Mark Bannerman

"The less someone has the more likely they are to give": Dean Keddell was trying to help Balinese who lost their jobs because of COVID-19 but he ended up with some important lessons in life, writes Mark Bannerman.

One of Australia's greatest singer-songwriters has released a new album he hopes will re-awaken a generation who have forgotten how to fight — and perhaps inspire a whole new one.

After an illustrious career of rebirths, Bob Dylan is turning 80. But this birthday, of all birthdays, is a confection, writes Mark Bannerman.

The year was 1971. Two men stood on a reef, holding their surfboards, facing the ocean. They were about to surf a break no-one had ever surfed before. The film scene would quickly become a calling card for Bali — a legacy that continues 50 years on.

The loss of Archie Roach, Judith Durham and Olivia Newton-John in such a short space of time has obscured the extent of each artist's contribution — and in many ways Durham has been worst served, writes Mark Bannerman.

With all that Byron Bay has become, it's remarkable to think that the same town was once an industrial hub with a piggery, an abattoir, sand mining and a whaling station — until surfers came along.

The Beatles had a major problem and it wasn't going to be easily resolved. They didn't like the song they'd been asked to record by their producer George Martin.

David Crosby's life was defined by crushing lows — from personal and professional break-ups to drug addiction and jail time. But it is the soaring musical highs that he will be remembered for, writes Mark Bannerman.  

Six decades since two boys from Sydney first became The Atlantics, the Aussie surf rock band is releasing its latest album. And if you close your eyes, you can sense the sun, the pounding surf and the smell of salt on the air.

Between 1964 and 1970 Faithfull was a pop star, part of British rock royalty. The lows began with her use of narcotics and ended with time spent as a homeless junkie.