SPWC

"SCRATCH the burnished veneer of Mosman and you’ll be surprised to discover a burgeoning sub-culture of metal-heads, punk-rockers, indie-musos, and hip-hoppers.

The irony is startling.

It’s like finding a throng of opera subscribers in the Bronx or seeing country and western fans at a Lady GaGa concert.

Over the last decade Sydney’s affluent lower North Shore has produced some of this country’s most successful rock artists, many of them from Mosman High - a breeding ground for creative types.

Alternative metal band Sick Puppies, indie poprock duo Philadelphia Grand Jury, electro outfit Art vs Science and teen punks The Wahas (both of whom won Triple J’s Unearthed competition), urban hip-hoppers Bliss n Eso and nineties groovers Skunkhour all hail from the lower North Shore.

Sick Puppies trio - Shimon Moore (guitar and vocals), Emma Anzai (bass) and Mark Goodwin (drums) - formed in 1997 after Mosman High classmates Anzai and Moore expressed their shared love of silverchair in the high school music room.

Moore said the band had travelled a long way to seek success in America, including a number one single on the US charts with You’re Going Down, but they were Mosman folk at heart.

“I love that place, I grew up there and it was the best,” Shim said. “When I come back I don’t want anything to have changed - it’s beautiful the way it is.

“I have my name carved into one of those 100-year-old trees along Avenue Rd and I still want to go to that little Asian bakery that sells the best lamingtons.”

Fresh from a world tour supporting Canadian rock giants Nickelback, the band is back in Santa Monica, LA where they have been based since 2005.

Moore said America had embraced its style of alternative metal music, but was not surprised many Australians had never heard of the band.

“I think it’s presumptuous to think that just because you have a number-one hit in America automatically means people in Australia are going to know who you are.”

Getting their leg up from winning Triple J’s Unearthed competition in 2000, the Puppies have enjoyed a wealth of success including performing with Evanescence at Big Day Out. Their video for single Always the same?, featuring the free hugs man in Pitt Street mall, became a youtube hit overnight, attracting 43 million views.

Moore filmed the video while he was working in a sandwich shop in Pitt St.

“We never expected that kind of success in a million years,” he said.

“Certainly we had our big break when the Hugs video came along.”

Childhood friends, Simon Berckelman, aka Berkfinger (vocals and guitar) and Joel Beeson, aka MC Bad Genius (bass, keyboard and guitar) grew up in Mosman, went to Mosman High and bashed out tunes in the studio basement of Berkfinger’s grandparent’s house.

They formed Philadelphia Grand Jury, aka the Philly Jays, in 2008 and have since shared their catchy blend of indie punk soul with the nation, headlining at the Big Day Out, touring with Dappled Cities, Yves Klein Blue, Bluejuice and Triple J’s Unearthed plus sold out their own show.

At last year’s ARIA awards the Philly Jays won Best Independent Single or EP and their debut album Hope is for Hopers, released in September 2009, reached number 34 on the Australian charts.

Inspired by the “messed up pop” of Elvis Costello and the Fiery Furnaces, Berckleman said his music was catchy with a “broken, dirty, crazy spin on it”.

“I never expected anyone to like it and I thought we’d never get played on Triple M or Triple J because we’re too weird but it all worked out,” he said.

He said many would be pleasantly surprised to find out Mosman was “cooler” than they thought.

“My dad saw David Bowie play at Mosman Hotel ... I think Mosman has always had a bit of a rock edge to it even though people see it as conservative,” he said."

Source: http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/l ... -ish-edge/

Now I need to know what a lammington is

**goes to google**

^^^ LOL!

In case anyone else is wondering :


Lamingtons are a sponge cake (or, more traditionally, butter cake) in the shape of a cuboid, coated in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing then desiccated coconut. They are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream and/or strawberry jam between, and are commonly found in Australasian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, and supermarkets. The strawberry variety is more common in New Zealand, while a lemon variety has been encountered in Australia.[1]

The chocolate coating is a thin mixture, into which cubes of sponge cake (one cookbook states 4 cm per side) are dipped, and the chocolate is absorbed into the outermost layers of the sponge where it sets. (Similarly, the strawberry jam or chocolate icing is absorbed into the sponge.) The cubes are then covered with coconut and left to set.

They have traditionally been popular as fund raisers for Australian youth groups such as Scouts, Guides and churches to the extent that such fund raisers are called "Lamington drives".

The cake is supplied by commercial bakeries in large slabs and cut into about 40 mm cubes. Teams of volunteers work together, dipping the cake into the chocolate icing and rolling it in the coconut. Generally they are packaged up into one dozen lots for distribution within communities which have been solicited for orders ahead of time. Commercially produced versions are also sold.



*** Ummm....chocolate, sponge cake, coconut .... I'll take some of those

Ya had me until the coconut

So my roommate is making a coconut pie tonight, which reminded me of lamingtons from this thread. I showed her the pic and THUS being the cook/baker I am...

SO making these tomorrow night. If you're in the PA area I'll make you some (if they turn out alright).

^^^ Can you make them again closer to the NY show so I can have some