Welcome to 2012

The festival season has officially begun, footy season has kicked off and uni students are back in class. Which means it's time to welcome the new era of SMAC Magazine.

We've been in hiatus and undergoing some staffing changes, but we're BACK IN BUSINESS, folks.

If you would like to get involved with SMAC Magazine, drop us a line at smacmagazine@hotmail.com.

ARIA Award Nominations

The ARIA Awards have become quite the gala event of the year for many Australian musicians and artists and nominations for this year's event were announced at a ceremony held in Sydney this morning. With every year that passes, the talent and competition continues to grow tighter. This year sees outstanding local produce going head to head, battling it out for the cream of the Australian Music Industry awards.

Single of the Year:

Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo – Plans (EMI)
Sia – Clap Your Hands (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
The Temper Trap – Love Lost (Liberation Music)
Washington – How To Tame Lions (Mercury/UMA)

Album of the Year:

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Best Female Artist:

Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Mushroom Records/Warner Music)
Lisa Mitchell – Oh! Hark! (Warner Music Australia)
Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)
Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Best Male Artist:

Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream (Shock)
Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can (MGM)
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That (Sony Music)
John Butler – April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)
Paul Dempsey – Fast Friends (EMI)

Best Group:

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Powderfinger – Golden Rule (UMA)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
The Temper Trap – Love Lost (Liberation Music)

Breakthrough Artist:

Amy Meredith – Restless (Sony Music)
Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)
Philadelphia Grand Jury – Hope is for Hopers (Normal People Making Music/Boomtown/Shock)
Tame Impala- Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Best Independent Release:

Art vs Science – Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)
Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can (MGM)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)
John Butler Trio – April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)
Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Best Urban Album:

Bliss N Eso – Running on Air (Illusive Sounds)
Lowrider – Round the World (Illusive Sounds)
M-Phazes – Good Gracious (Obese Records)
Space Invadas – Soul-Fi (Invada/Inertia)
Urthboy – Spitshine (Elefant Traks/Inertia)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album:

Airbourne – No Guts, No Glory (EMI)
Dead Letter Circus – This is the Warning (Warner Music Australia)
Parkway Drive – Deep Blue (Resist Records/Shock)
The Amity Affliction – Youngbloods (Boomtown/Shock)
Violent Soho – Violent Soho (Liberation Music)

Best Pop Release:

Bluejuice – Head of the Hawk (Dew Process/Universal Music)
Empire of the Sun – Half Mast (EMI)
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That (Sony Music)
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Warner Music Australia)
Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Best Jazz Album:

Dick & Christa Hughes – Twenty First Century Blues (ABC Music)
James Morrison & The Idea Of North – Feels Like Spring (ABC Jazz)
Joe Chindamo – Another Place Some Other Time (Jazzhead/MGM)
Joseph Tawadros – The Hour of Separation (Independent/Planet)
The Necks – Silverwater (Fish of Milk/Shock)

Best Country Album:

Adam Harvey – Both Sides Now (Sony Music)
Catherine Britt – Catherine Britt (ABC Music)
Jason Walker – Ceiling Sun Letters (Laughing Outlaw/Inertia)
Lee Kernaghan – Planet Country (ABC Music)
The McClymonts – Wrapped Up Good (UMA)

Best Music DVD:

Birds of Tokyo – The Broken Strings Tour DVD (MGM)
Bliss N Eso- Flying Colours Live (Illusive Sounds)
Josh Pyke – The Lighthouse (Ivy League)
Various – Sound Relief (Liberation Music)
Various – Before Too Long: triple j’s Tribute to Paul Kelly (ABC Music)

Best Comedy:

Andrew Hanson, Chris Taylor & Craig Shuftan – The Blow Parade (ABC Music)
Arj Barker Forever (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
Heath Franklin – Heath Franklin’s Chopper: Make Deadsh*ts History (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
Jimeoin – Jimeoin on Ice Live (Beyond Home Entertainment, Punchline Comedy)
The Bedroom Philosopher – Songs from the 86 Tram (Nanpop Records/Shock)

Best Adult Alternative Album:

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Basement Birds – Basement Birds (Basement Birds)
Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
The Cat Empire – Cinema (EMI)
Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)
Whitley – Go Forth, Find Mammoth (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Best Dance Release:

Art vs Science – Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)
Miami Horror – Sometimes (EMI)
Midnight Juggernauts – The Crystal Axis (Siberia/Inertia)
Pendulum – Immersion (Warner Bros UK)
Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup – We No Speak Americano (Sweat it Out/Central

Best Rock Album:

Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)
Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)
Powderfinger – Golden Rule (UMA)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

Breakthrough Artist:
Amy Meredith – Restless (Sony Music)
Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)
Philadelphia Grand Jury – Hope is for Hopers (Normal People Making Music/Boomtown/Shock)
Tame Impala- Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)
Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

This year's event will be staged at the Sydney Opera House on November 7, however, due to the extensive list of gongs included in the awards list this year, ARIA organisers will announce winners of the genre-specific awards at events leading up to the main event. With the competition so hot, it will be interesting to see who takes out the top spots!

Big Day Out Lineup Announced

As per usual, the rumour mills have been in meltdown over the past few weeks as anticipation flared for who would be on the lineup of one of the biggest touring festivals in Australia. At midnight last night organisers, Lees & West announced the long awaited list which includes the cream of international punk, Iggy & The Stooges and synonymous prog-rockers currently holed up in the studio, Tool and original men of melancholy themselves, Grindermen. After a 'goodbye' tour of Australia not so long ago, LCD Soundsystem return as well as glitter-rapper M.I.A. Local bands include the likes of ARIA nominated Angus & Julia Stone, home-grown favourites, John Butler Trio and newly reformed Wolfmother.

Tool
Rammstein
Iggy & The Stooges
Grindermen
Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77
M.I.A
John Butler Trio
Deftones
Wolfmother
Lupe Fiasco
The Black Keys
Primal Scream - performing Screamedelica live
Die Antwoord
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
LCD Soundsystem
Angus & Julia Stone
Plan B
The Naked & Famous
Bliss n Eso
Booka Shade DJs
Airbourne
Andrew W.K
The Jim Jones Revue
PNAU
Crystal Castles (East Coast only)
Little Red
Dead Letter Circus
Sia
Gyroscope
Ratatat
CSS
Vitalic
Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock
Operator Please
Children Collide
Blue King Brown
Kids of 88
Lowrider
Will Styles
Gypsy & The Cat
Sampology


For eager punters, tickets begin to go on sale October 7 for the Gold Coast leg of the tour. The dates of the tour itself are as follows;

Auckland Friday, January 21;
Gold Coast Sunday, January 23;
Sydney Wednesday, January 26;
Melbourne Sunday, January 30;
Adelaide Friday, February 4;
Perth Sunday, February 6

Tickets will be available at 12:01 a.m through the Big Day Out website, or at 9 a.m through Ticketmaster on the specified dates. For more info, visit the official BDO website at www.bigdayout.com

Australian Symphony in E Minor Movement I - Where will the Rockers Drink Now?

Words by Tim Pugh

Photos by Tanya Andersen

I walk from a bedroom through a lounge room, past a flat screen TV towards a sliding glass door. The sliding glass door opens into a big, dark backyard. I hear what sounds like faint knocks at the front door. I leave my partially-finished Pure Blonde stubby behind and walk around through a kitchen and towards the front door. I open it. A young woman has arrived. I let her in and she follows me outside where another young man is waiting with two more unopened Pure Blonde stubbies. I only drink Pure Blonde while I'm in North Queensland; I much prefer ales. However, when someone else is buying the beers I find it rude to turn them down based on preference. I check my watch. It's just before seven and it's not quite time to leave.

Tonight the Exchange Hotel is re-opening its doors to the public after a $2.7 million facelift. I'm reminded that in 1964, Columbia records released Bob Dylans's third studio album entitled 'The Times They Are a-Changin'.' Over the years, the title track has been covered by acts from Nina Simone and Phil Collins to Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder. It was pretty obvious that Dylan was attempting to write an anthem symbolic of the transient nature of all things and people's perception of it. For the most part, it worked - at least in the Hollywood sense. I can't recall how many times I have heard this track dubbed over some disgusting slow-motion coming-of-age montage. Although it now seems slightly ironic that so many artists would make copies of a song specifically created to be a catalyst for change. I check my watch again. We are late. We get in the car and head towards the city.

We arrive at just after half seven. We park up behind Melton Terrace and head down the hill towards the strip. The walk down along Flinders Street is bizarre. It's so far removed from all the imagery I already possess. I know where I am and have been there literally thousands of times; dodging the drunks and offering cigarettes to the bums - that's right, I'm a humanitarian.

I stop and look around again. This place is completely different. In the five years I've been gone the bulldozers and dump trucks and interior decorators don't seem to have stopped. The first thing I notice as we come down the hill towards the mall is brand new traffic lights leading into where McDonald's, and the mall itself, used to be. I can't say I'm disappointed to see the mall gone. For as long as I can remember it has been a filthy version of a former self that no one in my generation even remembers. Flinders Mall died the day David Jones moved out and the Townsville airport lost its international flights to Cairns. I know there were road blocks in place that left the local council unable to euthanize this terminal patient, however all of those seem to be gone now. The re-vamp has been finished for Flinders Street East and it seems the wrecking balls are heading west, towards the ever-cliched setting sun.

We wind our way into the old section of Flinders Street East. Its been converted into alfresco, which, combined with a seemingly conscious effort to have large windows and doors facing out of each building onto the street, makes walking into a bar more like walking into a big hug. I wonder how many dreamers this new warm and cosy atmosphere will turn into alcoholics and drug addicts and marketing managers and politicians. In short, it's absolutely mind-numbing and not something I believed I would ever see in Townsville.

We cautiously stroll towards the public bar entrance. But the public bar isn't the public bar anymore. The public bar is now a steakhouse looking like somewhere in North Texas where, at lunch time, people spit tobacco into their used coffee cups after eating brisket and potatoes and chilli. And what used to be Portraits is now a trendy-as-hell "Jade Bar" filled with couches, small tables, plush cubes and walls so new, no one has even bothered to pull out all the little annoying threads sticking out like tiny little reminders that new isn't necessarily perfect.

Other friends have already arrived and are sitting down with a couple of beers. I believe the"shock and awe" tactics of the US Government's offensive in Afghanistan were employed here. I swear I heard someone say that. The open mouths and wandering eyes spoke volumes. Everyone was a traumatized as I was. We all knew it would be different - but this? It hits home even harder when I realize I'm sitting at a table with several people who I'm either related to, or met at the old Exchange Hotel.

I try to juxtapose old and beautiful memories onto the bright room but I fail dismally. The images have already started to merge with the ones I'm creating right now. I'm standing in a place that has had such dramatic internal cosmetic surgery that it's absolutely unrecognisable.

At this realisation, and with the addition of several blue tongue lagers, I get just a little bit sentimental. Like so many others, especially those within the local Townsville music community, the Exchange was more than just a bar. When I was at university, if someone said they were going to "the pub" it was understood that the Exchange was where they meant. I knew where not to stand to avoid the notorious public bar drip, and I was part of a bunch of guys who built the upstairs stage early in 2004. Just after the turn of the century you could walk into the pub with a CD and have them play it in the public bar. This may not sound like much, but for those who felt nothing but disgust when hearing "Hot in Here" by Nelly over and over and over and over again, this was an ice cold beer for our collective ear mouth.

In 2002 they installed a jukebox in the public bar and in a single Saturday night the jukebox was ruined. If I remember correctly, someone jammed so many foreign coins in it that they started spewing out of the slot, and then others poured beer all over it. There was muso's night on Wednesday, and then upstairs on Friday and Saturday nights for rock'n'roll bands like Strapon, Ravene, Merlins Traffic or Reflux. It was where guys and girls with the long hair, tattoos, piercings and faded metal t-shirts used to feel comfortable; content not fitting in (or not being able to get in) on the rest of the strip. It was that quintessential "anything goes" vibe where the hippies and the musos and the students who couldn't afford anywhere more expensive would frequent.

Places like Molly's and Flynn's tried hard over the early years of the new millennium to bridge the gap by poaching Exchange bands. Which was understandable due to the week-in, week-out boredom found in the generic solo or duo acts of the day who played bad Fleetwood Mac or Stealers Wheel covers. In the end, they could never quite cut it.

On an online Townsville Bulletin article talking about the re-opening of the Exchange, "Simo" from Brisbane commented, "Oh no, they didn't destroy the Exchange did they? Now where will the rockers drink?" And to me, it's quite a valid question. Where will the rockers drink now?

I think about it for a while and come to the conclusion that I need to treat this as an entirely new place. It's no longer the place that the ever-trendy Mad Cow patrons call "full of rednecks and weirdos". It's a place that I've stepped into for the first time.

I need to treat it like stepping off a plane for the first time in a new city or country. First, you feel the annoying temperature-controlled cabin explode into the new reality you have found yourself in. Then, you notice the strange novelties available at the duty-free counters. After trying to reason why not to buy a bottle of cognac or wine which you could absolutely not justify buying back home, you look around and make a statement to the effect of, "my god, airports aren't actually all the same." You collect your baggage and make your way outside. Though seldom these days does one have a choice, when choosing a cab you try to choose a driver who doesn't look like he'll roll you for your sneakers. On your way to the hotel you observe the roads and how they are connected to all the buildings that seem to have sprouted like sugar cane all over the place. You try to count the lights still on in the high rises but you are distracted by the people. Their mannerisms, while similar, hold subtle differences, which once again remind you that you are all the way down the rabbit hole.

And as I walk into the front door of a place that was once as special to me as tea to the mad hatter, I am reminded that this particular rabbit hole has been gutted. The only question now is whether or not I can deal with the change.

The bright lights of the Jade Bar are getting a bit much so we decide to relocate to the Hill Garden outside area. We walk past an open kitchen, an open bar, and a bunch of middle-aged people sitting around having dinner. A guy sits by himself in the back corner on a small stage, playing his guitar. It's out of tune, and the sound grates against my spine. Apparently I'm not the only one who's noticed, as various members of my party look up, wincing. I don't mind though. He is making up for lack of ability with passion. I don't mind that.

I'm getting a bit hungry by this stage but when we enquire about the food we are told that the restaurant is not yet officially open to the general public, albeit tonight it was open specifically for the owner and his family and friends. I'm slightly perplexed and just a little disgusted by this, however I lose interest pretty quickly as I spot the only remaining remnants of the old Exchange. The smoking and non-smoking areas in the beer garden are divided by a series of polycarbonate panels forming a transparent barrier. In the smoking area, along with smokers, industrial rubbish bins, cleaning tools, ladders and other miscellaneous items, which can usually be found in a shed, I can clearly make out the familiar outline of the beloved upstairs barrels. What I notice now, though, is that they have become the proverbial fish out of water. After many years of faithful service, their worn and tatty appearance has rendered them redundant in this new sleek and stylish manifestation of the Exchange. I think I know how they feel.

The upstairs section, which now consists of the Tiger Lounge, Zanzi Bar and the Water's Edge Balcony, opens and we again relocate. As I walk up the back stairs into the new rear entrance I am completely disoriented. I can't even place the old upstairs here. Walls have been knocked down, bars have been erected, and pool tables replaced with zebra-print couches. I spend a bit of time watching the band in Zanzi Bar and then make my way out to the balcony. Upon inspection I'm relieved to find that no serious modifications have been made out here. Of course, all the old chairs and tables are gone, replaced with cane easy-chairs (whose durability I have concerns about). Strange tropical fans have been added, and while sitting in an easy chair I notice it is very hard to have a normal conversation with someone who isn't.

I check my watch and my wallet and realize that in three hours I've already spent nearly $80 on beer alone - and the fact that I'm able to still do that kind of math means I've not had nearly enough. It was time for tequila shots.

Four tequila shots with mojito chasers later, I ditch my friends and wander around by myself. I feel like a tourist in my own home town, like someone has bulldozed my childhood home and replaced it with a used car yard. I look around and find myself surrounded by young guys wearing button-up shirts with vertical stripes. They have trendy haircuts and expensive leather shoes. The girls wear high heels and tight dresses with sequins. It's hard to say whether or not these are the old crew dressed to the nines, or whether the new has inevitably replaced the old. Could it really be that the whole sub-culture has become extinct?

Someone commented earlier in the night that it's an amazing bar, but it's just not The Exchange. But what does that really mean? And is that really such a bad thing? Is it really such a problem that young Townsvillians choose to spend more money on overpriced alcohol and clothes and haircuts than on cars and records and plane tickets? Is it really such a problem now that when you see a band, they may have played Coachella or SXSW? Is it really so disappointing that when a guy meets a cute girl in a bar, she may have been Miss Indy or Miss Universe Australia? Is it really so shocking that when a girl meets a cute guy, he may be a painter, or going to NIDA?

I'm inclined to think that what has happened to the Exchange is just an example of a transformation that the whole city has undergone in the last five years. Townsville has finally transcended its sporting-centric mentality and is producing talent, which is being showcased on national and international stages (whether it knows it or not). The spotlight is on Townsville a lot more these days than it used to be, so why shouldn't people pretty themselves up a little bit for the camera? The lenses shift north to where the weather is warm, the sun is always shining and the beer is always ice-cold, and when the mirror is raised, it's important that we reflect the true nature of our beautiful city. We all have our favourites and tastes and style but we would all do well to remember the everyone is someone else's "redneck".

So if this is indeed the death of one of Townsville's most iconic pubs of the late 90s and early 00s and the sub-culture has died along with it, then we should stop, take a deep breath, play 'Stairway to Heaven' at full volume and have a minute's silence during Jimmy Page's legendary solo. We should pay homage to what it has produced and what it has influenced. And when we exhale, we must breathe life into this new place, which one day will quite possibly become greater than its father.

I can only speculate whether all of these changes are for the best or not, but in the end, does it really even matter? To me it's neither good nor bad. It just is. And for those who seek to reason how and why these things happen, I recommend you look to Dylan from back in '64, because just as he said, "the times they are a-changin'."

TSL To Support INXS

Local pop-punk heroes, The Short List have been hand picked by legendary Australian rock group, INXS to open their show at the annual Sucrogen 400 Series in Townsville on Saturday night.

The band scored the spot after submitting a demo to competition run by local commercial radio station HotFM alongside bands from Cairns through Mackay for a chance to support rockers, INXS. The boys were ecstatic upon news of their win.

"To support INXS is such a massive opportunity. They're a legendary band, we are all definitely excited to meet them and have the chance to perform before them," says frontman, Daniel Chigwidden.

INXS will play their first Australian gig since 2007 this weekend in Townsville, fronted by none other than controversial frontman JD Fortune.

The Short List will hit the stage at 6pm, with INXS penned to play at 6:45pm at Stage Area to the western side of the Civic Theatre.

The concert is free for Saturday Event ticket holders, however, tickets to the event are still available through Ticketek.

Changes to Splendour Lineup

Only weeks out from the event, unforeseen circumstances have led to the withdrawal of two bands on the 2010 Splendour In The Grass lineup. Due to recording schedules, British act The Ting Tings have had to pull out of the festival. Management released a statement confirming; “Due to the rescheduling of the next Tings Tings album to later in 2010 the band sadly have decided to delay their Australian tour and this of course means they will not be able to play Splendour in 2010.” Replacing The Ting Tings will be formally Unearthed winners, Art vs. Science. Locally grown indie darlings, The Middle East, have also been forced to cancel their appearance at the festival. The band have withdrawn their appearance due to an extended recording schedule. Replacing them will be indie songstress Sally Seltmann, previously known as New Buffalo.

Two Door Cinema Club

It doesn't seem like your typical Irish, Celtic ensemble when you initially stumble upon this electropop trio. But then again, whats the use of living in the past, drenched in tradition, when you can soar like an eagle, and make music thats both catchy, and charismatic? So, their name derives from the obvious; a local cinema in which seemed to stick like glue, and become the tag that divinely intervened the three band members. Two Door Cinema Club evolved from your typical medium of uploading material onto networking phenomena Myspace, and with a constant growing interest, the band members came to a halt with their university studies to immerse their selves into the live art of music. By 2009, the band was well on their way to a more recognisable image, and recording commenced, with their debut album following suite. Tourist History was released in the earlier months of 2010 here in Australia with a tour shortly to follow when Alex Trimble, Kev Baird, Sam Halliday head down under for whats sure to be an extravagant string of shows for the Irish musicians, and a spot on the bill for Splendour In The Grass toward the end of July. With a thirst for "anything quirky", heres hoping the band feasts their fangs into some Australiana when they're down under, and become regular visitors! You can catch Two Door Cinema Club at Splendour In The Grass at Woodford on July 31 and their sideshows at Sydney and Melbourne.

words by Nic Horton

Roller Derby - A Short History

Words by Le-Anne Johnson

Pics Supplied

Roller skating has always been a popular pastime in the United States of America, and endurance races were particularly popular in the early 20th century. Held on both flat and banked tracks, these races were coined 'derby' events by the press, meaning multi-race events with multiple participants. Promoter Leo Seltzer and sports writer Damon Runyon are credited with modifying these endurance competitions during the 1930s by emphasizing and maximizing the physical contact and teamwork between skaters and making it part of the game, effectively creating the spectacle known as roller derby.

During the 1940s and 1950s, roller derby's popularity exploded across the United States, attracting tens of thousands of spectators to live bouts, as well as television and radio coverage. This popularity continued throughout the 1960s under several different guises and within several separate leagues across the country. As time went on, roller derby became increasingly scripted and staged, its popularity declining in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The sport effectively died out with the collapse of most operating leagues due to poor revenue and lack of public interest.

Fast forward to Austin, Texas, 2001: a new revival of roller derby emerged, establishing a focus on athleticism, community, sisterhood and sassiness. As word spread, all-women roller derby leagues, founded from a grass-roots, skater-owned-skater-run philosophy began to emerge across America and, soon after, all over the world.

By 2006, roller derby had gone global and diversified. Currently there are just over 500 amateur all-female, co-ed or male leagues skating flat-track and/or banked track roller derby in 15 countries around the world, with over 20 leagues in Australia alone. With over 20,000 participants worldwide, roller derby is the fastest-growing female-focused amateur sport in the world.

The roller derby resurgence spread to Australia a few years ago, and today there are over 25 flat-track roller derby leagues in Australia, with more starting up all the time, due largely to the DIY community attitude roller derby fosters. While each league runs completely independently, most flat-track roller derby leagues adhere to WFTDA regulations and we define ourselves as being part of a global derby family.

Here's some info about a newly-formed league on the Sunshine Coast, the Coastal Assassins Roller Derby, right from the league's founding member, Cecilia Morton:

Okay, so a few of us gal pals on the Sunshine Coast wanted to play derby. When we found out there was no league I looked into how to start one, we made a commitment and it has snowballed from there. With some help from various leagues we formed in April with about 12 skaters in our first training session. Now two-and-a-half months on we regularly get around 20 at a session and have about 30 registered league members.

Fishnets and having an alter-ego are great draw cards to roller derby, but also having a tough, positive extreme sport that women can excel at is a really positive thing. And the camaraderie is unbeatable.

We are busy building up the skills needed to be bout-ready and don't actually have teams in our league yet. We aim to be bouting at some point next year, can't wait!

Roller derby really seems to be taking off in Australia and I would love to see it spread to an international playing field. Cheering on an Aussie team would be amazing!

If there are any people in the Sunshine Coast area that want to don some skates and join in the mayhem then send an email to coastal.assassins@y7mail.com and Bloody Fiasco, our Fresh Meat Officer, will get back to you with some info.

With scary names such as these: Buzza, Slam Von Carnage, Bloody Fiasco, Heavy Petal, Veronica Dodge, Pink Vengence, Gansta O'Derby, Gnrl Grievance, Dr Roadkill, Quiet Riot, Billy Machete, Bella Donna Deadly, Rusty Vixen, Karmina X Bones, Lady Savage, Hippy Hellraiser, Dirty Torque, Bandsaw Betty, Senorita Smash and Dee Dee Dainja, why wouldn't you join up?

So ladies over the age of 18 years, if you need an outlet for your pent-up anger (and let's face it, we all have some) why not try roller derby?! What you need as a beginner is skates, a helmet and protective gear - start-up is expensive but protection is important!

Check out Skate Australia for your local league listings.

Cooking with Kristy: Banoffee Pie

Words by Kristy Jones

Ingredients

• 250g packet of biscuits (eg, milk arrowroot)
• 115g butter
• 400g can of condensed milk or Nestle caramel, pre-made
• 2 bananas
• 300ml bottle cream or canned cream
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• Chocolate
• Ice cream

Method

Boil the condensed milk can in a deep saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 hours, to caramelize. Warning: the can must be covered with water the entire time, to caramelize evenly and to prevent the can from busting out everywhere.

Thoroughly cool the caramel for a while.

Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin or in a food processor and transfer to a large bowl.

Shake the bowl and crush any large pieces that rise to the top.

Add the coconut.

Melt the butter and mix with the biscuits until all crumbs are coated.

Empty into a cake tin and press against the sides and bottom of the tin with the outer surface of a clean glass.

Refrigerate while you whip the cream thickly.

When the biscuit base has set, pour the caramel over the base, spreading it evenly.

Slice the banana over the top of the caramel.

With a star nozzle, pipe the whipped cream over the bananas.

Finally, garnish the dessert by sprinkling chocolate over the cream.

Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Five Minutes With: The Amity Affliction

On the eve of their North Queensland tour, Anna-Marie Harding caught up with The Amity Affliction's guitarist (and former member of The Getaway Plan), Clint Splattering.

First off, congratulations on your new album, Youngbloods. The album was released on the 18th of June, how has it been going so far?

It's been really good. We just found out it had debuted at number 6 on the ARIA charts, which is the highest we've ever reached, so it's amazing news. Other than that we've been rehearsing for our album tour.

How did you come up with the name for the album Youngbloods?

We were just brainstorming a bunch of names and none of them seemed to sound right to fit the album, so we branched out to a few friends and managed to get one that everyone agreed on.

While on the topic of names, is it true that the band's name is inspired by The Amityville Horror?

I'm not too sure about it as I wasn't in the band when the name came up, but I think the word "Amity" is more related to it's meaning of "friendship" than the movie.

Your national Youngbloods tour kicks off in Adelaide on 2 July, is there any town in particular that you're looking forward to playing at?

I'm really excited to play my hometown of Melbourne, but I'm super excited for Sydney as we're playing the Roundhouse. It's one of my favourite venues to play and always has a good vibe.

Are you looking forward to playing in Townsville on 18 July?

Yeah, it should be good. I've only played there once, but it was good to get out there, as most kids hadn't had the opportunity to see us play before.

American band Misery Singles will be one of the bands supporting you on this tour. Previously you supported them in their sold-out headline run in 2009 - how does it feel to have the tables turned?

It definitely feels weird. Misery Singles are one of my all-time favourite bands, so it's crazy to think that they're supporting us. We're all great friends, though, so when we tour with them anywhere else, I'm sure the tables will turn again.

The band was formed in 2002, what were some of your musical influences?

My main influences were bands like U2 and Tool. Their use of effects and nice delays inspired me to take my guitar playing in a different direction.

What were the first albums you bought?

First ones I can remember are Smash by The Offspring and Dude Ranch by Blink 182.

How did you meet and consequently form the band?

I wasn't in the band when they began, but I met the guys when my old band The Getaway Plan did one of our first tours with them. Ever since then we've been great friends and one thing led to another and now I'm playing for them!

Do you think your music has evolved or changed much since you began?

Lots! To a lot of people it probably all sounds the same, but I think the songwriting has improved heaps and the new album hopefully displays that.

With your second album just being released are you starting to enjoy more notoriety?

Haha, I have no idea what this means. Is this saying we're known for being bad? If so, no.

What do you guys do for fun or to relax?

Mainly just hang out and drink, every chance we have off tour is kind of a race in an attempt to catch up with our friends that aren't on the road with us.

Do you have any favourite or interesting stories from touring?

I've only done a couple of shows with Amity, but I'm sure something is bound to happen on the Youngbloods tour.

Favourite song of all time?

With or Without You by U2.

Any favourite movies?

I love Requiem for a Dream, Detroit Rock City and Jurassic Park. All have amazing soundtracks as well.

What are some of your pet peeves?

Hmmm, I don't really have any. I really hate unexpected loud noises, though....

How do you cope with being in such close quarters and spending so much time together while touring?

I think I cope pretty well. I definitely hang more with a select few people but generally we all get along well, and have our own ways of escaping it all from time to time.

What's the lady scene like with the band right now?

Haha, it's good. We all have girlfriends besides two, but I'm not sure how interested they are at the moment. Everybody's minds seem to be just on getting ready for the tour, then we'll see what happens.

What are the band's future plans?

We just want to tour as much as possible. Hopefully we can get back overseas and try to crack some other markets. Other than that we'll just try and enjoy the ride.

The Amity Affliction will perform at the Townsville PCYC on Sunday, 18 July from 7.00pm.

Fitness: Results, and Why You're Not Getting Any!

Words by Leon Price

This article is to help you take a step back and look at what you're doing, time to get real and get serious. Ask yourself: are you achieving what you set out to achieve with your exercising and diet? Do you fit into those jeans yet? Is your six pack still hiding underneath a layer of padding?

If you've stayed committed, trained to your exercise routine and kept to your diet and your results have hit a bit of a plateau, then this is the article for you. Take the time to seriously review your diet and training and make a plan! Sit down and take the 20 to 30 minutes to review and renew your plan; the time taken to do and put into action may give you better results in two weeks than the last two to three months you've spent working in the gym or out on the pavers with the old plan. The following is a few pointers to help you review your current program. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of stupidity, and if you're losing motivation, there is nothing more motivating than getting results.

1. Nutrition - Are you feeding your body what it is made of?

Remember the body is made of water, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and a small store of carbohydrates in our muscles. Your body is not made out of McDonald's, salt, oily curries with rice, alcohol and highly processed packaged foods. Feed your body what it is made of and it will flourish. Skipping meals, counting calories and following the good ol' food pyramid from the 1950s is not the way to do it. Take calorie counting, for example. Say a 55kg female who leads an active lifestyle requires 1500 calories per day. If she makes up that 1500 calories in cans of Coke, donuts and takeaway foods, do you think she's going to be feeling great and be in shape? Your body doesn't know how many calories you're feeding it! All it knows is the volume of food you're putting in and what it's going to use or store those nutrients for. Feed your body the right things and you'll never have to count calories again. Time for a new plan! Get your required protein intake (click here for a reminder), eat green veggies like they're going out of fashion, get your intake of essential fatty acids, eat your carbs in the morning and after training. As crazy as it sounds, most people need to eat more to lose more fat!

2. Carbohydrates - Your body's preferred energy source?

How many people who try to "eat healthy" do you see snacking on fruit and low-fat yoghurt throughout the day? Firstly, the low fat content in yoghurt is compensated with extra sugar (same as in low fat milks) and full of lactose. Lactose is a dairy sugar, which we become less able to digest properly as adults, causing digestive complications in a high majority of people. Just ask yourself, how many other animals do you see suckling on their mother's breast after infancy?

Now for a quick fact on our little friend, fruit. Fruit's sweet taste is due to high levels of fructose (the sugar found in fruit) which is the highest fat-forming sugar available. Fructose is sugar for the liver, of which the liver only stores and requires a very small amount of. So unless you've completely depleted your body's carbohydrate stores (though high-intensity resistance training or long-duration cardio) your "healthy" apple's fructose is incapable of being stored as energy for your body and is converted to fat for storage. So if you love your fruit and want to keep the nutritional benefits and anti-oxidants they give you, make it a handful of mixed berries. Fruit, like all other carbohydrates, should be consumed first thing in the morning and after exercise. Yes, carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel for moderate to high-intensity exercise, but don't expect your body to utilise your fat stores for energy when you're not exercising if you're continuously feeding it carbohydrates.

3. Fuel - Going hard on an empty tank.

It's a crime you see countless times (women generally being the most guilty), going hard on an empty tank. 30-60 minutes in the cardio room before hitting the weights or a jog/bootcamp session before breakfast is a surefire way to lose weight... notice how I use the word weight, and not body fat?

If you train hard when your carbohydrates stores are low, your body will break down your muscles and other body tissues and organs to fuel that workout. The only time you should work out when you're depleted of carbohydrates is EASY cardio first thing in the morning (on empty stomach) or after a high-intensity workout. Easy cardio training during these times will burn fat and aid recovery. So unless you want to be skinny-fat, look after your muscles by having fuel in the tank beforehand and refuelling afterwards, then in turn your muscles will look after you by using fat for energy for the other 23 hours of the day.

4. Routine - No direction or set purpose?

Do you wander around the weights room aimlessly looking for machines that you like to use? Do you decide, instead of your high-intensity afternoon aerobics session, to take a stroll down on the Strand? Get a routine! Plan your week's worth of training, especially if you use weights/resistance training. Using the same muscle groups for resistance training day in day out does not give sufficient time for them to recover. Split your muscle groups (legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms) up throughout your weekly training sessions. This will allow for adequate recovery and the ability to put focus and attention to the muscle group you are trying to train. For those of you who like to hit the pavers, do your walking when your body is in a state to burn fat for fuel! That time is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Take this at a moderate pace; go too hard and your body will break down itself instead of your fat stores. You can aid this fat-burning morning walk with a black coffee (no sugar), or some L-Carnitine (available at your local supplement store, like ASN).

5. Getting too advanced?

So you've done your basic exercises like squats, bench presses, push ups, lateral pull downs and some barbell curls and gotten some great results. Now you think it's time to move onto some more 'advanced' techniques like doing one-armed dumbbell presses whilst balancing on a swiss ball with one leg in the air. This is not how to get more advanced, and the only thing performing weights on a swiss ball gets you is imbalanced, lifting lighter/less effective weights and put you closer to embarrassing and/or hurting yourself. If something gets you results, stick to it! The next step is ramping it up with intensity techniques. The techniques as listed in the link will help you to bust through any plateaus and keep training challenging and interesting.

6. Train - Don't maintain.

You work out so you can get fitter, healthier, stronger, leaner. There are a lot of people out there who are simply going through the motions with a 2kg dumbbell in hand, pumping out 30-odd reps, getting bored and thinking that it is going to make a change. The body is an adaptive, protective organism, and unless you push it to exhaustion or failure, your body has no need to adapt and change to these stresses which you are placing it under. Failure means you lift the weight til you can no longer physically lift it any more. The ideal rep range for muscular growth is 8-12 reps, and failing within that range; you might need to lighten or increase your weight load to achieve this. For the girls who don't want to increase the size of their muscles, your rep range is 15-20. But take a realistic look at your body or particular parts (legs especially) and determine how much of it is muscle and how much is actually fat that is contributing to the size. Plus, don't worry about getting massive, as females have much lower levels of testosterone (the hormone required to build larger muscles).

So have a good look in the mirror and ask yourself: do I have what I want? Am I full of energy? Do I feel fit? Do I feel confident? Review your current training and diet, and remember - do what you always do, and you'll get what you always had.

Leon Price is a Personal Trainer certified in Bodybuilding & Contest Preparation from the International Academy of Physique Conditioning.

The Cat Empire Album Launch - Get Into It!

If you've ever wanted to be front-row at an official album launch, keep reading.

Australia's own The Cat Empire will be launching their latest album, Cinema, this Sunday, with a concert broadcast to fans via the world wide web with only a one-second delay.

Broadcasting from a secret location in Melbourne with only 100 fans in physical attendance, the band will perform a free concert to a virtual audience of thousands, with people from over 56 countries already registered.

The event can be streamed onto your PC wherever you happen to be at 10.30pm Melbourne time this Sunday, 20 June.

To register for the launch, visit The Cat Empire's official website here, click on 'Attend Album Launch' and fill in your details.

Hot Music News for North Queensland

John Butler Trio have announced North Queensland shows sure to thrill Townsville fans who thought they may miss out when the band joined The Cat Empire in Cairns for the Reggaetown Festival on 10 and 11 September...

Fear not, Townsvillians! JBT will be travelling the One Way Road to Townsville on 12 September ALONG WITH The Cat Empire, Blue King Brown and Mama Kin. The bands will perform the Union of Soul concert at Tony Ireland Stadium.

Stay tuned to SMAC Magazine for more details!

Trend Alert: Superman Glasses

Words by Nic Horton

It seems as though gone are the days of fine optometry, and gone are the days of genuine lenses, because the latest trend... well, a trend that surprisingly enough is still floating around the streets are the 'Superman Glasses'.

Basically the optometrist's comical relief is better known amongst pop culture as 'superman glasses'.

They consist of 'glasses', without the lenses, or glass for that matter; they're basically an empty frame, usually of geeky or nerdy appearance, available in a variety of different colours (but popularly black).

The concept of these glasses, beyond the Clark Kent namesake, derives from the prep-look of various musicians, designers and artists who, from what I can gather, toy and elaborate on the image of intellectual and scholarly stereotype. [think: Ok Go! Karl Largerfeld, Jenny Kee]

Or, it's kind of ala Lewis Carroll, Alice Through the Looking Glass - you put on the glasses and see the world through an elaborate and convoluted facet.

Either way, the superman glasses are a rather nerdish and distinctive wave of eccentric vogue.