A CAPITAL IDEA

Not you again.

Oh alright, come on in. This is the new blog by me, "JOHN BAILEY". It is dedicated to Melbourne's "ARTS CULTURE" and will cover all kinds of things.

Last year I figure I got along to around 200 live performances plus some music and visual art and a few films and other things. I probably got to write on a little over half, so this site will be a way to take up the slack.

I'll try to make this place a pretty comprehensive look at what's happening in Melbourne right now, so there'll be reviews and news and just as much self-indulgence as I provide elsewhere, but at least more relevant to people who want to read about "THE ARTS" and not ant facts or Jean-Claude Van Damme or space whales.

Another arts blog?

A CAPITAL IDEA.

Disclaimer: This site will be riddled with conflicts of interest which will only sometimes be mentioned. This is because I have PERSONALLY MET and even spoken with hundreds of the many thousands of artists working in Australia today. Just yesterday one came into my shop and bought some rainbow coloured kneepads. A few hours later another came in and bought a nice red jumper. Also, I was once walking home when a really good director pulled up next to me and gave me a lift. It turns out that I used to play SPORTS with his girlfriend, who was driving. I also went to uni with a lot of very talented artists who are now achieving the national and sometimes international recognition they deserve. About a year ago I saw Barry Dickins in the street and said hello and he invited me in for a cup of tea and a crumpet. I had an unexpected dance-off with a FAIRLY FAMOUS WRITER ages ago which ended when she threatened me with a pot of water from the stove. And so forth. Such conflicts of interest can be understood by another name - "HAVING ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ARTS IN MELBOURNE" - and are quite unavoidable. But I like to believe that a certain amount of professionalism and even-handednes will also be on display here.

Q: "WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A SHOP?"

That is elsewhere and will have its own blog.

Q: OK.

That is not a question.

BUT IT IS A CAPITAL IDEA.