Take 5

Spiderbait are no strangers to triple j and Double J. They’re part of the fabric of Australian festival culture, they’re Hottest 100 champions, and drummer Kram has recently popped up again on stage in our annual One Night Stand gig in Lucindale.

In 2012, when Kram did the Take 5, Spiderbait were gearing up to play a greatest hits set at Splendour in the Grass. He took us on a trip down memory lane, through some of the band's most amazing moments.

Metallica - ‘Whiplash’

The Breeders - ‘Cannonball’

Leadbelly - ‘Black Betty’

Dialectrix - 'Buy Me A Pony {Like a Version}'

The story of Refused is an interesting one. The Swedish hardcore punk legends had a strong fanbase and released three albums, the final of which was a modern classic. In 1998, The Shape of Punk to Come was just that: a forecast for how the scene would change, mashing genre and all the while bringing the fire they’d had from the get go.

Soon after, they split up. Some members would go on to form The International Noise Conspiracy, and Dennis Lyxzén continued to rule as a wild and energetic frontman.

Then in 2012 they reformed and that was that year I invited Dennis in to Take 5 with some of the most memorable moments from Refused’s history.

AC/DC - ‘Back in Black’

Slayer - ‘Raining Blood’

Off! -’I Don’t Belong’

The Stooges - ‘TV Eye’

Feist - ‘The Bad in Each Other’

Through the early to mid-noughties, Amanda Palmer’s voice cut through as frontwoman for the Dresden Dolls. Their cabaret pop filled the airwaves, and when she went solo fans were just as curious.

Palmer is a woman of great conviction; she speaks often about the communities that form around art, and is unrelenting in her commitment to her own vision. She’s also great company.

When she did this Take 5 in the Summer of 2011, she had just got married and was about to release her album Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under.

So from the Magnetic Fields to Paul Kelly and the appropriately-titled Love, here’s Amanda Palmer with her love song dedications.

Jason Webley - ‘Eleven Saints {Ft. Jay Thompson}’

The Magnetic Fields - ‘The Book of Love’

Ben Folds Five - ‘Song for the Dumped’

Paul Kelly With Uncle Bill - ‘Taught By Experts’

Love - ‘Everybody’s Gotta Live’

Elbow are one of those bands who hold a place in your heart. Maybe it’s the timbre of Guy Garvey’s voice or the stomping emotion they bring to their music.

They’ve long been visitors to Australia and in 2011 made the trek to play Splendour in the Grass. When Guy Garvey and Pete Turner from the band did the Take 5 they’d just been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for the third time and had a solid history behind them already. They shared their songs of nostalgia.

Japan - ‘Ghosts’

Public Enemy - ‘Fight the Power’

Blondie - ‘Rapture’

The Mamas and the Papas - ‘Monday, Monday’

Primal Scream - ‘Come Together’

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros landed into the scene with their song ‘Home’. It was all over the radio, on soundtracks to films, you still hear it on TV advertisements.

It was in 2012 that I asked Jade Castrinos and Alex Ebert from the band in to Take 5. They were wrapping up a huge tour with Mumford & Sons, and made some time to come by and share their songs from the road. Their song list was brilliant, so get ready for a perfect road trip soundtrack.

Alabama Shakes - ‘Hold On’

JAY-Z - ‘Young Forever {Ft. Mr. Hudson}’

Willie Nelson - ‘On the Road Again’

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

The Beatles - ‘Two Of Us’

There are certain bands that are part of the fabric of Double J and triple j. Powderfinger is one of them.

As we trek through the Take 5 archives, I want to take you back to summer 2015, when triple j was celebrating our 40th birthday. It was such an amazing time: we got to connect to dots between the original Double Jay to triple j to our new Double J family. Former presenters jumped on air, we played heaps of wonderful memories across our networks, and we celebrated with a massive concert in Sydney’s Domain called Beat the Drum.

Right before the gig, I asked Bernard to come in and Take 5. He and Powderfinger have so many memories with triple j, not just as a band but as listeners too. So get ready for a trip down triple j memory lane.

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - ‘Television, The Drug of the Nation’

Ben Harper - ‘Ground on Down’

Elliott Smith - ‘Waltz #2 (XO)’

Mia Dyson - ‘The Outskirts of Town’

Big Scary - ‘Luck Now’

Julia Jacklin now has two brilliant albums behind her, but three years ago she was just starting to get traction as a solo artist with her debut album.

We’d known her as a member of the band Phantastic Ferniture, but her solo work stopped us dead in our tracks. 

As the Take 5 dips into the archives here’s one from May 2017, when Julia Jacklin was back in Australia for a minute between a US and European tour.

Jack White - ‘That Black Bat Licorice’

Erykah Badu - ‘Otherside of the Game’

Grimes - ‘Artangels’

Dobie Gray - ‘Drift Away’

Radiohead - ‘Idioteque’

For so many of us, My Chemical Romance soundtracked our angsty youth.

Their theatrical music was mirrored by the wild shows, and Gerard Way was at the centre of it all. He wasn’t just a musician - he was an illustrator, a comic book author, and most of all a fan.

In 2015 he was in Australia performing at the Soundwave festival off the back of his debut solo album Hesitant Alien and supporting the Smashing Pumpkins so I grabbed the chance to Take 5.

Supergrass - ‘Caught By The Fuzz’

David Bowie - ‘Five Years’

Iggy & the Stooges  - ‘Search and Destroy’

Sleater-Kinney - ‘I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone’

Pulp - ‘This Is Hardcore’

The Finns are a musical bunch. Neil has fronted the legendary Crowded House, sons Liam and Elroy play, and brother Tim led Split Enz and has made a heap of solo records.

Back in 2011, Neil’s wife Sharon joined him on a record too. They called themselves The Pajama Club and together with Alana Skyring from The Grates on drums, they made an album.

It was around then I asked them to Take 5. I remember wanting to move in with Neil and Sharon after this chat; they’re both so warm and laidback, and late nights at their place sound like a dream. From Talking Heads to Ladyhawke, settle in for some wonderful tales from this musical family.

Talking Heads - ‘Heaven’

Augie March - ‘Dog’s Day’

Connan Mockasin - ‘Faking Jazz Together’

Ladyhawke - ‘Message To My Girl {triple j Like A Version 2009}’

The Smiths - ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’

Tony Visconti is a living legend. For more than 50 years he’s been behind some of the most iconic albums of our time.

His career began with T Rex, and later on he’d record with everyone from The Dandy Warhols, to Iggy Pop, The Damned to Angelique Kidjo. But his most enduring relationship was with David Bowie. They met in the late 60’s, both of them finding their way through music and the sounds, and people, they wanted to be. Visconti would produce Bowie’s most loved work of the 70’s; Young Americans, The Berlin Trilogy, and then Scary Monsters before the two took a break. He’d come back into the fold to help craft Bowie’s last four records, including his final act Blackstar.

I had the chance to spend time with Tony in Hamburg, so of course I asked him to Take 5. From the moment we met, he was an open book. You’ll hear it in our chat too, there’s a humility and groundedness to all Tony says, and he brings you into a world that, even if you’re not musically literate, you feel you belong. From Bolan to Bowie and a lifetime in between, dive into the extraordinary mind of Tony Visconti.

T. Rex - ‘Ride A White Swan ‘

Esperanza Spalding - ‘Judas’

Angelique Kidjo, Carlos Santana & Josh Groban - ‘Pearls’

Kristeen Young & David Bowie - ‘Saviour’

David Bowie - ‘Heroes’