committed
this heinous act are some FAMOUS Australians.
SO WHO DID IT? ..The Queensland Police have narrowed
down a list of suspects - Killing Heidi; Olympian Steven Bradbury;
Adam and Wil from triple j; pro-surfer Mick Fanning and triple j's
Drive team Charlie & Nicole?
We need you to work out who did it and there are PRIZES
to be won if you get it right!
The competition is open to everyone - from students
to households and workplace teams. So get a team together and register
now - you'll be sent an Evidence Kit with forensic evidence and
experiments so you can work out which of the suspects stole the
malibu surfboard.
To read more about Who stole the Minister's Malibu,
and to find out how you can get involved and then join in the hunt
to name this dastardly criminal by registering for your Evidence
Kit, just click
here.
<RELATED NEWS: Forensic Evidence>
14Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm: Back to
basics<return to top> IT'S still a long way to the top if you want
to rock 'n' roll, Killing Heidi singer Ella Hooper says.
Ms Hooper held court in front of a small but enthusiastic group
of Cairns youngsters yesterday at the Cairns Showground, the scene
of today's Coming To Town concert featuring Killing Heidi, The Butterfly
Effect, the Daisycutters and Space Like Alice in the cavernous Fred
Moule Exhibition Centre.
Killing Heidi and members from each band took time out from media
engagements and concert preparations to hold a music industry workshop,
talking about surviving life on the road, band management, performance
and songwriting.
The four bands are on the last leg of the official Year of the Outback
event, providing a rare musical treat for young people in regional
Queensland.
Ms Hooper said the tour had given the bands a new appreciation of
regional Australia. She said band members were having a ball acting
as goodwill ambassadors to young people in places such as Mt Isa,
Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns.
Travelling in a double-decker coach reminiscent of the Beatles'
Magical Mystery Tour bus, the musicians and their small road crew
have gone back to basics, setting up and pulling down the show each
night.
"We'd forgotten about the rigours of touring," Ms Hooper said.
"But the kids along the way have been brilliant and everyone has
been so easy going. Some days we'll stop the bus dozens of times
to talk to young people. We're loving it."
At the completion of the tour, Killing Heidi will prepare for the
release of a new album. Last night, the four bands entertained shoppers
at Cairns Central.
11Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm: Killing
Machine<return to top> IT has been more than 18 months since a fast
emerging Victorian band called Killing Heidi rocked Cairns at the
first Wicked festival, a ride singer Ella Hooper says has been a
bit like a rollercoaster.
Along the way Killing Heidi's debut album Reflector went triple
platinum and they collected four ARIAs.
"It's been awesome," says the ever-enthusiatic Ella Hooper.
"We've been recording the new album and that's been awesome too.
"We really want to get that finished and released."
Killing Heidi (Hooper, bass player Warren Jenkin, drummer Adam Pedretti
and guitarist Jesse Hooper) play Cairns tomorrow night with supports
The Butterfly Effect, the Daisycutters and Space Like Alice at the
Fred Moule Pavilion at Cairns Showground, as part of the government-sponsored
Year of the Outback: Coming To Town Tour, which has also been to
the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay, Mount Isa and Townsville.
Tonight at 7pm the band will make a meet and greet appearance centre
stage at Cairns Central shopping centre.
"It's been really good so far," Hooper says of the Coming To Town
tour.
"This is a really good initiative to get music out to more regional
areas where it mightn't come as often and where kids might not get
the opportunity to see good bands so that's what this tour's all
about."
As well as the Friday night performance, Killing Heidi will be hosting
a free music workshop at the venue at 4pm today, providing an insight
into the inner workings of what it's like to be in a band and the
weird things that go with it.
"It's kind of demystifying the music industry for kids and whoever
else is interested really," she explains, "or if they just want
to know what it's like being a muso.
"All you have to do is come with an open mind and some questions."
Aside from pressing concerns about Hooper's throat and subsequent
vocal problems (which are now fine and healed), the biggest question
surrounding the band has been the release date of the follow-up
to the hugely successful debut album.
"I really wish I could tell you," Hooper sighs. "I wish I could
say a date but a couple of months is the best I can do. Sorry. That's
a safe bet."
The album hasn't got a title yet, but the band is working on that,
too.
"We've got a few ideas but we can't narrow it down. The problem
is we keep coming up with new ones," Hooper says.
Despite the obvious pressure of following up a successful debut
release, she says the band isn't overly concerned about any lingering
expectations.
"I think it will be different to the last one," she said.
"It's a whole different kettle of fish because it's a different
album with different songs. I think the band is more mature now.
We've got better writing skills and are better performers but hopefully
everyone who liked Reflector will like this one - and more as well."
The last time Killing Heidi performed in Cairns at Barlow Park,
they added an unexpected change to their normal show by performing
a couple of acoustic songs mid-set, with just Hooper and brother
Jesse providing an unusually pleasant edge to an otherwise straight-out
rock show.
"I'm not sure if we'll do that again," Hooper said.
"We kind of change the show all the time. We just decide on the
night so we'll wait and see how the vibe goes. Sometimes we do it,
sometimes we don't.
"We've got about five new songs that we do live, including the new
single Heavensent."
Despite launching an assault on the US last year, Killing Heidi
is just taking things one at a time.
"The overseas things are pretty quiet at the moment because we're
just concentrating on this record but when the album's out and things
are heating up again, we'd like to go to Japan. We really want to
get over there and then to Europe. That's our next target area."
She argues the band is more interested in nurturing their home base
before wowing overseas audiences.
"I guess it's important (overseas success) but Australia's our first
priority. This is where we're from and this is where our friends
and family are. It's really important to us that we can tour our
own country and do that well and then we can look at overseas."
As expected, the new album features strongly in the band's immediate
plans after the tour.
"We'll just head home, finish the album and polish it all up," Hooper
said.
"Then we'll put out the next single and tour it seriously around
Australia. We'll be back up in Cairns, I'm sure. We'll be doing
a massive national tour with support bands and away we go."
ON Frenzal Rhomb's last album Killing Heidi came in for a bit of
friendly ribbing on the song Everything is F.
One of the verses finishes with the line "who plays the keyboards
in Killing Heidi?" - a reference to the fact there are keyboards
in most of Killing Heidi's songs but not in the live line-up.
Hooper says the band took it as the joke it was meant to be.
"Yeah, I have heard it," she laughed.
"It's funny as. I think it's a crack-up. I'm actually really good
friends with those guys and we had a laugh. They actually wanted
me to come on stage and sing it with them at one of their shows."
11Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm:
Killing Heidi rocks Town'<return to top> ROCK band Killing Heidi electrified an eager
crowd of about 1500 at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention
Centre last night.
Support acts The Butterfly Effect, Daisycutters and Space Like Alice
warmed up gig goers before the four-piece Melbourne band took the
stage.
The band started out with its hit song Mascara before introducing
the crowd to songs from its upcoming album.
Killing Heidi is one of several acts playing in regional centres
across Queensland as a part of the Year of the Outback on the Coming
to Town tour.
10Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm:
Heidi Rocks Diggers' World<return to top> Australian band Killing Heidi yesterday met
the families of Townsville troops they befriended on a trip to East
Timor. The group was accompanied to Lavarack Barracks by friend
Squadron Sergeant-Major Wayne Preedy and soldiers from B squadron
3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment.
The band's drummer, Adam Pedretti, said the meet and greet gave
the band an opportunity to honour the soldiers who took care of
them during their two-week stay in East Timor last December.
Bass player for the band Warren Jenkin agreed, saying it was a great
opportunity to catch up with the friends they made in the army and
to find out how everything was going for the troops who remained
over there.
The band's lead singer Ella Hooper described the meeting as a good
opportunity to see the personal side of the troops they met during
their trip to East Timor.
"It's really good because they're appreciating what we're doing
and we really appreciated what they're doing," she said.
The group arrived in Townsville yesterday for their concert tomorrow
night.
Already the band members and crew have indulged in holiday activities,
with the female crew members touring Magnetic Island, while the
men took to the army's shooting range.
Hooper said she had an excellent time visiting the attractions around
the island.
However, the trip was cut short after the crew lighting person was
injured in a motorbike accident.
"She's okay though; there are no broken bones, just a few cuts,"
she said.
09Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm:
Nova's Killing Strategy<return to top>
When Nova FM group sales director Keith Thomas approached media
directors with its premium priced, fewer ads strategy with no audience
figures or programming formats he was walked out of more than a
few boardrooms.
In a radio first, Nova allows advertisers to choose where to place
ads, including next to songs that appeal to certain demographics.
"We'll go to CUB [Carlton and United Breweries], for example, and
their target audience is 18 to 24-year-old males. Their most requested
songs are [by] Killing Heidi and we'll put their commercial next
to that song every time it's played," he said.
07Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm: Classed
Celebrities!<return to top> How equal are we in Australia, and can we
still claim with pride that we live in a classless society? A new
TV series shows the famous "fair go" is fading into myth as money
talks louder.
FAME OPENED DOORS
Ella Hooper Singer with Killing Heidi; feted in the US at 18 years
of age
"Fame, celebrity - whatever you want to call it - certainly opens
doors. I would never have met the people or seen the places I have,
as a schoolgirl from Violet Town [in country Victoria].
"We were very popular in the States because we had this wide-eyed
small-town aura about us. They [US celebrities] found us cute and
they treated us kindly, but they were definitely a bit patronising
at the same time. And you know you wouldn't get near them if you
didn't have that celebrity.
"In the States, celebrity is the new religion and celebrities are
the gods. They have very little contact with the rest of the world.
"There's much less of that here. You can't imagine someone organising
a tour so people could go and stare at John Farnham's house. At
the same time there is a bit of a power thing within the music industry
- who you have access to and at what level. Someone like Paul Kelly
- he's an icon in the Australian music scene, but he's very much
in the normal world. But there are others [celebrities] who prefer
the fantasy world. They're only really interested in the rich people,
the models, other celebs."
06Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm: Ready
to Kill!<return to top>
Killing Heidi may have experienced a meteoric rise,
but they're surprisingly reluctant to accept some of the perks that
come with success.
For example, the band was offered the luxury of flying to all their
gigs in the Coming to Town tour, but declined.
Bass player Warren Jenkin said they had initially jumped at the
idea of avoiding the long, sweaty hours on a bus.
But then they found out the jetsetting option had not been extended
to the support acts involved in the tour.
"We would feel a bit wanky if it's just us flying," he said.
"It would be nicer, but we'll just go on the bus with everyone else."
Killing Heidi consists of Jenkin on bass, vocalist Ella Hooper,
guitarist Jesse Hooper and drummer Adam Pedretti.
The outfit has won four ARIA awards, had their debut album go triple
platinum and enjoyed lots of airplay and chart success.
The Melbourne band is one of several acts which are playing in regional
centres across Queensland on the Coming to Town tour.
Their two-week tour takes in the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay,
Mount Isa, Townsville and Cairns.
The popular band will play in Townsville on Wednesday (April 10).
Killing Heidi will mix it up with the likes of The Butterfly Effect,
Daisycutters and Space Like Alice at the Townsville Entertainment
and Convention Centre.
The band is looking forward to the gig, having missed out on the
opportunity to play in Townsville when the Wickid festival was rained
out two years ago.
Jenkin, who plays bass for the band, believes there are many Killing
Heidi fans in Townsville.
He said the band's East Timor concerts held last December had been
received enthusiastically by the army troops. And many of these
troops were based in Townsville.
Mention East Timor to Jenkin and it conjures up recollections of
Black Hawk helicopter rides, the devastated countryside, the hospitable
people, the dedicated diggers and their surreal base camp gigs.
"When it was dark, they'd light up blow torches and hold them to
the sky," he said.
"They'd drive up in the tanks and sit on them to hear us play. It
was more out of control than crowds back home."
Jenkin anticipates a similar reaction when the band plays at the
Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre on Wednesday.
"You have no idea of how crazy that is going to be," he said.
Killing Heidi has had an eventful ride in the past 12 months.
Last year the band split from their record company Roadshow and
signed up with Sony.
When Killing Heidi began recording their second album, vocalist
Ella Hooper discovered she had throat problems.
A few months ago Ella said she was in recovery mode after undergoing
surgery to remove a cyst.
Jenkin said Ella was recovering nicely and ready to hit the stage
again.
"She's cool now," he said.
Jenkin said the band hoped to release their new album by June.
He said the new music would reflect the development of the band's
sound.
"We're still really discovering what we're doing as a whole unit,"
he said.
"I definitely think it has changed. It's sort of gone into something
more comfortable for all of us, that we all feel like we're more
a part of and all own."
Killing Heidi were discovered when Triple J's Unearthed program
visited Violet Town in country Victoria about six years ago.
Bassist Warren Jenkin and drummer Adam Pedretti later joined musically
talented sister and brother Ella and Jesse Hooper to create the
band's current line-up.
They've since had two hit singles, Weir and Mascara from their successful
debut album Reflector.
While, Ella and Jesse have mostly occupied the limelight, Jenkin
is an equally intriguing character.
He has had an exotic upbringing, born in Nauru to a Japanese mother
and a French father and spending his childhood on Thursday Island,
Brisbane and Sydney.
Jenkin used to do session playing with Rick Price, Deborah Conway,
Jimmy Barnes as well as his own solo gigs.
Jenkin said the band's plans for this year included releasing their
album and touring to New Zealand and America.
"And hopefully a bit of Europe and Asia and that should take me
through to New Year's Day," he said.
The Coming to Town gig will take place at the Townsville Entertainment
and Convention Centre from 7.30pm on Wednesday Tickets are available
at the Entertainment Centre, Sanity Music stores or through the
James Cook University Student Association shop.
Tickets cost $22.20 at these outlets and $27.20 at the door.
Members of Killing Heidi, The Butterfly Effect, Daisycutters and
Space Like Alice will also hold a free music workshop at the Townsville
Entertainment and Convention Centre on Tuesday from 4pm to 6pm.
Registration for the workshop will take place at the Townsville
Entertainment and Convention Centre on the day of the event.
05Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi
Realm: Rolling the Stone for 30 Years<return to top> Australian magazine Rolling Stone marks its
third decade this month.
Ella Hooper, whom graced the cover on 2 different occasions, says
it was a dream come true joining the rock elite. "It's amazing,"
she says. "Every aspiring musician dreams of being on the cover
of Rolling Stone so to have that wish granted is a bit of a fantasy.
It's just a pity the boys didn't get on the cover with me."
The 30th anniversary of Australian Rolling Stone is said to be more
than just a retrospective edition.
"It's a nostalgia piece," says a spoke-person. "It's not really
just about the history of this magazine, it's the history of rock
'n' roll."
<RELATED NEWS: Year of the Outback
Tourdates>
03Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm: Hair-change<return to top>
Killing Heidi singer Ella Hooper has undergone a transformation.
Hooper is barely recognisable, having lopped off her long dreadlocks
and plaits. Killing Heidi has been recording its second album in
South Melbourne, a follow-up to the debut Reflector, expected to
be released in July.
In the meantime, the band is embarking on a far-north Queensland
tour.
The band will lob into Cairns next month for a show and to work
with our young musos on their Year of the Outback tour.
Ella Hooper and co will be joined by Queenslanders' Space Like Alice,
The Daisycutters and the Butterfly Effect for the April 12 show
at Cairns Showgrounds.
<RELATED NEWS: Year
of the Outback Tourdates>
01Apr2002
- The Killing Heidi Realm:
Featured Ebay Auction<return to top> The first Featured Ebay Auction for The Killing
Heidi Realm has just finished with a great result.
Coming up soon will be several photo-set auctions,
featuring several photos from various gigs.
Stay tuned however, as there shall be afew big items
install within the next few weeks.
