Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Jewish leaders and politicians have condemned a white supremacist training bootcamp held beside a popular beach in Melbourne’s south-east where teenagers joined neo-Nazis to run through boxing drills and a flag was unfurled for a propaganda photo shoot As the rain drove most windsurfers from the swells of Elwood beach on Saturday afternoon a group of about 35 men and boys gathered at a reserve nearby dressed in nondescript fitness gear and the odd camouflage jacket and others conduct fitness drills in Elwood.Credit: The Age They looked like any other fitness bootcamp at the park. But among them were key figures of neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network, including Jacob Hersant who last year became the first person in Victoria charged and jailed for performing the now-outlawed Nazi salute The group’s public training day was held in Macnamara the federal electorate of Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns whose offices have previously been targeted with antisemitic vandalism The Age observed the men run through military and boxing drills lifting weights and carrying each other in fireman lifts for about two hours About three of those training appeared to be young teenagers and a boy with the group sometimes joined in sparring they were apparently oblivious to the training camp behind the scrub just metres away One man flew a kite with his young daughter nearby on the lawn a clutch of young mothers with toddlers and prams stopped by to join the men and watch them train Then finally the group’s snapper called the men together – and a flag of the far-right European Australian Movement (founded by neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell) was unfurled for a brief group photoshoot White supremacists pose with the flag of the Australian European Movement at Elwood Beach.Credit: The Age That flag’s symbol is not itself outlawed in Victoria and Victoria Police confirmed no offence had been committed said: “I know as a Jewish Australian just how confronting it is to see white supremacists on our streets – especially in a place as welcoming and inclusive as Elwood “The cowards who hide behind hateful bigotry are not welcome in our community or anywhere.” A white supremacist bootcamp in ElwoodCredit: The Age chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the gathering underscored the need to address a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Gaza war broke out “has been the growth of neo-Nazi and white nationalist recruitment and public demonstrations” “While unconcerned by the Israel-Hamas war they sense the country is experiencing a period of antisemitism they can exploit .. equip them with a sense of mission and fill their minds with fantasies blaming all the ills of societies on a familiar enemy.” Local neo-Nazis have been documented recruiting aggressively among young men in Australia as they plot building a racist new-world order from their houses and gyms in suburban Melbourne The Victorian government and Victorian opposition have been contacted for comment Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter Jewish leaders and politicians have condemned a white supremacist training bootcamp held beside a popular beach in Melbourne\\u2019s south-east They looked like any other fitness bootcamp at the park But among them were key figures of neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network The group\\u2019s public training day was held in Macnamara Then finally the group\\u2019s snapper called the men together \\u2013 and a flag of the far-right European Australian Movement (founded by neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell) was unfurled for a brief group photoshoot That flag\\u2019s symbol is not itself outlawed in Victoria said: \\u201CI know as a Jewish Australian just how confronting it is to see white supremacists on our streets \\u2013 especially in a place as welcoming and inclusive as Elwood \\u201CThe cowards who hide behind hateful bigotry are not welcome in our community or anywhere.\\u201D \\u201Chas been the growth of neo-Nazi and white nationalist recruitment and public demonstrations\\u201D \\u201CWhile unconcerned by the Israel-Hamas war equip them with a sense of mission and fill their minds with fantasies blaming all the ills of societies on a familiar enemy.\\u201D Local have been documented aggressively among young men in Australia Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories Pub King Bruce Dixon’s house at 37 Addison St Pub king Bruce Dixon has is selling his modern Elwood mansion for sale that he purchased from AFL champ Scott Pendlebury Property records show the Dixon Hospitality Group founder bought the four-bedroom house at 37 Addison St in August 2022 for $6.5m from the ex-Collingwood captain Dixon sold a controlling stake in his pub empire to global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2017 for about $190m which was later renamed Australian Venue Co and has more than 200 venues operating across the nation RELATED: Sporting personalities all sell up around Melbourne Five-time Melbourne Cup winner puts $12m acreage up for sale ABC TV personality’s $8m mansion back on market after one month The business bigwig was also the former executive of Healthscope and Spotless he’s selling the Elwood residence with $5.7m-$6.27m price hopes Pub baron Bruce Dixon is selling his Elwood residence with $5.7m-$6.27m price hopes While RT Edgar director and listing agent Michael Ebeling declined to comment on the seller he said the contemporary home — built just six years ago — had a loft area above its garage which could be used as a yoga studio or another bedroom very short walk to the beach and the Elwood shops,” Mr Ebeling said He added that newly built or renovated homes were selling better than properties that needed work due to construction costs “A lot of people got … plans and permits approved and then they’ve found their renovation costs their quotes and the bills (are doubled),” he said “So a lot of people are more comfortable just buying a renovated house or newly built house so you know exactly what you’re in for.” The kitchen is fitted with porcelain benchtops The property was designed by Adam Kane Architects with gardens created by Bethany Williamson Signorino stone and American oak floorboards are consistent throughout the home gym and double garage are other highlights of the property Alex built the Elwood mansion just six years ago In August 2022, the Herald Sun reported that Scott Pendlebury and his wife, Alex were sad to be leaving the house they built “We are proud of this one and will miss the ‘hood but v(ery) excited for the next chapter,” their posts read,” their social media posts read at the time Dixon has made a number of real state moves across the state including the purchase of an equestrian facility in Drydale for $7.5m which was previously owned by Olympian Mary Hanna He later sold the property and upsized in 2022 to the 120ha Macedon Lodge from Lloyd Williams’ family for $19.5m Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox MORE: $8.4m home of Australia’s longest-serving PM for sale Inside daughter of Frank Walker’s epic $5m+ tiled pad Scott Cam dubs Langwarrin shed one of the best in Australia third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. led by directors Zoe Cherrie and Dave Seeber fills a strategic gap in Buxton’s existing network which includes strongholds in Port Phillip who has been with Buxton for over a decade and became Director of Buxton St Kilda & Albert Park in 2016 brings extensive experience in the bayside market “Elwood has long been an integral part of the bayside real estate market and we felt the time was right to establish a dedicated presence here,” Mr Seeber said we saw a record-breaking sale at 9 Bendigo Avenue for $17.05 million the highest result in Port Phillip for the year This underscores the strong demand for exceptional properties in Elwood.” who has been named Buxton’s agent of the year for the past three years brings a results-driven approach and deep local knowledge to the new office from its village atmosphere to its vibrant community,” Ms Cherrie said and we’re here to be the first choice that buyers and sellers deserve.” The expansion comes as Elwood experiences increased interest from downsizers seeking high-quality apartments and prestige buyers looking for premium bayside residences The office will focus exclusively on residential sales offering tailored insights to help clients maximise their property potential “Our goal is clear—secure and retain the strongest market share in Elwood,” Ms Cherrie said Buxton Real Estate CEO Marcus Williams expressed enthusiasm about the strategic expansion “We’re thrilled to see Buxton’s continued expansion across Victoria with Elwood being a natural next step in our growth strategy,” Mr Williams said combined with the expertise of Zoe Cherrie and Dave Seeber makes this an exciting new chapter for our network.” News Sitemap Whether you’re a south-side local or a visitor looking for a breezy summer daytrip the inner-city beaches around Melbourne’s City of Port Phillip offer a good mix of seaside and urban cultural experiences Comprising a strip of suburbs along the bay all within 10 kilometres of the CBD – including Elwood Albert Park and Port Melbourne – there are plenty of ways to spend the day in the beachside district Maybe it’s with a morning dip at the beach or a pub feed for dinner – maybe it’s all three travel spots and more – curated by those who know It’s free and open to everyone – just bring yourself and a towel Grab a coffee and a snack from the beachfront kiosk, or head into central Elwood – to institution Jerry’s Milk Bar, perhaps, or stylish 2024 newcomer Arlo on Ormond Road – for something more substantial it’s just 10 minutes’ stroll along the Bay Trail to Point Ormond Lookout where you’ll find one of the best views of the Melbourne city skyline The waterside views don’t stop at lunch. Dine al fresco at Elwood Bathers and take in the ocean breeze while tucking into an aptly seafood-heavy menu and baked Shark Bay scallops with fresh lemon and café de Paris butter you can’t go wrong with the fish and chips – but there’s also seafood linguine in a garlicky chilli or burgers for those less crustacean-inclined Ready for dessert? Head into St Kilda for baked goods from Monarch Cakes an institution that’s been baking Eastern European cakes from its Acland Street storefront for 90 years Here you’ll find sweets like its famous kooglhoupf (a sweet ring-shaped cake-like bread with dark chocolate and almond meal and Polish baked cheesecakes made from a century-old recipe We recommend stocking up on a few treats for the road Just up from Monarch on the quieter end of Acland Street, Linden New Art is a public art gallery in a grand historical home (entry is free) Spend the afternoon checking out the annual Linden Postcard Show the long-running exhibition sees hundreds of intricate postcard-sized artworks by acclaimed artists the show has evolved to include some larger 2D and even 3D works.) Linden also hosts exhibitions by contemporary artists and designers working in a variety of mediums Melbourne painter Sean McDowell’s show And the World Turns is on until mid-January; it’s a series of eight vibrant new paintings created using oil on woven hessian fabric For a bit of a different waterside walk that isn’t on the bay At this picturesque park right on the edge of the city you’re sure to catch other pedestrians (and plenty of pooches) out for an arvo stroll You’ll also spot lots of visitors (and locals) taking snaps of the exceptional palm-tree studded CBD views Stop for a breather on one of the park benches and enjoy the tranquillity of the water or set up on the grass and watch the sun set After a day of sun, salt and fresh air, nothing hits quite like an intimate wine bar. And in a corner building on Cardigan Place, Wally’s is exactly that Take a seat in the banquette – lined from end to end with wine bottles – and order seeasonal dishes like asparagus gribiche octopus n’duja and flank au poivre with cime di rapa there’s a book-sized wine list that celebrates French and Australian bottles After dinner, take a 15-minute stroll (or five-minute drive) into the heart of Albert Park for a scoop or two from Billy Van Creamy’s recently opened fourth store on Bridport Street honeycomb or cookies-and-cream varieties for a hit of nostalgia or a vegan peppermint fudge scoop made from cashew and coconut milk for something different Hop over to Port Melbourne to round out your day on the bay with a nightcap at The Saba Rooftop Perched on the 16th floor with a pool and a European beach club vibe this new spot has 360-degree views across the city skyline at night There are two types of Spicy Margaritas if you’re keen to get the party started or keep things low-key with a spiced rum and butterscotch Espresso Martini as a digestif This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with What’s On St Kilda & Southside. Explore more of the area’s restaurants, bars, cafes, events and things to do Bakeries and Restaurants That Opened or Closed in April 32 of the Hottest Dishes and Drinks in Melbourne Right Now Menu Reveal: Five Things To Order at Junda Khoo’s Ho Liao First Look: Filipino Pop-Up Palay Moves to Fitzroy for Good 2025 at Elwood Care Center at the age of 74 Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elwood with Pastor Aaron Witt officiating at Fort McPherson National Cemetery at Maxwell isitation with family present will be Wednesday Website ©2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association | All rights reserved. | Website developed by Hollman Media you will be automatically redirected here whenever you go to https://ruralradio.com you can click the "Clear home" link in the footer of the site Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Jewish leaders and politicians have condemned a white supremacist training bootcamp held beside a popular beach in Melbourne\\u2019s south-east, where teenagers joined neo-Nazis to run through boxing drills and a flag was unfurled for a propaganda photo shoot. As the rain drove most windsurfers from the swells of Elwood beach on Saturday afternoon, a group of about 35 men and boys gathered at a reserve nearby, dressed in nondescript fitness gear and the odd camouflage jacket. They looked like any other fitness bootcamp at the park. But among them were key figures of neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network, including , who last year became the first person in Victoria charged and jailed for performing the now-outlawed Nazi salute. The group\\u2019s public training day was held in Macnamara, the federal electorate of Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns, whose offices have previously been targeted with antisemitic vandalism. When alerted to the display by The Age, Burns condemned the gathering. On Saturday, The Age observed the men run through military and boxing drills, sparring, lifting weights and carrying each other in fireman lifts for about two hours. Capturing it all, even through frequent torrents of rain, was a photographer attached to the group. About three of those training appeared to be young teenagers, and a boy with the group sometimes joined in sparring, or took photos of the men. As locals walked their dogs at the beach, they were apparently oblivious to the training camp behind the scrub just metres away. One man flew a kite with his young daughter nearby on the lawn. And later, as the sun returned, a clutch of young mothers with toddlers and prams stopped by to join the men and watch them train. Then finally the group\\u2019s snapper called the men together \\u2013 and a flag of the far-right European Australian Movement (founded by neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell) was unfurled for a brief group photoshoot. That flag\\u2019s symbol is not itself outlawed in Victoria, and Victoria Police confirmed no offence had been committed. Burns, whose grandmother escaped the Holocaust, said: \\u201CI know as a Jewish Australian just how confronting it is to see white supremacists on our streets \\u2013 especially in a place as welcoming and inclusive as Elwood. Alex Ryvchin, chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the gathering underscored the need to address a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Gaza war broke out. One disturbing consequence, Ryvchin said, \\u201Chas been the growth of neo-Nazi and white nationalist recruitment and public demonstrations\\u201D. \\u201CWhile unconcerned by the Israel-Hamas war, they sense the country is experiencing a period of antisemitism they can exploit ... They seek to manipulate the young, equip them with a sense of mission and fill their minds with fantasies blaming all the ills of societies on a familiar enemy.\\u201D Local have been documented aggressively among young men in Australia, including minors, as they plot building a racist new-world order from their houses and gyms in suburban Melbourne. The Victorian government and Victorian opposition have been contacted for comment. Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. . Add videos to your saved list and come back to them any time Texas blues rock icons ZZ Top took to the stage in Perth on Thursday wowing fans with a very strange instrument The Legs hitmakers were rocking Langley Park on the Australian leg of their Elevation world tour with fellow rock veterans George Thorogood & The Destroyers whipped out a guitar that had the crowd doing a double-take He was rocking a bright yellow bass guitar that featured a whopping 17 strings and a body that almost obscured his entire torso The standard electric bass guitar has four strings there are also five-string and five-string models who replaced original member Dusty Hill after he died in 2021 looked like he was struggling to wrap his hands around the instrument's gargantuan neck as he stood in front of a large stack of amplifiers Speaking about the bass behemoth to Guitar World in January Elwood said that it wasn't his favourite instrument to play and despite bearing the Fender name on the headstock did not come from the iconic guitar company 'I hate playing that f***ing bass,' he said 'I found it late at night while internet surfing on one of those Chinese websites I couldn't believe they were making something like that.' The rocker added that he saw immediate comic value in the oversized instrument the iconic showmen did not disappoint when it came to the sartorial stakes either The black jacket featured a colourful cactus and rose design along with a Dia De Muertos-style skeleton for good measure He matched this with a pair of sequined black pants and a pair of black boots Billy went a little overboard with the headwear wearing a bandana and a grey beanie underneath a battered light grey fedora While it was barely visible from behind the imposing bass Elwood also wore the same eye-catching jacket and sequinned pants combo He did mix things up with a pair of ruby red suede shoes while sorting a shock of grey hair and a full beard both Billy and Elwood found time to switch out their jackets for an equally colourful matching bright purple number that also featured an ornate floral design Elwood had also swapped his monstrous yellow bass for a much more manageable black four-string version The Sharp Dressed Man rockers continue their Australian run in the Hunter Valley and Wollongong this weekend as part of the Red Hot Summer regional mini-festival They will then head to Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena on May 7 before rounding our Red Hot Summer on Queensland's Bribie Island and finally at the ICC Sydney Theatre on May 13 ZZ Top formed in Houston Texas in 1969 and for 51 years kept the same line-up of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, until Dusty's death in 2021.  Responsible for a swag of blues rock hits including La Grange the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have sold an estimated 50 million records During an appearance on US Radio show Ultimate Classic Rock Nights, Gibbons discussed the origins of the band's unusual name. 'We had a little apartment, a little hangout room that was lined with those rainbow-coloured blues posters you'd say nailed to the telephone poll, [listing] who was coming to town,' Gibbons recalled. As the guys looked at the posters, Gibbons said they realized 'it was odd how many current names had initials - O.V. Wright, D.C. Bender, and of course B.B. King - he was down on this end of the alphabet, then it was Z.Z. Hill.'  'Jeez, ZZ and King, that's a good combo,' Gibbons remembered saying, but decided that ZZ King was too similar to B.B. King. 'King being at the top, I said, "Okay, so it's gonna be ZZ Top, and that's the way it is."'  Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... We are trapped in unsellable newbuild homes after a £52m dual carriageway was built on our... 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ZZ Top perform with a VERY bizarre instrument in PerthComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first. {{message}} writer and actor Jane Turner of Kath and Kim fame has listed a nice different and unusual Elwood mansion with $7.5m-$8m price hopes A co-creator of the iconic Australian television series along with her friend and collaborator Gina Riley Turner played the role of Kath Day-Knight in the show and 2012 spin-off film Kath & Kimderella the program set in Melbourne won numerous accolades including Logies Australian Film Institute gongs and Australian Comedy Awards RELATED: 300+ Melbourne suburbs where home values are falling Kath & Kim: Geelong house’s kitchen is screaming ‘look at moi’ Comedian Joe Avati reveals plans for Hawthorn home with hidden speak-easy, wellness centre Turner also portrayed the posh Fountain Gate Shopping Centre store assistant Prue in Kath and Kim while Riley took on the character of her fellow retail employee Trude Turner is also known for her roles on the drama series Prisoner and in the sketch comedy shows The D-Generation plus the legal comedy Rake alongside actor Richard Roxburgh But public records show they withdrew the five-bedroom residence from the market after 47 days without selling it imagine how many copies of the books Forever Faithful and Show me your Ring by Marion the marriage counsellor and officiant Kath & Kim cast members Peter Rowsthorn a pool is essential if you’re going to over-capitalise The circa-1884 Victorian Italianate-style mansion is set behind an ivy-clad wall and wrought iron gates A marble-tiled veranda decorated with iron lace-work veranda leads to the formal entry foyer The impressive home also features a swimming pool ornate plasterwork and leadlight windows near the central staircase MORE: Funnyman Carl Barron scores $1.8m potato farm Turner engaged architecture firm Jackson Clements Burrows to connect the original part of the house to old stables at the rear The original front reception rooms are now used as a formal lounge The kitchen isn’t exactly the same as that in the Day-Knight home in Fountain Lakes but surely there’s some commemorative sausages baby cheeses and fat-free fruches in the fridge Richard Roxburgh and Jane Turner in a scene from ABC television series Rake Even Prue and Trude would be impressed with these interiors The kitchen is fitted with stone benchtops and Neff and Miele appliances Marshall White director Andy Nasr declined to comment on the listing PropTrack recorded a 58.1 per cent preliminary clearance rate from 327 early auction results across Victoria on Saturday About 1251 auctions are expected for the state next week MORE: ARIA Award-winning singer Julia Stone puts her Melbourne apartment up for sale Bachelor star Sam Wood and wife Snezana trying to buy sprawling Brighton home The Ten Tenors: Singing brothers Lucas and Paul Gelsumini selling Hampton townhouse Advantage Property Consulting’s director and buyer’s advocate TV regular Frank Valentic is selling his Elwood house featuring one of Melbourne’s best man caves Mr Valentic is downsizing to a smaller home in Elwood now that his children are older and he spends a lot of time at his Mornington Peninsula abode following the death of his father last year RELATED: The Block: Hampton house renovated by twins Josh and Luke hits the market ‘Chaos mode’: The Block stars’ cool $1m promo home win Elwood residence sells for close to $5m at its auction, one of the biggest of the weekend Located at 86 Addison St, the Edwardian-era home’s outdoor entertaining terrace features heat strips and remote-controlled Vergola roof louvres that can be opened and closed depending on the weather salt-chlorinated pool and plumbed-in gas barbecue A four-seater spa can be purchased by whoever buys the home The double garage with a powder room and kitchenette doubles as a rumpus and games room with a fourth bedroom or home office above Mr Valentic said he calls the garage space his man cave gym equipment and a plethora of sports memorabilia is on display including his personal favourite a poster reading “keep calm and pass to Cahill” The outdoor entertaining set-up is pretty impressive Featuring regularly on the series of ‘The Block Triple Threat’ were buyers’ advocates Greville Pabst Natural light streams in through the ceiling-high windows Mr Valentic said that when his son was aged eight then-Socceroo Tim Cahill signed it for the two of them following an Asian Cup 2015 game Another impressive item is a jumper signed by Portuguese soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo purchased at a charity auction Mr Valentic said one of his favourite memories of the house was when his extended family came over to celebrate Collingwood’s 2023 grand final victory his combined birthday party and house-warming attended by more than 50 people a Miele dishwasher and 80cm European five-burner cooktop and oven The rumpus and games is full of sports memorabilia His late father was a frequent visitor and enjoyed tending to the garden that feature Ornamental Pear trees “I think the indoor and outdoor entertaining areas merge brilliantly once you open up the bi-fold doors in the living and dining area and the garage and man cave area has bi-fold doors too that open right up,” Mr Valentic said A former Melbourne Knights player in the National Soccer League (now the A-League) himself Mr Valentic has hosted several current and former soccer and AFL players at the house a renovation and extension by the award-winning Michael Ellis Architects makes the most of the residence’s north-westerly orientation especially in the open-plan living and dining space with high raked ceilings “It’s like a big oasis of light and sunshine coming through,” Mr Valentic said During his three-and-a-half years at the property he has updated the kitchen that’s fitted with stone benchtops boasting marble-topped vanities and heat lamps Carpet and fitted wardrobes have been installed in the bedrooms while the main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe Other highlights are the formal living area rear right-of-way access and heating and cooling The Edwardian-era house has been renovated and extended Mr Valentic said he loved living 300m from the beach where he often walks Chisholm and Gamon director Sam Gamon said the wide tree-lined Addison St doesn’t get much traffic and is close to Elwood Village The house will be auctioned at 1pm on August 17 MORE: Renowned TV producer Minnie Parry’s 1890-built Brighton pad up hits the market Moonee Ponds: Award-winning chef Shane Delia, wife Maha serve up special house for sale Aussie Olympics rower Peter Antonie, sailor Carrie Smith, strike gold with Melb home moves Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" In a Facebook post, the owners of The Elwood Lounge have confirmed the venue had suffered “extensive damage” after a fire broke out on Thursday evening though fortunately The cause of the fire is currently unknown The lounge expressed gratitude to the community for their “love and support” during this difficult time promising to keep locals updated on any developments Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here https://www.facebook.com/elwoodlounge/posts/pfbid02zHupu7Yhq46BfLC2SkvFxusqqpdrh5SPyYQtDUggx5pbZQaBjQPdscFggBaG6V7Ql The cosy pub on Glenhuntly Road was known for its strong support of local music, hosting a Saturday karaoke night and regular live performances. In a separate Facebook post the Elwood Lounge Karaoke Night expressed their sorrow “I’m at a loss to explain what this place means to so many people— it was not just a local pub; it was its own community and one of the last true blue real pubs left,” the post reads Sara Jane the Elwood Lounge has been a great supporter and advocate for local original artists!” she said “I hope to see this venue up and running again soon.” Local Councillor Tim Baxter of the City of Port Phillip echoed the sentiment of the community Baxter said he was saddened by the damage to this “local institution” “The impact on the local community is huge,” he added The venue have not yet said how they plan to move forward but have told patrons they will keep them updated To find out more about The Elwood Lounge, head here Melbourne’s cleanest and dirtiest beaches have been revealed in the latest water-quality data which shows while ratings have improved overall inner-city swimming spots remain the most polluted The Environment Protection Authority rated the water quality at 36 beaches around the bay as “good” more often between Christmas and February 14 than in the same period a year earlier EPA data provided to The Age revealed the cleanest beach forecasts were at Portsea and Queenscliff, which were rated as “good” 89 per cent of the time. St Kilda remained the worst testing spot recording a good rating in 55 per cent of tests where the rating was good 70 per cent of the time – more than double the 34 per cent recorded in the 2023-24 summer the forecasts for Port Phillip Bay beaches from the start of December until mid-February were 70 per cent good But some environmental activists believe the health of urban waterways feeding into the bay is still unacceptably bad Sally Gibson (centre in blue) and the Elwood Canal Action Team want more to be done to tackle pollutants running off into Port Phillip Bay.Credit: Simon Schluter the Elwood Canal Action Team wants Melbourne Water to draft a new masterplan for the Elster Creek catchment – a 41-square-kilometre zone largely in the Glen Eira Council area The group claims too much rubbish has built up in downstream parts of the canal and that toxicity is “off the charts” The EPA’s forecasts show the lowest-ranked beaches were close to river mouths or large drains making them more susceptible to stormwater pollution argues the EPA beach tests – which graded Elwood beach as good 64 per cent of the time this summer – should also include microplastics and chemicals Gibson shared privately conducted water and sediment tests from near the mouth of Elwood canal that appeared to show elevated levels of trace metals and chemicals like mercury a professor of chemistry at RMIT University who disclosed he had received research funding from Melbourne Water previously examined the private test results and cautioned that they did not necessarily indicate a health risk because human exposure was limited it’s quite different to sediment sitting at the bottom of a stream They’re not eating the sediment or growing vegetables in it,” he said “It looks what you pretty much expect from a highly urbanised creek’s sediment and water particularly one at the bottom end of the catchment [where] it’s got everything coming from upstream through it but you never get a perfectly pristine stream when you’ve got people living around it.” The Elwood Canal Action Team also claimed that Melbourne Water was not doing enough to remove rubbish The group regularly walks down the canal’s concrete embankments to scoop up plastic the head of south-eastern waterway and catchment services at Melbourne Water said the organisation had worked with Glen Eira Council to employ a litter officer to consult the community and “implement a whole of catchment action plan for Elster Creek” “Melbourne Water currently invests more resources in litter management around Elster Creek than any other location in Melbourne,” he said “Through regular contact with the Elwood community group with our teams removing litter and debris weekly There are already two litter traps in Elwood Canal and we are preparing to install a new floating litter boom later this year “We all have a part to play to keep our creeks healthy and safe Whilst we’re taking action to clean up the creek the litter that ends up in our waterways ultimately comes from the streets.” where the waterway enters Port Phillip.Credit: Simon Schluter said drier weather had broadly improved the bay’s water quality this year as less rain meant reduced stormwater run-off from inland and urban areas That had limited the prevalence of pollutants such as animal faeces around beaches “Fluctuations in water quality are driven by natural processes and enhanced by humanity,” Taylor said “Cities where they’ve got beaches on their edges you’re always going to be in a situation where you will have pollutants flushed through the system and out into the ocean.” While he “wouldn’t fancy swimming in the Yarra” and suggested beachgoers monitor the EPA’s forecasts as more polluted urban waterways diluted upon entering the ocean New Year’s Day scenes at Elwood Beach.Credit: Penny Stephens is more than adequate for swimming,” he said Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter Melbourne\\u2019s cleanest and dirtiest beaches have been revealed in the latest water-quality data The Environment Protection Authority rated the water quality at 36 beaches around the bay as \\u201Cgood\\u201D more often between Christmas and February 14 than in the same period a year earlier EPA data provided to The Age revealed the cleanest beach forecasts were at Portsea and Queenscliff which were rated as \\u201Cgood\\u201D 89 per cent of the time where the rating was good 70 per cent of the time \\u2013 more than double the 34 per cent recorded in the 2023-24 summer the Elwood Canal Action Team wants Melbourne Water to draft a new masterplan for the Elster Creek catchment \\u2013 a 41-square-kilometre zone largely in the Glen Eira Council area The group claims too much rubbish has built up in downstream parts of the canal and that toxicity is \\u201Coff the charts\\u201D The EPA\\u2019s forecasts show the lowest-ranked beaches were close to river mouths or large drains argues the EPA beach tests \\u2013 which graded Elwood beach as good 64 per cent of the time this summer \\u2013 should also include microplastics and chemicals I couldn\\u2019t believe it,\\u201D she said \\u201CI\\u2019ve lived nearby for 38 years \\u201CIf you\\u2019ve got soil in your back garden it\\u2019s quite different to sediment sitting at the bottom of a stream They\\u2019re not eating the sediment or growing vegetables in it,\\u201D he said \\u201CIt looks what you pretty much expect from a highly urbanised creek\\u2019s sediment and water [where] it\\u2019s got everything coming from upstream through it but you never get a perfectly pristine stream when you\\u2019ve got people living around it.\\u201D The group regularly walks down the canal\\u2019s concrete embankments to scoop up plastic said the organisation had worked with Glen Eira Council to employ a litter officer to consult the community and \\u201Cimplement a whole of catchment action plan for Elster Creek\\u201D \\u201CMelbourne Water currently invests more resources in litter management around Elster Creek than any other location in Melbourne,\\u201D he said \\u201CThrough regular contact with the Elwood community group \\u201CWe all have a part to play to keep our creeks healthy and safe Whilst we\\u2019re taking action to clean up the creek the litter that ends up in our waterways ultimately comes from the streets.\\u201D The EPA\\u2019s chief environmental scientist said drier weather had broadly improved the bay\\u2019s water quality this year \\u201CFluctuations in water quality are driven by natural processes and enhanced by humanity,\\u201D Taylor said \\u201CCities where they\\u2019ve got beaches on their edges you\\u2019re always going to be in a situation where you will have pollutants flushed through the system and out into the ocean.\\u201D While he \\u201Cwouldn\\u2019t fancy swimming in the Yarra\\u201D and suggested beachgoers monitor the EPA\\u2019s forecasts is more than adequate for swimming,\\u201D he said The access to the city is incredible.\\u201D G-STAR is a household name for the raw denim enthusiasts the real ones that know how to recognise good craft and innovative design with the vision to create well-crafted jeans rooted in the denim culture while also pushing boundaries with its silhouettes and craftsmanship G-STAR has remained a pioneer in the denim industry since the Elwood was the first model of the G-STAR 3D range which uses 3D technology to construct jeans (a novel way of crafting denim for the time G-STAR added 3D technology for the seams and the knee region to create a more flexible comfortable fit that moulds to each wearer’s body Inspired by the shape of motorcycle pants – with knee pads heel guards and a saddle patch embedded in the design – the Elwood quickly became one of the most-sold jeans in the history of denim and an instantly recognisable G-STAR signature silhouette Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith through the years.  G-STAR launched a tapered edition of the silhouette and a raw “Nettle” version – made from a sustainable fabric that combines organic cotton with nettle plant fibres – which was pioneering for the time as 15 years ago sustainability in materials was still in its early days the notable “15 Years of 3D Denim”” Elwood was released and in 2023 the Elwood re-launched with a regular fit that stayed true to the original ‘90s design and a loose version for us baggy-pant-loving kids.  G-STAR linked up with Burna Boy for a new campaign and also collabed with cool Berlin brand Ottolinger for a reinterpretation of the Elwood “The Elwood is so iconic and unique [but it was originally designed for the male body],” Ottolinger designer Christa Bösch told us in October “we really wanted to make a female version of the Elwood.” The other half of the designer duo Cosima Gadient added: “We asked G-STAR to send us a bunch of Elwoods and then we put them on our bodies and reshaped them […] and adjusted them to female proportions.”  G-STAR’s new Elwood campaign is a tongue-in-cheek dig at the times that the raw denim silhouette has been mimicked The new takes on the classic model feature an updated low-rise loose-fit silhouette that manage to keep the OG Elwood alive and pay homage to the early aughts but also keep us happy with an oversized vibe.  See: Calvin Klein will always be the OG of minimalism See: How Thom Browne became the GOAT of modern tailoring LATEST NEWS FASHION in this browser for the next time I comment JOIN THE CULTED COMMUNITY TO GET THE LATEST ON FASHION Customize your consent preferences for Cookie Categories and advertising tracking preferences for Purposes & Features and Vendors below You can give granular consent for each Third Party Vendor and Google Ad Tech Provider Most vendors require explicit consent for personal data processing you have the right to object to their use of legitimate interest Necessary cookies are 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this service and those entities to respect such choices Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service in support of the purposes explained in this notice In support of the purposes explained in this notice your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices) Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice "To say we are devastated is an understatement." Melbourne venue The Elwood Lounge has suffered “extensive damage” after catching fire overnight While the extent of the damage and cause of the fire is currently unknown owners have confirmed that “fortunately no one was hurt” The “cosy bar and restaurant” on Glenhuntly Road hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights alongside an ongoing open mic night each Wednesday The organisers of its karaoke night described the incident as “devastating”, adding that the venue “has been gutted by fire” in a Facebook post “I'm at a loss to explain what this place meant to so many people it was its own community and one of the last true blue real pubs left amidst a wash of gentrification it was a second home to so many of us locals and a place where so many friendships were made ones that will continue on for many a year to come!” they said thankfully everyone made it out safely which is the main thing but to say we are devastated is an understatement we have lost a true Elwood institution and one that can never be replaced!” Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter City of Port Phillip Councillor Tim Ward described The Elwood Lounge as “a local institution” and “an important small venue for live music and performances”. “The impact on the local community is huge,” he added. “My hope is that the damage isn't as bad as it looks (and it looks bad), and they rebuild and come back better than ever, but I'm not sure what their current plans are.” The venue has thanked the community for its support and said they will keep everyone updated. The ‘Hunter S Thompson of PR’’s tell-all about the dark arts of media manipulation is an entertaining if feverish glimpse into a secretive industry Tycoons and Politicians by Phil Elwood review – a spin doctor for despotsThis article is more than 9 months oldThe ‘Hunter S Thompson of PR’’s tell-all about the dark arts of media manipulation It stretches from the promotion of new shampoos to the election of presidents but all of it is concerned with a simple aim: to get the best or most effective coverage possible for the client That doesn’t require much cunning or imagination if the client is But what if you represent the Gaddafi family All of these people paid the PR agency BLJ Worldwide to clean up their global image BLJ was founded by Peter Brown, who started out working for the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, was a board member of the group’s record company Apple Corps, and best man at the wedding of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. If Brown is the charming behind the scenes the dirty work of laundering dictators’ public profiles has gone to people such as Phil Elwood a one-time Washington DC political operative who has written a memoir about his career shilling for Always work to find a better villain’Elwood is a familiar archetype from American film and fiction – the frenetic self-dramatising Gonzo guy who thinks rules are for breaking and breakfast is when you add orange juice to your vodka He tells his tale of feeding the media upbeat stories about lowdown megalomaniacs in a breathless present tense that does an effective job of turning office work into drama His philosophy is not complex and he outlines it in sharp An inflection point usually comes after your client has shit the bed I consider every crisis a golden opportunity you can be damn sure I’ll get the press to blame outdated fire codes If Elwood isn’t trying to push positive stories about his clients, he’s seeking to get his press contacts to run compromising stories about his clients’ rivals. So he runs a black-ops campaign against the US World Cup bid for 2022 to increase the chances of his client Qatar’s success There are many reasons why a nation that had such a poor human rights record and a history of appalling treatment of migrant workers and most of them are to do with Fifa delegates’ openness to people with bottomless bank accounts It’s doubtful that Elwood’s role won the day he’s keen to lay claim to making the difference the author reminds us of how bad the people are for whom he works and also of how little guilt he felt for helping them ‘If you work for Russia,’ writes Elwood sternly, ‘you should not have a US government contract’Yet although he continually, if retrospectively, slaps his own wrist, his most searing criticism is for other PR companies, such as Qorvis, whch did Saudi Arabia’s PR following 9/11 and again after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi which was in receipt of Vladimir Putin’s largesse for almost a decade leading up to 2015 and has also done work for the US Department of Education and Internal Revenue “If you work for Russia,” writes Elwood sternly “you should not have a US government contract.” Muammar Gaddafi entrusted Phil Elwood with babysitting his son in Las Vegas Photograph: Konstantin Chernichkin /ReutersThe most eventful sequence of the book is when Elwood is charged with babysitting Mutassim Gaddafi which involves securing cocaine for the spoilt childman a private jet for his girlfriend and tickets to see Cher as if Elwood sees himself as PR’s answer to Hunter S Thompson It all ends with Gaddafi senior arriving in America for a disastrous speech at the UN on Donald Trump’s estate north of New York Reflecting on the blistering media coverage Elwood is reminded of a friend’s saying about managing trouble: “You can’t unfuck a goat.” Although that’s exactly what PR companies pride themselves on Elwood loses one job and walks out on another treated for depression and suicidal ideation excited by the prospect of pulling the strings again For anyone interested in the dark arts of media manipulation this is an entertaining glimpse into a largely hidden business But that manipulation extends to book writing too and Elwood writes as if he has one eye on a possible Hollywood adaptation and the other on his own All the Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons and Politicians is published by Atlantic (£20). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Elwood Peckett says it would be a dream come true to follow his father But it’s as waiting game for the accomplished Dandenong Stingray Please call us on 1800 070 535 and we’ll help resolve the issue or try again later In a new interview with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons was asked about the band's decision to hire ZZ TOP's longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis who had worked with the group for more than two decades after the "totally unexpected" July 2021 death of their longtime bandmate Gibbons said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well he and Dusty were trading bass licks and guitar licks from day one Elwood was the skateboarder with an avocado sandwich and not a chin whisker to be found After receiving the call from management saying ZZ TOP is gonna go back to work we'd better go rehearse.' And it was Dusty that said He knows it backwards and forward.' And I said 'That guy over there with the two-foot doormat hanging from his chin.' They said the guy with the big beard.' And they said ZZ TOP played its first show following Hill's death on July 30 Francis made his live debut with ZZ TOP on July 23 Illinois after Hill was forced to return to Texas to address a hip issue "When I first started doing it, Dusty was just sick and going home for a few weeks," Francis told Guitar World magazine "It was entirely different; I was just helping out I didn't have to worry about the weight of the crown because I was just helping 'Can you honestly say you can't play his parts?' I said but I don't think people would enjoy me doing it.' They said whose place in ZZ TOP was made permanent shortly after Hill's death went on to say that he still doesn't consider himself part of the band I wouldn't say I was comfortable because I'm still not fucking comfortable," he explained "But I had a piece of paper on the riser for the first two shows if I got in trouble Hill joined ZZ TOP a year after its formation in 1969 In a June 2023 interview with Classic Rock Gibbons said about how Francis came to join ZZ TOP following Hill's passing: "Dusty was a great guy He provided a solid platform for me to solo without having to look back Dusty used to say: 'If I'm late to the stage be sure to give my guitar to Elwood.' Elwood is a family member; he's been with us for three decades Elwood picked up the parts and pieces [to replace Hill in ZZ TOP] And at the first rehearsal he showed up with a full beard longer than mine." Gibbons admitted "there was a lot of curiosity" surrounding ZZ TOP's return to the live stage without Hill "'What's this going to be like?' 'Can this guy hold up the bottom of the TOP?' In a trio it's a big challenge," he said "Everything has to be working at a hundred and ten per cent having been a part of it for so long… [Dusty] said: 'The show must go on.' That was his wish what does the seasoned Melbourne buyer’s advocate and self-professed sports nut look for in his own home “It had to have a pool and it had to be an entertainer,” he says “And I wanted it to be in one of Elwood’s best streets.” Valentic sold the family home in Normandy Road and settled on an elegant Edwardian on Addison Street Renovated and extended by local architect Michael Ellis back in the early 2000s the home’s open plan kitchen and living seamlessly spills into an outdoor area via floor-to-ceiling bifold doors “The renovation was a pretty amazing one,” Valentic says  “He did that about 21 years ago and it has stood the test of time.” Josh and Luke’s Hampton house from The Block 2021 is up for sale The Block 2024 contestants: Meet the teams on the 20th season The chocolate-brown kitchen made way for white cabinetry stone benchtops and high-end Miele appliances Marble-topped vanities went into the bathrooms the bedrooms were carpeted and Valentic prioritised adding storage How can you live without built-in robes?” he asks incredulously he proudly “made it into an entertainer’s house” He added a spa to the outdoor area and installed four televisions – including one in the so-called “man cave” a multipurpose double auto garage at the rear of the property sports memorabilia and old trophies from Valentic’s days as an elite soccer player he studied to become a physical education teacher before moving into a career in real estate his fondest memory of entertaining at home was a lively AFL grand final after-party My whole family are all Collingwood fans as well and everyone came back to the house and we celebrated here He comfortably hosted 50 family and friends for a summer birthday soiree Valentic has a spa and a swim every evening after dinner “I love it,” he professes. “At the moment, it’s like an ice bath I jump in the 40-degree spa and then the 12-degree pool alternate between the two and get out feeling like I’m on on cloud nine.” The Addison Street purchase was his third in the suburb “I work in Elwood, play in Elwood and live in Elwood. I was never going to go anywhere else.” With his two sons now in their final years of high school and Valentic spending more time at his Dromana residence, it’s time to downsize into a lower-maintenance home. “I’m already negotiating on one that’s about 300 metres away from this house, so I’m not going very far. The next one will be my forever one.” The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate Promoting positive stories about dictators and despots takes a special kind of immorality you do have to sit back and realise what you’re doing.”Credit: Stephen Voss Phil Elwood was at work one day in 2008 when an email landed in his inbox: it was a comment piece by Muammar Gaddafi who was a client of the PR firm he worked for Elwood’s job was to sanitise the reputations of people with to give them a burnished shine in the West turning the lunacy into ­something that a person who didn’t believe they were the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution or the King of Kings of Africa might read Then he called The Washington Times and persuaded the newspaper to publish it Readers woke up the next morning to a ­cogently argued sanitised piece that called any Nato expansion into former Soviet states such as Georgia and Ukraine “dangerous” and “unjustified” This was Elwood’s job: PR for the severely reputationally challenged He helped launder the reputation of the Nigerian government after hundreds of girls were kidnapped from a school in the north of the ­country by Boko Haram extremists And he convinced Antigua to start a trade war against the US after America banned its citizens from gambling in the ­island’s online casinos who was working on the case with me at one point this is just like Model United Nations,’ ” he says of his Antiguan venture with real f---ing countries.’  ” Now Elwood has written a book about it a title that shows at least a degree of self-awareness It is part gung-ho tale of American PR execs sitting in Washington playing with world events like little boys with their Action Man dolls and part memoir about how the whole thing drove him to ­attempt suicide because two investigative ­reporters he knew got in touch and asked to include him in a chapter in a book they were writing about “scumbags in DC” Elwood politely declined and they gave him the same advice he gives to clients all the time: “Your story is too interesting As well as a tour through his Machiavellian ­adventures the book serves as a sort of mea culpa – though not a convincing one He appears strangely separated from the consequences of his actions “I’m not sure if I’m proud of what I’ve pulled off or scared of what I’m capable of,” he writes like watching someone get mugged in broad daylight and doing nothing to stop it.” the rainy state on America’s western seaboard and as a kid Elwood was paid to help officiate at funerals: $US50 a body The churchyard was close to a river that often overflowed with sewage when it rained stopping it from washing away in an actual river of shit It was a skill set that would serve him well in DC where he moved as a 20-year-old college dropout in the late 1990s refilling his drinks cart and holding tables for his team at happy hour until they finished work graduating from Georgetown University in Washington in 2003 and went to the London School of Economics for a year to do a master’s degree Then he went back to DC to ­figure out where to go next “I knew I wanted to do kind of DC influence but really didn’t know what ­public relations was until I was working at a public ­relations firm,” he says Elwood managed to get the then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s wife Asma a profile in Vogue.Credit: Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images he got his first PR job: by wrangling TV time for filmmakers who had made a documentary about the Iraq war in which the word f--- featured 42 times His job was to drum up media coverage to ­convince the US ratings board that it should be classified PG-13 He did it by arguing that it was important that US ­audiences saw the reality of the war their country was involved in Morphing reality to his ­client’s desire was a buzz “I’d been partially responsible for the most profane PG-13 movie in history,” he tells me Soon he was offered a job with the firm Brown Lloyd James who is British and used to ­manage the Beatles before ­moving into PR in the 1980s told Elwood he solved “ornate problems for extra-ordinary clients” – anyone from John Lennon to Gaddafi who was one of the firm’s “exotic” clients Brown’s motto was “everyone deserves representation” Elwood was drinking with the most ­powerful people in DC trading information for coverage with journalists then the bright young ­editor-in-chief of Russia Today now one of Vladimir Putin’s most voluble propagandists to lunch andappointments around the US capital (they got absolutely legless) That was the year the Gaddafi comment piece landed in his inbox “I think that’s when I made the choice,” he says do I keep doing this or do I seek employment elsewhere?’ ” he was given an assignment by his bosses at Brown Lloyd James babysitting the Libyan leader’s son Mutassim in a hotel suite in Las Vegas in the mould of dictators’ kids everywhere ideally with a model (this one’s name was Natasha) nightclubs and industrial amounts of cocaine Elwood’s job was to make sure that none of this got into the news a colleague wrote him a list of things Mutassim was interested in doing “and that you may need to help line up: visiting the Harley-Davidson showroom looking into buying a Cadillac Escalade with limo-style rear seats buying jean shorts (seriously) and seeing Cher perform on Saturday night (also seriously)” it was Elwood’s job to keep Mutassim’s Las Vegas exploits out of the news Hours after Elwood arrived they were at the Bellagio gambling away the money of the Libyan people then leaving a Cirque du Soleil show halfway through the performance because Mutassim got bored Sent to get cash for the roulette tables from Gaddafi Jr’s suite Elwood saw a nickel-plated 9mm Beretta handgun hidden in a briefcase of crisp $100 bills who told him to get out of there because Mutassim could kill him on a whim and the crime would be covered up “I’m one of the people who’d help cover it up.” “The whole trip was just so f---ed up,” Elwood told him “But there were no news articles published about it,” Brown replied furious at his negative ­portrayal in the American press According to an exposé by The Nation ­magazine Carl Byoir & Associates worked to push Hitler’s ­narrative in pieces in well-regarded news­papers The subsequent outcry contributed to the ­establishment of a 1938 act requiring people working for foreign countries to register with the US government a large American PR ­company that has been awarded Campaign of the Year six times by the trade magazine PR Week it placed a comment piece from President Putin in The New York Times critiquing “American exception­alism” Elwood points out the firm simultaneously held contracts with the US government when ­anyone with even a glancing ­knowledge of world affairs knew that Bashar al-Assad was a ­dictator whose prisons were bywords for torture and ­murder Brown Lloyd James worked to send a Vogue journalist to Damascus to write about the Syrian first lady was headlined “A Rose in the Desert” and featured gushing descriptions of the Syrian first family as “wildly democratic” and the country as “the safest” in the Middle East “The piece reads like the reporter spent a few days with Gwyneth Paltrow,” Elwood writes “It’s rare that you send a journalist on a propaganda tour and they actually print the propaganda.” The company had been paid $5000 a month by the Syrian government to set it up Assad’s forces were murdering unarmed protesters in the streets the beginning of an uprising and a civil war that has killed more than half a million people which was trying to win a bid to host the World Cup Part of Brown Lloyd James’s job for the Qataris was to smear an American effort to do the same in the American press (a fact revealed by The Sunday Times in 2018) Pretending he was working on behalf of something called the Healthy Kids Coalition he paid a lobbyist $10,000 to get a draft resolution written by a US senator for America not to host the World Cup because it should be focusing funds on ending childhood obesity instead He managed to get a tiny piece about it in Politico in November 2010 The resolution was never formally introduced Partly because of discussion over the draft Fifa expressed concern about the seriousness of the US government in its desire to host the event “One of the things I feel worst about is the World Cup,” Elwood says adding that he had no idea about human rights abuses in Qatar ‘Get a resolution introduced into the US Congress opposing their own bid to host the World Cup’ – that’s a f---ing prank But in no point in that chain – I wasn’t asking the right questions I didn’t know they were going to use slave labour All I knew was that they were the richest nation per capita in the world I ­figured they paid minimum wage at least.” He mulls the question for a while: “I hate to but I’m inclined to agree with the characterisation.” The nearest he came to a Damascene moment was in 2010 He was on a trip with a US Congressional staff delegation brought there by Turkish clients of Brown Lloyd James to “raise awareness” of the genocide that happened there One day he walked onto the football field at Srebrenica where more than 7000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men were murdered by the Bosnian Serb army “This was a river of blood,” his guide said The truth finally struck him: that he was propping up dictatorships and authoritarian regimes like the ones who did this by “laundering the sins of dictators through the press” people would be touring sites like this in Libya and Syria “I’d just never been confronted with it first-hand,” he tells me But I’d never been to a place where a genocide had taken place.” which beat the US in the contest to become host nation for the 2022 tournament.Credit: FIFA via Getty Images Brown called him for a mid-­afternoon meeting at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington Elwood ordered a $200 glass of whisky and drank it while Brown fired him for vague reasons including the Arab Spring being “bad for our business model” Elwood immediately started calling reporters to smear Brown’s name and I don’t harbour any ill will,” he says Soon he was working for the prominent Washington-based crisis-management expert Richard Levick – “I didn’t know how to do anything else,” he says – and on a plane to the Caribbean He had been hired by the government of Antigua to undo the damage after the US government banned gambling in the island’s online casinos wiping out a reputed $US3.4 billion from the country’s economy Nearly 4000 people had lost their jobs and the prime minister was up for re-election this tiny ­nation needed to start a trade war with its most powerful ally Elwood called a reporter at the Associated Press and told him that the prime minister was considering ­refusing to honour American intellectual property laws music and computer programs for sale online at a huge ­discount he was ­putting a gun to America’s head and forcing them to listen you do have to sit back and realise what you’re doing,” Elwood says I’m going to start a trade war against my country I don’t know how this is gonna work out.’ ” His final dodgy job was for an Israeli outfit called Psy-Group which was run by former Mossad and IDF operatives and specialised in “influence operations” which used fake online avatars as honeytraps to trick prominent ISIS fighters into giving information about themselves Psy-Group’s clients would rather pay a US entity than an Israeli one; Elwood was to be their “bag man” in DC they gave him a laptop that they told him to plug in and never touch Nearly a ­million dollars were sent around the world through Elwood’s bank account Then the FBI turned up on his doorstep – part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into former president Donald Trump They had found ­evidence that Psy-Group had met Trump’s team and pitched them an election interference campaign ­involving fake social media accounts although it ­appears that Trump campaign officials declined to move forward with any of the proposals Elwood wasn’t targeted for prosecution over his work for Psy-Group but eventually all the stress caught up with him He was diagnosed with bipolar syndrome and PTSD had a breakdown and tried to take his own life though was stopped by a phone call from a friend “If she didn’t get there in time I wouldn’t have made it,” he tells me “She’s the most important person in my life.” I tell him she’s the only person who comes out well from this book Now he’s on ketamine therapy and working for less obviously evil PR clients won’t work against democracy and won’t break the law.” He proudly says he’d never work for the Saudis “But the Assads and the Gaddafis were fine?” He looks uncomfortable Only now has he taken the role of Cassandra ­warning of the evils of PR black arts and calling for more funding for journalists “I think it’s important for people in these positions to ask “In the era of disinformation and manipulation I thought this was information people should have.” Today there are seven times more PRs in America than journalists and the industry is worth more than $100 billion PRs “will do anything to earn those billions” And if it’s taken as an apology then that’s one of the things I’ll have to leave up to the reader.” He texts me later: “I know you don’t buy the ­apology but maybe look at it like I’m trying to buy my soul back?” This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in The Sunday Times Magazine/News Licensing To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times Elwood\\u2019s job was to sanitise the reputations of people with turning the lunacy into \\u00ADsomething that a person who didn\\u2019t believe they were the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution or the King of Kings of Africa might read Readers woke up the next morning to a \\u00ADcogently argued sanitised piece that called any Nato expansion into former Soviet states such as Georgia and Ukraine \\u201Cdangerous\\u201D and \\u201Cunjustified\\u201D Headline: \\u201CGaddafi: Provoking Russia\\u201D This was Elwood\\u2019s job: PR for the severely reputationally challenged with varying degrees of success (Gaddafi ended up dead in a ditch in 2011 and no one remembers that comment piece) working for some of the most unsavoury people in the world He once took one of Gaddafi\\u2019s sons out on a three-day bender in Las Vegas; he secured the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad\\u2019s wife and helped the Qataris win their bid to stage the 2022 World Cup He helped launder the reputation of the Nigerian government after hundreds of girls were kidnapped from a school in the north of the \\u00ADcountry by Boko Haram extremists And he convinced Antigua to start a trade war against the US after America banned its citizens from gambling in the \\u00ADisland\\u2019s online casinos this is just like Model United Nations,\\u2019\\u2009\\u201D he says of his Antiguan venture with real f---ing countries.\\u2019\\u2009\\u200A\\u201D Now Elwood has written a book about it and part memoir about how the whole thing drove him to \\u00ADattempt suicide because two investigative \\u00ADreporters he knew got in touch and asked to include him in a chapter in a book they were writing about \\u201Cscumbags in DC\\u201D Elwood politely declined and they gave him the same advice he gives to clients all the time: \\u201CYour story is too interesting And you should be the one to tell it.\\u201D As well as a tour through his Machiavellian \\u00ADadventures the book serves as a sort of mea culpa \\u2013 though not a convincing one \\u201CI\\u2019m not sure if I\\u2019m proud of what I\\u2019ve pulled off or scared of what I\\u2019m capable of,\\u201D he writes like watching someone get mugged in broad daylight and doing nothing to stop it.\\u201D \\u00ADbalding and wearing a pale blue T-shirt the rainy state on America\\u2019s western seaboard with his \\u00ADfather\\u2019s stern eye on him there are no adults here,\\u2019\\u2009\\u201D he says \\u201CEven the adults are not adults.\\u201D and went to the London School of Economics for a year to do a master\\u2019s degree Then he went back to DC to \\u00ADfigure out where to go next \\u201CI knew I wanted to do kind of DC influence but really didn\\u2019t know what \\u00ADpublic relations was until I was working at a public \\u00ADrelations firm,\\u201D he says His job was to drum up media coverage to \\u00ADconvince the US ratings board that it should be classified PG-13 He did it by arguing that it was important that US \\u00ADaudiences saw the reality of the war their country was involved in Morphing reality to his \\u00ADclient\\u2019s desire was a buzz \\u201CI\\u2019d been partially responsible for the most profane PG-13 movie in history,\\u201D he tells me \\u201CIt\\u2019s something I\\u2019m proud of.\\u201D who is British and used to \\u00ADmanage the Beatles before \\u00ADmoving into PR in the 1980s told Elwood he solved \\u201Cornate problems for extra-ordinary clients\\u201D \\u2013 anyone from John Lennon to Gaddafi who was one of the firm\\u2019s \\u201Cexotic\\u201D clients Brown\\u2019s motto was \\u201Ceveryone deserves representation\\u201D Elwood was drinking with the most \\u00ADpowerful people in DC then the bright young \\u00ADeditor-in-chief of Russia Today now one of Vladimir Putin\\u2019s most voluble propagandists \\u201CI think that\\u2019s when I made the choice,\\u201D he says do I keep doing this or do I seek employment elsewhere?\\u2019\\u2009\\u201D babysitting the Libyan leader\\u2019s son Mutassim in a hotel suite in Las Vegas in the mould of dictators\\u2019 kids everywhere ideally with a model (this one\\u2019s name was Natasha) Elwood\\u2019s job was to make sure that none of this got into the news \\u201Cand that you may need to help line up: visiting the Harley-Davidson showroom buying jean shorts (seriously) and seeing Cher perform on Saturday night (also seriously)\\u201D Sent to get cash for the roulette tables from Gaddafi Jr\\u2019s suite \\u201CI\\u2019m one of the people who\\u2019d help cover it up.\\u201D \\u201CThe whole trip was just so f---ed up,\\u201D Elwood told him \\u201CBut there were no news articles published about it,\\u201D Brown replied furious at his negative \\u00ADportrayal in the American press According to an expos\\u00E9 by The Nation \\u00ADmagazine Carl Byoir & Associates worked to push Hitler\\u2019s \\u00ADnarrative in pieces in well-regarded news\\u00ADpapers The subsequent outcry contributed to the \\u00ADestablishment of a 1938 act requiring people working for foreign countries to register with the US government a large American PR \\u00ADcompany that has been awarded Campaign of the Year six times by the trade magazine PR Week was \\u00ADcontracted to the Russian government it placed a comment piece from President Putin in The New York Times critiquing \\u201CAmerican exception\\u00ADalism\\u201D when \\u00ADanyone with even a glancing \\u00ADknowledge of world affairs knew that Bashar al-Assad was a \\u00ADdictator whose prisons were bywords for torture and \\u00ADmurder was headlined \\u201CA Rose in the Desert\\u201D and featured gushing descriptions of the Syrian first family as \\u201Cwildly democratic\\u201D and the country as \\u201Cthe safest\\u201D in the Middle East \\u201CThe piece reads like the reporter spent a few days with Gwyneth Paltrow,\\u201D Elwood writes \\u201CIt\\u2019s rare that you send a journalist on a propaganda tour and they actually print the propaganda.\\u201D Elwood\\u2019s fingerprints were all over it Assad\\u2019s forces were murdering unarmed protesters in the streets Part of Brown Lloyd James\\u2019s job for the Qataris was to smear an American effort to do the same \\u201COne of the things I feel worst about is the World Cup,\\u201D Elwood says \\u201CYou\\u2019ve got to put yourself in my shoes \\u2018Get a resolution introduced into the US Congress opposing their own bid to host the World Cup\\u2019 \\u2013 that\\u2019s a f---ing prank But in no point in that chain \\u2013 I wasn\\u2019t asking the right questions I didn\\u2019t know they were going to use slave labour I \\u00ADfigured they paid minimum wage at least.\\u201D He mulls the question for a while: \\u201CI hate to but I\\u2019m inclined to agree with the characterisation.\\u201D The nearest he came to a Damascene moment was in 2010 brought there by Turkish clients of Brown Lloyd James to \\u201Craise awareness\\u201D of the genocide that happened there \\u201CThis was a river of blood,\\u201D his guide said by \\u201Claundering the sins of dictators through the press\\u201D \\u201CI\\u2019d just never been confronted with it first-hand,\\u201D he tells me But I\\u2019d never been to a place where a genocide had taken place.\\u201D Brown called him for a mid-\\u00ADafternoon meeting at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington including the Arab Spring being \\u201Cbad for our business model\\u201D Elwood immediately started calling reporters to smear Brown\\u2019s name \\u201CI think at the time I was just hurt and I don\\u2019t harbour any ill will,\\u201D he says Soon he was working for the prominent Washington-based crisis-management expert Richard Levick \\u2013 \\u201CI didn\\u2019t know how to do anything else,\\u201D he says \\u2013 and on a plane to the Caribbean He had been hired by the government of Antigua to undo the damage after the US government banned gambling in the island\\u2019s online casinos wiping out a reputed $US3.4 billion from the country\\u2019s economy this tiny \\u00ADnation needed to start a trade war with its most powerful ally Elwood called a reporter at the Associated Press and told him that the prime minister was considering \\u00ADrefusing to honour American intellectual property laws music and computer programs for sale online at a huge \\u00ADdiscount he was \\u00ADputting a gun to America\\u2019s head and forcing them to listen you do have to sit back and realise what you\\u2019re doing,\\u201D Elwood says I\\u2019m going to start a trade war against my country I don\\u2019t know how this is gonna work out.\\u2019\\u2009\\u201D which was run by former Mossad and IDF operatives and specialised in \\u201Cinfluence operations\\u201D Psy-Group\\u2019s clients would rather pay a US entity than an Israeli one; Elwood was to be their \\u201Cbag man\\u201D in DC Nearly a \\u00ADmillion dollars were sent around the world through Elwood\\u2019s bank account Then the FBI turned up on his doorstep \\u2013 part of special counsel Robert Mueller\\u2019s investigation into former president Donald Trump They had found \\u00ADevidence that Psy-Group had met Trump\\u2019s team and pitched them an election interference campaign \\u00ADinvolving fake social media accounts although it \\u00ADappears that Trump campaign officials declined to move forward with any of the proposals Elwood wasn\\u2019t targeted for prosecution over his work for Psy-Group \\u201CIf she didn\\u2019t get there in time I wouldn\\u2019t have made it,\\u201D he tells me \\u201CShe\\u2019s the most important person in my life.\\u201D I tell him she\\u2019s the only person who comes out well from this book Now he\\u2019s on ketamine therapy and working for less obviously evil PR clients won\\u2019t work against democracy and won\\u2019t break the law.\\u201D He proudly says he\\u2019d never work for the Saudis \\u201CBut the Assads and the Gaddafis were fine?\\u201D He looks uncomfortable \\u00ADwarning of the evils of PR black arts and calling for more funding for journalists \\u201CI think it\\u2019s important for people in these positions to ask \\u2018Should we do things?\\u2019 Not just \\u2018Can we do things?\\u2019\\u2009\\u201D he says \\u201CIn the era of disinformation and manipulation I thought this was information people should have.\\u201D PRs \\u201Cwill do anything to earn those billions\\u201D \\u201CI view it as my story,\\u201D he replies And if it\\u2019s taken as an apology then that\\u2019s one of the things I\\u2019ll have to leave up to the reader.\\u201D He texts me later: \\u201CI know you don\\u2019t buy the \\u00ADapology but maybe look at it like I\\u2019m trying to buy my soul back?\\u201D I’ve been wearing Elwood sweats (also available at Nordstrom!) for quite a few years now wear-on-repeat basics that I somehow forget to thoroughly review Probably because they don’t feel new or fancy or maybe because sweats are famously a bit frumpy they are the very thing I get asked about the most whether in person or when I show up in them on social media.  When not even our editor-in-chief knew of them during a recent team conversation about loungewear I’ve been keeping my favorite sweats a secret (unintentionally Shop sweats at Nordstrom | Shop sweats at Elwood Comfort clothing is the name of the game for my personal style these Elwood sets are one of the very few matching sweat sets I currently own and the only ones I own in multiple colors.  they feel unlike most other sweatshirts and sweatpants on the market They are made from 100% organic cotton with a brushed terry feel crewneck (XL) | jeans (28) | beanie | bag | similar boot they are actually a bit thinner and lightweight than other brands so it doesn’t bunch up or balloon out on you They are comfortable without causing you to overheat.  hoodie (XL) | sweatpants (S) Elwood has a much larger collection of clothing on their website, including one-of-a-kind vintage pieces (that I drool over with every release) but with this article, I’m focusing on their Core Collection.  This is a line of perfected tops and bottoms made to mix and match They come in “core colors” while also launching a few special new hues every season (*these limited edition hues are what I get asked about the most hoodie (M) | sweatpants (L) hoodie (L) | sweatpants (M) Elwood clothing is famously a unisex brand so while places like Nordstrom stick them straight into their men’s section (BOO) and she looks far better in them than I do.  Unisex clothing can be tricky when it comes to figuring out your size so along with trying on each piece in readily-available colors I thought it might be helpful to show you a range of sizes in some of my most loved pieces (spoiler: there’s a trick in getting them to look juuuust right).  Elwood crewnecks are easily some of my most worn clothing A sweatshirt is probably my top favorite clothing item to wear and there’s a reason I’ve bought this particular one in multiple colors crewneck (XL) | sweatpants (S) my sweet spot in this sweatshirt is a size large It gives me juuust enough drape when sidetucked into my bottoms (something I do 99% of the time) for when I want a dramatically oversized look (typically with workout shorts or a pair of leggings).  These crewnecks have a wide enough neckline to show off a layered tee underneath and the dropped shoulders feel modern and easy to wear Crewneck – Left: Size Large | Right: Size XL The key to getting your perfect fit is making sure it’s oversized enough When you try to find your “regular” size in these sweatshirts they sit narrow on your body and lack almost all ability to drape around your hips I feel like I’m left looking odd and frumpy Crewneck – Left: Size Medium | Right: Size Largesweatpants (M) Unlike the Core Crewnecks, the trick to getting your perfect fit in the Core Sweatpants is making sure you’re not going too big the bottoms all have a much longer and looser crotch than women’s clothing typically has.  Elwood does a good job at keeping the lengths relatively flexible among sizes meaning you can go up or down the size scale and not notice too drastically a difference in how long the pants fall They also come with a very generous elastic waist that is easily opened for more room or cinched up with their drawstring for a secure fit Sweatpants – Left: Size Medium | Right: Size Large My height has the sweatpants falling in a way that appears “fitted” around my ankle- but I gotta say I’m a little envious of how dang COOL the sweatpants look scrunched up at the bottom on those who are shorter than me There’s no other hooded sweatshirt I’ve found with the same boxy shape and loose bottom hem as Elwood’s Core Hoodie which makes this probably the *most tuck-able* hoodie of all time It’s pretty much perfect for all my favorite little tucking tricks I don’t find the hoodie to be as size-dependent as the crewneck for looking good it just depends on your personal preference Hoodie – Left: Size Medium | Right: Size Large that the hood itself definitely changes size getting more generous and roomy the bigger you go in the sweatshirt.  Hoodie – Left: Size Medium | Right: Size XL I have owned one of Elwood’s Core Tee’s for multiple years The unisex fit of this tee doesn’t do my body shape any favors and it left much to be desired.  tee (S) | sweatpants (M) I originally owned an XL to wear long over shorts in the summer which fits more how I would want a shirt to fit me (for reference but one thing I can say is that it definitely gets better with each wear + wash but it’s one I’d rather just keep buying my husband The main reason Elwood’s Straight Leg Sweatpant doesn’t get my top stamp of approval is for the longer I once tried my regular size medium in these and sent them back immediately (without snapping a photo I was too mortified to remember to take one) They were so awkwardly loose in all the wrong areas I knew this time to order one size down (a small) because they would be the best fit to show you The drawstring waist still allows these to fit great on my hips and the amount of extra fabric in the crotch is similar to the joggers in my normal size (a medium) but I personally gravitate towards their jogger style sweatpants for everyday comfort PS – Elwood has a kids line – and they’re so good that my kid practically lives in their pieces These are great quality tops and bottoms that can withstand all the crafts and fun of preschool while still being comfy enough for naptime kids tee | kids shorts please let me know by dropping a comment below!  Xx,AmyLet’s be friends on Instagram or come hang with me over on TikTok: Sharing life with my husband + kid and never-ending Taylor Swift dance-athons…all with a good dose of relatable mom nonsense We’re a shopping and lifestyle website with a playful We focus on authenticity and believe that we all feel our best when we’re our most genuine selves a supporter and a totally inclusive place for style – ALL are welcome here shares that Carl Boards II allegedly stabbed a state prison guard at the Miami Correctional Facility multiple times Friday morning CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL WTHR REPORT the state prison guard is expected to be OK and Boards has since been moved to the Westville Correctional Facility for higher security Boards is facing the death penalty for allegedly shooting Elwood Police Officer Noah Shahnavaz during a traffic stop on July 31 His next court hearing is a pretrial conference on May 9 Shahnavaz tried to stop a 2012 Buick LaCrosse near the intersection of State Road 37 and County Road 1100N in Madison County just after 2 a.m Court documents say Shahnavaz radioed in the license plate number with the last transmission from the officer being that the driver “had a gun.” ISP says the suspect then got out of the car and fired multiple rounds at Shahnavaz for an unknown reason The agency says the suspect then took off in the Buick Shahnavaz’s gun was found still in its holster and investigators say they found 36 rifle bullet casings on the road that are believed to be from the suspect’s gun Authorities gave first aid to Shahnavaz until medics arrived and took him to a a hospital in Elwood He was then transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department says it attempted to stop the Buick on State Road 37 A tire deflation device was used on it near State Road 37 and 146th Street but the car kept going and made it onto Interstate 69 the departments says Fishers Police Department officers then twice used their vehicles to stop the Buick the Buick hit the median barrier and came to a stop and a black rifle with a high-capacity magazine was found in the driver’s seat of the car Authorities say a high-capacity magazine was also found at the barber shop where the Boards worked Boards is facing nearly a dozen charges for his alleged role in the incident: To be the first to get the latest breaking news alerts Download for both iPhone and Android devices can be found here The guitar tech-turned-band member already struggled with a 17-string monstrosity before adding a 15-string to his arsenal – and says he can’t forget his days cleaning the band’s fuzzy guitars If you see ZZ Top in action in 2025, you’ll witness bassist and former guitar tech Elwood Francis playing an absurd 17-string bass The late Dusty Hill’s replacement brings out the yellow instrument for classic track Got Me Under Pressure – and surprisingly “It’s really not horrible,” Francis tells Bass Player “But the guitar tech has had to deal with frets coming loose We don’t do anything with them except use four strings: two on top and two on the bottom Francis has added another instrument to feature during Got Me Under Pressure: a black 15-string bass which he calls his “B rig,” with a Teisco-badged headstock and a “High Selecta” inlay “These things aren’t the best made – the nuts are made of wood They play well enough to use as a stunt bass.” The stunt started as a joke between Francis and Billy Gibbons, and quickly became a nightly ritual. Asked where he stumbled upon such basses in the first place Francis says: “I found it through late-night internet surfing on the road.” “I ran into the first one – the yellow one – and we bought it off a Chinese bootleg website I don’t know which one; it was just randomly bought from whoever had it.” and forget it.’ The joke was just to amuse ourselves We thought it would be the only time it got used “It wasn’t planned – I think that’s what makes it good and honest But a lot of people don’t get it; it’s a polarizing thing.” The Teisco logo on the 15-string’s headstock is “just an amp badge” which he applied because he’d “put a Fender logo on the yellow one and we might as well go all the way with Teisco on this one.” As for the “High Selecta” inlay he explains: “That’s Lord High Selecta – a nickname Billy has for me We need nicknames because Elwood isn’t enough Would Francies consider playing one of these massive basses for an entire show fuck no – absolutely not!” he replies “I’m so happy to get that thing off It still beats playing the fuzzy guitars used elsewhere during the show “The fuzzy sort of sucks – but in a totally cool way I hated dealing with keeping the fur clean – we got little brushes for it!” Francis has no clue if any more weird instruments will join the ZZ Top party he has his hands full dealing with the ones that already feature “I barely messed with the 17-string bass before I played it for the first time,” he says shit!’ because it was really confusing from the top – it wasn’t as easy as I expected “But whenever I look down at that bass “Goddamn… of all the things to happen!” alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley while his all-time favorite (rhythm player) you will then be prompted to enter your display name I think Billy Corgan saw that in me”: From Veruca Salt to the Smashing Pumpkins and Garbage Nicole Fiorentino has become alt-rock's go-to bassist “We had accidentally stored the bass in Seattle and paid $2,500 in rental fees!” 32 years ago Jeff Ament rented a ’61 Jazz Bass from Norman's Rare Guitars to record Pearl Jam’s iconic Vs record – and now he’s been reunited with it Free Eddie Van Halen mini-documentary explores the origins of Eruption and his two-hand tapping technique – and it’s partly narrated by the man himself Phil Elwood is consummately nondescript: mid-forties white guy “I look like every other dude in DC.” It’s deliberate For his whole career as a public-relations operative Elwood’s goal was to shape the news from the shadows Now Elwood is stepping into the light. In July, I met him at Joe’s Stone Crab—a boozy lunch joint by the White House—to talk about his new book, All the Worst Humans an account of his decade or so of reputation-laundering for various dastardly regimes It’s basically the PR industry’s Kitchen Confidential a dissection of the profession’s grittier corners It’s self-deprecating and self-mythologizing at once a bit of a career refresh—a way to burn bridges so that he can no long­er do the kind of work he once did plus an attempt to bring some of the shadiest practices of his industry to light “People come to me all the time and ask me to do things that are whack,” he said I don’t want to get away with that stuff anymore I don’t want to have to answer the question ‘Will you work for this baddie?’ ” He’s a seasoned PR operative; his expertise is spinning reporters to write favorable stories for his clients Elwood’s story: After a peripatetic childhood he won a debate scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh landing—through a friend—an internship with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan which he parlayed into a job with Senator Carl Levin then got a master’s at the London School of Economics to try to influence the MPAA rating for an expletive-laden Iraq War documentary so he concocted a moral argument: that the film must be PG-13 because teens who might consider enlisting should be able to see what horrors await The filmmakers presented Elwood’s case to the MPAA Elwood moved to a megafirm with lots of clients overseas entering a nook of the PR world that’s known—somewhat euphemistically—as “private-sector international relations” or “public diplomacy.” His first dodgy assignment He was sitting at dinner when a text arrived from his boss ordering him to drop everything and check his email There he found an op-ed from Muammar Gaddafi Elwood was to edit what he calls “600 words of crazy” into something coherent enough to print then send it to whichever paper would run it the fastest Elwood’s wordsmithing ran under Gaddafi’s byline in a national publication castigating the West for “provoking Russia,” which had invaded Georgia just a few months before The work Elwood did earned him a subpoena from the Robert Mueller investigation Elwood embarked on a decade of high-stakes PR capers—stunts that often looked more like diplomatic maneuvering than managing a client’s image and a never-passed congressional resolution to help torpedo the American World Cup bid on behalf of Qatar when a US anti-gambling law thrashed the economy of Antigua And then came his work for an Israeli firm called Psy-Group which pitched the 2016 Trump campaign on a plan to use social media to influence the election (Elwood insists he wasn’t involved in that effort and the Trump team apparently turned them down.) The work Elwood did for Psy-Group—moving enormous sums of money between dummy corporations printing and delivering mysterious documents—earned him a subpoena from the Robert Mueller investigation though he was never personally accused of any wrongdoing Elwood doesn’t feel great about many of his former clients “It didn’t exactly register for me what I was doing,” he told me “The thing I would compare it to is skydiving; when you get to the door and you’re about to jump out of the airplane you look out at the curvature of the earth and everything below isn’t real PR is a little like sleight of hand; if done well the Lockerbie bomber—a Libyan terrorist who’d helped bring down a Pan Am flight over Scotland—was about to be released from prison but the Libyan government wanted him to receive some good press Elwood hatched a plan: He drafted an open letter—making the case that Libya was America’s ally in the war on terror so it was important not to bash them too hard—then found a member of Congress who was willing to sign it (Elwood told that member’s staff that alienating Libya might undo important diplomatic work.) Then Elwood took the story to Politico which printed a news item with excerpts of the letter—evidence of a Libya-friendly element within the US government—without any mention that Gaddafi himself was behind it Elwood describes his work as building Rube Goldberg machines “You have to think in this strange way of ‘Can I get the ball to bounce off the strings and start a fire in order to lead to this particular outcome?’ ” Some of it he would sometimes hide the identity of his client ‘No one can find out who I am,’ I won’t take the account ‘I’ve got to be able to tell reporters who’s paying my bills.’ ” Elwood explains that during their training PR operatives learn that every story has a villain a PR guy’s job is to tell a story that turns the villain into a victim or vindicator—a murderer becomes heroic if his crime was meant to protect someone else is whether that’s the point of Elwood’s book: A mouthpiece for foreign dictators seems like a villain torching his industry in service of reform Perhaps he wants to change the narrative—he did stress that he wrote the book encouraging PR people to ask themselves whether what they’re doing is right and prodding journalists to be savvier about where they’re getting tips a longtime pound straggler with a reputation for attacking children he said it was a relic of a ketamine infusion 48 hours prior; he wears it for three days after each treatment to remind himself not to drink because alcohol reduces the efficacy of the drug Elwood credits ketamine with saving his life and convinced that his wife was going to leave him he attempted suicide at his weekend house on the Eastern Shore he found ketamine (which reduces his suicidal ideation) and decided to stop laboring toward morally dubious ends but he insists that he works only for good guys—stuff that’s pro-democracy causes that would make his wife proud and wouldn’t raise eyebrows with his lawyer Elwood currently has just one primary client and he would only tell me who it is off the record He said he didn’t have authorization to reveal it in this article and he worried that going public would limit his options in terms of the story he’s trying to tell on their behalf But he needed me to believe that he’s changed his ways—that he’s working for someone virtuous—which would be tough if I didn’t know who it was When PR people want to influence the tone or direction of a story without leaving any fingerprints—without the reporter being able to use the information in print—they ask to talk off the record account for 99 percent of his job.) He calls this the Faustian bargain at the heart of his industry they’re talking to somebody who’s been paid by a third party to advance an agenda.” When Elwood offered to name his client off the record But because I allowed him to go off the record One might think that writing a book like Elwood’s—airing the dirty laundry of a cash-drenched industry whose whole job is to burnish reputations—might generate some blowback a lot of PR folks have thanked him for not including them “Nobody wants their name to appear in a book called All the Worst Humans,” he told me How do we believe that Elwood is done working for baddies that he hasn’t actually hung out a shingle letting the world know that he’s up for these kinds of jobs “Because I said in the book that I wouldn’t and people can keep me accountable,” he replied I’m working for this very misunderstood despot,’ write me up My suburb is one of nine that make up the City of Maribyrnong the smallest and most densely populated of Melbourne’s municipalities Sandwiched between Brooklyn, Melbourne’s most polluted suburb in the west and the Maribyrnong River and Coode Island in the east Yarraville has changed enormously over the past 30 years rising from the shadow of its industrial past to become one of the more sought after inner-west addresses An aerial of Melbourne from Yarraville.Credit: Joe Armao This transformation has been so thorough that I’ve recently heard people from the other side of the bridge refer to Yarraville as the Elwood of the west. Why Elwood of all places Yarraville has no stinky canal for a start The habit of attaching puzzling names to my suburb goes back to the 1850s As Melbourne was being subdivided for settlement it was thought that putting Yarra in its name was then known as The Salt Water River and Yarraville sounds more appealing than Saltwarterriverville already home to the kind of noxious industry that would characterise the region for the next century or more Yarraville has been walloped with the gentrification stick some parts have felt its sting more thoroughly and more swiftly than others When we first visited the house we were to buy here – only 16 years ago – it looked more like a scene from the Walking Dead than The Real Housewives of Elwood my wife and I clambered into the house through the hole where the front window used to be pushing up fallen ceilings and walls as we went A lady from across the road asked what we were up to We said we’d heard the place was up for sale but she hadn’t formally signed with the real estate agent yet An hour later we’d made a handshake deal to buy it we soon learned that where we now lived was “the arse end” of a suburb unofficially divided into four hierarchical boroughs West of that you’ll find The Other Side of Cruickshank Park and last and definitely least is our bit Although there’s only a kilometre or so separating the four zones there is a genuine feeling of distance and difference speaks of “going into town” when she goes to The ’Ville The ’Ville is the part of Yarraville everyone knows and loves. When Time Out named Yarraville one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world in 2020 that’s what they were writing about; more specifically the intersection of Anderson and Ballarat Streets where you’ll find the famous Sun Theatre and Bookshop the iconic Corner Shop cafe and several ripper wine bars and eateries when the fairy lights strung between the lamp posts are a-twinkling and the streets are full of punters scouting for a bite and a jar On the western edge of The ’Ville stands a lovely old red brick grandstand that plays home to the Yarraville Seddon Eagles football club and the Yarraville Mouth Organ Band – quite a combination but they’ve been tooting their harps for close to 100 years When the Dogs made the grand final in 2016 Yarraville went mad It was as if the entire suburb was expecting its first child You couldn’t go five steps without someone smiling Western Bulldogs supporters fill the streets of Yarraville to watch the 2016 grand final.Credit: Chris Hopkins I couldn’t get tickets to the game and so, along with a several hundred others, I watched it on a giant screen in the Pop Up Park warmest and most welcoming party I’ve ever attended we have absolutely zero patience for non-locals who don’t wave On The Other Side of Roberts Street we have no issues with traffic, but we do have to battle what we like to call the Yarraville Stench – an arresting little aroma drawn from the abattoirs and tanneries of Brooklyn that occasionally drifts our way when the wind is in the west We are somewhat compensated for this by the access we have to the expansive greens of Angliss and McIvor reserves and now urban oasis that is Cruickshank Park home to Stony Creek and the Pobblebonk Frog The park runs down to Francis Street where the constant rumble of trucks is a reminder of the still-strong links this suburb has to industry, and the dire need for The West Gate Tunnel Project which will take these apartment block-sized B-Doubles off our streets John Weldon is a writer and an academic specialising in curriculum design and innovation at Victoria University in Melbourne The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here the smallest and most densely populated of Melbourne\\u2019s municipalities This transformation has been so thorough that I\\u2019ve recently heard people from the other side of the bridge refer to Yarraville as the Elwood of the west When we first visited the house we were to buy here \\u2013 only 16 years ago \\u2013 it looked more like a scene from the Walking Dead than The Real Housewives of Elwood We said we\\u2019d heard the place was up for sale but she hadn\\u2019t formally signed with the real estate agent yet An hour later we\\u2019d made a handshake deal to buy it \\u201Cthe arse end\\u201D of a suburb unofficially divided into four hierarchical boroughs of Yarraville is \\u201CThe \\u2019Ville\\u201D West of that you\\u2019ll find The Other Side of Cruickshank Park and last and definitely least is our bit Although there\\u2019s only a kilometre or so separating the four zones there is a genuine feeling of distance and difference speaks of \\u201Cgoing into town\\u201D when she goes to The \\u2019Ville The \\u2019Ville is the part of Yarraville everyone knows and loves that\\u2019s what they were writing about; more specifically the intersection of Anderson and Ballarat Streets where you\\u2019ll find the famous Sun Theatre and Bookshop On the western edge of The \\u2019Ville stands a lovely old red brick grandstand that plays home to the Yarraville Seddon Eagles football club and the \\u2013 quite a combination but they\\u2019ve been tooting their harps for close to 100 years You couldn\\u2019t go five steps without someone smiling I couldn\\u2019t get tickets to the game and so warmest and most welcoming party I\\u2019ve ever attended If there\\u2019s a dark side to The \\u2019Ville it\\u2019s that the streets are so narrow that giving way has become a way of life \\u2013 when the level crossing bells are ringing you can be stuck in a snarl for anything up to 15 minutes at a time Locals manage this vehicular dance with grace and aplomb There\\u2019s a collective pride in the restraint with which we handle this So much so that a few years ago someone started a Facebook page named that championed this communal forbearance we have absolutely zero patience for non-locals who don\\u2019t wave On The Other Side of Roberts Street we have no issues with traffic but we do have to battle what we like to call \\u2013 an arresting little aroma drawn from the abattoirs and tanneries of Brooklyn that occasionally drifts our way when the wind is in the west which really does say \\u201Cpobblebonk\\u201D The park runs down to Francis Street where the constant rumble of trucks is a reminder of the still-strong links this suburb has to industry and the dire need for which will take these apartment block-sized B-Doubles off our streets The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge The former guitar tech turned ’Top man is continuing to tinker with his live setup ZZ Top bassist Elwood Francis has posted an update, introducing the world to his new two-string bass that instrument was initially ordered as a joke from a Chinese retailer following some late-night browsing “I found this guitar, took a screenshot, and sent it to Billy, saying, ‘We should order one of these, and I'll play it. It'll be hilarious,’” Francis told GW in 2024 “And three months later… Billy pulls out this big-ass yellow 17-string bass and is like I guess I can do this…’ [After the show] I thought it was over Francis has since been stuck playing it every night and recently debuted a slimmed-down variant, the 15-string High Selecta bass – complete with a stuck-on Teisco logo [the bass is All of which is to say that his latest acquisition must be a real relief – a two-string Sam Hill offset bass built by Waterstone Guitars A post shared by Elwood Francis (@elwoodisking) “Life’s a blur once you start using a @waterstoneguitars Sam Hill 2 string bass,” posted Francis on Instagram “That’s 15 less than I’m used to….” Can it compete with a 17-string? Well, we’ll probably have to wait for ZZ Top’s March tour dates to find out which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable but should not be allowed near your delay pedals ‘Do you want to play with Joe?’ Before I could say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ he brings Joe over and tells him ‘Jason wants to play a set’”: Jason Sinay on jamming with Joe Bonamassa – and why his early sessions with Mike Campbell were a struggle Elwood Francis reveals the origins of his preposterous 17-string bass – and why he’s disappointed it went viral In 2022, ZZ Top guitar tech-turned-bassist Francis Elwood made headlines throughout the guitar press and beyond when he whipped out an almighty 17-string bass guitar with the Texas blues-rock legends no matter what that gargantuan headstock logo says) “I did it to myself,” Elwood laughs. “I hate playing that fucking bass I found it late at night while internet surfing on one of those Chinese websites I couldn't believe they were making something like that It'll be hilarious.’ And three months later and Billy pulls out this big-ass yellow 17-string bass and is like I guess I can do this…’” the instrument proved somewhat challenging to play not least because the very first time Francis used it was on stage – to tackle the guitar tech barely got the thing ready for the show,” he says “And we don’t do soundchecks; I didn’t even play the guitar until the first time so it was a baptism by fire while we were out on stage “I was seriously struggling because you don’t always know where you are it’s a big blank neck; I was having trouble finding the frets to play.” Francis breathed a sigh of relief – “Okay Hope everyone laughed” – thinking he’d never have to play the monstrosity again and I woke up to all these messages and links to all this fucking bullshit,” he says “I was cringing because I knew I was struggling to play that piece of shit Of all the things to happen… Now that I got this reaction Billy’s never going to let me not play it.’ I was thinking ‘If I can just get through this… it’s just one song and I’ll never have to play it again.’ But now I’ve got to play it [every night].” And it looks like it could stay that way for some time – the 17-string bass has attained such notoriety it has even surpassed some of ZZ Top’s most iconic guitars in fans’ estimations more people ask me about the 17-string bass than they do the fuzzy guitar,” Francis laughs the 17-string bass is the thing they want to hold!” Read Guitar World’s full interview with Elwood Francis where he discusses stepping into Dusty Hill’s shoes and his teching years with Joe Perry and Steve Vai This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.