Anyone looking for content (yes, there is a bit) may as well skip most of this, because it's full of the usual crap I come out with, and head for the last paragraph. OK, so people don't like the past and present policies of the Australian government. Well, you could say that about most countries, let's face it. And at least Australia has produced good music over the last few years. At which point, I'll mention David Bridie, just because it won't be what Big Gay Mark is expecting. Other good music comes, as ever, from Shakira. Yes, you did read that right. In true "I saw them first" style, I've been listening to her old album Donde Estan Los Ladrones for over a year now, and I still love it. Unfortunately, her marketing people have persuaded her since then to start singing in English, and have marketed her as a new pop princess, a new Ricky Martin. Which is a great shame, because there's actually much more to her music than that; she's been doing something very different to anyone else out there for years now. And of course, because she'd been marketed as a pop artist, people on this list and elsewhere instantly dismiss her without considering the music. I even saw one normally reliable reviewer say that her music was just "a standard mix of Latin and Arabian rythyms", which is odd, because I've never heard anyone else mix those influences together in my life, so it's not exactly standard. So, ignore the dancing, ignore the slightly dodgy English translations of some of her lyrics, and give her a chance... Meanwhile, the Magnificent Miss Madeleine was asking how to occupy your mind whilst swimming. Personally, I normally have a tune in my head. And I sing along. Which is all very well, unless it's a really good song, because then I start to dance to it, which isn't such a good idea when you're standing on 3 metres of water. Oh yeah, content. I have a spare ticket for the Manchester gig 3 weeks today. Anyone want it? I won't charge £4.50 for postage... (priority goes to anyone who fancies offering me a floor to sleep on for the night!) Big Stu +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+