'Dead Of Night' themed contribution for Photo Friday.

Taken at Dennis Station, Northcote around 2am.

Sean M Whelan & The Mime Set with Emilie Zoey Baker present Sweet Cowboy

Part magical realism, part Morricone, part poetry, part spoken word, part rock and roll, part sweet, sweet country and all Sweet Cowboy.
Wed 10th Oct.
ONE NIGHT ONLY.
10:30pm
The Toff in Town.
Level 2, Curtin House.
252 Swanston Street, City.

Going Down Swinging #25

The new issue of Going Down Swinging is being launched this Tues night at the Northcote Social Club. I have a brand new track on the CD, a recording with myself and The Mime Set called Disappointment is the Evil Bunny of Misery's Best Friend.
We're going to be performing at the launch and will be sneak previewing our brand new Fringe Festival show, Sweet Cowboy. Our new collaborator and special guest on the night will be Emilie Zoey Baker.

The Rooftop Bar Gig - in pictures!

Last Sunday to celebrate the third birthday of my collaboration with The Mime Set we played a very special gig on the Rooftop of Curtin House.
We did two sets and not even the rain cutting short our second set dampened the spirit of the evening. As you'll see in the pics!
This was also a unique gig as it was the first with drummer Bec Matthews. Hopefully the first of many!


Setting up the stage.







Sam Wareing.



Sam Wareing



Justin Avery.



Justin Avery.



Jonathan Shannon and Andrew Watson.



Jonathan Shannon.








Me and Sam Wareing being shielded from the rain by the wonderful Rooftop Bar Manager, Emily.

A special celebration.

It's been three years since I started collaborating with musical act, The Mime Set. We've written two Fringe Festival shows (Death To Your Dreams 2005 and LCUK 2006), are a currently working on our third, Sweet Cowboy.
To celebrate this fact we're having a party!
Sunday 8th September, 7pm, at the exquisite setting of the Rooftop Bar, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street. High above the streets, amongst the stars and the city lights we're going to do a free performance of two 45 min sets, which will cover most of the work we've written together to date. Plus a couple of surprises thrown in.

Back from Indonesia and having a very special event already!

Hello, I'm back from the Utan Kayu Literary Biennale in Indonesia. It was truly a mindblowing experience which I will blog about in greater detail soon.
But for now I just wanted to quickly let you know about a very special collaboration I've begun with an amazing artist by the name of Beck Wheeler.
Beck has been creating illustrations based on some of my poems, for which I feel totally blessed.
Here's a sneak preview of a couple of them.

ELVIS TEARS


DISAPOINTMENT IS THE EVIL BUNNY OF MISERY'S BEST FRIEND.



Tomorrow night (I know it's short notice but I just got off a plane!) there will be a group exhibition called Hung By The Sticky Bits at Until Never Gallery in Hosier Lane which will contain four of these works and much much more. Check out more previews of the exhibition here.


UNTIL NEVER Gallery: 05th - 29th September 2007
OPENING NIGHT 05th September 6-8PM
http://www.myspace.com/citylightsuntilnever
2nd Flr 3-5 Hosier Lane (enter from Rutledge Lane),
Melbourne

Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale and TERRA: A Bilingual Anthology from WordStorm

I'm very pleased to announce that this Wednesday I'm flying to Indonesia to participate in the Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale. This is a very exciting festival taking place from the 23rd-30th August featuring some of Indonesia's finest poets and authors as well as visiting writers from many other countries. Events are taking part in Jakarta and Magelang. I feel very privileged to be asked to be involved and I give many thanks to the director of the festival, Sitok Srengenge, an incredible poet himself. I also must give thanks to Sandra Thibodeaux who first introduced me to Sitok at Wordstorm, the Darwin Writers Festival in 2005. Sandra has since become director of Wordstorm herself and has recently overseen the publication of TERRA: A Bilingual Anthology from Wordstorm.




My poetic tribute to singer songwriter Elliot Smith, called Dear Elliot, has been published in this anthology and for the first time ever my work has been translated into Indonesian.

TERRA contributors include the illustrious, iconic and emerging (in alphabetic order): Kaye Aldenhoven, Nukila Amal, Peter Bakowski, BenEzra, Mark Bowling, Jane Camens, Ze’sopol Caminha, Linda Christanty, MTC Cronin, Gregory Day, Marian Devitt, Peter Docker, Nick Earls, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Melchior dias Fernandes, Kieran Finnane, Richard J. Frankland, Pru Gell, Dorothea Rosa Herliany, Alec Kruger & Gerard Waterford, Frank Moorhouse, Chris Mansell, Miles Merrill, Meg Mooney, Romaine Moreton, Leonie Norrington, Graham Nunn, Alvin Pang, Helen Pavlin, Dorothy Porter, Iswadi Pratama, Leni Shilton, Milena da Silva, Abe Barreto Soares, Sitok Srengenge, Jared Thomas, Triyanto Triwikromo, Ayu Utami, Alana Valentine, Zevonia Vieira, Sam Wagan Watson, Sean M Whelan, Terry Whitebeach and Jacquie Williams.


For more details about the book visit the NT Writers Centre website.


To see the full program of the Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale go here.

Under Star Poets at Federation Square.

I'm performing with The Mime Set at an event called Under Star Poets tonight. This is at the lovely BMW Edge theater in Federation Square. Also appearing with us will be Emilie Zoey Baker. The gig kicks off at 7pm and runs until 10pm.
Also appearing will

Sugarfree Masons

Andy White

MiteyKo (aka Allan Boyd and Kevin Gillam)

Trisnasari

Ben Ezra

Lish and Steve O’Prey

Belfast Poets

Reading at Thangs Cafe, East Brunswick, 16th August

I'm doing a free reading at Thangs Cafe on Thursday night. 502 Lygon Street East Brunswick. There's also an open mic and every open mic reader gets a free glass of wine!
They also do pretty good grub there I'm told.
I'll be debuting a brand new story too.

Reading at The Blue Velvet Bar - Overload Poetry Festival

I'm doing a pretty special reading tomorrow night at the Blue Velvet Bar, 60 Smith Street, Collingwood, as part of the Overload Poetry Festival. Haven't done a reading without the band in Melbourne for a while. I'm also debuting a brand new piece of writing that will be appearing in the next issue of Voiceworks, called 'You Voted Zebra, I Voted Cow.'
It's a fantastic lineup of other readers too and I can't describe them any better than the convenor of the event, Mr Geoff Lemon.
So, here's his personal breakdown on the whole event in his own words below.

Nanoarts.
7:30
Thursday 9th August.

The readers.

ðO
Transliterated as PiO for those who never did Year 10 trigonometry, this man is an absolute legend of the poetry world. His business card simply reads "World Famous Poet", and frankly, that's enough. My father used to watch ðO dominating poetry readings back in the early 70s, and we're still watching him today. ðO was writing in dialectical English two decades before Irvine Welsh was hailed as 'revolutionary' for Trainspotting. This is his only listed performance for the Overload Festival. Do not miss it.

Thomas, Jack of Hearts (aka Citizen Tom, aka Tom Keily) (NSW)
Citizen Tom is jetting down from Sydney on the day itself to perform under his new title. If Prince could do it, why not Tom? This gentleman is a prince, a jack, a knave of spoken word, and captained Housecat Havoc to back-to-back Australian Poetry Slam victories. Hispoems are richly lyrical, shot through with the rhythm, rhyme and flow of Australian hip-hop. A master of the fusion of these two great arts.

Emilie Zoey Baker
EZB is Melbourne's First Lady of Sass, a comedic tour de force, and last year's winner of the Nimbin Poetry Cup. Some of you would have seen her storming through the Melbourne Slam at Glitch last December, some would've seen at her at Babble under the guise of DJ I Was Young and I Needed the Money. Some wouldn't have seen her at all cos she's just too damn fast. Here's your chance. Check out some of her poems with music at myspace.com/emiliezoeybaker

Sean M. Whelan
Sean's poetry has been going gangbusters over the past year since his teaming up with rock band The Mime Set, including the rare privilege for a poet of going on tour. In fact, such has been the buzz that we haven't seen him reading solo for a long long time, and his regular gig Babble had to go into hibernation. Now we get to see the man solo, unadorned, in the raw essence of his manhood. Eww.

Meg Dunn
One of Melbourne's loveliest. Poet, artist, and winner of Best Spoken Word Performance at the 2002 Melbourne Fringe. Some would describe her as impish, some as sweet. If she didn't like it, she'd stab you in the kidney. But in such a charming way you'd love her nonetheless.

Preacherman Says (aka Phil Norton)
Part beat poet soulman, part blues troubadour, part film noir hero, Phil Norton mixes poetry with music, visuals and anything else he can find. He even featured on a couple of tracks on sonicanimation's last album. At Blue Velvet, Phil will don his new alter ego for the first time just for us. Who knows what to expect? I have no idea.

Helen Child (WA)
Jim Morrison said, the West is the best. We have one of their finest. Helen is a veteran performer, poet and comedian with a definite penchant for the wrong, the twisted and the macabre. For us...who knows? She might do poems about why pigeons are pretty. But I wouldn't count on it.

Plus the usual hosting and cameos from myself, and you may even catch a glimpse of Mr. Overload Director Steve Smart in the flesh.

With the long line-up, we'll be starting earlier, the sets will be shorter, and things will bang through at a dynamic pace. Entry by donation in the five dollar region.

Doors open at 7:30, drink specials from the word go, and we will kick off a bit after 8:00. PLEASE come by then, or you'll miss some of the awesomeness. And there's really nothing on that bill that you can afford to miss. I'm excited. You should be. Hope to see you all packed in (another reason to get in early, if you want a seat).

Much love to everyone,

Geoff Lemon

Our first full band gig in 10 months. We're baaaaack!

This Wed night, the 8th August, I'll be playing my first full band gig in Melbourne with The Mime Set since last year's Fringe Festival!
But wait, there's more.
We'll be supporting the incredible Justin Heazlewood. If you don't take my word that he's incredible, then run don't walk to his myspace page right now, or take a look here and you'll see that I'm right.
And here's something else to sweeten the deal, Emilie Zoey Baker will also be making a guest appearance as a sneak preview of the show we're all writing together for this year's Fringe Festival.
So, in short, this will be a CRACKER of a gig.
Where?
The Empress Hotel.
714 Nicholson Street, Nth Fitzroy.
8:30pm start
and it's only $8.

La Mama Poetica

This will be a great gig with such a bitchin' lineup. Check-check-check it out.

there will never be another

Performing at the State Library

As part of an event called Beyond The Page, I'll be giving a free reading at the State Library on the evening of Thursday 12th April.
Also appearing will be the incredibly cool editors of Going Down Swinging, Lisa Greenaway and Steve Grimwade. As well as Jessica Tuckerman and Luke Sinclair.
Starts at 6pm.

postcard poetry no. 4

click to enlarge

Performing on Sunday night at Cabaret Diablo

I'm performing with a slightly smaller version of The Mime Set at The Artery on Sunday night, the 25th March.
Show starts 7:30 and entry is by donation.
There's a few other acts on the bill too. See below for more details.


The Sternum Thief
The mystique surrounding The Sternum Thief and his obscure, yet entertaining performances has alluded this city for some time. Prepare again to be alluded.

Jezebel and froggs improvised madness
Exploring the multitude of paradox between smiling at strangers and just plain old not giving a F**K.

Chicks with Dicks

The contemporary dance duo of many genders

Phoebe

Solo singer songwriter

Vaudeville Deluxe

Performing ‘Mother Dust’, a work in progress mix of blues and noise.

Sean Whelan and The Mime Set

A meld of surreal romantic poetry with textured emotional soundtracks.

We’re at The Artery 87-89 Moor St, Fitzroy on the last Sunday of each month. If you want to go on the mailing list, shoot an email to mdotalt@yahoo.com.au and/or check out the myspace page http://www.myspace.com/mdotalt

postcard poetry no. 3

click to enlarge

postcard poetry no. 2

click to enlarge

An Urgent Black Shape

I’m woken by the sound of urgent fluttering against glass.

Whenever one is woken unexpectedly in the middle of the night the script of being in bed is turned upside.

For the tiniest of moments I think I’m in my childhood room.

This feeling lasts only a second or two, then I’m back, my senses focusing hard on the immediate problem.

What is that sound?

In the space between the bottom of the curtain and the window frame I can see an urgent black shape.

I suddenly realise there’s a small bird in my room.

How did it get in here?

How the hell will I get it out?

It stops fluttering for a moment.

In the darkness I think I can make out a wing.

I lean forward over the edge of the bed to get a better view and by doing so I accidentally knock over the bottle of water on my bedside table.

“Fuck!” I quickly turn on the bedside lamp.

The water has spilt over the power board on the floor beside my bed.

I start mopping at it with a t-shirt.

With the light on I look back towards the space where the bird was. It’s gone.

Then in my peripheral vision I sense a big black shape. My eyes are slowly drawn up, towards the ceiling.

Up there clinging to the wall, its wings trembling slightly, is a huge black moth.

It wasn’t a bird at all.

I stare at the moth. There is something profound about its presence here.

After watching it for a while I turn out the light and try and get back to sleep.

My thoughts keep returning to the moth. As my eyes get used to the dark I can make out its silhouette.

I think about the moth possibly landing on my face while I sleep.

Why is the moth here?

Who sent it?

Who is the moth working for?

My eyes get heavier and my thoughts start unravelling and working back to the moment when I first woke up at the sound of the beating wings, when I thought I was back in my childhood room.

It was the first room I had to myself. I can’t remember how old I was. Eleven, twelve years old?

I had problems with my ear then. A perforated eardrum which would flare up periodically. This night I woke up in extreme pain. My ear was killing me. It got worse and worse. I started crying. In the first room I had completely to myself there was nobody there to hear me. I thought my parents would wake up and come to my aid. But they didn’t hear. For some reason I didn’t want to get up and go to them. I wanted somebody to come and help me.

And at that moment I realised that the price you pay for being alone… is being alone.

Electric crackles interrupt this memory.

I’m back in my present room.

Snap, crackle. What’s that sound?

I realise it’s coming from the power board.

I turn on the light. There are some drops of water on it I missed. Water must have seeped in.

Tiny electric crackles.

What should I do?

I go to wipe it again with the t-shirt then I have a sudden fear of electrocution.

What if I died right there and now? Electrocuted while trying to mop up water of my power board, with the sole witness to such a ridiculous death being a big black moth clinging to my ceiling?

I turn out my bedside lamp (I’m brave enough to touch that electrical appliance) and I slump back in bed.

Soon I can make out the silhouette of the moth again.

I close my eyes and its shape remains upon my eyelids.

The electric ticking of the water in the power board sparks little white fires upon its dusky wings as I descend slowly back into sleep.

postcard poetry #1

Bill Callahan (aka Smog) live at the Rooftop Cinema

Was very, very blessed tonight to be one of only about two hundred or so punters who witnessed Bill Callahan (AKA Smog) performing live on the Rooftop Cinema at Curtin House.
This was his only Melbourne performance, and from what I hear he really had to be coaxed into this one as he isn't really out here on tour, rather he is accompanying his extraordinary partner, the wonderful Joanna Newsom.
The Rooftop Cinema is such a beautiful setting for Bill's dark acoustic wanderings. Bill spent the entire gig seated, with the twinkling city lights providing the backdrop. (As you can kind of see from my crappy mobile phone pictures.)
He started off with one of my all time favourite Smog songs, Hit the Ground Running from 1999's Knock Knock album.
Other highlights included The Well and Rock Bottom Riser from his last album A River Ain't Too Much to Love.
At times the sound of the exhaust fans was a little annoying but Bill wryly joked that it reminded him of the tape hiss on his first album.
Joanna Newsom spent most of the gig sitting on the fake grass directly in front of him.
For me the absolute highlight of the evening was the end.
After performing Dress Sexy At My Funeral as a kind of encore without leaving the stage, Bill abruptly stood up and walked off.
But here's the funny part...
Because the Rooftop Cinema is on a... well, rooftop, there is no real backstage area, so to leave the roof Bill had to walk down the middle of the aisle, with Joanna following closely behind, to the rapturous applause of the audience. And some members pleading 'please don't go Bill!'
It was quite a sight to watch the two darlings of the neo-folk scene, indie royalty, walking down the aisle together.
Joanna slightly wobbly in high heels on the spongy fake grass!
Looking to all the world as if they'd just got hitched.
Lovely.

ps. I know the pics are really shitty, but my mobile was the only camera i had on me, okay!

Disguise

There are two detectives standing outside my house.
They look like two sixteen year old school girls.
But I see through their disguises.
So I put on my sister's dress and I walk out onto the front yard, just to show those two lousy coppers that I can disguise myself just as well as they can.
The two 'girls' laugh at me in a convincing fashion.
I think to myself, those detectives are good.
I decide to really throw them by turning up the Lolita factor.
I turn on the sprinkler and start skipping to and fro through the water.
The dress starts to cling.
The detectives turn to jelly, they know they haven't got the goods to match that.
They turn and run.
I go back inside and return to the backyard.
I lose the dress and put the labcoat back on.
The time machine is almost ready.
If I can just get the clothesline to spin fast enough.

new audio poem published

Just had an audio poem released on the new edition of the Rattapallax DVD. It's a live recording of 'A Dick of Her Own', recorded at Babble, way back in 2001, or thereabouts I think.
Although for some strange reason the publisher has re-titled the poem to 'Buried Underwear'. I have no idea why.
The DVD has got a lot of interesting stuff on it, including poetry film clips and documentaries.
You can purchase it right here, for only $6 (U.S.)

New Zealand, here we come!

Yes, for the very first time, myself and my sexy creative partners , The Mime Set are taking our poetry/rock 'n' roll show on the road.
In a very short while we'll be doing several dates in Wellington for the Fringe Festival there and a show just outside of Wellington at Paekakariki for the Out There festival.
Really looking forward to it, if you're in New Zealand, please come along and say hello!
See the poster above for dates and venues.

MC Babble III

check-check-check it out...

MC BABBLE III

While the regular organisers (that's me) and patrons of Bar Open's monthly spokenword night 'Babble' take a short summer break, Melbourne's hip-hop community sneak in to hold their own version of the event under the guise of 'MC Babble'. Hosted this time by Elf Tranzporter(Combat Wombat), 'MC Babble III' features local hip-hop MCs performing spoken-word pieces, telling stories(both personal and comical), accapellas, beat-box and the occasional song with a beat CD. Special guest Wayne Lotek(Big Dada — UK) joins the line-up to perform live and to share a few anecdotes from his life on tour. Ivens also performs a short live set on the night, whilst GM Grumble Pipes takes care of intermission on the ones and twos. Any MCs interested in getting involved should email brendan@awakeningscrew.com MC BABBLE III, Wednesday January 10 at Bar Open, 317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. $8 Entry, doors open at 8:30pm.

MC BABBLE III

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10

BAR OPEN - 317 BRUNSWICK STREET, FITZROY

Featuring Antics, Awbs, Class A, Crixus, Mattriks plus many more TBA.

Special Guest: Wayne Lotek(UK)

Intermission by GM Grumble Pipes

Your host: Elf Tranzporter

$8 Entry

Doors at 8pm til 3am