five minutes with... pagan
bassist dan bonnici
What exactly does ‘blackened rock ‘n’ roll’ mean?It’s a
tongue-in-cheek reference to the way we incorporate black
metal influences into our take on rock ‘n’ roll. A light-
hearted jab at how people need to give music funny labels
and place it into these weird, niche sub-categories.What
can we expect from a Pagan live show?A very intense
and euphoric ritual of dancing; loud noise; wine; good
hair; sweat; and wisecracks. Has your grandma listened
to your music? My grandmother Camilla thinks I play in
a cover band to make some extra pocket money, because
that’s what my dad did in his bands. My other grandmother,
Marcella, passed away many years ago, but I think she’d
hate the noise. She’d be happy I still comb my hair before
leaving the house and take a jacket in case I get cold,
though. Biggest misconception about hardcore bands?
Everyone seems to think we exclusively drink beer, which
is my only explanation for why we always end up with this
Carlton Draught stuff and never get the bottles of Prosecco
or Campari we ask for! What takes up your time aside from
music? I’m studying towards a Bachelor of Communication
and try to do a lot of reading and writing. I also work a
fairly menial full-time desk job to pay for bills and wine.
Who is your pop culture icon?When I was very young,
my twin aunts would dress me up as Madonna and make
me dance to the Immaculate Collectionalbum for their
amusement. It’s still my favourite greatest hits album of all
time! What’s next for Pagan?Our first album,Black Wash,
will be out very soon, and it looks like we’ll be doing a lot
of touring in support of that. Best cure for a sore throat?
Pseudoephedrine; horseradish; black tea with lemon and
honey; and a neat glass of the most expensive scotch you
can get your hands on. Grazie, Nonna!
purr-fectly nice
Fact: cats would happily spend their
days dozing away in the cardboard
box from your washing machine.
You know, the one you meant to
fold down and take to the recycling
bin months ago. This canvasPurr
hammock – made in Seoul, South
Korea – is a little more compact and
easy on the eyes, though. It’s available
from nicepaws.com.au (and if your
moggie’s rather fussy, it also comes
in a spiffy-looking box).sew knit love
Hobart makersSukiand
Sarah– akaSew Knit Love- want to help you make
your dream dress. Even if
you’re a hack with a needle
and thread, and can’t sew
a dart to save your life.
They’ve whipped up this
simple boxy pattern that can
be tweaked to meet your
greatest frock desires – and
the good news is, we have
five to give away. Worth $
a pop, head tofrankie.com.
au/winto get your mitts on
one.sewknitlove.co
thecraftgang
Let your fellow bad-
arse crafters know
you’re no stranger to
the glue gun, bedazzler,
loom, knitting needles,
or whatever your
weapon of choice, with
this Craft Life patch
fromMini House
Studios– aka Toronto
lassSarah Zygowski.
It won’t take long for
them to learn not to
cross(stitch) on your
territory. (Or maybe
they’ll join your crafty
gang – which is a bit
nicer, really.) Around
$7,minihousestudios.
etsy.comstereo photo album
File this under clever ideas we wish we’d thought
of first: Stereo Photo Album is a wedding and event
photography service converting your special day into
nostalgic 3D slides. Sydney lass Samantha Chami
achieves this with a special ’50s-era camera – the
slides are then hand-cut and mounted onto reels to
be gazed at through an original retro View-Master.
Pretty cool, eh? The perfect excuse to bring back
family slide nights. stereophotoalbum.comfrank bits