Stone

This is an extract from Dave Bevan's essay on the 1974 Australian biker movie, Stone, written exclusively for Sideburn 24.

The film opens with surely the weirdest (only?) didgeridoo-flecked space-jazz-swamp rock ever to grace a soundtrack, and what would be, if not for the acid mind-melt score laid over the top, a tranquil scene of a politician addressing a crowd toting placards baring environmentalist slogans and ’70s hippie goodwill. 

The relative peace is destroyed by the four-cylinder thunder and whine of sixteen brand-spanking Kawasaki Z1s with psychedelic customised fairings and paint jobs.

Read another 1630 words of this memorable article in Sideburn 24. Stone is often mentioned in relation to Mad Max, and while there are similarities, there are more differences. I've been meaning to watch it for years and finally got around to it while making the last issue. It's well worth £10 from Amazon.

We cover a lot of dirt track related stuff, but it's not all we do. Road trips, custom street trackers, adventure riding, Pikes Peak stuff and the odd (very odd) essay about bike films too, from Once a Jolly Swagman to On Any Sunday. G