Music

• Stray Dogs: a review
  (17 June) - Rhianna Patrick
  Despite forming in December 2002, the Stray Dogs have built a loyal and growing fan base quite quickly and had some pretty big gigs to match. Hailing from Rockhampton in Central Queensland, it'd be the last place you'd expect to find an Indigenous hip hop and RnB inspired group, especially in a town known as the Beef Capital of Australia.
  
  It's not the first time that a band from the area has shot to national prominence. In 1996, a band from the Indigenous community of Woorabinda (not far from Rocky) gained national attention when they won Triple J's "Unearthed" competition. Although Tribal Link have since split, one member of the Stray Dogs, Ronny Hatfield says it's an indication that you can start in a regional area and go on to bigger and brighter things.
  
  Ronny acknowledges that for the band to grow, it'll have to make a move down south.
  
  "It's very hard to play original music in a regional area. There's a lot of talent but the scene is so small and many bands do covers, which is how many make their money around town. That's one of the main reasons we go to perform in Brisbane quite a lot."
  
  At the moment, Ronny and other Stray Dogs member, Kenny Backo are trying to write new material while Kenny's out working at Bioela, which is another obstacle the band's managing to overcome.
  
  Ronny admits that many people know the band from the hip hop and RnB sets it's done around the place but the group's sound is a little more varied then most would know.
  
  "We produce ourselves and our songs can have anything from bongos, clapsticks, traditional chanting to a boppy back beat or hiphop feel to it.
  
  "Our demo can sound so different from one song to the next, you wouldn't know whether it was us or not just by listening to it because our stuff is so diverse.
  
  "We've slowed down a bit but we like stuff from artists like Busta Rhymes and Bone Thugs n Harmony to the slower ballad stuff".
  
  Since performing at Brisbane's premier Indigenous Hip Hop festival, Stylin Up' in 2003, the band's scored big billings at some of the country's biggest music and arts festivals.
  
  " We performed at the Big Day Out in 2003 in front of 45,000 people and at this year's Adelaide Fringe Festival."
  
  Ronny says the band's currently looking for a manager, after long time friend, Billy Langley left them to spend more time with his family. But far from being worried, Ronny recognises the effort that Billy put into the group, in trying to get them out of Rockhampton and performing in the city and is grateful for the direction Billy put them in.
  
  "Lately we've woken up and recognised we are going places and we're hoping to get out of here (Rockhampton) so we can go and do it".
  
  And do it they will.....
  
  

   

• River Rhythmn Beatbox: Morganics on hip hop
  (2 June) - Nancia Guivarra
  Morganics, is a hip hop artist, community worker, theatre director and performer who together with Gumbaynggir man, MC Wire has worked solidly to bring hip hop to young Indigenous people around the country.
• Warrick Wright of Local Knowledge answers 21 Questions for Blackarts
  (1 June) - Nancia Guivarra
  Novocastrians, Local Knowledge are energetic "Hip Hop Realists" with the mantra..."telling it like it was, how it is and how it should be!" Far from mimicking Black American rappers Local Knowledge rap about real Indigenous issues and with passion they speak about issues they feel need to be aired.
  The band kicked off in March 2002 when the Wright brothers (Abie & Warrick) approached Joel Wenitong with some lyrics and ideas. They knew Joel had similar ideas, experience, vision and a studio.

May 2004