Bunch of Fives Blow Job on Canberra Review

First, thanks for reading the review. I’m sure all the Canberra Review/ City News will be pleased to know their “stale” publication is still reaching a large audience.

I appreciate that you don’t know me, nor my relationship with my editor, because if you did, you would recognise that I’m one of the first to view Jorian Gardner and his work critically.

However, I pride myself on being a fair critic.
It seems to be fashionable to attack Jorian Gardner for his harsh critical style and yet a fair review of a worthy gig cops the same attack.

Setting the scene and giving the background on a gig, and, as a reviewer, giving an opinion (that’s what a review’s all about after all) is quite different from promotional copy.
a) I’m not paid to write it
b) It’s my honest opinion, which is not to be confused with (and is quite seperate to) Gardner’s opinion.

Further, do you really think Jorian Gardner needs a ‘puff piece’? Public consensus appears to be that his ego is large enough already.

You’ve conceded yourself that Bunch of Fives is a good event.
And let’s be honest, in a town as small as Canberra, any arts event becomes a ‘mates event’, that however, doesn’t mean the individual’s merit is not a consideration. I’m yet to see an exceedingly untalented performer.

Yeah, the artistic director of A Bunch of Fives is the same guy as the editor of the Canberra. That would be why the fact was identified in the review. And the last line of the review is supposed to be a bit of a joke.

But… on a final note.
Thankyou johnboy, you’ve now inspired me to write a piece for the next bunch of fives.
The theme is Rage.
I do hope you’ll come see it.

Jorian Gardener and impartial journalism do not belong in the same sentance, unless you include “does not practice” in between. He’s a promoter, pure and simple. There’s nothing wrong with it (indeed, for artists, there’s a lot that’s very good with having someone promote them with a regular publication), but let’s not kid ourselves that he’s a journalist.

Having said that, there’s some very dubiously written publicity in the “Canberra Review”, and it doesn’t reflect well on the event, the publication or the “reviewer” to flat out say “well, I’m hoping to be in it next time”. It leads to the fairly obvious implication being drawn that it’s a mates event, not something where performance is based on merit. Which, I’m hoping, is an unfair assumption.

In full disclosure mode: I’ve never seen “Bunch of Fives”, and have no real acquaintance with Jorian Garnder.