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The Hottest 100, 2001 – the Sony Music list:
2. something for kate – monsters
3. system of a down – chop suey
10. cake – short skirt long jacket
13. something for kate – three dimensions
17. ben folds – rockin’ the suburbs
18. rage against the machine – renegades of funk
21. fatboy slim – weapon of choice
26. jamiroquai – little l
28. jebediah – fall down
37. something for kate – twenty years
62. jamiroquai – you give me something
67. ben folds – not the same
81. crazy town – butterfly
95. good charlotte – little things
100. endorphin : sex and violence

There are no advance sales on the gig, so be sure to get there early so you don¹t miss out. The band are playing under the name of ‘Jerry & the Manmade Sharks’ on the night.

In other SFK news, the guys will be releasing the fourth single from Echolalia on the 4th of February. The track is going to be “Say Something”, and will be backed with four bonus b-sides, including some very sought after live material. We will reveal more details a little closer to the date.

Performance times for the BDO have all been confirmed, so check out the info below to find out when you can catch SFK at your respective festival.

20th January
Gold Coast Parklands, Smith St, Southport
SFK onstage : 2.15 – 3.00 pm Orange Stage

26th January
RAS Showgrounds, Homebush Bay Sydney NSW
SFK onstage : 2.40 – 3.30 pm Orange Stage

28th January – Melbourne Showgrounds Epsom Rd, Flemington Melbourne VIC
SFK onstage : 2.15 – 3.00 pm Orange Stage

1st February – RA&HS Showgrounds Goodwood Rd, Wayville Adelaide SA
SFK onstage : 2.45 – 3.30 pm Orange Stage

3rd February – Claremont Showgrounds Claremont Perth WA
SFK onstage : 2.15 – 3.00 pm Orange Stage

ECHOLALIA was also anointed by Triple J’s resident guru Richard Kingsmill, as his own “Album of the Year”.

The poll is a further testament to a breakthrough year for the Melbourne three piece, having attracted many new fans and critical acclaim for ECHOLALIA, their third album.

SFK’s frontman Paul Dempsey is set to return from his tour of East Timor this week, where he joined Killing Heidi and GT to entertain the Australian troops stationed on peacekeeping duties.

Something for Kate will now prepare for their upcoming live performances at the annual Falls Festival Dec 30th at Lorne Victoria and the National Big Day Out which commences on Jan 20th at the Gold Coast.

SFK also brought out some older favourites including “Dean Martin” and “Pinstripe”, as well as serving up pretty tasty renditions of tracks from Echolalia.

The band will be throwing their weight behind a number of other festivals over the next little while, performing at the Falls Festival on 30th December and the Big Day Out shows around the country in January and February 2002.

As part of the Big Day Out in Sydney this year, HMV will be presenting an award for the Australian Artist of the Year and you can vote for Something for Kate by going to http://www.hmv.com.au, then clicking on the flashing Australia Day Music Awards icon on the right hand side of the screen.

(By voting you¹re in the running to win $500 in HMV vouchers).

Asked what the most admirable feature of Aussie music is, Paul’s answer is simple. “Honesty,” he laughs. “That’s probably a big generalisation, but it seems to be something that Australian bands need to possess.” Of course, this honesty arises for a lot of reasons ­ the fair dinkum’ Aussie attitude most obviously. However, Dempsy also sees it as the positive flip side of the struggle Australian bands face in winning support in an increasingly global music scene. “Within Australia there seems to be an unconditional acceptance of anything that comes from overseas with any sort of hype behind it,” explains Paul carefully. “Australia has so much quality and variety, but it still doesn’t seem to be able to generate the same sort of excitement as the flavour of the month from over seas.”

It’s a sensitive subject ­ especially on a day when Australian music celebrates it’s own existence ­ but Paul is a long way from writing off the Australian music industry altogether. His feeling is more a question of why the spirit of a festival like Homebake isn’t something we carry around with us all the time. “I think Australian bands can suffer from a short attention span on behalf of the Australian music industry,” explains Paul. “Being a small populace, with a relatively small music scene, that can place limits on the attention Australian bands receive, regardless of any question of the quality of what they’re coming out with. There are some Aussie bands at the moment who are putting out like their sixth, seventh or eighth record and not getting the attention they deserve because everyone is like oh, it’s just them again’.”

It’s a tough fact, but also one we shouldn’t shy away from. To Dempsy, both the reason and solution for this situation are pretty simple, and as Australian as gumboot throwing and goannas. “I’d like to see our cultural cringe go, and I’d like to see our tall poppy syndrome go with it,” he says. Paul points to initiatives like Homebake and Triple J’s Australian Music Month (which ran all through November, including a fantastic J Files on SFK) that are helping to smash the glass ceiling, seeing a bright future down that path. “Homebake is so wonderful because it’s just a big day of Australian bands,” he says. “I think it’s the only festival that always features exclusively Australian bands, and it’s wonderful to see it go so well.”

And so with all this talk of Australian music, what exactly does Paul Dempsy think an Australian band should sound like, if it is to be genuinely Australian. Once again, the answer is pretty simple. “No band should try to sound like anything. It’s fine to have your influences, the music you love. But remember, nobody wants to listen to you just reinterpret those influences, they want to listen to you.”

(This article appears in this year’s official Homebake program, availabe on the day for $4.

Of course, the biggest priority at the moment is Homebake in Sydney’s Domain on December 8. “Homebake is so wonderful because it’s just a big day of Australian bands,” SFK singer and guitarist Paul Dempsey said recently. “I think it’s the only festival that always features exclusively Australian bands, and it’s wonderful to see it go so well.” But Homebake isn’t the only thing on the horizon for the guys.

SFK are dropping into Penrith on Thursday the 6th of December for an acoustic performance for Triple M’s Club Veg. The over 18’s gig is happening at the Penrith RSL and begins at about 6pm.

This Friday night, the band are also appearing on Channel 10’s Cold Live at the Chapel. The show screens at 12.15AM on Friday night (Sat morning).

SFK’s third album Echolalia is in the running for Triple J’s 100 Best Album’s of 2001. The countdown starts at 5pm on December 16, hosted by Aussie music guru Richard Kingsmill, so drop into http://www.abc.gov.au/triplej/ and vote for Echolalia as soon as you can.

For pay TV viewers, Paul Dempsey will also feature on a Music Country one hour special called “MC Live and Exclusive” which brings together the best live performances for the station in 2001. Paul’s acoustic version of “Monsters” is among the tracks, so if you want to check it out tune into Music Country on: December 9, 13, 17 at 8pm and December 29 at 7.30pm.

The band will appear on the series of Cold Live at the Chapel on Network 10, November 30th. This is a unique opportunity to see the band perform in a very intimate setting ­ the series is filmed in the amazing venue of the Little Chapel in Melbourne ­ and there’s a pretty good chance the gig will bring out some of their rarer tracks songs.

Check local guides for airing time.

The lead up to the Big Days Out will be pretty intense for the band, who are also appearing at Homebake (December 8) and have just released their third single from Echolalia, a track called “Twenty Years”. The single is a five rack release, featuring two live tunes from SFK’s last tour as well as a
brand new b-side.

Be sure to catch ythem at Big Day Out:

20th January, Gold Coast QLD
26th January, Sydney NSW
28th January, Melbourne VIC
1st February, Adelaide SA
3rd February, Perth WA

Now, as the band prepares to launch the third single from the album, “Twenty Years”, things look like they’ll continue to grow for the group. “Twenty Years” is currently at radio and television, and will be in stores Monday November 5, so be sure to vote for ‘Twenty years’ on JJJ’s online request show the Net 50, or request the video-clip on Channel V’s By Demand.

In other news about Echolalia, the album will be available on Vinyl in the next week or two, so for all those hi-fidelity freaks out there, you’ll finally be able to spin SFK on the big wheel.

Triple J’s Richard Kingsmill will be airing a special Something for Kate ‘J-files’ on Nov 8th from ‘0PM. In the program there will be interview’s with the band members and heaps of rare recordings, b-sides and live recordings. Not to be missed.

And, if you’re in the Sydney area, don’t miss your chance to see the band perform their new single live for free when they hit the Channel V stage at Fox Studios in a couple of weeks. The details are:

Channel V Studios – Bent St Fox Studios
Friday, 16th November: 5.00pm – FREE SHOW