Prof Dan Wylie - Inaugural lecture

Professor Dan Wylie giving his inaugural lecture titled, "Elephants, compassion and the largesse of literature.”

Professor Dan Wylie presented his inaugural lecture, titled “Elephants, compassion and the largesse of literature” on Tuesday, 17 May, in Eden Grove Blue lecture theatre. Wylie, a lecturer in the English department, is fully absorbed in the field of eco-criticism – the study between literature and the physical environment. In 2008 he published the book, Elephant.


In his lecture, Wylie focussed on how literatures represent elephants and how our imagining of these creatures will affect our treatment of them. He started his lecture by questioning why we don’t raise a monument with the death of every elephant, as we do for humans – essentially highlighting the way that humans consider themselves as separate from the ecosystem. Wylie pointed out that literature can be used to cross the division between ‘human’ and ‘animal’ and to create compassion towards them. In this way we can address our dismal looking ecological future.

Wylie ended off by reading his own poem, which is narrated by an elephant.

Published in Grocott's Mail on 27 May 2011



A 'fan' gets her book signed after the lecture.



Silent protest photos

All photos by photographer, Caeri Dunnell. To see more of her work visit Caesium Photography.

The 1 in 9 protest participants pose for a group photo in front of Rhodes University's clock tower. More than 1550 people took part in the protest, making it the largest 1 in 9 protest that has ever taken place in South Africa and the biggest protest that has ever occured at Rhodes.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Most of the protesters had their mouths taped in solidarity with women who are raped or sexually abused. Only 1 in 9 rapes get reported in South Africa and only in 4% of the reported cases does the perpetrator get prosecuted.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

1 in 9 protest participants march in silence from the Great Hall, where they were taped up to the Rhodes University clock tower for a group photo. Silence speaks louder than words.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Rhodes University's Dean of Students, Dr Vivian de Klerk, supported the protest.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

I'm in the middle flanked by my best friends Lisa and Caeri (the photographer).
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Protestors marching to the clock tower.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Silent protestors could get their mouths retaped during the day.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Silent protestors were not allowed to remove their tape during the day to eat or speak. Here a protestor writes notes to her friend.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Silent in solitude.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

The 1  in 9 protestors took part in a die-in in the Rhodes University library quad. This symbolised the women who have been silenced and even murdered through sexual abuse.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

The die-in - A chance to reflect on why we were taking part in the protest.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Die-in.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Lisa Bluett making a point about what rape does to women.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Men could participate in the protest too, but did not have their mouths taped.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Here you can see the T-shirts that the silent protestors wore on the day.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

The protestors march to the Cathedral to be untaped.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Protestors marching to the Cathedral.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Entering the Cathedral.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

Here I am hungry and emotionally drained, but relieved to finally be untaped. After we were untaped, we marched from the Cathedral back to the Great Hall for a concert.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell.

All photos by photographer, Caeri Dunnell. To see more of her work visit Caesium Photography.

I am angry



My mouth was taped for the 1 in 9 silent protest, in solidarity with those who have been silenced by rape and sexual abuse.
Photo by Caeri Dunnell

 The Silent Protest hadn’t even begun yet when I saw a res friend sitting on the Great Hall floor donning a ‘Rape Survivor’ T-shirt. She was crying and her friends sat with their arms around her. I had no idea.
Two weeks ago I spent a day with my mouth taped shut as part of the 1 in 9 silent protest. By the time the morning was over, I had seen classmates, res friends, acquaintances, a friend’s mother and many strangers all bravely wearing the same "Rape Survivor" T-shirt.
Seeing friends wearing that shirt made me angry. Very, very angry. The statistics became a reality – rape was something that could happen to me.
Our taped mouths, misinterpreted by many, symbolised the millions of women who have not told anyone that they’ve been raped, or, have told someone only to be horribly let down by a system which fails to prosecute rapists. This makes me angry.
At lunch time, all the protesters lay down in the library quad for an hour-and-a-half-long "die-in". Upon asking my long-term boyfriend to say hi to me at the die-in and to walk into town with me, his SMS reply was: “I’m not gonna come meet you, I’m really sorry but I would just feel really uncomfortable…”
I was furious! Uncomfortable with what? My silence? After being together for a year and a half did he really feel that talking to each other ALL the time was necessary? Did he think I was going to be sombre in light of the protest and wouldn’t be fun to be around?
This made me angry.
When I eventually brought myself to talk to my boyfriend, the reality of his discomfort was quite different. Contrary to what I thought, he was not uncomfortable with me, but after reading the message on the protesters T-shirts, he felt that the protest was against men and was not comfortable with the thought of being surrounded by more than a thousand male-bashing protesters.
He also felt that the T-shirts implied that all men are rapists and wanted to know why no emphasis was placed on men who get raped.
Yes, we were bashing men – bashing the men who think it is their right to rape women. Women were angry and still are.
I am angry that a man can tell a woman wearing a rape survivor T-shirt that “it would have been better if your mouth was taped shut”.
I am angry that I live in a country where gender equality is part of the constitution, but violence against women is largely the norm.
I am angry that our justice system is just-a-system. I am angry that our leaders are not taking this problem seriously and that some are unprosecuted perpetrators.
I am angry that according to statistics, by the time I am 50 years old I will have been raped at least once.
I am angry that one day my daughter will probably be raped. And so will yours. I am angry at a comment made about my taped mouth, “Dis nou hoe ‘n vrou moet lyk” (That is how a woman should look).
I am angry at the stories I heard during the day: a young woman raped by her uncle when she was between the age of four and six; a 15-year-old girl raped by her cousin, in her room, her safe space; a woman who’d watched her father rape her mother; a young girl trying to deal with the secret of her best friend’s rape; a woman who was too ashamed to wear the ‘Rape Survivor’ T-shirt.
We were waging war on patriarchy. And yet, my boyfriend is a man who will not violate women and we desperately need the support of men to fight sexual violence. So instead of excluding men, why don’t we allow them to be taped up for the day?
Taped women are meant to symbolise raped women. But, if men were taped they might be able to identify with the powerlessness and vulnerability that women experience.
Many students, mainly non-participants, do not realise the significance and symbolism involved in the silent protest. I think that the campaign fails to properly inform the wider Grahamstown community about why exactly it is done and it does not use the opportunity to interrogate other gender issues.
Even though I felt that I hadn’t been supported by my boyfriend, in hindsight, I know that is not strictly true.
I was touched by the support I received from some unlikely places - Facebook messages, SMSes and phone calls from friends I have not seen or spoken to in years, thanking me for what I was doing on behalf of women and applauding my braveness.
I did not sign up for the protest to get a pat on my back, but it felt good to know that my actions were having far-reaching effects.
I am still angry, but I was also empowered by the protest. I was part of the biggest 1 in 9 protest to date. I stood up and fought the war on women’s bodies. I still am fighting it.
I was part of an event where rape survivors were able to open up and confide their horrific ordeals, surrounded by empathy and love, allowing the healing process to start for them.
It was a highly emotional day and an experience that participants – myself included – are unlikely to ever forget. It has changed me and it will hopefully contribute to change in our country.
I want to stop being angry.

Published in Grocott's Mail on 29 April 2011.

Meri Kenaz brings her heart to Grahamstown

Photo by Gabi Falanga

Meri Kenaz’s performance is a whole-body experience. As she sings, her hips sway gently from side to side, her eyes close and she lifts her chin slightly as she delicately plucks out a tune on her guitar. Her music envelops the small, cosy group in the Rhodes Student Union on Monday night. 
For a person with such a small body, Kenaz has a surprisingly deep and powerful voice. Her music is difficult to place in any one genre - a mixture of acoustic soul, South African folk, with an undertone of blues.
Her guitar work is intricate and, to add even more interest to her performance, she sings a song in Afrikaans and does some beautiful, warbling whistling in another.
Kenaz is down to earth and radiates wholesomeness. With her pretty blonde dreadlocks, natural beauty, and open, honest face, she connects with her audience in a very intimate way. She does not seem to be put off by lack of numbers, and throws herself into her performance, just as she would no doubt do if it were a much larger crowd.
Kenaz has been writing music from a young age. She played a song about young love, written when she was 14. Her stop in Grahamstown is part of her Meri Kenaz Splashy Fen Tour, but she will be back in Grahamstown for the National Arts Festival in July.
Kenaz has just finished recording her latest album, Deeper, with Peace of Eden Studios. True to Kenaz’s style, her CD is not in the usual CD box, but wrapped in a piece of fabric, with pages of beautiful drawings inside.

Published in Grocott's Mail on 21 April 2011.

Ritalin: Concentration catalyst versus kiddy-cocaine

Ritalin is traditionally used by people who have concentration problems. For these people, the drug does a lot of good. But Ritalin is being bought off-label by non-prescription users to aid in study and as a party drug. few of these users know about its side effects and contra-indications.

Ritalin is prescribed to ADD and ADHD sufferers. It has become prevalent among students to buy the drug illegally and use it to assist in studying. Some even snort the contents of the capsule to make them more sociable when going out. Photo by Gabi Falanga

ADHD/ADD users
A child sits in a room, one wall covered in 10 television screens. But the child doesn’t know which screen to concentrate on and doesn’t absorb anything.
On Ritalin, however, the child is able to focus on one screen at a time, ignoring other distractions.
This is how one doctor describes the effects of Ritalin on a person with AD(H)D.
Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant originally prescribed to children who had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (AD(H)D). The symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, lack of attentiveness, fidgetiness, impulsiveness and sometimes hyperactivity.
Today, concentration problems are recognised in adults, too, and are better accepted than they were 20-odd years ago. As a result, Ritalin is being prescribed to adults to help them concentrate.
Third-year Rhodes student, Michael Glover, has been on Ritalin since he was a child.
“Without it I’m distracted in the extreme and can’t assign my concentration to one particular thing for a sufficient length of time.
"Background noises and other distractions no longer compete so tenaciously for my attention. Generally, the medication placates me, in the sense that I feel composed, rather than restive and volatile.
"Without Ritalin, I would have to work twice as hard and still wouldn’t achieve the marks I now produce.”
Michael’s not the only one. Third-year student, Audrey*, says she has a love-hate relationship with the drug, but that ultimately she can’t survive without it: “I take it to help me concentrate. I find it difficult to start work, and get easily distracted afterwards.
"Ritalin helps me to focus on one thing.”
Aubrey took Ritalin every day while she was at school and experienced unpleasant side-effects, as well as changes in her behaviour.
“I hardly ate. I had a massive loss of appetite - food no longer was appealing. It became almost gross -looking.
"I would forget about time, days and people. I’m sure I could go a whole week without saying more than 10 words.”
Aubrey now uses Ritalin less frequently, as well as taking a decreased dosage.
Ritalin has had a big impact on Dave Morrison, who is doing his Master’s in Biochemistry. He has been using Ritalin since his second year.
“When I started using Ritalin, all my marks improved by 20% and I suddenly had the ability to do maths and accounts. I never had the ability to do that before,” he says.
Ritalin consists of Methylphenidate and is a central nervous stimulant, which acts on dopamine, the "happy" neurotransmitter in the brain.
This affects the reward response section of the brain, which gives a person positive feedback in what they’re doing, which in turn increases concentration in the task. It also promotes long-term memory formation.

Master's student, Dave Morrison started using Ritalin in his second year to help him concentrate. Since then he has started using Concerta, similar to Ritalin, but with a slower release mechanism.
Photo by Desiree Schirlinger

The sellers and the buyers
Some students have taken to buying and selling Ritalin. Jonathan* is a second-year student who has ADD.
“I sell about half of my Ritalin each month, and then I use about a quarter for going out and a quarter for work,” says Jonathan. “I sell it to make a bit of extra money, but I mainly just sell to people I know and I often give some away, because I know people enjoy it.”
James*, a third-year student, buys Ritalin to help him work and study. Sometimes friends share their pills with him and other times he buys from people with prescriptions.
“It is quite prevalent. Sometimes it’s very hard to get hold of. But there’s a surprising number of students who take Ritalin at Rhodes.
"A lot of people refuse to sell it, though.”
Audrey has ADD and has been using Ritalin since she was a child. When she was first approached by a friend to give her some, she refused. Since then, she has sold some of her prescription, but uses most of it herself: “At the time, my family were going through some troubles and the extra money helped me a bit,” she says.
Selling prescription medication without a license is illegal, however.
“It’s essentially the same thing as drug-dealing,” said local doctor, Dario Berenisco. “You can’t sell medication without being a pharmacist,” he said.
Both Dr Berensico and another Grahamstown doctor, Dr X (who preferred not to be named) admit that it is very easy to trick doctors into giving out Ritalin prescriptions, because there is no test to determine whether or not a person has AD(H)D.
The doctor has to make a decision, based on what a patient tells him.
Berenisco says psychological testing, alongside a doctor’s consultation, would be advisable, but that this is out of reach of most people, in terms of costs and waiting time.

The performance enhancers
Many students have become wise to the fact that Ritalin aids concentration and buy it from friends and other Ritalin “dealers” to increase their focus while working on assignments and studying.
“You have a lot of energy and it allows you to focus very well,” says third-year student, James*. James first tried Ritalin in first year, when a friend suggested that he try some before one of his exams. He’s been using it since then, but only to do assignments and while studying for exams.
Rhodes University’s Dean of Students, Dr Vivian de Klerk, is aware of and concerned about this use of Ritalin.
“I believe that students who do not take any performance enhancers get a realistic sense of their own competencies, and they learn coping skills which will stand them in good stead later in life.
"They can be confident that they will be able to maintain these levels when they join the workplace and face a range of new and demanding stresses,” de Klerk says.
But asked if he thought Ritalin provided him with an unfair advantage over other students, James said, “In my case, I really struggle to focus and get work done, whereas other people find it very easy. I don’t think it’s for me to say whether it provides an unfair advantage or not.”
Although James feels he really needs something to help him concentrate, he has built up a significant tolerance and is worried that he is developing a dependency on the drug.
“For what I used to be able to do using 40mg, I now need 90mg. I struggle to work without it these days, because I’ve become so accustomed to using it to work.
"It worries me, because I want to take my studies further. I don’t want to be doing my Master’s thesis, having to sniff Ritalin.”
Grahamstown doctor, Dr X (who preferred not to be named) pointed out that people with addictive personalities could let their use of Ritalin get out of control.
Dr X said seven percent of women and nine percent of men suffered from concentration problems. If a person found that Ritalin helped them, then they were probably in this statistical bracket, he said.
Berenisco is adamant that Ritalin should be prescribed and monitored by a doctor, no matter how safe or unsafe it is.
“There are certain people in whom it can be very unsafe. Epileptics, for example, people with high blood pressure, people who’re using other medications. For them, it is a potential problem,” said Berenisco.

Dr Berenisco says he checks his prescription records regularly to ensure patients aren't buying Ritalin too frequently. He says Ritalin should not be used without a prescription, as it needs to be monitored by a doctor.
Photo by Gabi Falanga

Recreational users
Ritalin’s use as a party drug is increasing. Samuel is a third-year student who has only ever used Ritalin recreationally.
“Usually I’ll use Ritalin when I’m with friends and we feel like a bit of a pick-me-up before going out.
"I could have had a long and exhausting day and still go out that night, full of energy and willing to talk with anyone,” he says.
Most recreational users of the drug open the capsules and crush up the little balls into a fine powder, which they snort in the same way that cocaine is snorted.
“Snorting it allows the effects to kick in right away, and they are also considerably stronger than if you were to swallow the pill. It produces quite a high; a euphoric feeling and a desire to socialise.
"When you swallow the pill, you don’t get quite the same rush,” says Samuel.
Snorting of the drug, however, isn’t the only similarity Ritalin has to cocaine. Both are amphetamines and release certain stimulating neurotransmitters from the brain.
It’s known by some as “kiddy-cocaine”, or as “cocaine with a PG rating,” a phrase popularised by the series, House.
Samuel has tried cocaine, and he comments on the similarities and differences between the two: “It was pretty similar to Ritalin, albeit a hell of a lot more expensive.
"I think cocaine has more of the euphoria that only large amounts of Ritalin can induce. They both make you more focused and energetic. However, cocaine is quite a lot more intense.”
Berenisco was surprised to hear about the recreational abuse of Ritalin, although he pointed out that there was a huge amount of potential for abuse in any medication used incorrectly.
“It does have stimulant effects, as does coffee, as do caffeine tablets that you buy over the counter. So, I think it’s a bit of a con, just because it’s Ritalin,” he says.
De Klerk said she had no information regarding the recreational use of Ritalin.
“We cannot police the minutiae of the daily lives of all our students. They are adults, and must make their own decisions.
"This means they must also live with the consequences of any bad decisions which they may make.”
De Klerk says that the university talks to students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol during Orientation Week, but that they are not planning to design a campaign specifically around the use of Ritalin.
“If the university makes too much fuss about the issue, it may well plant a seed in the minds of some of our students who had not previously contemplated trying the drug out,” she says.
It’s not all fun and games, however. As with other drugs, there is a come-down as the drug starts wearing off.
“You slowly start to feel uncomfortable and less sociable,” says Samuel. “In addition to that, you start to feel tired and worn out.”
The drug also leaves users unable to sleep for a long period of time after taking it, and users have reported feeling shaky, moody, agitated and they get headaches.
“It’s a horrible feeling,” says Samuel, “almost like you’ve just realised something terrible has happened, that same sinking feeling.”
Dr X says, “The dangers are that it is a mind-altering drug. It’s a stimulant. It’s combined with other stimulants like the Red Bull and the caffeine. It’s compounded by the alcohol.” Both Dr X and Berenisco point out that selling Ritalin and using it without a prescription is illegal.
De Klerk also commented on the illegality of buying and selling the drug: “If the University becomes aware of whom the culprits are, they will be charged or handed over to the police for investigation,” she says.
*Names changed to protect identities

Side effects
The following are side-effects experienced by the Ritalin users, or mentioned by the doctors in this story:
•Insomnia
•Depression
•Moodiness, agitation
•Loss of appetite
•Weight loss
•Headaches
•Difficulty reaching orgasm
•Feeling confused, muddled or socially awkward
•Heart palpitations
•Dry mouth and extreme thirst
•Lethargy
•Balding

Potential dangers
Ritalin is dangerous for people with the following conditions:
•Diabetes
•Thyroid problems
•On other medication
•Depression
•Prone to addiction
•Epilepsy
•High blood pressure
•Tics or tourettes
•Heart problems
•Liver problems
•Pregnant
•Bipolar

Published in Grocott's Mail on 1 April 2011.

Trying to donate blood, in vein

One of the nurses trying her luck at finding my elusive veins.
Photo by Candice Brissenden

“Now your vein is gone!”
“What do you mean it’s gone? Where to?”
“I don’t know, it’s just gone. Gone!”
This is not exactly what I wanted to hear on my first time donating blood. After being shunted around from chair to chair, having my arms prodded by a variety of people, continuously squeezing a squishy red heart shape ball, having my chair elevated and straps tied tighly to both my arms, they still couldn’t find my veins and I was almost ready to give up. My braveness along with my dreams of being a good citizen and writing an article to encourage Grocott’s readers to donate blood, was fast slipping away.
Eventually, a third person came to try and find my elusive veins and to my relief, one of my veins co-operated. The process itself was quick and I couldn’t feel much. In under less than 10 minutes they had their pint of blood and I had a yummy biscuit, some overly sweet cooldrink and an awesome SANBS pen. The parting shot from the guy who couldn’t find my veins was, “Next time you donate, tell them you have very, very difficult veins.”
Will I donate blood again? Definitely!

They eventually found one of my veins, after lots of poking, prodding, pain and squeezing the red heart.
Photo by Candice Brissenden

Published in Grocott's Mail on 18 March 2011.

SEACCing a healthier climate

The South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum is building an electric bicycle to display at Scifest this year. Photo by Gabi Falanga

A new society on campus will be lobbying for climate change and have residences competing to cut down on electricity usage.
SEACC SF (South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum) held its first function of the year on Monday night. The society, which was launched a year ago, aims to bring other universities and NGO’s together to tackle issues of climate change and sustainability.
Dr Tony Ribbink, CEO of Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) and founder of SEACC SF, welcomed the small group of people to the presentation at Eden Grove Red lecture theatre and said: “It is this generation who need to make a huge difference and make the difference quickly. The world is in your hands, so use your hands well.”
The SEACC SF committee has big plans for this year. They are planning to attend The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) in Durban at the end of the year. As part of this they will be encouraging as many people as possible to sign a sea pledge, in order to help save the sea, one of the world’s lungs.
The society also has various other projects. Wild Reach aims to empower communities in the Eastern Cape by promoting conservation through knowledge. Students will accompany underprivileged school children to game farms to help create interest in the environment and to demonstrate the benefits of conservation.
As part of SEACC SF’s campus initiatives, they will be running an Eskom energy challenge between residences. The residence with the lowest energy consumption will win a prize. Recycling, water saving and food awareness are also on their to-do list, to name only a few.

Alex Lenferna, Chairperson of The South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum welcomes students to the society on Monday night. He encourages sustainability through knowledge.
Photo by Gabi Falanga

Dr Tony Ribbink speaks at a South East African Climate Consortium Student Forum function on Monday night. Ribbink urged students to tackle climate change and issues of sustainability.
Photo by Gabi Falanga

Published in Grocott's Mail on 18 March 2011

The Golden Age of Life of Riley

Terri-Lee Adendorff and Nich Mulgrew started their band, Life of Riley, three years ago when they were Rhodes University first years. After three years of hard work, the band is going places. I chatted to them recently when they launched their debut album, The Golden Age of Us, in Grahamstown's very own Slipstream sports bar.

Photo by Tarryn Liddell

1)      Gabi Falanga: When did your band start?

Terri –Lee Adendorff: First year at serenades, in res. Well, that’s when we met.

Nich Mulgrew:  We played our first show in August 2008.

TLA: it was terrible.

 NM: We played at the old Gaol.

TLA: And the first song we wrote was the worst song ever written, it was terrible, I still shudder to think of it. But, we like to think that maybe they’ve got better since then. (Laughs)

GF: So serenades, elaborate on that.

NM: So basically, I was in Botha house and she was in Jameson. And the boys from Botha serenaded the Jamies girls. And it turned out that I picked Terri’s key out of the pile for the meet and greet thing and so we chatted about music and stuff and we liked the same stuff.

TLA: And I said I said I kind of sing and he said I kind of play the guitar, and so we kind of `got together and kind of wrote a terrible song and it went from there.

GF: So what was the terrible song?

TLA & NM: Oh Jesus, Oh god

TLA: It was called Fucking Pearls more than Price. And it was horrible and sad and terrible. It was so bad.  I’ve blocked it from my mind.

NM: 80% of our songs are about long distance relationships and that was one of them and it’s the worst.

GF: Why about long distance?

NM: We were both in long distance relationships for a very long time.

TLA: And then mine finally got resolved now, coz Mitch is living with me because he moved over here, and so now some of the songs are about actual relationships. Not about unrequited love, but about love.

2)      GF: How many instruments do you play and what are they?

TLA: I can play the guitar and the clarinet.

NM: I play a lot. I play guitar, bass, banjo, glockenspiel. I dabble in a few other things as well. I try to play as many instruments as I can.

3)      GF: Tell me more about your instruments? Do they have names? Specific brands?

TLA: The first guitar that we played with, my Crafter, was called Black Molly. But more recently my dad spray painted it glitter silver and he did this really cool mural on the back with these skulls with hearts for eyes and little hair bows. It’s really cool, it’s kind of a porno guitar now. It used to be just plain black and cream.

GF: Have you ever used it in shows?

TLA: Ja, we used it in a couple, it looks real good in the spotlight, but Nick always feels a little emasculated playing it.

NM: I hate the idea of giving your instruments names. Instruments are instruments.

TLA: I think someone who was listening to us, named my guitar black molly and it kind of stuck.

4)      GF: Describe your style?

TLA: We like to call it folk pop. Because it’s kind of short happy songs that you can clap along to and sway gently to. We don’t pretend to be deep and meaningful. It’s pop. I think it makes people smile.

NM: It’s pop with folk underpinnings.

5)      GF: How does it feel to be going from a supporting act to a headlining act in Grahamstown?

NM: Great!

TLA: Ja great! It finally happened!

NM: Yeah, it’s good. It’s a nice feeling because we spent a lot of time opening for really, really good bands and we’d like to think that maybe we can be as good as them one day.

TLA: Well, I think this is like the first gig in grahams town where we’ll actually be headlining. No bodies actually ever asked us to headline before.  So we’ll just headline at our own album launch.

6)      GF: Tell me about your new album?

NM: It’s called The Golden Age of Us. It’s a mixture of songs we’ve been playing for a while and songs that are brand new.

TLA: There are 4 brand new songs, no covers.

NM: They are all very personal songs. None of the sentimental... Really, things that we’ve gone through and things about people who have loved us, used to love us and will never love us. (Both laugh)

TLA: And the album design which Nick did, is brilliant and it’s really personal.  We’ve got a photo that Nick took on the front of Mitch and our first dog in Nick’s apartment. It’s really, a lot of us went into that album. They’re handmade by Nick. We did everything for the album and we couldn’t have done it without our producer Corrine, she’s excellent. But ja, there’s a lot of us in that album and when you listen to the album I think you get to know us a lot better because of it.

Photo by Tarryn Liddell

7)   GF: And then Splashy Fen. What was that like?

NM: ( Laughs)

TLA: Awesome. The night before, because I was really nervous because I hadn’t played in a long time. And the night before we played at the Hooters tent and that was a great gig and that just gave us so much energy and people really liked us. The tent was pretty full, the marquee where we played. People really enjoyed it. It’s always so weird having people who don’t know you come up to you afterwards and saying that they enjoyed it.

NM: Wow, that’s what a real band feels like!

T LA: Ja wow! It’s always so surreal. It went so quickly though. Coz we’d finished all our songs and I was like fuck these songs are short, I didn’t remember them being this short. So at the end we did our three favourite covers just to fill up time. It just felt so surreal to be there and to have even been invited was a real honour. And it was all very relaxed, everyone was sitting down. You know when the hand claps come. The first hand clap was just all our friends clapped. And then on the next clap, everyone clapped and I was just like... (Laughs) amazed.

NM: It was really fun. All sorts of people there. It’s just nice to be able to get out and play some place different. But at the same time it’s really nice to come back to slipstream and play another show here.

TLA: It’s our first gig at slipstream in 8 months, so we’re really excited, this is like where we started out.

NM: Ja, so we thought we’d bring it back here.

TLA: Ja, and Mike has always been extremely supportive, everyone at slipstream has always been behind us. It’s been nice to have someone supporting us.

8)      GF: You live in different places this year. How and where and when do you rehearse?

TLA: It’s been difficult, especially with the album, Nicks had to come down a couple of times.

GF: Have you used Corrine’s recording studio?

NM: Yes, and she’s a phenomenal person.

TLA: She’s excellent.

NM: It’s been challenging, but it hasn’t been too horrible. But it’s something that we’ve wanted to do so obviously we’re going to put in the sacrifices. And you know living apart this year hasn’t been that bad, I mean we still see each other semi-regularly.

TLA: We also, because we’ve been playing together so long, we’ve learnt how to be sort of intuitive about each other, especially on stage. I know it can’t be too bad a fuck up, because Nick will kind of follow up on what I’m doing, coz we’ve spent so much time together and we’re kind of in sync a little bit more than we were in the beginning.

NM: We know each other so well.

TLA: Even if I decide on the spur of the moment on stage to take a song in a different direction, Nick follows through with it. It’s a nice thing to be able to know each other intuitively like that.

NM: I think that’s something that not a lot of bands have, I feel very fortunate to have. And if something does go wrong you can be like, what the hell man?

9)      GF: Do you carry any lucky charms with you when you perform or have any pre-show rituals?

NM: No

TLA: A black label. (Both laugh) That’s always on stage with us. And a little freak out before and then nothing. We always have so much fun when we’re on stage, it’s really like the most fin we ever have. I’m always nervous, I hope I never don’t get nervous.

Photo by Tarryn Liddell

 

10)   GF: Ok, then on the nervous note. Do you ever get stage fright? And if so how do you deal with it?

NM: I’m never frightened on stage, I’m always frightened before.

TLA: Ja, the fright always goes away for me half way through the first song we play, then I’m like what happen, happens, we’ll make the best of it, we’ll find a way through this, all I have to do is get out of this set alive and it’ll be ok.

11)   GF: Describe your music making, your creative process?

TLA: The chorus for “Buttered side down” I got while I was cooking and I just thought of this even you must have a crush on you, about how I’ve always been unlucky in love, until now, and my toast always falls with... down, fuck, my life is horrible. And I just came up with that while I was cooking, and then I’ll usually write a very simple melody because I’m a very average guitarist and then I’ll give it to Nick who just does beautiful things with the guitar and makes it sound a bit more cohesive and melodic.

NM: We share our duties. She writes most of the songs and then I flesh them out and compose.

T LA: Ja, you sort of make them come into fruition.

GF: So, do the lyrics usually come first and then the music?

NM: It’s a spontaneous thing really.

TLA: Ja, it just happens to you, you can’t really say I’m gonna sit down and I’m gonna have an hour and I’m gonna write a song in an hour. It’s kind of something will come to you through an experience. I usually make notes on my phone about a verse or something and then give it to Nick to look at.

12)   GF: What is each of your favourite Life of Riley song and why?

TLA: There’s this song we do called “Progressive”. And it’s our angry song on stage. It’s really angry and emotional and I sing really loudly. But on the album it’s this beautiful, haunting, melodic ballad, with piano and I sing really high and really sweetly, so I think that’s may favourite song just because it’s evolved.

NM: My favourite song is probably a song called “High Heels and Package Deals”.

TLA: Ja Nich, why do you like that song so much?

NM: I don’t know. It’s just, on the album especially, there’s a very nice interplay of notes. And it’s very country and very sensitive. The imagery is very, very unique. It’s a fun song for me to play.

TLA: I love that song as well. That was a really personal song, it’s also about Mitch. He wrote me a book, with all our emails in that we’d ever sent to each other, and he’d written a page about everyday we’d known each other. And he’d got it self-published into an actual book and gave it to me as a surprise. It was the most beautiful thing. And in that book he said, I want to be the one who pulls you through when you’re at your shittiest moments. And so the words in the song’s are like, when the road is long and my feet are sore, you’ll be the only reason I walk anymore. and that’s kind of from that book he gave me and it’s very personal to us.

NM: It’s weird, sometimes I feel like I’m intruding on your relationship when I’m...

TLA: (Laughs) Never, you’re an integral part of it Nich.

13)   GF: What has your favourite or most memorable gig been?

NM: We played a show with a Slovenian band, Red Five Point Star. And um, Ah God, it wasn’t a very good show, but what happened afterwards.... And... we... Um... Wow! We got really drunk with them and we went back to our apartment and they had this huge campervan. And the one sober guy, but he was Slovenian and he could hardly speak English, and we were trying to figure out where to park this campervan and we just ended up parking it inside our complex and parked every single car in the complex into their spots. They bought about 2 cases of beer and three bottles of Jack Daniels and we just went back to our apartments and ah, breaked it. I don’t know how I survived that night! We’re not rock stars or anything, but that night was just (whistles),. It was something esle.

But splashy fen has been my favourite show, so far. Just because everything was so relaxed and we had a really good time and it felt good. We had a professional team around us, and everybody was doing things to make sure we put on the best show possible.

14)   GF: How and when did each of you get into/start playing music?

NM: I’ve always written. And by always written, I mean always written. When I lived in New Zealand as a kid, story writing was a subject. But as far as music goes, I started playing guitar at 14, so I’ve been playing guitar for 7 years now.

TLA: My first little gig, was when I was about 5 and a half and I stood on my table at home with a plastic blue guitar and I sang knocking on heavens door for my whole family. I got my first guitar when I was 15 and just started singing from then and all my school friends loved it when I used to sing, so I kind of got into it then. I went to a singing school for about 3 weeks and I hated every minute, it was terrible. And I just realised an untrained voice is better for the type of music we do.

NM: I maybe went for a few lessons when I was 15, but I’ve taught myself everything. I’ve developed my own style and I play guitar very differently to a lot of people. Not to say better, just differently.

15)   GF: Who or what has influenced your music the most?

TLA: I don’t try to, but I think I write a bit like Kate Nash. In that it’s simple and there’s rhyming couplets and it’s kind of personal and in a song you’ll have an inside joke reference, but it makes sense in the greater scheme of things.

NM: Musically, I’m very influenced by a man called Sufjan Stevens. Just, he’s all round great. He’s a brilliant song writer, excellent musician, multi-instrumentalist, he produces. He’s really phenomenal. I base a lot of my guitar playing on him. He’s got a very soft, very nuanced sort of style. Not complicated, just very sensitive. And banjo playing as well. So I’m influenced on many fronts by him.

TLA: And then lately, I just love Florence and the Machine. When I sing that cover, Kiss with a fist, it’s the most challenging song I have to sing, and it inspires me to grow a pair of balls and sing, really sing.

GF: Why is it so challenging?

TLA: Ooh, there’s this last note, where every time I sing it, it’s a leap of faith (Tries to demonstrate). She’s the most insane vocalist, she really has so much talent and it really inspires me to just sing harder, try harder.

Photo by Tarryn Liddell

 

16)   GF: Is there someone you would like to work with or share a stage with?

NM: We’ve shared stages with some really, really great musicians. One of my favourite bands locally, Wrestlerish, we’ve played with them a couple of times and they’re a very, very special band.

TLA: It was really cool, the last time we played, opened for Wrestlerish, we were one of the first opening bands and they were only supposed to play after the band that came after us, but they said no, no, we wanna play after you guys. Because our music is kind of the same atmosphere.

NM: Sort of same country, sort of influences. And that was, they such great guys. And I mean we’ve played with most bands that I can think of that we suit locally. Like Farrel Perkis and we played with Ashtray Electric and Taxi Violence.

TLA: Wow, that gig with Ashtray Electric and Taxi Violence was really awesome, they were great.

              NM: And, you know whatever opportunities we get to play, I mean I’m never going to be picky.

TLA: Ja, (laughs) whenever we get to play, we’re always really happy about it.

NM: It’s just, whoever we play with is, is great.

17)   GF: Are you guys, individually, a closet fan of any particularly embarrassing bands or artists?

TLA: I’m a Gaga fan. I don’t like her latest stuff. But “Pokerface” will always go down as one of the great pop songs for me, I think.

NM: Um, Toto. Toto and Journey. And AHA.

TLA: And ABBA

NM: Aaah, I used to be into ABBA.

GF: So are you a closet ABBA fan?

TLA: Ah, I’m a huge ABBA fan. Dancing Queen was my first favourite song, when I was real little.

NM: I have a big sort of music crush on this band called The Rocket Summer. Um, it’s this guy from Texas and he plays everything himself. But the songs are so cheesy and happy and stuff and I feel ashamed to .... (can’t hear)

18)   GF: What has your funniest or most embarrassing moment on stage been?

TLA: My mic became unplugged at a 2^nd year battle of the bands. And it took me a good line or two to notice it (laughs). Um, But I just plugged it back in and soldiered on. That was really embarrassing though.

NM: I’m embarrassed all the time.

TLA: Ja, I’m always quite bashful on stage.

19)   GF: Can you guys tell me something that people don’t know about you?

(Both think about it)

TLA: I have to dogs. Who are awesome. One of them is on the cover of the album. Jack. He turned one year old on the 20^th of April. My baby.

NM: Um, I’ve had three near death experiences. And when I say near-death experience, I mean that it’s actually almost dead.

20)   GF: Ok, last question... Anything else?

(Both laugh)

TLA: We hope people will buy the album. Pleeeeease buy the album! Because, you know, we have debts t play, otherwise people will break our knees. And we need our knees to play. They’re an integral part.

NM: Um, yeah, we would just really, really love it if people could buy our album. Um, we’ll probably try and get them into shops near by.

TLA: And we’re always really grateful for anyone who doesn’t hate us. We love everyone.

NM: And just thanks to everyone who’s been there for us over the years.
TLA: In any capacity, as well. Just for clapping along. Especially Mike.



Photo by Tarryn Liddell

Abbreviated interview published in Grocott's Mail on 13 May 2011.