Do Go On - 176 - TISM (This Is Serious, Mum)

Episode Date: March 6, 2019

TISM or 'This Is Serious, Mum' are a legendary Australian band formed in Melbourne in the 1980s. Famous for their catchy songs, funny lyrics and subversion of music industry expectations, TISM were a one of a kind band. Support the show and get rewards like bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPodSubmit a topic idea directly to the hat: dogoonpod.com/Submit-a-Topic Twitter: @DoGoOnPod Instagram: @DoGoOnPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/ Email us: [e-mail] See us live: dogoonpod.com/events Book tickets to Matt's stand up mattstewartcomedy.com/gigs  Check out our other podcasts:Book Cheat: https://play.acast.com/s/book-cheatPrime Mates: https://play.acast.com/s/prime-mates/Our awesome theme song by Evan Munro-Smith and logo by Peader ThomasREFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/the-phantom-menace-20040702-gdy5ls.htmlhttps://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/08/13/the-delicious-moment-les-murray-called-the-australian-music-indu_a_23076370/https://weirdestbandintheworld.com/2012/04/04/weird-band-of-the-week-tism/https://themusic.com.au/article/_fPuERATEhU/20-years-ago-tism-machiavelli-and-the-four-seasons-steve-bellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TISMhttps://www.abc.net.au/doublej/programs/the-j-files/tism/10274784https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/a-tale-of-two-dags-tisms-damien-cowell-and-tony-martin-continue-the-satire-with-new-album-20170102-gtklqs.htmlhttps://www.theage.com.au/national/masked-and-understated-virtuoso-of-the-guitar-from-classical-to-indie-rock-legends-tism-20080507-ge71rd.htmlFilm Clips:Greg the Stop Sign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwI2NrVYqIE(He’ll Never Be An) Old Man River:

Melbourne and Canada, we got exciting news for you. And we should also say this is 2026. Jess, what year is it? 2026. Thank God you're here. Right now, I'm in Melbourne doing my show with Serenji Amarna, 630 each night at the Cooper's Inn Hotel, having so much fun. We'd love to see you there.

Canada, we are visiting you in September this year. If you've somehow missed the news, we are heading up Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto for shows. That's going to be so much fun. Tickets for all this stuff, I believe, are online. And I'm here too. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbroadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates.

And welcome to another episode of Dugo One. My name is Dave Warnocky and I'm sitting here with Jess Perkins and Matt Stewart. Don't lie to them. You're lying there. I know, I'm lounging in the recently air-conditioned podcast studio. Oh boy, no more complaining about the heat. If anything, our nips are erect. I know, and I will be complaining about that.

I will be writing to HR about that. About the nips, the nipsitch. He's out of control. Matt's are insanely long. Matt, you're like poking me in the eye. Yeah. And we're on the other side of the table, but we've got a nip each. Both of them.

I know, how are you controlling them separately? You like a swordfish. Oh, wow. Soap fishes have long nipples. Yes. Huh. Little known fact. Didn't know that.

Yeah, I've been watching a lot of David Attenborough, and that's what I learned. The swordfish is nipples. I'm poking my eyes out. How is everyone? I'm good. We never ask that. I think maybe we should. A little bit of a check-in.

Matt, how are you? I'm okay. I'm just, yeah. Does anybody want to ask how I am? Oh, right, right. Jesus, God, well, before we get into the report, I should say that we've got a couple of live shows coming up. How are you, Jeff?

Fuck off. Live shows coming up. It's going to be fun. No tension in the day. the room, that's for sure. We've got some live shows coming up, including one this Sunday afternoon in Adelaide for the first ever time. I'll be there.

Jess will be there. Matt will be there. Will you be there? Radalade. Come on down. It's your first and last opportunity to see us in Adelaide. That's right. We are never coming back.

This could be it. This could be it. This is definitely it. All right. Michael Jackson, this is it. meaning we could die before we put on any of the shows. Wow. Which is what happened to him.

Oh, I take that back. Also, do not accept weird drug cocktails from your doctor. Oh, what? That is such a good call. Between now and Adelaide. After that, let's party. Sunday night in Adelaide, my doctor will be dosing us up. The doctor is in.

But it's in the afternoon at the National Wine Centre. Please do come along. Yeah, we'd love to have you there. Be good fun. That will also be in Adelaide before and after that. And during, with his live show, Bone Dry. That's right. It's going to be real fun.

Can't wait to get to Adelaide. Now, am I there yet? I'm there already, actually. I've been there since the first show was on Saturday. Oh, why? And it went great. Nice one. I can only assume.

Good. Recorded this just before I'm leaving. But I feel positive. I'm opening on Saturday night. That's cool. Yeah. Yeah. Big dogs open on the big dog night.

Yeah. Hell yeah. Tuesday night, no, thank you. That's what I did in Perth, admittedly, but still, there's a new me. New City, new me. Yeah, I love that. And now we are in March, we can say that at the end of this month,

we've got the Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicking off. Well, we are doing four live podcasts every Saturday afternoon from March 30s, the first one at the European Beer Cafe, especially the first one selling very, very well. So if you want to get into that one or get a season pass, I'd get on it soon. Other three also selling well. I would love to see you there. Yeah.

Come on down. It's the most wonderful time of year. I love it. It's the best. The city is alive and we come out of the woodworks. Ooh, we scurry on out. We scuttle out of the woodwork. What have we been working on?

Boat. Oh, a boat. Yeah. I'm making a boat. Comedy boat. Comedy boat. We scuttle out of the woodwork of the comedy boat. Comedy boat.

And then we perform for you. We dance for you, maybe. presumably, I'll sing at some point, probably. I'll hum something at some point. Probably. Yeah, probably. And then we scuttle back into the woodwork. And like we've been saying, we won't be releasing all these. So if you want to hear them all, you've got to be in the room. Yeah, you ought to be there.

That's true. Or be square. Yeah. Or maybe be on Patreon. Yeah, that's right. The three options right there. Yeah. And, of course, we announced a couple of weeks ago that we're going to Thailand for the Koso

Mewi International Podcast Festival in June with the Lerner. Little Dum Dum Club, some podcasts live on the beach in Thailand, a tropical paradise. What a wild thing to look forward to. It's crazy. I haven't got my head around any of that yet. Adelaide and Kosovo. We really can have it all. We're also looking into, obviously, the American stuff still we're looking into and other

places like Perth and Brisbane, we're going to be coming around to all of you all. Real soon, hopefully. Yeah. That is absolutely right. Real soon, hopefully. Right on. With that, we're not committing to anything. Yeah, with that huge commitment and 100% confirmation for all the people, not in Adelaide or Kosemiou,

let's get on with this week's episode. Matt, you're doing a report. Yes. You're looking good. You're looking so calm and casual about this one. I feel bad. Well, I should say there'll be people. Anyway, let's get the topic out of way and then I can give my pre-apologies.

This one was a free choice for you. Jess and I are on the Patreon votes at the moment. moment. Yeah. So Patreon chooses what we out of some options. But you free range of the hat, you can pick anything. That's right. And that sometimes is actually worse. I've spent hours looking at it before going, is this good enough? Is this what I want for my free choice?

Yeah. It's an exciting. I can do anything. I can do anything. I can't think of anything that I want to do. It's difficult. So hard. But I definitely made a good choice. I just don't know if I've if I've done it justice or not. But let's find out together. I reckon you have. I'm going to, I'll ask you the question, and then we can get stuck into the old rapport.

You, beauty. Question is, following reports on the Beatles and Pantera, which band would complete a do-go-on trilogy of my favourite ever bands? Oh, now hang on, Dave. Okay, so we've had the Beatles. We've had the Beatles. We've had Pantera. And do we have a report on Tism? It is a report on Tism.

Yes. I want to point out to who is. whoever is keeping track of who gets it right, I did just get it right. It did. Because Tism possibly stands for this is serious mum. Yes. Which I imagine we'll get to, but point for you, Jess. Well done.

This is exciting. This is a, my parents will definitely listen to this. And is this in order? Is it the Beatles, then Pantera, then Tizm? Or do you know your top three? No, I think it would fluctuate around those. I think Tism would definitely be, I think it's probably, I don't know, it's hard to say, but Tism are definitely way right up there.

Top three for sure. It's been suggested quite a few times, including by McFarty. In brackets, it's Dutch, I know, ha-ha. That's my dream name. You could marry them and become Jess McFarty. Oh, my God, I want to be Jess McFarty. That is comedy. Also, Nicola has suggested it.

Steve, what a one name is here. Hi, Steve. And Jacob Lane. Awesome. So thank you all everyone for those suggestions. You should have saved McFarty for last though, because all the other sound, Jacob, lame.

Oh, no. I'm sure that's a flashback to his childhood. Yeah, 100%. This is what Steve said. He said, this is serious, Matt. Dave delivered the Simpsons. Bob Gavis Riverdance,

Shutters, complete the trick ditch. That was unnecessary. No, shudders because he loved it? It gave him chills. Yeah, chills down my. Wow, it feels like Michael. flatly is dancing on my spine right now. So I imagine that there's probably a few Tism fans who are tuning in for the first time.

And I should say to you, you're not going to learn anything new, I don't think. So I apologize for that. I love this band. I want to do them justice. I probably haven't. Something I would say to listeners is go out and listen to some of their albums, not available on Spotify, but you can find them on YouTube or iTunes. Anyhow, here is my report.

Tism, which is short for this is serious, mom. formed sometime in the early 1980s, probably 1982. They evolved out of the band, I Can Run. Their first concert occurred on the 6th of December, 1983, at the Duncan McKinnon Athletics Reserve in the Melbourne suburb of Murrumbina. When I read this the first time, when I got way to him like maybe late 90s, early 2000s, and I did a lot of reading on, you know, the primitive internet back then. Yeah.

And when I read that, I got chills. I shuddered with delight because that is where I did my school sports. Yeah, at Duncan MacKinnon Reserve. It's not too far from where you guys grew up. Yeah, and my mum, the school mum works at, uses it all the time. So it's wild. I never did sports. Oh, Duncan McKinnon well.

So I think it's funny that I came forth in the 1500 metres at the same place. Kids are first performed. That is. How many kids were running in the race? I think that, you know, there was at least four, probably eight to ten. Hello. Maybe 12. Okay.

Maybe six. There's not that many. Do you get a ribbon for fourth? Yeah, you might have. I think fourth was the old white ribbon. Yeah. The color of surrender. Yeah, give up.

Just give up. It almost feels like a tism sort of lyric. I came forth in the 1500 meters at the same place to do as them first performed. I reckon they could make that work. Yeah, somehow they'd work that in there. The band saw the concert as an abject failure and split up immediately. before reforming a couple of months later. So Tism Law states that every subsequent gig

over the following 20 odd years was a reunion show. So they broke up after every show. Every show? Yeah. Band members, this may be the most famous thing about them to casual observers. Band members hid their identities with face masks and pseudonyms. Do they do that at this first concert in Marambina?

They wore newspaper costumes. Wow. The original four members of the band included vocalist Humphrey B. Flabert, which is a play on the name of the children's TV character, Humphrey B. Bear, was an Australian TV character, and 19th century French novelist Gustave Flaubert. That's right. And this is kind of something they do a lot of mixing high culture and low culture ideas, sort of one of their trademarks. Keyboardist Eugene de la Hot Croix bun or Hot Crocs Bun maybe which is a play on the French romantic artist Eugene della Croix and the Easter baked treat And the other two original members were bass player Jock Cheese

Which probably doesn't need too much expression Mixing high and low culture there And vocalist genre be good Johnny Be Good I think genre Be Good left the band before they released an album or anything apparently he left because he had a complete non-sellout stance, possibly down to even not selling albums. He's just like very, very staunch in his beliefs of not selling out.

So that made obviously being in a band pretty hard. I don't want to sell out so badly that I cannot be in a band. I'm so sorry. Another band member has since been quoted as saying this stance was simultaneously stupid and inspiring to the rest of the band. Potentially to mock him for this stance, the band ended up naming their record label after him, genre would be good. So on most of their CDs on the back, it says, genre would be good.

Joining the band soon after in the first couple of years was guitarist Leek fan of Larlane, John St. Pines, Les Miserables, and which obviously a play on... Les Mizz. And vocalist Ron Hitler Barassie. Ron Barassi being an all-time great Aussie rules footballer, and you might know Hitler's work. Personally, no. Apparently he took his name from his German heritage

as mixing with his love of Aussie rules football. So kind of the core, the two faces of the band, Humphrey B. Flaubert and Ron Hitler-Barrasie mainly. Most interviews and everything, it's normally them working as a duo. And so I tracked down interviews with them. They're so funny, so quick. And, yeah, a whole lot of fun.

But obviously, it's a very collaborative band. and everyone wrote songs and whatnot. So yeah, like I was saying, the anonymity thing is probably the first thing that comes to mind for casual fans. When talking about the hidden identities in recent times, though, Flabere said, let's face it, it's totally unoriginal.

The residents did it long before we did, and before the residents, I'm sure there was someone else. It allows people to compare us to kiss and to slip knot, and we obviously have more in common with Kenny G than any of those bands. Yeah, they've always, Always, yeah, they're a funny band because they obviously get a lot of self-belief. They know they're very good and funny and whatnot, but they will also self-deprecate pretty mercilessly.

They have never officially revealed their identities. And this led to regular speculation about who they actually are, especially at the peak of their fame in the 80s and 90s. Rumors went around that they were politicians or members of other bands. There was strong rumors that they were members of the band, painters and dockers. and also the Wiggles. I think that was more of a joke rumor. But due to the fact that they mainly toured during school holidays, a persistent rumor was that they were school teachers.

And I think that did end up being true. I think at least I'm pretty sure. A couple of them were, yeah. Due to them often referencing football players, there was also a rumor that they were AFL footballers. That would be great. And responding to that theory, Humphrey B. LeB. LeB. Stated that we're actually not AFL.

We're more violent and crappy. so you're looking at VFL there. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they were often asked why they chose to remain anonymous. One time when Flabert was asked, the answer that makes me sound good is that we desire to circumvent the cult of personality that is inherent in rock music

by choosing to remain anonymous. Unlike every other band in rock, we choose to be anonymous. The answer that makes me sound good would probably also incorporate some lengthy discussion about Brechtian alienation, techniques about our postmodernist grasp of ever-cooling universe and a dehumanizing society

encapsulated in the somewhat paramilitary aspect of our clothing. All of those things would make me sound good, but actually we're just boring guys. I think the stories were always bigger than the reality, and I guess that would have been amusing when you're going, there's a teacher, he works. Yeah, yeah, right. He's a PE teacher. I do English, and then Trevor works at the local petrol station. Jock cheese.

Jock cheese is a bass player, right? That's right, yeah. Yeah, he also went to school with my dad. Right. He was a very close family friend. Can't believe that you know Jock Cheese? Jock cheese. Jock, I think, well, there's confusing because there's a jock.

I think your dad, if I remember right, your dad went to school with Tony Coitus. No. No, okay, great. He went to school with James Paul. James Paul. That's right, who is Tony Coitus? Oh. Or Token Blackman.

He was changed his name. Because I just asked Mum. I just messaged her and I was like, because his name was James Paul, but his friends called him Jock. That's right. But then so that's why people get confused because there's Jock Cheese. Yeah. His real name isn't.

But then I just asked, sorry, this isn't helpful. But I asked Mum what his name was in the band because I didn't think it was Jock Cheese. And she said, good question. She's not 100% sure, but she said he was the bass player. Does that help? Right. Oh, interesting. Yes, it does.

Okay. It's like she's texting now, so we'll see. It's very exciting. I believe he was the guitarist, but I think they played, I think they might have switched between the bass and guitar, jock cheese and token Blackman, aka Tony Coitus, aka James Paul. Right. I trust you more than Mum's reflection of the early ages.

I'm also going off, you know, I never, the identities and stuff, it was never something I always sort of felt like that was part of the fun. I didn't want to like go in and do hunting. It didn't really matter to me exactly who they were. Yeah. So I just like the music mainly and thought they were really fun and funny. Yeah. As well as their songs just being fucking bangers.

Oh, they're great. But all my memories of Jock was that he always had a guitar. Right. He was a be at our house. Apparently classically trained. Incredibly. He went to, he went overseas. Where was he?

Berlin. No, somewhere like that. And he wrote all sorts of classical. incredible music. He also did a song which Shane Jacobson did the vocals for. Really?

Not Shane Jacobson. Yeah, no. Kenny? No. Shane. Shane Warren. Shane Crawford. Shane Gould?

Thank God you hear. Who has to say? Shane. Sean Bourne. Oh. Yes. That's a weird combo. Yeah, it is.

Not the Shane I was expecting. No. Shane Jacobson was incorrect also. I'm not. I'm not helping this at all. I was really expecting Shane Warren to come up there. I'll stop contributing. Please go on with the report.

Well, you're the, you've got the most direct. So he hung out at your house. Yeah, I knew him very well growing up. That's pretty amazing. Yeah, it was one of Dad's best friends. And Mums. Sorry, Mom. One of my parents' best friends.

So cool. So he, as yet, he hasn't joined the band. He joined in the early 90s, but I'll get that in a sec. By the mid-80s, the band, were playing regularly around Melbourne and in 1986 they released their debut single which was called Defecate on my face

This was a song sung from the perspective of Adolf Hitler to his mistress Eva Braun which references the rumours that Hitler was in the into Scat Dupitabap

Basset That's Scar Matt Oh sorry right Get it right Scott The song had lyrics, so you know, mixing in Nazi war history with shit. With, I mean, that sounds like something you'd love because you love poo jokes.

Well, for some reason I enjoy this one, but the song opens by saying, Come home tired, what a day I've had. News ain't good from Stalin grad. I've been busy protecting the German race. So come on, baby, defecate on my face. It is get to the bunker. It looks like a star. Turn on the TV.

one big lie, here Eva, have these prunes to chew. We have ways of making you poo. No. I know this song, I know the chorus, but I do not, I had no idea that that's what the verses were. Yeah, so silly, but so great as well. So catchy. Defeke it on my face. Deficit on my face.

I didn't realize it was Hitler. And it sort of plays it out as if the war, Hitler, so it was. of gave in because this is what it says, Finney goes, what's that either? Your bowel is on strike, then it's all over for my Third Reich. Which is a different, that's a different history lesson of what I was taught in school. It was released as a 7 inch on vinyl, obviously,

with all four sides of the cover glued shut. Maybe you couldn't open it to get the album out without destroying the artwork. And they would often do this sort of kind of punkin or pranking their own. audience a bit like that. I'm just calling up the distributor and being like, hey, can you print this and can you glue the fourth side shut? Yeah, we need some seal them shut.

So what? Yes, I know you won't be able to get it out. That's the point. What's it called? Defecate on my face. No, no, no. It's told from the perspective of Adolf Hitler. Nothing weird.

Oh, come on. Hello? Due to the lyrical content of the song, it received little to no radio play. They couldn't get it out of the cover Yeah, I had nothing to do with the content They malleted it in and people like, well Obviously there's nothing in here

Yeah Apparently it was a big hit in the clubs though It was a big big dance hit And then in 1987 they released another single Called 40 Years Then Death It's sort of about life It's a pretty sad tale It was confusingly released in a clear plastic sleeve

on a plain disc so no labeling at all. You couldn't, it's impossible to tell what it was. That's just done. It's so shit. They're pretty happy to fuck around, even if it made success harder for themselves. And despite this, the song was well received and got radio support. Their debut album was released the following year,

charting in the top 50 in Australia, which is pretty amazing in itself. Considering it can't get much radio play. Yeah, that's right. But there were some radio hits on it, but the album was called Great Truck and Songs of the Renaissance. Like, sort of the kind of thing that you'd expect to chart high.

It's still seen as a classic today, and it's seen as one of their high points, although I reckon, I love every one of their albums. But anyway, it is seen as is still a fan favorite. And a single came offer called Saturday Night Palsy, which also charted and led to the band appearing on popular television show, hey hey it's Saturday

Darrell Darrell Summers has to introduce Dism He'd be so confused Oh it's as if you've seen it He is so confused He's obviously reading off an auto queue And then he sort of does a double take

Oh you didn't have a rehearsal Darrell like come on And they were in the costumes When they toured they would usually come up With different elaborate costumes Over their career they'd put like a One tour they wore big Big sort of fat suits

that made them look like fat cat bankers. Other suits where their balaclavas made it look like brains were coming out of their heads or they were sort of like big flower people or had framed artwork of their own belliclavered faces above them in a big frame, like a work of art or big. I mean, so hard to perform. Yeah, like it's like everything about what they did was trying to spend any money they might make on all this elaborate stuff. So they had all these different costumes and even at this early stage they'd already

had a bunch of tours with different costumes. So with this performance, they roped in a bunch of mates and pulled out some of those old costumes they'd used and fluttered the Channel 9 studios with 28 supposed members all performing and dancing in unison. So one version of the band had come out, then another, then another, until the whole place was just packed out.

It was really, when I first watched it, I assumed it was like using green screens or something. It was kind of confusing to see so many people dancing like that, but a lot of fun, obviously. Apparently they'll never in. invited back for that reason or whatever. But in 1989, they were set to release their first and what would be their only book called The Titism Guide to Little Aesthetics, which compiled lyrics, interviews and press releases. But after it was checked by lawyers, it took a further

year for it to be released as that to censor much of the book by hand using whiteout and black texters and then sticking censored due to legal advice on it. each copy. So there was, apparently it was just a lot of stuff that would have got, got them in trouble. Right. So they printed it and then got the load. Hand redacted. The load is like, you've got to take this out and they're like, well, we've got

thousands of copies. Yeah. Reprint it. Pretty inefficient way of doing it. But yeah. Imagine if you missed one slanderous sentence. Yeah. Waste not want not.

Apparently there are a few uncensored versions out there. And they are worth a lot of money if you go on eBay or something like that. That's awesome. Their second LP was released via phonogram records in 1990, and despite it being a sick album, I really love this album. It's got Hot Dogma. It sold poorly, and they were dropped by the label soon after. In 1991, Guitarist League fan Vlalin,

now known to be Sean Kelly, left the band and was replaced by your family friend, Tony Coitus, aka James Paul. And apparently the original Les Miserables, and Johnson penis were also replaced, only with two guys using the same names, those miserable and Johnson penis. So why do you reckon that sometimes they brought in a completely new member, like a new name, new persona,

and sometimes they just kept it? Yeah, I wonder whether it, I guess, whether it's up to the personality of the person. Some they're trying to just slip in at the time as if it hasn't happened, so they don't change the names. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure why that would be. I imagine that because James Paul was like a, maybe at a different guitar style,

would have been a bit clearer, whereas the other guys were more, they were dancing members, sort of dancing and backup vocals. I think Johnson Pinesce initially was a saxophonist in the band, the original one, but that sort of rock with sax was a bit out of style by the 90s, so it wasn't as required anymore.

But I reckon every rock band in the 80s had a saxophonist for some reason. I blame Bruce Springsteen and all the other bands. Huey Lewis and the news, all those and the bands. I was saying about the saxophonist. And the. All the Anders. Jess and the neutral boys. That's us.

When did we talk about that? Was that on a podcast? That's with Naomi. Great. Last week. Yeah. So that would make sense to some people. Tism were an infamously difficult interview for journalists.

They would rarely talk about themselves or answer questions sincerely, even getting them to sit and talk was hard. In the early days, they insisted on being interviewed by facts only. facts a question or fax a reply at different times these are just a few examples of them being difficult slash funny depending on your perspective

if you're a journalist Jess maybe you'd find these annoying but seems like a bit of fun depends on how I mean you're probably on a deadline yeah to be honest so you probably are like just answer the questions please

but you're also I feel like a lot of them are like well this is the story I'll just talk about how this was very silly 100% it's fascinating so one time they they made journalists sit on the opposite side of a football field and with

megaphones. So good. That is so funny. Another time with string and cans across a big space as well. One time they made a Rolling Stone magazine, writer meet them in a restaurant, but they said they'd only talk to him

if he wore full scuba gear. And he did. Yes. Another time they blindfolded a journalist before taking him to a meat locker. When the blindfold came off, there were three Tism, supposedly Tism members there to interview, but they weren't real Tism members. They were just butchers.

Just a butcher's in dollar clavis. Hey. What do you want to know? What do you want to know about this cut of meat? The butchers have no idea what they're doing there either. They were also kidnapped. And as a journalist, you'd be like, stop fucking around. I know you're not a butcher.

Tell me about your music. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a butcher. What music? Can tell you about these tenderloins. ABC.net, there's a great article on there that's linked to the J files, which is a Triple J series that biographies, biographies, biographises bands, and they did a really good one about TISM. And off that website it says, whatever form it took, Tism's steadfast refusal to ever play anything straight or give a direct answer became legendary.

And even Triple J felt the brunt on occasion. Here's one early fax exchange with Triple J. So Triple J sent the question. What did Tism like most about Sydney? They said, We love the miles and miles of endless desert And how it's the biggest rock in the world. There's such shits.

What can people expect at the Sydney show? Well, just the usual. At the Sydney show, there will be fun things for all the family. The kiddies, can learn about horticulture, there'll be rides and games for the older kitties, and mum and dad will enjoy watching the animal parades and the annual woodchop, and of course, there'll be show bags.

In 1991, the band signed two iconic independent label, Shock Records, who re-released great truck and songs, as well as an EP called Gentleman Start Your Egos, which collated a bunch of the band's early tracks that were not yet available on CD. There's a track on that EP called T.S. Eliot, He Wanker. Does that mean anything to you, Dave? You're book boy. Yeah, book boy. Hey.

T.S. Eliot. Wanker. Book boy? I don't know. Put him on the spot. What's he wanker mean? That's something I was hoping. There's like many tism lyrics a little over my idiot head.

Yeah, because remember, Dave, they combine high culture with Matt's low culture. Yeah, I get half the joke. He gets the Humphrey Bee. bit. You get the flow bear, you know? You know? We meet in the middle. Madam Bovery, yeah.

They had a song later on called What Are You? And the whole song is kind of like going, you're one or the other. What are you? You're a wanker or you're a yobbo. Is it yob or a wanker? Yeah, I love that. That's fun of my favorite. He was your favorite genius, James Hurd or James Joyce.

I'm like, all right, Googling James Joyce. Oh, Matt, I think we know what you are in that equation. I think we know what Dave is. I would have been studying literature at the time, probably. That was when I got right in. Who is James Schwarz? I had a vague idea. So, yeah, that was a, that was a, I've got all these albums on CD.

So I reckon, you know, when I'm ready to retire, I sell, because I, most of them are out of print now. I reckon I could get like 30, 40 bucks for some of these. Oh my God, when you're ready to retire. Yeah. Matt, I really hope the economy has gone to shit by me. Can I come and visit you on your yacht? Yes.

Oh, buy a yacht what with? Oh, well, here is my. copy of Gentlemen, Start Your Egos. Oh my God. And issue two of the Tism comic book. I owe you some change. Take two yachts.

Please. So they weren't yet available on CD. So shock, I think, often it seems like this is something I don't really think about, but you'd sign a new deal and they'd buy a lot of your back catalog re-release. That'd be all part of the fun as well. And that seemed to happen a lot. Like they'd sign for one record that, label would release a bunch of their old stuff, one or two albums, and then they'd move on again.

Right. They also, Shock also released a new CD titled Beasts of Suburban, which featured a track called Father and Son, which one of my favorites, because it relates to me a little bit. It detailed the server, Father and Son, who would go along to watch the Saints play at Marabun and see the legendary Wingman, Nicky Winmar, Carlin, Tony Plugger Lockett. So the chorus was, Windmar, Windmar, Windmar to lock it. Oh my God. That's your childhood.

Is there any bigger cross-section of your loves than that right there? Yeah, I know. I think this is why they're such a favourite band. Yeah. I'm joking. I get some of the references. The Saints. I certainly get the footy stuff.

The Matt's favourite things. The Saints, Tizum, and his dad. Yeah, the Big Three. And your family. Yes. It's all linked in. Yeah. In 1993, Tism released another EP.

this time titled Australia the Lucky Cuck. I probably will bleep out the last bit of that. So let's just say it's called Australia the Lucky Country without the re. Yep. This album was embroiled and Tis and fans will feel ripped off for that. But apparently in America saying cuck is quite offensive. Dave told me that early on. You'll notice that there's bleeps in the first maybe 15, 20 episodes.

And then I start biting my tongue. Yeah. But there'll be a few bleeps in this episode because they say g-a-bitt a bit. Oh, good luck with that, you c. Everyone have a go. No, I'll save mine. Great. So that you don't know where it is.

So you have to listen to the whole episode while you're editing to bleep it. Great. Nothing I love more than listening back to me talking. What a c-ha. This album was embroiled in controversy and not because of the name, but rather the cover art, which was a cartoon quaila sucking on a syringe. which was drawn in the simple childlike style of Australian artist, Ken Dohn. Do you know, Ken Dane?

Yes. He was quite big in the 80s. Yeah. Sort of very colourful. Yeah. Very Australianer. He did the opening series, Sydney Olympics opening ceremony logo or there was an artwork, something related to him. You're welcome for that fact.

That's a good fact. Oh, shut up, Jess. You dumb kid. Please don't shut up. The Ken Done Society. That's the bit you argued with. Unbelievable. The Ken Done Society threat.

Still nothing. Neither of you. Wait, which bit? Please do go on. Me calling myself a dumb. You're not. That's why I was saying. Don't shut up because you're not.

You're beautiful opinions and great aura. And, you know, I think you have things to say. Hey, hey, you're a strong woman. You've got autonomy You've got agency Yeah Lean in Give us your opinion

This finger wiggle Listen to me when I talk to you I'll be the feminist here I'm giving you advice here That finger wiggle you're adding is Really empowering me No That finger wiggle is saying no

Your place Stop Shh Shh And lean in and have you say Have you say The Ken Donne Society Threatened legal action

and the matter was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, which Flaubert later described as fairly close to the amount that Radiohead spends on buying friends. The EP was re-released as censored due to legal advice with artwork depicting Chenate O'Connor tearing up a piece of paper with the Tism logo on it, which was doctored from the original, which showed her tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II for some reason.

Apparently on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, it was a big deal for her. She's gotten a lot of shit for that. Yeah, right. That was a different time. Yeah. Because you ripped up a picture of... Do you know what she was protesting?

Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. You're joking. Yeah. Now everyone's like, huh, she was right. That was a very different time. Yeah, but at the time people were like calling for her to be killed and things. People are so dumb. And she was something like in her early 20s, so very, very young.

Yeah, don't take a stand, I reckon. Just pipe down until you're old and then, who cares? Hopefully by then someone else would have taken that stand and you can all move on. That is inspiring. That is beautiful sentiment. It's inspiring me to shut the fuck up. Thank you so much. I'm going to spend another 25 years doing nothing.

And then, oh boy, you better believe I'm going to be an activist. Hey, I knew that was wrong all along. But I just didn't want to say anything because I was young. Yeah. You know? That's the issue, right? People were mad that she was young doing something. Yeah.

I'm assuming that's the problem. Honestly, that probably did come into it. Yeah. I think, yeah. I'd reckon that probably was. People, I find that frustrating. It's like at the very, you talk about America and Australia are very similar countries and we talk about freedom all the time.

Lucky country, Australia, you know, land of the free America, but then so angry about certain things happening. It's like, I think you should be allowed to say that. But anyway, what the fuck do I know? Yeah. Probably edit that out because I did not want to stick my head up. get chopped off. Sit down.

Yeah, Matt, you are too young. I never thought I'd say this, but you are too young to be an activist. And I should also say, that's only if it's an opinion I agree with. If you're saying something I don't agree with, then you should shut up. Yeah, yeah, agreed. Which is kind of what everyone does. It's so funny, people are like, free speech. But I disagree with that.

You should die. Yeah. Wait, what? What? I'm confused. In 1995, Tism released their third LP. titled Machiavelli and the Four Seasons. And this went on to be their most commercially successful album.

Oh, great, Dave. Explain why that's funny. Yeah, for the people listening. They've taken the philosopher Machiavelli and combined it with Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons. Turned it into like a boy band. This is like your domain because it's high culture and puns. Yeah.

It's very funny. Yeah, to you. Dave's like Just reading the back of the album He's like this is the best thing ever I get that and that and that Yeah I think that's a bit A bit of the joy of Tism is going

Yeah I get that So this album went on to be their most commercially successful album And continuing with their habit of fucking With their audience fire album art The cover makes no mention of Tism So it's just It's as if the band is Maccivoli and the four C

and the back of the album also does not give a proper track listing. It doesn't give the actual songs. Instead, the album lists the songs as, I love you, baby. It's track one, track two. You and me, baby love. Track three, baby, I love you. Check four, love.

Baby you. It's you, I love, baby. In love with you, baby. Baby, baby, baby. Love, love, love. Baby love. And I-L-Y-B. So do you find it hard to keep track of which songs you really like on that album, even as a big fan?

I think, well, one of the things I normally do is they're not one of those bands that hides. The track title is usually pretty clear from the chorus. So you'd normally figure it out. But yeah, track order, you'd be testing me. It was funny. The first time I remember that being pointed out to me was in a lecture at my, in my degree, the lecturer had slides of, the album covers and he read out that tracklisting.

But they do it in like a, like the style of a professor. And finally, I.L. Y.B. You see, what they've done to subvert the genre. Oh my God. I know what Dave's going to be doing in 20 years time. I'd love to be a professor. But you're going to need to get another small man and sit on his shoulders and wear a big trench coat. You need to, you're going to need to grow a beard just to age you a little bit. I just can't.

I know, Dave, but you have to try. I know. Dave. Beard technology is going to come a long way in the next 20 years. Yeah. Someone gave us a packet of fake beards on the UK tour. I can give you one of those. Please.

Great. Don't know why I didn't think of that. I put one on straight away. Didn't give one to Dave. I don't know if I was really drunk or something of that, but I don't remember that happening at all. Yeah. We were a bit drunk.

Yeah, that one. Not me. No, not you. You're a good boy. Yeah. The Alvvvvv. them went on to achieve gold status, and it won the ARIA for Best Independent Release. Oh, sure.

Yeah. Arria is like the Australian recording industry awards to like the Australian Grammys. Yeah. Or the Australian, what are they called in England again? Brit Awards. Is that right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Sure. I love what Dave doesn't really know. It would be like, yeah. Why not? Whatever. They're a bit, to be honest, they're a bit like the Australian like MTV Awards. Empty, right.

Yeah. They're somewhere between. They're not quite Grammys. The... Very pointy trophies. Great looking trophies. Weirdly pointy. So I went on to win Best Independent Release.

Instead of accepting the award themselves, they sent up Hungarian-born football commentator Les Murray, who was immortalized with their song, What nationality is Les Murray? That's funny. He went up, and he said in English, this is serious, okay?

In the immortal words of the great Hungarian centre forward, Nador hid a good kitty. And then he started speaking in Hungarian. So the crowd was sort of like, like laughing. Oh, it's a fun. And then he started speaking in Hungarian,

which sort of confused the crowd and they like sort of softly applauded without knowing what they're applauding. Oh, God, what he said? So the Australian music industry is all there in the audience. What he's been said, been translated in a couple of different ways. One way was, when the revolution comes, the music industry will be first to go.

Which I think that sounds like that's probably more likely the accurate one, but I've seen some versions of it subtitle of this, thusly saying, the music industry is a septic boil on the buttocks of humanity. I hope you all die a horrible death. I think it's probably more likely to be the first one. Probably, but that's still great. It's great fun.

This album also included two of the band's biggest singles, including Greg the Stop Sign, which was a parody of a road safety ad that was played a lot at the time. And the film clip was shot in part at Moravan Football Ground, the Saints Home Ground, and included my all-time favorite footballer Justin Peckett on an exercise bike. All-time favorite. All-time favorite. Couldn't believe it. Huge call.

All-time. One of the Wakelands was there as well. Wow. And then a lot of players like Joshua Kitchen, who's a player that I don't think many would remember. No, of course I remember Josh Kitchen. I don't even think you ever played a game. No, I loved Kitchen.

I'd say, I'll tell you where you should be in the laundry. Oh, that's good. That's a switcheroo. That's a good switcheroo. Did you ever hear Josh Earl's podcast when he had Daniel Tobias on, the actor and comedian? Yes, which talked about this song.

He talked about that song because he was in the TAC ad that is parodied. So, yeah, if you're into... Josh Ells podcast or if you're not, you should listen to the episode with Daniel Tobias. Which is, they're all great episodes. They're all great. That's a really funny story. And the album also featured probably their most iconic song, which is never going to be an old man river. Which is more commonly known as I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix.

I'm on the drug. I'm on the drug. I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix. And how long before, how recently had River Phoenix overdosed and died? I think it was a couple of years. It's in 95. I think he might have died in 90. I wasn't allowed to listen to Tism.

Right. Even though, even with one member coming over for dinner. All the time. My brother did. He listened to them a lot. But he's quite a bit older than me. I was very little. Right.

And I haven't listened to heaps now as an adult, to be fair. But I definitely know that one. The song, it really did break through because I remember being in primary school when it came out. like us singing it together and getting in trouble from teachers. Because you're singing I'm on the drug that killed Riverfield. With absolutely zero understanding what all the words meant. Both of these songs were huge hits for them and both finished in the top 10 of that year's Triple J Hotest 100. So they were.

Damn. Because when you said before that they didn't get a little radio play because of the language, I was like, hey, we play them. Like we play all sorts of swear words. Right. Oh, yeah, so Triple J's, I was probably more talking about more mainstream. No, totally. But I was just, no, no, but I just, I was wondering if we did.

Yeah. So they made it into the hottest 100. That's really cool. Yeah, quite a lot. Obviously. There was actually a recently, you would have seen, or you would have seen at your work, that they did a re-vote for, or maybe Double J did a revote for the 98 hottest 100. Yeah.

And a tism song, What I, what we're talking about before, got bumped up from the 40s to number four. Oh, oh wow. Yeah, so it's really increasing popularity. Sorry, the hottest 100 is a yearly countdown that Triple J do of the hottest 100 songs of that year, the previous year. We've done a full report on it. We did early on.

Yeah, we did too. It was fun. I was talking to some listeners in Perth. And they were saying how they like the killer episodes. And I'm like, shows really changed. Yeah. I'm like, I remember the early days. We weren't picking killers.

That was only when we were starting to take suggestions. Yeah. I'm like, they were pretty innocent early on and their point of reference was, yeah, like the hottest 100. Yeah. Or the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. That was cute. It was a different time. We were such naive kids back then.

Yeah, the Mona Lisa. Adorable. Why is it famous? Okay, but then episode 10. That's true. That's death, burial cremation. What can you do with your body when you die? That was a pretty morbid and still my favorite.

Great episode. They pack your ass with cotton. It's gross. I think that's what made the episode of the packing of your ass. We couldn't get past it. Funnily enough. As well as being their most well-known song, I reckon just the name is,

they must have taken the day off and they came up with never going to be an old man river. Because it's in brackets too. Yeah, that's right. Old Man River is like a standard, classic standard. That old man river. So I just,

I imagine they would have just had a, a nap for a week or two. Yeah. It sends down. All right, to the pub. Yeah. So, but as well as being the most well-known song, it was also possibly their most controversial with the chorus repeating the line, I'm on the drug that killed River

Phoenix. Many found it to be in poor taste. Possibly most famously, flee from the red hot chili peppers, the bass player from the chili peppers. He was a friend of Phoenix's. He was there when he died? Right. So very short.

Very close. Yeah, so it was outside. the Viper room, which Johnny Depp co-owned at the time. And I'm pretty sure that Johnny Depp was on stage with Flea because Johnny Depp plays guitar and, you know, their friends or whatever. And they were on stage. What is their life? I know, they were on stage when they heard that River Phoenix was out the front

overdosing and I think they ran out. I'm sorry, did somebody, like, interrupt their performance? That's rude. Yeah. Hello, I'm just trying to do a bass solo here. My bass solo is a double bass, bass, obviously. Of a sudden, the Viper room in my head changed from like a dirty, like, spew-filled nightclub to like a smoky jazz club. Yeah, yeah.

Everyone's in black and white. Yeah. So the steam comes up to me, she says. I'm wearing a fedora. So, Flea, what are you going to say? Flea was annoyed about it. Yeah, he were apparently quite angry about it. And he said he, some people say he either threatened to fight him or even kill them.

over it. So he was pretty upset about it. Apparently, before talking to Richard Kingsmill, who's like a long-term music manager at Triple J, still around. Yeah. The King. He hosts the Sunday Night New Music show. He's the group director of music.

Right. And he... He's a big boss. He talked about interviewing Flea just before California Cation came out, their biggest album. Yeah. And he said, just before they started talking, Flea brought up, Flea brought up,

just did a real tinitanisne. I'm trying not to interrupt you, but in doing so interrupted you, I'm so sorry. So apparently Fleaed before the interview started off, Mike, he started talking about how annoyed he was, how furious he was with Tism and this song. And Kingsmills was like, just had to be like, yeah, right, yeah, yeah, and just quietly thinking, we played it a lot. We got that song a lot of support. I'm making that call.

I won't tell you that. No. But shit. I made that single of the week. Yeah. Totally. They would have been on super high rotation, I imagine. Later speaking to the age and big newspaper in Melbourne,

Ron Hitler Barassi said about the song. He said that the line, I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix wasn't about River Phoenix at all. That song was about fame. It was sort of making fun of how everything's overblown with fame, right? And then when the journalist asked him if he'd ever had a chance to explain this to flee, Barassi replied, I had him on the ground and I was just about to break his nose with my forehead.

And I said, you do know, Flee, that satire, you do know Flee that satire is a legitimate art form stretching back to ancient Greek drama. And he said, oh, that's okay then, Ron. He's a good guy, Flee. He's a mate of ours. Fagin' out, they're the best. There's such little shits and it's just, it's awesome. That would be so fun to just, you're like, there's no pressure on you to say, to, You could just say anything and it's all just sort of having a good time.

But they are just do seem, like if you listen to interviews, they do sound so quick. They're very intelligent. Yeah. But I mean, some of that is probably they're taught. I think they all met at Melbourne uni. Yeah. I've still don't mention a couple times. So like highly educated, but suburban kids, they grew up in Springvale and sort of real working class areas.

So I think that's a big part of who they are as a band. They're the mix of the suburbs and the sort of, you know, the tertiary education, educated elite type. And that, yeah, it's a real funny dichotomy. I got to interview Humphrey B. Lefe of Bear. Jess was in the room at the time for community TV. And I asked him, I'm like going. Was he in a costume? No, no, this is after.

So I will talk about this side. He's, he's, um, his name's Damien Cow and he's, um. Oh, do know Tammy Cow. Yeah, yeah. He's been open about his identity since, whereas none of the others really have. I wonder, do the other's mind that he's... I think he must have had that discussion. He wrestled with it a lot, I believe, but I'm sure he would have talked it through.

I mean, who cares? It's his life. All right, I'm finally prepared to admit it. I am the original jock cheese. Oh, my God. What? Finally got off my chest. You started in the band before you were born.

It's been an elaborate lie. I'm not 28. I'm 48. Whoa. You look great. Thank you so much. But also awful. Thank you.

Somehow both. Jock cheese. Ah. That makes sense. But I remember asking Damien Kell on that show. I said something like, I'm gone, I said to him before and I'm like, feel free to give me as much shit as you want. But he's such a super nice guy. But I'm trying to sound smart.

And I said something like, I'll post his interview somewhere. but I said something like, yeah, so it's like you sort of, you know, your highbrow references and your lowbrow. So it's kind of like, it's sort of like an interesting juxtaposition, isn't? And he said something like, Matt, I couldn't make that question any better by answering it. Oh, no. It was so efficient. It was so efficient the taking down of me. Yeah, he roasted you real good.

That is great. He was very nice. He was so nice. What a legend. So what was I talking about again? Oh, so the success of this album, Macaveli, was big, and it opened the band up to new audiences. They played on the massive big day out tour,

which is the, at the peak was a huge tour around Australia. Went to all the capital cities in front of, you know, 30,000-ish fans, maybe. I have no idea, but something like that. Looking back at this period of mainstream success, Ron joked to the Adelaide advertiser that the only reason Tism spent years and years and years in the artistic pure avant-garde is because the mainstream wouldn't have us. But now the mainstream has embraced us. The avant-garde can go stuff themselves as far as we're concerned.

For years and years, we've been slagging off the mainstream media and talking about corporate rock-a-roll and the mendacious and tropic forces of world capitalism. But that's only because they wouldn't give us any money. The only reason we wouldn't sell our principles was because no one was buying. Coming out of their biggest mainstream success, Tism went back into the studio to record their follow-up album, www.w.w.com, released in 19998, which I think with a name like that,

you could probably guess that. The album was highly anticipated, but their choice of single titled, I might be a c-but I'm not a fucking c-b. With its accompanying video, that parodied a celebrity sex tape, meant that neither radio nor television would touch it. Well, they're on a hot streak.

Yeah. It felt like, yeah, this is the time. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if they released, What Are You? Because that's off the same album as the first single. And would that have sort of made this album sort of similar heights? But the album did sell well, but not anywhere near as well as the previous album. I think it's another really good album, obviously.

And is that, is it, do you reckon that website still exists? I don't think it does. Disappointing. I don't think that, yeah, their website's not up anymore, unfortunately. Yeah, it'd be cool if it did, but yeah, that would, you know, that's, that would be them making things easy. Yeah, good point. They won't do that. Yeah, I think I asked a similar question to Damien on that interview.

I'm like, was that on purpose? Were you trying to, were you like, we've had so much success, let's make it hard for us to have success now? And he basically said, really, it was just bravado and we didn't know, you know, we didn't know any better. We just thought, whatever. I'll find that interview anyway. I'm very much paraphrasing him there. And he was like, I'm, yeah.

Oh, I'm Damien. And Matt's the smartest man I've ever met. That's for sure. Oh, I have to go. I have diarrhea. Or something like that. I'm paraphrasing, but I definitely remember he had diarrhea.

Yeah, he had the shit. After the... You hated that because you hate poo jokes. But that's very... funny. I reckon Damien would have a little loved it. I'd love it. After the tour in support of wanker.com,

Tism moved from shock records to festival mushroom records, which re-released much of their back catalogue again on CD. It's funny that they keep doing that. As well as a double album of new material called D-Rigamortis, which had a second disc, which was a like a rock opera called Two Pot Screamer. And that was released in 2001. It debuted at number

And I remember because I bought That was the first album I bought at the time That was my you know The first album that came out When I was properly aware of them and stuff And yeah I'm pretty sure that Even on that The bonus album there's a lot of bleeps

Like they didn't get They often happen where things have to get bleeped Because of legal advice after they've produced it Right So it's like a song and you just hear Yeah names have been bleeped out It's happened a few times They're redacting music

That's amazing. That's so great. It debuted at number 24 on the charts. And apparently, Flabert talked to Triple J and predicted it would drop. He said something like it would drop out of the charts like a stone the following week. And he was right. So, yeah, I guess all they're a band with a dedicated fan base. They were one of those bands of buy it straight away.

Yeah. I remember their final album, the White Album, I went to J.B. High Fire. I've probably said this before. I went week after week. Oh, I've heard you say that. to be released and it was delayed for whatever reasons and I kept going as the new two of the oh bless I'm imagining you're going in your school uniform uh no I think that would have been would have been just after school but you were yeah we're still wearing the school uniform yeah

these little shorts and his knee high socks and oh so cute just wants his new albums excuse me sir can I have some autism albums I'm afraid not today no not today so I did say Australia, the lucky country without the re. Australia, the lucky. I, I, years ago, was in a bidding war on eBay for it. I got up to, and I was, you know, it would have been early 20s and not had a lot of money. And I bid up to 200 bucks. And I didn't get this, like this five-track EP.

It was going for up over 200 bucks. Wow. Wow. It was the original artwork. And so you couldn't get your hands on it. Couldn't get my hands off for that much. I was like, ugh. You know, when your heart's beating real fast, like, oh, this is higher than I can afford.

I'm going to go one more. All right, one more. I hope I don't get it. This is too much. Yeah, so I really, de rigamortes, I smash that. That album I love a lot, but it isn't necessarily loved by critics. I think it's a bit underrated. But in 2003, we're moving towards the end of their career now.

In 2003, the band filmed a one-off concert special called the Save Autism, Telethon. The stage was set up complete with a panel of actors playing volunteers, making pretend pledges, taking pretend pledges throughout the show. And there was an emcee and a tuxedo calling himself Marcel Proust. I think it was actually played by Melbourne writer Marco Toole. I was there that night.

Oh, so you could go along. Yeah. So it was at the high-fi bar, then the hypho now known as Max Wall. All right. So it actually wasn't broadcast then. It wasn't broadcast. Nice.

This is all live in the room. Gotcha, got you. Yeah. It was filmed and later released on DVD. But this wasn't the first high concept live concert they put on. In fact, most of their shows had some elements of this. And I found a bunch of them listed on that ABC J-Files article. As a standard, their live shows always were highly choreographed.

Each song had its own dance and all the members were dance in unison. I'm pretty sure your family friend, though, when he joined, he said, I'll play guitar, I'll wear the costumes. But I ain't dancing. Does that sound like him? Probably, yeah. Which is pretty funny. So you'd always see him standing.

He sort of planted on the left side of the stage just, well, right, you know, on the edge of the stage. Stage left. Stage left. So they all had well-hearsed routines, and the band didn't talk between songs. They would just hold out big hand-drawn cards with the names of their following song, kind of like a, you know, like a wrestling bout. Yeah. They'd say round one or whatever on it.

And then they'd fling them out in the crowd. So you'd often see people walking home from gigs with a few of these title cards under their arms. Sick. So that's all just normal stuff. But here's the list of some of the more involved live show concept as listed on that ABC article. The Tism Opera. Upon arriving at the Palace Theatre at the Palace in St. Kilda, unsuspecting entrants were given cryptic brochures pertaining to tonight's opera performance.

Behind the stage were rows and rows of empty seats like bleachers. as the start of Tism set became closer these were gradually filled by people wearing formal wear and toting opera glasses behind them on the stage when Tism started playing

these upper crust tofts peered down at the band and crowd as they were the strangest curiosities presented for their titillation and amusement in between songs they'd offer a light patter of applause

as they looked down their noses at the scene before them it was disconcerting enough through the show but in the encore, the wall between the artificial class divide crumbled and many of the opera set stage dived into the crowd, obviously the actors or whatever, only to be pummeled for their earlier condensation by the Tism fans. Oh, no. Another time they did a show was like a stock exchange when they launched their single let's form a company. At this launch, the entire palace stage was transformed into a huge stock exchange.

with all of the listed stock options being different Tism songs. There were buyers on the floor bidding and fake chalkies running around above them on platforms, making mark of stock movements and fluctuations. The joke was that every time Tism started a new song, that track's share values would plummet as everyone clambered to sell. Wow. They played at the Virgin Megastore opening. So when Virgin Dane to open,

one of the new megastores in Melbourne in 1989, They cordoned off nearby Russell Street and held a big open-air concert to celebrate. Tism were one of the main acts. When it was their turn to play, the curtains drew back to reveal a massive backdrop advertising the long-standing independent music store Gaslight Records. Members of the band through thousands of Gaslight flies in the crowd.

At the end of the set, Hitler Barassi launched into a spoken word attack on Virgin and all that it stood for. Lengthy, abusive rhyme along the lines of Richard Branson has taken my family for ransom. That was something that Ron Hilabrassi would do every show he'd do a long sort of ranty diatribe poem. The other members of the band

were furiously moving gear into a truck as he's ranting that had backed up onto the stage and as he finished his singing diatribe he joined them in the back of the truck which promptly rolled its doors down and drove away. That is so wild.

It's so cool. And a wild version It feels like a weird book. Someone hadn't done their homework on that. Oh, these guys got four songs in the top, you know, two songs in the top ten of the Triple J. Kids love these guys. We'll get them in.

Oh, no. That is wild. And another show they, they talk about a lot in the band about how the fans it shows, there's two kinds of Tizam fans, the sort of big meatheads at the front who like get, real physical and then the sort of the nerdy guys at the back, which is, I guess, is all a part of the same dichotomy between their... Yeah, high and lower.

So it says, playing upon the oft-lampoon delineation of tism crowds between those up the front and those up the back, one of Hitler Barassi's incredible shoddy diatribes was titled, I'm one of the guys who stands up the front to see Tism, which was just sort of, it was being very mocking to the people who stand up the front. and it had the immortal conclusion and if you think that's bad then you should see the cats who stand at the back

this show at the palace featured a secret second stage at the rear of the venue and two full tism setups when the curtain opened to start the show the band was suddenly playing at the back of the venue

that there was a free for all as people scoured to take up their traditional vantage points either at the front or the back only for the band to suddenly appear back on the main stage after a couple of songs and then they would just repeat that

switching back to front back to front. And then finally, back to the Save Autism Telethon. The 2003 show at Melbourne's hi-fi bar opened with a host of panel of phone operators trying to solicit donations and an attempt to raise $1 million to stop Tism from breaking up. After each song, they'd take a few calls like pre-recorded calls, kind of like audio sketches as the band stood still in the breaks. This is all available.

You can see all this online as well. The payments climbed closer and closer as the night went on. And just before the set concluded, they announced, unfortunately, they'd missed the target by $1. This meant, as you maybe would predict, the crowd started piffing dollar coins at a stage. And Australian dollar coins are heavy, chunky little coins. And you can see one of them hits Marcel Proust, the MC, in the glasses. Oh, my God. Holy crap.

Yeah, so it's pretty wild. And then, yeah, that would hurt. But anyway, but they obviously, they stuck to the script. That's so funny. The show was released the next year on DVD as part of their final album, The White Albin package, sort of a play on the Beatles' White Album. Albin. And it came with two DVDs, including a documentary and the live show on a second DVD.

So it became their last LP. And due to its unorthodox package of having the DVDs along with it, it was ineligible for the ARIA charts, unfortunately. So I'm not sure how successful it was sales-wise. It's interesting. It came in a DVD case. I guess it just counted. Yeah, it's kind of annoying.

Yeah, that's odd. It would have been interesting to see if it charted or whatever. Yeah. Certainly if there were many other nerds like me, rocking up to JV. High Fi every couple of days. So cute. Hello.

I'm just wondering if it's a bit coming. What's the major? Like, what are you talking about? Go away. These little shorts is knee high socks. Every week did you have to get the courage up to ask again? Be like, oh. Yes.

Sorry about the year. I was just wondering if the nudism was there. I can see the autism. Is there a newtism yet? I'm so sorry. Not yet. Like, please. You can just call us.

Yeah. Why? Oh, me again. Catching a bus down there or something. That's my impression of you and I think it's all right. That's not bad. That was me. That was me back then.

That's not bad. Did you cry when they finally said, oh, actually, yeah, that arrived this morning. It was a beautiful moment. It was a really nice moment. I ended up, I met, I met Ron and Humphrey at a showing. There was at Acme that they showed the live footage when they released it. Of the high fire buggy that you'd been at. Yeah, yeah.

And there was some Q&A and stuff like that. And you already owned the DVD. I already owned the DVD because I bought it the day it came out. And then I got, after the show, you can, like, up meet and greet which I never I would never know I don't think it's the only time maybe I've ever done it yeah and I got to the front I realize everyone's buying the album there and getting it signed I'm like oh I've already got it at home so I didn't have it there to get it sign and I regret it after that I didn't just buy another fucking copy but I I pulled out

in my pocket the only thing I had and for because of the songs with Saints lyrics in the past I assumed they were saint supporters for some reason and I'd just been to the footy to see the Tigers play the Saints Saints had a great win Best day ever. What a day for you. And I remember that because I go, would you mind, I don't have, I've already got the album at home, but would you mind signing this? And Humphrey was like, all right.

He turns out doesn't give a fuck about football at all. But Ron does. And he goes, oh, what a shit going. It turns out it is a target supporter. I'm like, oh, I thought you were a saint supporter. Sorry about that. And he's like, yeah, I guess they're sort of the unofficial team of the. So I really was shattered.

He's obviously a big footy fan. Wow. Way for you to pour salt on that wound. What a tedious story. Anyway, they, I mean, they're one of the most successful team. I was just wondering if you could sign this for me. I don't have the album here with me. I swear I own it already.

I bought it. I went to J.B. Hi-Fi every day. It would have been, I'm sure I would have got home. I would have been leaving. I'd have been thinking in my head like, you idiot, idiot. Yeah. Why don't you say all these different things lying in bed that night going, stupid.

Stupid. You should have bought the album. Should just shut your mouth and just let them talk. God, idiot. I did that so often with tripod. I firstly couldn't talk to them. It took me five, six years to talk to them. The musical comedy trio, tripod. Yeah, the reason I do comedy tripod.

And then even then, every time I did, I'd walk away like, what the fuck did you just say? You idiot. They hate you. You are a stupid moron. Never go into comedy. You might meet them at some point. I remember one time I, on the same night,

I had two awkward moments at Melbourne Comedy Festival when I was women a teen. Try a yon walk past. And I went, hey, and he looked as like, yeah. And I just pretended that I didn't say anything. He was panicked. Panicked, I panicked. And another time I was lining up to see Greg Fleet.

And he was walking past the line going in. I'm like, oh, hey, oh, Lord of what I said this show. Oh, such a big fan. Oh, I'm so sorry. Oh, I shouldn't have said it. Oh, so sorry. And he's just having to calm me down. He's going, hey, no, it's great.

Hey, it's really nice. Thanks so much for coming. It's really nice to meet you. Oh, shit, I'm such an idiot. Shouldn't have said, I'm so sorry. You've got a show to think about. What am I talking to you for? I'm so sorry, Greg Fleet.

You're a legend of comedy and I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry. And he's just sort of like pat me. And then he was around at our studio years later. and I re-told him the story. Obviously, he had no memory of that. And he's just like, oh, yeah, sorry, man. Oh, no.

I'm sorry. And then again, I'm like, oh, no. That night. You idiot. Stupid, stupid. I want to bring that up. I had a chance to play it cool. So in five years again.

So five years ago, you were the stupid old studios. And I was telling you the story. Oh, no. I did it again. I did. The next time I spoke to him properly, we were driving up to a gig. I was supporting him up in Aubrey. Oh my God. So I was sharing a car up there and I did not mention anything. Played it like I'd never heard of him before. Very good. Hey, who are you

again? Greg who? Greg who? Nice. Greg feet, was it? Yeah. Who's supporting who you? Am I on? Am I the star here? So here, let me give you a few tips for comedy because I know you're new. Well, like I obviously didn't go that far, but it definitely was a much nicer experience. Good, Matt. Well, Talking to people like people. You learnt. Also, like, I think I've realised by now that people aren't people. Yeah. Well, people sometimes get excited to meet us and I stand there going,

I put my pants on one leg at a time. Yeah. I'm a regular human being. I think I can definitely see how stupid they are. So dumb. Because I'm an idiot. You are. I'm a nothing person.

I'm rarely excited to see you. Wow. Rarely. but often it happens. Dave? I'm always excited to see you. Yeah, you too balance me out. I was joking.

I'm very excited. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. I've learned my lesson now. Anyway, what are we talking about?

Tism. You better beep that out. My parents will be listening. Which bit? Where I said, you dumb. Okay. Oh, there's a lot of bleating. Good luck with that.

We were talking about the time that you met Tism and fuck. I just want to move on. You're literally in control of the report. You can move on if you want to. Tell me those magic words. Matt, do go on. Oh, he went for Richmond and you showed him the thing that made his team lose. So, yeah, it's one of my favorite albums, their final album.

The White Album. Yeah. And what year was the final one? 2004, 2003, 2004. Oh, that's a long year. That's a long year. Yeah. The album had a few live favorites,

even though it was only a tour, maybe two tours after the album came out. One of them was played, I reckon at all gigs, was Tizm a shit, which is the song about how they're shit, which is you still see on, if you look at any thread online about Tism, someone will be in there saying Tizum a shit, which would be confusing to people coming in. Yeah. Geez, they attract a lot of hate.

No, I'm a big fan. I love them. The album's opening track, everybody, oh, sorry, everyone else has had more sex than me. Dave. Wow. Is that that song? Afterwards, everyone else has had more sex than me. Whoa.

I was released with an animated film clip with little bunnies in a running race. And they gained a lot of traction. online, especially in Germany, so much so that it was released there as a single by Sony BMG. And it was Tism's only non-Australian release. Wow. And made the commercial charts in Germany. Holy shit.

You've got kind of quite a weird end to their long recording career as a band. Then the Green Room with Paul Prevenza, which is a comedy chat show, used another track off that album, Somebody Start a Fight or something, as the show's theme song. Cool. Their final concert was at the Earth Corps Festival on the 27th of October 2004, which is kind of like a bush duff festival. This is like a seemingly odd place for them to perform at all,

let alone their big final gig. So I'm not exactly sure the story of what that was, or if that was just them going, yeah, this would be a nice weird way to end. Or if, yeah, I'm just not sure. But yeah, it sort of feels almost fitting that, I've still got the beat magazine, I think the street press that the front cover that week came out with a drawing of Tism,

hiding in the trees taking over Earthcourt, which is pretty sick. That's cool. Yeah, it was pretty sick. Yeah, it was pretty sick. Excuse me, I'm just wondering if you had any more copies of Beat magazine. Broden was on the same episode that we, when we interviewed Damien Cow, playing my cousin, an air conditioning salesman, but he was giving me a lady, he's like, oh, I'm loving soon, your fanboy. Yeah.

In the ad broke to her, fanboying. I'm like, I'm playing a cool man Is that your Broden impression? Oh, my brother and I met him, he's been born Well, Matt, it's very nice to see you a fan boy You're a friend born, very. That was the first time I'd properly met Broden Yeah, right

Because before that, we'd interacted on Twitter And then one time I walked past him at Town Hall During Comedy Festival And he kind of waved at me And I freaked out because I was like, oh my God, Broden knows who I am So this is the first time that we'd properly that we had properly met.

You guys are such losers. Fuck you. But he was in character the whole time. So he was like a bit gruff. Yeah. Kind of because he was in this character. And then as soon as we were finished tape, he was like, so great to properly meet you, Jess.

It's so exciting. And I was like, oh my God, your actual broden. It was very confusing. Yeah. He really went deep into the rhino character. Yeah. Riner, the air conditioner salesman. Rino.

Oh, so good. This is what you would know about well, Jess. I was just going to mention about your family friend. How he sadly passed away in 2008 after battling cancer at the age of 50. Jock to his friends, real name James Paul. His obituary in the age was a really nicely written article about him, which is so like an insight to stuff that may not have heard otherwise. Yeah.

Because it was all very private stuff, I guess. But he's part of it. He said Paul joins him in 1992, 10 years. years after the group was formed by Melbourne University Friends. That was where I read. Melbourne Year. Met at Melbourne Union, yeah. And his fine guitar playing and songwriting became an integral part of the group's

groundbreaking music and outlandish performance art concepts. He was part of Tism's most successful period, which took them to what once would have been an unthinkable ascent into the top 10 in album charts. His talents were not confined to the punked up pop of Tizm. His mastery of the classical guitar meant he could add haunting focus, accompaniment to the music of other singers such as Astrid Monday. He also enjoyed a quietly satisfying career playing Chicago Blues as the front man of his own band, Blind Lemon Chicken. And even with Intism, he pushed the boundaries, scoring and conducting a fully realized

madrical piece that was unceremoniously tacked onto the end of an album, unlisted and unlawededed. Well, yeah, it's funny that you were talking earlier about we couldn't remember what his name was. Mum couldn't remember. And when he did pass away, I was in year 12, and I was reading something like Beat magazine, but might have been beat, actually. And it just had this tiny little thing about a member of Tism had passed away. And they called him Jock Cheese.

And now I remember Mum being like, no, he wasn't Jock cheese. Yeah, I think it had, because his nickname offstage was Jock. That led to a lot of confusion at the time. Yeah. So, you were correct. Yeah. Yeah, so that's obviously that's a bit heartbreaking. I think that probably people always talk about will they get back together.

I don't have no idea, but I always thought, oh, that probably makes it very difficult. Yeah. I wouldn't speak on their behalf. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, who knows? But yeah, he can't. Yeah. But yeah, I've also, again on that interview with Damon Cowell, I asked him that question, would they ever?

And he's sort of like, he's like, to be honest, it would probably be shit if we did. I haven't played for a while now. Self-deprecating to the end, he just was like, yeah. He's just like, you know, everyone thinks it's a good idea for bands to come back. Yeah. But it usually isn't. That's kind of what he said. And I'll talk, basically to finish off, talk about Humphrey B.

LeB., for there, aka Damien Cow. Most of the other members of Laidloids since. but Humphrey came out in 2007 and started playing shows again under the name DC Root fronting a band called Root or caps with an exclamation one. Sorry, I should say Root were like a country-ish kind of band and he's still sort of hiding his identity a little bit, but the DC and DC Roots obviously his initials. Then after Root finished up, he was commissioned by David Walsh, the boss at Moena, to create a soundtrack for his museum, the museum of old and new

art in Hobart and the soundtrack was titled versus art. In 2010, after Root broke up, the DC3 was formed, a three piece funded by him again. And now who was sort of out as Damien Cow, the first time I think he really talked about his real name. And the band released a single called I Was the Guy in Tizm, which ended any speculation as to his identity. Just to be clear. Yeah. Because obviously he's got a very distinctive voice. He's the more melodic singer. Ron Hitler where Assy is more of the rantey, rockier singer, and Damon Cowell's got that great big soaring. Right. So not the one that's like, forget stoop, doggie dog.

Yeah, that's right. That's wrong. Forget old ice tea. Whereas Damon Cowell was, bought a car just you got all the day. Man, could that baby run? If you haven't heard him, you've got to check him out. They're so great.

Yeah, mate, I should make it. I wish I on Spotify as I could make a playlist for people. to listen to, but I'll put some links so people can find it. Yeah. So he was now making art basically for, like, probably Australia's maybe most famous modern museum. Yeah. In 2000, so then DC3 also disbanded.

And in 2015, he started touring his solo project, which is called Damien Cowell's Disco Machine. So far, they've released two albums. And he's collaborated, each album is like every track seems to have a different big name from Australian musical comedy, including Sean McCariff, Tim Rogers, Kate Mill Hightke, John Saffran, Sampang,

Julia Zemiro, and Tony Martin. Does Tony Martin perform with him now? Tony Martin has sort of become an honorary full-time member of the group now. Yeah, so it's, and I've seen him play after you time. So much fun. I mean, all these shows are so much great fun. He started even doing a little tism medley. Medley, yes.

And which is kind of nice. And I think it really there are, it's definitely in the same ball. Parkwitism, very funny, clever lyrics over just catchy, bouncy party tunes. I mean, it's, yeah, he sort of really embraced the disco idea. Awesome. So, yeah, Tony Martin's now become a full-time member of the group. What's Tony play or do?

He's sort of like dancing, backup vocals. Tony Martin dancing. Yeah, his dance is real fun. He just, it goes all in. I love it. Yeah, great. Funnily enough, the first time Tony Martin met Damien Kavis, He had no idea who he was behind the balaclava.

This is from an article on Sydney Morning Herald's website, Big Paper in Sydney, obviously. Martin was on air with Mick Malloy at Fox FM. It was the big radio show at the time, Martin Malloy, when two members of techno-rock satire troptism arrived in full regalia for their scheduled interview. The radio comedians couldn't have known that the masked man identifying as Humphrey B. LeBeer

was in fact a mild-mannered, advertising copywriter from Sister Station Triple M, taking a sneaky break from his office cubicle downstairs. Damien had called a cab, left his desk, and gone down to the back alley to meet up with Ron Hitler Barassie, and get into these giant inflatable archbishop costumes. This is all quoting Martin. They got in the cab and drove around to the front of the building,

came up and did the interview, then went back downstairs again, got changed and went back to his desk. It was a full ten years before I knew that, Martin says. That's awesome. That's so funny It's in the same building Yeah That's so good

I love committing to it Yeah Calling a cab So say you're rocking up in a cab And I'm just walking Yeah Sorry guys Gotta go to the dentist

Be back in an hour Yeah It's gonna go be on radio for a bit So fun That's awesome Yeah I really like I like that story a lot They really do

Like Not only in their music But it does seem like With everything They don't take anything Too seriously Yeah It's all very serious

But also Not serious at all I mean this is serious mom. Exactly. Yeah. Far out. What a juxtaposition, am I right?

What a dichotomy. That's a word you've thrown around a few times and I love it. Big fan of that word. Yeah, so you should be. Just to finish maybe this is the final paragraphs of that ABC article, which I think sums it all pretty nicely. Even though I don't know if it's fully true because the first line says there will never be another band like Tism, whereas I do think Damien Kells' Disco machine is a band like Tism.

But all the same. They'll never be an, and also interestingly, I had Tony Martin on Primates spin-off show from this. And we talked a bit about Damon Cowell's disco machine and stuff. And he pointed out, which is, I knew, but it didn't really sink in that he's since Tism finished, Damon Cowell's probably, I think he's done more LPs outside of Tism than he did with Tism maybe now. So he's been pretty prolific since leaving, whilst always keeping up the day job, I think. There's other bits and pieces off the side like Jock Cheese released a solo album called Platter, Jok Cheese Platter. Ron Hitler-Barrasi released a novel, which is as his own, you know.

Right. His actual name. Yeah. He didn't want to put Ron Hitler Barassi on a book. No, yeah, weird like that. I think the first time the names were revealed that people noticed was, do you remember John Saffran's music jamboree? Yeah, maybe. Yeah.

Great cheer. I really, really liked it. Yeah. On that they played never going to be an old man river with on Greek instruments. Yeah, that's what they have. At the end, they always have it. I remember friends are wrong. Punching the face.

Yeah. And then in the credits, they listed their real names. Oh. Performing the song. So that put the cat out of the bag for some people. Ah. I think these days it would be very hard to keep such things a secret anyway. But it's also like how much do people care about.

it or not. But yeah, he released a fiction novel a few years back. What else are other interesting tidbits? There's so many. And this is what I was saying. Like, I could have, there's so many funny interviews I would have loved to have read out and gone through different songs and stuff.

But I think this is probably the way to go for a sort of like, imagine a lot of the listeners that never heard of Tism, apart from me banging on about it on this show. Anyway, to finish, this is it from the ABC. There will never be another band like Tism because there will never be another configuration of musical talented and super intelligent people who so gloriously don't give a fuck. They're gone, but if there's even a skerick of justice in this world, they will never be

forgotten. For the briefest time, they illuminated the landscape and made life seem exciting and joyous and full of possibilities. That's more than one should ask or expect from a rock and roll band. Tism are dead. Long live tism. That's great. What a beautiful piece of writing.

Yeah, that's beautiful. And what a beautiful report. Great job, Matt. That was great, Matt. Oh, thank you. Yeah, I was, I'd said to, yeah, I'd love to have had another week to write it, but I think it is, you know. I've done great. And I knew embarrassingly little about tism.

Yeah, right. Probably because I wasn't allowed to listen to them. Yeah. Because they're not that kid friendly, to be fair. No. And maybe it was because we knew Jock that it would, like, you don't want to hear Jock say stuff like that. We don't want to damage the way the kids look at this nice, lovely man who's been a long time friend. I had no idea they did that fun stuff of their live shows.

Yeah, that would have been so cool. That's wild. There were so many other ones as well that they talked about. There was a kind of disastrous one where they, because they used to play with the suburban stuff a lot. So one, they had whippersnippers and lawnmowers running inside and enclosed. Oh, that's a terrible idea. So it just fumes.

You couldn't see and everyone had to, like, they had to open up the place to let everyone out. So I were always trying out stuff and it was really making it a show. So that's why I loved it. The live shows were amazing. I was lucky enough to get into them, like, properly over the last, like, handful of years. And I think I saw them five times live. And every show, like, they'd be five of my favorite ever.

And you saw them do some cool stuff? Yeah. Yep. And, you know, I was at the Telethon. And, yeah, most of the shows were sort of conceptual. I saw one time I saw him do a secret show at the tote, which is maybe my favorite of all of them. It was them sort of rehearsing just in plain black, Balaclav. In a place that only fits like a couple hundred people.

Yeah. Just on a proper rock show. Kind of iconic Melbourne bar. And yeah, I feel sad that I didn't get to see more, but I feel very lucky that I got to see him at all. And so happy that Damien has continued performing live. And yeah. So in my head, he's sort of making it still happen.

And he came on your community show. Still cannot believe that. That was wild. That was so cool. So cool. And you had me on as well. Wild. And you met Broden.

I met Brodens. I met Brodyn that day. Who else was like? Kappa was on. Kappa was there. It was an all-star cast. Yeah. Olympic gold medalist Lydia Lusilla.

Lassala. Lassala. Lassala. Lassala. Lassala. She told me after we stopped recording that I'd been saying it wrong. But she was cool. She was nice.

She was cool, but she was ice cold how she told me. Oh really? Which was probably just fucked with me. It was great fun. She was really fun, actually. Yeah. That's how amazing that you listed all those people and the gold medalist came last. Oh, yeah, some gold medalist was also.

Yeah, but Kappa was there. Yeah, can you believe it? And Broden! And Jess. I was playing a censor. I was a sensor, but... I reckon if we had time to, like, obviously that was a thrown together show with no rehearsal or anything. And it was very loose.

Yeah. And my parents watched it and said later, yeah, I like that. interview towards the end. They were looking brutal about it. Zavie, my glider's on as well. Zave was there. Zave was having a breakdown. I'm like, I reckon that'd be a sick, that'd be a sick weekly late show.

But anyway, you know. When I become a millionaire, when these tism bits of memorabilia. Every week you get Lydia Lasselor on. You say a name different every single week. It's a funny running joke. I just think if there are any TV bigwigs listening, then they should give us a show. Hello, bigwigs. That's all I'm asking.

Just one. at maybe a full season. CBS in America. 24 episodes. Bump, Stephen Colbert. We are not asking too much. Bump, Stephen Colbert for me and Humphrey Bfebair. Matt, fantastic report.

Fantastic. I was very nervous about it. I do know there will be some first-time listeners have come just for Tism because the fan base is pretty rabid and they take in everything. And they will just be sitting there with a red pen. No, I don't think so. Because I think they've got the right sort of spirit about it. And you covered a lot of great sense.

stuff. It was fascinating. It's funny though, like, because there is more online to know about them now than there was at the time. Other interesting fact, you know Jet, the band? Yes. Their uncle's in Tizom. Yes. Or you would, you know, all those. I didn't know that. Because Jock came over to our house one time and walked past my bedroom and I had a jet poster and he was like, oh, no, those boys. And I was like, what? Because I still hadn't quite, you know, and like, I think it must be the case for kids who, whose parents are on TV and it's just kind of, that's just mum. Yeah. Like that was just jock.

I was like, what are you talking about? How could you possibly know someone the jet? That's quite, it's just he's jumped. It's what he did. That's easy. It's a bloody muso. He knows everybody. They, because of that connection, they were pretty merciless giving Jet shit in late interviews,

which is pretty fun as well. Which I wouldn't have got the joke at the time, but for them it would have been actual layers of fun because they're just roasting there. Friend's nephew. Yeah. Nah, good stuff. Cheers, mate. Well, now it's time for that part of the show where we thank some of our Patreon supporters.

That's right. Well, we do the least tism thing ever and sell out, baby. And the first part, are we doing it, are we doing it, Maddie? Fact quote or question. Danan-na-na-da-na-da-na-da-na-da-na-na-da. What a riff. It's so good. This comes from Mani Gaza.

Mani Gaza. And he's giving himself the title, Junior Vice President of Nick Mason's Golden Tuxedo Rentals. Oh, I like that. I wonder who the Senior Vice President is. Senior Vice. That's spot up for grabs. Apparently that was something Tism did earlier in their career.

They wrote letters to people like Prime Minister Paul Keating and maybe Eddie Van Halen, offering them the position of a tambourine player in the band. What good fun. So Manny asked the question this week. In fact, quote a question. He's chosen question. He asked the question, what advice would you give to other creatives

when having a mental block or when feeling down on starting a new project? Oh, a serious question. Do we have to give serious answers? Because that would mean being emotionally vulnerable. Something artists cannot do. do. What would you do? My thing I like to do is go to other people and watch their stuff.

Yep. Listen to something. What do we say? Ripping off. Plagiarising. Yeah. Yeah. Basically, get inspired. And sometimes I find it can be inspiring if you find inspiration, but not from something in your field. Yes. Because I'm very easily inspired, which is a great trait to have. But also sometimes terrible because I'm like, oh, maybe I should write a book. Oh, no, I should do a film.

Oh, no, you know. Yeah. But, yeah, you watch something really great. And even if it's not something you want to do, you go, oh, God, I want to make something that good. Right. But in my own thing. Like when you go and see a really great live band, back when I wanted to be a musician, I'd be like, yeah, I want to do that. But now I see that and go, oh, that's really great.

I want to be that good. But a comedy. Yeah. Yeah, right. That's cool. So I find inspiring to watch something great that other people have done. I think that makes sense to me. Reading, I think, is a cool thing to do.

Yep. Or just changing up what you're trying to do. So I've just recently had to work on a show. And so I went through a lot of these issues. I kind of changed my daily routine a fair bit. I started waking up earlier and just trying to get into some sort of routine. I'd list out things I wanted to. to get done in that day.

I'd also try and sleep better. And I've started reading before bed, which has been something that's worked well. But I think just changing up your routine, if it's not working, then change it up and do something else. And I also find, depending on what it is, I find doing something that takes part of your focus away,

that helps me a lot. So sometimes I find it hard to sit and write. Or if I'm feeling blocked up sitting and trying to write, I'll go for a drive or go for a walk or something like that. I don't know what the science is because I'm not a scientist, I should say that.

Something about my brain having a focus on driving that it frees up whatever's blocking me from thinking about other stuff that it opens up. I don't know. Anyway, I hate myself for talking sincerely for so long. I would probably say all of those things. Yeah, do something adjacent. Not quite what your thing is,

but to the left of it, you know, like I've started playing music again, not for anybody but myself just to get that part of my brain working again. I'm trying to read more. But also, sometimes you just sort of have to just do it anyway. So if it's writing jokes or if it's painting a picture and you're not happy with anything you're doing, just do it anyway because it's the process of flexing that muscle. So it's going to, you're going to unblock anyway.

So just sit down, even if it's shit, just do it anyway. It's beautiful. Anyway, like Ben Folds once said. Thank you. That was too sincere. Yeah, what's, well, sometimes I just think about how I'm going to die. Right. And I find that inspiring because one, two ways, it's like, well, it doesn't really matter.

So two, you may as well give it a crack. Yeah. It definitely can go either way, that one. Yeah. I'm going to die, so I'm not going to try. Or I'm going to die. Spiral into existential journey. I think some people it works for, but I just think about like, yeah, no, I'm going to try really hard because I may as well.

Yeah, that's a good point. So I hope that is an appropriate answer for you there, Manny. And thank you for supporting the show. Thanks so much. Another thing we do as well at the end of every episode is we thank a handful of Patreon supporters who support us at patreon. at patreon.com slash do go on pod. That's right. We'd like to thank them in the order that they pledge.

So we haven't quite got to you yet. We promise we will soon. And we do appreciate your ongoing support. So what are we going to do with these supporters? Well, I think, do you remember last week when we had Naomi on and we sort of did a word at a time? Oh, yeah. I think that would actually work very well with the Tism song. A pseudonym or autism sign.

Oh, pseudonym. Oh, no, we're not clever enough. They're not going to be so punny. No, no, we start the pun master Dave finish them off. So we lob them up and then he finishes it. Yeah, okay, great. I think that'll work. What do you reckon?

A stage name? I don't really like how the pun king, Matt, is trying to put the pun thing back on me. All right. Trying to rebrand me as the pun master. I feel like today you prove that you actually are. You're very good at it. You are good at it, Dave. You're a pun king.

I bow down to you. Do you want to do, so do you want to do the stage name or the song then? I could do, I reckon, either be good. I reckon the pun mask could do whatever you want to be. Yeah, come on. Let's alternate. All right, great. Well, I'd love to thank from South Yorkshire in the UK, Mr. Lewis Fowlestone.

Wow. Maybe, because English people pronouncing weirdly, could be Lewis Fulston. Fulston's nice. Yeah, Foulston's nice. Foulston sucks. Probably his real name Sorry if it's Valstone But maybe pronounce it

Fulston when you meet new people Actually it's Fulston Yeah Yeah It's like yeah what's that name That looks like It looks like dickhead or something But people go no it's

Dikeid There's one with CoBurn Yeah Cockburn No no it's CoBurn Yeah What is that C and K K doing in the middle there That is a sweet rebrand

That is Cockburn Hasn't quite work Just own it I reckon Yeah Double down on the Cockburn Yeah always double down on the cockburn. Okay.

Who wants to start? All right. So we're just, I mean, should we just work with their actual first name and then, Dave, you can turn that into something?

Could you do that? Do you have that skill? No. If I said Lewis, could you turn Lewis into some sort of a pun thing? Like, could you mix Lewis with some sort of high art thing? Yeah.

Is there a famous Lewis? Yeah. Or Wistonia or something. What about Lewisler's mother? Holy shit. I don't know what to. means but I love it. You know, Whistler's mother, that famous painting,

famously destroyed by Mr. Bean in the Mr. Bean movie? No. I don't know. Do you know Whistler's mother? Well, I don't know. I'm, now that you said that... I know the Scare Resort Whistler in Canada. Now you've said the one that Mr. Bean destroys.

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. But I didn't know what it was called. You know the Mr. Bean thing? Yeah, I know the Mr. Bean thing, but I didn't know that's what was called. That's one of the most famous American paintings of all that. I have explained that I know it, but I didn't know the name. Yeah, she doesn't seem to be whistling to me. No, she's not whistling at all.

If anything, I'd call that the sitter. Her mouth is closed. No, it's because the painter is whistler. No, she's not whistling. It's actually called Arrangement in Grey and Black Number 1. That, okay, that we get. Thank you. It's actual name.

Talk to us like chump. To be honest, Louisler's mother is pretty good. That's great, and you will do that five more times. Thank you so much, Lewis. And I'd also love to thank from Horsham in Country, Victoria. Not too far away from us. Lauren Andrew.

Lauren, thank you so much for supporting the show. And to thank you, Dave will christen you. Lauren and Drew Orsay. He's good. The Paris Museum. I assume that's good. The Muse de or say, the museum and paris. Dave, you are crushing it.

Which is actually... Once again, we don't know what you're talking about. We assume. This feels like tism. Which is exactly. I assume this is good. Where you can find Whistler's mother, Mise d'Orsay in Paris.

Bain. Nailed it. All right. That's a hot start. So now I have to make the next two combined somehow. Yeah, and I think you can do it. I'd like to thank from Chicago. Chicago. Chicago, the Winda City.

Illinois. Camille Borowski. We know Camille. We know Camille. He gave me a Gary T-shirt. He's a lovely, lovely man. He was on my blind dating. He chose spectacular.

He was too. And I assume that he's very happy with a comedian that he chose. Yeah. Which may... Who was it? That, no, I can't remember who it was. Anyway. Are you a stalling?

It's good stall. It's going to be some milliners or something like that. What's that a hat maker? You're actually very helpful to him. You're a good team, you too. Should I step out? No, you should step up. Oh, I've got it.

Borrow. Okay, yeah? Camille are Parker Bowls. Oh, four. Fuckin hell, you are good. Well done. That is terrible. No, it's brilliant.

That is terrible. Wait, what's the second meaning there, though? Don't we need two things? You've just said an existing person's name. What about? Camille La Parker Bowler hat. Yeah, okay. Now we're getting somewhere. Highbrow, bowler hat, low brow,

Camille LaPaka Ball. Love that. Take that, Camilla. That is good. And thank you, Camille. We love you and we miss you. I'd also like to thank from Mudge. in New South Wales

Kirsty or Thank you Kirsty First and foremost While Dave thinks Oh we can see the cogs turning Thank you for supporting the show Oh Or nothing in awe

Orwell Ornamental Oh Oh Kirsty or Wells that ends well Fuck yes That's George Orwell And Shakespeare in one Yep

Two of the big writers Yeah so of the human race. Oh, well, low brow, Shakespeare high brow. Do you want me to read these ones for you so you can think, or do you think you can read them yourself as well? Yeah, maybe you should read them and I'll try and... Okay.

You do the first and another this second one. Okay. I'd like to thank. Or Dave would like to thank you. Yeah, please. This is my thanks to you. You should do it in Dave's voice. I'm Swedish shit.

Yeah, Dave. That's all I hear when he talks. A sco-doo-doo-doo-dibur-dibur-dibur-dun. Fent to the Swedish listeners. He'd apologize for that. moves a lot of spaghetti around to place. I apologize for Dave and how he always not sure people. He's already thinking, I like to thank for Botanic Ridge in Victoria.

Chris, Megazizi. Megesee. Don't worry, we've picked the easiest name of all time. Meggie Essie. Meggyessie. Megisee. It's like theirs. You got the...

Chris, that's a tough name. That's good. Mega easy. I was thinking of Megazizi Z top. Oh, yeah, that's good. Yeah, great. Very good. Top.

Can you turn top in or something? Top gun. Top hat. You want to get it. Top hat. Camilla Parker Bowler hat and Chris make a ZZ Top hat. Zizi top. Low class.

Is that what are you saying? Not low class. What am I saying? Low brow. Low brow. I mean, you know, if you'd probably say the other way around, to be honest. Yeah, I'll rebut. Yeah.

over the right. Are you going to do our last one to bring us home? And bringing us home from Amherst in N-H. New Hampshire. Is that a state? Hampshire. New Hampshire. NH State. U.S.A. New Hampshire. New Hampshire. New Hampshire. Yeah, I know. Oh, you already said that. I said that because I'm smart. I thought you were guessing. I was kind of guessing, but also I got it right. So now I'm going to be cocky. Amherst in New Hampshire. It's Zachary Alan Ellis. Ooh.

Exactly. Zachary Alan Ellis. Zachary Alan Alice. Zachary Ellen Ellis. Zachary Alan Ellis in Wonderland. Wearing a large top hat. He's done it again. Yeah.

Well done, Dave. Very proud of you. Thank you. We gave you so little help. Thank you so much. That's all you. Well done. Thank you so much.

I reckon putting those six people together, they would definitely make an act that would rival stism. I also think that Zach should make his new ringtone. Zachary Allen Ellis. Zachary Allen Ellis. Zachary Ellen Ellis. Actually, he should get people that he knows well to have that be the ringtone when he calls. Yes.

So it's like his mom's calling in it. Yeah. He's calling his mom. And she just is, Zachary Allen Ellis. Zachary Allen. Alice. And she still goes, I want who that is. Because moms, you know?

They are bloody kooky. My kooks. And I love them. Love mums. Whistler's mother. Love her. I'm a mom lover. I'm a mom lover, baby.

Thank you to all those people who support it, the show. Thank you to all the mums out there. Yeah, thanks to all the mums. If you're a mom or if you have a mom or if you know someone who's a mom or if you've seen a mom on TV. Or if this is a serious mom. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, mums. I think we should wrap up on that fantastic night. We should. Thanks to all the people that listen to the show. And I've listened right through to the end to hear me say, if you liked it, why not share it with one of your nearest and dearest. For example, your mum. Yeah.

Get your mum on board. There's a few mums that have gotten on board. Absolutely. And sometimes we meet them at the live shows with their child. Yes. Yeah, there's been a couple of bubs. I love when there's a bub there. I always want to ask if I can hold the bub,

but then I'm like, don't be weird, Jess. You're a stranger. Don't hold the baby. You definitely shouldn't do that. I know. That's why I don't. I don't want to hold it. Can I like touch it?

I just don't think our insurance covers it. Ah. Drop babies. Yeah, you're right. I think I saw that. I am very clumsy and my hands are usually covered in butter. You have to tick a thing on the performers insurance form. Yeah.

Will you be holding a baby? Will you be fire twirling? Near a baby. You want to get in contact with us or support the show on Patreon. You can go to do go onpod.com. There's also links to our online merchandise and our red bubble store.

We can get our faces and our logo and all that kind of stuff printed on T-shirts, jumpers, pants, coat hangers. Probably not that, actually. I was thinking of coats. Clocks. Yep. Top hats.

Cushions. Oh, there's plenty of beautiful stuff. So get on it. Go to that. And, yeah, suggest the topic. There's a little link there. And you can suggest a topic. You don't have to be a Patreon supporter to do that.

Anyone can suggest a topic at any time. And of course, the social media are at DoGaw Unpot and all the stuff. Find us. Click us, link us, love us. And yeah, please do recommend us to a friend. Give us a five-star review if you've got the time. That'd be so nice. So lovely.

We'd really appreciate it. Apparently it lifts visibility, Dave told me a while ago, and I've been banging on about it ever since. He's very impressionable. I really am. Oh, you've got to be mentioning with reviews. It's all you're talking about now. Even of people that aren't in the podcast.

Hey, do mind giving us a five-star review? Can you just check on a five-star review? It just really helps with visibility. Yeah. I don't know what it means. Other buzzwords. Engagement. There's a bit of a dichotomy there.

A dichotomy between the audience and the engagement. Thanks so much everyone for listening. It has been a real pleasure. I think maybe the next time you hear from us might be in Adelaide. That's probably true. If you're in Adelaide. La Dida. It's very exciting.

Having a little vino. Come along to the National Wine Center on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We'll be there. Regalia with a story as old as time itself. Wow. Is it about clocks? Yeah. Aladdin?

Yeah. Tales as old as time. Beauty in the beast. The very next line. I'm going to be talking about Aladdin. I am the same. Singing teapot. My son is somehow a teacup.

Oh, surely she would have a smaller teapot. Yeah. Right? Right? Am I right? And then she's getting it on with a candlestick? Don't open this up to people messaging and saying, no, they started off as humans or something. Yeah.

Yeah, fuck off. Maybe a witch came in. Maybe the beast had somebody do with it. Did the beast fuck the cup? The beast's going on fucking cups? What happened here? Whoa, what are you doing to us? It's about time someone unfroes that bastard

And ask him a few big questions Let's get out of here Thank you everyone and goodbye Later Don't forget to sign up to our tour mailing list So we know where in the world you are And we can come and tell you when we're coming there Wherever we go

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