Red
Hot Green
Black is a non-profit organisation promoting awareness of environment and indigenous issues as well as raising much needed funds in
these areas. The primary source of funding is an annual album of Australian
musicians, which showcases a variety of musical styles including world, trip
hop, grunge, contemporary and folk. There is also a strong promotion of
aboriginal artists who often don't get the exposure they deserve. Scott
Alderson and Tom Widdup co-ordinate Red Hot Green Black.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Red Hot Green Black begun as an idea in early 1998 from the Queensland
office of the National Union of Students (NUSQ). Scott Alderson, who was
working as the NUSQ environment officer as well as deputy convener of the
Greens, formulated the idea. After the frustration of Jabiluka, One Nation
in the Queensland elections (Scott ran in the seat of Mansfield where his
preferences put labor into power by 85 votes), the re-election of John
Howard and the ongoing apathy towards indigenous and environment issues by
both the Government, media and the public Scott felt a need to engage people
into becoming involved. It was to be a small local project of just
Queensland bands that seemed to snowball.
Initial contact with Powderfinger garnered
overwhelming support from the bands' members, who were happy to have their name connected to the project when it
was put forth to other Queensland bands. In April Scott had helped organise
a fundraising concert for Jabiluka with Tulipan, Tribal Link, Resin Dogs and
Regurgitator on the bill that all happily become involved. Jabiluka and the
blockade had started to capture a lot of attention and Scott found himself
speaking at various events including a concert at the University of
Queensland with Screamfeeder, Fur and Pollen whom also became part of the
first album.
Tom Widdup was responsible for getting
Scott involved in environment issues in Queensland. Tom had spent several months at the Jabiluka blockade after
finishing his degree and on his return went straight into action on Red Hot
Green Black. Scott had only spent a couple of years in Brisbane and Tom
knew more bands and various other contacts in both media and music
production. The ingredients were combined and Red Hot Green Black began to
materialise. A new, important partnership was formed.
Articles on both the issues were put on CD ROM to engage the mind of
listeners. Groups such as the Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth and the Australian Conservation Foundation largely contributed to the articles.
President Peter Garrett with Senator Bob Brown were later to write the
forewords.
The album received moderate success
Australia wide but in Brisbane it spent some time in the Indy charts including a week at number 1. The project has
been funded personally by both Scott and Tom and this has meant a lack of
promotion ability. Even so the album broke even. The success and the
potential have prompted a second compilation.
WHERE
2 NOW?
This is the title of the new album, which includes a wider variety of
musical styles and bands from all around Australia. The title refers to two things.
First is the apathy and shortsightedness of the party revelers of
the new millennium. Has anyone really thought about the future beyond the
Olympics? What sort of world do we see ourselves living in the and is that
the kind of world and values we want? It's a tired
cliche but still as pertinent as ever, What about future
generations? The other point is that it is the second album.
Again the support had been enormous with
offers of several bands under the same management as well as bands hearing about the project through various
networks and offering their support. With a far superior CD ROM element
including video footage this led to the problem of having too much to fit on
2 CDs. It sounds like some capitalistic venture to get bigger and bigger
but the new album is a triple CD. One of the underlying facets is the
targeting of young people of Australia with Tom having been NUSQ education
officer in 1996 and Scott being the NUS national environment officer in 1999
and the connection of NUS and Red Hot Green Black continues.
A determined effort was made to have
different styles and each CD is a
various musical theme. The three CDs are titled Manta, Kapi and Walpa. This is from the Pintjinjara aboriginal language meaning Earth, Water and Air,
the three basic human rights needed for survival. It is like 3 different
CDs in style but as it is aimed at young people it has been kept at the
value price of one CD. Hopefully it will assist some lesser known
Australian acts get exposure next to well-known acts, in particular
aboriginal bands and artists.
The CD was released on the 5th of June 2000
(World Environment Day)
THE FUTURE
Red Hot Green Black has been set up as a non profit company with all funds going to the promotion and support of the 2 issues of concern. In 2000 Red
Hot Green Black is getting involved with the Wild Spaces film festival and
will run a competition for new video and documentary creators to showcases
their wares and win time in various studios. It hopes to promote and
support all sorts of popular culture to promote the issues. It can get
people involved in 2 ways. Firstly instead of consuming the narrow-minded
main stream media (thanks to limited ownership) encourage youth to create
their own communication of these issues. Secondly the culture of people it
reaches will stretch beyond just television viewers and a new more active
and informed culture can evolve. It is hoped with public support that the
album will become an annual event and an important part of youth culture.
STRUCTURE OF THE CHARITY
Red Hot Green Black revenues are divided into 4 equal areas.
1)
25% is kept to help fund future Red Hot
Green Black albums including recording new Australian talent (see Stiff Gins below).
2) 25%
goes to environment groups:
Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Earth and the Wilderness Society, all who provide articles
for the CD-ROM
3) 25%
goes to indigenous issues
coordinated by Koori woman Charmane Clarke with help from indigenous people from all around Australia.
4) 25%
goes to a fund for various projects
that all groups involved decide are in support of the 2 causes including specific blockade support, Zines, and
other alternative productions.
STIFF GINS
One of the most exciting parts of the new album has been the recording of 3 aboriginal women from New South Wales called Stiff Gins. Scott and Tom saw
them at the Students and Sustainability conference in June performing for
only the third time together and then heard about their success in a battle
of the bands heat and thought it would be in the spirit of Red Hot Green
Black to record them. Producer Johnny Moonlight found that they were
originally nervous but settled in to record 4 songs in a couple of days and
the song "Morning Star" is featured on Where 2 Now?
It is hoped that this support of new
indigenous talent can continue from the potential success of Red Hot Green Black.
TRACK LISTING
MANTA (EARTH)
Shihad - Interconnector
Violetine - Buzz
Powderfinger - Control Freak
Not From There - Neurons
Beaverloop - Pelt
Nancy Vandal - High Pool Party Massacre 3
Finiscad - Wider Screen
Jebidiah - Tracksuit
Custard - Cabooture Speed Lab
Screamfeeder - Sparks Jump
Even - 2 Stones
Far Out Corporation - Parachute
Magic Dirt - Poem
Revolvar - Mr E
Front End Loader - 4 star Heritage Arsehole
Warumpi Band - Warumpinya
Superjesus - Something in the Air
WALPA (AIR)
Australia - Stop Jabiluka
Drum Drum - Kini Male
Ruby Hunter - Modern Day Girl
Stiff Gins - Morning Star
Penelope Swales - Madness
Kerrianne Cox - Woman Has No History
Hotentot Party - Mabo
Tulipan - Lament
Something Urban - Sacred
Diana Ah Naid - She Says
George - Polyserena
Telek - Boystown
Neil Murray - Spirit
Archie Roach - No, No, No
Vince Jones - Jettison
The Whitlams - 400 Miles From Darwin
Tiddas - Create Another Day
KAPI (WATER)
Midnight Oil - Frontier
Pre_shrunk - Hot Robots
Jason Scott - Modern Aboriginee
Skunkhour - Now
The Red Eye Frogs - Forest Funk
Greg Sheehan - Frog
Native Rhyme Syndicate - Everyday
Cruel Sea - Charmer
Fuglemen - Momento Mori
Trey - Changin' degrees
Metabass 'n' Breathe - Thunder in the Lab
Spiderbait - Buster (remix)
Gerling - Enter Space Capsule
Grand Theft Auto - This Is The Tempo
The Bird - Enpaso
Endorphin - Insomnia
Underground Lovers - Cold Feeling
For interviews you can contact us via
e-mail or phone:
jodiej@oraclerecords.com.au or in the Oracle Office on (07) 3856 2788
redhotgreenblack@hotmail.com or contact Scott on 0413 700 669
Back
to "Where2Now Index
