Boy on Fire: The Young Nick Cave by Mark Mordue

$39.99 AUD

Category: Music

 The first volume of the long-awaited, near-mythical biography of Nick Cave, by award-winning writer, Mark Mordue. A deeply beautiful, profound, profane and poetic biography of the early formative years of the dark prince of Australian rock 'n' roll, Boy on Fire is Nick Cave's creation story. This is the story of the artist first as a boy, then as a young man. A deeply insightful work which charts his family, friends, influences, milieu and, most of all, his music, it reveals how Nick Cave shaped himself into the extraordinary artist he would become. As well as a powerfully compelling biography of a singular, uncompromising artist, Boy on Fire is also a fascinating social and cultural biography, a vivid and evocative rendering of a time and place, from the fast-running dark river and ghost gums of Wangaratta, to the nascent punk scene which hit staid 1970s Melbourne like an atom bomb, right through to the torn wallpaper, sticky carpet and the manic, wild energy of nights at the Crystal Ballroom.  Boy on Fire is a stunning biographical achievement. ...Show more

Spice Girls by Sean Smith

$29.99 AUD

Category: Music

Intimate and revealing, Spice Girls is the definitive story of the world's most iconic girl group. Through compelling new research and interviews, Sunday Times best-selling biographer Sean Smith reveals what life was really like for five fiercely independent and ambitious young women who were propelled to international fame in the 90s with unstoppable momentum. Quickly establishing themselves as the biggest success in British pop music since The Beatles, they were adored and admired in equal measure: the Spice Girls made a connection with millions of young women across the globe who were inspired by their enthusiasm for life and their famous Girl Power philosophy. The fab five became one of the most successful music acts in history, with more than 85 million record sales world-wide and nine UK number one singles. Throughout the years, their lives have garnered unprecedented levels of media interest and fans have keenly followed their ups and downs - the personal conflicts, celebrity break-ups, controversies and parenthood. One thing's for sure: they are never boring. In 2019, the prospect of their reunion tour has led to an outpouring of adoration and excitement, proving that the Spice Girls truly are an enduring cultural phenomenon. ir ups and downs - the personal conflicts, celebrity break-ups, controversies and parenthood. One thing's for sure: they are never boring. In 2019, the prospect of their reunion tour has led to an outpouring of adoration and excitement, proving that the Spice Girls truly are an enduring cultural phenomenon. ...Show more

Astonishing Rock Trivia by John Tait

$24.95 AUD

Category: Music

Did you know that in 2013 Chubby Checker sued Hewlett-Packard over a 99c app called the Chubby Checker which allowed user's to enter a man's shoe size to estimate the size of his penis. He claimed that the product would cause damage to his goodwill tarnishing his image. Trivia with a twist. Did you know that Charles Manson co-wrote a song for the Beach Boys Plus hundreds of questions to tease and expand the mind ...Show more

Janet Jackson's the Velvet Rope (33 1/3) by Ayanna Dozier

$19.99 AUD

Category: Music | Series: 33 1/3 Ser.

The question of control for Black women is a costly one. From 1986 onwards, the trajectory of Janet Jackson's career can be summed up in her desire for control. Control for Janet was never simply just about her desire for economic and creative control over her career but was, rather, an existential ques tion about the desire to control and be in control over her bodily integrity as a Black woman. This book examines Janet's continuation of her quest for control as heard in her sixth album, The Velvet Rope. Engaging with the album, the promotion, the tour, and its accompanying music videos, this study unpacks how Janet uses Black cultural production as an emancipatory act of self-creation that allows her to reconcile with and, potentially, heal from trauma, pain, and feelings of alienation. The Velvet Rope's arc moves audiences to imagine the possibility of what emancipation from oppression--from sexual, to internal, to societal--could look like for the singer and for others. The sexually charged content and themes of abuse, including self-harm and domestic violence, were dismissed as "selling points" for Janet at the time of its release. The album stands out as a revelatory expression of emotional vulnerability by the singer, one that many other artists have followed in the 20-plus years since its release. ...Show more

Suicide's Suicide (33 1/3) by Andi Coulter

$19.99 AUD

Category: Music | Series: 33 1/3 Ser.

New York City in the 1970s was an urban nightmare- destitute, dirty, and dangerous. As the country collectively turned its back on the Big Apple, two musical vigilantes rose out of the miasma. Armed only with amplified AC current, Suicide's Alan Vega and Marty Rev set out to save America's soul. Their w eaponized noise terrorized unsuspecting audiences. Suicide could start a riot on a lack of guitar alone. Those who braved their live shows often fled in fear--or formed bands (sometimes both). This book attempts to give the reader a front-row seat to a Suicide show. Suicide is one of the most original, most misunderstood, and most influential bands of the last century. While Suicide has always had a dedicated cult following, the band is still relatively unknown outside their musical coterie. Arguing against the idea of the band's niche musical history, this book looks at parallels between Marvel Comics' antiheroes in the 1970s and Suicide's groundbreaking first album. Andi Coulter tells the origin story of two musical Ghost Riders learning to harness their sonic superpower, using noise like a clarion call for a better future. ...Show more

Hydra by Sue Smith

$24.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: NewSouth Plays Ser.

Wild, passionate and ultimately tragic: the love story of Australia's famous literary couple, Charmian Clift and George Johnston, plays out on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra in the 1950s in this reimagining from award-winning playwright Sue Smith. Dedicating their lives to writing, the couple were fi gureheads of Hydra's bohemian community of artists and dreamers, which included Leonard Cohen, Sidney and Cynthia Nolan, Alan Moorehead and others. In Hydra, inspiration runs wild, as the couple pen works which will go on to be classics, including Charmain Clift's famed Sydney Morning Herald essays and George Johnson's Miles Franklin-winning classic My Brother Jack. And yet their lives were wrought with jealously, money woes, illness and alcoholism. Told from the perspective of their eldest son Martin, and weaving in text from their own writing, Hydra brings to these remarkable artists to life. ...Show more

Studio Ghibli by Blanc, Michelle Le

$39.99 AUD

Category: Film & TV

No other film studio, animation or otherwise, comes close to matching Japane's Studio Ghibli for pure cinematic experience. This book examines all their major works including Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle, as well as the critically acclaimed Spirited Away and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. Odell and Le Blanc's informed analysis also considers Studio Ghibli features such as Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-nominated final masterpiece The Wind Rises and the studio's most recent release When Marnie Was There. ...Show more

101 Things I Learned in Film School by Matthew Frederick; Neil Landau

$32.99 AUD

Category: Performing Arts | Series: 101 Things I Learned Ser.

An illustrated, accessible introduction to filmmaking from a Hollywood screenwriter, producer, script consultant, and film school professor Bringing a film to life requires skills in storytelling, the visual arts, logistics, and more. This book presents many critical principles of filmmaking, including- . How to structure and pitch a screenplay . How to make visible the invisible, such as backstory, motivation, and inner psychology . Why it's best to keep your characters plunging into the unknown . The difference between plot, story, and theme . How to compose a frame visually . How to manage finances, schedules, set logistics, sound, and lighting . Why many films drag in Act 2, and what to do about it Written by an award-winning producer, screenwriter, and script consultant to major movie studios, 101 Things I Learned in Film School is an indispensable resource for students, screenwriters, filmmakers, animators, and anyone interested in the movie world. ...Show more

Acid for the Children: The Autobiography of Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers Legend by Flea

$22.99 AUD

Category: Music

Flea, the iconic bassist and co-founder, alongside Anthony Kiedis, of the immortal Red Hot Chili Peppers finally tells his fascinating origin story, complete with all the dizzying highs and the gutter lows you'd expect from an LA street rat turned world-famous rock star. Michael Peter Balzary was born i n Melbourne, Australia, on October 16, 1962. His more famous stage name, Flea, and his wild ride as the renowned bass player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers was in a far and distant future. Little Michael from Oz moved with his very conservative, very normal family to Westchester, New York, where life as he knew it was soon turned upside down. His parents split up and he and his sister moved into the home of his mother's free-wheeling, jazz musician boyfriend - trading in rules, stability, and barbecues for bohemian values, wildness, and Sunday afternoon jazz parties where booze, weed, and music flowed in equal measure. There began Michael's life-long journey to channel all the frustration, loneliness, love, and joy he felt into incredible rhythm. When Michael's family moved to Los Angeles in 1972, his home situation was rockier than ever. He sought out a sense of belonging elsewhere, spending most of his days partying, playing basketball, and committing petty crimes. At Fairfax High School, he met another social outcast, Anthony Kiedis, who quickly became his soul brother, the yin to his yang, his partner in mischief. Michael joined some bands, fell in love with performing, and honed his skills. But it wasn't until the night when Anthony, excited after catching a Grandmaster Flash concert, suggested they start their own band that he is handed the magic key to the cosmic kingdom. Acid for the Children is as raw, entertaining and wildly unpredictable as its author. It's both a tenderly evocative coming of age story and a raucous love letter to the power of music and creativity ...Show more

Biographic ABBA - Great Lives in Graphic Form by Viv Coot

$19.99 AUD

Category: Music | Series: Biographic Ser.

Most people know that ABBA (1972-1982) were a Swedish band who became one of the world's most successful pop groups after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo." What, perhaps, they don't know is that they have sold more than 380 million albums and singles; that their name w as chosen through a newspaper competition, where alternatives included Alibaba, FABB, and Baba; that their royalties from the Soviet Union were so big they had to be paid in oil rights; and that 3.5 million people applied for tickets to see ABBA at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1977. Biographic ABBA presents an instant impression of their life, work, and legacy, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the musicians behind the music. ...Show more

Biographic Prince - Great Lives in Graphic Form by Liz Flavell

$19.99 AUD

Category: Music | Series: Biographic Ser.

Most people know that Prince (1958--2016) was an iconic singer-songwriter whose creative brilliance transformed music for more than four decades. What, perhaps, they don't know is that his real name actually was Prince; that he once simultaneously held the number one spots in the US for film, single, an d album; that he has a back catalogue of more than 600 songs, many of which he wrote for other people, including Madonna and Alicia Keys; and that he performed at the wedding of Star Wars director George Lucas. Biographic Prince presents an instant impression of his life, work and legacy, with an array of irresistible facts and figures converted into infographics to reveal the musician behind the music. ...Show more

Crossroads by Radcliffe, Mark

$22.99 AUD

Category: Performing Arts