seen live

Jackson Bard McLaren was born well after many of the classic albums that first inspired him were released. His parents raised him in the small Victorian country town of Warrnambool on a steady diet consisting of the likes of Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. This musical baptism fuelled his early passion for music, and set him apart from most of the other kids in town who were more focused on footy than on music, poetry or literature.

Over 20 years on, as their legendary status has grown, most people are aware that Strange Tenants were the pre-eminent Australian SKA band of the 1980s. What is often overlooked today, however, is that at their peak, they were one of the most popular and successful live bands of any style. In the early 1980s, hundreds, sometimes thousands of fans - referred to by the music press as "the Tenants' army" - swarmed to their gigs up and down the east coast of Australia. Strange Tenants also did national tours with international acts such as U2, Style Council and UB40.

KillaQueenz are one of the most promising Hip Hop acts coming out of Australia right now. They are renowned for their high energy shows and unrivalled dedication to the art. Hailing from Uganda and Belize, Kween G and Belizean Bombshell draw inspiration from their respective homelands to bring a fresh sound to the Australian Hip Hop scene. The girls first met at the 2000 Olympic Games where they were individually performing and through a passion of Hip Hop music KillaQueenz was formed.

1. A noise-rock band from Atlanta, GA. We were in other bands. Now we're in this band. Soon we will all be deaf. 2. Band from Sydney, Australia.