withflaws. magazine issue 7

BRISBANE

ISSUE 7 ART

FASHION

PERMACULTURE SKATEBOARDING

MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY POLITICS DIY

FILM

collapsed when I found out such a revered magazine had passed, it didn’t leave much hope for the career I was trying to pursue in printed press. So, I resurrected withflaws. I didn’t want to sit around and ‘complain about the industry’, I wanted to be proactive and once again, I had nothing to lose. withflaws. magazine has always focused on a huge range of topics, withflaws. magazine began in London in 2009. I had just moved from which bridged the gap between the Brisbane to pursue a career in music other street press available which only focused on music and the photography and writing. I journeyed there with a humble portfolio of work occasional fashion and film piece.

Sections within the Brisbane edition collected from my time writing for local street press like RAVE Magazine include music, art, film, photography, skateboarding, fashion design, politics and shooting any band I could who and sustainable living. toured through Brisbane.

I have been lucky enough to find I quickly realised that many a group of amazingly passionate street press and independent blogs people who have conducted interviews over there focused too heavily on and contributed. Without them, this established music acts and didn’t magazine would not be as full as it is. pay much attention to the thousands Please take the time to read who each of bands who played hundreds of shows a month just to try and build a article is written by and look them up on the withflaws. website or search fan base. At the same time, I wasn’t their names online. No doubt, they making enough money to pay my will be a part of some creative project rent shooting and writing for already happening right under your eyes. existing independent press, so I I hope you enjoy the first Australian decided to make my own. I wasn’t edition of withflaws. magazine. I can’t losing anything, I was only gaining tell you how happy it makes me to the amazing feeling of supporting share with you a handful of creative the up and coming artists in such an souls in our community. Please follow overwhelming, fast paced city. the magazine on the social media I booked and promoted gigs for platforms below and check out the each launch of withflaws. and met website every once in a while for some amazing people who have blog updates and further information remained my close friends even now I’m across the other side of the world. regarding upcoming issues.

So why wouldn’t I want to do it all over

TESSA FOX again in Brisbane?

Shortly after I returned to Australia, news spread like wildfire that RAVE Magazine had folded. I became far more upset on hearing this than anticipated. RAVE was always close to my heart. I think a piece of me

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WITHFLAWS.

EDITORS LETTER

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CONTENTS

4 Art

Caitlin Edwards

Holloway

8 Permaculture

10 Music

The Fevered 12 Photography

Jacob Lambert

18 Film

Her Name Is Murder Productions

22 Skateboarding

Suncorp Stadium

24 Politics

26 DIY

TO BE FEATURED: featured@withflaws.com TO CONTRIBUTE: tessfox@withflaws.com TO ADVERTISE: advertise@withflaws.com

½ Watt Guitar Amp

DESIGNED BY THEA + LAUREN SKELSEY CARGOCOLLECTIVE.COM/TSKELSEY COVER IMAGE BY DANNY QUINN

6 Fashion

When you were drawing more anime style characters, would you picture storylines they would act in WORDS by TESSA FOX or were you more focused on the detail of their attire and their facial features?

Haha, I would never picture story lines. I couldn’t make a story to save my life. I didn’t even really have I like to think that I own the largest anything pictured in my head when I’d start drawing. It would start off as this collection of this artist’s work.

Amazingly talented and overly humble, stereotypical anime face and I’d try to Caitlin Edwards is withflaws.’ artist in make a character around it.

Being one of the top students in a residence this month. large majority of your subjects in high school, including maths and science Over the last few years, your drawing style has taken a completely subjects, did you find yourself fighting an internal battle with whether you different turn. Was this a conscious should follow the path of physics decision or did you find yourself being inspired by different artists and genius or image creator?

Haha, ‘top student’ might be a little mediums? bit of a stretch, that’s awfully nice of On some level I guess it was a you. As far as internal struggles go conscious decision, I think I got to a point that every artist does where I was just consistently turning out drawings that looked the same and I got really frustrated. On another level there is so much awesome artwork out there - it’s so hard not to be inspired.

CAITLIN EDWARDS

ART

Outline the materials you now use to express yourself on paper. You use watercolours now, right?

I used to think that I’d never improve if I didn’t use all of these top of the range expensive art supplies.

Thankfully I realised that wasn’t a very smart thing to think. So right now I just use this pretty cheap set of watercolours, a cheapo sketchbook that I picked up from a newsagent and some pencils I’ve had since high school. Sometimes if I’m feeling dangerous I’ll splash out on a really nice paintbrush.

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I’d say, sure. I think there was always this expectation that I’d be furthering my studies more academically than artistically. So there was this sort of conflict with myself as to whether I could actually do anything with art.

Well anything that could be measured as financially viable. In the end though it came down to whether or not I’d be happy doing some sort of science or maths degree. I decided that I’d rather do something that made me happy. As my Dad always says, “passion breeds success”.

On average, how long does it take you to complete a piece, from conception to final pen/brush stroke?

It really varies. Sometimes I can churn one out in a day or so - from beginning to end - and other times I’m being a lazy shit and it can take a week. It’s a terrible habit that I really need to break. So on average I’d say about 3 days. Even then I might come back to it later and add to it.

Care to share some favourite artists and visual mediums like films and video games which make you smile?

Michael Hussar makes some awe inspiring oil paintings and there’s this artist Paul Robertson who does this really cool cutesy/gorey pixel art. Another big inspiration would be Audrey Kawasaki who paints with oil directly onto wood. Ah, there are just so many more tremendously talented and skilled artists out there that I could list.

With films I’ll always be a really big fan of Pan’s Labyrinth and any of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated classics, Princess Mononoke is gorgeous. As far as games go I think every time I play one I always get some idea for

a new painting or drawing. Whether or not I remember it by the time I finish playing is debatable. There’s this awesome game that never fails to make me smile called Jet Set Radio Future and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes cool music, awesome game play or just games in general. Seriously, it’s amazing.

Do you listen to music while you draw? Do you find different genres influence your direction in the piece you’re working on?

I always listen to music, yeah! It can definitely influence the idea you have in your mind as you put it to paper.

For me drawing relies alot on how I’m feeling and music is always something that can change your mood. I feel like experimenting with what music you listen to is sort of like experimenting like different mediums. God, I sound so pretentious. I’m really enjoying listening to Lorn and Gold Panda at the moment.

Would you illustrate a commission piece if someone were to ask you?

How can readers of withflaws. contact you?

Yeah, definitely! Collaborations would be really awesome too. The easiest way would be to email me through cait_edwards@hotmail.com.

Don’t be shy!

CAITSY.DEVIANTART.COM

HOLLOWAY WORDS by GEORGIE BEWES

FASHION

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Sustainable and creative are two words that should never be mutually exclusive, and there’s a local Brisbane business that proves that the blend of the two compatible notions can have some seriously cool results.

On the day of Holloway’s 1st anniversary I caught up with co-owner Raffaele at their warehouse where he, business partner Martin and their hardworking crew of three handcraft each frame.

“Our motto is ‘love what you do, create to reduce’. We’ve only been a business officially for a year, but we’ve been working on the movement since 2009.”

Based in West End, the warehouse itself wasn’t hard to find. In a street of plain commercial buildings it leaps out with its custom two story painting that spreads across the entire outer wall. Beyond two elaborate double doors painted by resident artist Kizan Kakinuma there exists a hub of chilled vibes and creativity.

With a steadily increasing workload and an upcoming collaboration with prominent skate brand Element the guys are working harder than ever and hatching plans for new recycled products.

“We are making frames at the moment for John Butler and Ash Grunwald as well as experimenting with making essential human items from recycled car parts, all from landfill and junkyards. Boutique and

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hiking backpacks, women’s purses and clutches, skate shoes and desert boots from the interiors of old cars.”

Holloway’s sustainable living philosophy is clear in their unique material sourcing and production approach, but Raf says there’s still a way to go to achieve the goal of becoming a self-sustainable business.

“Ultimately we want to be working off the grid, to move the workshop one day and work off the land to be element efficient. To create and change manufacturing processes so that they’re localized and resourceful, not where you’re using new materials to create something that could be made from a waste stream that already exists. We’re not 100 per cent there but we’re definitely on our way.”

As well as the sunglasses, collaborations and junk yard scavenger hunts, the community mindset of the Holloway movement is constantly evolving with the additional charm of a warehouse music studio and shop front pizzeria dreams.

“The idea is to have music, wooden tables, stools, candles, fire and the

oven cranking with authentic Italian pizza. The music studio is mostly for our own enjoyment after work but there’s always musos hanging in it.”

All the added extras of Holloway aside, Raf says that the intention of their eco-friendly movement comes down to couple of simple ideas.

“You have to lead by example, do the best you can for yourself and hopefully that influences other people to forge their own path forward and to devise other methods to exist and interact with the environment.”

Holloway frames are exclusively sold online at hollowayeyewear. com.au or through the warehouse in Victoria Street, West End.

HOLLOWAYEYEWEAR.COM.AU

“UPHOLDING THE IDEALS OF HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, THE LOVELY CHAPS AT HOLLOWAY EYEWEAR MANUFACTURE AND CRAFT HIGH END, UNIQUE SUNGLASSES AND GLASSES FROM RECYCLED SKATE DECKS, RESCUED DRIFTWOOD AND WELL, ANY WOODEN ITEM ANYONE BRINGS IN.”

AN INTRODUCTION WORDS by SACHA MARY-RAINE TAYLOR

Permaculture is a combination of the words permanent and culture or permanent agriculture. It is a method of developing an efficient, compatible and balanced ecosystem that can be used by anyone anywhere. It can be used as a model from farms to larger scale suburban gardens, community gardens, home gardens right down to your balcony.

Think about this, in nature nobody digs, sows, weeds or sprays

pests. Nature has created

a solution to every problem you could possibly encounter in your garden no matter what the scale or environment. Therefore, in permaculture design, it’s about how you place elements together trying to mimic these attributes from nature.

For example: where you grow your plants, how you grow your plants, knowing when to grow certain plants, companion planting for shade, nutrients etc etc. Do this correctly and you’ll create a self sustaining permaculture garden.

PERMACULTURE

ethical and rewarding. It’s definitely a win win situation.

In terms of working on a permaculture design as an inner city dweller/ renter, I personally have limited space and not enough hours in the day to just casually sit around in my garden [insert something profound but mostly sarcastic to say about people that have way too much time on their hands here] So I’ll be working on smaller scale projects and the majority of them will be out of land/ moveable gardening projects.

The majority of my materials will be recycled, consisting mainly of items I’ve been able to collect in everyday life without going out of my way to find them.

There’s definitely a few things you need to consider before spending your precious dollars and time to get you started. Make your mistakes on paper and not in the garden lovelies!

Function vs Aesthetic When someone thinks about gardening they primarily think about combination in aesthetics (we’re only human, sometimes it happens without us even realising) and some herbs and vegetables are more appealing to the eye than others in terms of colour and shape. As a fun fact, 70% of people also buy things in three; two things they need and one not so Permaculture’s main goal coincides much. Before you take those seeds/ seedlings through to the checkout with what many people see as the think about what you use most in your core requirements for sustainability. kitchen, there’s no point in growing Can you imagine utilising unused what you barely eat is there? Plus space in and around your home to grow all of your own food? Less work, there’s nothing wrong with buying two of the same plant, you can never have more return, less food kilometers, too much basil.. right? minimising environmental impact,

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Seasonal Planting You can’t just plant any seed at any time of year and expect it to germinate and sprout. As different plants respond to light and temperature differently, knowing seasonal planting is important. Here are a few things to be planting in Brisbane at the moment in October: Asparagus, Beetroot, Capsicum, Chilli, Eggplant, Lettuce, Silverbeet, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Ginger, Basil, Dill.

In the next article I’ll be talking about companion planting, how to grow from seeds and what to grow your seeds in.

Light and Shade So once you’ve decided what you’d like to grow there’s one more important thing to take into consideration that coincide with the above points, its sunlight. Where you grow your plants and what plants you decide to grow in your permaculture design will all need sunlight, some need it more than others for photosynthesis. Unfortunately, some companies leave this necessary information off seed packets. It’s vital to know what months are better to grow certain plants and how much water and sunlight they need. If this THECOMMONGROUNDBLOG. isn’t printed on the seed packet just WORDPRESS.COM ask the staff at your local nursery for help. Don’t be afraid to ask what you think are stupid questions as they’re all valid. Asking questions are the only way you’ll learn.

“PERMACULTURE IS A COMBINATION OF THE WORDS PERMANENT AND CULTURE OR PERMANENT AGRICULTURE.”

Zone Zoning is all about putting your priorities first. In planting herbs and vegetables you’ll be using the most closest to you. Have a little peak around your place and think about where you’ll be planting everything.

I highly recommend you to write everything down and make a general sketch of a map and basic plan of how you’ll use your space. This literally takes 5 minutes and it’s a good thing to do all of this whilst you’re standing within the space you’ll be growing in rather than being at the nursery and trying to remember how much space you have for everything and how many plants you can fit into the space. This will save you time, avoid frustration and will limit making unnecessary purchases.

It’s something that will always be in a state of flux. Heavy music by its definition is challenging to listen WORDS by TESSA FOX to; it doesn’t seem like it would be appropriate for there to be 10 venues in the same city catering specifically to heavy music the way that there are as many radio stations and festivals for other genres of music.

For those readers who missed you The carpark space is awesome and play the withflaws. launch, how would community efforts like that as well as Sun Distortion, Chris Hunter running you describe your sound and live Fat Louie’s nights etc kind of make show (without following the generic Brisbane what it is at the moment. So categorisation path)? yes, but as mentioned its something Just fun. For anyone that’s seen that seems like it will always be in Nick tumble over the drums, heard a state of change, so I wouldn’t be the stupid between song banter or surprised to see more venues like that witnessed the multitude of punk in the future. jumps, they know that it’s all just a bunch of fun.

A few members of The Fevered are in other Brisbane bands. Chris Do you have a preferred venue to Rowden in Hope Drone and Chris play in Brisbane?

Crowbar is definitely on the rise as Freeman and Matt Cook in Fvck new favourite. Has so much nostalgia Mountain. Have any difficulties arisen while juggling time between different of places like the Basement that all bands? of us over the past 8-10 years went Thankfully not yet. We’re all to see bands when we first started pretty conscious of each others playing music. Run by people with a commitments and time constraints. clue, sounds great and is a fun place Rowdy is about 9 months into being to play. a dad right now and I’m just about Fat Louie’s is still and will always to finish university so outside of the be one of our favourite places to play band there are always things we have for similar reasons, but the fact that to be aware of. We’re actually looking I can get wasted drunk, and then at booking a tour with Fvck Mountain sweat/spit/jump on people standing on the same floor just helps the whole early next year, which is a huge bonus being able to cut costs by sharing experience reach another level of members. visceral.

I hear you have a new record coming out soon, though before we What are your thoughts on the focus on future releases can you tell number of venues available to play withflaws. of any past EP’s you have in Brisbane for heavy bands? Do you think there should be more of a focus on offer?

There is one EP available at on locations like the 4zzz carpark the moment called Vestige. It was (where the withflaws. launch was released in 2010. It’s a lot different to held)? the new record, musically a different

THE FEVERED

“FAT LOUIE’S IS STILL AND WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO PLAY...”

MUSIC

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Now please, share with us the details of your next release? What’s it titled?

It is called Blackout.

Is the new 12” a full length or EP? If an EP, why did you choose to press it as a 12” and not a 10”?

It is a 6 track EP. It’s a little bit too long for a 10” and we found that they cost about the same to press anyway.

How are you planning to release the new record? Is it on vinyl with a digital download included? Have you decided to self release this record or have you found a label you’re happy to work with?

This is still being worked out.

We were looking at releasing it on a label in Sydney however that fell through. At the moment we’re doing everything ourselves so it’s looking

to be a self release, possibly on our own label. Depending on how quickly the pressing plant is able to ship the records to us, we will be doing a launch show with vinyls + digital download available or a launch show with digital download available the day of the show.

Will you be touring this record?

Have you previously toured the East Coast, or anywhere else in Australia for that matter?

We are looking at doing an east coast tour early next year. This may or may not included Adelaide, however we will be going there and Tasmania in the future.

Where will readers of withflaws. be able to find more about The Fevered and where will they find your new release?

All information, downloads and the new record will be available soon from our own website, however for the meantime either facebook.com/ thefevered or thefevered.bandcamp. com will be covering the bases.

FACEBOOK.COM/THEFEVERED THEFEVERED.BANDCAMP.COM

direction although at the time the band had different members so hopefully there’s something on it for people who like the new material as well.

JACOB LAMBERT JACOBLAMBERT.BLOGSPOT.COM.AU

PHOTOGRAPHY

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HER NAME IS MURDER PRODUCTIONS WORDS by NICK BANNER

withflaws. recently got the chance to catch up with Dave Owen Blackley from an up and coming Production Company ‘Her Name Is Murder Productions’ to discuss the shape of the industry, their future roles within it, and inspirations to keep the medium alive.

FILM

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Dave, tell us a little about “Her Name Is Murder Productions”?

I have always had a passion for cinema and music; I find the two go hand in hand with each other. I loved doing film throughout high school and after I finished at Uni, I felt I had actually burnt myself out. The passion was gone, and I didn’t know why.

It wasn’t until after a few years working monotonous, mind numbing jobs that I regained my taste for film again. I then had to make a decision as to which specific film route I should pursue. So in 2009 my brother Dean and I started ‘HER NAME IS MURDER PRODUCTIONS’ dedicated to the sole art of music videos. You see, I had always wanted to be in a band, but it never really happened. So I figured why not combine my two loves? To be a part of something like a music video is the best of both words. You’re working with a band, their music, and their passion.

Over the years our company has gained some attention, and a larger crew consisting of my girlfriend Yasminda and my best friend Mark

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jumped on board this year to help with the creative and technical processes.

So do you guys only work with bands, and music videos?

The business was established with that intent, and for the most part it has stayed that way. Recently we have branched off into the corporate medium, but the heart of the company will always be dedicated to music videos, and promotional band work.

How do you see the current state of the music video industry? Do you feel you have to source other avenues of work to keep doing what you love?

When we started a lot of people weren’t really offering music video’s at an affordable price. You either were signed and had a lot of money or you got a mate to shoot it for you on a handy cam. Although now with Digital SLRs, you can achieve great quality at an affordable price. We’ve seen fantastic production companies and freelance directors popping up all over Australia, and it’s great we all have that access and capability, because at the end of the day we are all working together to give bands a professional product.

We do believe we have made a name for ourselves here at HNIM, and our credits speak for themselves.

We offer something different from the normality of regular shooting; people know that our music videos

the entire process from concept to product is left up to our judgement and skills. We usually bounce ideas back and forth with the artists until we come up with an idea that works for everyone - set a solid shooting date, and go for it! incorporate specific trademarks, shooting styles and techniques that set us aside from the rest. It’s BECAUSE of this we can continue doing what we love.

Do you take the inspiration from the artists? Or do they come to you with ideas?

One of the most exciting aspects of what we do is simply because one job is never the same as the other. Each circumstance is unique and memorable, and no matter how competent you are, you are always learning.

We are generally faced with three different avenues of the production process; a band can have a complete grasp on exactly what they want, and then we simply format that vision into a film reality. Sometimes a band has an idea or two together, and we form a loose concept around these to appease their visions. Or there are cases where we are given a song, and

Some of your credits encompass the likes of heavyweights AMITY AFFLICTION, WISH FOR WINGS, THY ART IS MURDER, SKYWAY, DAWN HEIST, OUR LAST ENEMY, NUCLEAR SUMMER, IN TRENCHES & THE CHARIOT. How has it been working with the likes of not one Australia’s, but international finest?

In the past year we made a second home for ourselves in Perth and worked nationally with bands around North QLD, Melbourne and Sydney.

It’s almost impossible to single out

Where to now with HNIM? What direction do you see the company going in? Can we get some insight into your next project/s?

We have plans to take the business international next year on a short term basis, but Australia has so much to offer musically there’s no reason we won’t keep the fires burning here.

As for upcoming projects, we’ve got productions in the works for Goodnight Midnight, Lynchmada, E N D W O R L D, The Satellite Years, Fortune Fails (Syd) and Bury the

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Fallen (Melb). HNIMP’s heart will always be set on producing music videos and working with bands, so as long as people keep enjoying what we do, we won’t be stopping anytime soon.

HERNAMEISMURDERPRODUCTIONS .COM

a memorable moment, but when we worked with the Amity Affliction in 2004 Mark and I were still at University. We had to produce a music video for assessment and Mark knew some of the guys in the band (who at the time were pretty much just starting out). It was shot on 16mm film, and one of our two rolls was destroyed during processing - so we had to cut together what we could in post. It was never made official and now has become almost a cult classic on the internet even though we had no idea what we were doing at the time.

Needless to say it was great laugh, and I would personally love the chance to redeem myself and work with them again.

In saying all of this, we have been lucky enough to work all around Australia doing what we love to do, and it’s been more than humbling to know we have made new friends along the way, shared experiences, and know that everyone involved will have these great memories to look back on. But really it’s all thanks to the bands we have worked with so far.

Without them, their word of mouth and support we wouldn’t be at the level we are today.

Ivan “Big Bird” Vargas, looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong 360 flip

SUNCORP STADIUM TONKS CROOKED GRIND PHOTOS by TESSA FOX

SKATEBOARDING

OP ED WORDS by ANDREW MESSENGER

POLITICS

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Outside parliament house, a crowd intermittently bellows abuse at the old edifice, trying to provoke the MPs inside. Someone gets out the heavy artillery: a bagpipe repeats Highland Cathedral over and over, which seems as good a metaphor as any.

One of us says she has never been outside parliament house before. It is a group of a few hundred, mostly formerly public servants angry at losing their jobs. When we passed, caterers in the public service building gave the thumbs up.

According to the LNP government these people are all just whiners, complaining about losing their jobs, getting their pay cut and the programs that employ them squashed because they have cushy jobs they’d quite like to keep, thanks. But is this true?

In the past five months, the State government has not stopped for breath. Claiming that their Commission of Audit (headed by the not-at-all-partisan former federal Treasurer, Peter Costello) had found a “budget black hole” worth billions of dollars Labor had hidden from them before the election. In a shocking coincidence, the government has determined that, while taxes cannot be raised, spending the LNP has always opposed has to be cut.

The following is a non-exhaustive (though highly exhausting) list of cuts: the Fanfare/MOST music program, the Queensland Literary Award, funding

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designed to help the victims of AIDS, splitting up Breastscreen Queensland, a cut to virtually all tenancy advice, and cuts to regular hospital budgets (Royal Brisbane, for instance). And, of course, 20,000 (no, 15,000!) public servant jobs are going to be cut. Many of them are worth peanuts to the budget.

The question you really have to ask about all this is “how much should I sneer at the people angry about it?”

Within the state LNP, opinions differ.

In an opinion piece on August 28, LNP State Council member David Russell argued for minimizing sneering: rage is “understandable and should attract legitimate sympathy.” But he still calls opposition to the government’s policy of massive job cuts ‘risible’.

The Premier publically rebuked him for his sympathetic words (and for breaking party loyalty) the following day.

Are these rallies just about selfishness and partisanship? Okay, lots of people don’t want to lose their jobs- would you? Sure, many of these people wouldn’t vote LNP if you paid them. Nevertheless, I think this anger is about something more than these two factors- pride in their own work.

How would you like it if the government told you your job wasn’t a real one? If the government said you’re asking for ‘charity’, not demanding payment in return for services- asking for a handout you

haven’t earned? How would you like it if the government thought your work so unimportant that it could fire every single person doing it with no consequence, like it has with the Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Program?

All 90 people employed in the Program- 100% of them- will lose their jobs by the end of October. The whole program has been cut. The LNP argues the money should be spent on public housing instead of legal advice to the 33% of Queenslanders who rent, advice they cannot get anywhere else. When these 90 people are successively fired, being highly qualified and hardworking, they will find more work somewhere.

In fact, the people who are going to feel the pain of this particular cut are the people who will have nowhere to go when they think their landlord

might be doing the wrong thing, but they aren’t sure what they can do.

As Penny Carr points out, the State can’t actually run properly without their work. In five years or ten, when a State government realizes they need a replacement, it will be far more expensive to create it from scratch.

I think I’d be angry, too. Is that risible?

“AM I JUST SELFISH AND PARTISAN?”

½ WATT GUITAR AMP

TOOLS •

WORDS by CHRISTOPHER TOPPING

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STARTING ELECTRONICS BY KEITH BRINDLEY - DRY AS A DESERT BUT AFFORDABLE AND VERY INFORMATIVE. CIRCUIT BENDING: BUILD YOUR OWN INSTRUMENTS BY REED GHAZALA - ACTUALLY KIND OF FUN TO READ DUE TO COPIOUS ‘DAD JOKES’ AND EXCELLENT IF YOU ARE LEARNING ELECTRONICS WITH MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTS IN MIND.

RECOMMENDED READING

DIY

This DIY amp can be completely assembled for under $20. The tones you can expect to pull from the finished product, if done correctly, will vary depending on the type of speaker you use. If you choose to add a preamp you can expect fuzzy garage blues reminiscent of The White Stripes or The Kills.

You will not require any real working knowledge of electronics however some soldering experience or a short session of sourcing tutorials on YouTube will be invaluable.

•

Soldering Iron (the kits come with adequate solder for this project and an Iron is under $10) It’s a good idea to have a piece of damp sponge to clean off the soldering iron as required.

Optional – A handy magnifying glass grabber thing like the one in the image below. This is not at all essential however will make your life much easier.

CONSTRUCTION

The first ‘step’ is to solder the components to the board provided.

The board itself is labelled so it’s simply a matter of putting everything where it needs to go.

Accompanying the kit will be an information sheet which will help you identify each component; the resistors by interpreting the coloured bars on MATERIALS them and the capacitors by the text • ‘Champ’ amp - There are printed on them in white. two kits available at Jaycar Something to bare in mind during Electronics for this. One assembly is to ensure that the that’s cheaper with fewer polarity of components is correct. components and one that is more expensive which comes This means placing the component with an on/off switch, a volume so that the longer arm is in the hole with the positive symbol next to it. For potentiometer and a speaker resistors this doesn’t matter however (which is actually terrible for guitar and should be swapped for Capacitors and LEDs it does. for one with a higher wattage, Due to this it may serve to place the resistors first simply for the sake of 5W is ideal).

• ‘Pre-Champ’ pre-amp - This is getting them out of the way early in optional, however if you do add the process.

To place the components a pre amp you will get a much simply push the wires through the punchier more overdriven appropriate holes in the board, sound.

• Input (quarter inch mono jack bend the wire enough to hold the component in place, more or less – like your guitar input) flush with the board and then solder • Battery Clip the legs to the board underneath.

• 9volt Battery

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Battery clip The battery clip needs to be soldered to the two holes where the board is labelled “+4-12v” or “+12v” with the red wire going to the positive (+) and the black to the negative “GND” (-).

Speaker The board will also have two holes for the speaker output labelled “SPKR” or “Speaker” for which you need to do the same as above. If you can source an actual guitar speaker, even a cracked one, it will significantly improve the sound quality.

Input The input jack needs to be joined with wire to the board where it is labelled “INPUT”. The ‘arm’ of the jack, the part that makes contact with a lead will be joined to a ‘tab’ on the jack need to be wired to the positive and the other tab to the negative “GND”.

Pre amp If you choose to also assemble and include the pre-amp the only change from the above is that the output for the speaker from the pre-amp goes to the input of the amp. Further to this, you will need to run wires from the positive and negative of where the battery clip is attached to the positive and negative on the pre-amp in order to power it.

Pedal Option If you construct only the Amp and replace the speaker with a second guitar jack the kit will function as a guitar fuzz/overdrive pedal.

COMMONLY USED TERMS Resistors – Used to apply ‘resistance’ to electrical current (that is, to only let some of the current ‘through’ if you think in terms of the commonly used electricity-as-water analogy). They are manufactured from various materials and while they can be improvised with any semi-conductive substance, they are most commonly made of carbon and glue with more carbon content providing less resistance.

Capacitors – Serve to store and subsequently discharge electricity. As a contrast to Resistors where any current ‘resisted’ is lost, a Capacitor will store current until it reaches a certain charge and then discharge. A useful example of this is an old disposable camera flash; a capacitor is useful as it can store more energy than the battery is capable of outputting at once.

Potentiometers [Pots] [3] – Are the ‘knobs’ on some electronics. They are essentially the same as resistors except they allow for variations in resistance.

LEDs [Light Emitting Diodes] [4] – Are those little lights on most electronics that indicate that something is turned on. For the purpose of this exercise you can simply think of them as lights which are activated by current passing through them. Like Capacitors they have one ‘arm’ longer than the other to indicate the polarity (the longer arm is positive +).

IC [Integrated Circuit] [5] – A common circuit which has been conveniently refined into a tiny black chip, which avoids having to make the same basic circuits all the time.

This project uses the LM386 IC which is a low voltage audio amplifier used in the Smokey, Ruby and Ruby II guitar practice amps as well as a multitude of pedals and effects. Wikipedia states that “The LM386 is one of the most common amps used in DIY guitar preamps and sustainers due to its ability to run on a single 9v battery.”

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