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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Hannah Warren and Ed Kirkwood

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five things WITH

ANGUS LESLIE AND JAMES BOWERS FROM SEX ON TOAST to Elvis B-sides until I felt sick every night before bed.

Inspirations AL: My favourite musicians are 2.

Frank Zappa, Prince, Mr. Laneous, King Buzzo and Roger Troutman.

A decadent Middle Eastern feast inspires me.

JB: Paul Bley. As the great composer/ saxophonist Tim Berne once said about him, “The man is a con artist.”

This may or may not be a real quote (it is). I also love Herbie Hancock, for so many reasons, but mainly because of his 1978 release Sunlight.

This is the greatest album to have ever been made.

1.

Growing Up AL: Growing up I was very inspired by the song of the hummingbird, which moved swiftly onto the hardcore rap music of convicted felon DMX. Then when

I discovered Mr. Bungle I didn’t know what to do with myself, as it presented a broad array of musical options…

JB: My parents forced me to listen

Your Band AL: Our band is Sex On Toast.

3.

We like to play with ourselves and others, we like producing ourselves and subsequently drinking sambuca alone when the rest of the band has gone home. Many of us met in a

street luge race. James Bowers likes listening to high-def audio recordings of hacky sack competitions. I do not.

JB: I met Angus in a breakdancing competition in 2006. He actually beat me, although I ended up getting a dance contract with JT as a result of my performance there, which prevented me from joining Sex On Toast for a few years. We mostly disagree on matters of tempo. Gary-T wants all our songs to be fast, Louis King wants all our songs to be slow.

The Music You Make AL: We sound like a 1980s funk 4. powerhouse with a touch of no-wave insanity. Our latest album is self-titled and filled with forlorn slow jams, party bangers and a final track that drives you off into the horizon in your dad’s car. Upon arriving at our shows expect to be caressed, adored and later ejected from the venue when it reaches closing time.

JB: We recorded wherever we could, trying to make the best sounding record we could. I think we did OK, all things considered. A lot of learning as we went. I think the real turning point came when we all decided to stop calling our drummer by ‘Gareth’ and switched to ‘Gary-T’.

Music, Right Here, Right Now AL: I think today’s music 5. scene is much like a sex scene in an erotic European film. It’s filled with coarse voices, fine wines and of course naked chicks. Hiatus Kaiyote, Laneous and Mandek Penha inspire me on the local scene.

JB: The best thing about the local scene is Hiatus Kaiyote.

What: Sex On Toast out now With: The Tango Saloon, Beaten Bodies Where: The Vanguard When: Wednesday April 9

Beth Hart

Closure In Moscow

EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ARTS + ONLINE EDITOR: Hannah Warren hannah@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 STAFF WRITERS: Alasdair Duncan, Jody Macgregor, Krissi Weiss, Augustus Welby NEWS: Sarah Corridon, Chris Honnery, Emily Meller ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Amath Magnan, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Georgina Pengelly - 0416 972 081 / (02) 9212 4322 georgina@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Rob Furst MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Sarah Corridon, Andy Huang, Emily Meller - gigguide@ thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Sarah Corridon, Emily Meller, Ed Kirkwood, Naz Jacobs, Erin Rooney REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Keiron Costello, Marissa Demetriou, Rachel Eddie, Christie Eliezer, Blake Gallagher, Chris Honnery, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Pamela Lee, Alicia Malone, Adam Norris, Daniel Prior, Kate Robertson, Amy Theodore, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, David Wild, Harry Windsor, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227

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Energetic Melbourne cosmic rock group Closure In Moscow are back and ready to melt some faces with heavy vocals and epic guitar solos on their upcoming Australian dates. The tour will follow the release of their new album Pink Lemonade, a record that’s been almost five years in the making. Listeners can look forward to a solid song list (with over 60 minutes of track time to boast) and a mystical story that arcs across the whole release. The eccentric five-piece have also got some album pre-release packs up for grabs, featuring some psychedelic t-shirt designs. Pink Lemonade will be available to the public’s ears on Friday May 9 through MGM. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch Closure In Moscow in the flesh, kicking off at Spectrum on Friday May 9.

DARREN MIDDLETON DID A THING

If Darren Middleton could say one thing... well, he’d probably sing it instead. ‘One Thing’ is the latest single taken from Translations, the debut solo record from the former Powderfinger

DAN SULTAN

Fresh from releasing his new album, Blackbird, Aussie crooner Dan Sultan has announced a sprawling national tour beginning at the end of June. It’s a welcome return to the big stage for Sultan, whose new record is his first since Get Out While You Can in 2009.

‘Under Your Skin’ and ‘The Same Man’ were the first two tastes of his new material, and both got extensive airplay – so it’s about time fans across the country got their chance to sing along with Sultan live. The support slots on his Blackbird album tour will be filled

by Stonefield and Way Of The Eagle (DJ set). See Sultan at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle on Thursday July 10 and the Metro Theatre on Friday July 11. Tickets go on sale Thursday April 10.

guitarist and songwriter. It very nearly missed the cut for the LP, having only come as a spark of inspiration out of the blue to Middleton at the last minute before the album’s production.

In any case, it’s with us now, and Middleton is touring to mark the occasion. He plays Rock Lily at The Star on Thursday May 8.

Dan Sultan

BLUESFEST SIDESHOWS BEGIN

Dozens of the finest exponents of the blues are prepping to head to Byron Bay over Easter for Bluesfest, but there’s no way they were going to skip Sydney on the way. Sideshow season has officially begun, with a number of hot tickets going for gigs this week.

Beth Hart has sold out The Basement on Saturday night, but she returns on Sunday April 13 with guest Genevieve Chadwick. Allen Stone will play the Metro Theatre the same night. The Magic Band and Grandmothers Of Invention hit the Metro this Saturday April 12. Other picks include the Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros gig at the Enmore Theatre this Thursday April 10. Take your pick, or pick the lot!

A BIG DATE FOR KATE

Two decades have passed since the debut of one of Melbourne’s most prolific rock bands. To celebrate the last ‘Twenty Years’, Something For Kate are kicking off a ‘Monster’ of an Australiawide tour, with tickets on sale this Friday April 11.

Each show will start with a short film screening, tracing the band’s career since 1994. SFK will also be re-releasing their impressive back catalogue onto vinyl. The Enmore Theatre gig is set for Saturday July 12. thebrag.com

xxx photo by xxx

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW

Two couples, one apartment, no prisoners.

PERPLEX

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31 MAR – 3 MAY 2014 SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU WHARF 1 THEATRE DIRECTOR

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TICKETS $30-65

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Photo Grant Sparkes-Carroll

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 7

rock music news

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Hannah Warren and Ed Kirkwood

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five things WITH

PATRICK REUTER-TOWN FROM LEPERS AND CROOKS The thought we will never be the best we can be brings the knowledge that we will never stop learning and will always continue to grow as individuals and, more importantly, as a unit. The day this mentality dies is the day of our defeat.

Your Band We are just trying to be 3. creative; it’s really easy to get locked down in this big city and concern ourselves with things like paying rent or even what’s going to be our next move. So with that it’s great to see the resurgence in creative culture and counterculture – people lately seem to be open to the understanding that music, as well as being something social, can also bring people together to break boundaries.

Growing Up People always laugh when 1. we tell them we met at boarding

edge mentality if it wasn’t for music.

school, but it’s strange because as much as we resented it at the time, it was the place where we learnt to live with each other, hate each other and play music together. I don’t know if we would’ve survived the straight

Inspirations The Music You Make Freedom from constrictions 2.

We will always be an 4. of the mind, seeing opportunity eclectic band and we will always where there seems to be none…

Our biggest influence is probably each other as we motivate each other to keep moving forward.

be a band that is at its best in a room full of sweaty mess. We feed on the chaos. When we

play live we like to expect the unexpected.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

‘The music scene’ is a funny thing; people that believe it’s dead just aren’t looking hard enough.

I guess it’s hard to pinpoint any one ‘scene’ these days because people have access to so much more, so as a result there’s such an array of music happening. One thing we are sure of is that things are moving fast, so now, more than ever, people need to express themselves for who they are and not let any ‘scene’ or ‘movement’ dictate that – because once you catch on it’ll be too late and you will miss the whole point of why that movement existed in the first place.

What: King’s Carnivale With: Fourtunate, Little Sea, Tall Hearts and more Where: Town Hall Hotel, Newtown When: Thursday April 10

HARD ON OLD LEGS

Hard-ons

Time flies when you’re having fun.

Sydney’s Hard-ons are turning 30, and have announced a run of dates to celebrate. The legendary punk/ pop/metal collective made its first public appearance on July 21, 1984 – and, frankly, has played everywhere and anywhere since. If you somehow haven’t come across them in a dingy pub or flashy club before, what better time to start? See Hard-ons at Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Thursday June 5, Tattersalls Hotel on Friday June 6, and Manning Bar on Saturday June 7.

Gareth Liddiard

NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE

Northeast Party House are five dudes from Melbourne, all in their early 20s, who have successfully staggered from minor to major festival stages building a cult following around them. They’ve snagged plenty of national support slots for bands like The Jungle Giants and Midnight Juggernauts. Now they’re releasing their debut album Any Given Weekend and taking it around the country. Join the party with them at Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday June 25, Newtown Social Club on Saturday June 28, The Lair at the Metro Theatre on Sunday June 29 and Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Wednesday July 2. Any Given Weekend is out Friday May 16 through Stop Start.

out why. Support on Thursday May 22 comes from The Tambourine Girls.

A BIT OF MUDLARK

Experimental Perth outfit Mudlark are bringing their new 12-inch release direct to fans on the east coast with a tour next month. Zimdahl – is it named after Robert L. Zimdahl, Professor of Weed Science at Colorado State University? – is equal parts weird, smart and sophisticated.

Mudlark explore guitar and percussion sounds to their full capability, and in the past have supported the likes of Kirin J Callinan and The Love Junkies. See them at FBi Social on

Meat Puppets

MEAT AND GREET

Are you ready for a slice of history?

Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane is bringing its beloved CherryRock festival to Sydney for the first time, featuring headliners Meat Puppets alongside Brant Bjork, Redcoats, Gay Paris, Beastwars, Drunk Mums and more. The event hits indoor and outdoor stages at the Factory Theatre on Saturday May 31. It’s an extra special event for Meat Puppets fans – casual observers will remember the band from their appearance during Nirvana’s legendary MTV Unplugged set – as it’ll be their first appearance here in 20 years. To celebrate, the BRAG is offering a double pass to CherryRock014 and a one-off meetand-greet opportunity with Meat Puppets themselves. Woah! If you want to meet the Meat Puppets, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us the first thing you’ll say to them if you win.

Friday May 16. Support this time comes from Gazar Strips and Milkk.

FOX & FOWL

Australian pop is about to get another injection of feel-good quirkiness as Fox & Fowl release their self-titled EP at a live show in Sydney this May. Originating in the capital of roundabouts, Canberra, Fox & Fowl’s release makes the perfect jangling soundtrack for a fun-filled neighbourhood drive. Now living in the Sunshine Coast, they will be bringing their indie pop down south for the launch of their debut.

Catch them playing for MUM at The World Bar in Sydney on Friday May 23.

GO GO GOGARTY

Gogarty’s Kate Gogarty gets by with a little help from her friends. The now four-piece outfit is hitting the road to mark the release of the Monsters EP, with a gig set for the new Easy Tiger venue on Friday June 6. You go, Gogarty.

THE STONES WILL BE BACK

The Rolling Stones have announced their rescheduled dates for the postponed 14 On Fire tour of Australia and New Zealand will take place between October 25 and November 22 this year.

The original Sydney date at Allphones Arena had been Tuesday March 25. Keep an eye on thebrag.com for the confirmed dates as they’re announced, and head to rollingstones.com and frontiertouring.com for more details.

PACK UP THE RUSSACK

Bidding farewell to the crisp blue waters of Narooma in NSW, Emma Russack now calls Melbourne home. Her environment may have changed, but the earthy folk vocals have stayed with her. Inspired by the Joni Mitchells, Cat Powers and Bonnie Prince Billys of this world, Russack clings to music with a deeper meaning.

Russack will be hopping around the country singing and strumming her stories for all those who want to hear them. See her at Brighton Up Bar on Saturday June 21.

COOPED UP AGAIN

The Drones frontman Gareth Liddiard will play a solo show at The Basement next month. Liddiard released his first solo LP, Strange Tourist, in 2010, but has only played a handful of solo gig since. His Sydney show, with guest BJ Morriszonkle, will be a rare chance to see him in an intimate setting. It all happens on Friday May 16.

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DUSTIN TIME

Hotly tipped local talent Dustin Tebbutt will launch his new single, ‘Bones’, at Newtown Social Club next month. Tebbutt’s debut single, ‘The Breach’, landed him in the top 50 of triple j’s Hottest 100 2013. He’s marked himself as one to watch in 2014, so it’s high time you found

Little Bastard

LITTLE BASTARD

They’re a good time, every time. Little Bastard have been playing gigs here and there for the last couple of years, and at last they’re due to release their debut self-titled album on Friday May 9. To give it a kick start, the Bastards will head out on tour for a month, covering coasts east to west. They play Newtown Social Club on Friday June 13 and Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Saturday June 14. Happy days indeed.

thebrag.com

Litte Bastard photo by Colin Lucas

GARETH GOES SOLO (FOR A BIT)

A motley bunch of Australian musicians you might remember from the ’80s and ’90s has banded together to form Joeys Coop. The group features former Died Pretty guitarist Brett Myers, Matt Galvin of Perry Keyes, Eva Trout, Mark Roxburgh and Andy Newman from Decline of the Reptiles, and drummer Lloyd G. The project marks Myers’ first band postDied Pretty, and will debut on Friday April 11 at LazyBones Lounge in Marrickville.

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ has gone six times platinum in Australia. * Towards the end of Hunters & Collectors’ Friday night show at the Enmore, Mark Seymour yelled out, “We want to welcome to the stage two great gentlemen of Australian music!�

Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett and guitarist Jim Moginie joined them for The Saints’ ‘Know Your Product’. PG, in a striking black and white shirt, pulled out his trademark jerky steps. * Did Kanye West postpone his Oz visit because he’s “recording an album� or because rumours say he might be getting married in Paris in late May? * Not all smooth sailing for Sheppard and their manager Michael Chugg on their US dates. Their flight to San Francisco was diverted to Oakland, and they had to catch a Greyhound bus to make the gig.

* News of a The Flaming Lips’ Dark Side Of The Moon companion piece album has been revealed as an April Fools’ prank. * So too was NT News’ item, which aroused the ire of Darwin music fans, that the Northern Territory Government booked Nickelback for Bassinthegrass festival, because NT Chief Minister Adam Giles is a fan of the band. * Wu-Tang Clan were reportedly offered US$5 million for the sole copy of their twoCD album The Wu – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, part of their 20th anniversary celebration. * Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon told the Herald Sun that after performing at the first ‘White Album’ concerts, he, The Living End’s Chris Cheney, Josh Pyke and You Am I’s Tim Rogers got tattoos of blackbirds done, after one of the tracks on The Beatles’ double album. * Snow Patrol guitarist Johnny

AUSTRALIA REMAINS SIXTH LARGEST MARKET Australia is the sixth largest music market in the world, according to IFPI’s 2014 Recording Industry In Numbers report. The US remains the biggest, growing by 0.8% to total US$4.47 billion in 2013. It represents 30% of global trade revenues. Japan remained second despite dropping 16.7% to $3.01 billion.

Germany climbed to third with a rise of 1.1% to $1.37 billion, switching places with the UK, which was up 2.2% to $1.37 billion. France remained fifth at $956 million (up 1.3%).

Australia remained at six despite slipping by 8.4% to $430 million. The rest of the top ten were Canada ($424 million, down 2.5%), Italy

McDaid has moved in with Friends star Courteney Cox, sharing her Malibu mansion. * Soundwave’s Adelaide promoter El Dorado Music forfeited a $10,000 bond after the March 1 show in Bonython Park exceed the 110-decibel limit for 70% of the all-day show. Adelaide Council got six complaints. Councillor David Plumridge said shows should either be staged in new space set up in the western parklands away from houses, or the bond upped to $40,000. Festival founder AJ Maddah tweeted if that happens, there’ll be no more Soundwave for Adelaide. * Canberra pair Peking Duk’s ‘High’ made the top ten in the ARIA Singles Chart and went gold. Last year they had two tracks top the ARIA Club Chart.

The Duk just finished US dates including SXSW and the Miami Winter Music Conference. * Papa vs Pretty are running a competition where fans can

($238 million, up 8.3%), Brazil ($228 million, down 1.7%) and South Korea ($211 million, up 9.7%), which enters the top ten for the first time after shoving out the Netherlands. In all, the global recorded music industry is valued at $15.0 billion, down 3.9% from its 2012 value of $15.6 billion.

11 INDIES GET FUNDED BY AUS COUNCIL The Australia Council for the Arts has given money to 11 independent labels as part of its Recording Initiative. Chapter Music, Future Classic, Head Records, Hope Street Recordings, Mistletone Enterprises, Rice Is Nice Records, Split Records, Stop Start,

E HIFI 1300 THO M.AU

THEHIFI.C

Thu 17 Apr

Karnivool Tue 29 Apr

Diva Fever feat.

Deborah Cox Sat 19 Apr

John Newman Thu 1 May

Toxic Holocaust & Skeletonwitch Sat 26 Apr

D.R.I

Fri 2 May

Skid Row & Ugly Kid Joe Sun 27 Apr

DJ Premier & Pete Rock (USA) Sat 3 May

Children of Bodom

Jonny Craig (USA)

Sat 10 May: All Ages

Misery Signals (USA) Fri 16 May

Kingswood Fri 30 May

Fri 9 May

Band of Skulls (USA) Fri 20 Jun

The Crimson ProjeKCt Fri 27 Jun

SugarRush, Two Bright Lakes and the Wantok Music Foundation share in over $400,000 of funding. Last year the initiative funded six labels including Spunk, Skinnyfish and Elefant Traks.

SYDNEY CITY ENDORSES LIVE MUSIC PLAN All 57 recommendations tabled by the Sydney Live Music Taskforce have been endorsed by the City of Sydney’s Cultural and Community Committee. Labor councillor and live music champion Linda Scott called this “a fantastic achievement in the journey to ensuring Sydney has a more musical future.� She was disappointed the Lord Mayor would not commit to a timeframe for funding them. “Sydney’s live music scene is at a tipping point [and] the recommendations must all be funded and implemented, urgently,� Scott said. She will push for the recommendations to be included in the Council’s 2014/15 budget, out in May and operational this financial year. Recommendations include a live music liaison officer to cut red tape, grants to all-age show promoters, faster approval process for low-risk events, the inclusion of musicians in affordable housing schemes and rehearsal rooms in Council space.

AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION SETS UP AUSSIE COMMITTEE

Coming Soon

Flying Circus feat.

play pool with them before shows on their April/May tour with Ball Park Music. * The 25th Alliance Française French Film Festival, which was staged in six cities, drew 40,000 people over its three-week run in Sydney. * David Lacey, who’s been running the Music Bizarre store in Lismore for 25 years, has decided to retire at the age of 73. His business partner of the past 17 years, Deb Ray, will take over Music Bizarre fully. * Summer Reese, head of California’s Pacifica Foundation Radio, which runs five radio stations, didn’t take kindly to being sacked. She returned four days later to the offices, changed the locks and barricaded herself inside. * UK comedian Jason Manford kept his 800-strong audience waiting 30 minutes due to traffic.

So he bought them all a drink, at a cost of ÂŁ3,500.

Tankard (GER) Fri 11 Jul

Rebel Souljahz (USA) Sat 27 Sep

The Nashville-based Americana Music Association has set up an Australian advisory group to help Aussie acts. It comprises artist manager Dan Biddle, Brian Taranto of Love Police, Rhythms editor Marty Jones, filmmaker Jeremy Dylan and CMAA president Dobe Newton.

The AMA has showcased many Australian acts at its festival and just appointed Aussie expat Mark Moffatt as president. The group’s intention is “to create awareness of the genre in Australia, to foster opportunities for Australian artists in the US, and to create connections for US artists in Australia.�

FORMER VENUE MANAGER BANNED Bill ‘Vasilis’ Moshos, former manager of Newcastle venue Silk Hotel, was fined almost $5,000 and banned from managing licensed premises for a year. The court was told that Silk had a list of infringements including 46 assaults in four years, nonoperational security cameras and serving underage drinkers. Moshos was the hotel’s manager from January 2010 until October 2013.

PRODUCER PRANKS BIEBER CDS US electronic producer Paz hid copies of his own record From The Bottom Of My Heart To The Top Of Your Lungs in 5,000 cases of Justin Bieber’s Believe in major record stores in Los Angeles. He wanted to make the point indie musos find it difficult to get their records in Target and Best Buy.

MUSICNSW MOVES

moved to the Alberts offices in Neutral Bay. It will allow MusicNSW to save on rent, while developing and managing a creative and music-related co-working space on Alberts’ premises. The space is also available to other music firms who need affordable office space.

MusicNSW’s new phone number is (02) 9953 5279.

SYDNEY FESTIVALS FUNDED To draw more tourists to Sydney and make it more of an events city, the City of Sydney has funded three festivals. Sydney Fringe will get $450,000 over three years, VIVID Sydney $250,000 per annum in cash and value-inkind for the same period, and the inaugural Walsh Bay Arts Festival in December will pocket $30,000 in cash and $20,000 valuein-kind.

NEW ADDITIONS AT NOVA Nova Entertainment has appointed Nova 93.7 Perth music director Claire Marshall as music marketing director. James Toovey (ex-Ten) is the new Sydney publicity manager for its radio, digital and media brands.

Lifelines Born: a son to singer Regina Spektor with husband Jack Dishel.

Marrying: Elton John and David Furnish, who have been in a civil partnership since 2005, plan to marry next month after a change in the law in England and Wales to allow same-sex weddings for the first time.

Married: musical theatre singer and actress Lucy Durack and choreographer Chris Horsey, in Perth.

Married: Linda Perry, formerly of 4 Non Blondes, and actress Sara Gilbert.

In Court: one Svetlana Shusterman filed a restraining order against Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd, who she claims has been stalking her for years. He says he has no clue who she is.

In Court: Adelaide singersongwriter Jacob Brookes appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting police. It was over a February incident where he allegedly arrived so drunk to his own wedding from his buck’s turn the night before that the minister called off the nuptials. His fiancÊe has told him there is no chance of reconciliation.

In Court: a US judge dismissed a $10 million lawsuit against Justin Bieber and Usher by Virginia songwriters Devin Copeland and Maerio Overton who claimed the duo’s ‘Somebody To Love’ plagiarised parts of their song with the same title. The judge found no similarities in lyrics and style.

In Court: Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of a man after an argument over two missing guns.

Died: Godfather of Chicago house Frankie Knuckles at 59.

Died: British 15-year-old Triona Priestley from cystic fibrosis, minutes after Ed Sheeran called and sang her favourite song ‘Little Bird’.

Died: Dave Gregg, guitarist with Canada hardcorists D.O.A., from a heart attack, aged 54.

Died: George Duncan Jr, 62, of a massive heart attack. He was the site manager of Victoria’s legendary Sunbury festivals which drew 45,000 people between 1972 and 1975. Duncan’s father, George Sr, owned the 620-acre farm between Sunbury and Diggers Rest where the festival was held.

Peak music association MusicNSW has

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RÜFÜS

A WORLD OF THEIR OWN

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

O

ne of the wonderful things about music is its manifold signifi cances. There’s no ultimate meaning to a song; the desired sensation that comes from listening differs between individuals. Of course, music can’t simply be manipulated to stand for whatever the listener chooses. The intentions of the composer largely frame the listening experience and these intentions also vary widely. For instance, some songs may seek to be calming or energising, while others look to spread a message or commit sonic violence.

Sydney’s RÜFÜS purposefully cultivate their springy dance-pop to captivate attention and remove circumstantial distractions.

mass appeal basically catalysed an aural exodus. Atlas resonated all the way to the top of the ARIA charts and early this year the singles ‘Take Me’, ‘Desert Night’ and ‘Tonight’ all made it into triple j’s Hottest 100 (at numbers 21, 34 and 91 respectively).

“It’s all based on a feeling, which hopefully can help you to escape,” says keyboardist Jon George. “We’re just trying to make ourselves feel good and escape what we’re in. I think that’s always been the idea with our music and will continue to be the idea with our music.”

The hard work hasn’t ceased for the trio, either. Atlas’ ongoing success now gives them the opportunity to develop a largescale, ambitious live show. In May and June the aptly titled Worlds Within Worlds tour visits a number of Australia’s classiest music halls (including two shows at the Enmore Theatre), and they’re planning to apply a third dimension to the record’s sonic escapades.

On the group’s debut LP Atlas (released last August), George and his bandmates – vocalist/guitarist Tyrone Lindqvist and drummer James Hunt – displayed affection for Trentemøller’s dark electro and infused it with a melodic sensibility akin to radio favourites Foster The People. The overriding objective throughout was to construct a corridor of escape portals. “When we were in the studio making the album we were trying to come up with this idea, via the audio, of taking people to different places,” George says.

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“We’ve been working with a bunch of different teams on different multimedia. What we were envisioning in the studio is finally going to be translated to the fullest

Although George refrains from giving away too many production details, the shows clearly won’t be a modest undertaking. “We’re definitely working hard on it and we’re excited for people to see it,” he says. “I think we want to prove that we’re of an international quality too. We want to be able to finish these shows in Australia and end our album tour run [with] everyone knowing what we’re capable of.”

The Worlds Within Worlds tour wraps up the album cycle, but that doesn’t mean RÜFÜS are slowing down. Following the tour, the trio will relocate to Berlin and get stuck into album number two. In line with the emphasis on escapism, the band favours creating music away from its regular surroundings.

“When we first started writing Atlas,” says George, “we relocated to the south coast of New South Wales, locked ourselves away and we wrote extremely constantly that way, being away from civilisation.

I think the conclusion is you don’t really need to be up from 9am until 5pm working. We were working right through the night and it was almost like shift work. Someone would go to bed and two people would keep writing and then the other dude would get up and take over for another eight hours or something.

“I think that if we were in the middle of suburbia or the city it’s a little bit shameful coming up onto the street at six AM – you don’t feel like you’re really contributing to society. So we’ve always tried to buck that. I think Berlin’s perfect for that. We spent a bit of time there in December and fell in love with the place. I think that it’s perfect for what we want to do and it’s cheap and we can lock ourselves away.”

George and co. are no strangers to the Northern Hemisphere; at present they’re midway through a run across the US and select parts of Europe. Legal worries enforced a name alteration in the States, but the Sydneysiders are starting to make an impression on the world’s biggest market.

“We’ve signed with Columbia [in the US] and we’ve changed our name to RÜFÜS DU SOL, [so] we’re sort of starting afresh,” George says. “Particularly now that we’ve gone from A to B in Australia, we just want to do the same in other territories. I think that’s sort of exciting too, the fact that we’ve just got to work our way up again with intimate venues and settings – and we’ll get there.”

Despite this enthusiasm to begin the crowd-building campaign again, their time playing for sparse audiences looks limited. RÜFÜS were hotly praised at SXSW last month, while the group’s easygoing electro is already packing out rooms in the UK. “I think it’s all starting to roll out there quicker than it is in America at the moment,” George says.

“We’re getting some good play

“WHAT WE WERE ENVISIONING IN THE STUDIO IS FINALLY GOING TO BE TRANSLATED TO THE FULLEST DEGREE. THAT’S WHY WE CHOSE A LOT OF THESE VENUES, TO BE ABLE TO USE THESE BIG SPACES.”

on [BBC] Radio 1 and [electronic music presenter] Pete Tong’s been saying our name, so that’s all pretty exciting.”

It seems inevitable that the band’s infiltration of the global music consciousness will influence its next record. George can’t precisely predict what path RÜFÜS will take with Atlas’ follow-up, but the intensified experiences since that record’s release certainly gives them plenty to draw from.

“We’re writing individually, in transit at the moment, [and] a lot of the ideas we’ve been sharing seem to be very similar in nature. I think that’s because of all these crazy highs – and [the] lows as well that come with touring – that we’ve been experiencing together.”

The success of Atlas makes RÜFÜS the subjects of keen public observation, which could very well impose a weight of expectation on the band’s next move.

However, George isn’t particularly concerned.

“I think that it’s more exciting really, because we’ve actually got an audience – a substantially larger audience than we had ready to listen to the first album – that will be ready to listen to the next album. I feel a bit more creative freedom because we don’t need to be winning anyone over. We can do something and then an audience will be there to listen to it.

Then it’s up to them whether they like it or not, but at least we’ll be trying stuff.”

What: Atlas out now through Sweat It Out/Sony With: Hayden James, Crooked Colours Where: Enmore Theatre When: Saturday June 21 and Sunday June 22 And: Also appearing at The Entrance Leagues Club on Thursday June 5 and Panthers, Newcastle on Friday June 6 xxx

This conceptual agenda didn’t get the better of them; the record’s

“That was so surreal for all that to happen,” says George incredulously. “It happened so quickly – [number one] within a week – and we were getting so much good feedback. Fast-forward to now and we just found out our album went gold, and we’ve been signed in a bunch of different territories around the globe. I never thought any of this stuff would happen. It’s awesome that the hard work is paying off.”

degree. That’s why we chose a lot of these venues, to be able to use these big spaces and trying to fill out these regal venues and do something creative with them, and definitely take people to some different places whilst they’re watching the show.”

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The Delta Riggs Hip Hop Revisited By Augustus Welby

Saskwatch Diving In By Lachlan Kanoniuk

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or a while there, explosive soul purveyors Saskwatch were something of a loosely kept secret amongst the Melbourne underground, with the nine-piece establishing themselves as lauded denizens of Thursday nights at Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane. The secret soon got out, seeing Saskwatch tear up stages and dancefloors at festivals across the globe. Following up from debut Leave It All Behind, new album Nose Dive sees the outfit flex its honed musical acumen into stylistic grounds that extend beyond the rhythm-andblues core.

“I think we’re trying to prove we’re not just a niche at the moment, that we are a credible, and incredible, band,” says vocalist Nkechi Anele. “That’s what we’re trying to do with this album. I guess what makes us different is that these are songs we’ve tried out for at least a year to live audiences – some of these songs were being played when the first album came out. It has taken a lot of work to make sure the stuff that’s different, songs you wouldn’t normally link with what Saskwatch is, still has merit, that they’re not just an idea outlined on the album. That’s been hard to make sure people take it seriously, that it’s not us trying to do somebody else’s genre badly.”

Though it explores a variety of genres, the album retains a striking sonic cohesion. “We recorded with Lachlan Goold, also known as Magoo, who lives in Queensland,” Anele says. “We recorded at his place in a converted church an hour out of Brisbane. It’s the first time, apart from the single, that we’ve had a producer really work on an album with us, having a strong input in where we could take songs. Recording in that space, being taken away from Melbourne, we were able to put that focus on the sonics of the album. Magoo has so much input into the sound, he’s one of the engineers that works on songs like he’s an instrumentalist, getting the best out of every song.”

In the video clip for new single ‘Born To Break Your Heart’, Anele assumes the role

of seductive serial killer, taking out her bandmates with increasingly ridiculous aplomb.

“I cannot tell you how much fun I had being evil. I loved pretending to kill every member of the band,” she laughs. “When we got given the idea for the clip, we were all really excited and wanted to do it straight away. The funny thing is that the song isn’t dark, and we’re not a dark band – well, at least I’d like to think that people don’t see me as a serial killer beneath this friendly surface. It was great to do a clip like that. The most awkward part was the scene at the start where me and Liam [McGorry] had to hold hands; we laughed for about five minutes before we could shoot. It was a lot of fun.”

The clip also features an appearance from a perhaps supernatural rabbit, continuing the motif featured in the ‘Hands’ video. As for the significance of the band’s floppy-eared mascots, Anele isn’t exactly forthcoming. “I like that people are asking, ‘What is with the bunnies?’ That’s the best part, so I don’t want to say anything. Especially if bunnies end up making it into every film clip.”

Looking back on those early days at Cherry in Melbourne, Anele feels a mix of pride and slight wistfulness. “From the band perspective, nothing’s really changed. We were playing Cherry every week for three years, so the challenge was to make sure we were getting better, that we didn’t have a shit week, thinking that people would get sick of coming to see us. But that wasn’t the case. We have played bigger venues, supported big acts, played overseas, played festivals we never imagined playing at this age.”

What: Bluesfest 2014 With: John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Erykah Badu, Joss Stone, John Butler Trio and many more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday April 17 – Monday April 21 And: Nose Dive out Friday April 11 through Northside/Remote Control

hese days it’s not uncommon to hear rock bands cite a hip hop influence.

Sometimes it just means they’ve listened to stacks of Wu-Tang and bought baggier jeans, but occasionally a band manages to successfully integrate specific hip hop qualities into its own material.

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The Delta Riggs’ debut record Hex.Lover.Killer featured a groggy take on British Invasion R&B, which attracted nationwide interest and made the Australian Music Prize long list.

Still, Hammond and co. weren’t apprehensive about jumping into new territory with this album.

“We kind of got obsessed with this idea of making a fully-fledged hip hop record – like a rock’n’roll band’s version of a hip hop record,” says The Delta Riggs’ frontman Elliott Hammond. The record in question is the band’s recently completed second LP Dipz Zebazios and, if the first single ‘Supersonic Casualties’ is anything to go by, they’ve come good on this ambition. The Brisbane/Sydney/ Melbourne four-piece has never shied away from voluptuous grooves or soulful melodies, but ‘Supersonic Casualties’ places those traits smack-bang in the centre.

“We didn’t want to wait another eight months until the album cycle wore itself out. We definitely were like, ‘If we’re going to go back in the studio we can’t just be bringing out another version of Hex.Lover.Killer.’”

“The stuff we were listening to, like Jurassic 5 and early N.E.R.D, we were like, ‘Man, these vocals are just pumped, they’re so loud in the mix.’ So we were just like, ‘Fuck it, if that’s the record we’re trying to do we should do what these guys did and beef it up a bit.’”

Hammond also names Fugees, De La Soul and Beastie Boys as key influences. The Delta Riggs produced Dipz Zebazios themselves and, in order to authentically reference these artists, they were required to expand their production abilities.

“I met Dave [Atkins] from the Resin Dogs through my time with Wolfmother,” Hammond says. “He’s got a studio with a whole library of vinyl – just walls and walls of vinyl. We went there for a weekend and we just started pulling out records and listening to different vinyls and making samples.

“We were using these old techniques we learned from Dave, because he’s a proper wizard. He’s cut from that cloth, whereas we are fundamentally a rock’n’roll band. A lot of stuff on the new record is sampled but it’s actually been recorded by us and put onto a seven-inch vinyl and then sampled.”

Even though the band was immediately inspired to make the stylistic shift, visiting the original home of hip hop last October greatly strengthened the embrace.

“We were probably halfway through [the album] when we got to New York,” Hammond explains. “When we got there it really hit home that this was a space where [hip hop] was actually originating from. The streets are fucking gritty; it’s got a real punk rock vibe to it. I tie in hip hop and punk rock to be pretty close, as far as coming from the bottom and having that community message and speaking your mind. New York definitely inspired us to step that up a little bit.

“Hip hop has changed so much to [become] what we now know as hip hop,” he adds.

“In its foundations, it wasn’t about talking about how much money you have or how many cars are in your garage. It was about helping each other out and being positive and solving problems. We were like, ‘What happened to that ethos?’ We were trying to capture what we thought was a little bit of a forgotten past of where hip hop came from.”

With: Jenny Broke The Window Where: The Roller Den / Moonshine Bar, Manly When: Thursday April 17 / Thursday April 24 And: Supporting Stonefield at Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith on Saturday April 12

Skid Row Old Boys’ Club By Blake Gallagher

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or almost three decades now, New Jersey’s Skid Row have been delivering their iconic brand of epic heavy metal and, with a new EP under their belt and several more planned, have no intention of pulling back. Having wrapped up a trek in Europe last year with fellow veterans Ugly Kid Joe, both bands will return to Australian shores this April for a run of co-headline dates.

“Not bad for the old guys,” laughs bassist and founding member Rachel Bolan. “We had never met those guys, believe it or not, back in the day. We never crossed paths. But we got there and it was such a fun tour, everyone was so cool.”

Outside of a relentless touring schedule, last year Skid Row also found time to record United World Rebellion: Chapter One, the first in a string of EPs they plan to release over the next year or so. “It’s something that felt like the right time to do [it], we’ve never done anything like that before,” says Bolan. “When the idea of doing it that way was brought up, it really appealed to all of us to have a constant flow of new music. Especially in the days of information overload, where there’s so much coming at you all the time, we really liked the idea of having three small bodies of work.”

As far as the songs themselves go, Bolan and co. sought to tap into the mindset they’d had when writing the band’s first two albums, Skid Row and Slave To The Grind. To do this, Bolan listened to nothing but the music that had influenced him as a 22-year-old writing the band’s eponymous debut LP. “Our first album came out 25 years ago.

Obviously a lot has happened in our lives since then, so you kind of unknowingly get away from where you started musically.

We wanted to get back to those 22- and 23-year-old kids that wrote those first couple records. What I did is, I didn’t listen to any new music for a while. I started listening to what influenced me to play music in the first place. I listened to nothing past around 1980 – a lot of Aerosmith, KISS, Ramones, all that kind of stuff. I kind of reconditioned myself back to the way I felt when we wrote those first two records. We really had to dig deep, but at one point everything just started coming out like all these doors in our brains opened.”

While Skid Row were last in the country in 2009, they were no strangers back in the day. One only needs a quick YouTube search to see the kind of hysteria that greeted them, with reporters declaring an

in-store appearance a “near riot” as “wild” fans rampaged to meet the band. Outside of boy bands, it’s hard to imagine such a frenzied reaction happening today. “People were telling me, ‘Wait ’til you see these crowds – the fl ight is so long but it’s worth it,’ and it was so true,” says Bolan. “We got there and people were so into what we were doing, it was amazing.”

It’s an indicator of the massive fan base the band garnered back then and, as the horde of sold-out shows from Europe suggests, maintains.

“I always say Skid Row fans are the most loyal fans in the world. What’s happening a lot now that your older fans are adults, they’re bringing their kids to shows. We did a lot of all-ages shows in Europe, and the fact that a lot of the crowds weren’t even born when our first record came out… that’s a pretty good feeling.”

What: United World Rebellion: Chapter One out now through Megaforce With: Ugly Kid Joe Where: The Hi-Fi When: Sunday April 27 xx

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thebrag.com

What:

Killswitch Engage Time For Redemption By Augustus Welby

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ince arriving on the scene at the turn of the 21st Century, Massachusetts metalcore outfit Killswitch Engage have possessed a startling amount of ferocious confidence. On last year’s Disarm The Descent, their sixth LP, the band sounds even bolder than usual. Notably, the record welcomes back original vocalist Jesse Leach, who took over from Howard Jones in early 2012. Although Leach had been absent from the band for ten years, his return allowed Killswitch to turn over a new leaf.

“If you ask those guys, I’m sure if you even ask Howard, three or four years ago the band was not in a good place,” Leach says. “The energy wasn’t there, the vibes weren’t there. The last record they put out, nobody’s really stoked on it.” Indeed, the title of the new album – Disarm The Descent – is not merely alliterative, it’s a mission statement.

“It’s something that me and the bass player Mike [D’Antonio] talked about,” Leach says. “This sort of redemption – falling down and hitting rock bottom and just pulling yourself up to find redemption. That’s kind of what the whole record’s about.”

along here and there, correcting me or helping me refurbish or refine certain things. He’s sort of my creative/musical partner. He’s a soul brother of mine for sure.”

Killswitch Engage come back to Australia this week, which is the second time they’ve been here since Leach’s reinstatement but the first time armed with Disarm The Descent. If anyone’s worried that Leach’s former distaste for touring could besmirch his onstage attitude, well, they can rest easy.

“I come out and I’m non-stop,” he boasts. “I run around like crazy. Between me and Adam it’s like an aerobics program out there. It’s definitely tough but I love it. I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s become a part of me. It’s not something I see that I’m going to stop doing anytime soon.”

What: Disarm The Descent out now through Roadrunner With: Kill Devil Hill Where: UNSW Roundhouse When: Saturday April 12

Leach left Killswitch not long after the release of the metalcore paradigm, Alive Or Just Breathing, in 2002. The rest of the band pushed forward, quickly recruiting Jones and releasing three further albums (The End Of Heartache in 2004, As Daylight Dies in 2006 and Killswitch Engage in 2009) before medical complications prompted Jones’ departure. While some fans certainly rejoiced upon Leach’s return, plenty of listeners would have only been acquainted with the Jonesera version of the band.

“When we were writing the record,” says Leach, “I tried to really focus on the task at hand and block out all the white noise of expectations or criticisms. I tried to focus on just putting out the best record I can without reading too much on outside influence and not making too much about being anywhere near the type of singer that Howard is. [I wanted] to put out a good record for the sake of putting a good record out. Once that was said and done there was definitely a part of me that was wondering what the reaction would be.”

Given Alive Or Just Breathing was the last batch of songs this group had worked on together, perhaps they looked back on the record for guidance. “I think it’s impossible to make another Alive Or Just Breathing,” says Leach. “That album captured such a different time. Hopefully that’s what we did with this record; captured a moment in time.”

“It was a new lease on life for those guys and a total change of life for me.”

When Leach left Killswitch Engage, it wasn’t because he’d grown tired of the music or run into creative hostility with the other members.

Rather, he could no longer cope with the touring lifestyle and thus resolved he wasn’t suited to a career in music. However, he didn’t stay away from the scene for too long. In the intervening years he recorded and toured with Seemless, The Empire Shall Fall and Times Of Grace (which also features Killswitch guitarist/producer Adam Dutkiewicz). Still, music never became his chief vocation.

“Prior to joining the band, I was working a regular job behind a bar, which I’ve always done – I work regular jobs, I’m a regular working-class guy,” Leach says. Given his past grievances, rejoining a full-time touring band was probably a daunting prospect. But Leach has learned to acknowledge the privileged nature of the gig. “[First Disarm single] ‘In Due Time’ especially, it’s about my experience. [This is] almost like a second chance. All the struggle that I’ve gone through, all the pain and suffering that I put myself through, it all reveals itself.”

What’s more, Leach believes his revitalised outlook rubbed off on the other band members and inspired genuine positivity during the Disarm The Descent recording sessions.

“It was a pretty fun family atmosphere for all of us. Coming back into the band after being away for so long, and just being genuine friends on the basis of all that, it was exciting for us. It was a new lease on life for those guys and a total change of life for me.”

The record’s gutsy vitality clearly represents everyone’s in-studio enthusiasm. Leach also draws attention to Dutkiewicz’s integral role in the overall creative direction.

“He’s the guy that I need in the chair when I work; listening to what I have to say and helping me thebrag.com

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Robben Ford Master Class By Natalie Amat

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whole idea, and so we did what we did. Going into a studio and cutting nine tracks like that in a single day is just not your regular occurrence, and it turned out incredibly successful.”

obben Ford is thoughtful and considered when discussing his music and influences. The legendary blues guitarist has collaborated with artists from Miles Davis to George Harrison, while also releasing a stack of solo material. He doesn’t have a working preference either way, but enjoys both outlets for different reasons.

A Day In Nashville features contributions from one of Ford’s greatest allies: his trusty vintage six-string. “I have a 1960 Telecaster that has probably been my best friend, from the point of view that I can find a way to use it in any situation. It’s just a great instrument – no matter what the musical setting, I seem to be able to find a way to make it fit, so that has just been my go-to instrument for many years now.”

“It’s always a pleasure whenever you can collaborate with like-minded musicians, the weight is equally distributed … As a solo artist the pressure is basically all on you, so it’s a relief whenever you have the opportunity to work with your peers, who indeed have their own strong vision of one kind or another, and you’re able to contribute to that. But it’s a relative situation in either case.”

Ford has played live with a myriad of musicians over the years, but his solo work in the studio takes up a significant amount of his schedule. “I think anybody likes to have time,” he says. “Music is an art form and I strongly relate to recording, as I would to a painting – it’s nice to be able to make changes, to be able to let something sit and decide whether or not you’re happy with it, find ways to make things better if you can, so anybody likes to have time.”

One of the major moments that shaped Ford’s style was when he played as part of the L.A. Express, which was Joni Mitchell’s band on Miles Of Aisles. “The time I spent with Joni Mitchell was particularly inspiring and informative and I learned so much that has stayed with me and encouraged my music,” he says. It wasn’t necessarily Mitchell’s style

Ford’s latest release sought to combine the two ways of working. “The intention of the new record A Day In Nashville was to replicate a live performance, that was the

of music that affected him so much, but rather the artistry of her practice. “My background is in the blues, which is very earthy, simple music, but being exposed to someone like her and the musicians that were around her really just raises your game. It opens up your musical world and broadens your whole perspective.”

Ford relishes the opportunity to pass on the knowledge he’s acquired through experience by operating a ‘Guitar Dojo’ when he’s not touring or recording. Still, he says there are certain things about his music that remain constant.

“I always feel like the same musician, no matter what the situation. I can’t help but

just be myself … I’ve always connected with this kind of joyous energy; I like to uplift. It’s what I connected with in music and it’s what I certainly hope is the salient quality of what I do, you know? Make people happy.”

What: A Day In Nashville out now through Provogue With: Matthew Curry Where: Factory Theatre When: Thursday April 17 And: Also appearing alongside John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Devendra Banhart, India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Jake Bugg, Passenger and many more at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Thursday April 17 – Monday April 21

Jimi Goodwin Flying The Coop By Augustus Welby the precedent set by the alt-indie heroes’ much-loved catalogue.

“This is my life,” he says. “I’m not bothered about what I did, it’s about what I want to do now. I’m not Bowie doing Ziggy; I wish I could be that fucking maverick and completely change my outfit and become this [new identity]. But weirdly, in a fantasy world, I’m trying on a new suit and who knows where it will go?”

Doves’ most recent release is 2009’s Kingdom Of Rust, so Odludek comes after a reasonably prolonged interval. The record shows no signs of apprehension, but Goodwin inevitably felt some uncertainty moving on without his trusted Doves counterparts, Andy and Jez Williams.

Shaun Kirk A Crowded House By Peter Hodgson

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haun Kirk has come a long way since his debut release in 2010, rapidly rising to the forefront of Australia’s modern blues movement. His first record scored Best Debut Album at the 2010 Victorian/Tasmanian Blues Music Awards, whilst his second, Thank You For Giving Me The Blues, shot to number one on the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts. New crowdfunded album Steer The Wheel is a marked departure for Kirk, bringing in some big-name collaborators from the Australian music industry to add a new dimension to the material and to present the best record possible for existing and prospective fans, all with the aim of using his music to help as many people as he can through the support of charity. The album debuted at number one on the Australian iTunes Blues chart, and is currently in an arm wrestle with Russell Morris’ Sharkmouth.

“The whole idea behind this album was not just to put out another album and hopefully propel myself to the next level, but it was very much personally about going in a direction that I’ve been interested in since I began playing music, and that was to use my music to raise money for charity,” Kirk explains.

“I’m not earning bazillions of dollars or anything, I’m still just an underground musician, but I thought that if I could get some kind of assistance, that would take some of the financial pressure off myself which meant that I could donate a higher percentage of the album profits to this little charity that I’ve hooked up with called OrphFund.”

OrphFund is a volunteer-based organisation working within remote communities in some of the world’s poorest countries, with projects reaching out to vulnerable children who have been abandoned or orphaned and helping provide them with shelter, education, care and support. “OrphFund operates on a 100 per 16 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

cent donor promise, meaning that every cent donated is effectively handed straight to a child in need,” Kirk says. “I am so glad I came across this amazing charity and I am not only excited but honoured to begin working with them.”

This is Kirk’s first album to be driven by artistic collaboration rather than being more of a solo endeavour. ARIA Award-winning rhythm section Grant Cummerford (bass) and Danny McKenna (drums) join in, along with some of Kirk’s heroes in Mia Dyson and Jeff Lang.

“I didn’t want this album to be all about me,” he says. “If I was going to get crowdfunding involved and I wanted the whole vibe of the album to be especially creative it was going to require that ‘working together’ kind of vibe. So I gave it everything and ignored budget – almost! – and went over budget, but I think it was well worth it with the calibre of players on this record. We’ve got keys, we’ve got Hammond organ, we’ve got drums and bass, which I’ve never recorded before. It’s previously just been solo stuff with maybe a little something here and there. There are back-up singers and percussionists and all kinds of stuff on the record, so I definitely tried to create that ‘working together’ kind of idea.

“As for Grant and Danny, it was such a cool experience. I’ve never played with a band before until they came into the studio and started jamming with me. And it made me realise as a solo artist just how bad my timing was. I was so used to creating the timing by myself with my feet that when you get into the studio with ridiculously talented musicians like that, it puts things into perspective.”

What: Steer The Wheel out now independently Where: Roxbury Hotel When: Friday April 25

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here comes a point when some songwriters stop listening to music for pleasure and start to view it as a research activity. Dissecting particular chord sequences or the way melodies interweave can provide creative inspiration and direction. Odludek, the debut solo effort from Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin, is an unpredictable genre-shifter and the Mancunian songwriter isn’t afraid to admit why.

“The record is all the things that I’d want to hear in someone’s record,” Goodwin says. “It’s a tribute to all the things that I admire, from Duke Ellington to hip hop to Steely Dan – loads of music.”

Indeed, from the blurting, distorted opener ‘Terracotta Warrior’ to the fi endish cabaret of ‘Man V Dingo’ and the perky acoustics of ‘Panic Tree’, Goodwin declines to pledge allegiance to just one infl uence.

“I’ve always loved sampling culture,” Goodwin says. “It’s an art form for me.

I’ve always loved the reinvention and the inspiration you can get from 100odd years of recorded music. You can juxtapose a weird fi ddle from a 1930s folk track with a bassline from a ’70s James Brown [song].”

This level of stylistic irreverence might read like a recipe for compositional congestion, but Doves fans will be pleased by the consistent presence of Goodwin’s plaintive croon. Still, he tried to ignore

“Before I started making it [I thought], ‘Where next?’ I’ve just been in a band for my whole adult life – where do I go then?

Do I even want to do music? Am I any good at it? I’d never questioned my love of music since I was seven years old. Up until when Doves went on a break in 2010, I’d never had time to question it. That’s healthy, you have to take stock and go, ‘Right – is this you?’”

Judging by the finished product, Goodwin’s love of music was resoundingly confirmed.

Aside from the odd vocal guest (including his old pal, Elbow’s Guy Garvey), Goodwin took responsibility for all the record’s instrumentation.

“When I first started this project, I was going to get in lots of different collaborators, because I’d been used to collaborating with people forever. I enjoy being part of a unit, but I realised if I was going to wait around for everyone that might want to work with me, I’d be still waiting now. You’ve just got to get on with it.”

Odludek is evidence of Goodwin seizing upon the opportunity to go wherever his instincts pleased. However, launching into this next chapter of his career, he’s not comfortable with the tag ‘solo artist’.

“The whole thing to me is called Odludek.

It might be a band of one right now, but it’s a band. I have to look at it like that, because that’s all I’m used to. My fucking name, it sounds like some blues thing. You know: ‘Jimi Goodwin Band’. Odludek, treat it like a new artist. In my naivety, that’s what it is.”

What: Odludek out now through Heavenly Recordings/[PIAS] thebrag.com

Robben Ford photo by Mascha Muenzesheimer

And his ultimate collaborator? Fellow guitar master Jeff Beck. “About ten years ago [I] finally saw him perform live, and he became my favourite living guitar player. He’s just brilliant, and I’ve just been invited to be a guest sitting in with him in Italy in July. It’s the one guy that I really wanted to play with sometime, and now I’m going to have the opportunity, so I’m very excited about that.”

Gov’t Mule Bring On The Music By Adam Norris

G

ov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes is an influential character. Aside from achieving universal acclaim for his guitar skills (Gibson Guitars went so far as to release the Warren Haynes signature Les Paul), he has collaborated with some of the most successful and revered names in music. I’d list them, but we’d be here a while.

Haynes’ most recent release with Gov’t Mule was last year’s Shout! record, which itself featured the likes of Elvis Costello and Ben Harper.

Perhaps best known for his involvement with The Allman Brothers Band alongside Gov’t Mule, I was first exposed to Haynes after listening to Dave Matthews Band’s 2003 Central Park concert, where he was invited to jam with the band on a cover of Neil Young’s ‘Cortez The Killer’.

“Well, I’ve known Dave and those guys since ’91,” Haynes tells me in a North Carolinian drawl that sounds both friendly and, in a way I can’t quite put my finger on, absent-minded. “We kind of remained friends ever since, and have played together a lot over the years. That particular moment at Central Park was so overwhelming.

There were 100,000 people out there, and we’d had no rehearsal. Literally, Dave and I were just talking backstage when he said, ‘Hey, you do ‘Cortez The Killer’, right?’ I say, ‘Yeah,’ and he goes, ‘I do it too – you want to go on and do it?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and we just winged it. It turned out great, because the spirit was right. The intent was right. It was this whole first-take energy, kind of like being on a first date, everyone’s on their best behaviour … It was also the first time we’d ever played the song together and I thought it was beautiful.”

“I was not very happy with the way my first solo record came out, with my own performance. The same with the very first Gov’t Mule record, which I’m very proud of, but I still feel like I could have done a much better job. It’s really just a matter of getting more comfortable with the process of making records, because it’s a very intimidating process. Being a kid you walk in thinking you’re going to take as much time as you need, make everything perfect. But the longer you do it, the more you realise it’s more about the spontaneity, about capturing the moment.

“The need for perfection is kind of ridiculous.

Perfection has nothing to do with great music.”

What: Shout! out now through Blue Note Where: Supporting Gregg Allman at the Enmore Theatre When: Monday April 21 And: Also appearing alongside John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Devendra Banhart, India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Jake Bugg, Passenger and many more at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Thursday April 17 – Monday April 21

The experimental, improvisational elements of live performance are very close to Haynes’ heart, and have arguably been among the defining factors in his career. Such is the variety of his sets there is now an entire website dedicated to collecting recordings of every show, and he is very encouraging of fans to make whatever sound recordings they like of his performances. I wonder how often Haynes recognises familiar faces in the crowd, and what his experiences have been like after meeting people who are such committed fans of his music.

“Musicians are the biggest fans, because we were such great fans that we wanted to take it further”.

“Well, they say never meet your heroes, and there’s some truth to that,” he laughs. “I’ve personally met a few people down the years who were disappointing when you met them in real life.

But I’ve been very fortunate in that most of the people I’ve met and worked with, have shared the stage with, turned out to be very good, genuine people. I think that’s very inspiring for someone like me. It’s very disappointing when you meet someone who you’ve looked at in a creative light with such admiration, and turns out that as a human being they leave a lot to be desired.

“With fans, well, if you have a career you’re going to end up seeing a lot of the same people year after year after year, and it’s inevitable that you’re going to become friends with some of them. You strike up a conversation with someone, having seen them in the audience a bunch of times, or run into them out by the bus or whatever, and you realise this person is very knowledgeable about the music, very passionate about music, which is what we all are. I always maintain that musicians are the biggest fans, because we were such great fans that we wanted to take it further and learn how to play for ourselves. I think the truly great musicians never stop being fans.”

I imagine it isn’t without its difficulties; committing to a different setlist every night, improvising something that keeps the heart of the original song but still gives fans a sense of something unique and fleeting. When he looks back over his recordings now, at those early studio albums and the live releases, how content is Haynes with the shape of his career today?

“Well...” he thinks for a moment. “In some ways it’s gone exactly how I hoped it would, and in the way that I always wanted. I’ve been able to maintain a career without compromise, but when you start looking at things under a microscope, well, you always want to change something. I think it usually has to do with your own performance. I think musicians tend to be their own worst critics. There are nights where I’ll walk offstage being down on myself, feeling like I didn’t have a particularly great night, but I also think it has to be that way in order to achieve some sort of level that you’re satisfied with. thebrag.com

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW FEATURING UNDER YOUR SKIN & THE SAME MAN

TUESDAY JULY 8 THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY THURSDAY JULY 10 THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE FRIDAY JULY 11 THE METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY SATURDAY JULY 12 WAVES, WOLLONGONG SEE DANSULTAN.COM FOR DETAILS

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 17

arts frontline

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Hannah Warren, Emily Meller and Ed Kirkwood

five minutes WITH

ASHLEY LIM FROM ART IN THREADS without any pre-conceived ideas or expectations about what level of experience one might have or who should collaborate with whom. Now we are completely stoked to see our final result and it will be extraordinary. The creative team members include architects, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, painters, ceramists, dancers and fashion designers.

T

excellence by providing a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, which shall allow each participant to explore a new creative territory beyond their regular practice; and for every participant to have an exceptional and fun experience throughout the project.

What about the artists?

Having been in the creative industry for the past 10 years, I have encountered and befriended other local creatives … It was started by sharing the possibility of art in threads with some friends in late January 2014 …

It got quickly expanded to those shared our vision and passion and so on. It is all about surprises:

Tell us about the fashion show.

The final artworks will be showcased to the general public with the fashion show, led by choreographer Anna Healey and six other dancers. It will be an engaging and interactive presentation: more of a fashion performance that is unlike any other conventional fashion show.

The set design is to be created

by UYSD masters of architecture students, led by Dr. Dagmar Reinhardt employing an innovative design method – parametric design. Hence the show itself is a creative collaboration.

What: Art In Threads Where: Brand X, L3 Central, 28 Broadway, Chippendale When: Fashion show and exhibition opening 6pm April 11, exhibition until April 18 More: artinthreads.com

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

The Spanish Film Festival returns to Sydney for 2014, bringing some critically acclaimed fi lms and Spanish culture to the silver screen at the Palace Verona in Paddington and the Palace Norton Street in Leichardt. Opening the festival, David Trueba’s Living is Easy With Eyes Closed is sure to excite viewers and set the tone for the rest of the festival, and the wacky Alex de la Iglesia’s offering Witching & Bitching will close the festival, with plenty more muy buen fi lms in between. It will run from April 29 to May 18, and tickets are available now from $20. For more info on movies and the full program, head to spanishfi lmfestival. com.au.

Daniel O'Toole

DANIEL O’TOOLE AT CHINA HEIGHTS GALLERY

Daniel O’Toole’s latest art exhibition explores photography and painting in a new and imaginative way. O’Toole’s latest work draws heavily on a series of experiments he undertook during his artist residency in Berlin last year. In the exhibition, called Polaroid Painting, the artworks are viewed through transparent layers that are altered with paint, wax and other textural distortions. What’s seen is a warped combination of distortions that blurs the crossover between painting and analogue photography. Polaroid Painting opens on Friday April 11 at the China Heights Gallery in Surry Hills, with a vernissage on Wednesday April 9 from 6pm.

PYRMONT FESTIVAL IS BACK

18 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

The Sydney Writer’s Festival is once again transforming Sydney into a lit Mecca from Monday May 19 to Sunday May 25.

It promises a whole week of varied events; music, readings, writing workshops, lectures, spoken word, comedy and more, covering topics as diverse as Jesus, World War One, disabilities, music, cooking and Breaking

CUCKOO! DVD! WIN! Here at the BRAG, we live up to all our parental expectations (mostly). But what happens when children stop playing by their parents’ rules?

British comedy TV series Cuckoo tells the story of Rachel, a successful law student who takes a gap year. When she returns, she has dreadlocks. And a husband. Called Cuckoo. Her parents are NOT happy.

We have five copies of Cuckoo Season One to give away, and all you have to do to be in the running is go to thebrag. com/freeshit and tell us about a time your parents weren’t super pleased with something you did.

Bad (among others). Our picks are Pulitzer Prizer winner Alice Walker speaking at the Opera House with musician Archie Roach; Eleanor Catton, youngest ever winner of the Man Booker Prize speaking about the winning book The Luminaries; and Tim Finn’s inventive performance of White Cloud. There are events happening all over Sydney, and in selected locations throughout rural NSW, but the festival hub is at Walsh Bay. If you’re keen to get literary, head to swf.org.au for the full program and tickets.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

Experimental, multi-media artist Thomas Marcusson is bringing his exhibition Dichotomy to Salerno Gallery in Glebe.

The highlight is The Worryball, a beautiful, interactive sculpture that encompasses more than 6000 Guatemalan worrydolls woven into a large sphere. Inside the ball is a speaker which broadcasts recordings of people’s worries, triggered by motion sensors around the room. To record your own worries and hear other people’s worries on an online version of the ball, go to theworryball.com.

Dichotomy is open until April 20, more details at salernogallery.com.

Justin Shoulder

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: A BURLESQUE STAR WARS PARODY

Anyone who ever told you Star Wars isn't is officially wrong: from a galaxy far, far, far away from the Star Wars you thought you knew, comes The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Star Wars Parody.

This intergalactic burlesque parody is all about the sexy side of life on the Death Star and if the trailer is anything to go by, we can expect midriff-baring Storm Troopers, fl ames and a seven-foot wookie, all dancing suggestively to hard rock ballads. Fantasy come true or scifi nightmare? Either way, you will want to fi nd out. Ready, are you?

Adventure, excitement – maybe a Jedi crave these things does not, but if you do then the place to fi nd them, this is. Shut up, Yoda, you’re ruining the mood. Tickets to The Empire Strips Back, playing on Friday May 9 and Saturday May 10 are available through the Force.

Also through enmoretheatre.com. au.

PERFORMANCE SPACE PRESENTS PSPACE SOCIAL

Legendary arts organisation Performance Space are taking us on a journey through Surry Hills this May, showcasing a variety of performances, installations, theatre, talks and more. Titled Pspace Social, this site-specific tour – running from May 16 to May 24 – will see guests engage with free live art speckled through Surry Hills’ parks; channeling Simon Cowell or Mark Holden as you try your hand at judging a talent show; or cabaret speed dating (which they may have just made up) at The National Art School in Darlinghurst. For all the deets, hop on over to performancespace.com.au.

thebrag.com

Justin Shoulder photo by Lucy Parakhina

The vibrant Pyrmont Festival returns to Sydney for ten days in May, showcasing the best in restaurants, wine bars and artists from Pyrmont and the Mudgee region. For the fourth year straight, the festival brings together an interesting blend of city and regional produce for wine dinners, tastings, exhibitions and art displays all in one place.

Festival highlights include a walk through the diverse hospitality industry in Pyrmont, the eighth annual Pyrmont Art Prize and the Mudgee sculpture garden in Pirrama Park.

However, the headline event is a two-day free outdoor event in Pirrama Park on May 17 and 18, with live music, local artists, rides and children’s entertainment. Wine tasting packages are available from $20, where you can meet wine-makers and taste over 120 wines and sample a range of foods at the stalls. Now in its fourth year, the program is even bigger and better than last year, which saw over 15,000 attendees over the ten-day festival. The Pyrmont Festival is on from May 16 to May 25. For more information head to pyrmontfestival.com.au.

SYDNEY WRITERS’ FEST IS WRITE ON

Andy Samberg in Cuckoo

Art In Threads photo by Maylei Hunt

ell us about Art In Threads.

The idea of Art In Threads is to expand appreciation of multicultural diversity in our society through the synergy between art and fashion. The inaugural Art In Threads brings emerging local artists and fashion designers together for extraordinary collaboration.

Each interdisciplinary team will create a wearable artwork that celebrates our diversity, and the power and beauty of freedom in self-expression. The specific goals are to foster emerging local talents in various creative fields – visual art, performance art, fashion and architecture; to foster design innovation and

What inspired this project?

I grew up in Seoul, Korea till the age of 19. It’s a fantastic country yet very homogeneous in terms of racial and cultural common grounds. Hence Koreans tend to form a strong national identity.

On the flip side, it may lack in nurturing different viewpoints of individuals. When my family immigrated to Sydney I marveled at how multiculturalism enriches the society and the power of freedom in self-expression.

However, various forms of discrimination still often confront us in the face of multiculturalism.

This expands to different forms of racial discrimination, refugee issue and LGBT community’s equality to mention a few examples.

Therefore, we as a community are

set to create the opportunity for all of us to celebrate our multicultural society and its extraordinary beauty through who we are at our best: creative collaboration embracing each others differences and creating something beyond.

MAP AND PLAYING TIMES

19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00 Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 14.45 13.15 12.00 Time 23.00 21.30 20.00 18.30 16.00 14.45 13.15 12.00

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (60 mins) Gregg Allman (90 mins) Aaron Neville (60 mins) Eric Bibb (45 mins) Steve Earle & the Dukes (60 mins) Rockwiz (2 hours)

DELTA

19.30 18.00 16.30 14.00

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes (60 mins) Larry Graham & Graham Central Station (75 mins) The Wailers (75 mins) The Soul Rebels (60 mins) Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (60 mins) The Backsliders (60 mins) The Beards (60 mins) The Mastersons (60 mins)

Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00

CAVANBAH

Time 22.30 21.00 mins) 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30

The Magic Band (60 mins +) Grandmothers of Invention (60 mins) Allen Stone (60 mins) Dubmarine (60 mins) Coronet Blue (60 mins) Suzanne Vega (75 mins) Garland Jeffreys (60 mins) Seth Lakeman (45 mins)

JUKE JOINT

The Paladins (60 mins) Nikki Hill (60 mins) North Mississippi Allstars (60 mins) The Charlie Musselwhite Band (60 mins) ABC Coast FM National Broadcast Music Maker Foundation (60 mins) Hat Fitz & Cara (60 mins) Daniel Champagne (45 mins)

ON ROAD

BLUES BOULEVARD

PRODUCTI

12.00 Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.15

JUKE JOINT

CAVANBAH DELTA MOJO FO

SOUTH

UNDARY

MASSAGE

VOLLIES CAMPGROUND

SOUL

CAMPGROUND 6

CROSSROADS

TICKETS, BUS TICKETS, GUEST & SUNSET CLUB TICKET PICK UP

STRE

ET

GENERAL STORE

VIP

VIP BUSKERS STAGE

CAMPGROUND 7

SUNSET CLUB PARKING & MEET AND GREET

ROAD

Dave Matthews Band (150 mins) John Butler Trio (80 mins) Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (60 mins) Iron & Wine (60 mins) Devendra Banhart (75 mins) Kate Miller–Heidke (60 mins) Skunkhour (60 mins)

CROSSROADS

Jeff Beck (90 mins) Gregg Allman (90 mins) Govt Mule (90 mins) Aaron Neville (75 mins) Jimmie Vaughan (75 mins) The James Cotton Blues Band (60 mins) Lime Cordiale (45 mins)

JAMBAL AYA

Morcheeba (60 mins +) Larry Graham & Graham Central Station (60 mins) Playing For Change (60 mins) The Black Sorrows (60 mins) The Soul Rebels (60 mins) Rockwiz (2 hours)

DELTA

WAR (60 mins) Ozomatli (60 mins) North Mississippi Allstars (60 mins) Robben Ford (60 mins) Devon Allman (60 mins) KT Tunstall (60 mins) Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges (60 mins) Hat Fitz & Cara (60 mins)

CAVANBAH

Saskwatch (60 mins) Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes (60

Grandmothers of Invention (60 mins) Nikki Hill (60 mins) The Beards (60 mins) Taste of Boomerang–Glenn Skuthorpe Chris Tamwoy, Troy Cassar Daley, Jannawi and ACPA Dancers Terrance Simien–Creole for Kids (60 mins)

COFFEE

ON

GL

IDI

BOULEV ARD

BUSES

MOJO

The Mojo Webb Band (60 mins) Music Maker Foundation (60 mins) The Backsliders (60 mins) The Paladins (60 mins) Eric Bibb (60 mins) Glenn Cardier (60 mins) Daniel Champagne (60 mins) Claire Anne Taylor (45 mins)

OD

MOJO BE ER GARDEN

CAMPGROUNDERS ROAD

NOBLE WAY

SUNSET CLUB

CAMPING ENQUIRIES /CAMPING MANAGER

FESTIVAL ENTRY/EXIT

PARKING H

JUKE JOINT

CLOAKROOM

MASSAGE

POLICE

BLUES

PACIFIC HIGHWAY

Time 22.30 21.00

KIDS ACTIVITIES

MERCHANDISE

MOJO

T

21.15

JAMBAL AYA

BREATHALYSER

CD SALES

D

ENTRY/EXIT SOUTH FESTIVAL

FOR BUSES, TAXIS, SUNSET CLUB PARKING & PARKING F-G-H NG

C

B LU

BLUESFEST

SATURDAY APRIL 19

Time 22.15 20.15 18.15 16.30 14.45 13.15 12.00

CHARITY STALL

FOR PARKING A-B-C-D-E

CAMPGROUND 3

EE

Time 23.00

Doobie Brothers (90 mins) Boz Scaggs (75 mins) Buddy Guy (75 mins) Joss Stone (75 mins) Beth Hart (60 mins) Trixie Whitley (60 mins) Dyson, Stringer and Cloher (60 mins)

OA

TR

Time 22.45 20.45 19.15 18.00 16.30 14.00

CROSSROADS

NR

SOUTH TO BYRON BAY, LENNOX HEAD, BALLINA

Time 21.30 19.40 18.10 16.40 14.55 13.25 12.00

DISABLED ACCESS

CAMPGROUND 4 TENT CITY

EET

DISABLED PARKING PARKING G

MARKET STALL

ENTRY/EXIT NORTH FESTIVAL

TICKETS, MEDIA & GUEST TICKET PICK UP

ROAD

ES

Time 21.45 20.00 18.15 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00

TIO

R BY

JUKE JOINT

MOJO

ODUC

OT T WA Y

SOUTH BO

Garland Jeffreys (60 mins) Glenn Cardier (60 mins) Marshall O'Kell and the Pride (60 mins) Seth Lakeman (45 mins) Shaun Kirk (60 mins)

Jack Johnson (120 mins) Matt Corby (60 mins) Gary Clark Jr (75 mins) India.Arie (75 mins) Nahko & Medicine for the People (60 mins) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (60 mins) Tijuana Cartel (60 mins)

TH PR

TAXIS & DROP OFF

Grandmothers of Invention (60 mins +) The Magic Band (60 mins) The Soul Rebels (60 mins) Skunkhour (60 mins) Dubmarine (60 mins)

FRIDAY APRIL 18 22.00 20.30 18.45 17.00 15.30 14.00 12.30

PARKING F

FOOD

CAMPGROUND 5 RAINBOW TIPIS

CAMPGROUND 8

GATE SOUTH ENTRY

DUCTION

SOUL STR

CAMPGROUND 9

NARRAC

WATER

ATM MACHINE

IDG

CAVANBAH

SOU

BAR

FIRST AID

BR

Allen Stone (60 mins +) Coronet Blue (60 mins) Suzanne Vega (75 mins) Trixie Whitley (60 mins) Genevieve Chadwick (60 mins)

ADMIN

CHAMPAGNE BAR

INFORMATION

UNDERCOVER SEATING

NORTH PRO

ADMIN

STAGED EVACUATION ASSEMBLY AREA

DELTA

CAMPGROUND 2

AD

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (60 mins) Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (60 mins) Playing For Change (60 mins) Steve Earle & the Dukes (75 mins) Dyson, Stringer and Cloher (60 mins)

ENTRY GATE

ENTRY/EXIT NORTH FESTIVAL

CAMPGROUND 1

PARKING C

RO

JAMBAL AYA

NORTH

D

DISABLED PARKING

PARKING D

O B ACK H U S

Time 21.45 20.15 18.45 17.30 16.00

Buddy Guy (75 mins) Dr John & the Nite Trippers (75 mins) The Charlie Musselwhite Band (60 mins) The Black Sorrows (60 mins) Tijuana Cartel (60 mins)

NDARY ROA

PARKING B TICKETS, MEDIA & GUEST TICKET PICK UP

UE

Time 22.00 20.30 19.00 17.30 16.00

PARKING E

VEN

Time 22.15 20.45 19.00 17.30 16.00

CROSSROADS

EA

Time 22.15 20.45 19.15 17.30 16.00

PARKING A

ELIN

22.15 20.30 19.00 17.30 16.00

NORTH BOU

PIP

19.00 17.30 17.00 16.00

John Mayer (90 mins) Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (75 mins) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (60 mins) Beth Hart (60 mins) Arakwal Opening Ceremony Zane Carney (60 mins)

E

22.15 20.30

TOILETS

NORTH ICK TO BRUNSW HEADS, S, TWEED HEADT, AS CO LD GO BRISBANE

CROSSROA DS FOOD HALL

THURSDAY APRIL 17 MOJO

N

JAMBALAYA MAPS 2014

SUNDAY APRIL 20 Time 22.30 20.45 19.15 17.45 16.15 14.45 13.15 12.00 Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00 Time 22.30 21.00 19.15 17.45 16.15 14.00 Time 22.00 20.15 18.30 17.00 15.30 14.00 12.30 Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00 Time 22.30 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00

MOJO

Erykah Badu (90 mins) Morcheeba (75 mins) Iron & Wine (60 mins) Passenger (60 mins) Playing For Change (60 mins) Terrance Simien (60 mins) Foy Vance (60 mins) Kim Churchill (45 Mins)

CROSSROADS

Michael Franti & Spearhead (75 mins) Ozomatli (60 mins) Nahko & Medicine for the People (60 mins) Chali 2na (60 mins) WAR (60 mins) Cambodian Space Project (60 Mins) CW Stoneking (60 mins) Hat Fitz & Cara (60 mins)

MONDAY APRIL 21 Time 20.15 18.30 16.45 15.00 13.15 12.00 Time 21.00 19.15 17.30 15.45 14.00 12.30

JAMBAL AYA

Time 21.15 19.45 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00

DELTA

Time 22.15 20.45 19.15 17.45 16.15 14.45 13.15 12.00

Govt Mule (90 mins) Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang (60 mins) Mystery Performance–Watch This Space (75 mins) John Williamson (60 mins) Kasey Chambers (60 mins) Rockwiz (2 hours)

Jimmie Vaughan (75 mins) Robben Ford (75 mins) The James Cotton Blues Band (75 mins) Booker T Jones (60 mins) Tim Rogers (60 mins) Valerie June (60 mins) Matthew Curry (60 mins)

CAVANBAH

Music Maker Foundation (60 mins +) The Magic Band (60 mins) Saidah Baba Talibah (60 mins) Watussi (60 mins) Taste of Boomerang–Glenn Skuthorpe Chris Tamwoy, Troy Cassar Daley, Jannawi and ACPA Dancers KT Tunstall (60 mins) The Beards (60 mins)

JUKE JOINT

Chain (60 mins) Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges (60 mins) Devon Allman (60 mins) Ray Beadle (60 mins) Joanne Shaw Taylor (60 mins) Candye Kane Band (60 mins) Nikki Hill (60 mins) Claude Hay (60 mins)

Time 21.00 19.30 18.00 16.30 15.00 13.30 12.00

Time 22.15 20.45 19.15 17.45 16.15 15.00 13.30 12.00

MOJO

Dave Matthews Band (150 mins) Michael Franti & Spearhead (75 mins) Joss Stone (75 mins) India.Arie (75 mins) Devendra Banhart (75 mins) Kim Churchill (45 mins)

CROSSROADS

Elvis Costello & The Imposters (75 mins) Jake Bugg (75 mins) Foy Vance (75 mins) KC & The Sunshine Band (75 mins) WAR (75 mins) Shaun Kirk (60 mins)

JAMBAL AYA

Gary Clark Jr (75 mins) Booker T Jones (60 mins) Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang (75 mins) Ozomatli (60 mins) Chali 2na (60 mins) Matthew Curry (60 mins) Lime Cordiale (60 mins)

DELTA

Watussi (60 mins) Saskwatch (60 mins) Jason Isbell (60 mins) Cambodian Space Project (60 mins) Terrance Simien (60 mins) Saidah Baba Talibah (60 mins) Round Mountain Girls (60 mins) 2014 Busking Winner (45 mins)

CAVANBAH

Playing For Change (60 mins +) The Beards (60 mins) Chain (60 mins) Music Maker Foundation (60 mins) Tim Rogers (60 mins) Candye Kane Band (60 mins) Byron Area High Schools Showcase (60 mins)

JUKE JOINT

Ray Beadle (60 mins) The Mojo Webb Band (60 mins) Joanne Shaw Taylor (60 mins) CW Stoneking (60 mins) Valerie June (60 mins) Claude Hay (45 mins) Phil Manning (60 mins) Genevieve Chadwick (60 mins)

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 19

The Gigli Concert

Julian Clary

[THEATRE] Feeling Giggly By Adam Norris

[COMEDY] Position Vacant By Liza Dezfouli

“I

P

t’s a funny thing,” muses Julian Clary.

“I’m passionate about gay marriage; it’s such a significant thing for the way gay people are perceived, but I’m not bothered for myself. I do have a boyfriend, but we’re too comfortable the way we are. If we do get married no-one will know about it ‘til after the event.” Clary’s new show, Position Vacant: Enquire Within, which he’s bringing to Sydney on his eighth tour of Australia, does involve him getting married, in a “beautiful ceremony”: a rigmarole involving a bishop, bridesmaids, confetti, and a groom chosen from about ten men out of the audience who’ve been rounded up by a cattle prod and herded into a sheep pen. Go get ‘em.

atrick Dickson is an old hand at this.

Having taken to the stage with gusto – not just as an actor, but also as director, set designer and, probably, orchestra pit – he has had ringside seats to the development of Australian theatre for over three decades. He is currently the lead in the O’Punsky’s Theatre’s spectacularly verbal revival of The Gigli Concert, a play widely regarded as Irish playwright Tom Murphy’s masterpiece and which, I soon learn, is most definitely not pronounced “Giggly”. Which is a shame.

When we speak I am interrupting rehearsals, yet Patrick sounds relaxed and loquacious. I take this to be an indication that he has long ago shaken off the nerves that come with the countdown to opening night.

Of all his shows, Clary says this one is the most anarchic. “Anything might happen.

Indeed it does. I love it. I never get bored; it’s completely different every night.” How much of this new show is scripted? “It’s got a kind of structure,” Clary says. “The first half is more scripted but with that many people involved you can’t script it all. I prefer that; I never liked being tied to a script.”

Clary has tried his hand at various activities besides stand-up in his 30-year career. He’s been on reality TV, done a lot of radio and authored three books. There’s a new book coming soon, a children’s book. However, stand-up, he says, for him is the “purest form of self-expression. The other things one does are to generate audiences. I’m passionate about the books I write but the most job satisfaction I have is from touring.”

The biggest challenge with this type of show, Clary says, is the risk factor. “It’s one thing sitting down and having a laugh at an idea, working out what you hope people will do. The scariest thing is the danger; the most difficult thing is taking that risk, with that number of people on stage.”

He remains pretty unfazed by the hairy situations that arise. “You get people who are drunk, mad or on drugs. Occasionally people escape the sheep pen. It doesn’t really matter. There are plenty more people to play with. I’m very good at handling all situations.”

How much of the Julian Clary we see on stage is persona? “If I think about today,” he answers thoughtfully, “I’m here in my house in the country; I’ve been feeding the chickens and the ducks, walking the dogs and haven’t shared much with anyone.

It’s a rustic existence a million miles away from the stage. My comedy persona is a thing that takes over me when I’m required to perform, it seems to happen when it’s required of me. I’m sort of a split

“Oh no,” he assures me. “There’s certainly nerves. Terror is probably a better word.

Particularly with a play like this, where it’s a huge role in a rather big play. There are so many words, it’s a bit like downhill skiing. You jump off the top and you just have to get through the gates without crashing into a tree or something.

personality. I’m not very extraverted; I don’t long to be the centre of attention.”

Patrick Dickson in The Gigli Concert

One must assume, then, that performance anxiety – on stage, we mean – occasionally rears its ugly head. “Yes. Always. I’m fairly anxious before a show. I’ve never lost the fear of failure, even after 30 years. I’m not a fan of self-confidence; I don’t think it’s conducive to comedy.”

Looking past his appearance at Sydney Comedy Fest, Clary’s got something a little different in mind. “Someone has written a play for me,” he says. “It’s not a comedy. I’m absolutely terrified of doing it. With comedy I know what I’m doing. I know where I stand. In a play no one laughs, so how do you know? You don’t find out til the end of the play. I am going to do it; the play’s complete, we’ve got to find a place and a space. Not London with its evil critics.”

What about Sydney? “It’s not a bad idea.

It appeals to me. Australia is a dear and slightly inebriated friend.”

Who: Julian Clary What: Position Vacant: Apply Within, part of Sydney Comedy Fest 2014 When: Tuesday April 22 Where: State Theatre

“I’ve had moments where I’ve found myself on stage in what feels like a great big hole, not knowing what line comes next, and you just think “What the fuck do I do now?” But something always kicks in, instinct takes over and it all comes back together. [Theatre acting] is an interesting job, because you’re in real time and can’t really conceive of the whole production at once. You just have to trust that you’ve put in the work during rehearsals, not just learning lines but understanding the piece, why you say something, when you say something. You have to trust that the work you’ve done will carry you.”

The Gigli Concert may be noteworthy in this regard, given the sheer amount of dialogue the cast must memorise. While not without humour, the play addresses serious subject matter – madness, music, suicide, alcoholism, despair – and I wonder if the vitality of performance is compromised for the cast by having to keep such exhaustive dialogue in their heads.

“You have to keep reminding yourself that these things are called plays. It’s about playfulness, you play with your fellow actors, your crowd, everybody. As you get into the season there’s more opportunity for discovery, more spins on the material, the curve-balls that keep it bright and alive. There are always certain subtleties that develop that the audience might not be aware of, but that we can certainly feel. That’s the pulse that keeps it alive. It’s not a process of repetition, it’s a process of reliving.”

I end by asking about Patrick’s observations of the changes in theatre attitudes over the years; how the shape of our play has evolved.

“Sometimes you’re just so close to it, you can’t see clearly. The other issue for actors of course is that we’re often so broke we can’t even afford to go and see each other’s work. Theatre has been limping along for centuries. It’s one of those art forms that’s not elitist, it will never die.

It’s just labour intensive. Most people will enjoy it if they go, but, let’s face it, most people don’t.

It’s there to be enjoyed. It’s so varied, I’d struggle to judge it fairly.”

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Patrick laughs, “The price of the ticket will give you absolutely no indication of quality. You can have the most memorable, fascinating, thrilling experience at the Tap Gallery, and you can have a dry, boring, detached, processed experience at the Opera House. The cost tells you nothing.”

What: The Gigli Concert Where: Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst When: Until Sunday May 4 More: darlinghursttheatre.com

Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize [VISUAL ART] History Duo By Tegan Jones

Personification Of Past And Future (Doubleheaded Barry)

N

ow in its 18th year, the Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize is once again hitting Sydney. Running from April 11 until May 15 at the National Art School, the prize aims to showcase some of the best contemporary art and artists in Australia.

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This means that the Redlands Art Prize brings together a myriad of different artistic forms, themes and mediums. One of the most intriguing contestants this year is Sarah Contos and her piece Personification Of Past And Future Mythologies (DoubleHeaded Barry), which Contos describes as a “collaged screen print on linen … framed in a soft frame of velvet and polka dots and adorned with ceramic beads that I’ve just started making. It harks back to this idea of the 1970s wall hangings like macramé. So it’s something that looks quite crafty.”

Contos will be showing her work alongside established artist Caroline Rothwell, with whom she has shared interests in terms of both themes and materials. The pair are being referred to as the ‘History Duo’ due to their exploration of mythologies and artistic resurrection of the past. As Contos explains, “I see similarities between our processes and we like to do a lot of the same things. She uses a lot of textiles and embroidery, abstract sculpture but also figurative and then all of her vinyl plasticky and bondagedripping kind of works which fit in with some of my past work. I think we’re also similar tonally. We don’t make many bright works; I think there’s a darkness to it.”

Contos is known for work that explores the ideas of mythology,

The material and techniques used

by Contos is reflective of both her

personal interests and the physical context from which she’s approaching the work. “I really love materiality and texture and I work from my apartment so at the moment I like things that are quite pretty and soft for me to manipulate at home. But I also like the luxurious quality of linen. There’s also a tacky polka dot against this kind of crafty Western Australian use of ceramics. So I like the play of them mashing together.”

One of the most interesting features of Contos’ work is her ownership and personalisation of the past. “I guess all cultures have a version of niche or icons and where I take it is from my own personal framework where I’m influenced by so many things and I like to kind of put them together and create something that is a little bit fetishized or I resurrect it from something; like a history that’s been forgotten or a personality that was amazing or that was in the limelight and resurrect them into a new being. I kind of like this idea of transformation, resurrection and just my own kind of slant on it.”

What: Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize When: Friday April 11 to Thursday May 15 Where: National Art School More: redlands.nsw.edu.au thebrag.com

Personification Of Past And Future (Doubleheaded Barry) Courtesy Sarah Cantos

What makes the prize unique is the pairing of established artists with emerging ones that share artistic similarities and inspiration. Curator Tim Johnson selected 20 artists from around Australia and New Zealand to put forward a single work, and each of those artists was also required to invite an emerging artist to present work in the prize.

psychology, fetish, history and iconography, and her latest piece continues to investigate these fascinating themes. “I’m interested in creating new mythologies that are kind of based upon Greek mythology, Australian iconography or past popular Australian icons,” says Contos. “So in the piece it’s this woman who is juxtaposed with a double-headed Barry Crocker. My father’s Greek so I kind of like the idea of this wealth of mythology and trying to make that part of my own personal mythology and creating these fantastical creatures.”

Film Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen around town

The Invisible Woman

Kate Upton, Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann in The Other Woman

■ Film

■ Film

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

THE OTHER WOMAN

In cinemas April 17.

In cinemas April 17

The Invisible Woman marks Ralph Fiennes’ second foray into the world of directing, and it does not disappoint.

Written by Abi Morgan of Shame and The Hour, the film tells the true story of Nelly Ternan, an 18-year-old actress known for her secret affair with author Charles Dickens, who was 45 and married at the beginning of their relationship.

Following in the footsteps of many of Cameron Diaz’s recent comedies, The Other Woman isn’t very funny and it isn’t very good. The movie tells the story of Carly Whitten (Diaz), a successful lawyer who, on fi nding out that her boyfriend Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is married, decides to help Mark’s wife Kate (Leslie Mann) in getting revenge.

Where some period dramas can seem stuffy and uptight, The Invisible Woman follows the lead of Jane Campion’s Bright Star or Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre, with characters that seem very present, and cinematography that brings great gravity and beauty. Ralph Fiennes is incredibly charismatic as Dickens, and Felicity Jones really carries the film, making Nelly somehow impervious and vulnerable at the same time. The film cuts between Nelly’s time with Dickens and her troubled present, with Fiennes’ direction never letting the audience get ahead of the characters, instead letting the story unravel slowly and uncertainly.

The majority of the movie actually focuses on Kate, with Mann’s ability to deliver long, yell-y tangents designed to provide a lot of the fi lm’s comedy.

There’s also a massive reliance on physical comedy, with characters doing a lot of ‘hilarious’ wrestling and fallingover, taking each instance to the nth degree. The rest of the laughs are supposed to come from the revenge plotting, which seems to be the brainchild of a gang of 13-year-old girls.

By the end the revenges become so cruel that they are a little uncomfortable to watch, my sympathies going to Mark instead of to the slightly sociopathic wronged women. On top of that, the idea of any person deliberately messing with the perfect hair, face and body of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau seems pretty farfetched.

Aside from the great performances from Fiennes and Jones, the supporting cast is full of acting gold. It’s nice to see Kristen Scott Thomas getting a role other than ‘uptight snob’ in a British film, bringing real sensitivity and class to the role of Nelly’s mother. Tom Hollander brings his usual spark to the film, playing Wilkie Collins, Dickens’ friend and collaborator. Honourable mention should also go to Joanna Scanlan who absolutely kills it as Dickens’ wife and the mother of his ten children.

The Invisible Woman isn’t a romantic story as such, as it focuses very deliberately on Nelly, following her through not only her relationship with Dickens, but the marriage she engaged in after his death, always keeping her liason with the author a secret. It’s a fascinating story that will have people jumping on Wikipedia to research the validity of its depiction, and overall a beautiful film to watch.

Louisa Bulley

Tilda Swinton is Eve and Tom Hiddleston in Only Lovers Left Alive ■ Film

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE In cinemas April 17 The mania for vampires, so inescapable on our screens in the last few years, seems to have ebbed, replaced by plucky teenagers fighting authoritarian governments in YA dystopias. The moment is ripe for Jim Jarmusch to deliver Only Lovers Left Alive. If it turns out to be the last word on love-struck bloodsuckers, it’s a stylish valediction.

Tilda Swinton is Eve and Tom Hiddleston is Adam, eternal lovers who live separately. She’s in Tangier, he’s in Detroit, but they Skype. Adam’s some sort of

reclusive rock star, but he’s feeling a bit down. He orders a wooden bullet from Ian (Anton Yelchin), a groupie who does odd jobs for him during daylight. To cheer Adam up, Eve flies to Detroit, where they’re joined by Eve’s troublemaking little sister, Eva (Mia Wasikowska).

Jarmusch has railed against the designation of his films, or those of other filmmakers like Wes Anderson, as ‘quirky’, saying it is “just so goddamn lazy”. What links Anderson and Jarmusch, though, is a taste for deadpan. At one point, Tom discovers Eva has killed his groupie, and remarks, expressionlessly: “You drank Ian”. Jarmusch also has fun skewering other artistic genius.

Adam once supplied Schubert with some music, and Schubert passed it off as his

own – “but I asked him to”. Eve asks Adam what Byron was really like – “frankly, he was a pompous ass”. And Eve’s best friend in Tangier is Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt), who penned all the plays we now attribute to Shakespeare.

Like so many Jarmusch films, this one is worth seeing for the music alone. There’s a scene set in a Tangier club that’s particularly haunting.

So, too, is the nightscape of Detroit. Jarmusch’s camera renders the derelict factories and belching smokestacks both lovely and sad. Eve and Adam spend their nights driving around its byways, and Eve gives a confident diagnosis: this city “will rise again”. She’d know.

Harry Windsor

Director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook, My Sister’s Keeper), son of the famous John Cassavetes, is apparently unable to avoid the pull for sentimentality, as all of the slapstick comedy is jarringly partnered with an overwhelming serving of cheese. After Carly and Kate discover Mark’s second mistress Amber (Kate Upton), the three women strike up a friendship full of slow-motion montages, dancing, and sitting on beaches. The mind boggles.

With a two-drink minimum this movie is probably actually pretty good for a night out with the girls, but without first being a little boozed-up, it’s not going to get you anywhere.

Louisa Bulley

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

A Wes Anderson Debate Golden Age Cinema And Bar Thursday April 10, bar opens at 5pm If you’re as much of a Fantastic Mr Fox Wes Anderson fan as we are, this is going to be printed in Futura in your diary this week.

Down at Golden Age they’ll be kicking off at 7:30 with a debate of the eternal question: ‘Wes Anderson: Style And/Or Substance?’ with Junkee writers Edward Sharp-Paul and Matt Roden.

After the debate is a screening of the gorgeous Fantastic Mr. Fox at 8pm, followed by a Wes Anderson-themed social, complete with quirk, dysfunction and scintillating conversation. xxx

Tickets are $20 ($15 for concessions and FBi subscribers) and available through ourgoldenage.com.au. thebrag.com

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BARS SMALL

B R A G ’ S G U I D E T O S Y D N E Y ’ S B E S T W AT E R I N G H O L E S

Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm Assembly 488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight BAR100 100 George St, The Rocks (02) 8070 9311 Mon – Thu noon-late; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-midnight Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4712 Thu 4-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 3-11pm

The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Fri 2pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight The Baxter Inn Basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-1am Bulletin Place First Floor, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri 11.30am-11.30pm; Sat 5.30-11.30pm Frankie’s Pizza 50 Hunter St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sun 4pm-4am Gilt Lounge 49 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 0000 Tue – Wed 6pm-midnight; Thu & Sat 6pm-2am; Fri 5pm-2am

The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am Goodgod Small Club 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD (02) 8084 0587 Wed 5pm-1am; Thu 5pm-2am; Fri 5pm-5am; Sat 6pm-5am Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Fri 4pm-1am; Sat noon-1am; Sun noonmidnight Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-late; Sat 5pm-late The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight

The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Wed & Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Fri noon-late The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4999 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Morrison 225 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9247 6744 Mon – Wed 7.30am-midnight; Thu 7.30-1am; Fri 7.302am; Sat 11.30-2am; Sun11.30am-10pm Palmer & Co. Abercrombie Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3172 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Fri noon-late; Sat – Sun 5pm-late Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Sat lunch & dinner

TH

EK

VIA LANEWAY REAR 348 KENT ST, PH: 9299 5671 5PM - 12AM MONDAY - SATURDAY

OF

PAPA GEDE’S BAR bar E W

E

The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 4pm-late Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon –Wed 8am-6pm; Thu – Fri 8am-10pm Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Spice Cellar Basement 58 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD (02) 9223 5585 Mon – Sun 4pm-late Spooning Goats 32 York St, Sydney CBD 0402 813 035 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon –Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-2am; Sat 4pm-2am Tapavino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri 11am-11.30pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri 11am-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight York Lane York Lane, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6-midnight Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon, Wed –Thu 5pm-late; Fri – Sat noonlate; Sun noon-10pm

Care for a drink?

If it’s not the Zombie (on fire!) or the Divine Intervention (with absinthe, passionfruit and fresh apple) then it would have to be our new favourite – Pineapple Bandit: Rye whisky, benedictine, fresh pineapple juice, grapefruit and spice syrup, served in a hollowed out pineapple with sparklers.

Seriously.

Tell us about your bar.

A cheeky little cocktail bar dedicated to Papa Gede (Gede rhymes with Freddy), the Voodoo spirit of lust, laughter and rum. With infl uences from both the Caribbean and New Orleans it has a really relaxed neighborhood lounge bar feel, with a touch of voodoo-tikiapothecary. That is, drinks that are both fun and delicious. We’ve also made sure to include a few shrines to our namesake to ensure the good-fortune of all who enter! Josh, one of the owners, even made a trip to a cemetery in New Orleans to get the appropriate blessings from a voodoo priest.

What’s on the menu?

Our drink list concentrates on both voodootiki (lots of rum, pinepple and fire!) and New Orleans classics like the Sazerac. We also have a selection of absinthes, served with the traditional absinthe fountain, really rare American whiskies and a great little wine/ craft beer list.

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Sounds?

We love funk, soul, reggae and especially New Orleans blues. Josh also sourced some great authentic street music when he wasn’t visiting cemeteries and buying voodoo dolls.

Highlights?

The fact that there aren’t more bars committed to the spirit of Papa Gede is, frankly, shocking to us. Why aren’t there more voodoo/absinthe/rum bars who play Rare Earth and reggae covers of Michael Jackson? But seriously, team Papa G’s (Josh, Mick and Lara, also housemates) loves our regulars (names, drinks & occupations committed to memory) and meeting new folk all the time. Especially folks who are looking for something different, high quality, but really open hearted.

The bill comes to: We do a cheese/charcuterie sharing platter for $19, cocktails start at $16 – total $35, (or our Pineapple Bandit is $25, to share, so total $44 for 2 people).

Website: papagedes.com

Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Sat 10am-late Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0422 873 879 Tue – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 1-10pm Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8084 8185 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Different Drummer 185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9552 3406 Mon – Sat 4.30pm-late Earl’s Juke Joint 407 King St, Newtown Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Freda’s 107-109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm

The Green Room Lounge 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Wed 5pm-late; Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-1am; Sun 5-10pm Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-3am; Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-midnight Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Wed 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am; Sun 4pm-midnight The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9200 0000 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Thu 5-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Backroom 2A Roslyn St, Potts Point (02) 9361 5000 Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Tue – Sat 6pm-late The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Redfern (02) 9319 5061 Tue – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-11pm Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm The Carlisle 2 Kellett St, Kings Cross (02) 9331 0065 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Carrington 565 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9360 4714 Mon – Sun noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Wed – Sun 6pm-4am

The Hazy Rose 1/83 Stanley St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 5036 Tue 3-11pm; Wed – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Hello Sailor 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9332 2442 Tue – Sun 5pm-1am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 1-10pm Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am Hustle & Flow Bar 105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 9310 5593 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Jekyll & Hyde 332 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 5568 Wed – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 8.30am-late; Sun 8.30am-evening Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sat 5pmmidnight Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Thu noon-3pm & 5-11pm; Fri – Sun noon11pm Lo-Fi 2/383 Bourke St, Darlinghurst (02) 9318 1547 Wed – Sat 6pm-late

The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Sun noon-late

The Local Tap House 122 Flinders St, Surry Hills (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noon-2am; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-11pm

Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm

Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight

Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm

The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Tue – Wed 11am-10pm; Thu – Fri 11am-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm

Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst (02) 8095 0129 Wed – Sun 5-11pm

Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Tue – Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 6pm-2am

Eau De Vie 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst 0422 263 226 Mon – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6pm-midnight

Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0414 691 811 Mon –Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Flinders 63-65 Flinders St, Surry Hills (02) 9356 3622 Tue – Thu 5pm-3am; Fri – Sat 5pm-5am

The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon1am; Sun noon-10pm

Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight; Sun 2-10pm

The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4-9pm; Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 2pm-midnight; Sun 2-8pm The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2-10pm ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Thu 10am-4am; Fri 10am-6am; Sat 10am-5am; Sun 10am-12am

The Forresters 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon1am; Sun noon-10pm Foley Lane 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Mon, Wed – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 10am-3pm & 5pm-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9357 5333 Mon – Thu 3pm-midnight; Fri – Sun noon-midnight

The Passage 231A Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 6116 Mon – Thu 5pm-late; Fri – Sun noon-late Play Bar 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 0885 Wed – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Pocket Bar 13 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 7002 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 4pm-midnight

thebrag.com

Queenie’s Upstairs Forresters Cnr Foveaux and Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK Pour it in your mouth-hole... (responsibly).

Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point 0423 203 119 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Santa Barbara 1 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross (02) 9357 7882 Wed 6pm-1am; Thu & Sat 6pm-2am; Fri noon2am Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Thu 5pm-2am; Fri – Sat 5pm-5am Sweethearts Rooftop 33/37Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point (02) 9368 7333 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun noon-midnight Tio’s Cerveceria 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Unicorn Cellar Basement, 106 Oxford St, Paddington (02) 9360 7994 Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Vasco 421 Cleveland St, Redfern 0406 775 436 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm The Victoria Room Lvl 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 4488 Tue – Fri 6pm-midnight; Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-midnight The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noonmidnight

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Tue – Fri 4.30pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Wed 5-11pm; Thu 5pm-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm The Bucket List Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive (02) 9365 4122 Mon – Sun 11am-late The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 8020 6698 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Flying Squirrel 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Mon – Fri 6pm-late; Sat 4pm-late; Sun 4-10pm

Over 130 Australian Beers Gourmet Aussie Pizzas, including Emu & Kangaroo!

THE HENDRICK’S TEA CUP

Alfresco Dining

@ THE ROYAL BOTANICAL 156 NORTON ST. LEICHHARDT Origins: Hendrick’s Gin is infused with a combination of traditional gin botanicals like juniper berries and nontraditional ingredients like cucumber and rose petals by using a rare carterhead built in the 19th century.

Ingredients: 40 mL Hendrick’s, 100 mL rose and apple tea, dash sugar syrup, 3 slices cucumber, handful crushed ice.

Welcoming Heritage Charm Only 5 min walk from the Circular Quay Cruise Ship Terminal

Method: Muddle the cucumber and add a dash of sugar syrup.

Add the crushed ice, cold tea and gin. Stir until chilled.

australianheritagehotel.com | 100 Cumberland Street, The Rocks +61 2 9247 2229 or email info@australianheritagehotel.com

Glass: Copper mug.

Garnish: With a cucumber slice.

Best drunk with: Friends.

During: A night of celebrations and delicious drinks.

While wearing: A tutu, or something a little more comfortable…

And listening to: Botanical chilled-out beats.

More: theroyalleichhardt.com.au The Rum Diaries 288 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9300 0440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight; Sun 6-10pm

Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm

Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Fri 3pm-late; Sat – Sun noon-late

Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm

Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm

The Bay Jam Bar 2A Waters Rd, Neutral Bay 0407 454 0815 Tue – Fri 11am-midnight; Sat – Sun 7am-midnight Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Wed 5-10pm; Thu 4-11pm; Fri – Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon9.30pm The Foxtrot 28 Falcon St, Crows Nest Tue – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 5-10pm Harlem On Central Shop 4,9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9976 6737 Tue – Sun 5pm-midnight

In Situ 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Mon 9am-6pm; Wed – Sun 9am-midnight The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Ba Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Local Bar 8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Mon 5-10pm; Tue – Wed 8am-10pm; Thu – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 7am-late

@papagedesbar

www.facebook.com/PapaGedesBar

The Mayor 400 Military Rd, Cremorne (02) 8969 6060 Tue – Fri 10am-late; Sat 8am-late; Sun 8am-10pm Miss Marley’s Tequila Bar 32 Belgrave St, Manly (02) 8065 4805 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm Moonshine Lvl 2, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly (02) 9977 4977 Thu – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 3-11pm The Pickled Possum 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 2091 Thu – Sat 9pm-1am The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sun noon-late White Hart 19-21 Grosvenor St, Neutral Bay (02) 8021 2115 Tue – Thu 5pm-late; Fri 4pm-late; Sat 2pm-late; Sun noon-8pm

Your bar’s not here? Email: listings@ thebrag.com!

348 Kent St, Sydney [02] 9299 5671 www.papagedes.com

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 23

Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK DAN SULTAN

first single ‘Under You Skin’ and ‘High Street Riot’ that it feels like Sultan has dropped the rock persona and finally begun to speak with sincerity.

Rock has reached an interesting, albeit dark, phase. Every band now needs to drop the songs about sex, drugs and rock’n’roll and instead talk about the other side of that coin: the loneliness, the longing, and the silence after the songs.

The album continues to grow from here, spreading out of the straight-up rock in favour of more soulful and acoustic songs. ‘Ain’t Thinking About You’ showcases the skill that went into the album; when so many others would let the horns in the track run loose like barking dogs, here they are kept under control, adding just the right touch of soul without drowning out everything else. The album’s finale ‘Gullible Few’ has Dan alone on the piano, bearing a depth that just didn’t seem possible at the start of the album.

Blackbird Liberation

Xxxx Beautiful, deep, and completely Dan Sultan, Blackbird is a wonderful listen.

Enter Dan Sultan and his new album Blackbird, recorded in Nashville. Striking off with ‘Make Me Slip’, the grip the electric guitar immediately catches you in is tight, powerful and enjoyable, and while the follow-on ‘Can’t Blame Me’ also keeps up this enjoyable sound, it isn’t until the

Daniel Prior

PIXIES

BLACK LIPS

SLATES

MR LITTLE JEANS

DMA’S

Indie Cindy Pixiesmusic/[PIAS]

Underneath The Rainbow Vice/Warner

Taiga New Damage/Cooking Vinyl

Pocketknife Sony

DMA’s I Oh You

At first glance, the first full-length release in 23 years from alt-rock legends Pixies is as welcome as it is peculiar. It’s welcome because, well, it’s the damn Pixies. It’s peculiar because all of this material was previously released in EP form, and iconic founding bassist Kim Deal is no longer around – and it’s the second of these points that influences the outcome most.

Over the last decade, Black Lips have produced a wonderfully raucous collection of psychedelic punk gems that have influenced a plethora of acolytes. The seventh album from the Atlanta quartet finds it broadening its musical colour palette even further.

Slates make robust and ruggedvoiced punk rock – more chunky than dangerous, more laboured than unpredictable and more solemn than frenzied. That said, Taiga’s first three tracks come charging at you – and Slates sound best when playing damn hard. Favouring sentimentality over primal fierceness actually makes the harder stuff fairly palatable.

Three years ago, Norway’s Monica Birkenes released a slow-washed re-imagination of Arcade Fire’s ‘The Suburbs’ that sent the internet bananas. Under the moniker Mr Little Jeans, she later teased out ‘Oh Sailor’ and ‘Runaway’, two electronic gems that cultivated a distinct pop persona – a sound equal parts dreamy and dark.

None of the five tracks on DMA’s debut EP pays direct homage to one artist in particular, but the Sydney trio don’t hide the fact they’re affectionate listeners.

Meanwhile, pulling things back for the contemplative ‘Minarets’, mediocre melodies reveal that Slates aren’t quite expert tunesmiths. The album’s middle third sees them dive into some experimental instrumental departures. They shoot for a peculiar dissonance, akin to the proto-emo of Fugazi or Drive Like Jehu, but even though the guitars are revved up, at times the playing is just too deliberate. Sometimes, though, the guts and subtleties do combine to great effect. A prime example is ‘Molina Blues’; at once hard-hitting and decidedly earnest. A sense of unease runs through the whole record, aptly emphasised by James Stewart’s hoarse vocals and lyrical depictions of dark streets, racist Texans, sunrises in the badlands and walking in the rain.

All three tracks have snuck onto Birkenes’ Pocketknife LP, setting the framework for an immaculately crafted debut. Laying out a palette of sounds that includes a toy piano and swirling ’80s synths, Birkenes’ breathy vocals bounce over sharp verses and soar over sing-along choruses. Opener ‘Rescue Song’ has the adorable hug-me allure that belongs in a Bonds commercial, hinting of ’60s pop influences and manifesting the charm that permeates the album.

Melodically spry lead single ‘Good Mistake’ merges rumbling guitar undertones with a light percussive beat as Birkenes muses, “Blood on your hands / And your hands still roam / But your secret is safe with the garden gnome.” Sharp lyricism slices through the cautionary ‘Don’t Run’, a multi-tracked chorus bearing fingerprints of Pocketknife’s production dream team: Tim Anderson and John Hill.

‘What Goes Boom’ is a heavy start that announces the band’s return in no uncertain terms, while ‘Magdalena 318’ and ‘Silver Snail’ allow Black Francis to show the light and dark sides of his songwriting.

Unfortunately, for each decent track there are three or four stinkers, with the ridiculous ‘Snakes’ and flaccid ‘Andro Queen’ being the worst offenders. The lack of those beautifully simple Deal basslines like on ‘Gigantic’ or ‘Debaser’ is a devastating loss, although it could be argued it’s unfair to compare this release to music made in the early ’90s, and the album is being released to support Record Store Day after all.

Almost everyone will want Indie Cindy to be a killer, but some bands like The Clash and The Replacements were never the same after dropping original members, and unfortunately the same rule applies here. Pixies are back with a whimper, not a bang.

Paul McBride

The sleazy country-honk vibe of opener ‘Drive-By Buddy’ gives way to the snarling yelp of ‘Smiling’. ‘Make You Mine’ plays like a punked-up folk rocker. ‘Funny’ drones menacingly through its verses before bursting into an air-punching, jubilant chorus.

Much of the Underneath The Rainbow bustles along at a frenetic pace. Some of the best moments, such as the psychotic ‘Dorner Party’ and cowboy punk of ‘Justice After All’ clock in at barely two-and-a-half minutes.

‘Boys In The Wood’ could be the soundtrack to a stand-off in a punk Western, especially with the horns coming in during the chorus. ‘Do The Vibrate’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Home’ play like two sides of an aftermidnight rendezvous/argument. The album closes with the glam stomper ‘Dandelion Dust’ and the ’90s altrocker ‘Dog Years’.

Underneath The Rainbow is another fine addition to Black Lips’ catalogue. The wannabes are still lagging behind.

Taiga isn’t a particularly abrasive record but Slates can be a loud, dominating presence when they choose to be. Unfortunately, when they attempt to magnify the finer details it dulls their purpose.

Michael Hartt

Augustus Welby

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK Holy Ian Curtis: this ain’t no sunny pop record.

EAGULLS Eagulls Popfrenzy

24 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

English post-punk up-and-comers Eagulls have already gained a metaphoric mountain of music press attention since their 2009 formation; a situation that can be potentially favourable or fatal to a band that’s yet to release its debut album. Thankfully the quintet seems to have dealt with the pressure of expectation well, as this self-titled ten-track collection is a solid and confident effort.

All angry, bleak disillusionment and despair carried off with stark vocal arrangements, chugging basslines and apocalyptic guitars, this is an absorbing album that grabs you by

the lapels and doesn’t let you go until it’s battered your eardrums to within an inch of their lives and left your spirit just a little bit crushed.

The blistering ‘Yellow Eyes’ and ‘Amber Veins’ are highlights, as is closer ‘Soulless Youth’, which could explain the basis of most of the lyrical content throughout. Singer George Mitchell rants and caterwauls with the best of them as his band recalls the sounds of Savages, Joy Division and Iceage, and it’s all topped off with flawless production. While there’s not much variety and the album is a little exhausting to listen to from start to finish, this is an important and promising addition to the post-punk genre.

The sheets of distorted guitar in opener ‘Feels Like 37’ recall early ’90s space rock and shoegaze.

Meanwhile, Tommy O’Dell’s vocals sit bang in between Madchester and Britpop. His voice is more pleasant than Liam Gallagher’s but he borrows from Ian Brown and John Lennon in a very similar manner. ‘Your Low’ offers a dose of woozy ’60s pop, featuring Kinks-like chord changes and tasty melodies reminiscent of ’80s indie. ‘Play It Out’ provides some hazy, scenic psych; another avenue DMA’s are very comfortable exploring.

Lead single ‘Delete’ is a heart-onyour-sleeve acoustic number (DMA’s equivalent to ‘Champagne Supernova’ or ‘Tender’, if you will). The production applies an intimate intensity that greatly suits the imploring vocals, even if the lyrics are fairly inert. That is, except for the hook line: “Don’t delete my baby / Don’t defeat her still,” which implicates volatile online relationships and cherished jpegs.

Mr Little Jeans has found the formula to sugary Scandinavian pop without the tacky aftertaste.

The EP’s focal melodic aplomb, homespun production grit and well-measured array of guitar sounds warrant plenty of curiosity.

However, that unique quality – the element of risk – is lacking at this stage.

Mina Kitsos

Augustus Welby

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...

BEASTIE BOYS - Paul’s Boutique HAIM - Days Are Gone EMA - The Future’s Void

THE CURE - Seventeen Seconds RACKETS - Rackets

Paul McBride thebrag.com

snap sn ap

06:04:14 :: Frankie's Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

homegrown

PICS :: AM

boneyard fest ft she rex

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

06:04:14 :: Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay

SATURDAY

JULY 12

ENMORE

20 YE AR ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2 SETS SPANN

thebrag.com

ING 1994 – 2014

TICKETS ON SALE

APRIL 11 FROM SOMETHINGFORKATE.COM BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 25

live reviews What we've been out to see...

Wintercoats is not your typical support band – in fact, James Wallace isn’t a band at all, though you would be excused for mistaking him for one if your eyes aren’t on the stage. Wallace records live instrumental loops one by one, all from his violin, until he has eight or nine repeated layers providing harmonies, melody and percussion, which he turns on and off with what must be a virtual keyboard of pedals. It’s completely engaging, essentially watching an expert craftsperson in a sonics lab, but it’s all brought back down a little by adding vocals.

Wallace can sing, and when he adds vocals as a human layer to the complex mix he’s created, it’s a touching and occasionally eerie result. However, when his vocals become the primary focus of the songs, they run close to traditional tepid ballads, a sharp contrast to the skills he so confidently flaunts for the rest of the show.

As Sally Seltmann settles at her keyboard alone to delve immediately into ‘On The Borderline’, we’re reminded how joyful a

GLASS ANIMALS, BREE TRANTER Oxford Art Factory Thursday April 3 With a voice that sounds like it belongs in a church choir and only the barest of backing bands, Bree Tranter – formerly of The Middle East – kicked off proceedings at the Oxford Art Factory. Tranter’s strong voice, and her willingness to push it to the limits, gives her songs a hymnal quality that inspires reverence, but can also leave the audience restless. When her backing band gets a bit more involved towards the end of the half-hour set, it gives her songs some much-needed urgency and weight.

The main act of the night is Oxford’s Glass Animals, rolling to our shores on a wave of hype generated by their handful of singles. They haven’t even released an album and yet the venue is sold out, and once the band opens with the chilled atmospherics of ‘Psylla’ – one of the aforementioned singles – you can understand the hype.

voice and a light melody can be. There’s a heavy focus on the new album tonight, but she dips into all eras of her now extensive catalogue. Between the brand new ‘Dear Mr Heartless’, all the way back to New Buffalo’s sublime ‘Cheer Me Up Thank You’ and ‘I’m The Drunk And You’re The Star’, there’s not a huge level of diversity, but Seltmann shines in what she does – getting behind a keyboard and turning everyday routine into a delightful and sunny frolic.

She’s impeccably assisted tonight by Bree van Reyk on percussion, who’s adept at subtle accompaniment but then builds in intensity for ‘Right Back Where I Started From’, and offers all manner of effects like slide whistle and bells in ‘Needle In The Hay’. A saxophonist (sorry sir, couldn’t find your name!) also plays for around half the set, and while this isn’t a traditional trio of instruments, they combine to make enormously hummable and endearing pop music, anchored by Seltmann’s stunning voice and songs. It’s hard to suppress a grin, and leaving, you wonder why you were even trying.

Simon Topper

Mixing indie pop with electronica and even touches of R&B, Glass Animals have the crowd swaying along to every song as frontman Dave Bayley’s impressive falsetto holds the experimental wanderings together. The sultry, pulsing ‘Black Mambo’ is a highlight, and probably the best example of the clash of genres that is at the heart of the band’s sound.

st lucia

06:04:14 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

Glass Animals share more than a few similarities with Alt-J, and after hearing the quality of the handful of tracks they teased from their upcoming debut album, they may be on the brink of a popularity explosion like their fellow Brits experienced just over a year ago. Regardless of what the future holds, the songs they’ve already released definitely have the ability to hold a crowd in raptures. You only needed to witness them close with ‘Gooey’ and count the number of phones in the air recording the moment to be sure.

Keiron Costello

hunters & collectors

PICS :: AM

The Vanguard Friday April 4

up all night out all week . . .

PICS :: AM

SALLY SELTMANN, WINTERCOATS

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04:04:13 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666 PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

26 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR ::

thebrag.com

snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .

HARMONY, DAY RAVIES, ANGIE Goodgod Small Club Friday April 4 There’s something unsettling about being in the dark, smoky surrounds of Goodgod before, say, nine o’clock at the earliest.

Then again, tonight’s show was all about flipping the proverbial script – and it began just shy of 8pm with Angie; a band which is impossible to Google and even harder to describe. The eponymous frontwoman – Garrick, that is; of Circle Pit, Straight Arrows and Ruined Fortune – is reserved and calm while dissonant guitar pierces through the speakers. They don’t quite expand beyond the sum of their parts, but clearly show potential.

It’s one thing to give off a nonchalant slacker vibe. It’s another to have it almost cause your set to crumble at the foundations – as is the case with Day Ravies. Whilst not usually a tight musical outfit per se, the Sydney natives are usually a bit more together than tonight, when sharp tunings and rhythmic falling-outs stunt what could have been a great performance, reducing it to merely passable. Still, there’s always next time.

“I know I smell like petrol…” the grumbling voice of Don Walker rings out over the PA, a pre-recorded taping of his poetry from Carpetbombing’s opening number, ‘The Closing Of The Day’. Goodgod – perhaps for the first time ever – is reduced to a stunned silence. Such is the power of Harmony, the unclassifiable and seemingly unstoppable Melbourne collective back in Sydney for the first time since September.

For those who have never seen the band in action, it’s an exercise in striking, bold contrast – the guitar squeaks and snarls over rumbling bass and thudding drums, while the three backing vocalists add daunting, morose melodies. It’s a particular balance, and one that has well and truly been struck on Carpetbombing, from which the bulk of tonight’s set is lifted. ‘Do Me A Favour’ ignites a fire in the belly, while tracks like ‘Big Ivan’ and ‘Water Runs Cold’ attempt to find some method in the madness, encompassing both the calm and the storm.

Finishing an all-too-brief set with a rousing ‘Fourteen’ from their self-titled 2011 debut, Harmony tonight prove to be triumphant at finding strange beauty in odd places.

for Live and Localsau!

Calling all artistsplay entertainment.com.

Contact: chris@fair

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the standard bowl 02:04:14 :: The Standard Bowl :: L3 383 Bourke St Surry Hills thebrag.com

PICS :: AM

APR

Lizotte’s Sydney 629 Pittwater Rd Dee Why

Lizotte’s Central Coast Lot 3 Avoca Dr Kincumber

Lizotte’s Newcastle 31 Morehead St Lambton

WWW. LIZOT TES.COM.AU BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 27

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week John Butler Trio

Steve Kilbey + Mark Gable The Vanguard, Newtown.

6:30pm. $43.80.

The Folk Informal - feat: Forster Anderson + Maia Jelavic + Telegraph Tower + John Flanagan FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Vibrations Band Comp Grand Final Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15.

White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Beth Hart

FRIDAY APRIL 11 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Live Music Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

FRIDAY APRIL 11

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Hordern Pavilion

John Butler Trio + Emma Louise 7pm. $68.80.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Pulp Kitchen And Folk Club - feat: Live Rotating Folk Bands Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington.

8pm. free.

Supafly Jam Night (Open Mic) - feat: Gang Of Brothers Vintage Night Club, Kings Cross. 8pm. free.

Fat Bubba’s Chicken Wednesdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Sex On Toast The Vanguard, Newtown.

6:30pm. $13.80.

Sosueme - feat: Glass

28 :: BRAG :: 557 : 09:04:14

THURSDAY APRIL 10 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Gerard Masters Nag’s Head Hotel, Glebe.

8:15pm. free.

Live Music Thursdays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Mark Wilkinson + Anabelle Keys Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta.

8pm. $26.

Porch Light Sessions feat: The British Blues + Brian Campeau + Wartime Sweethearts Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7pm. $10.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Coke And Sympathy - A

Rock And Roll Cabaret Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $30.

Cole Soul And Emotion feat: Lionel Cole The White Horse, Surry Hills.

8pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

10pm. free.

AM 2 PM Courthouse Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. free.

Big Way Out Three Wise Monkeys, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Divergence Jazz Orchestra The Sound Lounge, Sydney.

8:30pm. $10.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

8pm. $69.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Roller Den, Erskineville.

8pm. $19.

Kings Carnivale - feat: Fourtunate + Lepers And Crooks + Little Sea Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

8pm. $10.

Klay The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 7:45pm. free.

Sarah McLeod Collector Hotel, Parramatta.

8pm. $25.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC 4 Bars Of Funk Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Jazz Hip-Hop Freestyle Sessions Foundry616, Ultimo. 11:30pm. free.

Sima - feat: Kristina Berardi Band The Sound Lounge, Sydney.

8:30pm. $25.

Supergroup + The Missing Link Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 8pm. free.

SATURDAY APRIL 12 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Andrea Keller - feat: Phil

Slater + Geoff Hughes Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo.

2pm. $20.

Big Swing Band Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Lolo Lovina + Belle Jar Katoomba RSL, Katoomba.

8:30pm. free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES, FOLK

Alex Roussos Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale.

7pm. free.

Beth Hart The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $59.90.

Dusty Ravens + Hazy Bee + Andy Calvert Camelot Lounge, Marrickville.

7:30pm. $10.

Paul Hayward And Friends Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. free.

The Cyril B Bunter Band Lizotte’s, Dee Why. 8pm. $29.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dear Prudence - The Amazing Adventures Of Doug Parkinson Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction.

7pm. $45.

AM 2 PM North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 9pm. free.

Baby Animals Belmont 16s, Belmont.

8:30pm. $40.

Benjalu + Ocean Alley Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

Diesel + Charlie A’Court Club Marconi, Bossley Park.

8pm. $40.

Sex On Toast

John Butler Trio by Kane Hibberd

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Towers + Deja + Shantan Wantan Ichiban Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

Tatler Sydney (Live Til Midnight) Tatler, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free.

Zombonimo + Hypergiant + The Dirty Earth + Freddo And Matt Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10.

Art Vs Science Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $25.

Baby Animals Dee Why RSL, Dee Why. 8:30pm. $40.

Backlash Penrith Gaels, Kingswood.

8pm. free.

Balmain Blitz Band Competition Heat 4 Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 7pm. $15.

Cath & Him Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 8pm. free.

Diesel + Charlie A’Court Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill.

8pm. free.

Dylan Wright + Tillee Music Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $15.

Elee May FBi Social, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

Fenrir + Under Nights Cover + Pizza Gut + Head In A Jar Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. free.

Fresh Fridays - feat: The Hated + Slippery Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

Ginger And The Ghost + Avivva + Rohin Brown + DJ Kato Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Jamm Zone East Hills Hotel, East Hills.

7:15pm. free.

Joeys Coop + Dave Favours + DJ Frank Cotterell Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $10.

John Butler Trio + Emma Louise Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park.

7pm. $68.80.

Krishna Jones Garry Owen Hotel, Rozelle.

6:30pm. free.

Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt.

9:30pm. free.

Looking Through A Glass Onion - feat: John Waters Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 7:30pm. $45.

Marty’s Place Seven Hills Toongabbie RSL Club, Seven Hills. 8:30pm. free.

Mid Nyt Sun Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

8pm. free.

Rat In A Blanket + Nerdlinger Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham.

8:30pm. free.

Social Anxiety Launch Chromatose - feat: Angie + Buzz Kill + Shebeen Queen + DJs Daniel Darling + Louis Rocketeer + Hazy + Velvet Gallagher + Sex

Tape + Bobby B Bob + Ben Clements Secret Location, Sydney. 9pm. $10.

Sumeru + Watchtower + Chroma + Vile Ways + Deadly Visions Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

The Good Stuff Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi. 9:30pm. free.

The Vagrants Ball 2 - feat: Hobo Bordeaux The Vanguard, Newtown.

6:30pm. $21.80.

Two Minds Albion Hotel, Parramatta. 9pm. free.

thebrag.com

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Stonefield

DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville.

9:30pm. free.

Fast Track Grand Finals Intermediate Grand Final Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 1pm. $25.

Fast Track Grand Finals Open Grand Final Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 7pm. $25.

Groovology Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Happy Hippies Overlander Hotel, Cambridge Park. 9pm. free.

Have/Hold + Apart From This + Oslow + Hannahband Record Crate, Glebe.

8:30pm. $8.

Hits & Pieces Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free.

Jones The Cat - feat: Red Gazelle + Helmut Uhlmann + Daytime Television + Taking Berlin + The Ivory Drips + Letters To Lions Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard FBi Social, Kings Cross.

8pm. $15.

Marty Stewart Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah. 12pm. free.

Maybe Rave + Stand Atlantic + Mixtape For The Drive + Pulse Mavens + Rooftops Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $15.

Muddy Feet Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn.

3:20pm. free.

Mystery Guest The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Pete Hunt Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 2pm. free.

Peter Northcote’s Drive + Greg Agar + Nicky Furta Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $27.

Picture Perfect + Red Morning + Into The Fireplace + Monte Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 8pm. $10.

Red Ink + I Know Leopard + Tora + DJ Kristy Lee Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Royal Chant Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. free.

Salsa Kingz Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Saturday Night Divas Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

8pm. free.

Stonefield + The Delta Riggs Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 7pm. $23.50.

Trilogy The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free.

thebrag.com

Tumbleweed + Front End Loader + Bruce Collector Hotel, Parramatta.

8pm. $25.

Two Minds Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 2pm. free.

Video DJ Shayne Alsop AKA Sloppy Mounties, Mount Pritchard.

8pm. free.

Wilcatz Epping Hotel, Epping. 10pm. free.

SUNDAY APRIL 13 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Memphis To Motown - A Tribute To Soul Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $17.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES, FOLK Beth Hart The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $59.90.

Chill Out Sundays Scubar, Sydney. 7:30pm. free.

Intimate Sessions Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Live Music Sundays Bar100, The Rocks. 1pm. free.

Sunday Blues And Roots The White Horse, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Tim Pringle Collingwood Hotel, Liverpool.

3pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Allen Stone Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $64.95.

Bondi Blitz 2014 - feat: The Never Ever + The Sweet Apes + Far Away Stables + Sound Of Seasons + Breakaway + Polaris + Aurox + Justice For The Damned + Skyon + Dream In Colour Bondi Park, Bondi Beach.

11am. free.

Fast Track Grand Finals Junior Grand Final Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 1pm. $25.

Have/Hold + Devil And The Deep + Apart From This + Harbourer + Dear Seattle Black Wire Records, Annandale. 3pm. $10.

Hue Williams Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free.

Ian Blackeney Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

2pm. free.

Matchbox Band Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Mini Mobile Farm O’Donoghues Irish Pub, Emu Plains. 12pm. free.

Peasant Moon + Nic Cassey + Ev Jones + Richard Cathbert The Welcome Hotel, Rozelle.

4pm. free.

Scorcherfest Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $20.

Sunday Sounds - feat: Rick Fensom Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 2pm. free.

Tenderfoot + The Great Conjuction + Mark Matic The Vanguard, Newtown.

6:30pm. $15.80.

MONDAY APRIL 14 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Latin & Jazz Jam Open Mic Night World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free.

Mambo Mondays Bar100, The Rocks. 5:30pm. free.

Motown Mondays - feat: Soulgroove The White Horse, Surry Hills.

8pm. free.

Reggae Monday Civic Underground, Sydney.

10pm. free.

TUESDAY APRIL 15 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Underground Tuesdays feat: Declan Kelly + Lucy Burke + Vanessa Dang + Cala Burk Bar 34 Bondi, Bondi Beach.

8:30pm. free.

ACOUSTIC/ COUNTRY/BLUES/ FOLK

wed

thu

09

10

Apr

Apr

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

fri

11 Apr

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

SUNDAY AFTERNOON (4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sat

12

sun

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

Apr

13 Apr

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(9:30PM - 1:15PM)

mon

14 Apr

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

tue

15 Apr

(9:30PM - 12:30AM)

Dave Matthews Band + Gary Clarke Jr Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7pm. $119.90.

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 29

gig picks

up all night out all week...

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros

Allen Stone Xxx

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 Sex On Toast The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $13.80.

Sosueme - feat: Glass Towers + Deja + Shantan Wantan Ichiban Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm.

Free.

THURSDAY APRIL 10 Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $69.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Roller Den, Erskineville. 8pm. $19.

Kings Carnivale - feat: Fourtunate + Lepers And Crooks + Little Sea Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 8pm. $10.

Steve Kilbey + Mark Gable The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $43.80.

Vibrations Band Comp Grand Final Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15.

FRIDAY APRIL 11

Sydney’s largest collection of secondhand vinyl LP’s and collectable CD’s.

Art Vs Science Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $25.

Glebe Record Fair Saturday 12th APRIL 2014

Ginger And The Ghost + Avivva + Rohin Brown + DJ Kato Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Joeys Coop + Dave Favours + DJ Frank Cotterell Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $10.

The Vagrants Ball 2 - feat: Hobo Bordeaux The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $21.80.

Lizotte’s, Dee Why. 8pm. $29.

Benjalu + Ocean Alley Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm.

Free.

Have/Hold + Apart From This + Oslow + Hannahband Record Crate, Glebe. 8:30pm. $8.

Red Ink + I Know Leopard + Tora + DJ Kristy Lee Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Stonefield + The Delta Riggs Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 7pm. $23.50.

SUNDAY APRIL 13 Allen Stone Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $64.95.

Bondi Blitz 2014 - feat: The Never Ever + The Sweet Apes + Far Away Stables + Sound Of Seasons + Breakaway + Polaris + Aurox + Justice For The Damned + Skyon + Dream In Colour Bondi Park, Bondi Beach. 11am. Free.

SATURDAY APRIL 12 Beth Hart The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $59.90.

The Cyril B Bunter Band

TUESDAY APRIL 15 Dave Matthews Band + Gary Clarke Jr Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7pm. $119.90.

Art vs Science

PETER FO

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DITORIUM Broadway Shopping Centre tree t

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Art Vs Science photo by Cybelle Malinowski

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Broadway

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Peter Forsyth Auditorium (opposite Glebe Markets) behind Broadway Shopping Centre Free 3 hour parking at Shopping Centre

FOR ALL INFO CALL 9550 6056 Open 9am to 4pm • 10am to 4pm - $3 • Earlybird 9am - $6 • Setup - 8:45am 30 :: BRAG :: 557 : 09:04:14

thebrag.com

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

brag beats

inside:

dj premier also: club guide + club snaps + weekly column

yacht club djs masters of mixology

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 31

brag beats

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery Pepperpot photo by Ivanna Oksenyuk

five things WITH

PEPPERPOT

Phil Smart

MOTORIK FT PHIL SMART

Growing Up I lived in New Caledonia 1. and was 14 when I got into music and DJing. I was listening to and playing a lot of different styles of music. Then I started to play music with electronic beats, discovered the proper beat mix technique and the early DJ culture… something like 22 years ago. Some of the influences were New Order, Lil Louis, Mr. Fingers, Ron Trent, Underground Resistance, Armando, Rhythm Is Rhythm and Frankie Knuckles (RIP).

2.

Inspirations Chicago house and Detroit techno were my first influences in electronic music, with mentors such as Derrick May, Jeff Mills, Kevin Saunderson and Kenny Larkin. Then I got into

more European techno with labels such as R&S, Peacefrog, Harthouse, Tresor, Soma, Fnac Music/F Communications… and of course Laurent Garnier, who had a strong influence on my musical taste and my definition of DJing. I got back to more house stuff from San Francisco, the UK, France – and the German [influence] came back with Minimal (Kompakt, Playhouse and of course Perlon). Lately, my main inspirations [have been] the Romanians and the early rise of Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano eight years ago – they pushed the borders and changed the conception of DJing.

3.

Your Crew I have my own event brand called Hello, as a monthly

residency since five years ago at the legendary Rex Club in Paris (who just celebrated 25 years of electronic music), Terminal Club in Lyon and some other clubs in France. This year I will launch my own label and take over the management of a Parisian booking agency. I’m not a studio geek but I will work on collaboration with close friends: Cesare vs Disorder, Quenum, Sierra Sam and my bro Jef K. Something with Murat Kilic is also on the table...

The Music You Make I like to play a large 4. spectrum of music (deep, house, minimal, techno...) my sets are not formatted. Depending on the people, the venue, the moment – I won’t play the same style and the same way but will always

keep the groove or bring some swing into it.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

The last couple of years, our scene [has been] really productive and creative. Paris is burning at the moment. It’s probably as big as London or Berlin. It reminds me how it was at the end of the ’90s. We had a new generation coming in, really involved in the music and the scene. They learned through the internet the history of this music and most of them love the vinyl culture.

With: Le Brond, Rodean, Dean Relf Where: The Spice Cellar When: Saturday April 12

CUT COPY

32 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

MYLES MAC AT SPICE CELLAR

The co-founder of the popular Melbourne Deepcast series, Myles Mac, will headline The Spice Cellar on Thursday April 17. Mac is one of the protagonists of Melbourne’s club scene, regularly spinning at clubs such as Revolver and New Guernica. In recent times he’s been playing throughout Europe alongside the likes of San Soda, Iron Curtis and Session Victim.

Having returned home, Mac will show Sydney just why his take on deep house and techno has proved a hit with dancers worldwide.

VYBZ KARTEL CONVICTED OF MURDER

Cut Copy

Arguably Jamaica’s most popular dancehall artist, controversial impresario Vybz Kartel (born Adidja Palmer), has been sentenced to life for the murder of his associate Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, with a 35-year non-parole period.

His three co-defendants have also received life sentences for the murder. Palmer has often been criticised in the past for the poor example he sets for the island’s youth through bleached skin and explicit song lyrics, though he has also been commended for the entrepreneurial spirit he has brought to dancehall. The BRAG took to Facebook to canvas reactions to the verdict from Sydney luminaries. “Damn what a sad waste,” stated Goodgod main man Jimmy Sing.

“Guess we won’t be touring him any time soon,” quipped Tha Fizz. “Vybz keeping it a little too real,” added Shantan Wantan Ichiban.

Cut Copy photo by Michael Muller

Melbourne four-piece Cut Copy will play the Metro Theatre on Thursday May 8 as part of their first series of headline dates since taking home two ARIA Awards back in the acid-washed summer of 2011. Since releasing Free Your Mind, Cut Copy have played a series of headline shows all over the world, along with spots at festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Sasquatch/Bigfoot. They’ve since returned to Australia and performed at the recent Golden Plains festival.

Cut Copy frontman Dan Whitford said, “The call of overseas touring has made our time at home less frequent than we may have liked over recent years. We’re really looking forward to this opportunity to perform our new show and songs from our new record to home audiences.” Touch Sensitive and Nile Delta will provide support.

Presale tickets are currently available.

Revered local DJ Phil Smart will headline a Motorik warehouse party on Good Friday, April 18. Smart has played alongside some of the foremost club acts to tour Australia – think Michael Mayer, Mano Le Tough et al. – since he started spinning back in the ’80s, establishing himself as a favourite amongst seasoned clubbers and neophyte dancers alike.

Beyond his DJing exploits, Smart is the co-founder of record labels Think and Thunk, which was responsible for early releases by Infusion and Pocke. He has released original material and remixes under various guises, including Headland, Altitude, Sprocket and Earthlink. In recent years, Smart has been integral in organising the Australian version of Nevada’s annual Burning Man Festival that is held annually in the Matong State Forest in November.

Vivi, Linda Marigliano, CSMNT61 and Francis Xavier will also be spinning, with presales online for $30. Hit motorik.com.au for further details.

dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Honnery

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

speed date

Calvin Harris photo by Drew Ressler

WITH

MIIND LAUNCH FT XZIBIT

so far in terms of feels would have been our Sydney show at Goodgod Small Club in the latter half of 2013. We played to a packed-out crowd and the vibes were ace. Everyone was relaxed onstage, which helped in making us all play a hell of a lot tighter – always a good thing!

Maybe they should’ve called it Pimp My Club. The new Miind Nightclub venue on Oxford Street will launch on Sunday April 20 with a headline set from US rapper Xzibit. The Detroit-born MC has recently announced his first new music since 2012’s Napalm, set to debut a supergroup called Serial Killers with B-Real and Demrick. In the meantime, he’s coming our way – and we’ve got a double pass up for grabs to see the man in action. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us why you’ve got style that’d impress Xzibit himself.

Current Playlist I like to listen to anything 4. that has soul – not so much as

FAR TOO LOUD & KID KENOBI

KAM FROM OLYMPIC AYRES

a genre but more so a feeling.

Lyrically, I love hearing that honesty and vulnerability pouring out of the speakers. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of house music; I love that strong sense of yearning you hear in those big vocals.

Your Profile If we had to choose colours 1. to compare it to, I would say it belongs to the spectrum of pastel.

It really depends on the emotion: the more emotion, the darker the colours. Making music is a lot like painting; the two art forms are

synonymous.

2.

Keeping Busy The last few months have been spent recording and planning the new release/EP. We have a few upcoming DJ gigs and will be focusing on reworking

the live show. Taking the tracks to a live audience is always exciting and on a personal level it’s another way to connect with our fans.

Gig Ever The best gig we’ve played 3. Best

Martinez Brothers

Your Ultimate Rider We’re yet to experience such 5. lavish requests but I always love a good glass of Hennessy!

Where: Beach Road Hotel When: Wednesday April 16

Unlike Christmas holiday music, there’s no such thing as being ‘far too loud’ with your music over the Easter long weekend.

Especially not if you’re Far Too Loud himself, who’s co-headlining Chinese Laundry on Saturday April 19. There’ll be nowhere to hide from his incessant beats – nor those of Kid Kenobi, the other headliner on the bill. There’s no excuse to go home early on Easter Saturday, is there? If you stay up late enough, you might just see the Easter Bunny. Or something. We’ve got two double passes to the big night – for the chance to get your hands on one, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us why you like your music far too loud.

CIRCOLOCO

The Circoloco bash will descend on the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney on Friday April 25 for an ANZAC Day of hedonism. The party boasts a blockbuster DJ lineup comprising Berlin’s Dixon, The Martinez Brothers and Prins Thomas.

Often left in the shadows of his illustrious Norwegian compatriots Todd Terje and Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas is a formidable DJ in his own right, as a listen to his Live At Robert Johnson mix confirms. The Full Pupp/Internasjonal record label founder has previously impressed in Australia with sets at the Sydney Festival alongside DJ Koze and he will likely add to his local following when he throws down in a few weeks’ time. Dixon is synonymous with his Innervisions imprint and has remixed the likes of Isolee and Ian Pooley along with a host of others. The highly touted Martinez Brothers will be making their Australian debut. The party kicks off at midday and a range of local DJs, including, but not limited to, Brohn, Gabby, Mia Lucci and local heartthrob Mark Craven, will hit the decks as well.

Frankie Knuckles

SPANNER FT KOWTON AND TESSELA

Low Motion and Heavenly have got together for a new club night called Spanner, which launches this Saturday April 12 at Goodgod Small Club with a double bill of two Englishmen, Kowton and Tessela. Kowton is a Bristol-based producer who started out releasing under his Narcissist moniker and has since established himself with releases on labels such as Hessle Audio with productions that blur the lines between techno and dubstep.

Tessela is originally from Bath and produces robust industrial bass tracks. He has remixed Alex Smoke and released the noteworthy EP Nancy’s Pantry last year on the esteemed R&S Records label.

producer, Giova has also been working on productions with artists such as Donato Dozzy.

Rounding off the bill is Phile, the duo of Hannah Lockwood and Gareth Psaltis, who will be playing a live set laden with analogue techno flavours. Psaltis, part of the Anomaly crew, recently released his debut EP Voriulk on the local Hunter Gatherer imprint. He has found himself a regular on Sydney’s techno DJ circuit supporting artists such as Rrose. Presale tickets are $20 and doors open at 11pm, while prospective revelers will be pleased to note that the lockout laws that are in place across the CBD do not affect this particular venue.

ANDY STOTT

Manchester’s dub-inflected tech impresario Andy Stott, who also pushes more bassinflected sounds under the moniker of Andre, will finally make his Australian debut at the Siberian Nights VIVID party on Friday May 23 at the Sydney Opera House. Stott is a dexterous producer who trades in distinct dub techno and has a discography comprising over 20 releases. He’ll be flanked by locals Forces, DCM, Four Door, Black Vanilla and prodigious new Siberia signee Cassius Select.

Disclosure

BAD APPLE FT SEAN PATRICK FRANKIE KNUCKLES TRIBUTE

Frankie Knuckles, the man dubbed ‘the godfather of house’, passed away recently at the age of 59. Knuckles was responsible for classic club cuts such as ‘Your Love’ and ‘Baby Wants To Ride’, while DJing at a range of celebrated NY and Chicago venues from the 1970s onwards. A decade ago, he even had his own street named after him in Chicago at the site of the famed Warehouse club. Fittingly, several of Sydney’s fi nest selectors are coming together to hold a euphoric dance in tribute at Goodgod Small Club this Friday April 11. Mad Racket’s Simon Caldwell, Magda Bytnerowicz, Matt Vaughan, Long John Saliva and Love’s Disciple will all be belting out Chicago house records to celebrate one of club culture’s genuine pioneers. The party begins at 10:30pm, with entry $10 on the door.

Germany’s Sean Patrick heads up the lineup at Bad Apple this weekend, which also features some noteworthy locals playing click-to-click.

A member of the Slow Motion Records family, Patrick is the booker of the Cookies nightclub in Berlin and also plays at other renowned Berlin nightspots like Renate. The Glitch DJ Matt Aubusson, Sankeys UK Resident Dillan Joseph, Le Brond, Venda and Daniel George will also spin, along with Bad Apple residents Ben Ashton and aboutjack. The beats commence at 9pm on Friday April 11 at the Burdekin, with entry $5 before 11.

STRANGE SIGNALS

Lebanese producer Morphosis headlines the forthcoming Strange Signals event on Thursday April 17 at The Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, with support from Antonia Giova and Phile. Morphosis released his debut album What Have We Learned back in 2011 on the Delsin imprint, the fruits of a mere two days in the studio. He has since released an album with his experimental outfit Upperground Orchestra along with remixes of Pinch & Shackleton and collaborations with previous Strange Signals headliner Donato Dozzy. Italy’s Antonio Giova, one half of Neapolitan duo Natural/Electronic.

System with Valerio Gomez de Ayala will also be performing. A stellar DJ – check out his ssg special mix for mnml ssgs – and emerging

DISCLOSURE

Following their tour of regional Australia this month as the main attraction at the Groovin The Moo festival, South London duo Disclosure will play a DJ sideshow at Home Nightclub on Thursday April 24, Anzac Day eve. Disclosure’s debut album Settle was a chart-topping hit with dancers all around the world, spawning a recent remix album that featured reworks by the likes of Larry Heard, Hudson Mohawke and Australia’s own Flume. Disclosure will be supported by A-Tonez, Danny T and Fear Of Dawn.

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 33

DJ Premier Collusion Course By Rohan Williams

D

J Premier might be the greatest producer in the history of hip hop – and hip hop has taken him to some strange places.

“I went to do a show in South Africa,” he remembers, “and the promoter got a call the day we landed. He said he was Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, and he would like to meet me. In exchange for meeting me in person, he would take me to meet Nelson Mandela. The promoters were like, ‘Man, we don’t know if this guy’s for real or not; do you want to take a chance?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So they said we’d go meet this guy the next day and see if he was for real.

“The next day, the guy called and said, ‘Hey, are you coming?’ He gave us the address, and our driver said it was defi nitely where Mandela lived, so we decided to drive over. Once we got there, we called Ndaba’s phone and he said he’d meet us outside, because they had armed guards all around the compound. He came out to get us, and he looked just like Nelson Mandela! He looked like the young Nelson Mandela. Same face and everything. He comes out and he’s like, ‘Yo, are you ready?’

“He starts speaking to the guards, and they put their guns down and

years,” Premo says. “We always do a different set. We just do all kinds of crazy things... We do karaoke. We get people up onstage who think they know the words to the record, and if they don’t, we kick them off the stage.

We do a whole bunch of silly stuff.

let us walk right through the gate.

We walked right past the metal detectors. You know those little conveyor belts they have at airports, when you run your bags through the X-ray machine? They even had one of those! They let us skip all of that and walk right in.

We get inside and Ndaba calls out, ‘Grandad!’ He calls back, ‘Are they here?’

“Ndaba walks us through to see Nelson Mandela and he’s just sitting there reading the newspaper. Just kickin’ back with his feet on an ottoman. We were thinking he was going to be brought through a big door and down a fl ight of stairs with a royal introduction, with horns playing, but he’s just sitting there chillin’.

He showed us around the house, we spoke for a while, and somebody asked if we could take a picture before we leave. He says, ‘Well, who’s the star?’

“There were about eight of us – me, the promoters, the guy who drove us over there. They all pointed to me, and Nelson Mandela says, ‘OK, all of y’all can take a picture but you’ll have to take it as a group – but you can take one by yourself.’ So I got to take the group picture and the one by myself. I’ll never forget this: when we were done, he said, ‘I now release you!’ I felt like a little

kid. I was like, ‘Thank you, Mr. Mandela, sir, thank you! I’ll leave now!’”

Of course, there are a lot of hip hop fans who’d be just as excited to meet DJ Premier. After emerging as one half of Gang Starr alongside the late MC Guru, Premo quickly became known for epitomising the New York sound and for ‘speaking’ with his hands, scratching together lyrics from older tracks to construct new choruses. He’s produced classics for Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., JayZ, Big Daddy Kane, Mos Def, Fat

“[We walk] through to see Nelson Mandela and he’s just sitting there reading the newspaper. Just kickin’ back with his feet on an ottoman.”

Joe, Royce da 5’9”, Big L and dozens more, and he’s not done yet – he and Nas plan to record a new album together soon.

One of the only hip hop producers on Premo’s level is Pete Rock.

First coming to prominence as one half of Pete Rock & CL Smooth (of ‘They Reminisce Over You [T.R.O.Y.]’ fame), he lent his jazzinfl ected style to classic records from the likes of Nas, Public Enemy, Big L, Common, Freddie Foxxx, Heavy D & The Boyz and Run-D.M.C., and had a massive infl uence on Kanye West and J Dilla.

Now, these two legends are coming together to launch the Collusion series with co-op DJ sets across Australia. “Me and Pete have been doing this for two

“When we did it in New York in summer, it was amazing, because so many people came and we just said, ‘Yo, who wants to rock with us?’ Smoothe Da Hustler was there, so Pete put on ‘Broken Language’. Smoothe came up and rapped and the crowd went crazy.

We were at the amphitheatre where they shot Wild Style and it was packed to the bone. I see Lil’ Fame at the back, so he comes up and I throw on ‘Ante Up’. All of a sudden, I see Sadat X, and he comes up and does ‘Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down’. I see Bumpy Knuckles, so I bring him on to do ‘Shake The Room’ and ‘Militia’. Camp Lo comes on and does ‘Luchini’, and then Pete brings D.M.C. on to do ‘Down With The King’.

“That wasn’t scripted or rehearsed, that just happened because everybody was there while we were battling, going record-forrecord. I know we can’t bring everybody with us to Australia, but that’s how loose the show can get.”

What: Collusion: DJ Premier x Pete Rock Where: The Hi-Fi When: Saturday May 3

Yacht Club DJs Keeping It Odd By Alasdair Duncan and realised it was easy to mix. A lot of DJs progress from that stage, but I guess we’re still the guys who are trying to figure out how to get their parents’ weird records to fit together!”

This process, of course, leads to a lot of dead ends and a lot of frustrating failures. There are a lot of might-havebeen mash-ups in the Yacht Club DJs’ archives, but Harrison says they’ll never see the light of day. “I have this problem where I feel like I can imagine what two tracks will sound like mashed up together,” he says, “but in practice, it’s way too hard to change the keys. I imagine parts that aren’t there. You often get to the point where you realise it won’t work and you just have to chuck it away. I’ve had many, many ideas like that, and I’ve sat in the studio for hours pulling my hair out trying to make it work, and realising it just won’t happen.”

P

arty boys Yacht Club DJs always have something in the works, and this month, the Ballarat lads dropped their brand new mixtape, Oddity Number 5. It’s a typically eclectic selection of mashups and party jams, with a particular fixation on late ’90s and early ’00s R&B and hip hop. Selections from Mya, Missy and Busta Rhymes all feature, but the mix goes way beyond that, pushing the boundaries of the dancefloor and the outer limits of good taste. Case in point: ‘Drive’, the massive hit from alt-rock bros 34 :: BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14

Incubus, features prominently. “Yeah, I’m not even embarrassed by that,” laughs Gaz Harrison, one half of Yacht Club. “It’s a great tune. I have a lot of friends who are diehard Incubus fans, and although they claim to be into harder music now, as soon as you put on a track like that, they just go right back to their teens and they totally lose it.”

In typically bizarre Yacht Club style, the mixtape also features a mash-up of Outkast with John Mellencamp’s ultra-mellow rock classic ‘Jack &

Diane’. “We’ve always had a weird fascination with chucking things together that shouldn’t really go together,” Harrison explains. “When I started DJing, I was very early in high school, and I was pretty clueless about it. I was under the impression that you could put anything together and it would work with the right mixer.

I went through my parents’ and friends’ parents’ record collections in those early days and experimented a lot, trying to mix things together.

That’s how I first got into hip hop, because I was working out how to DJ

Two tracks in particular almost made it onto Oddity Number 5, but the lads just could not find a way to make them work. “I really wanted to use ‘Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster’

by Thee Oh Sees because I’m a big punk fan, and I made it work but it just sounded ridiculous, because Thee Oh Sees are pretty lo-fi, so if you put a bouncing beat with it then it just ends up sounding ridiculous.

It ended up being a lot more work than I was able to put in. ‘Cooking Up Something Good’ by Mac DeMarco is one of my favourite songs of the last year, but the time signature was just too weird to make it work. My options were to extend each bar by a bit and ruin the song, or play it out in 3/4 time and confuse the living shit out of everyone on the dancefloor.”

Gaz Harrison and Guy ChappellLawrence have both played in various bands, but after nearly nine years together as Yacht Club DJs they have just gotten around to making their first original music in the studio. They have a four-track EP due out later this month, and as Harrison tells it, it’s eclectic as ever.

“I guess we’re still the guys who are trying to figure out how to get their parents’ weird records to fi t together”.

“The only thing that connects the four tracks is that they’re all electronic.

There’s a radio-friendly Madchester house track, a really aggressive punk electro one, and there’s one that sounds like a really sleazy man dancing in the corner of a Berlin techno club at 3am. The last one is more of an electro track, with a girl we know from Sydney rapping on it.

They’re four different tracks, but they all work together. A friend of mine described it as ‘nightmare music’, so I’d say that’s what it is.”

You may well expect to hear some of these tracks played out when the Yacht Club guys embark on their next national tour. Harrison promises a typically wild ride – and anyone who has experienced the chaos of a Yacht Club DJs show in the past will have a fair idea what that means.

“We’ve got a bit of a special stage set up,” he says. “I’ve been working on building it for the last few weeks, in between doing renovations on a house that I bought with my dad. An electrician friend of mine just came around to do a final bit of wiring for the stage setting. The show is going to be a party. Crazy shit will happen, as it always does – we’re never fully in control of it.”

What: Oddity Number 5 out now through SoundCloud Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Thursday April 24

thebrag.com

Deep Impressions Dance And Electronica with Chris Honnery

Pepperpot photo by Ivanna Oksenyuk

Pepperpot

V

eteran French DJ Pepperpot, the nom de plume of Gregory Lambert, will spin at The Spice Cellar on Saturday April 12. Pepperpot is a specialist DJ who is a resident – and indeed, curator – at Paris’ renowned nightclub the Rex Club. He has been peppering clubbers with a range of house, techno and disco since the early ’90s and has played alongside many of the international house and techno A-list, honing his own distinct style in the process.

Anyone unaware of the man ought to seek out some of his mixes online, which showcase why the Frenchman has a made a habit out of playing to busy dancefloors.

Fittingly, local pinup Le Brond is also on the bill. Le Brond has played at many of Sydney’s most respected club nights through the years, including Minimal Fuss and Circoloco, supporting the likes of Ben Watt, Dixon, Akufen, Konrad Black and Gregor Treshor along the way. In terms of international jaunts he’s also played at Berlin’s Arena Club with Dop and Motor City Drum Ensemble and at Transit party in New Caledonia.

Renowned tastemaker Will Saul will mix the next compilation in !K7’s long-running DJ-Kicks series. Hailing from Glastonbury, Saul has been trading off his aural prowess for many years, starting out working for Sony International before committing to production, DJing and the good life. The move has proved an astute one, with Saul releasing a compilation for the Balance series and remixing the likes of Chicken Lips, Scuba and The Juan Maclean, along with his output as Close, which spawned last year’s album Getting Closer. Saul’s aim with his DJ-Kicks mix was to create “a mix that rekindles the thing I loved about listening to mixes 20 years ago.” And what was that, Will? “That unknown aspect where each new track is a surprise,” Saul explains, waving his index finger in the air excitedly. “In a time when all music/track IDs and myriad mixes are accessible at the click of a button, I hope this makes for something a little more interesting.” Saul’s mix features tracks by recent Sydney visitor Legowelt, Cottam and a new cut from Bicep along with over 20 others. It drops in June.

Inigo Kennedy photo by Anze Kokalj

Techno luminary Inigo Kennedy will headline the next If? Records warehouse party, which is slotted for Saturday May 10. The owner of the Asymmetric label, Kennedy dropped his first release back

LOOKING DEEPER SATURDAY APRIL 12 Pepperpot The Spice Cellar

THURSDAY APRIL 17 Morphosis The Imperial Hotel, Erskineville

SATURDAY APRIL 26 Fred P Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY MAY 10 Inigo Kennedy Warehouse venue TBA

in ’96, the same year he dropped his breakthrough second outing ‘Automation Makers Art’. Kennedy has remained a prolific producer ever since, operating under a number of pseudonyms including Reducer and ‘Tommi Satori’, which is geared towards heavy industrial sounds.

A purveyor of distinct abstract, industrial and experimental techno, Kennedy uses his Asymmetric label to release his more experimental releases that he considers “too risky or not commercially viable for other labels”. If? Records main man Sebastian Bayne will also be throwing down on the night, along with Gene Hoffmann, Gabriel Fernandes and Simon Pinnick. Presale tickets are available online for a lobster.

UK producer Matt Cutler, known within electronic music circles as Lone, will release his fifth album Reality Testing on the R&S label in June. Cutler set the bar very high for this album with the excellent lead-off EP comprising the cuts ‘Airglow Fires’ and ‘Begin To Begin’, which will both feature on the forthcoming album along with ten unreleased tracks that apparently range from “propulsive club constructions to beatific coastal hip hop”. In describing the recording process, Cutler elucidated, “I wanted to make an album that had both hip hop and house beats but that weren’t completely different from each other, that shared the same sort of vibe. I love the idea of two things sat side by side, but instead of it seeming like they’re complete opposites, those two things could almost be the same thing.”

I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO

FEEL L IKE CRAP JUST FOR

BEING Inigo Kennedy

Direct all Deep Impressions-related feedback, praise, vitriol and other proposals to deep.impressions@yahoo.com. thebrag.com

LEFT

H A N D E D.

Okay, that’s hard to imagine? But being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or intersex is no different to being born left handed, it’s just who you are. So stop and think because the things we say are likely to cause depression and anxiety. And that really is pretty crap.

GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

BRAG :: 557 :: 09:04:14 :: 35

club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

Potbelleez DJs

SATURDAY APRIL 12

SATURDAY APRIL 12

Marquee

Potbelleez DJs 10pm. $28.60.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 CLUB NIGHTS

DJ Tom Kelly Goldfi sh, Kings Cross.

11pm. free.

House Party Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. free.

Snapback - feat: Various Artists Newtown Hotel, Newtown.

7:30pm. free.

The Supper Club - feat: Resident DJs Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 10pm. free.

The Wall - feat: Various Local And International Acts World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. $5.

Whip It Wednesdays - feat: Various DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross.

9pm. free. xxx

THURSDAY APRIL 10

CLUB NIGHTS $5 Everything

Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Goldfi sh And Friends feat: Regular Rotating Residents Goldfi sh, Kings Cross.

10pm. free.

Kicks World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

Loopy - feat: Drty Csh + Daschwood + Generous Greed + Guest DJs The Backroom, Sydney.

10pm. $12.

Nick Skitz Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. $10.

Physical Education - feat: Various DJs Flinders Hotel, Surry Hills.

10pm. free.

Pool Club Thursdays feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

5pm. free.

Red Bull Music Academy Pres. Seven Davis Jr feat: Cassius Select + Edseven (Lioness) + Forty Love Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. free.

Solarium - feat: Solarium DJs And Live Acts Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Spice Thursdays

The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. free.

The World Bar Thursdays World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Chance Waters + Brendan Maclean Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.

Fatty Phew - feat: Willis + Nter + Hed Ubd + Sleezy Greazy Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS

Boat Party - feat: Nick Warren + Jody Wisternoff Starship Sydney, Darling Harbour. 12pm. $65.

Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests.

World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm. $10.

DJ Sliink + Dirty South Joe + King Lee + Fingers + DJ Just 1 + Luny P + Oskillator Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $27.70.

El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

FBi Hands Up! - feat: DJ Clockwerk + Special Friends With Benefi ts FBi Social, Kings Cross.

11:30pm. free.

Hunter Gatherer Showcase - feat: Gardland + Gareth Psaltis + Nander + Cassius Select + Asger Jorn Red Rattler, Marrickville.

9pm. $20.

Love 70s Pool Party feat: Mr. Glass + Graham Mandroules Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $25.

My Place Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. free.

Potbelleez DJs Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.

Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Spice 12.04 - feat: Pepperpot + Le Brond + Rodean + Dean Relf The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Spice After Hours - feat: Robbie Lowe + Murat Kilic The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

5am. free.

Xxx

club pick of the week

Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Infamous Saturdays - feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

JJ Duo North Sydney Leagues Club, Cammeray. 9:30pm. free.

Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Mashed Fridays Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free.

Soft&Slow 11.04 - feat: Matt Trousdale + Andy Webb + Pink Lloyd The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Sunday Session Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 6pm. free.

Trap’d In The Hills - feat: Hydraulix + Front To Back Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 8pm. $10.

SUNDAY APRIL 13 CLUB NIGHTS

La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney.

8pm. free.

Martini Club And Friends feat: Ocky + Tom Kelly Goldfi sh, Kings Cross.

10pm. free.

S.A.S.H Website Launch feat: Gabby + Jake Hough + Kerry Wallace + Secret Guest Flyover Bar, Sydney. 2pm. $10.

Sunday Spice 13.04 - feat: Murat Kilic + U-Khan + Fat Tony + Lloyd James The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.

MONDAY APRIL 14 CLUB NIGHTS

Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

DJ Mattia Goldfi sh, Kings Cross.

11pm. free.

TUESDAY APRIL 15 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

DJ Robin Goldfi sh, Kings Cross.

11pm. free.

FRIDAY APRIL 11 HIP HOP & R&B

Decypher Us Brklyn, Manly. 9pm. free.

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

CLUB NIGHTS

Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks.

6pm. free.

Chiefs + Islnd + Designer Mutts + Horegeous + The Tongue World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm. free.

DJ Hype + MC Funsta + DJ Styla G + Tactical Aspect + Fkna + Amy Lee + Autoclaws + Judson Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $22.60.

Donny Benet Show Band Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12.

El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Donny Benet

THURSDAY APRIL 10

Seven Davis Jr

Red Bull Music Academy Pres. Seven Davis Jr - feat: Cassius Select + Edseven (Lioness) + Forty Love Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

FRIDAY APRIL 11 DJ Hype + MC Funsta + DJ Styla G + Tactical Aspect + Fkna + Amy Lee + Autoclaws + Judson Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 8pm. $22.60.

Soft&Slow 11.04 - feat: Matt Trousdale + Andy Webb + Pink Lloyd The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

SATURDAY APRIL 12 Chance Waters + Brendan Maclean Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.

Fatty Phew - feat: Willis + Nter + Hed Ubd + Sleezy Greazy Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

DJ Sliink + Dirty South Joe + King Lee + Fingers + DJ Just 1 + Luny P + Oskillator Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 8pm. $27.70.

36 :: BRAG :: 557 : 09:04:14

SUNDAY APRIL 13 S.A.S.H Website Launch - feat: Gabby + Jake Hough + Kerry Wallace + Secret Guest Flyover Bar, Sydney. 2pm. $10.

thebrag.com

Seven Davis Jr by Mochilla

Boat Party - feat: Nick Warren + Jody Wisternoff Starship Sydney, Darling Harbour. 12pm. $65.

Spice 12.04 - feat: Pepperpot + Le Brond + Rodean + Dean Relf The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

snap

chinese laundry ft jozif

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

darkside + movement

PICS :: AM

05:04:14 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

soul of sydney ft watussi

PICS :: AM

02:04:14 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300THEHIFI

06:04:14 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue St, North Sydney 99649477 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

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MAGNAN :: S :: ASHLEY MAR :: :: AMATH

BRAG :: 556 :: 02:04:14 :: 37

snap

marquee ft denzal park

PICS :: AMT

s.a.s.h ft jozif + pepperpot

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

05:04:14 :: Marquee :: The Star Sydney Pyrmont 9657 7737

the 45 sessions

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06:04:14 :: Flyover Bar :: 275 Kent St Sydney 9262 1988

PICS :: KC

05:04:14 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585 38 :: BRAG :: 556 :: 02:04:14

chinese laundry ft dose

PICS :: AM

spice

PICS :: AM

05:04:14 :: Play Bar :: Basement 72 Campbell St Surry Hills 9280 0885

04:04:13 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

MAGNAN :: S :: ASHLEY MAR :: :: AMATH

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