Last year, after playing together for a couple of years, proud Yuin singer-songwriters Kyarna Rose and Matt Walker put out their first official single, Never Too Far Gone. Since then they've drip fed us beautiful heartfelt acoustic songs, have an EP coming out soon, AND are bringing them all to the Wollongong Town Hall on Saturday 24 April.

Kyarna and Matt dropped in to ABC Illawarra to play a song from the release, talk about the stories behind their songwriting, and tell a story about the time they had Frankie J Holden running around making cups of tea for their Grandmother.

Kyarna Rose And Matt Walker LIVE on ABC Illawarra

It's TIME TO SING! Australia's Biggest Singalong is coming to your loungeroom, on SBS and NITV Saturday 5th of June at 8:30 - hosted by Julia Zemiro and Miranda Tapsell and musically directed by the people behind Pub Choir and more recently and covid safe - Couch Choir, Astrid Jorgensen from Couch Choir joined Lindsay McDougall to talk about the singalong, her low singing split personality, and being mate with Sir Barry Gibb.

Australia's Biggest Singalong

Every Wednesday Max Lavergne comes in with Winners And Losers of the week. A recurring winner is Benedict Cumberbatch, a name Max sometimes struggles with. Here are his best attempts.

Max Lavergne's Benedict Cumberbatch medley

For years, many Australians living with disability have struggled to find work.

Now the disability royal commission is turning its attention to the barriers facing the community when trying to find a job...and one of the calls put to the commission by advocates is to create a quota on the number of people with disabilities appearing on our television screens.

In his evidence yesterday, former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, says we need to see more people with disabilities in television advertising in order to lift their rate of employment...which he described as "abysmal".

Amy Louise Calladine is a disability advocate, researcher and student at the University of Wollongong. 

Amy lives with cerebral palsy and is currently involved in a research project focusing on the experience of people with disability during covid.

Amy Louise Calladine talks Disability and Employment

A couple of weeks ago, Eurythmics were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame. And perfectly timed, Who's That Girl, Eurythmics & Annie Lennox Tribute Show are playing Centro CBD in Wollongong this week.

Lindsay McDougall went to see Clodagh Reid and Nick Meredith and was treated to three live songs, as well as stories of both Clodagh and Nick AND Annie and Dave's past, as well as the history of Eurythmics, who actually started here in Australia.

Who's That Girl bring Eurythmics to Wollongong

Have you heard of Synthony? Some of the biggest dance and techno songs from the 90s to the last couple of decades, thousands of people dancing & singing along; there's Djs on stage, singers, rappers, and an orchestra!

Yes, an orchestra turning these synthesized dance songs into a symphony, or Synthony!

It's been all over australia and nz and is Coming to Wollongong, and the person at the helm of the orchestra, chief conductor of the metropolitan orchestra, Sarah-Grace Williamson spoke to ABC Illawarra about the concert, her own classical/electro past, and the magic of dancing.

Synthony brings its techno-orchestra to Wollongong

It was the news a whole lot people were waiting for. The International Court of Justice ruled Japan must immediately stop its whaling program in the Antarctic.

The Sea Shepherd ships have been in the Southern Ocean for 9 years trying to save the whales from the Japanese "research vessels", so I got their founder, Captain Paul Watson on a dodgy Skype line to give us their reaction.


Captain Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd talks to triple j about Whale "Research" ruling

Neuropsychopharmacist Voytek Bereza is bringing his neuropsychopharmacalogical self to Wollongong for a lecture in Balgownie, and joined me to talk about the TGA listing MDMA and Psilocybin as medicines, Medicinal Cannabis Awareness week and more neuropsychopharmacology.

Fundamentals Of Psychedelic Medicine without the Woo

Dance Mode, engaged! the second Bluey album is out now, and two of the main music minds of the Bluey world, Joff Bush and Jazz D'arcy, joined Lindsay McDougall to talk about writing the music, the tight timeframe for every episode, and the beautiful atmosphere of the Rain episode and the song that came from it.

Also it was the first interview Jazz and Joff had ever done together, and it gets a little weird.

Dance Mode! Jazz D'Arcy and Joff Bush talk the music of Bluey

triple j music news is running a story today about how Alexander Ebert and his band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, fired Jade, Alexander's songwriting partner, on stage musical partner, and one-time life partner. 

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s4018771.htm

Now there's lots of sides to this story but luckily we've got one of them here, for you, in song form.

With thanks to Linda "Jade" Marigliano for the accent work, And the Magnetic Zeros for the tune.

Home: The "real" story behind Jade getting fired from the Magnetic Zeros.

There is nothing ‘so-called’ about the war being waged against the Howard government by one Lindsay McDougall, a sometime musician and now ‘the doctor’ from Triple J morning show Jay and the Doctor. Fresh from his spectacularly unsuccessful election CD Rock Against Howard, with such memorable little ditties as ‘John Howard, gun him down’, Mr McDougall moved on to his post-election strategy to get the ‘c***’—again, I will not say the word, but he did—‘and his Treasurer mate’ at the next election.

The delighted management at the ABC rewarded this fellow traveller with a plum full-time job on the youth network. Mr McDougall has had a longstanding and publicly stated opposition to government immigration policies. Rather than play music and keep his angry left-wing political opinions to himself, we now find the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, my colleague here, Senator Vanstone, is nominated on Mr McDougall’s show as the Triple J ‘Friday F**kwit’. On a daily basis we get snide comments about the Howard government, and yet the ABC appointed Mr McDougall knowing he had a clear political agenda to support the Australian Democrats and the ALP—more left-wing bias served up to Australia’s young people by ‘our’ ABC.

Mr Cameron, the news boss, made it very clear to journalists in various memos that injudicious behaviour will create an impression that the ABC is biased. It is much more than an impression. I intend to continue to ask the ABC managing director, Russell Balding, for an explanation about all of this and for some definite action in terms of avoiding continuation of bias within the ABC.

The Friday Fwit

"A woman who rang ABC Sydney radio said she found out about the Optus outage from her cat.
 
The cat has an automatic wi-fi feeder (connected to Optus) & when breakfast wasn't delivered at 6:10 am, the cat went to the bedroom to lodge a complaint with management."

- Denise C on Twitter.

Annie's wi-fi cat feeder

I don't think The Preatures have collaborated with Robert Smith from The Cure, but if they did I think it would sound like this and it would be excellent.

Is This Close To Me? - The Cure/Preatures collaboration

When the Bee Gees first hit stardom, they were on a boat heading towards the UK. Waiting for them was Australian drummer Colin Peterson who'd played on songs for the Spicks & Specks album, recorded in Hurstville, then headed to London to try his hand at acting.

The Bee Gees became a worldwide phenomenon, with Colin Peterson's drumming on the first albums, long before the Gibb Brothers went disco.

Decades later, Colin Peterson is playing drums and telling stories in The Best Of The Bee Gees, which comes to Wollongong this weekend. And he told l the stories of the songs AND his earlier life acting in movies like Smiley to Lindsay McDougall.

A Message from Colin Peterson of The Bee Gees

Ricky Gamble has been writing, directing, acting and crewing in films for many years now, working with lots of people including inclusive filmmaking company Bus Stop Films. And now he's making cartoons!

Fizzy and Suds is a Tilt Media Production directed by Bus Stop founder Genevieve Clay Smith from Taste Creative, and Ricky designed the sharks who get to dance in an episode.

Ricky and Gen spoke to ABC Illawarra about the show, the importance of inclusive film making for both the makers and the audiences, and of course they spoke about the sharks!

Ricky Gamble's sharks swimming with Fizzy & Suds

Gracie Otto talks about directing the new ABC TV series Ladies In Black with it's excellent cast. As well as Heartbreak High and Deadloch, working with her sister Miranda, making a movie about her Dad Barry, and freezing Mark Knopfler (in interview form). Also mentions of the Gypsy Kings, and escaping to St Barts to hang with the Zimmermanns.

Gracie Otto talks Ladies In Black, Miranda, Barry, and Mark Knopfler

Actor, director, animator and more, Ricky Gamble has picked up another award, this time at the Western Canadian International Film Festival, capping off a busy year. Ricky Gamble joined me on ABC Illawarra


Ricky Gamble talks PJ and more

The Lake Alexandra Turtle Tour has been going since 2022, with signs pointing out where the wild turtles are basking, swimming, and more importantly, nesting. And this isn't just for your benefit; the citizen science of the turtles there is gathering some important data. 

Ass/Prof Ricky Spencer from 1 Milion Turtles calls in from Simon Marnie Island (yes really) to talk Turtle.

Ricky Spencer talks Turtles

Rob Younger was making punk before it was even called that. Even if he didn't call it that. After Radio Birdman took a break he started The New Christs, first to put out a record, and reforming to play shows with Iggy Pop. 40 years later the New Christs are still playing, though all members bar Rob have changed. 

Rob Younger joined Lindsay McDougall on ABC Illawarra to talk about the band, his thoughts on being called "punk", and some musings on making records in 2024.

Rob Younger talks New Christs, Birdman and more!

Richard Kingmill's back! In podcast form!

Where were you when you first heard or saw You Am I?

You Am I's life-changing second album Hi Fi Way came out 30 years ago, and cemented the band, and singer/songwriter Tim Rogers into the Australian music pantheon, or something like that. 

Three decades on, the three (at that time) members of You Am I, as well as friends, family, crew and more chat to Richard about the time, the making of the record, and the making of the band. 

And Richard chatted to Lindsay McDougall about all of that.

Richard Kingsmill takes us down You Am I's Hi Fi Way

Teo Treloar is a visual arts lecturer at the University of Wollongong and his own show A Void A Maze curated by Daniel Mudie Cunningham, opens tomorrow at the Wollongong Art Gallery.

"In his finely rendered graphite drawings, a floating solitary male figure frequently appears as the artist's ongoing existential emblem of alienation and paranoia. A captain of bureaucracy, this anonymous everyman is held captive by the labyrinthine system he governs and controls."

So think Kafka, Camus, and Neil Diamond…

I met Teo at Wollongong Art Gallery for a chat.


Teo Treloar's A Void A Maze

Do you get frustrated when you're stuck behind a slow vehicle on the road? 

Horse floats generally go pretty slow, and it can be easy to spiral into frustration... but it's probably worth remembering how your reaction can affect the safety of the driver and the horses on board. 

A recent post on Facebook from a local horse transporter got a lot of attention from the community. 

Mandy Toovey from Elite Equine Transport joined me on ABC Illawarra

Getting horses to the hospital with Mandy Toovey

The Cruel Sea have just put out a new album, years after their last, and are on the road. 

Still writing and recording almost the same way, even down to the demo tapes (now CDs), Tex Perkins joined Lindsay McDougall on ABC Illawarra to talk about the new music, the old music, making Beasts music with James Baker, and how Dan Rumour puts the guitar slide on the wrong finger, and that's part of the magic.

Cruel Sea, James Baker and Dan Rumour's magic finger with Tex Perkins

How are you at telling stories? Stories from your family, stories from your past. Stoytelling can tell the truth about history in ways that maybe a history lesson or a trip to Wikipedia can't. And hearing those stories, from different times and different cultures, can be a passport to another world.

Lilli Rodriguez-Pang was born to a Pipil Indian mother and a Portuguese father and bred right here in Australia, and realised that unlike other countries there wasn't a dedicated multilingual storytelling festival here. So decided to make one and have it right here in Wollongong!

It's happening this Friday and Saturday at Wollongong Town Hall and Lilli Rodriguez-Pang joined LIndsay McDougall on ABC Illawarra to talk about the science behind storytelling, and tell a story of her own.

Telling stories in Wollongong from all over the world.

Are you a cat person? Or are you someone who gets really upset about the damage cats do to our native wildlife? 390 million animals a year apparently, if they're allowed out.

If you love cats BUT don't want them killing wildlife - what do you do? Keep them inside? Get a leash? Is there another option??? Have you considered a CATIO?

Scot and Marianne are from Salty Whiskers Catios and joined me in my enclosure on ABC Illawarra.


Keeping your cats happy and the other animals safe in a CATIO

We're going back to Mystery Bay! Stella Heikkenen and her witness-protected mates are back for Bay Of Fires season 2, and creator and star Marta Dusseldorp joined me on ABC Illawarra to take us on a tour of Western Lutruwita with a mixed bag of malcontents, messiahs and missing persons.

Sitting with the Dorp in the Bay

Girls Rock! Wollongong presents…You Rock! is a music program aimed to empower girls and gender diverse young people. The program will run from Tuesday 8th July to Friday 11th July at Wollongong Town Hall and is open to girls (cis and trans), trans boys, nonbinary, and intersex young people aged 12-17.

Back in the 90s, School Of Rock in Melbourne pioneered music program for women, it inspired a global movement, and now it's coming to Wollongong! The mission of the You Rock! program is to empower girls and gender diverse young people using the tools of music education to foster self-esteem and confidence. And make cool tunes.

Jayne and Jacqui from YouRock came into ABC Illawarra to tell us all about it.



YOUROCK! Comes to Wollongong

Port Kembla author Lucy Nelson has released her first book. A dazzling collection of hilarious and heart-wrenching stories united by a groundbreaking theme: each is a sidelong glance at the lives of women who – either by choice or by circumstance – will never be mothers and who feel every way it is possible to feel about it.

Lucy is launching the book at Ryan’s in Thirroul on Wednesday, and dropped into ABC Illawarra to chat about.

Wait Here with Lucy Nelson

I had such a packed week of legends on ABC Illawarra Drive for NAIDOC Week.

The theme for this year, the 50th year of NAIDOC, is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, and all of my guests had stuff to say about that, from mentoring kids to promoting healthy and active futures, paying tribute to past generations and getting the next on the right tracks (sometimes literally onto tracks. And music videos). 

Here they all are!

From cooking with Blak Cede in Nowra and Mark “Black” Olive at Uluṟu, health with the We Breathe people, sport with the Nations Of Origin Dharawal mob from Lake Illawarra PCYC, and legends Narelda Jacobs and JP Janke talking about NITV, the NAIDOC Awards and icons of Indigenous action. 

I had the Mayor of Nowra, Nooky talking about the new 3% song written with a bunch of local kids, making a Stuff The British Got Stolen Back film, and introducing The Kid Laroi’s crew to Clem’s Chicken.  

And more music from Ron Callahan, Mudjingaal Yangamba, Michelle McBride, and Lemonise all at Ngulla NAIDOC Fest (with Georgie Lowe and Doctor of Circus Sharon McCutcheon), and Yuin artist Kyarna talking about the importance of storytelling and playing a beautiful new song live that made her mum cry. 

And all kicking off last Friday with the very funny and a little unhinged Isaac Compton, who I got on to talk about That Blackfella Show, but then he handed the phone over to another legend of Indigenous TV and film, and things went even more off the rails…

Enjoy. 

HAPPY NAIDOC WEEK!

NAIDOC 2025 on ABC Illawarra Drive

After over a decade in the music world, South West Sydney hip hop artist L-Fresh The LION has put out three songs in 2025, getting ready for a new EP later this year. L-Fresh spoke to Lindsay McDougall on ABC Illawarra about new song "No Lie", his music, and the stories behind them.

Like his dad, coming to Australia, growing sugar cane in the backyard of South West sydney, and even older stories. Like that of the fifth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, and the tortures he endured in 17th century India, in the L-Fresh song "Red Hot Plate".


No Lie - L-Fresh The LION talks new music and old stories.

Why Documentaries was started in the year 2000 because filmmaker Sandra Pires was freelancing with a company, and needed to get paid! Already a storyteller, Sandra joined forces with others like Composer Judy Stubbs and has since told the stories of our past here in the Illawarra and further afield. Like the Mt Kembla mine disaster that stole 96 men and boys from their parents and partners, and the Dalfram Dispute, when our soon-to-be Prime Minister got his Pig Iron nickname.

After all that storytelling, and a celebration at the Warrawong Gala Twin on Saturday 16th of July, Sandra and Judy came into ABC Illawarra to tell *their* story.

WHY? Questioning, Finding and Sharing for 25 Years.

US TV Series UnREAL is back on TV, and much has been made around here of its new star, because he’s from the Illawarra. Adam Demos was a Wollongong construction worker who has made his way to Hollywood, and in a show about Reality TV, that’s pretty unreal – also Adam is the cousin Hawks star Tyson Demos AND of a mate of mine and my wife’s, local musician Pauly Demos – and he called in to ABC Illawarra

Adam Demos - from Wollongong to unREAL

Joe Camilleri has recorded almost 50 albums, including 20 with the Black Sorrows. And he's playing some of that enormous wealth of material at the Wollongong Spiegeltent. He jumped on the phone to talk about his constant songwriting, getting a plaque in his new hometown, and making soup out of people's bones, among other things...

Joe Camilleri from the Black Sorrows

George Bishop was born in Nowra and has travelled around australia, living in Canberra, Nhulunbuy and Broome among other places. He's back in town and dropped into the studio before his show at Society City on Crown Street Wollongong, for a chat, to tell some stories of his travels, and to play a song he hasn't even given a name to yet.

George Bishop Live on ABC Illawarra

Internationally renowned as one, if not The Best Elvis Tribute in the world today, Ben Portsmouth is playing at Anita's Theatre in Thirroul next friday night. 

He's the Elvis Tribute Artist that had David Letterman exclaiming "Oh my God", when he appeared on the Tonight Show.

He dropped in to ABC Illawarra to have a chat about The King, and to rope Lindsay into an impromptu Elvis song.

Ben Portsmouth is Elvis Presley

"I just know that belt's coming home - It's gonna be an early christmas present for my family"

Alexander has a date set for his Featherweight UFC bout, against Max Holloway. He phoned in to ABC Illawarra to tell Lindsay McDougall about it.

Alex Volkanovsky on ABC Illawarra

In 2006 Jason and I interviewed Bob Geldof, and I had the audacity to suggest he released a "best-of" in the wake of his Live-8 charity album... He didn't like that implication and made it known in no uncertain terms. 

Then in an interview with Lily Allen, just after she had called him the very same word, I try to complete the very rude triangle by calling Lily it, with predictably painful results...

Bob Geldof calls me a very rude word on air, and Lily Allen gets involved...

How do you pay tribute to one of the world’s great songwriters, especially one as iconic, in song, lyrics and voice, as Bob Dylan?

Well, one idea is of course, doing a brand new song, but there are also some classics on the new release by one of Australia’s official musical ambassadors to Nashville; Emma Swift. Blonde On The Tracks is out this week, and former triple j journo Emma Swift called in to ABC Illawarra for a chat.

Blonde On The Tracks with Emma Swift

What is the history of the "Sonnenrad" symbol in the cartoon that Pete Evans posted to facebook, the post that saw him dropped by almost all his commercial sponsors, and what draws such big name “wellness” celebrities to the far right? 

Tom Tanuki, political writer and satirist happens to be in the middle of a Melbourne Fringe online show about almost exactly that subject, so I got him to explain…

Tom Tanuki talks Occult Fascism and the Far Right's Redpill Projects

It's summer time, and there's going to be a few new faces, learning the ropes with the lifeguards on all NSW beaches... These ones are a little different though, mostly because the the lifeguards are now kangaroos! 

Learning about beach safety is going to be a bit more fun for your kids now with Kangaroo Beach on ABC Kids and iView, and this isn't just some cartoon makers having a laugh, there's real life lifeguards and swimming legends on board too, as water safety consultants. Chief lifeguard Bruce "Hoppo Hopkins" from Bondi Rescue, and show creator Tim Bain joined me for a chat.

Kangaroo Beach on ABC KIDS

I play in that Frenzal Rhomb band your Dad used to hate. I used to be that guy on triple j. And now I get to ask awkward and awesome questions to people and put the results up here!

Lindsay McDougall

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