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OCTOBER 2015 // $9.95 INC GST

FEATURING:INTERVIEW WITH A DRUG COOK

MDMA ANSWERS

MELBOURNE GIG GUIDE

filthart // culture // music // melbourne

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01IMAGE: LUNA DEVILLE FACEBOOK

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: MAJA VESTAD // CARGOCOLLECTIVE.COM/MAJAVESTAD

COMING UP ////

EDITORS MESSAGE CONTRIBUTORS

LARUNDEL MENTAL HOSPITAL

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THE COOK’S CUT

FLOGGING MOLLY MDMA ANSWERED

MELBOURNE GIG GUIDE GEE SEAS REVIEW

BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: A DAY IN THE GREEN FACEBOOK

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EDITORS

CONTRIBUTORS:

Filth magazine and Melbourne share an intimate relationship that no other culture magazine can claim.

We know all about the city’s dark and occasionally repulsive underbelly and we want to share that with all of you beautiful, tattooed, Carlton-drinking, music-loving drop outs.

We understand that no one needs another so-called edgy magazine carefully targeted to private school kids about Laneway Festival with the same artsy photo of Hosier Lane. In making this magazine we set out to speak candidly to the loveable outcasts and genuinely starving artists who make this city great because there is different side to Melbourne’s culcha that doesn’t start with a degree from VCA and end at the Camberwell markets.

Filth explores the dirty Melbourne underground focusing on music, art and experience whilst respecting the city’s great and grimey history.We encourage a morbid curiosity about Melbourne’s most unsavoury characters and if we happen to blow a few minds along the way, then so be it.

In this here edition we’re going to talk about drugs. We’re going to hear first-hand about what it’s like to

be kidnapped, locked in a room and forced to cook ice for several hours whilst high as fuck. We’re also going to do pingas and break into an abandoned mental asylum, and then we’re gonna finish off by hitting up some pretty decent gigs.

In future editions we’re eventually going to find out what it’s like inside all of Melbourne’s music venues, prisons, unnamed alleyways, clinics, and rehabilitation centres whilst focusing on first person narratives.

We want to talk to the painters, the taggers, the musicians and the punters.

We want to know what’s written in the stalls of Melbourne’s bathrooms, how much gum is under that table, we want to know where you go at night and who you’re hooking up with.

We’ll answer these questions because you can’t claim to love a city without accepting and appreciating all it’s defects and shortcoming. So read on and if you like what you see, submit your shit and join our cult.

Rachael RobertsContact: rachael.roberts@filthmagazine.comCourse: Bachelor of JournalismLikes: Caffeine, knee high boots and pub rock Dislikes: The name ‘Craig’, seafood and tanbarkTwitter: @1rachaelroberts

Sally O’BrienContact: sally.obrien@filthmagazine.comCourse: Third year Bachelor of Arts student majoring in journalism and historyLikes: Art, history, balloons, baby goats and bananasDislikes: Smudged mascara, sunburn and venetian blinds Twitter: @sallyobrien42

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IMAGE: JASPER FEARNLEY AND RACHAEL ROBERTS

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FEATURED ART

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATION: SALLY O’BRIEN

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Since being purchased in 2008 by DealCorp, Larundel Mental Hospital has grand plans of being developed into 1100 townhouses and specialty shops within the next six years. Only five of the buildings have heritage value and will remain after the hospital has been demolished. This, of course, means the adventures of exploring the reportedly haunted hospital should begin to be collated.

With the extensive multi-coloured spray paint coating of all the walls that remain unburnt or not dilapidated within Larundel, it is clear that trespassing is a problem despite the security fencing, nightly patrols and permanent on site security.

But with paranormal stories of a ghostly girl who plays a music box (possibly due to Larundel’s introduction of music therapy in 1971 or alternatively the bells ringing at La Trobe

University nearby), and the voices you hear if you stand in front of a large painted pentagram at midnight, it’s no wonder that finding curious sources that have explored the hospital is so easy.

“If you want to go to Larundel, bring a torch because it’s dark, bring a group of friends because you probably won’t be alone and watch where you step because there [are] holes in the floor.” Bobby Caldor advises.

Will D. also remembers entering the remains of Larundel through a door that had been forced open. “[There was] graffiti everywhere inside, and lots of creepy drawings and stuff on the walls. Other than that it was pretty much an empty hospital, except it was dusty as fuck [with] cobwebs everywhere and there were beer bottles and cigarette butts.”

L A R U N D E L M E N TA L H O S P I TA L IS THE FENCE TO KEEP YOU OUT OR THE GHOSTS IN?

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“The scariest part of the whole thing was that there were people there, who knew we were there and they kept messing around with us. [They were] making noises and banging on walls to make out that the place was haunted.” Will D. claims, despite this story obviously being evidence of the mental hospital’s ghostly activity.

However some trespassing isn’t quite as innocent as the photographers, thrill seekers or emerging graffiti artists.

Manager of Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Guy McRorie said, “Kids do get in there and do light fires,”

“We’ve had several fires over the years … there’s only been small fires in there so far but it’s got the potential to be a large fire.” Mr McRorie told community newspaper, Preston Leader.

Larundel Mental Hospital began being constructed in 1938 but the war interrupted the development process to the extent that it was only proclaimed a mental hospital on June 15, 1953. This was after being emergency housing, a hospital for the Royal Australian Air Force, a refugee housing project in 1945 and, perhaps most terrifying of all, a children’s school in 1947.

After opening as a mental hospital, Larundel had to develop eight more wards to accommodate the sheer number of people being institutionalised. It closed in 1999 after the government moved towards community based care and will soon be demolished. If you are interested in paranormal activities, graffiti, or exploring one of Melbourne’s creepiest abandoned locations, visit Larundel and create or fabricate your own pentagram experience.

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“He’s the most interesting guy,” John* says, after telling a story of his friend Rob* shouting “I just got out of fucking prison” at someone on the street who had dared to challenge them, “and I think the most interesting thing about him, is in just the realest sense, he just doesn’t give a fuck.”

Rob is 21 years old. He sits beside me smiling, being friendly and eating nachos. He started cooking ice at 18 years old, has been in rehab twice and also spent three months in prison last year for trafficking drugs. It’s a steep progression from taking drugs as a teenager to being in jail at 20.

“I used to manufacture methamphetamine,” Rob begins. “I started in year 12.”

“Before all this, I got into drugs just using ice recreationally… There were three balas who lived next door and they were all my dad’s friends. One of them

next door, he was the weird one. He never used to come out anywhere, … I’d rarely see [him] and I’d always be sort of scared of this guy.” After Rob’s dad implored for their neighbours help to stage an intervention for Rob’s drug use, the ‘weird’ neighbour stepped forward.

“And he’s like ‘Oh so your dad’s telling me you’re trying to do this sorta stuff in your backyard, you know, clean red phosphorus off matchsticks and looking up how to cook ice and stuff.’ He goes, ‘How ‘bout I show you how to really do it?’” Rob explains the methods that determine if you are a hot cook and use red phosphorus iodine or a cold cook, with his neighbour teaching Rob the cold cook process of cooking ice using anhydrous ammonia and sodium and lithium metals. This was while Rob was celebrating schoolies at the end of year 12.

the cook’s

cutWORDS: SALLY O’BRIEN

IMAGES: ROB*

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“Everyone’s scared to do it this these days because it’s the most dangerous method,” Rob explains, pulling his pants up at the leg to reveal a blue tattoo on his thigh: a thinly lettered NH with three dots in the corner. “And this, I got that in jail. NH3 is for anhydrous ammonia because I was a cold cook, and it’s very rare that they come across that.”

Rob was charged with trafficking drugs. Rob went to jail for three months and was released in late 2014 after he was downgraded from a B class prison to a minimum-security prison as he got sober.

The chemicals used in manufacturing ice as a cold cook are dangerous. “The smell of [anhydrous ammonia] dissolves anything organic, so as soon as it leaks, like, burning.” Rob says, “So we had vents running into the bathroom up through the vent shaft or into the toilet and we didn’t realise this but the dog actually slept in the bathroom at one stage. So we finish a cook up and we open the door and this fucking dog’s black. It was black, like burnt, like fucked. So yeah, that was hard to explain to the kids.” Rob laughs. He also later describes a near death experience after an ammonia leak, his hands blocking the leak as the concentrated chemical slowly ate through

his protective plastic gloves. “We had a valve, and the ammonia would eat the valve away. And so we opened it and it snapped off at one stage and we didn’t have our masks on. So it comes with odours, and it was going into the flask we had it in and the ventilation wasn’t set up, and the room’s filling up with ammonia and we have to hold it with our hands over the thing,” he says, mimicking an inability to breathe and his hands outstretched under a valve.

“I had to go to hospital for anhydrous ammonia burns in my eye at three in the morning.” Rob again laughs, recalling telling doctors that he works for a commercial cleaning company that didn’t really care for safety regulations.

When asked about protecting himself, and staying safe through drug deals Rob describes an anonymous renowned friend, “ [We] used to give him product to sell for us and we used to give him some money and he’d look after us … cause we’re both little, [the neighbour] is very skinny and I’m tiny and very naïve. So we had that income [and] I used to sell on the side. I used to be like a sick cunt. I’d have it all in my socks, and be like ‘look at these drugs, look at what I’ve got here’ and selling here and there to friends.”

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Rob would cook for different people over the years, originally building up a reputation as a cook in Richmond. This led to him being forced to stay in guarded rooms to cook ice at 19 years old, on two separate occasions. “They kidnapped me but now we’re sorta friends.” He says. “Yeah, It was all just a big misunderstanding,” John says in the background.

“The dodgy thing was, and cooks are very smart people when it comes to dodginess,” Rob smiles, “we’d say yeah okay we can cook 1000 grams but we’d know there’s always spillages, there’s always stuff with grams so he’s not going to get 1000 grams, it’s going to be 800 grams maybe, out of the batch.” It is at this stage that Rob would add cutters such as different amino acids to the ice allowing the cook to keep more of the product for himself.

“No one has ever tasted pure ice but a cook. Ice is never ever pure when it hits the street. At all. At any level. No matter if they have fucking ten kilos or one kilo. There’s always a cook’s cut and the cook’s cut is usually thirty per cent. That’s it, minimum.”

For all of Rob’s adventures, the lifestyle is scary. He remembers his regular hallucination of “Barry the spider”, John laughing as Rob speaks of these giant spiders that would do doughies on the walls. “You’re naming them like they’re your children!” John exclaimed. “This is how psychotic and delusional you are. You become so insane from fumes and ice and staying awake that hallucinations like that were normal. And people freaking out about these hallucinations were laughed at. And then there was GHB, we’d take juice everyday, GHB, and people would overdose on it, convulse, and we just used to feed them ice to keep them awake.” Rob explains. “People would be passed out, blown out on the couch, fitting, [seizing], and it was normal.” “The detriment to your family is ridiculous.” He says, describing the $180,000 in legal fees and the guilt tactic of the rehabilitation clinic that involved his parents writing down all their expenses during his two stints in

rehab. “This is part of the reason why my dad’s business closed. It’s very taxing on everyone, both emotionally and physically.”

Realising that the mood has shifted, I jokingly ask how he feels about Breaking Bad. Rob scowls, “I fucking hate Breaking Bad. Everyone asks me about Breaking Bad, ‘Oh, just like Breaking Bad!’ It’s not like that at all, so much more fucked shit goes on. And I was cooking before it was cool!”

*Names have been changed and identifying details have been omitted to protect anonymity.

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T H E Y K I D N A P P E D M E B U T N O W W E ’ R E S O R TA

F R I E N D S .

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RACHAEL ROBERTS

Flogging MollyMDMA ANSWERED

While the rest of the country panics about the so-called ice epidemic, MDMA is fast becoming one of the most popular drugs in Melbourne.

For those out of the loop of Melbourne’s drug scene, MDMA is the active ingredient in ecstasy tablets. Although ecstasy has been consistently the most used drug amongst young people since before 2001 (excluding alcohol and cannabis, of course) the usage has continued to rise and supposedly increased in purity.

If you happen to be a young person living in Melbourne, it has also become obvious that all forms of ecstasy tablets, now being marketed as MDMA have moved outside nightclubs and rave scenes to more casual events like house parties.

The history of the ecstasy pill is deeply entwined in the rave culture of the 1980s but naturally as raves fell out of fashion, the use of ecstasy also diminished and hit an all time low in 2003 with only 13 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds using the drug. Although the 80s rave drug may have been slowly phased out, MDMA, a more potent form of the drug which now comes in a powder and capsule form. This is considered an upmarket version of the drug and is definitely in demand. In the UK, MDMA use has risen 84 per cent in the past two years, and in Australia the amount of MDMA seized by police has risen by 1257 per cent in the same time.

With the increased usage of MDMA powder and capsules, there has also been an increase in the use of regular ecstasy pills which have become synonymous with MDMA but are usually mixed with additives and other drugs including speed and crystal meth, more commonly referred to as shard.

Regardless of the potential variants and additives in the ecstasy pills you might buy from a friend or a stranger in a nightclub, most people will report similar effects. All of the three people interviewed reported it took at least half an hour to start feeling any effect, but eventually mentioned ‘talkativeness’ ‘excitement’ and ‘euphoria’.

Michelle who recounts her first and only time taking the drug, mentioned that she was concerned about getting anxiety and thought she had been duped because she didn’t start her ‘come up’ at the same time as her friends. This lead to her consuming alcohol to compensate, which is not recommended, and she would not have done so if she knew to wait half an hour.

Despite all three people mentioning talkativeness and a willingness to ‘open up’ Michelle also mentioned difficulty in concentration and following the conversation.

Michelle, being cautious on her first time, made a point to find out what exactly she was taking to the best of her ability. She was told it was called a White Mitsubishi and it was suppose to be a combination of MDMA, speed and a small amount of ice, however like most people taking this kind of drugs she called it MDMA. Which would imply

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that saying you have done MDMA is considered more fashionable than saying you’re taking ecstasy, E, or pingas.

All three of the subjects said they took special care of themselves when they consumed the drug. Those who have had some form of MDMA more than four times before mentioned that they wanted company when they started to ‘come down’. All three were aware that they needed to measure their water intake, as MDMA makes it difficult to maintain a regular body temperature, this along with excess sweating and dry mouth can put you at risk of both dehydration and water poisoning (there have been at least two known ecstasy related deaths from over hydration). They also said they all avoid driving until the drug had completely left their system 48 hours later and tried to eat well as if they had an alcohol hangover.

‘MDMA isn’t really conducive to sleep so I’ve found the next day I’m often really tired, kind of a hungover feeling. Dancing all night doesn’t help with that. It also reduces your appetite so I’ve found I probably go more than 12 hours without eating. So I think all those things contribute. Also generally you’ll find you’re a bit down for about three days after.’ Said Aaron.

Interestingly, statistics show that the use of less potent methamphetamines like speed have decreased whilst crystal meth and ice have increased. Likewise, experts have said the quality of ecstasy pills have decreased and so users are shifting towards a supposedly more potent form of the MDMA drug in a powder. Following this trend, it would seem that people are willing to spend more money on drugs that seem more potent or ‘cleaner’ than the pill form.

Melbourne doctor, Professor David Penington and pharmacist, Joshua Donelly have spent a large part of this year calling for the legalisation of MDMA. They believe that legalisation and regulation of the drug will reduce risk for the people determined to seek it out. Mr Donelly believes that the negative health consequences of MDMA (such as teeth grinding, depression, and maybe psychological dependency) are minimal in comparison to other illegal drugs. However

proper clinical trials have not been done to assure the medical community that it is safe and a Victoria government spokesperson says they have no plans to legalise the drug.

As the use of MDMA related drugs increase dramatically, the attendance of ambulances in metropolitan Melbourne have only increased by 11.8 per cent since last year. This is the same growth as ambulance attendance in alcohol related incidences and significantly less than amphetamines and cocaine.

The average age of people needing an ambulance in an ecstasy related attendance is 23 to 24 and in over half the cases alcohol is also involved. These emergency calls most commonly take place from Melbourne CBD, Stonnington and Port Phillip. Patricia Hewitt who was an emergency room nurse during the height of ecstasy pill popularity in the 80s said that there was very little trouble with those who had taken pills, ‘Alcohol was always the worst to deal with, many patients would be aggressive or abusive and often times it was their friends who would be the hardest to put up with in the ER.’

Possession of ecstasy is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of $4200 or one year in prison.

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**This article is not intended to promote the use of illegal substances. It is for risk reductions and educational purposes only. Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

IMAGE: PIXABAY.COM

M E L B O U R N E G I G G U I D EWith all the live music in Melbourne it can be a little overwhelming so here is Filth magazine’s gigs of the month. We sussed them out so you don’t have to.

20 October 2015: When We Were Small with Jarrow, Kondakova @The Evelyn, 8.30pm, $6. 21 October 2015: Rufus, @The Forum, 8pm, $49.

22 October 2015: Woo Who (EP Launch), Fuzzsucker, Jarassic Nark and Bad Shades, @The Public Bar, 7.30pm, $8. 23 October 2015: The Pretty Littles, @The Evelyn, 8.30pm, $10. 24 October 2015: Cabbages & Kings, Gorsha and Teenage Libido @The Tote Front Bar, 5.30pm, Free. 25 October 2015: Love Street Music and Arts Festival: Immigrant Union, Saint Jude, The Darling Downs, Broads, Gena Rose Bruce, Josh Cashman, Domini Forster, Big Seal and the Slippery Few and David Craft, @Howler, 4pm, $25.

26 October 2015: Miss Miss, The Girl Fridas, Ghost Dick @The Old Bar, 8pm, $5.

27 October : Lazarus Mode, @Bendigo Hotel, 8pm, Free.

28 October 2015: Tash Sultana, @Workers Club, 8pm, $17.85.

29 October 2015: Ghost Town, @Public Bar, 7.30pm, $5. 30 October 2015: Dedication to Chrissy Amphlett w/ Pluto & Neanderthals of the Future, @Cherry Bar, 8pm, $15. 31 October 2015: Gal-O-Ween: Girl Fridas, Little Lamb & The Rosemarys, Wet Lips, Swim Team, Shrimpwitch, @Public Bar, 8pm, $10.

1 November 2015: Sonic Moon, Hollie Joyce and Blood Orange, @Cherry Bar, 7pm, Free.

2 November 2015: Feedtime, Nun, Bunyip Moon, Birdcage, @TheTote, 8pm, $10. 3 November 2015: Clowns, Hard-ons, Ecca Vandal, Cosmic Kahuna, @Bendigo Hotel, 1pm, $15. 4 November 2015: Worm Crown, Shit Sex, Tongue Number, @The Tote, 8pm, $5. 5 November 2015: Luna Deville, D.D. Dumbo and Frank Society, @Evelyn Hotel, 8.30pm, $10. 6 November 2015 - Gareth Liddiard, @The NGV, 8.30pm, $28.

7 November 2015 – The Murlocs, @Howler, 8pm, $23. 8 November 2015: Adam Martin, Swim Season and Travis McCarthy, @Workers Club, 1pm, $12.25.

9 November 2015 10 November 2015: Saint Henry, @Cherry Bar, 8pm, Free. 11 November 2015: Nico & Vinz, @Prince Bandroom, 8pm, $56.10. 12 November 2015 – Jen Cloher, Ouch My Face, Loose Tooth, @The Gasometer, 8pm, $20. 13 November 2015: Camp Cope, Jen Buxton, Lucy Wilson, @Poison City Records, 6pm, Free. 14 November 2015: Loon Lake’s Last Show, @Corner Hotel, 7pm, $25. 15 November 2015: Brian Jonestown Massacre, @Melbourne Town Hall, 7pm, $65. 16 November 2015: PVT: 10 Year Anniversary, @The Former Royal Women’s Hospital, 7pm, $20. 17 November 2015

18 November 2015 – Dan Sultan, @Northcote Social Club, 7.30pm, $35.

19 November 2015 – Mesa Cosa, Mighty Boys, Wet Lips, Lazertits, Shripwitch, @The Public Bar 7.30pm, Free.

20 November 2015 – The Bennies, @Corner Hotel, 8.30pm, $15.

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Formed in 2012 by singer-songwriter Adam Smith, the Gee Seas have gone through more drummers than Spinal Tap whilst slowly earning the coveted title of Melbourne’s Riff Lords.

Joining Adam Smith is bassist Henry Osborne and Rory Sloan on drums. Their loud and grungy songs consist largely of pubs, beer, punch ons, mates and a heap of references about Melbourne suburbia from Collingwood to Balaclava.

The relatively esoteric three piece gained critical acclaim from PSB’s, Go For Broke host, Ken Eavel who asked them to play at his invite only Gelliroll Festival on New Years Eve in 2014. The festival is a private event that takes place twice a year and is the innermost sanctum for aging punters and pub rock revivalists. After playing their first single “One Too Many Jars” in July 2014, Eavel later declared, ‘I love that blokes vocals, that’s really something special… a real Cosmic Psychos, Rose Tattoo feel, all those Aussie accent, kickass front men, it’s the best voice I’ve heard for years.’

So fortunately for Eavel and their listeners at PBS, the Gee Seas have finally released their first EP, ‘Make the Bastards Jump’ which was recorded in their drummer’s basement and expertly produced by Smith himself. From personality to post production, the band continues

to authentically fit the down to earth, do it yourself image of Melbourne’s music scene.

The official EP launch was on April 30 at the Brunswick Hotel.

Performing with Fifth Friend, The Early Openers and Rabble Rousers, the bands were loud, the beer was cheap and the line to get in was around the block, which left many Thursday night regulars out in the cold and confused about what they were missing. From the EP the stand out track was the last, ‘Should I Have a Word’ which was slower then their usual style but no less enthusiastic.

From the show, the largest applause was for their new song, ‘I Wanna Root Your Man’ which explored Smith’s penchants for story telling through adopting new personas and his great talent for facetious humour. They closed the night by playing covers from Australian heroes, The Scientists and proto punks, the Stooges.

Despite the EP being overwhelmingly tight, the Gee Seas are still a band that is better served live. The only way to really experience the Gee Seas’ energy is at a gig, so look out for them in the next month and get some culture into you.

RACHAEL ROBERTS

MUSIC //

REVIEW

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IMAGE: HEDWIG CROMBIE

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