Hey you found us! Thanks for picking us this months mini, we hope you thoroughly enjoyed the little guy as much as we did making it for you. Sometime in the near or distant future, I dream of a wanderer minizine with incredible technology which allows you to press on links and drop down menus right there on the page… Until that day, we will use the trusty QR code to lead you here, where we have stored all the important info for the guide and interview, coloured photos and all!

WOLLON - GUIDE

WEEKLY

MONDAY

2-4-1 meals at The Ryan’s

Dicey Riley's $15 Schnitzel and Cooper's

TUESDAY

Trivia at La La La’s

$5 TACOS at Bar Cabron

Papi's $10 Burger Night

WEDNESDAY

North Gong Schnitty Night

Wing Night at Gringa

THURSDAY

Free Jazz Night At The Servo

Bingo And Poker At Dicey's

FRIDAY

Free Live Music at Towradgi Beach Hotel

SATURDAY

Free live music at Dicey Ricey’s

SUNDAY

Free live music at RGBM

AUG 1-2 DARK AS: Dark beer tap takeover at RGBM, Tarrawanna.

AUG 1 SHADY NASTY @ LA LA LA'S

AUG 2 Balkan Boogie & InspeKtor Gadje at The Servo, Port Kembla. An evening of Eastern European sounds and dance.

AUG 2 HIGH CATZ DEBUT LIVE AT VANQ

AUG 6 Trivia at RGBM

AUG 7 The Vanns at RGBM SOLD OUT!

AUG 8 BODYSHIRT @ VANQ w/ Local Tough Guy, Saint Slime

AUG 8 The Glider AT THE SERVO An all star jazz and improvised music line up feat. Nick Garbett – trumpet, Novac Manojlovic – keys, Dave Rodriguez – guitar, Pat Harris - bass, Finn Ryan / Jordan Ireland - drums, George Bishop - percussion + TL;DR (MEL)

AUG 8 2025 Australian Darts Masters

AUG 9 CLAMM @ LA LA LA'S

AUG 9 Holy Pav and RGBM presents SOUND MACHINE SATURDAY with West Wind &Pineal at RGBM [free]

AUG 10 Sunday Cypher - Hip Hop Jam @ The Servo, Port Kembla (New monthly hip hop jam feat. live jam band + guests MCs, live graff and street art, vinyl DJs on second Sunday every month at The Servo) FREE ENTRY

AUG 10 Girlatones + Forever Son + Ainsley Turrell at Franks Wild Years, Thirroul

AUG 15 IAVA “WHERE ART MEETS LIFE” EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT @ PROJECT ARTSPACE

AUG 16 HOON AT LA'S

AUG 16 Cardboard Cutouts at The Servo w/ Great Job! + Grass Stains
AUG 16 Promaja + Perfect Actress + Szem at Franks Wild Years

AUG 20 JOSH HINTON A PLACE IN THE SULTAN'S KITCHEN 20 - 23 AUG

AUG 20 THIRROUL RAILWAY HALL OPEN MIC

AUG 21 LIMP ZINE’s ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP AT VANQ [free]

AUG 23 Monsters Ball ft. Radio Rejects, The Limited, The Daptoids, Blast Module, Back By Unpopular Demand, Death By VHS, In The Crosshair

AUG 23 DICEY'S SATURDAYS - FREE ENTRY w/ Memory Motel, Pictures With Yuki, Stirr

AUG 24 COLEDALE MARKETS

AUG 24 PORT KEMBLA SKATEPARK OPENING PARTY

AUG 24 Benny Elder + Kial Malone at Franks Wild Years

AUG 27 THIRD EYE STIMULI 9TH BDAY AT THE METRO SOCIAL FREE ENTRY

AUG 29 WET KISS @ LA LA LA'S w/ Sevilles, Chessmaster 3k

AUG 29 PROXY DIVER @ VANQ

AUG 30 FASHION SOCIETY: BIGGEST FASHION MARKET

AUG 30 RAD PRESENTS LIBERTY HALL w/ Hockey Dad, The Belair Lip Bombs, Shady Nasty, dust…

AUG 31 The BEATMEISTERS at The Servo Afro, groove, funk jam & dance residency [free]

OUR CHAT WITH CHRIS FRAPE

While preparing for this exciting new venture, we were brainstorming which of the huge selection of Illawarra based artists, musicians and creatives we could interview for the debut issue. Then, like some movie cliche, we glanced at each other and then to the other side of the room at our friend and studio partner, Chris Frape. For years now, Wanderer Magazine has spent many a day alongside Chris Frape in our shared studio space in Nebula, Bellambi, sharing laughs and the bluetooth speaker. It seemed to make perfect sense.

Chris has been a mainstay in the Wollongong live music scene for close to 14 years and a music photographer for much longer. Chris witnessed the golden ages of the scene as it developed, thrived, dwindled and resurrected. Chris, with his cool demeanour and dry humour, recounts some memorable moments from his time here and what he likes most about our vibrant creative community. For kids like me who missed out on these prime periods, hearing stories from Chris is bittersweet, leaving me a little envious but nonetheless inspired.

Who are you? Where in the Illawarra do you live, and what do you do?

Chris: I am Chris Frape. I am from the northern suburbs of the Illawarra, Thirroul to be exact, and I’m a photographer and a DJ.

We'll do some quick fire questions first, three favourites… Favourite break on the South Coast?

Ehhh, Do I be mysterious? Interesting question. Just because of secrecy, but not really secrecy... I'd say Headlands, Austinmer.

What about it?

I love surfing there. It's a cool community of people that I surf with. [But] It's really hard to get a good photo of it.

So it's a challenge?

That's been the challenge for quite a long time.

Favourite night on the job in Wollongong, either as a photographer or a DJ?

I would probably have to say Shining Bird at Coalchella about six years ago at Wombarra Bowling Club. They played last, the clouds came in, it was all misty and the rain held off just enough for them until the end of their set. To me, Shining Bird was one of the rising bands when I first moved down here. They make the sound of the escarpment, really. Yeah, just perfect atmospheric moments in that show. I've seen them [play] a lot…

Favourite random fact, story, memory, piece of history, that you've got about the Illawarra?

This is kind of funny and embarrassing. When I first moved down here about 14 years ago, I watched Hockey Dad and Step Panther play a lot. I worked out that Steve Bourke and Dan Radburn were in Step Panther.. but, I was completely convinced that Zach had a brother who was the bassist of the band..

Haha and Zach was just in Hockey Dad?

Yeah, and I'd known all of them for about a year before I clocked that Zach was actually in the band. So that was pretty embarrassing… I played some shows here in the mid 90's in a band.

What was the band called?

Sneaker.

Sneaker... Cool name.

Fairly post rock-y, kind of Sonic Youth-y, Fugazi-y sort of band. Yeah, it's not something I tell too many people about so that's something, I guess, a bit random.

Where were you playing when you played with Sneaker?

We played a show at Sunami, which was an all ages venue kind of above Dicey Riley’s and we played a benefit show at the Croatian Club, I think it was. We used to play heaps with another band called Evol, who were the first band to win the Triple J Unearthed [in Wollongong].

Binx was in that band, right? From Chimers...

Binx was in that band. Yeah, so there's a long, long history.

And the Croatian Club, where was that?

Down from the youth center somewhere, into Coniston sort of way.

What subject or theme do you find yourself returning to after many years as a photographer?

Looking back over the 30 or so years I've been taking music photos, I think the bit that excites me most is seeing bands when they're right on the cusp of success. That's the exciting time for me, when bands are playing in smaller venues and they're packing them out, the energy's huge. They're playing for their lives. Once bands start doing big tours and have steady shows or steady income or whatever from music, my interest is not as high.

Who's a band that you can point to running around at the moment that has that energy?

Ooh, I feel a little bit out of the loop from the live music scene. Locally, Private Wives are amazing and I guess they're probably ready to step to that next level. But I definitely can't go without mentioning Godtet, who are probably my favourite band to photograph, hang out with, watch, and listen to. They just get better and better every time. Similar to Shining Bird – regardless of whether I'm getting paid or not, I will be at their shows with a camera. Full stop haha.

How does the environment or culture of Wollongong in your case, the northern suburbs of the coast shaped you and your work?

Moreso the culture than the environment. When I first moved down here, seeing everyone with limited resources just doing stuff, particularly Shining Bird, The Pinheads, and the Stoke Factory crew. Not worrying about having the best cameras or the best recording equipment, sometimes in a really ramshackle way of putting stuff together, but it's beautiful. That was always really inspiring. I think Solid Effort recorded an album in Austinmer toilets or change rooms, because they found a powerpoint. Rhythmic Picnic– a party that used to be on in the afternoons here– found a power supply in the middle of Stewart Park so they'd just plug in and... do it, that sort of 'can do' attitude.

What do you think the Illawarra adds to your photography?

Hmm, I feel that my photography has got more space, because there's a lot of quiet times and shitty [unpredictable] weather down here. But in my personal work, which is generally waves and ocean landscapes, I'm really inspired by capturing images that evoke the same strong feelings to those (emotions) you get from being in the environment around here, which is pretty strong.How would you describe the community that you operate in?

Well particularly where I work from; my studio [in Bellambi] which I share with Wanderer Magazine and Third Eye Stimuli, Stranded Recording, Aime, and a whole bunch of incredible artists, the community's warm, kind, and caring. Reflecting back to some of the darker times down here, I think there's an increased sense of vulnerability for people around here. But the places I do choose to go to, to see music or art or go surfing, I find that I'm surrounded by a lot of like-minded, open, kind, compassionate people which is really personified in this shared studio space. It's kind of like a second home.

Yeah, absolutely. I feel the same way coming here... How have you seen the Illawarra change while you've been here.... for good or bad?

House prices. Rent. Acai bowls are becoming popular again.

Oh, again?

Again… haha. They were huge in the 90’s…

And how about some good things?

The good things! Sometimes there's too much stuff on, that never used to be the case and that's a good thing. There's lots of different people running different shows from backyards to warehouses to traditional venues. It's almost like now there's enough music going on in the northern suburbs that you don't really have to go to Wollongong to see music, or if you live in Wollongong, you don't really have to go to the Northern Suburbs. Even Port Kembla has got a couple of venues now and a lot of art shows and festivals and things happening. So, pretty spoiled for choice these days.

We shall see you in September for an all new issue, thanks for being here if you made it this far. Feel free to have a look at our shop or donate below :))

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