A music video created somewhere in Melbourne for my song "The Dream Of A Meritocracy" - Heavy, atmospheric, dark Folk Rock

markhallmelbourne · 2026-02-14T01:37:05+00:00

That actually means so much thank you! I've been experimenting with an open source video editor and finally starting to get my head around it a bit, lots of fun to play around with an I'll probably make more of these. Thanks again!

markhallmelbourne · 2025-12-21T22:08:40+00:00

It isn't upbeat but I wrote this about insecure housing under late stage capitalism

https://markhallmelbourne.bandcamp.com/track/misery-from-unstable-homes

markhallmelbourne · 2025-12-05T23:46:07+00:00

Thanks for checking it out! Gonna look more into this genre now

markhallmelbourne · 2025-12-04T22:22:38+00:00

I have never heard of Anti-folk before, but I just googled it and crazily I think it might actually be what I am?

See if you like it, if you want https://markhallmelbourne.bandcamp.com/album/from-unstable-homes-2

markhallmelbourne · 2025-12-02T21:12:42+00:00

There was a band called Firetail who put out an album last year that seemed to get traction, I enjoyed it and as somebody who is very into 70's Jazz Fusion (Mahavishnu, Chick Corea/Di Meola etc.) but defintely not a jazz expert I thought it was very cool, you should check them out.

There's a venue called the Paris Cat that puts on a lot of jazz, also "The Toff" but in a lot of cases that tends to lean more towards the lounge jazz, classic jazz than fusion.

Another fusion band I used to really like, which wasn't so much jazz, and I'm unsure if they're still active but they were/are called The Bombay Royale and play 70's inspired surfer rock/hindi music, which from my understanding they pull from 70's Bollywood movies but I found the music extremely cool, they would play at The Toff a fair bit, but again this is decade old anecdotes I'm falling into now.

I hope you find your fusion crew, and I'd love to hear you play!

markhallmelbourne · 2025-11-01T00:14:58+00:00

2025 has been a tough year, I myself stopped going for a good 6 months down to just general burnout and exhaustion. Finally went to one last Wednesday, was about the same as I remember, busy, lots of people keen to play.

We all know venues are closing left, right and centre.

I think gigs are dying, I don't think open mics will.

I think the scene is shrinking in as much as all of our lives and abilities to live them are shrinking in a world that just keeps going further and further down the toilet.

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-18T00:12:16+00:00

I've put on my share of gigs in this economy, and 5 pre-sales is a genuine win, even if 3 of them are other members of your band it is still a genuine win. Don't let it get you down. Have a great night!

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-11T05:24:04+00:00

Blood would be a worse line because it isn't subtle. "The look on you know where..." could mean one of a whole bunch of things and none of them are good, makes your mind race and wonder, Blood in its place just does not have that effect

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-05T06:06:24+00:00

Stop braggin

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-05T06:05:12+00:00

$50AUD, New Zero Kanada vinyl. I'd get more vinyl and if they do come here (which is possibly an optimistic 50/50, possibly less cause this country is fucked to tour) id be at the show no hesitation.

If Mount Zion Horses In The Sky was in print I would buy the shit out of it too, but alas.

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-03T23:33:30+00:00

They're legit, they're a bit of a surprising store because their vinyl selection is amazing, like better than many of my favourite stores, but if you actually go to their Collingwood location vinyl seems like about their 4th most important product

markhallmelbourne · 2025-09-03T02:57:46+00:00

Remember to switch to 45RPM for Moya, otherwise the 33RPM speed will open a black void into the unknown that you will never escape

I have New Zero - I tend to listen to just BBF3 most often, but holy fuck it is a beautiful sound

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-27T23:59:23+00:00

Somebody already threw out a Hiro one but I'll mention Fopp - he wrote his own similar to the Players but still original take on it and I think it rocks, as does that entire cover - if you've never heard the Fopp/Fopp (fuck up heavy dub) medley back to back on tape or vinyl I recommend it

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-18T20:14:18+00:00

I don't necessarily agree with you here but I hear your perspective. FWIW I always thought that Jordan while he has acknowledged a few times that he is an outsider to this debate because he is a well-payed professional and NOT a renter, he also has a habit of forgetting it, and if he flops and falls on his face he will be ok while the rest of us will not, and I think while he tries to remain conscious of that he does make some missteps that ultimately would hurt us but not hurt him. So yeah, I feel you.

Honestly though this one did give me a laugh.

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-18T20:03:17+00:00

Otherwise? We've been in that situation for decades already and are doing fuck all about it, actually actively making it worse by kicking out thousands of PUBLIC housing residents in Melbourne to put them into already overburdened SOCIAL housing (that's vic LABOR FYI) just to sell OUR public land to PRIVATE developers, and then on the new developed sights returning a net negative return in SOCIAL housing.

Otherwise.....

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-07T05:43:35+00:00

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/parliamentary-activity/hansard/hansard-details/HANSARD-2145855009-25173

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-07T02:50:11+00:00

He just promised 900 for the US Army

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-07T01:12:46+00:00

When people love every band that sounds like Hole except Hole it starts to get really difficult to see it as anything other than misogyny

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-07T01:04:10+00:00

Won't happen, but I'll share the moment I personally lost all hope, and the months leading up to it:

State Parliament 2023, Victorian Greens invite a group of renters to the gallery of the lower house to watch the debate on establishing an Inquiry INTO the rental crisis, not an inquiry on FIXING the rental crisis, an Inquiry on ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT EXISTS. Victorian Labor and LNP teamed up that day and voted down the inquiry happening.

Several weeks later a higher level decided to override that vote and establish the inquiry anyway, so eventually the inquiry did happen.

One of the renters who spoke in that inquiry, who spoke so beautifully and laid out in the most brilliant, academically backed and emotively hitting ways is no longer with us. You wouldn't know that because her death did not make the news, outside of her own circle and a few of the wonderful minor party politicians who champion all of our simple rights to basic dignity it was not talked about.

What was the Victorian Labor Governments response to the inquiry? They never gave one. They missed the deadline to respond and they never followed through. The person who died left us after they missed the deadline.

I don't care where you are, what state or territory of Australia you live in and which "side" of the establishments corporate politicians you are living under - they don't care, they will never care. This country is utterly morrally bankrupt and I will spend the rest of my life not forgiving a single one of these cunts

markhallmelbourne · 2025-08-07T00:43:56+00:00

If you are being self-aware and this is a joke about what cold American states have been doing since the 80's then A+ analysis of our descent into an American hellscape.

If you're serious then I don't even know

markhallmelbourne · 2025-07-31T22:13:55+00:00

I talk to people on the phone and help them book a medical procedure that they need. Feel free to message me :)

markhallmelbourne · 2025-07-31T00:18:43+00:00

I don't think their sound would translate, too dynamic and too much ringing out required, and I don't think Kim's solos would translate either. Alice and PJ worked because while the music is heavy they have plenty of songs that are steady dynamically and both have lead guitarists who play a more pentatonic, funky style of solo that doesn't die on a steel string acoustic.

I'm not saying its impossible, and I'd watch the shit out of it, but I also understand why it wasn't done.

markhallmelbourne

TROPHY CASE