Categories: Lifestyle

Deadlys, guns and the Big Day Out

Goes together like guns and country music

Crazy gun love! We always thought the Yanks led the way for having a passion for all things metal and deadly. But it seems Australian man Steve Lee has shown he too loves guns and what better way than to show it than write a bunch of songs about them and post them on Youtube?

We’re not supporting this, in fact weapons make us downright queasy in our peaceful carefree life but we guess freedom of speech, or song in this case, extends to the nutters who like their guns. Steve Lee has written a bunch of songs including the hit ‘I Like Guns’ with timeless lyrics like ‘I don’t shoot people and people don’t shoot me because I got a gun.’

This is all beginning to sound a bit weird; he likes his guns and has written this plus others like ‘Time To Get A Gun’ and the romantic ballad ‘She Don’t Like My Guns.’ No that’s not the weirdest thing, nor his crazy film clips where he’s shooting all types including a bazooka on a recent trip to Cambodia.

The weirdest thing is his wacky video has been viewed a staggering 3.5 million times on Youtube! All most as many times as those crazy kittens who chase their tail. He’s become an international country music hit and who knows where the future lies for this gun-toting guy from Parkes? All we know it will include guns and bad country music.

It’s beginning to look a lot like the Big Day Out

Homesick and depressed about the upcoming cold months? Probably don’t read on then… (sorry, we just can’t help ourselves). The original Aussie touring music festival has announced the first roll-call of bands for January. Yep, the Big Day Out will be 20 next year and is celebrating in style. Kasabian, Kanye West, Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance and Foster the People are the international artists heading down under for the summer while Australia is represented so far by The Jezabels, Hilltop Hoods, Architecture in Helsinki, The Living End and Frenzal Rhomb. Get in!

BDO has traditionally staged announcing the full line-up over a few months thereby building up the suspension and second guessing on who will be jumping on the tour bus and heading around Australia’s (and New Zealand’s) capital cities for the mother of all road trips. But looking at this first announcement, they’re gunna have to do pretty well to top who they already have!

Yes it is quite depressing, we agree, to see this especially if like us you’ll be freezing your toes off in London. It can and will likely get worse. Rumour has it Radiohead will be announced for the festival. If that happens we won’t have any cure for the homesickness blues, apart from a ticket to the Big Day Out.

Getting Deadly

Don’t worry this isn’t another piece about a bogan and his guns; we’re talking about the Deadly Awards in Australia which were announced last week. The awards which celebrate the work of indigenous Australians in music, film and sport have been going for 17 years and recognise Aboriginal people who are leaders in these fields.

Former Australian Idol singer Jessica Mauboy took out female artist of the year while Gurrumul, who is in London this week, took out the male award and best album.

Andrew Walker from Carlton and Johnathan Thurston from the North Queensland Cowboys both won best players for AFL and Rugby League respectively. Indigenous hip-hop got a nod with the Last Kinection winning best band while best movie went to ‘Mad Bastards’. It should just win a gong for its name alone.

Paul Judge

Australian Times Music Editor - Paul Judge