PerthZine

Tag: writing

  • Domestic Dan # 1: The Hang Gang

    Tips on efficient clothesline practices –

    Grab a squid (*Dan-slang for kid, get used to these), offer cash if required, and get your freshies out to the line.

    Anyone that hangs out laundry has no doubt come across the hellish hurdle of running out of pegs mid-hang. Or running out of space to hang. Or both!

    The following is a game changing hack that’s going to change your life. I call it The One Peg Wonder.

    Take a T shirt, hold it upside down from the corners with both hands (Fig 1.).

    Then do the Flick and Fold (Fig 2.).

    This is a quick, two step move that involves flicking out the shirt as if you are shaking beach sand from a towel and then a neat fold from left to right (or vice versa).

    Aim for precision but don’t waste time trying to perfectly align the edges of the garment.

    You’re now holding a T shirt, upside down and folded long ways (arm to arm).

    Take a single peg and hang the T shirt from the bottom edge of the garment (head and arm openings should be at the bottom) (Fig 3.).

    Voila! One peg and half the hanging space used.

    This technique works for everything, not just T shirts, and you will find your own way of flicking and folding your own garments, relevant to their shape and size. You may think they won’t dry properly. You’re wrong. You might think they’ll get a crease down the middle. You’re wrong. You might think the sun will bleach half the garment and leave it looking like a zebra crossing. You’re right! But only if you leave it out in the Aussie sun for a week – that’s not you, is it? Course not! You’re a Modern Dad and you’re crushing this!

  • Gig Review – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds with support from Aldous Harding

    Gig Review – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds with support from Aldous Harding

    Fremantle Park, Saturday January 17th, 2026 –

    Nick Cave has been good to Perth (unlike his bass player’s band who have not been to Perth since the nineties. Come on Colin, let the other Radioheads know it’s a nice place to visit), with regular visits in one form or another. Last time he toured with the bad seeds was about a decade ago, so the audience appeared itching and ready to hear how the years have aged the band (like fine wine, to use the cliche).

    Playing in the spacious setting of Fremantle Park, and down the road from my old high school, Nick and the band put on an arena sized show with giant screens and lights to boot, and boy did they bring the scale. From Wild God on this fan was blown away by the bigness of it all, and happy to see the veteran performer at his best. How age and experience conditions performers always amazes me. Every time “Bring your spirit down” popped up on the big screens the chills spread further through this reviewers body and justified the spending of the standard high ticket price on a show that left me reliving moments for days.

    Performing mostly tracks from the Wild God album, with some classics and deep cuts in between, noone in the audience seemed unhappy (apart from the usual jerks yelling requests – please audiences, never do this unless asked by the performer, let them play the show they have practiced so hard to get right). Emotional, exhilarating, it had it all. When he closed solo on the piano playing the now recontextualised Into My Arms, the emotion was hard to contain. Thank you Nick and band, and please keep coming and sharing your hearts with us.

    Before ending the review, I must make special mention of Aldous Harding, who I’ve only discovered a few weeks ago after my wife told me she’s supporting, and thank god she told me. I’ve since been absolutely blown away and obsessed with the brilliant NZ performer. Aldous walked on like she hadn’t seen a crowd of this scale before and wanted to ignore us and pretend she was in her room at home, but she brought an incredible vocal range and intensity that had this reviewer feeling chills. From tongue in cheek (Leathery Whip) to pure emotional outpouring (Horizon), she was a perfect warm up to the main show. Can’t wait to hear new material from Aldous this year, and fingers crossed a tour of her own to Perth.