The Veronicas

[Dario Western]

Does anybody here like this band?  I've met them twice and they are quite possibly the most nicest and friendliest girls I've met in a long time.  I will readily admit to having a crush on Jess as she's a vegetarian and likes a lot of similar music that I also grew up listening to in my childhood and teen years.   

There were some news reports going a couple of years ago that they were going to pose nude for a PETA campaign, but they declined it for one where they were wearing t-shirts and jeans and holding two skinned rabbits in the air to protest against the fur and leather trade.

I like a number of their songs like "Untouched", "Hook Me Up", "In Another Life", "Take Me On The Floor", "4 Ever", and their new single "Lolita". 

[Dario Western]

*bump*.  ;-)

A few years ago there were quite a number of news reports going around that Jess from the band was going to pose nude for PETA due to the fact that her mother Colleen raised her and her twin sister Lisa to be concerned with animal rights and protection.  Both she and Lisa did a lingerie photo-shoot for FHM magazine soon after, as well as a PETA anti-fur shoot where they were both fully dressed and holding up fake rabbit carcasses with a slogan printed "This is the rest of your fur coat". 
This is what she had to say regarding doing sexy photo-shoots at the time:

"I want to Empower Woman in the world.  A wise beautiful man once told me that Woman/girls should band together, and support each other, in a day in age where Men are still treated supreme to Females.

If looking sexy, and posing in a photo with my sister, is seen as a 'sex sells trick' then that SUCKS, and I hate that.
I do NOT in anyway believe woman need to do that to promote music, or anything else in life - that they have to sell out their bodies in a way to serve Men's desires, and Fantasies. No no no.

If you choose to show off your body, you should be doing it because you are comfortable with you are, and because it is your body, and your choice. For me I do not cater to anyone, I will not apologise for being a confident woman of the world. For being outspoken, or for posing with my sister in photos. Or mags like FHM, I'm there doing it because it is MY choice.

I also want people to know that I am NOT trying to sell an 'idea'. There have been some circumstances where it has been made to look like that - Yes.. But It makes me angry when taken out of context.. and misconstrued.
So for any future reference to anyone who cares to know...
Our band may not be changing society and they way it thinks yet.. But its been 3 years since we wrote "Hook me up", and trust me.. our next record will.. there is not holding us back.
<3"

[Justundressed]

Wow... I.didnt know that they were still around!

I do remember thinking that there was certainly a "hot one"... But I not recall which one it was.

#flashinthepan

[Dario Western]

If you are thinking of the one who plays guitar, had blonde hair and heaps of tattoos then that's Jess.  :-)

[Jen]

They were spunky chiccas - haven't heard anything of them in ages. They had a good following there for a while...

[Dario Western]

They were spunky chiccas - haven't heard anything of them in ages. They had a good following there for a while...

They still are, and still have quite a devoted following as they do a bit of charity work for Wildlife Warriors because they are friends of Steve Irwin's family. 

I saw them live about 3 months ago at Brew in the Queen Street Mall where they did a short acoustic set with their guitarists, and also filmed the set.

[Dario Western]

It has pleased me no end today to know that The Veronicas are getting behind a new body acceptance campaign called "Join The Revolution" started by Paralympian athlete and motivational speaker Jessica Smith, whose website is: http://www.jessicasmith.com.au

Jess and Lisa posted this message to their Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/TheVeronicas

"||STOP HATING YOUR BODY||
 Hey Girls and guys! We wanted to share with you something we are passionate about!
#JoinTheRevolution is an awareness campaign aimed at promoting positive Body Image.

 We all know what its like to have a day, or many, where you hate what you see in the mirror. Each day we are exposed to a perception of beauty stereotyped to a size or expectation.

 In reality, we are ALL created differently.
 And I think that's pretty damn cool!
 None of us need to conform or fit into an image 'criteria' set by people trying to sell insecurity and the fictitious image of what's 'perfect' or 'normal' to people around the world.

 Embrace your unique qualities, and appreciate them in those around you.
 It is a BEAUTIFUL thing to be different from one another!

 We hold our power in our own unique physical blueprint, in our battle scars, our stories, struggles, triumphs.
 We are carrying generations of genes, and history in each of our bodies. Let your body tell its story!

 Focus on health, meditate, get out into nature and get physical, eat in ways that respect your body, not abuse it, question everything, submerge yourself in all forms of art, feed your mind with books, culture, love, music, learn to cook, travel, and always remember to love yourself first.

 YOU are a limitless being that should never reduce itself to limited physical criteria.
 Never compare yourself to someone else. You are different people, you hold different karma.

 So be you, and love you for all the right reasons, instead of hating yourself for all the wrong ones.

 Love Jess & Lisa"

[Dario Western]

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/10/25/1225943/295658-the_veronicas.jpg

[Jackthenudist]

Bizarrely, "Untouched" still gets the occasional play on Radio 1 in the UK, despite it being old now and their only hit in this country. 

If we're talking about sibling bands though, I prefer Haim. 

[Dario Western]

They had another hit in the UK after "Untouched" with a song called "4 Ever", which was actually their debut single.  I think Sire Records did a shit job of promoting them over in the UK and Europe, even though "Untouched" reached the top in Ireland.

This is one of their latest songs called "Cross My Heart", which is a gorgeous AOR ballad but their record company refuses to put out their new material despite the girls telling fans their third album would come out some time this year after the fans were kept waiting for 4 years!  :-(

[ToneBender]

I've always liked them. Have you asked them what they think of your nude band idea?

[Dario Western]

Not in a direct sense, but they joined Laissez-Fayre's website on Myspace when I set it up around 2007.  It wouldn't surprise me if they are gradually becoming supportive of the naturist philosophy, especially as they thanked a nudist couple on their first album called Rob & Jeni Smith who helped sign them with EMI Music Publishing.  When I came out with the fact that I was a nudist on their forum in around 2009, virtually everyone on there was outraged and wanted me out, despite the fact that they accepted gay/bi/lesbian people and had no problems talking about and joking about sex on there too.   

Rob & Jeni live just down the road from me in Loganholme, and they were using their home called Villa Monterey to host nudist parties for a while in the early 00's before The Veronicas met them. 
I visited them once in 2002 when they held a body casting workshop.  Rob is the son of Sir Donald Smith, and he is a professional opera singer and music industry mogul as well as the business partner for Hayden Bell who helped organize The Veronicas signing with Warner Music as well as Savage Garden back in the late 90's.  I met Hayden in 2001 and showed him some of the songs I wrote for Laissez-Fayre (then known as "Lassivious" before I changed the name to something less racy).

We got on well and he liked me and said "Well when you get the whole band up and going then give me a call and we'll get things sussed out".  Unfortunately that's been the hardest task for me, as I've had so many women come and go from the act - more than Spinal Tap have had drummers! ;-)

At the moment I using more on my solo music, but I am doing a gig next Saturday called Entertaining Equality in which I'm doing some of L-F's songs that the punters might be interested in.

[nudetrail]

not a fan .

[Dario Western]

They have now split from Warner Music and going independent as they are fed up of being fucked about by the major music industry. 

Good on them I reckon!  :)

[Dario Western]

I have recently subscribed to a Facebook group that Jess is a member of called 11:11 Daily Heart Meditations, and I posted up that I was going to put up some videos about hugging, touching, and intimacy.  I said that our Anglicised cultures are very touch phobic and body phobic and people need to realize that touching and strong affection and massaging is not an automatic signal to go all the way, and that being nude does not necessarily mean that you are sexually available.  She 'liked' my post on that, so next time I see her and Lisa I'll ask them what they reckon. 

Jess has recently come out with the fact that she is into Paganism and Wicca in an interview, which might give me even more scope to talk about it with her seeing as there are several practitioners who are naturists (Gerald Gardner who founded the modern Wicca movement in the UK was a naturist too).

As for Haim, I heard their new song on Triple J recently and it's really good.  Sounds like they were listening to the Nolan sisters and Bucks Fizz when they wrote it, I still miss being an 80's kid a bit! :)