Almanac Music: Not Quite Bob – Some You Know … and One You Probably Don’t – Kurt Vile, John Prine, Iris DeMent, Malcolm Holcombe

September 9, 2022 by 3 Comments

Trevor Blainey continues his trawl through a swathe of musos who have that something extra but are ‘not quite Bob’.

Almanac Music: Songs and Days of the Week – ‘Friday I’m in Love’ by The Cure

September 9, 2022 by 30 Comments

So many songs have a day of the week in their title. KD looks into this phenomenon, provides an example, and asks Almanackers to put forward choices of their own.

Almanac Travel: Col’s USA Music Trip – Day 1

September 8, 2022 by 3 Comments

Col’s arrived in the USA and he reports on his first day down in Monterey, California.

Almanac Music: Telek releases new single Noken Paitim Meri

September 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Thanks to our friends at Wantok Musik, a new single by Sir George Telek with an important message is being released.

Almanac Poetry: Concerning the Great Man’s Member

September 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Today’s poem from Kevin Densley is about Napoleon Bonaparte and his, er, ‘Little Napoleon”! [There’s a dictator joke in there somewhere – Ed. Contains mature themes]

Almanac Life: ‘Maggie’ Season (the feathered variety)

September 5, 2022 by 3 Comments

Spring means magpie swooping season. Ian Wilson still gets the shakes when he remembers childhood experiences with those pesky birds!

Almanac Documentaries: ABC Compass Rohingya Boy – Noor Kabir

September 2, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Rohingya Boy is a documentary co-directed by Brin Paulsen about Rohingya refugee Noor Kabir’s strive to become body building’s Mr Olympia. The program will broadcast on ABC Compass at 6.30pm this Sunday, 4 September.

Almanac Memoir: A Whole Sheep or a Half-Sheep (Cut and Packed)

September 2, 2022 by Leave a Comment

In this Friday’s column, KD tells of the time he planned to transport a whole or half-sheep (cut and packed) in the hold of a V-Line bus, while on the way home from work in Ballarat, Victoria. [Note: a couple of names have been changed to protect the innocent!]

Clarko

August 30, 2022 by 7 Comments

Using rhyme as an alternative Damian Balassone puts Clarko into perspective.

Almanac Music: The Philosophy Of Modern Song – Bob Dylan

August 30, 2022 by 3 Comments

Bob Dylan’s new book, The Philosophy Of Modern Song will be released in November which Col eagerly awaits.

Almanac Road Trip: USA Music Tour

August 30, 2022 by 9 Comments

Col’s off to the USA on a music festival tour for five weeks. Check out his itinerary, a musical delight.

Almanac Poetry: Holiday

August 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Today’s poem from Kevin Densley is about the gossamer delights of a romantic gourmet getaway…

Almanac Arts: Filling the Cultural Reservoir

August 28, 2022 by 2 Comments

Melbourne is a city full of such diverse and wonderful cultural activities to participate in as Ian Wilson so clearly shows.

Almanac Life: Almanacker wins prestigious Australian Award

August 26, 2022 by 11 Comments

Citrus Bob has his tongue firmly in his cheek with this cheeky piece!

Australia, it’s not a Lie if You Believe it

August 23, 2022 by 5 Comments

Ian Wilson was struck by the similarities between the former PM and one of Seinfeld’s stars, so much so as he imagined that quotes from the latter may have been uttered by the former.

Almanac Poetry: After Reading Kenneth Tynan’s Review of John Osborne’s Play Luther

August 22, 2022 by 2 Comments

Kevin Densley describes his poem as ‘very difficult to encapsulate. The poem is many things: about Martin Luther in a biographical sense; the Reformation; fundamentally a review of a review; connected to psychoanalytic interpretation, and, at times, darkly comic.’ [Fascinating/beguiling…but perhaps save this one for after brekkie – Ed]

Cheer, Cheer Jan Courtin

August 21, 2022 by 10 Comments

Jan Courtin’s memorial was held in South Melbourne last Tuesday. Keiran Croker spoke on behalf of The Footy Almanac’

Round 22 – Sydney v Collingwood: Haiku Bob – left behind

August 19, 2022 by 1 Comment

This may have been a tough one to write about, but Haiku Bob finds a way.

Almanac Music: Not Quite Bob – Too Good To Leave Out: The Allman Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks Band

August 19, 2022 by 7 Comments

Trevor Blainey has made a slight deviation from Bob this week but the direction he takes us is classic – The Allman Brothers, and the Tedeski Trucks Band are highlighted to whet our musical appetites.

Almanac Life: What is a gluten–free, organic, non–dairy, save–the–whale girl to do, on a cold Melbourne Saturday?

August 18, 2022 by 13 Comments

Jan Courtin slips away from the reality of a cold, wet winter’s day in Melbourne via her wonderful world wide memories of times past. [Ed: We reprise this wonderful article by Jan, one of around 200 she published on the site. Her writing will be sadly missed. RIP Jan.]