Museletter #1October 1998Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to the initiation issue of the C.H.O.M.P. Newsletter (or Museletter, as we have dubbed it). It's the very first one ever, so don't light the fire because it could be worth something one day.....
For the uninitiated...If you're currently furrowing your brow in confusion and asking the question, "What is C.H.O.M.P.?", then hopefully the following will enlighten you a tad as to what we are about. C.H.O.M.P. was born of the realization of how little support heavy music received from an industry largely obsessed with the discovery of the next 'vehicle' with which to placate a bland, mass market audience. And for the musicians, bands, and fans of metal living out here in the 'sticks', encouragement is even harder to come by. That's where C.H.O.M.P. comes in. Run by volunteers with a love of heavy music, including many musicians themselves, C.H.O.M.P. is a non-profit organisation which is currently funded by a handful of its' members. We're seeking funding in the form of grants, donations, sponsors etc. to help us achieve our goals, which include staging all-ages shows in the country as well as gigs at city venues, staging workshops covering a wide range of musical and industry-related topics, as well as the production of the C.H.O.M.P. Fanzine. If you still want to know more, feel very free to contact us. C.H.O.M.P. at Satan's PlaceFriday the 6th November will see C.H.O.M.P. hit Satan's place with a fundraiser featuring some excellent bouts of Melbourne Metal. The deathly crunch of Order Of Chaos, Alarum's soup of jazzy, heavy grooves, and the contrast of dark and light that is Seething will combine to make for a great night out at the place of the Dark One (ie. Satan). As well as the bands, you can feast your ears on the DJing talents of Andrew (RRR Hard Report) and Brett (Hell Club), or otherwise amuse yourself on one of the 'Place's many levels. Entry is $6 at the door and the night starts at 10pm and goes till way past your bedtime. So rock on down to Satan's Place (that's 14 McKillop St., Melbourne) and support the organisation that supports your music! Where for art thou Fanzine..?Yes, yes, we know it's been a little while (more like an extremely BIG while!) since the maiden issue of the CHOMP 'zine was unleashed, but all we have to say is that Issue #2 is temporarily on hold until we get funding for a computer. "And if you don't get funding..?", I hear you ask sadistically... Well, we'll be forced to beg, borrow, or steal our way into the land of computer ownership! Either way, rest assured that CHOMP 'zine hasn't died an untimely and premature death. it's merely, well, sleeping. For those of you who do not yet own a copy of the magnificent, fabulous, stupendous (we have to say those things, it's our 'zine!), Issue #1, there are still a few copies of the Bloodduster, Alchemist, Cryptal Darkness, Chiron, Seedless Mix, reviews, and miscellaneous - packed little devil floating about the place. But wait! There's more! If you ring in the next 15 minutes, not only will you receive a copy of the excellent CHOMP publication, but you will also receive a set of stainless-steel steak knives! Actually, you won't really get a set of steak knives. Sorry. C.H.O.M.P. Bands UpdateThe release of the new Alchemist EP is immenent. Entitled The Eve of War, it features a cover of Jeff Wanes' War of the Worlds, live versions of Chinese Whispers and Yoni Kunda, a Yoni Kunda remix (imaginatively titled Yoni Kunda), as well as re-issues of Jar Of Kingdom's Brumal and Worlds Within Worlds. Watch out for the launch at the Tote on the 31st of October, and a following Melbourne gig at the Espy on November 14….. Superheist will have a single out on October 19, and a full length CD around late December / early January. They'll be hitting the east coast in November for a tour, and keep your eyes peeled for a video clip some time in the near future….. Expect to see a full length Earth album very soon….. Alarum launched their 8 song CD Fluid Motion at the start of October at Satan's Place. They'll also be headlining the Slayer after-party at the Cathouse on October 17, as well as lending their talents to the C.H.O.M.P. benefit at Satan's Place on the 6th of November….. Schlongholsta have reformed, and now feature original drummer Andrew Beverly, Trent McKenzie on bass, a new guitarist/vocalist in the form of Matt Greig, and the effervescent Bill Beverly on keyboards and vocals….. Damaged have scored the Strapping Young Lad support at the Corner Hotel on the 24th of October, and will feature the recent additions of Jason on bass and Brendan on vocals. Along with Blood Duster, the band will make the trek up to Sydney to play at the Annandale Hotel on November the 27th before heading up to Canberra the following day to grace the Metal for the Brain stage….. Beanflipper will be hitting the studio in November and will hopefully be releasing a single by X-mas or thereabouts. Webby the guitarist will finally get rid of his cast which he attained by hitting a punching bag at his brother's that decided to punch him back, and hit him dead in the ring finger….. Seething have been gigging regularly around the place lately. Upcoming gigs include the Nicholson's Hotel on October 9 with Alarum and Rancor, Halloween at the Old Mill in Kyneton, with the Oxymorons, Alarum, Pillow, and Aftermath, and the C.H.O.M.P. fundraiser at Satan's Place on the 6th of November with Order Of Chaos and Alarum….. Upcoming Black Seed gig dates are as follows: 18/10 they'll be playing the P.C.M.C. With Segression and Henry's Anger, 31/10 at the Tote, between Alchemist and Pod People, 13/11 at the Greyhound with Dreadnaught and Wolves, and 15/11 they'll be hitting the Eltham Festival….. Dreadnaught launched their new 5 song EP Idiosyncrasy to a very receptive audience at the Punter's Club recently. They were also part of an excellent lineup at the Corner Hotel in September which featured Alchemist, Blood Duster and Pitchshifter, as well as the 'Naughters themselves….. Chiron have been busy recording a full length CD which should be out toward the end of the year. The band also features on Heartland Records compilation, Dark Eyed and Starry They Were Vol. II, as well as providing an exclusive remix for an American compilation, the proceeds of which will be going to AIDS studies….. Hoax placed a very creditable third in the Sunbury heat of the Push Battle of the bands on the 29th of August. They're currently writing new material and will be recording a demo in a couple of months time….. The Oxymorons have some interstate gigs coming up, including Lismore on October 15th, October 17th at the Market Day festival in Brisbane with Blood Duster, and an Aus Music gig in Adelaide in November. Expect a new EP / LP in January '99….. Apart from their current EP Perpetual, Order Of Chaos will soon be recording a 9 - 10 song CD that will be self-financed and distributed through Shock. Check them out when they headline the C.H.O.M.P. gig at Satan's Place….. Encabulos will be releasing an ultra - heavy demo entitled Dark Divinity, which will be available for $5 Aus in Australia and $4 US overseas….. And finally, dark metal band Indecision are recording tracks for a four song EP at the end of the year. Metal for the BrainThe annual feast of the finest metal Australia has to offer, Metal for the Brain, will be unleashing it's mayhem upon the ANU Refectory in Canberra on the 28th of November. Among the 17 bands that will be playing on two stages, some headliners include Segression, Alchemist, Damaged, Destroyer 666, and, on stage two, Lord Kaos, Volatile, Sarrkuth, and Engraved. Tickets are a bargain at $15, so pack up your toothbrush and sleeping bag and head over to the land of l'il Johhny Howard & Co. Congratulations…To Steve Hooper of Chadstone who was the winner of the Blood Duster t-shirt competition in issue #1 of CHOMP 'zine. Of course, the answer was 'Chuck'! Extra special thanks to Blood Duster for donating the aforementioned shirt. Free, Free, Free!What could be better that getting something for nothing? If you don't know about C.H.O.M.P.'s free services yet, here they are: And if you'd like to be included on our mailing list, contact us or simply go to the Mailing List to keep up with what we're doing. Youth Center in LancefieldFinally there's something happening for the youth of Lancefield. The drop - in center opens every Friday night in the Mechanics Hall in Lancefield, where you can score a free cup of coffee, indulge in a game of pool or table tennis, listen to music, or just hang out. For more info phone Keith Meyer on (03)54 291 312. Thank You Very MuchNot for doing the dishes, but to the following bands / businesses / individuals for their help in one way or another: Western Water, Tom O'Dea Auto Spares, Mishell Vreman from Shock, National Music Supplies, Phil and Kyneton Copy Center, Stephanie Walker at Melton FM, CBD Satan's Place, Mixdown Music Newspaper, Macedon Ranges Leader newspaper, Romsey Rag, Lancefield Mercury, all of the secondary colleges in the region, PBS and RRR radio stations, Joey's Ministry of Sound, and to everyone who contributed to the fanzine. Thanks to the following bands for releases and interviews: Damaged, Alchemist, Dreadnaught, Drool, Oxymorons, Dern Rutlidge, Mindsnare, Cryptal Darkness, Chiron, Order of Chaos, Dieode, Encabulos, Alarum, William Beverly, Blood Duster, Seething, Seedless Mix, Maladiction, Embodiment, Black Seed. Thanks to the following bands for playing at C.H.O.M.P.'s Melbourne fundraisers: Dreadnaught, Beanflipper, Order Of Chaos, Seething, Dread, and Alarum. And last but not least, ta very much to the following people for their letters of support: Dr Richard Bills - Brooke St Medical Center, Woodend; Liz Wynne (Youth Development Officer, Macedon Ranges Shire Council); Anne McLennan (Co-ordinator Community Services, Macedon Ranges Shire Council); Angela Fooks (Youth Outreach worker, Cobaw Community Health Service Inc.); Philip Grutzner (Headmaster - Braemar College, Woodend); and Cindy Weinert and Dax Hoffman (Krux artist management and audio production, Kew). If you have any information that you would like to include in the next C.H.O.M.P. newsletter, don't be shy…tell us! Until next time, ta ta! Office Bearers for '98 / '99:Matt Palmer - President C.H.O.M.P.'s Sponsors:CBD Satan's Place National Music Supplies Western Water C. & J. O'Dea Auto Spares & Accessories Kyneton Copy Center Home | About | Aims | Bands | Zine | Classifieds | Links | Contact | Mailing List |