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Bon Scott’s brother discusses AC/DC frontman’s death for the first time

<p dir="ltr">For the first time since the rockstar’s untimely death in 1980, Bon Scott’s closest friends and family have spoken out about his success and reliance on vices.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bon’s brother Derek said while Bon’s devil-may-care attitude was a key part of his public persona as a rockstar, it would eventually lead to his downfall as his penchant for risk-taking would backfire.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, was found dead in a car in London in 1980 after a night of heavy drinking, drug use and partying at just 33 years old. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bruce Howe, a close friend of the rockstar, said he would rely on dangerous vices while on the road, specifically when boredom would set in. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That‘s when he would start taking risks, doing wild things,” Howe said on the ABC’s <em>Australian Story</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On days when he was bored, there was no future, there was only now.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn‘t give a bugger about whether he lived or died the next day. He’d try anything — magic mushrooms, marijuana, alcohol — and he would take risks on his motorbike.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I said, ‘You are going to f***ing kill yourself. Do something about it!’”</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking for the first time on the death of his brother, Derek Scott said Bon’s alcoholism had always worried those closest to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He did get bored very quickly,” he said. “That was the biggest problem. When he got bored, he drank.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He never worried about tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Bon Scott joined AC/DC and rose to international fame, his stardom became another vehicle of self-destruction. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Within the next 12 months, they were expected to be one of the biggest acts on the planet,” Murray Engleheart, author of the book AC/DC Maximum Rock and Roll, said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The next album was going to be the one that was really going to kick them over the goalposts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But after barely five years of AC/DC becoming a global act, the Bon Scott era was over.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Bon’s passing as he did, on his own in a car in the freezing cold, after all his hard work and all his heartbreak getting there, was just an incredibly sad, lonely and unglamorous way to go out,” Mr Engleheart said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Howe said he was gutted by the news of his death, but knew deep down that an early death was always a possibility for his friend.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He drank far too much,” Mr Howe said. ”I did wonder if he would push it too far one day. And sadly, he obviously did.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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Julia Child's iconic home hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The Washington DC home of famed chef Julia Child has hit the market with an asking price of $3.5 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">Child lived at the 290-square metre yellow clapboard house, where she created some of her most famous dishes that appeared in her book,<span> </span><em>Master the Art of French Cooking</em>, between 1948 and 1959.</p> <p dir="ltr">The three-bedroom and three-and-a-half bathroom home has been restored and renovated by its current owner, Rory Veveers-Carter, since he purchased it for $935,000 in 2015.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also underwent renovations during Child’s time, when she installed a $400 Garland Model stove that is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the kitchen features stainless steel Viking appliances, an eight-burner cooktop stove, double stacked ovens, a wooden hearth, and a wine fridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the original kitchen walls and window that appeared on Child’s cooking shows have remained untouched.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Encased in glass, this window to history that sparked an American food revolution is a classic conversation starter for guests,” the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2706-Olive-St-NW-Washington-DC-20007/428757_zpid/" target="_blank">listing</a><span> </span>said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing also revealed that Mr Veveers-Carter's grandmother was an "avid watcher of Julia's cooking shows" and was drawn to the home after "the building fell into disrepair … work(ing) tirelessly to preserve this landmark house".</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the famed kitchen where Child created many of her well-known recipes, the house has an open-plan design including an office, living room, foyer, fireplace and powder room.</p> <p dir="ltr">The upstairs floor houses a master bedroom and ensure, as well as two other bedrooms, with one that comes with an adjacent full bath.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Veveers-Carter also transformed the space under the kitchen into a den, laundry area and private Turkish steam room.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the<span> </span><em>Washington Post</em>, the home was first built in 1869 by African American architect Edgar Murphy, who lived there with his family until his death in 1908.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images, Zillow</em></p>

Real Estate

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Rolling Stone ranks Australia’s 200 Best Albums of All Time

<p>If there's one thing music fans love to debate over, it's a "Greatest of All Time" list.</p> <p>The list causing the most recent debate comes from Rolling Stone, who have ranked the top 200 best albums to come from the Australian music scene.</p> <p>It came as no great shock that the list was conquered by Australian music greats AC/DC and their rock classic album <em>Back in Black</em>.</p> <p>First released in 1980, the record remains the second highest selling album in the world, with more than 50 million copies sold worldwide.</p> <p>Despite AC/DC taking out the top spot, the most impressive feat in the list comes from the two bands that managed to secure two spots each in the top 20 list.</p> <p>The first was Midnight Oil, for their 1982 album titled <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> – which came in at number 19 on the list – and their 1987 classic <em>Diesel and Dust</em>, which took out the number five spot.</p> <p>Then, equally as impressive, were Powderfinger, who secured the 18th spot with their 1998 album <em>Internationalist</em>, as well as the 16th spot with <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000).</p> <p>Despite the list featuring a host of up-and-coming Aussie artists and their latest releases, the majority of the top 20 was reserved for the classics.</p> <p>Coming in second to AC/DC on the list was the massive INXS record <em>Kick</em>, which was first released in 1987.</p> <p>Also featured in the top 20 were John Farnham's <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986), Cold Chisel's <em>East</em> (1980) and Crowded House's self-titled album from 1986.</p> <p>Kylie Minogue's 2001 album <em>Fever</em> was the highest ranking for a female artist, and was joined in the list by fellow female hitmakers such as Sia, Kasey Chambers and Sarah Blasko.</p> <p>Despite the top 20 being largely dominated by 20th century records, some relative newcomers pushed their way to the top.</p> <p>5 Seconds of Summer's 2014 self-titled album landing the number 17 spot, and Tame Impala's 2015 experimental record <em>Currents</em> came in at number 12.</p> <p>Although some newer artists were featured in the top spots on the list, the winners really go to show that there's nothing quite like some classic Aussie rock.</p> <p><strong>Check out the TOP 20:</strong></p> <p>20. Dr. G Yunupingu - <em>Gurrumul</em> (2008)</p> <p>19. Midnight Oil - <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> (1982)</p> <p>18. Powderfinger - <em>Internationalist</em> (1998)</p> <p>17. 5 Seconds of Summer - <em>5 Seconds of Summer</em> (2014)</p> <p>16. Powderfinger - <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000)</p> <p>15. The Go-Betweens - <em>16 Lovers Lane</em> (1988)</p> <p>14. Regurgitator - <em>Unit</em> (1997)</p> <p>13. Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds - <em>Murder Ballads</em> (1996)</p> <p>12. Tame Impala - <em>Currents</em> (2015)</p> <p>11. You Am I - <em>Hourly, Daily</em> (1996)</p> <p>10. Kylie Minogue - <em>Fever</em> (2001)</p> <p>9. Savage Garden - <em>Savage Garden</em> (1997)</p> <p>8. The Avalanches - <em>Since I Left You</em> (2000)</p> <p>7. Crowded House - <em>Crowded House</em> (1987)</p> <p>6. Silverchair - <em>Frogstomp</em> (1995)</p> <p>5. Midnight Oil - <em>Diesel and Dust</em> (1987)</p> <p>4. Cold Chisel - <em>East</em> (1980)</p> <p>3. John Farnham - <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986)</p> <p>2. INXS - <em>Kick</em> (1987)</p> <p>1. AC/DC - <em>Back In Black</em> (1980)</p> <p>And you can peruse the full 200-strong list <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.rollingstone.com/rolling-stones-200-greatest-australian-albums-of-all-time/page/1/the-teskey-brothers-run-home-slow/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

Music

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Birds of Prey renamed after flopping at the box office

<p>Margot Robbie’s <em>Birds of Prey </em>has been renamed after a disappointing opening weekend in the cinemas.</p> <p>Warner Bros. has changed the film’s name from <em><span>Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) </span></em><span>to <em>Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey</em>, less than a week after its debut.</span></p> <p><span>A studio representative told <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/11/21132868/harley-quinn-birds-of-prey-name-change-seo-warner-bros-opening-weekend-trailers?utm_campaign=theverge&amp;utm_content=chorus&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter"><em>The Verge</em></a> the name change is part of an effort to make it easier for moviegoers to find the flick. </span></p> <p><span>While the R-rated film opened at number one at the US box office, it only grossed US$33 million, coming short of the studio’s US$45 million projection. Industry expectations were around US$50 to US$55 million.</span></p> <p><span>The opening for <em>Birds of Prey</em> is the lowest so far for a DC Comics title, overtaking <em>Shazam!</em>’s record of US$53.5 million.</span></p> <p><span>In Australia, the film also earned <a href="https://mumbrella.com.au/birds-of-prey-flies-straight-to-the-top-of-the-australian-box-office-taking-almost-4m-in-its-first-weekend-616648">the top spot at the box office</a>, taking in $3.85 million across 528 screens on its first weekend.</span></p> <p><span>Directed by Cathy Yan, <em>Birds of Prey </em>depicts the story of Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) who finds herself becoming allies with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) after her breakup with the Joker.</span></p>

Movies

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“We’ve been in the studio”: AC/DC confirms new music is in the works

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There have been rumours surrounding Aussie rock band AC/DC and whether or not they have been working on a new record.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Their sound engineer, Mike Fraser, can confirm that the band have been back in the studio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With guitarist Malcolm Young passing away in 2017, fans were worried about the sound of the new album. However, he </span><a href="https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/late-acdc-guitarist-malcolm-young-new-album/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reportedly</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> worked on “hundreds” of songs with Angus Young, with insiders saying that some of his riffs will be featured on the new album.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM698gqBts2/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM698gqBts2/" target="_blank">Thunderstruck ⚡️ Photo by @rp_goldenfotos #rockorbust</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/acdc/" target="_blank"> AC/DC</a> (@acdc) on Nov 17, 2016 at 10:30am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fraser let it slip on Tony Mantz </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mastering Music Mastering Life</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> podcast that the band were back in the studio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well, yeah, I could say that we’ve been in the studio doing something,” Fraser said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What’s come of that I can’t discuss yet.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With Fraser being the sound engineer for the band since 2000, he explained on the podcast why he’s been with the band for so long.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They found a lot of guys they work with are always trying to change [their sound],” Fraser explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lucky for me, I was a huge AC/DC fan, so I kind of knew what it is, and what it should be. I think that sort of helped. They keep coming back to me.”</span></p>

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