Month: November 2008

Club Consolador De Dos Caras Anniversary – 26th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

12th August 2021 – Not even sure I was at this anniversary show. Surely I must have been! A lot of the time was spent running around, managing a market stall, organising equipment, doing the door etc and I didn’t always get to see bands play. I used to finish work a little earlier on Wednesday, dash home to change and into the city to start arranging things in the club. Usually, I’d be the only one there for a couple of hours, sometimes twiddling my thumbs, nervously waiting for bands and audience to arrive. I couldn’t help myself though – I just want to be prepared and ready to go.

14th Feb 2024 – Found this Facebook post that seems to suggest that I was there.

I’m attending the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of CLUB CONSOLADOR DE DOS CARAS tonight! come and help us whoop it up!

Music Feeds – 25th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

http://musicfeeds.com.au/music/2351/tenzenmen/

From local Sydney music press Music Feeds. We only seem to be on a surname basis tho – pretty appropriate considering the Chinese releases 🙂

By James Armstrong

Starting out as a noise project some 15 years ago, tenzenmen has evolved to the point where Hemsley is now using it as a catchall umbrella for all of his ‘crazy schemes’. With a motto of “do something”, Hemsley has involved himself heavily in the DIY scene for many years, helping not only local bands, but international acts find ways to circumvent the standard tour circuit and take the road less travelled.

With his roots in the late 70’s and early 80’s punk scene in the UK, Hemsley grew up with the DIY ethos. When he began taking a larger role in the Sydney underground, it was natural for him to explore the option of warehouse and arts space shows, where actually putting on a good show took precedence over making money.

In the past, Hemsley has brought out bands from Southeast Asia, but with his keen interest in Chinese history and culture, it was natural that tenzenmen would become involved with something from that region (though Hemsley says that he plans on continuing to work with SE Asian bands).

Having travelled to Beijing on several occasions and made friends with bands at local club D22, Hemsley became fascinated with the vitality of the emerging music scene in China.. Part of this scene was a record label started as an offshoot of the D22 club, Maybe Mars, which tenzenmen now licenses for release in Australia.

With the release of the Maybe Mars series, tenzenmen is exploring the world of underground Chinese music, ranging from melodic hardcore with English lyrics to noise rock sung in the band’s local dialect. The ambitious scope and variety of this project is nothing new for Hemsley, who has been running a wide variety of music-related projects as a labour of love, with no thought of material profit.

With minimal help from the media, the Maybe Mars series and, indeed, tenzenmen, are focused on getting the word out on the street, building a catalogue and seeing what will happen.

“I have every confidence in the music I’m releasing so feel it could just be a matter of time before people’s curiosity is piqued and they start investigating,” says Hemsley.

Hemsley goes on to say that the goal of these releases is just to get some great music out for people to enjoy, and to contribute to something bigger, in a holistic sense.

With the difficulty of getting the Maybe Mars bands over to Australia to tour (it’s hard to get a visa and there are some insane ‘money in the bank’ requirements to guarantee that the bands will actually head back to China at the end of their tour), for the time being, the best way to hear this music is to grab a copy of one of the releases, which have faced their own difficulties in being released in their homeland.

“For any artist in China wishing to release a CD, lyrics must be submitted to the government for approval. I believe this is a requirement from the CD factories to protect them against possible closure for inappropriate material. However, considering these restrictions, some of Demerit’s lyrics are quite critical of life in China, and other bands can cleverly conceal other meanings in more poetic lyrics (PK-14, in particular, are well respected among the more scholarly kids in this sense),” explains Hemsley.

With a new release coming out every six weeks, get in on this – it’s vital, with a spark that may be enough to reinvigorate the most jaded ‘punk.’

“In the West, we already have a historical rebellious musical background to draw upon.  China has just discovered all this music – and all at once.  So influences can be drawn from many different fields and filtered through into what are hopefully new and exciting sounds. Bands like Mafeisan and Muscle Snog are really pushing boundaries even on Western terms.”

Club Consolador De Dos Caras – 19th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

war all the time (uk)
“….War all the time are the purest hardcore hit I’ve heard in years. Stripped-down and to the fucking point, they really show how much can be done with so few ingredients. So utterly simple, so brutally direct, this is exactly what hardcore should be like. Plus is there a song about Thatcher in there? Jesus. Further proof that no one under the age of 30 (or should that be 40?!?!) should be in a band.”

crux
sydney hi-intensity dark crust hardcore

athol

do not resuscitate

What’s Cool and Unusual – 11th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

tue 11th

sedition
275 victoria st, darlinghurst
7pm/donation

xnobbqx, knitted abyss, dj white pimpernell

++++++++++++++++++++++++

wed 12th

consolador de dos caras
la campana, 53-55 liverpool st, sydney

fag panic, kill a celebrity, squat club, anklepants

this show pretty much embodies the idea behind the club – 4 very different bands brought together for one night of ‘zentertainment’!

**ANKLEPANTS: the bad doctor lives life as a cuntdick with a faceprick. A one man dance band sort of thing spinning twisted danceable rhythms and beats. Dr Richard Facemaker has a face that can be programed to perform an exciting fruit bowl of dazzling movement. Badfacehead pndpndpndpnd.

http://www.myspace.com/anklepantsqwerty

**SQUAT CLUB: as a 4 piece consisting of a drummer, bassist, piccolo bassist and eukekele/guitarist, Squat Club are one of the most unique, talented and exciting bands to emerge out of Sydney in recent memory. Their style is akin to the amalamation of Eastern/Secret Chiefs 3 influenced polyrhythmic structures with early King Crimson, Pink Floyd and other assorted 60s and 70s psychedelic/progressive groups and a slight post-rock influence.

Squat Club combine brilliant progressions with mind-twisting rhythm changes and a beautiful jazz-tinged dynamic drumming feel akin to Jon Theodore’s work in Golden and The Mars Volta. If you’re a fan of Secret Chiefs 3, King Crimson or a range of avant-garde, post-rock or progressive genres, then this is something you wont want o miss. Squat Club are only expected to play a handful more shows before they disband.

http://www.myspace.com/squatclub

**KILL A CELEBRITY: the words that come to mind in describing Kill A Celebrity are caustic and agonizing. Somewhat renown and reviled within various Sydney scenes, Kill A Celebrity are a Sydney-based three piece playing inconceivably fast grindcore influenced by groups such as Discordance Axis, Agents of Abhorrence and Pig Destroyer. Expect a lively stage presence which has caused infamy at less spirited venues, coupled with raw, violent and wholly uncompromising music stripped of all pretentions.

http://www.myspace.com/killacelebritygrind

**FAG PANIC: All-singing all dancing tough arse ponies with hearts of gold. Electro-glam-tronic with the force of a tiger going into battle. We’ll accept payment in cake form or Steven Seagal’s Lightning Bolt Energy Drinks (preferably Asian Experience flavour). Please let us play for you.

http://www.myspace.com/itsfagpanic

++++++++++++++++++++++++

fri 14th
8pm@wherehouse?
$8 all ages

BUM CREEK _ well, i (have) got nothing. they’re website is weird, at least one of them has a large beard, and they’ve been described as ‘tribal’. fuckin’ hippies? fuck no. fuckin’ rad! just come along and see/hear the enigma that is Bum Creek…i can’t articulate why, i hate fuckin’ keyboards.

CASTINGS _ yeah, again – what’s the point? though let me establish a few things. we’re not rich. we’re not hippies. sex and death imagery is boring, and no, we did not start a fight at TINA. next…

PREHISTORIC FUCKIN’ MORON _ also known as Jimmy James And The White Cranes (new CDR ‘The Stud’ out now on Spanish Magic…$5 at the show), the aforementioned moron is arguably sydney’s best and worst kept secret. a complete mess (a composed though absolutely unpredictable mess) of broken tape machines, broken turntables, a broken clarinet…are you seeing a pattern? if you’re lucky, he’ll sell you a tape (there’ll only be five of ’em but THAT CASSETTE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE), drink your booze, smoke your weed…then perform. acid.

CHROME DOME _ a new band featuring mr. shaun south. fucked up 80’s synths banged into melodic submission ala The Normal, Dark Day and Primitive Calculators (yeah…i know, but this shit’s for real ya know?) rad.

please message one of the bands or me for the show’s location.

www.myspace.com/castings
www.spanishmagic.org
www.myspace.com/spanishmagic

++++++++++++++++++++++++

sat 15th

louie’s, 34 murray st, marrickville
6pm $10 all ages

Bum Creek
Chrome Dome
Knitted Abyss
Onani
Orodruin
Pagan Dawn
Polyfox and the Union of the Most Ghosts
xNOBBQx

++++++++++++++++++++++++

sun 16th

Have a yarn with Uncle Dootch from The Kuradji Tent Embassy, and watch some footage of community resistance to big developers to protect open parkland and preserve Kuradji sacred site. From 6pm onwards, at Black Rose bookshop, address below.

Hope to see you there 
********************

Black Rose Anarchist Library & Bookshop
22 Enmore Rd (100m from Newtown Station)

w: http://www.blackro***.org
e: blackros***@yahoo.com.au
P: 0424****

open:
thursday & friday 11-7
saturday & sunday 11-5
accessibility: there are three steps at the entrance.  the toilet is not easily accessible

shaun/tenzenmen
++  i’ll either be at these events or wishing i was there  ++

What’s Cool and Unusual (quick nifty update) – 7th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

fri 7

the show at louie’s has been cancelled – possible re arrangements being made for a wollongong house show instead.  if you want to catch The Sharks, They Bite! I believe they’re playing the Sando on Sunday.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

fri 7

319 paramatta rd, petersham
9pm free ALL AGES

scum system kill + more

+++++++++++++++++++++++

sat 8

punx outside #2
end of sydney steel rd, marrickville
1pm free ALL AGES

do not resuscitate, scum system kill, dead wasted, voting with bricks

+++++++++++++++++++++++

sun 9

repressed records, 256 king st
2pm free ALL AGES

captain cleanoff, kill a celebrity, code of lies, roadside burial

+++++++++++++++++++++++

sun 9

Bohemian Grove, L2/68 Sophia St, Surry Hills
6.30 $10

the Creeks, and Jackson/Leipnitz Duo

Creeks is a trio of former UWS students formed in 2008.

When not getting drunk and eating cheese we make some music together which involves Monika Brooks playing Piano (when one is available), Jon Hunter on Guitar and Kusum Normoyle singing in and around her computer. We also made
some recordings into Jons New Laptop, but then Kusum spilt wine on it, but it was ok (One of the shift keys does not work but luckily it has two). We are an improvising band.
*
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=414641481
*

The  Jackson / Leipnitz Duo is an intercontinental collaboration of alto saxophonist Dave Jackson (Syd) and drummer Jan Leipnitz (Berlin). The duo improvises freely with an emphasis on melody and groove. Fans of the famous
Charles Lloyd/Billy Higgins duo recordings will love these guys.

— Bohemian Grove performances are 6:30pm doors for a 7pm start each Sunday (unless otherwise advised). The cover is $10 / donation. Please feel free to invite your friends to come and/or join the mailing list, but we ask that nothing be posted on the web for the authorities to find (they are squares). Support live music! bohemiangrovemusic@gmail.com L2/68 Sophia St, Surry Hills

shaun/tenzenmen
++  i’ll either be at these events or wishing i was there  ++

What’s Cool and Unusual – 5th November 2008

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

wed 5th

forget about the US election.  the US is becoming increasingly irrelevant and their latest puppet will make no difference.  time is better spent making friends with real american people and showing them how cool the rest of the world is.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

wed 5th

consolador de dos caras
la campana, 53-55 liverpool st, sydney
8pm $5

bare arms, little a, slogan free youth

little a – lush casio pop to charm the pants off the most jaded music lovers.
journeying up from the south especially for this show!

slogan free youth – rad fast and loud rip offs of 80’s hardcore. new band!

bare arms – new sydney screamo / mathcore. come sing along to tales of toxic soldiers and stolen organs.

‘the question’ has had to pull out of this show as ryan was hospitalised in a savage unprovoked attack after a yeah bears show out the back of the oxford arts factory.  come and check out the other bands and wish ryan a speedy recovery.

the worksafe poster

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

wed 5th

505
L5, 342 elizabeth st
9pm $?

3ofmillions

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

fri 7th

louies, 34 murray st, marrickville
8pm $?

The Sharks, They Bite!, Code of Lies, Hira Hira, Little A.
ALL AGES SHOW

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

sat 8th

it’s the return of GALLUCCI!
EVERY WEEK!
10pm in darlinghurst – at ‘the place’ – call Tim on the night to confirm details (0408147336)

GALLUCCI!  EVERY WEEK!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

mon 10th

The NOW now series
33 Wellington St, Chippendale
8pm $10/8

Finn Ryan/Jack Dibben/Aemon Webb/Abel Cross: guitars and drums and
electrical equipment.

+ more

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

tue 11th

sedition
275 victoria st, darlinghurst

7pm/donation

xnobbqx, knitted abyss, dj white pimpernell

shaun/tenzenmen
++  i’ll either be at these events or wishing i was there  ++