Brag#602

ISSUE NO. 602 MARCH 4, 2015

FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

JJ GREY & MOFRO

The Southern rockers who found inspiration on a Caribbean beach.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

Mexico’s flamenco rock stars are on their way for Bluesfest.

THE RISE AND RISE OF

THE

DJ SHADOW

Paying tribute to a master of hip hop, Afrika Bambaataa.

CAT EMPIRE

VILLAGE PEOPLE

We talk to the soldier.

Remember the soldier?

Plus

ART MONTH 2015 SUNNYBOYS CLIENT LIAISON

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+PH.FAT ( ( +KALE SOUTH AFRICA

The Chuck Taylor All Star

Made by Aaron Herrington

Made by you

The Chuck Taylor All Star

Made by Josh Landeau

Made by you

The Chuck Taylor All Star

Made by Callum Preston

Made by you

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rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Nicholas Hartman and Kelsey Berry

Oxford Art Factory Wednesday March 11

speed date WITH

Keeping Busy I’m about to complete my east coast tour, 2. with shows in Brisbane and Melbourne and

Your Profile I sound like a mashup between Florence 1. and The Machine, Hans Zimmer and Ólafur Arnalds. I love to take two or more seemingly disparate genres and combine them to create something completely unique. I believe that’s the only way you can come up with a sound that is removed from the norm, by deconstructing the constructs of genre and structure. I really like to sit at the piano, late at night, with a glass of

PAOLO NUTINI Enmore Theatre Tuesday March 31

WREN

whisky and the mysteriously eerie moonlight and just see what comes out.

my final show in Sydney coming up on the 6th of March. Apart from that, the past three or four months I have been forcing myself to focus more on the business and marketing side of music. Being a creative type, I tend to gravitate towards the compositional side of my work and leave the business elements unattended. As an independent artist, I cannot afford to do this and I know I must keep on top of it, so I have been educating myself in this area as well as collaborating with a few producers to keep my skills up to scratch.

Also, I am planning on filming my music clip for ‘Alive’ shortly and recording another EP, which I have already written, so stay tuned!

Best Gig Ever Best gig ever was in Saint Mark’s 3.

Basilica during a Mass in Venice. I was a soloist, touring with the school orchestra, and we played The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. The acoustics combined with the phenomenal

history of the building and city were aweinspiring. Worst gig ever? I was playing with an orchestra in an eisteddfod with a large crowd as first violinist. I fell off the stage.

Current Playlist I have always been obsessed with 4. clashes between orchestral and electronic, so right now I am playing Ólafur Arnalds, Sigur Rós and Jónsi on repeat.

5.

Music, Right Here, Right Now My ultimate rider would be: coconut water, litres of it (no, I am not joking). A bottle of Glenmorangie Single Malt (obviously I would drink the whisky and the coconut water separately…). D’Affinois cheese with crackers and some cured meats. And last but not least, a jar of Mavis’ peanut butter with an attractively large spoon. Obviously I do not request these things for fear of being considered slightly unhinged.

What: Raw out now independently Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday March 6

Angus & Julia Stone

AWESOME INTERNS: Lachlan Mackenzie, Spencer Scott, Nicholas Hartman REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Keiron Costello, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Mina Kitsos, Emily Meller, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, Kate Robertson, Erin Rooney, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Krissi Weiss, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, 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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State Theatre Wednesday April 1 and Tuesday April 2

JOHN MAYALL Factory Theatre Thursday April 2

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE The Basement Sunday April 5

THE GIPSY KINGS Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House Tuesday April 7 and Wednesday April 8

JIMMY CLIFF Metro Theatre Thursday April 9

THE COAST IS CLEAR

’90s rockers Everclear – the Portland lads who put the song ‘Santa Monica’ in your head all those years ago – are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album Sparkle And Fade with a tour of Australia. Everclear’s friendly melodies spread around the world with that 1995 record, but they haven’t gone quiet in the intervening decades, having signed an indie deal last year ahead of their ninth studio album Black Is The New Black, due out in 2015. In the meantime, they’ll be rekindling the glory days at the Metro Theatre on Sunday May 10, Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Tuesday May 12 and Mona Vale Hotel on Wednesday May 13.

BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN

Iconic British performer Morrissey will play four nights at the Sydney Opera House as part of the 2015 Vivid LIVE program. The former Smiths singer and master of quiffery released his tenth solo album last year, entitled World Peace Is None Of Your Business. He’s the first act announced on this year’s Vivid LIVE lineup, joining a list of prominent contemporary artists who’ve played at the Opera House like Kraftwerk and fellow purveyors of gloom The Cure. For a run of gigs sure to attract attention from fans in Australia and overseas, the famously vegetarian Morrissey has insisted that catering venues inside the Opera House not be allowed to serve meat while he’s there. Morrissey plays the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday May 26, Wednesday May 27, Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31 in what will be his only Australian shows. Tickets are only available via ballot, open now at sydneyoperahouse.com.

Bluesfest when anyone cancels, as we know it must be for Lenny’s fans right now. Please be assured we are now attempting to find someone else to come and play … Although we are going to miss Lenny when we take off on Thursday 2nd of April, I am sure it’s going to be one of our greatest Bluesfests ever.” Bluesfest 2015 is on Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6. Should single-day Bluesfest ticketholders wish to cancel for Thursday April 2, they should call the Bluesfest office on 02 6685 8310 by Thursday March 19.

BULL’S ON PARADE

Andy Bull will hit the road again this autumn for a huge national tour. The tour will mark Bull’s last run of headline shows before he heads back into the studio to work on his second album. Bull’s debut record Sea Of Approval was released last year. Joining him for this

tour will be Brisbane’s Cub Sport. It all goes down at The Hi-Fi on Saturday April 11 and Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Saturday April 25.

ONE FOR THE MUMS

The four golden throats of Human Nature will combine again to put on a special show on Mother’s Day this year. The crooning quartet of lads, who originally started as a boy band, matured into a group covering the hits of Motown and associated timely genres of pop. Last year they released Jukebox, an album featuring a range of classics from the ’50s and ’60s. They’re returning to Sydney after earning the big bucks at their residency at The Venetian casino in Las Vegas, just to make this special one-off show. Human Nature play The Star Event Centre on Sunday May 10.

NOT GONNA GO OUR WAY

Lenny Kravitz has pulled out of his 2015 Australian touring commitments, including a headline appearance at Bluesfest. The singer-guitarist’s management announced that scheduling conflicts meant Kravitz could no longer make the trip to Australia and South East Asia this year. He was due to play Bluesfest on Thursday April 2 alongside a Sydney sideshow on Wednesday April 8. Bluesfest director Peter Noble said, “It is sad for all of us here at

Boris

COME ON FEEL THE NOISE

Japanese noise band Boris – not to be confused with your half-Russian uncle – have locked in an Australian tour. Boris have collaborated with the likes of noise genre overlords Sunn O))), for one, and released their 19th album in 19 years (!) last year, the to-the-point titled Noise. Boris will arrive at Newtown Social Club on Friday May 29.

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

Enmore Theatre Wednesday April 1

Sydney’s favourite sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone will headline a resurrected Live At The Chapel show in Newtown this month. The intimate gig series, once a popular Australian music program, has been brought back to celebrate the launch of Samsung’s Milk Music streaming service. The Stone siblings have just played a triumphant pair of dates on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, but this will be a chance to see them in a much smaller setting.

Angus & Julia Stone will play Live At The Chapel at St. Stephen’s Church on Monday March 16. Tickets are available via a competition at facebook.com/ liveatthechapel.

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar

GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Nicholas Hartman, Emily Meller, Spencer Scott gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag. com (dance, hip hop & parties)

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC

STONES LIVE AT THE CHAPEL

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Kelsey Berry, Nicholas Hartman, Spencer Scott

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: Furst Media 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

BALKAN BEAT BOX

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 9

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Nicholas Hartman and Spencer Scott

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five things WITH

NICK LANGLEY FROM WHY WE RUN Black Emperor, Nine Inch Nails and Thom Yorke’s various projects.

Outside of music, films and soundtracks are a huge influence on me – and the whole band for that matter.

3.

my expectations of music were set relatively low in the beginning.

my early years weren’t particularly musically fruitful. I did, however, play little else aside from Billy Ray Cyrus’ seminal classic ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ for the better part of the first two years of primary school. I’m not sure who or what planted that seed, but in a way I’m glad that

Inspirations I’m just one part of the Why 2.

We Run whole, but my tastes come mostly from an alternative/ post-rock/electronic/folk spectrum.

I’ve spent years listening to the likes of Sigur Rós, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Godspeed You!

Dustin Thomas

The Music You Make We tend to err towards 4. brooding and ethereal atmospheres, and live this often comes out in our stage presence

premiered her latest single ‘Not Around’ over the summer, and will make her way to Goodgod Small Club on Saturday May 9.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

For the most part, we’ve been enjoying adapting to the everchanging music landscape. The challenge is working out how to make a buck, but right now we’re more interested in sharing our music with the world and enjoying ourselves. In terms of bands around us, we’ve loved watching the rise of our friends in Little May, and I’ve been enjoying going to Newtown Social Club of late, having seen Daniel Rossen and King Gizzard there recently.

It’s a perfect size for a balance between intimacy and energy.

Where: Brighton Up Bar / The Vanguard When: Thursday March 12 / Thursday April 9

THE CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is a blues rock collective pooled together by the former Black Crowes frontman of the same name. The boys have only been together four years, yet have released an impressive three albums in that time. Their latest, Phosphorescent Harvest, came out in June last year. In support of the release, they’ll be hitting up Australia soon – namely to perform at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest over Easter and a sideshow at the Metro Theatre on Monday April 6. We’ve got a double pass to give away to the show – to be in the hat, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us: what’s your favourite fraternity of all time and why?

Xxxx

Growing Up As an only child in a 1. reasonably non-musical family,

Your Band Why We Run evolved from what used to be Cogel. We lost a member, our name was difficult to pronounce, and our sound began to change. Now a four-piece, our musical tastes are different enough that we bring different perspectives to the table, but cohesive enough that we’re usually on the same page. We recently worked with director Tim Gibbs for our video and were lucky enough to have our first two singles produced/ mixed by Wayne Connolly. They’ve both brought the best out of us and we’re very grateful to them.

and visual elements. We’re obsessed with texture and tend to work pretty slowly. We’ll often rewrite a song several times, and even then it could still go in the trash.

L-Fresh The Lion

YEP, IT’S JEP AND DEP

The ‘folk noir’ Sydneysiders Jep And Dep are set to celebrate the release of new track ‘Tears In The Rain’ with a gig in their hometown. Jep And Dep – known as Jessica Cassar and Darren Cross by their respective nans – are heading Newtown’s way to launch their new single, before immediately skedaddling off to Europe for an 18-date tour.

The partnership has received some choice reviews – up-and-coming Shakespearean folkster Courtney Barnett described them as “a duo that will melt your heart like a marshmellow at a campfire”. Get melted at Newtown Social Club on Saturday March 28.

SPYGLASS GYPSIES

Sydney’s own gypsy jazz ensemble Spyglass Gypsies have announced a one-off show at Django Bar this month.

Performing all around Australia since 2010, the band has been a staple of several music festivals including Kiama Jazz & Blues, Illawarra Jazz & Folk, Newcastle Jazz and Oz Manouche Gypsy Jazz Festival in Brisbane. Spyglass Gypsies are Richard Ashby and Cameron Jones on manouche guitars, Loretta Palmeiro on clarinet and soprano saxophone, Andrew Scott on accordion and Shannon Haritos on double bass. They’ll all be at Django Bar on Friday March 13.

ONE SPIRIT TRIBE LIVE

The One Spirit Tribe collective of artists will come together for a night of spirited performance in an intimate setting this month. The big-haired American artist Dustin Thomas will take headline duties, with help from Swedish pop and roots reggae artist Markandeya. Local blues and roots rockers Chad Wilkins and Jo Mall Kahn are also on the bill, as is Danny Ross of The Voice fame.

One Spirit Tribe takes over Paddington Chapel on Saturday March 14.

CBD EXPOSED

The Liverpool Night Markets are set to host another live music event in the form of the CBD Exposed urban youth music festival. Plowing ahead with a plan to revitalise live music and expose local talent, the markets welcome headliner L-Fresh The Lion to the Liverpool stage, alongside a massive selection of arts and crafts, street food and kids’ activities.

The March Night Markets are on this Saturday March 7 in the Macquarie Street precinct of Liverpool.

Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson

Marta Pacek

MARTA PACEK AND A FEW FRIENDS

ECCA VANDAL

Enigmatic Melbourne artist Ecca Vandal is backing up the release of her latest track, ‘Battle Royal’, with a launch date in Sydney this week. Vandal made her mark with her debut single last year, ‘White Flag’, but there’s no surrendering to mediocrity on her new one. Her maiden live date will be at Goodgod Small Club this Friday March 6.

MONTGOMERY MAKES DEBUT

10 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

High-velocity Celtic duo Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson will return Down Under this month after an eye-catching showcase at Melbourne’s Australasian Worldwide Music Expo in 2014. When it comes to pipes, nobody can match these guys – they combine Scottish and Irish bagpipes to build an overwhelming sound that draws on the long history of the British Isles. Fittingly, they’ll play The Gaelic Club on Monday March 16.

xxxx xx

The heavenly Montgomery will play her first-ever live dates on an east coast tour this May. New Clear War is the first taste of the Gold Coast singer-songwriter’s talents, released through I Oh You last year. She

THE CELTIC SOUND

Melbourne’s Marta Pacek and Canadian trio The Jessica Stuart Few will share the stage on a co-headline tour through March and April. Pacek’s brand of alternative folk has taken her from Australia to North America and beyond, with her latest album the 2014 release Voodoo Dolls And False Alarms.

Meanwhile, The Jessica Stuart Few do indie folk/jazz with an added twist: the Japanese 13-stringed harp (koto) played live onstage. The tour rolls in to Newcastle’s Royal Exchange on Wednesday April 1 and Django Bar on Saturday April 4, while The Jessica Stuart Few appear by themselves at Shirt Bar on Thursday April 2.

thebrag.com

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Which music editor began an interview with an internationally famous singer by reminiscing how 20 years ago they had cameos in a movie, and the muso accidentally punched the scribe on the nose during a scene? * Which venue staffer had to take time off after a brawl between two men? One threw a chair at the other, but it hit her in the face. * Johnny Depp was spotted at Foo Fighters’ Brisbane show. He turned up to Marilyn Manson’s Tivoli show and joined him for ‘The Beautiful People’. Meanwhile, after the Foos’ Brissie show, they had a steak dinner at Moo Moos in Broadbeach where they proved

to be great guys, speaking to anyone and everyone there.

When the restaurant asked Grohl to snap a photo sitting astride their statue bull, Kobe, he obliged immediately. In Sydney, Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine joined the Fooies for a version of Van Halen’s ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love’. * Oh dear. YouTube has one billion active users per month and US$4 billion in revenue, but has still not turned a profit. * Adele’s 21 has achieved another milestone. It’s just spent 208 weeks (four years) on the US Billboard 200 album chart.

It’s sold ten million copies there. * After Iggy Azalea went on US radio to do a freestyle rap, a caller rang in: “That shit is fucking trash dawg, get the fuck off the airwaves.” * The tree in California’s Mojave Desert featured on the artwork for U2’s 1987 album The Joshua

BIG DAY OUT BOSS: WHAT WE DID WRONG Charles Attal of Big Day Out’s new owners, C3 Presents, told The Austin Chronicle that the mistake they made when they took over was to continue its “touring festival” format, which had already started waning for their Lollapalooza festival. “We should have gone into Melbourne and Sydney, probably, and branded it that way,” he mused. “Maybe flipflopped the weekends like Reading and Leeds in England. I don’t know exactly what we should’ve done, but it shouldn’t have been a touring festival. Those days, I think, are moving on.”

BEATPORT LAUNCHES FREE STREAMING SERVICE SFX Entertainment has introduced a no-cost, ad-free streaming service on its EDM platform Beatport. Its 50 million DJs and EDM-head users can now discover and download new

Tree has had one of its branches chopped off by vandals. * Hoax story of the week: Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath was “killed on set” by a “masked gunman” while filming an action TV show. * Western Sydney narrowcaster AM1476, operating as Cool Country 2KA, suddenly ceased broadcasting after 15 years.

There was no reason given, but it was apparently sold to an Indian-language broadcaster.

Cool Country is still streaming online and on a soon-to-belaunched app. * At Flight Facilities’ LA show, Reggie Watts joined them for ‘Sunshine’. The Flighties are touring the US with Touch Sensitive and Seattle’s Beat Connection. * The March instalment of Future Classic’s summer rooftop series at the Museum of Contemporary Art will feature Cyril Hahn. In February, Redinho and Touch

music and buy SFX events tickets in one go.

They’ll also get more EDM news, videos and a platform able to cope with lengthy DJ sets. It is expected to expand Beatport’s user base to 80 million.

FRANKY TAPIA JOINS CHINESE LAUNDRY Franky Tapia has been named club promoter for Chinese Laundry, after his successes in Canberra at Trinity, Meche, All Our Friends Music Festival and the Thank You Ma’am club night. He will work alongside Jackson Donegal (BASSIC on Friday nights) and Elinor Williams (LNDRY on Saturday nights) to deliver Garden Parties, residencies and international headliners.

WARNER MUSIC SIGNS BEN LEE Warner Music has signed Ben Lee, and will release his album Love Is The Great Rebellion this year. In the meantime, Lee has

life is noise by arrangement with Artist Voice presents

Sensitive played alongside awesome views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. * The Crown Hotel in Revesby, which features live bands on Thursdays, has been sold to Redcape Hotel Group for a reported $30 million. * They Might Be Giants’ new live album, given away for free on their website, was recorded over a number of shows in Australia, where they toured after a long absence and discovered they still had a huge following. * Native Tongue America has secured a sync for Clairy Brown & The Bangin’ Rackettes’ ‘Love Letter’ with US department store JC Penney. The ad, about its latest men’s clothing line, will be shown through North America. ‘Love Letter’ was last year used in the US market by Heineken.

self-released online A Mixtape From Ben Lee – a project that’s been in the works for ten years. It was produced by Sam Spiegel (Squeak E Clean) with collabs from Zooey Deschanel, Ben Folds, Sean Lennon, Neil Finn, Sally Seltmann and Angie Hart.

All proceeds go to the Q’ero Project, which supports the Q’ero people of Peru, the last Inca community.

MEG MAC TO 300 ENTERTAINMENT On the eve of her first US tour (starting at SXSW this month), Melbourne singersongwriter Meg Mac has signed with New York-based label 300 Entertainment, which was founded by former Warner Music Group chairman and CEO Lyor Cohen. The signing means the world release of her EP MEGMAC on April 7, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Cohen said in a statement that the company “fell in love” with Mac after hearing ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ – “She is a true artist of immense talent,” he said.

DALLAS FRASCA OFFERED SFR HOME Hard rockin’ trio Dallas Frasca – Dallas Frasca (vox/guitar), Jeff Curran (guitar) and Josh Eales (drums) – will release their third album, Love Army, through a deal with Social Family Records. CEO Jake Challenor said, “When SFR’s marketing manager Alli Hodge introduced us to Dallas Frasca’s new material, it was love at first listen. Rock’n’roll is part of our young DNA over here.” The album is out Friday April 17 with a national tour through 123 Agency.

FRIDAYS FOR GLOBAL RELEASE The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) will make Fridays the new global day of release for all new music, starting mid-year. This makes no difference to Australia as Friday is already our day of release. The US, however, has Tuesday, and the UK Monday. The industry figures Fridays are when consumers shop in earnest, and will now be able to access new releases at the same time. But some indies say that it’s a majors’ ploy to overshadow indie acts.

HELP RESEARCH ON ENTERTAINMENT BIZ PROBLEMS

Friday 29 May Newtown Social, Sydney Tickets $44+BF from lifeisnoise.com, oztix and the venue

12 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

Entertainment Assist’s research into the challenges of working in entertainment is in its second phase. After interviews with music execs, it’s now looking at dancers, musicians, actors, comedians, directors, producers, technicians and backstage workers. They’ll ask about the pitfalls, how you cope and what support is needed, and the data will be used in support and prevention programs. See entertainmentassist.org.au.

An early report of the findings published in The Age revealed that entertainment industry workers are more likely to suffer from mental illness and have a higher rate of suicide due to stress, competition and jealousy. This reflects a 2012 report from the Australian Road Crew Association that 70 roadies “died prematurely”, mostly from suicide. Much of the music industry earns less than the average Australian: performers about $44,600 per year, support workers $39,300 and equipment operators and roadies $64,440.

Lifelines Expecting: Nova Entertainment Group’s Paul Jackson and partner Emily Symons.

Ill: Rod Stewart’s guitarist Jim Cregan, 69, is battling prostate cancer.

Injured: Madonna revealed she suffered whiplash after she tripped on her cloak and fell off the stage during her performance at the BRIT Awards.

In Court: Daniel Johns was disqualified from drinking and fined $880 at Newcastle Local Court for mid-range drink driving.

Warned: Scarlett Johansson and Este Haim’s new power pop band The Singles were sent a cease-and-desist letter by another LA band of same name.

Jailed: ’70s pop singer Gary Glitter, 70, for 16 years for molesting three girls.

In Court: an arrest warrant for former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese was issued last September in Texas for drug charges, and there’s a US$1,000 reward for information leading to his apprehension.

In Court: a lawsuit claiming Ariana Grande took bits of The Jimmy Castor Bunch’s ‘Troglodyte’ for her 2013 hit ‘The Way’ was settled amicably.

In Court: the Gold Coast magistrate hearing a case against local nightclub owner Jamie Pickering (Sin City, Vanity), which alleges he supplied cocaine to teenage girls, called the police case “sloppy” when they couldn’t find their key witness despite searching on social media and trying to find his mobile number.

Died: documentary film director Bruce Sinofsky, who worked on the 2004 Metallica doco Some Kind Of Monster, 58, from diabetes.

Died: one-time Yngwie Malmsteen keyboardist Mats Olausson, 54, found in a hotel room in Thailand, among empty whisky bottles and beer cans.

Died: US country musician and songwriter Bobby Emmons, 72. He wrote hits for Waylon Jennings and George Strait and played on 120 Memphis-made tracks including Elvis Presley’s ‘Suspicious Minds’, Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’, Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, Merrilee Rush’s ‘Angel Of The Morning’, B.J. Thomas’ ‘Hooked On A Feeling’, Joe Tex’s ‘Gotcha’ and Bobby Womack’s ‘Fly Me To The Moon’.

MAN GETS DISABILITY BENEFITS BECAUSE OF METAL ADDICTION A Swedish man has received disability benefits after proving an obsession with heavy metal music was such an “addiction” that he couldn’t hold down a job. Roger Tullgren, 42, attended 300 concerts last year and can’t work unless he has music blaring and sports his tatts and long hair. Three psychologists declared it would be “discriminatory” if he didn’t get the benefits.

INXS’ VERY BEST GOES FIVE TIMES PLATINUM INXS’ The Very Best has hit five times platinum, while awesome shows on their tour saw Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits pick up its fourth platinum accreditation. Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour is now two times platinum while Hozier’s Hozier has gone gold. Of singles, The Script’s ‘Superheroes’ has been certified double platinum, and picking up their first platinum accreditations are Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You Do’ (second week at number one), Taylor Swift’s ‘Style’ and The Avener’s ‘Fade Out Lines’. thebrag.com

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NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

BY ADAM NORRIS

THE CAT EMPIRE

O

n the freezing, isolated stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, preparing themselves for a billion-strong televised audience at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, The Cat Empire were finding their marks and Harry James Angus was feeling out of sorts. The band had reached a level of commercial success that stretched far beyond the smoky jazz clubs that brought its members together, due in no small measure to the exuberance of their live performance and their relationship with their dancing, enamoured audiences. Yet looking back on the MCG today, nine years later – with the band still packing out venues and touring the globe – Angus feels that despite the great exposure, the event was the antithesis of what The Cat Empire are truly about.

“To be honest with you, I always hated that Commonwealth Games gig,” he says. I have met Angus on a handful of occasions, and each time I am struck by his friendliness and direct conversation. “I really didn’t want to do it. I wasn’t against it for anything particularly serious, mind you. It was just – there we are standing in the middle of the MCG, miming along to this recorded music. You can’t see anything, there are people miles away out there, there’s this huge invisible TV audience. When you talk about it as a career move, it sounds great. But if you talk about it musically, it was just nothing, you know what I mean? There was no music, there was nothing going on there.

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It is easy to appreciate Angus’ conflicted feelings. Turn back the clock to their formative days and you’ll find a fledgling Cat Empire almost solely dedicated to seeking out audiences – either their own, or somebody else’s – and honing their musical skills.

Even prior to forming, the band members could be found skulking around venues and bars, eager to pounce on any opportunity to develop their passion for performance.

“Well, it was an interesting time. When I first met those guys [we] were all in Year 12 or just finished, so we saw a lot of each other at various gigs, running into each other when we were out catching our elders. Seeing these great guitarists or trumpet players who were ten years older and who you wanted to learn all you could from, you know? I’d look around and there would maybe be one other person there in the entire room who was even close to my age, so Felix and the others would always stand out. I knew they were musicians as well, otherwise they wouldn’t have been there in the first place. So we kind of got started there, and soon got to know each other.

“But I was pretty shameless in those days,” Angus laughs. “I’d go out to hear people play and sit at a carefully chosen table right at the front of the club, and I’d kind of have my trumpet bag positioned where the people onstage could see it really easily, have it poking out a little, and just hope that one of them would invite me up to play with them.

And they often did, which was great. I try and return the favour when I can, but these days I don’t always trust that guy at the front with his saxophone ready to go. I don’t invite that many folk up onstage any more. Those old guys, they were much better teachers than I am.”

The clear moral of this story is that in order to find yourself invited up onto a Cat Empire

stage, you need to find a surreptitious way of sneaking a tuba inside your shirt and easing a path to the front of the crowd. However, it seems that particular ship may already have sailed.

“It was easier when it was all part of the jazz scene. Now that we’ve crossed over with The Cat Empire into a more mainstream audience, we have plenty of stage invaders.

Some of them are fun. Some of them are just pretty girls who want to come up and dance, or dudes who want to crowd-surf – and that sounds a bit sexist dividing it like that, but it’s generally how it is. And that’s fine, but sometimes it’s rappers who grab the mic, and one time out of ten it’s awesome. Those others nine times, well…” Angus chuckles.

“We do a lot of mic confiscating.”

The Cat Empire are now entering their 16th year, and following the new Party In The Park event at North Sydney Oval, they will be jaunting across the Northern Hemisphere for a slew of performances. Suffice to say, they don’t seem to be concerned with slowing down in the near future. The audience for their ska-fusion antics has certainly not diminished over time, and by casting even a cursory glance around Australia’s strongest emerging acts, you can find similar genrepushing sounds everywhere. As Angus points out, though, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Sometimes I think bands like Cat Empire, Blue King Brown, Melbourne Ska Orchestra are kind of like the ‘showbiz’ of it all. We’re the industry face of what is a much bigger musical subculture. It’s in Melbourne, but it’s also in Sydney, Brisbane. It’s the jazz musicians, the Latin musicians, the people who listen to FBi, who listen to the gospel show on Sunday. That community radio vibe.

People who know their soul music, who know their Afro-funk or are really into doo-wop.

They’ve got their scene, they’ve got their thing. It’s a really big subculture, and the people who love it are out there catching gigs

“WHAT I LIVE FOR AS A MUSICIAN IS CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE, OR HAVING SOMETHING SPONTANEOUS HAPPEN; FEELING IN THE MOMENT.” five nights a week. I think some of the bands like us are a bit of a safer bet. We take some of that stuff and we tweak it in a way that can be brought to a wider audience.”

A safer bet, perhaps, but anyone who has caught them live before will attest to the passion and talent they bring to every song. It is almost exhausting watching the band kick into gear, but it is also electrifying.

“As a band, the big challenge in the last few years has been bringing things in. We started out with this mission to incorporate all of these different genres. We had a list, you know?” Angus laughs. “As time goes by, we’ve tried to scale that back a little. We’ve always wanted to have our own sound, but maybe something that is not so varied all the time. I guess that’s what we’ve been working towards. I think we’re heading closer and closer to something simpler. We’re getting closer to pop in some ways, but it’s definitely going to be on our terms.”

What: Party In The Park With: The Jezabels, Little May, Husky, Sons Of The East Where: North Sydney Oval When: Saturday March 14

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xxx

“What I live for as a musician is connecting with people, or having something spontaneous happen; feeling in the moment.

There was none of that. It was more, ‘OK, when you see the red light on camera three, go stand on that ‘X’ we’ve marked out on the floor, and try and look like you’re having fun singing, even though you’re completely freezing and you’re shit scared because you know they’re seeing you around the world.’

So you’re acting really unnatural, standing

there miming. It’s got nothing to do with actual music.”

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Sarah McLeod Unplugged And Unstoppable By Augustus Welby release are entirely up in the air.

“We were supposed to put it out at the beginning of this year,” says McLeod. “One thing leads to another and it just keeps getting pushed aside and shuffled around. To be honest, I really don’t know when we’re going to put it out. But it’s really good, so I’m sure we’ll get it out at some point. Everything may change in that band. It’s this evermorphing beast. At any given day it could go in any direction depending on people’s moods.”

This uncertainty will surely frustrate fans hankering for a follow-up to ‘Man The Life Boats’. But to be fair, McLeod’s not been slacking off lately. Already this year, she and Skelton have been performing duo shows around the country, and next week she’ll kick off a national tour supporting From The Jam. That band is the work of Bruce Foxton, who was the bassist and occasional lead vocalist for UK mod-punk band The Jam. Essentially, Foxton is fronting a trio and pumping out all of The Jam’s hits. Understandably, McLeod’s pretty excited about the shows. And she’s not the only one.

L

ast time the BRAG caught up with Sarah McLeod, she was in the company of The Tea Party head honcho Jeff Martin. The pair had cooked up a collaborative single, ‘Man The Life Boats’, which united McLeod’s hooky melodic capacity with Martin’s known affection for Eastern-inspired riffing. A tour

followed, as well as the promise of more recordings in the future. But alas, it’s more than 12 months later and we’ve heard nothing else. The good news is that – along with Baby Animals drummer Mick Skelton – McLeod and Martin have completed an album. What’s less encouraging, however, is that the details of its

“My sister Leah, she’s a couple of years older than me and she was just obsessed with the ’80s punk English sound,” McLeod says. “She steered my musical influences for most of my teenage years. I told her that I was doing this tour and she was so excited. I’ve finally worked out how to impress my sister.”

McLeod originally planned to play these shows backed by Skelton, but a last-minute alteration means she’ll take the stage alone. A seasoned acoustic performer, she’s unfazed by the change of plans.

“I’ve developed a percussive thing going on with my right hand with the acoustic guitar,” she says.

“Even when Mick’s not there, I’m still doing it anyway with the right hand. It’s about percussive acoustic and big, belting singing.

It’s a pretty rocking show. I get a sore neck from playing acoustically.

I’m the only person I’ve ever known that comes away with a sore neck from sitting on a stool playing acoustically.”

Once the tour’s over, McLeod will step back into the role she’s most famous for: as the frontwoman of alt-rock four-piece The Superjesus.

Throughout May, the band is hitting the road alongside its Oz rock predecessors Baby Animals.

Instead of making it a complete nostalgia fest, The Superjesus have a new single due before the tour kicks off.

“I’m excited about it,” McLeod says.

“I just put the vocals down for it last night, so I’ve now got the vision of what it’s going to be. I was a bit of a doubting Thomas, but now that I’m starting to see it fall into place I’m like, ‘Ah, OK, we do know what we’re doing.’”

McLeod penned the as-yetunnamed single with Superjesus guitarist Tim Henwood. McLeod and Henwood have written plenty of songs together in the past, but this track came together in a rather different manner.

“When we first got back together two years ago, Tim and I started writing straight away,” McLeod says. “We wrote fi ve songs in two weeks because we were really excited. Then we just never did anything with them. Of late, when

we decided we’re actually going to release something, I wrote another three. I threw a song into the works, which was a track that I’d written a few years ago on acoustic guitar.

Tim took it away and re-did the instrumentation and made it a bit darker. Strangely enough, that’s the one everybody’s chosen for the first single. I’ve never done it like that before.”

It’s nearly 12 years since The Superjesus’ last LP Rock Music came out and a whopping 20 years since the band formed. Keeping afloat in the music biz can impose a gruelling workload, and McLeod’s definitely looking out on a busy year. Still, when taking stock, she resolves that sticking with this music caper wasn’t such a bad move.

“I work all the time, and you can only see half of it. The stuff that I have to do behind the scenes to get all the music prepared is an obscene amount of work. But on the flipside of that, do you really call it work? Sitting around jamming, getting drunk, singing to people – it’s not really work. It’s just a lot of the same kind of partying.

When you weigh it all up, I can’t complain. I think I am blessed to do what I really like doing and be able to do it for a living and still be seen as somewhat relevant, which is quite hard to do when you’ve been in the business this long.”

Where: Supporting From The Jam at the Factory Theatre When: Saturday March 7 And: The Superjesus will appear alongside Baby Animals at the Metro Theatre on Saturday June 6

Shovels & Rope Digging Deep By Tom Clift time together that we were able to if I was a banker and he was a doctor, or something.”

Michael Trent, her bandmate and husband, agrees. “That’s how we met,” he says. “Music has always been around. We would have never known each other if it weren’t for our music.”

Trent is originally from Denver, and previously enjoyed some success as part of the four-man outfit The Films, although the memory is somewhat soured by a bad experience with the corporate side of the music industry. “I had a record deal when I was younger, but it was with a major label and it sort of went sour and we got churned up and spit out on the other side,” he says, although it sounds as though the scar has long since faded.

T

he best folk music is often defined by its wistfulness and sense of romance. It’s fitting, then, that contemporary American folk duo Shovels & Rope have their roots in a real-life love story.

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“Music has always been present in our lives,” says Cary Ann Hearst, with a smile you can feel all the way down the phone line from Charleston, South Carolina. “We probably wouldn’t have spent the

“The Violent Femmes were one of the first bands that really stuck out to me,” says Trent. “My teenage angst was full-bore at the time that I discovered them, and I really loved that it was kind of like folk music, but that it was funny and smart at the same time. For me it was a lot of garage rock … I think Carrie came up more in the traditional country music world.”

“Yeah, I was deeply inspired by the artists in the traditional country canon,” Hearst confirms. “I’m from Nashville, and they spend

“We had both made solo records right before we started this band,” says Trent. “We didn’t really know what to do with them, and had this catalogue of music with no plan and no way to tour it. So we just started playing together in bars, playing music from her record and my record, and then we just started writing together.

“It wasn’t very professional,” he continues. “As professional as you can be with a microphone and a 12-pack. We just kind of did it for fun, and then we showed some of the recordings to people and were surprised by the reactions. People got really into it.”

After touring together for a while, the pair began to enjoy greater attention with their breakthrough album O’ Be Joyful. The record made in onto the US Billboard 200 and won a pair of awards from the Americana Music Awards in 2013. Their follow-up, Swimmin’ Time, reached number one on the Billboard Folk Chart and was released by Spunk Records in Australia.

Hearst has a simple philosophy for dealing with the increased pressures of success. “You can’t acknowledge it,” she says with a laugh. “The way to choke under pressure is to succumb to the pressure. You’re better off ignoring the pressure and just doing what you do, because that’s what got you in the sweet spot anyway. If you get distracted by a mean tweet, or have

one bad show, or if your record isn’t selling a gazillion copies, you just have to put your head down and stay about your business. Be industrious.”

It probably helps that, unlike a lot of touring musicians, they don’t have to leave their loved ones behind when they’re on tour. “It’s the inevitable fate of musicians that if you’re not travelling with your loved one you’re leaving them behind all the time,” says Hearst. “It’s very difficult and very bittersweet. We eliminated the great problem, which is separation, so any problem that would arise otherwise is offset by the fact that we get to be a family.”

Asked if they ever need space apart from one another, Hearst lets out another big laugh. “Oh, sure!” she exclaims. “And probably because we’re in our 30s and we’re smarter than we used to be, we’re able to just say it. I like to go to the grocery store when we’re on tour and just walk around quietly and look at all the things I want to take on the bus with me. That’s not really Michael’s bag, but it’s good for me.”

“It doesn’t seem that hard,” agrees Trent. “You work out your little problems when they arise. Maybe we’re just lucky. We’ve never been married and not collaborating musically. For us it’s just like owning a little mom-and-pop business. We give each other the space we need. I think that in any band, or in any marriage, [you need to] be able to communicate that to one another.”

What: Swimmin’ Time out now through Dualtone/Spunk With: Shakey Graves Where: Factory Theatre When: Thursday March 5

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Shovels & Rope photo by Leslie Ryann McKellar

Hearst, meanwhile, was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, although she first began performing after moving to Charleston for university.

She got to know Trent through the city’s close-knit music scene, and they paired up musically, then romantically, not long after. It was a natural fit, despite their different influences.

a lot of time teaching you about your musical heritage there. I was singing in bar bands, while Michael was more in the rock and – [she pauses, searching for the right adjectives] – Eurotrash folk music world?” The description makes her husband laugh.

JJ Grey & Mofro Caution To The Wind By Adam Norris

S

ome days, you can raise your head high and plunge into an interview with all the journalistic gravitas of Walter Cronkite. Other days, well, you can’t help but gush like a faucet about how fucking awesome someone’s latest song is. In this case, that song is ‘Every Minute’, and as feel-good anthems go, a person could wander many miles before finding something so fresh and yet so classic.

The tune came to JJ Grey as he walked along a Jamaican beach listening to distant music carried on the breeze, and from that precise moment he knew he was on to something special.

“That music was coming from out there in the distance,” Grey recounts. “It was this peaceful little moment, and I just started humming what turned out to be the melody for the verse. It just kept sticking with me, and it’s one of those times that I’m glad I remembered to pull out my pocket recorder – I know most people have these recorders on their phones these days, but I don’t bother with that. I wasn’t really thinking about it all that much until later when it came to me again, and I realised that’s the melody I thought I could hear when I was there in Jamaica that time. I kept humming it in the car, and one day I just decided it was time. I grabbed an acoustic guitar and started messing around with it, and it all started falling together.”

It’s a bold, exuberant song, replete with horns and backing vocals plucked straight from the legacy of artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Redding and Dobie Grey. You can’t help but get caught up in the energy (and man, what a climax), in the sense of communal celebration.

It’s little wonder given the unaccustomed collaborative nature of new album Ol’ Glory.

Grey ordinarily composes much of his material at home in Florida, only bringing songs to the band once he is confident in knowing exactly how each will sound. Ol’ Glory, though, panned out another way.

“These songs are my stories of the places I’ve seen, the people I know still living and those that died, the blood, the sweat, the tears.”

start inserting their own, that triggers something in your own mind that inspires you to somewhere else? That’s the same thing that goes on with me in my writing, except that it’s a conversation that I’m having with myself. A lot of the songs I’ll have no idea what in the hell is going on, and I’ll only realise later, ‘Oh my God, that’s the story of my grandparents’ last conversation together.’ And then I can sometimes add personal touches to really bring it in to tell that story completely, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do all these years. It’s like being on a sailboat. I just man the rudder. I let the wind and the current do the rest. Steer and drift. Steer and drift.”

What: Bluesfest 2015 With: The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Alabama Shakes, Train and more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6 And: Also appearing at The Basement on Monday April 6 More: Ol’ Glory out now through Mascot

DAVID M. HAWKINS PRESENTS GRAMMY WINNING SOUL SENSATION

MACY GRAY THE WAY TOUR 2015

“This album I wanted something different,” he says. “Normally I demo a song, and they’ll learn it from the demo. This time I came to the guys with an acoustic guitar and just told them the chords. Told the keyboard player what kind of sound I’m after, told the guitar player just to try and experiment. I tried to be very vague. For the drummer I’d just hum a basic beat. A song like ‘A Night To Remember’, there was a bassline that I wrote but I took it to Todd [Smallie] and said, ‘Wherever you want to go from there, just do it. Just go.’ So that way, who these guys really are will come through their playing. In my opinion, it makes it feel a lot more laidback, rather than if they just try note-for-note what I set down and what I was feeling. That would be a waste of their talent, because they can play their instruments way better than I can!” Grey laughs. “It definitely takes on a life of its own when you let other people get involved. You just need to get out of their way and trust that they’re going to be true to the vision that I had. And they definitely have, so I’m very, very lucky.”

While the strength of JJ Grey & Mofro’s live performances has brought them an enduring reputation, something that is often overlooked in the band’s critical response is the quality of songwriting on display. The tunes are at once universal and very particular, as though penned by a happily sober Raymond Carver. Grey writes from personal experience, he concedes, but the shape of a song is dictated by forces far outside his ken. Ol’ Glory is a journal of thoughts and impressions, but Grey is at pains to emphasise that each song is its own pilot.

“I feel like these songs are a diary. I don’t mean that in any self-important way, but these songs are my stories of the places I’ve seen, the people I know still living and those that died, the blood, the sweat, the tears. All of the good times, too. I feel like most of the songs write themselves; I would never want to take the credit from them.

“I’m not a great craftsman – I feel like anyone can do what I do. The trick is to just try to remember it all, and sometimes it’s just like having a conversation with yourself. You know how you’ll be out of a night having drinks and one person will start telling a story, another will thebrag.com

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Rodrigo Y Gabriela Dead Or Alive By Krissi Weiss album charts. Musically, they have all the hallmarks of a niche band, yet Rodrigo y Gabriela have been booked everywhere from Glastonbury to their upcoming date at Bluesfest. They have bucked the trends on the way to some great achievements, and most importantly, they’ve never veered from what they do best.

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s fourth album, 9 Dead Alive, was released last year. It’s a concept album; a celebration of individuals who have passed away but whose lives still resonate with people in the 21st century, and with Rodrigo [Sanchez] and Gabriela [Quintero] in particular. When the BRAG catches up with Sanchez, he is acclimatising in Norway – not quite the perfect preparation for a trip to Australia.

“I’m working on a project. I’m not here for the purpose of working on it; I just wanted to be here,” Sanchez says with a charming chuckle. “My girlfriend lives here and I decided to begin working in the studio.”

T

here are some musical combinations that defy all explanations as to why they work. Take Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. Growing tired of metal, they took their love of seriously heavy music and wedged it into an acoustic format replete with

flamenco influences, all without vocals. Instead of finding fame in their home country of Mexico, it would be Ireland where the band first enjoyed commercial success, beating out the likes of Johnny Cash and Arctic Monkeys for the number one spot on the

So are Rodrigo y Gabriela getting ready for another release already?

“No, we’re doing a lot of different collaborations this year; I’m all over the place,” he says. “I’m trying to concentrate on a few at the moment. We have about eight coming up. It’s interesting to be working on such different styles of music.”

Sanchez and Quintero have built an insular creative environment – they not only write and tour as just the two of them, but they often record on their own – so collaborating

must be both a welcome relief and a challenge.

“It’s all a learning process, but the kinds of collaborations we’re working on aren’t usually set up via our record label,” says Sanchez.

“They’re friends and musicians that we know and we respect and we like each other’s work. I call them and ask them if they want to do something. It’s a good time for a lot of musicians to be off. I got a little too excited and contacted a lot of people, but it’s great because we don’t really have any deadlines. We send the files remotely and so it’s all quite cool.”

While Sanchez is excited about all of his collaborations, he’s keeping most of the projects under wraps for now. “I don’t know if you know metal – Marty Friedman, he was part of Megadeth for a while, I’m doing some stuff with him.

[Otherwise] there are a few things that we are not allowed to say – I know that is stupid, but they are big stars so we keep those quiet. We are also working on the soundtrack for a documentary [about] Jaco Pastorius that Robert Trujillo [of Metallica] is working on … There are just so many different styles of music. Some of them we are not so comfortable with – for example, we are more comfortable with the metal – but it is really great for us.”

Life onstage for Rodrigo y Gabriela began on the street, busking in Dublin, so putting on an infectious and insanely energetic live show is the ethos they follow to this day.

Nonetheless, when you’re playing in excess of 100 gigs a year, it becomes important to remain spontaneous. With this the band’s

sixth time in the country, I ask what they have planned for their live shows Down Under.

“It’s funny, because when we are touring through the year, we tour and then we do the festivals here [in Europe],” says Sanchez. “But when we come to Australia, it is usually only once every two years and the festivals are when it feels to us to be the off-season, and then in the middle we’re doing some [shows] of our own, so we go with the flow with it all, even though it feels all a little different. We’ve played the Byron festival before so we think we will go with the flow and feel the energy of the audience.

“We won’t write a setlist – actually, we haven’t been writing a setlist for a year. It’s cool – we invite fans to tell us what they want to hear, and we like the atmosphere; we feel more a part of the show … Having a setlist can kind of send you crazy because you can over-focus on what you’re playing. You know it so well that it’s like you cannot move and you’re not connecting with what you’re doing.”

What: Bluesfest 2015 With: The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Alabama Shakes, Train and more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6 And: Also appearing at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Thursday April 9 More: 9 Dead Alive out now through Warner

Sunnyboys Rewriting History By Patrick Emery

B

ack in 1980, Jeremy Oxley, Peter Oxley, Bill Bilson and Richard Burgman were in a Sydney rehearsal room trying out some of Jeremy’s new songs. Also in the room was Rob Younger, former lead singer of Radio Birdman and a friend of Burgman’s since Birdman’s halcyon days in the mid-’70s. Younger, whose current band The New Christs will be supporting Sunnyboys on their upcoming national tour, had been enlisted as the fl edgling group’s lead singer; it didn’t take long for Younger to realise his services wouldn’t be required.

“Rob was actually our lead singer when we first got together,” Burgman recalls. “We had a few practices with him – we learnt a bunch of songs, some Stooges songs, some of Jeremy’s songs.

Rob would ask Jeremy how his songs went, and Jeremy would sing them. And Rob said, ‘I don’t think you need me – you seem to have a perfectly good singer already,’ and we agreed.”

Sadly for the fanatical collector fraternity, none of those original rehearsals ever found their way to tape. “It was a different era back then,” Burgman says. “It was all analogue; nobody had a little digital recorder or phone they could just hold up and record it.”

pressure to release an equally successful follow-up, Sunnyboys’ record company dispatched the band to New Zealand – apparently for tax reasons – to record the album with producer Lobby Loyde.

While Burgman says the band had enough material left over from the first album to put together a new record, Oxley’s songwriting had already moved on.

“Jeremy was writing a lot of new stuff that wasn’t like the first album,” Burgman says. “The songs were different, and we treated it differently – they weren’t as ‘up’, they weren’t as pop as the first record, but we really enjoyed learning and recording the songs.

But it didn’t have a hit song the record company could get behind.”

While the band members were happy with what they recorded, when they listened to the fi nal product that Loyde had mixed in LA, it wasn’t what they were expecting.

The recording and subsequent release of Sunnyboys’ second album, Individuals, wasn’t as enjoyable. Under commercial

33 years later, and Burgman’s assessment is that Loyde’s efforts to make Individuals a commercial success had drained

18 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

To record their third studio album, Get Some Fun, Sunnyboys headed across to the UK. Burgman looks back on that time fondly. “It was a big adventure going to England.

It was our first time outside of Australia. We needed to have a focus, and being there gave us that focus.”

While special moments such as playing the legendary Marquee Club in London took the edge off Oxley’s increasingly erratic behaviour, Burgman says Sunnyboys were still unsure of their next artistic and professional step. While Get Some Fun – which included the hit single ‘Show Me Some Discipline’ – was heralded as something of a return to form, by the end of 1984 Sunnyboys were a spent force.

Sunnyboys’ renaissance as a live band in the last few years, facilitated by Oxley’s return to mental health, has brought with it the opportunity to revisit both Individuals and Get Some Fun and re-release both albums, complete with bonus material.

The discovery of some original demos done for the Individuals recordings has allowed the band to fi nally present the songs as they were originally intended, while the re-release of Get Some Fun includes tracks taken from

Sunnyboys’ appearance at the rain-swept Narara Music Festival in 1983.

“What I remember about Narara was the headliners – Midnight Oil and Split Enz,” Burgman says.

“We played at about six o’clock, and then we hung around to watch the Oils play. And they were such an awesome live band. So that’s

what I remember most about that festival,” he laughs.

What: Individuals and Get Some Fun reissues out now through Feel/Inertia With: Riptides, The New Christs Where: Enmore Theatre When: Saturday March 14

thebrag.com

Sunnyboys photo by Lucinda Bilson

Younger’s assessment proved correct: by 1981, Sunnyboys, with Jeremy Oxley on vocals, were arguably the hottest new rock’n’roll band in town. The band’s debut album went gangbusters; the first single from the record, the now classic ‘Alone With You’, captured perfectly Sunnyboys’ blend of surf rock licks and adolescent spirit.

Still young, and relatively green about the ways of the music industry, the group was reluctant to criticise Loyde’s production.

“At the time we just went with it. Lobby was our mentor and leader, and a bit of an all-round guru,” Burgman says. “We were immediately disappointed, but we didn’t know what the consequences would be. We didn’t know if the album would sell or not. The first one was all youth and brashness; we were straight out of the box. But the second one was more thoughtful and deliberate, more considered.

So we went with what we got, and the consequences were what they were.”

the songs of much of their original character. “It was like Lobby had taken them to Los Angeles and mixed them in a studio with an engineer while trying to shape the songs, sound-wise, into something that might appeal to the American pop market at the time,” Burgman says. “New wave, poppy, rock’n’roll, something for the American market – but I don’t really know. But that’s what changed it – the songs we recorded are actually very good.”

W H Y W E RU N – C O M F O RTA B L E L I E –

THE DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO OUT NOW

MARCH 12 BRIGHTON UP BAR, SURRY HILLS APRIL 9 THE VANGUARD, NEWTOWN (W/ HANNAH JOY) APRIL 10 RAD BAR & CAFE, WOLLONGONG

EVERGREEN ARTISTS PRESENTS

‘BEAUTIFUL , DREAM-LIKE’

‘THE BENDS ERA RADIOHEAD’

Rolling Stone

Richard Kingsmill, Triple J

A MOP PROJECTS EXHIBITION

THE ‘RAW’ TOUR

FRIDAY MARCH 6TH

OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY, NSW TICKETS AT DOOR | 18+ ONLY

WITH SUPPORTS CRAIG HANSEN & THE MISSENDENS ANDREW COUSINS - ELSTOW

www.artistwren.com

W H Y W E RU N

An exhibition from multi-disciplinary artists Tim Bruniges, Julian Day, Heath Franco and Richard Kean exploring the intersection of sound and vision in their work – where the two meet and where they diverge.

– C O M F O RTA B L E L I E – A MOP Projects exhibition hosted by Galerie pompom.

THE DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO OUT NOW

Exhibition Dates 4 - 29 March 2015 MARCH 12 BRIGHTON UP BAR, SURRY HILLS Opening night + DJ Spooky book launch APRIL 9 THE VANGUARD, NEWTOWN (W/ HANNAH JOY) Wednesday 4 March 6-8pm APRIL 10 RAD BAR & CAFE, WOLLONGONG

GALERIEPOMPOM.COM 2/39 ABERCROMBIE ST CHIPPENDALE NSW 2008 ‘BEAUTIFUL , DREAM-LIKE’ ‘THE BENDS ERA RADIOHEAD’ POMPOM@GALERIEPOMPOM.COM Rolling Stone Richard Kingsmill, Triple J 0430 318 438 WED-SAT 11-5, SUN 1-5

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 19

Village People The Disco Daze By Tyson Wray

I

n the mid-’70s, French dance composer Jacques Morali and his business partner Henri Belolo took out an ad in a musical street press. It read: “Macho Types Wanted: Must Dance And Have A Moustache.” A few nights earlier, Morali, who was also the creator of novelty act The Ritchie Family, had attended a costume ball at Les Mouches, a gay disco in Greenwich Village in New York, which at the time was renowned for its high-level homosexual population. Having just begun working with singer/actor Victor Willis, Morali and Belolo saw the opportunity to create a disco group based on the masculine stereotypes and fantasy personae of the gay men of Greenwich Village.

The concept for Village People was sold to Casablanca Records before the members had even been found.

Morali’s first recruit, Felipe Rose (the ‘Native American’), came from a serendipitous meeting in which the two literally bumped into each other on the street. Alex Briley (who began as an athlete but then took on a soldier persona) was handpicked by Willis, while Mark Mussler (the original construction worker), Dave Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (leatherman), Willis (cop) and Peter Whitehead (one of the group’s early songwriters) rounded out the band. Thus, by 1977 – at the very height of disco – Village People had officially come into being.

“You weren’t even born back then,” laughs Alex Briley when reminiscing on the group’s formation. “It’s a really heart-warming thing to realise that people from younger generations, perhaps in their 20s, still want to hear Village People.

People from all walks of life and all ages love disco. It’s such a welcoming genre.”

Indeed, the appeal of Village People’s infectious take on camp disco traverses generations. Since the release of the band’s 1977 self-

titled debut, Village People have put out nine studio albums, selling over 100 million records worldwide. Their penchant for catchy musical motifs and suggestive lyricism resulted in some of the most ubiquitous hits of disco’s golden era, including ‘Can’t Stop The Music’, ‘Macho Man’, ‘In The Navy’, and of course, ‘Y.M.C.A.’.

But Village People’s glory days aren’t necessarily a thing of the past.

“To put it simply, 2014 was just another great year for us,” says Briley. “We got to travel to so many countries and perform for so many different people. Of course, we played at a lot of places in the States, but it’s always a great honour that our job allows us to visit so many different people. We had a chance to visit Colombia, we had a chance to visit Chile, and we even got to visit Russia. We always look forward to getting out and experiencing new audiences, wherever that might be. It was a really busy year – but that’s a good thing.

“Over the course of our career, we’ve revisited and toured so many places, but every single time we get to experience a new audience,” Briley adds. “We’re always looking forward to returning to some countries and also exploring new and different territories. The only difference is that children of the fans from the ’70s are coming to see us now,” he laughs.

Refreshingly, Briley and his bandmates aren’t afraid to indulge in their hits when it comes to performing live. “I’d have to agree with the audience, and when we’re performing there’s no doubt that ‘Y.M.C.A.’ gets the biggest reaction out of all of our hits,” he says. “Songs like ‘Y.M.C.A.’, people enjoy hearing it because it reminds them of great times they’ve had in the past. It really just gets the crowd going. But then again, you never know. It depends where

you’re playing. Sometimes ‘Macho Man’ gets the biggest response, sometimes it’s ‘In The Navy’. When it comes down to it, our music is just non-pretentious, no-frills fun. I really enjoy performing each and every song that we have.”

This month sees Village People return to Australian shores for a run of headline performances alongside a late-night slot at Golden Plains Festival. “One thing that we’ve always enjoyed about coming to Australia is the energy that you get from the audiences,” Briley says.

“Whether it be Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or Perth, the energy is just like no other country on the planet.

“I remember one of the first times we ever played in Australia. We all noticed how nicely the crowd was dressed, as if they were going out for a fancy dinner or something. By the end of the night, the women had kicked off their heels and were dancing on tables, the men [were] throwing away their shirts, ties and jackets. We’ve visited Australia so many times. We’ve had some wonderful times and met so many wonderful people. We’re going to hit that stage with as much energy that we can muster up and just have a really good time.”

And while Briley is soon to reach his 40th year with the group, he

admits that he doesn’t see Village People halting their commitment to spread the good word of the disco gospel anytime soon. “How long will the Village People stick around?

Well, that all comes down to how long people want to hear from us,” he laughs. “We’ve been doing this for well over 35 years but it’s never showed any signs of slowing down.

Our touring schedule for the rest of this year is really jam-packed. We’re really lucky to be able to do what we do, and to have been able to do it for so long.”

Where: Enmore Theatre When: Thursday March 5

Gruff Rhys Stuck In A Moment By Jacob Mills Neon that followed the life of John DeLorean, which we enjoyed so much that we followed it up with an album around the life of a radical Italian publisher called Feltrinelli.

“It’s nice to talk about somebody else for a while rather than myself.

Touring can become a pretty vacuous thing after a while and it’s good to examine other people’s narratives after a while.”

The change from playing in a band to curating your own work as a solo artist is a two-headed beast. While some artists are able to ride on the success of their previous work, Rhys takes a far more organic approach to his solo work, wherein everything is pointedly different from what comes before. His first solo album, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth – a folk record sung entirely in the Welsh language – was followed up in the next two years

by Candylion, a collection of upbeat pop tunes, and his first offering as part of Neon Neon, his romp in the world of electronica. While genrehopping like this often comes across as an artist trying to get their foot in as many markets as possible, Rhys admits a more genuine desire to express himself.

W

ales is pound-for-pound one of the stronger musicproducing regions in the entire world. Sporting a population of only three million people, there’s a fairly simple reason it is traditionally referred to as ‘the land of song’.

Prominent among the crop of one of folk music’s leading nations is Gruffydd Maredudd Bowen Rhys, 20 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

member of the on-again, off-again Super Furry Animals and now an established and storied solo artist whose style is as hard to pin down as the pronunciation of his name.

Gruff Rhys’ newest release is American Interior, which, above being an inspired album, is a story that compels you to pay attention as

it explores the tale of John Evans – an 18th century Welsh explorer who travels to a Native American community in search of a long detached relative who shared his mother tongue.

“By now I’ve done three biographical records,” says Rhys. “Me and Boom Bip released an album as Neon

“My solo albums are basically reflections of what I’m feeling at the moment, and I record them fairly quickly,” he says. “They’re far more raw in comparison to other stuff I’ve done, and it’s a reflection of what I’m in to, really. [Neon Neon’s] Stainless Style was an album I did with a friend and that was a chance for me to experiment and try out different ideas that I couldn’t do alone.

“I think it’s also important not to get complacent and to experiment. It was great working with Boom Bip because it was something that I almost couldn’t have imagined doing and it was challenging for my sense of taste. I think that there’s something dangerous about making tasteful music.”

Now, with the hard work of producing American Interior behind him, Rhys is continuing his mission of getting the album out to the rest of the world – an effort which includes two Australian shows in Sydney and Melbourne this month.

“I actually came out to Australia for Hotel Shampoo in 2011 and played some pub shows in Melbourne and Sydney, which were great,” he says.

“The crowd was super up for it and I had a great time.”

He’s squeezed in a stopover in Japan on the way, but the flight from Cardiff to Sydney is an undoubtedly long haul. “I actually have grown to really enjoy flying. It’s nice to be somewhere where nobody is able to contact you, but even that’s getting pissed off now they have Wi-Fi on planes,” says Rhys.

“I’m very excited to be back in Australia. It’s the one place in the world that has inspired me to write new material every time.”

What: American Interior out now through Turnstile/Caroline With: Jep And Dep, Community Radio Where: Newtown Social Club When: Friday March 6 thebrag.com

arts in focus arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Chris Martin and Spencer Scott

five minutes WITH

T

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

JUMPIN’ JUMPIN’ Jumpy

HEATH FRANCO FROM SOUND AND VISION worked together before?

This project was initiated by Ron and George Adams, directors of MOP. All of our individual art practices concern sound in some capacity, so they approached us to work together on this show.

ell us about the concept behind Sound And Vision.

The concept we are working with is that of the traditional fourpiece rock band and the ways its materials and relationships can be deconstructed and reworked in a contemporary art gallery context. We will present the gallery as a sort of acoustic

free stuff

chamber occupied by semiautonomous instruments where the boundaries between onstage (performance) and rehearsal space (studio) as well as our individual contributions have all been blurred.

What brought this group of artists together? Had you

One Man Breaking Bad – The Unauthorised Parody

What advantages and difficulties did you experience in putting the show together as a group?

The advantages would definitely be the pool of experience and knowledge the guys have brought to the project. We each have our own strengths and opinions, which has kept things rich and varied. As you would expect, because we are all accustomed to working individually on our solo practices, working together to achieve one outcome has been a challenge. Conceptually, it is similar to the challenges faced by four individual musicians when first forming a democratic band.

Just how important is the sense of sound to the human experience?

Darren Sanders

It is one of the five primary senses and as far as personal survival is concerned, may well be the most vital. As a fetus, I’m sure we would hear before the facilities of any other sense would become available. Hearing our mother’s heartbeat from the womb – this is where our love of rhythm comes from, I think.

The show will run during Art Month 2015. How central is this program to the strength of art in Sydney?

Art Month seeks to encourage new audiences to see contemporary art, which is great.

I don’t think it’s central to the strength of art in Sydney but the growing numbers of people attending program events year upon year indicates that the local art scene is healthy, and that it and Art Month enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.

What: Sound And Vision Where: Galerie Pompom When: Until Saturday March 28

NIGHTHAWK DINER HITS THE ROAD

American culture obsessives Al and Jim founded The Nighthawk Diner to indulge their taste for classic US flavours and share it with Sydneysiders. Now, Nighthawk is one of Sydney Food Trucks’ official gourmet fleet, and it’s recently popped up everywhere from Newtown to the Pacific Highway. To find out where the Philly cheesesteaks and milkshakes are headed next, head to facebook.com/ thenighthawkdiner.

The West End hit Jumpy is set to make its Sydney debut this month, thanks to Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. The play focuses on the mother of all midlife crises for 50-year-old Hilary, who finds herself having to confront middleaged life and motherhood – specifically the anxiety caused by her own rebellious 15-year-old daughter. Jane Turner as Hilary will be joined in the production by musical theatre star Marina Prior and Puberty Blues’ Brenna Harding.

Jumpy is playing at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House from Thursday March 26 – Saturday May 16. We’ve got three double passes to give away to the Wednesday April 8 show – to be in the running to win one, visit thebrag.com/ freeshit and tell us the advice you’d give your 15-year-old self if you could.

The walking tour will occur monthly, starting at NG Art Gallery at 2pm, with complimentary wine on arrival. Bookings are essential due to limited spaces – visit chippendalecreative. com for more info.

ACO Virtual

CHIPPENDALE ART TOUR

MARCH HAPPY ENDINGS BREAKING BAD SOLO

With over a million hits on YouTube, and sell-out shows at comedy festivals across the globe, LA actor Miles Allen will bring his solo show One Man Breaking Bad – The Unauthorised Parody to Sydney for the first time this year. As part of the 2015 Sydney Comedy Festival, the show features Allen (and only Allen) taking the audience through all 60 episodes of the infamous TV show, with hilariously accurate renditions of Walter White, Jesse, Saul, Hank, Skyler, Walt Jr., Mike and Gus Fring.

One Man Breaking Bad runs at the Seymour Centre from Tuesday April 21 – Saturday April 25.

ACO Virtual photo by Jack Saltmiras

HIJINKS’ HOUSE OF HORRORS

Hijinks, Sydney’s only underwater party event, takes over Sydney Aquarium again next Friday the 13th, transforming the space into an underwater House Of Horrors. Hijinks’ March edition will feature live sideshow acts by Dangerboy, a twisted fortune telling by Celia Curtis, gory face painting, a ouija board room and a live horror-themed AV set by Michela Ledwidge and Stuart Ridley, plus more. Tickets to the event include complimentary beer and spirits by Little Creatures and Stoli, as well as parts of the aquarium being opened so you can still enjoy all the sharks, penguins and dugongs.

Hijinks’ House Of Horrors takes place at Sydney Aquarium on Friday March 13. thebrag.com

The Happy Endings comedy night at The Unicorn in Paddington returns in fine form this month, with some laugha-minute lineups scheduled for the weeks ahead. This Wednesday March 4, the triple bill features the jack-of-alltrades Gary Eck, the ever-funny Katie Burch and musical comedian Jeremy Keast. Then on Wednesday March 11, Oz comedy fixture Darren Sanders gets a hand from Luke Heggie and Cameron James. It’s the happiest hump day in town.

TASTE GETS TASTIER

Commencing this Saturday March 7, the Chippendale Creative Precinct will host a free walking tour of galleries around Chippendale.

Tours will be hosted by gallerists and guest artists with an insightful knowledge of the local art scene. Continuing on from its BEAMS Art Festival in 2014, which saw 15,000 people flood the suburb’s laneways, the CCP is launching into its next project in recognition of the growing artistic hub that is Chippendale.

PLAY ALONG WITH THE ACO

Fusing digital technologies with visual and sonic innovation, a collaboration between Mod Productions and the Australian Chamber Orchestra is set to allow audiences to experience classical music in a revolutionary new way. ACO Virtual, the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s world-first digital installation, uses state-of-the-art video technology to surround audiences with projections of the ACO’s acclaimed musicians, with the sound of each musician coming from their projection. Audiences are then encouraged to use a touch-screen ‘music stand’ to spotlight and listen to one musician, one section, or the entire orchestra, and even play along. ACO Virtual is showing at Manly Art Gallery & Museum from Friday March 27 – Sunday May 3.

Taste Of Sydney

Taste Of Sydney has announced the second round of chefs and restaurants that will descend on Centennial Park this month for a weekend of excellent food and wine. Joining the ranks will be popup turned Sydney phenomenon Café Peci, a collaboration between Bloodwood and craft beer company Young Henrys called Young Bloods, and new Bangladeshi street food offering Bang. A global phenomenon, the first Taste Festival was held in London just over ten years ago.

Since then, Taste has rapidly grown to become a favourite part of the social season for foodies, restaurant lovers and wine connoisseurs in 24 different cities around the globe. Taste Of Sydney comes to Centennial Park from Thursday March 12 – Sunday March 15.

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:02:15 :: 21

Art Month Sydney 2015 [FESTIVAL] Gateway To The Arts By Annie Murney

“A

rt Month is like a gateway drug,” says artistic director Glenn Barkley. “You go to Art Month to work out what happens behind the scenes and get some pointers. Then the rest of the year becomes like Art Year.” In other words, it’s an exercise in art enthusiasm?

“Exactly, it’s really not hard to do,” he says.

Only a few days out from Sydney’s month-long celebration of contemporary art, Barkley is busy but excited. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Where Art Happens’. Many of the events examine the role of public art, emerging arts spaces, and the international grasp of the 21st century collector.

“From a broader perspective, the theme came about from seeing how artists have been squeezed out of the city,” says Barkley. “I’m interested in letting people know that artists live and work in the city. I want to engage with artists as much as the art world.”

Perusing the program for Art Month 2015, there are more events than are humanly possible to attend. Venues include a number of established Paddington galleries and a scattering of emerging arts spaces in the Inner West. There is also plenty to see at major sites around Kings Cross and Chippendale.

The Art At Night series focuses on three different precincts with galleries extending their opening hours. If you’re unsure about how to

behave at art parties (hint: it’s usually about cheap booze and looking clever), this is an ideal starting point. Or if you fancy diving in at a grassroots level, ARTcycle tours are a fun and friendly way of getting acquainted with local spaces, gallerists and artists.

In the lead-up to this year’s festival, Barkley has been busy forging links with more isolated art scenes. While the inner city tends to be well connected with the Western Suburbs, it’s not often that the North Shore enters the equation.

“There are amazing spaces out there, which I’m not sure people even know about, so it’s been great to draw on those,” he says. “[Willoughby’s Workshop] Arts Centre and the Incinerator Art Space are terrific – they’re very communityengaged and have been for a long time. The Willoughby Arts Centre was built according to a socialist ethos, so it’s really beautiful. And the Incinerator Art Space was designed by Walter Burley Griffin; the show that’s going to be on there is called Intersections: The Art Of Architects.”

Aspiring collectors can jump on an informative tour or get a glimpse of some private acquisitions. “The Collectors’ Space is going to be a standout exhibition, I hope,” says Barkley, rattling off the highlights. “It will be a great show for people to be inspired by. It will also give a good sense of different pathways and how easily you can become obsessed.”

Art Month Sydney A series of public talks will also take place across the city. From the funding of public art to the resurgence of ceramics in contemporary art, there’ll be a range of thought-provoking topics. According to Barkley, one discussion that will deal with a significant change in the art market is I Can Do That! The Rise Of The Makers. “I think there’s this whole community making things who are becoming successful businesspeople in their own right,” he says. “Using the internet, they’re developing alternative business models for creative people and I think that’s quite interesting to look at.”

On the whole, the festival should have a broad appeal, aimed at reeling in everyone from veteran gallery-goers to first-timers. “I think you need to see Art Month as an open exhibition that takes place across the whole city,” says Barkley. “I would just encourage people to get out, feel welcomed, and support artists.”

What: Art Month 2015 When: Friday March 6 – Sunday March 29 More: artmonthsydney.com.au

Frame Of Mind

That Sugar Film

[DANCE] The Perfect Pair By Adam Norris

D

That Sugar Film [FILM] Sweet And Sour By Annie Murney

N

o-one would be fooled into believing gummy bears are good for you.

However, That Sugar Film does not focus on the usual suspects when it comes to sugar and its effects on our health. It exposes an industry built on hidden sugars in products that are deceptively branded as healthy.

This gonzo documentary is the brainchild of Australian actor and former Tropfest winner Damon Gameau. Pulling the pin on his clean living lifestyle, he undertakes his own Super Size Me experiment. After restocking his refrigerator with all sorts of packaged and pre-prepared foods, Gameau vows to ingest 40 teaspoons of sugar per day. This is a dramatically high though relatively common amount to consume – yet it’s more than four times the limit suggested by the World Health Organisation.

to kids,” explains Gameau. “Then I wrote the sketch about sugar and thought, ‘Who is the best person to do this?’ And obviously it was Stephen Fry. He’s the planet’s schoolteacher; if you want anyone to teach you something it’s him. He got straight back to me and said he’d battled with sugar addiction as a child and it’s an issue that’s very dear to him.”

The aesthetic of That Sugar Film reaches beyond the typical documentary formula. With visual quirks like talking heads superimposed on food packaging, it’s colourful and inventive – quite an upbeat approach to a serious issue.

In many ways, the film mirrors what it’s like to be seduced by sugar. “Definitely,” agrees Gameau, “we use similar tactics that the food companies use to sell their product, except we try to invert the message.” The effort to entertain also speaks to the target audience of children and families.

Indeed, it seems we’re saturated by the wrong messages. We’ve been hardwired to equate foods’ fat content with, well, fat. We’re obsessive calorie counters, but in reality, different calories do different things. “It’s very sad,” says Gameau. “The more you research it, you start seeing where we didn’t make the decisions at key times. I guess we’ve got to be careful that we don’t say sugar is the entire problem, because I certainly don’t think that’s the case.”

Stepping into the shoes of a sugar addict, he also battled some serious mood swings, one of the more unexpected consequences of his new diet. “Towards the end, it was a real struggle,” Gameau says. “I was trying to concentrate, but I was very snappy and edgy with people. And I think that kind of behaviour might apply to people who don’t even know it, who haven’t experienced what it might be like without sugar.”

So how does the food revolution progress from here? “The government has all sorts of stakes in the food industry and untangling those webs will take time,” Gameau says.

“I’m pretty confident that if we have stronger education, the public will start demanding change. This might be an idealistic way of looking at it, but my hope is that something will start at a grassroots level and eventually there will be government intervention.”

The film features some high-profile appearances from the likes of Stephen Fry and Hugh Jackman. They each deliver a rhythmic monologue, backgrounded by visual effects illustrating the history and impact of sugar consumption. “Hugh responded to the tone of the film and getting the message out 22 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

What: That Sugar Film (dir. Damon Gameau) Where: Touring various cinemas around Sydney and Newcastle, Monday March 9 – Thursday March 12 And: Visit thatsugarfilm.com for details

“I’m one of those choreographers who believe as soon as a body enters a space, and a second body then enters that same space, we are building narratives,” Bonachela explains in his rapid, accented voice. “It’s always a very open-ended narrative, and what it means to you might mean something very different to the person sitting next door, and it certainly means something different again for me.

Although my dance is always very physical, and is told via the movement, Below: Cass Mortimer Eipper and Alana Sargent in Frame Of Mind

there is always an idea or a concept behind it all that gives some kind of meaning.

“I can never commit or control what people will feel from the work, but it’s nice when an audience member gets the wrong story out of it, or their own sensation. You mention you are not a connoisseur of dance yourself, and for me that really matters. It’s very powerful for me when people who may not have been involved in dance come to see Sydney Dance and get something out of it. We make the show for everyone, so when people tell me that they didn’t think they would understand or enjoy it, but end up loving it, that is always amazing.”

Bonachela’s latest production, Frame Of Mind, will feature alongside the much-fêted William Forsythe piece, Quintett. Hailed as a masterpiece of modern dance, Forsythe’s work is very rarely performed without the seminal choreographer’s direct supervision, so the opportunity to stage it for the first time in Australia is a tremendous personal achievement for not only Bonachela himself, but for our entire national dance landscape.

“Every decision that I made for Frame Of Mind was in relation to Quintett. When I first saw it 15 years ago, I thought it was a masterpiece, so when we were able to license the work for the first time…” He happily sighs. “It is a very rare privilege.

Forsythe is one of the most important choreographers alive and someone I have admired all throughout my career. I dreamed of one day being a choreographer when I saw his work. And now, God, what have I done? I’ve taken one of the most recognised and celebrated works, and I’m putting my own dance beside it!

“But from the very early days, I was very conscious of giving mine a different flavour.

I wanted something that was going to be as impactful, but in a different fashion. Both pieces should be seen as different works, obviously, but I also wanted to offer audiences something that was going to be a journey, something that they would find different. So the presence of Quintett influenced every decision that I made. It has only five dancers, [whereas] I wanted to use everybody available to me, and use them as often as I could as a way of contrast. Having this work here is a milestone for us, and it makes me want to improve what I’m doing every day that I’m here. That’s a rare and wonderful feeling to get out of somebody else’s work.”

What: Frame Of Mind Where: Sydney Theatre When: Friday March 6 – Saturday March 21

thebrag.com

That Sugar Film still © Madman Production Company 2014

At the end of a rollercoaster 60 days, Gameau wraps up the challenge. Although he was monitored by health professionals, he was on the brink of permanent damage. “The main problem was my fatty liver,” he says. “It gets to a point where it starts to harden and scar – they call it cirrhosis. That can be a bit dangerous. But as soon as I went back to my normal way of eating, all the symptoms disappeared within two months. We were surprised by how quickly that happened – that’s why we left it in the film.”

ancing, I am about as graceful as a bear with its head stuck in a bucket.

Blundering into walls, stepping on toes, incapable of catching salmon. I admire those who can, however, even if I lack the terminology or context to string their movements into sentences. It has led me to seek out several Sydney Dance Company productions under the celebrated tenure of Rafael Bonachela, whose minimalist, evocative productions conjure storylines as vivid as any theatre show. As it turns out, my ignorant appreciation of contemporary dance makes me part of Bonachela’s ideal audience.

Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town

Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake

GRAEME MURPHY’S SWAN LAKE

Graeme Murphy’s Swan Lake photo by Branco Qaica

■ Dance

Faust

Played at the Capitol Theatre until Saturday February 28

Presented against the breathtaking backdrop of a pastel-infused, Edwardian-style wedding, Act I of Murphy’s reimagining revitalises classic themes of love and lust for the modern ballet stage. Odette (Madeleine Eastoe) dances her way into insanity as she discovers her new husband, Prince Siegfried (Kevin Jackson), is having an affair with the conniving Baroness von Rothbart (Ako Kondo).

After the visual feast of the first act, the sanatorium setting of Act II is jarring, as is the image of a broken Odette rocking back and forth. It is here that an element of traditional ballet creeps into both the choreography and costumes; the swans forming a part of our heroine’s delusions in a beautiful ode to the original Swan Lake story.

Although the character of Odile is markedly absent, her presence can be felt in the decor and decadence of Act III; a melange of black satin, lace and jewels with an overwhelming feeling of excess and sensuality. Here we bear witness to some of the most emotional performances that I have ever seen injected into dance. Both Eastoe and Jackson are a pleasure to watch, particularly in their duets. Their talent and strength are perfectly showcased in their roles, as is their ability to embody the spirits of the pure and fragile Odette and the spoilt but confused Siegfried.

Kondo is also mesmerising as the Baroness, her calculating and controlling nature being particularly fun to watch.

I dare say that even lovers of the traditional Swan Lake will find it difficult not to be swept up in the beauty of this production and its gravity-defying performances.

Tegan Jones

■ Theatre

Kill The Messenger

KILL THE MESSENGER Playing at Belvoir Street Theatre until Sunday March 8 Kill The Messenger intends to ask questions – of itself, of its story and of its audience.

Nakkiah Lui performs as herself, as well as being the play’s writer, and is on a personal journey for answers. Why do audiences come to see plays about the suffering of native people? Why is racism still systemic in our organisations? What do we want from her? Why did we even buy tickets for this?

Part emotive TED-style talk, part reenactment and part fiction, Lui tells of the deaths of two indigenous people: Paul, a recovering drug addict who was refused care at an emergency ward only to then hang himself; and Lui’s own grandmother, whose termite-ridden, housing commission home floor caved in, killing her. The common thread of these people’s stories is the apathy of the systems that should be protecting them, or at least offering basic services to all in need. Lui places herself central to the story as its antihero, analysing and tracing small injustices back over and over until she gets to Captain Cook himself. She creates scenarios in which she imagines meeting Paul in a fictional world, and shows a strained relationship with an on-again-offagain white boyfriend who can never truly

■ Opera

most enduring stories brought to riveting, decadent life by Opera Australia.

FAUST Playing at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House until Friday March 13 It may be that opera is a hard sell. Having seen fewer than ten of them, I cannot claim to be particularly well versed, though I feel that reading Terry Pratchett’s Maskerade is a fine introduction. But opera does tend to conjure a particular audience; bejewelled, elderly and snobbish, a New Yorker cartoon come to life. There is some element of truth to this, as even a cursory glance at the ticket prices for most opera will attest. How much more value can you possibly receive when comparing a 30-buck Metro gig with several hundred dollars at Bennelong Point?

In the case of Faust, it is recommended that you immediately pawn your grandparents rather than miss the opportunity of catching one of the world’s

Everywhere you choose to look, the attention to detail is mesmerising. The sets are magnificent in their design and functionality; the city gates of Act II deliver a fine revolutionary rabble, but the most striking scenery is held back until the cathedral of Act IV. Costumes are uniformly outstanding, though particular praise must go to the resplendent wardrobe granted to Méphistophélès, and to the historical haute couture of the undead queens. The orchestra is faultless in conjuring a truly atmospheric score, and Paule Constable’s lighting ranks as some of the most inspired I have ever seen.

Gorgeous as all this may be, it will forever be the vocals that fix you to your seat.

Taking the title role, American tenor Michael Fabiano is a powder keg of talent – my God, the strength of his voice is utterly remarkable.

Nicole Car’s portrayal of the

tragically misled Marguerite holds the audience captivated (though I feel she straddles the line between acting and vocals with less confidence than others), while Anna Dowsley shines as Siébel.

But just as Milton gave his best lines to Lucifer, so does Teddy Tahu Rhodes find himself with the role of choice. Méphistophélès is seductive, cruel and stentorian, a juggernaut of terrible charm whom Rhodes brings to delicious life. He perfectly captures that glamour of menace, and his outstanding bass, particularly in the ‘Sérenade’, is one of the production’s numerous highlights.

Devils, witches, pimps, soldiers and saints; something for the whole family. Faust suffers from a short season, and is one of the few productions I would unreservedly recommend.

Start drugging your nanna’s tea now.

Adam Norris

know her experiences. She realises her stories aren’t unique, but are mere examples of a wider problem, and points to everyone as complicit.

Lui is acutely aware of the irony in presenting this show to a largely white audience, who’ll then pat themselves on the back for being part of the solution but not really do much else. She knows there are no quick answers, and opts instead to leave the audience asking more questions than when they arrived. While promo for the show pinning Lui as “Mount Druitt’s answer to Lena Dunham” might be more than a bit rich, or even reductive, it’s a wickedly funny and poignant presentation of the ongoing blind-eye of contemporary Australia, and it puts the onus firmly on all of us to fix it.

Julian Ramundi

First

SATURDAY

of every month

7 MARCH

4-9PMRIE ST MACQUA

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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

EQ Village Markets Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, every Wednesday and Saturday until 3pm Mosey on down to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park to lose yourself in a marketplace that has everything for food lovers. From fresh fruits, vegetables and other produce to freshly cooked grub and artisan foodstuffs like quality cheeses, you’ll find anything and everything that’ll get your taste buds going. On top of that, there’s a load of other goodies to be found, like crafts and threads. For kids and animal lovers, an animal farm (entry $5) can be found at the back of the markets.

EQ Village Markets thebrag.com

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I’ll admit that I chortled at the notion of a Swan Lake adaptation inspired by the love triangle between Prince Charles, Diana and Camilla. But Graeme Murphy’s 2002 interpretation, and the Australian Ballet production, immediately proves itself to be an artistic masterpiece that delights the senses and stirs the collective heart of the audience.

Next Night Markets: Saturday, 4 April 4 - 9pm In the event of wet weather, please check Council’s website and the Night Markets Facebook page for updates.

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BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 23

BARS SMALL

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The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight Balcony Bar 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon 5pm - late; Tue –

Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4712 Thu 4-9pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 3-11pm The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Sat 3pm-midnight

bar

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Tell us about your bar: Coogee Pavilion Rooftop is a local oasis where guests can enjoy sensational food, great company and an unrivalled view of the breathtaking Coogee shoreline.

Laidback and fuss-free, the Rooftop caters to a wide range of tastes and occasions, from post-beach snacks to cocktails at sunset.

What’s on the menu?

Executive chef Jordan Toft leads the Rooftop kitchen. Inspired by his travels throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, the menu is defined by lip-smacking yet simple flavours befitting the Rooftop’s oceanfront home. Think whole baby calamari in ink vinaigrette; haloumi wrapped in grapevine leaves with lemon oil; adana – ground lamb and beef with washed onion and sumac; pork neck with sea salt and fresh dill; and kefta meatballs with warm spice and Arabic string cheese.

Care for a drink?

The drinks menu features a long

24 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

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 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-late

refreshing list of summertime cocktails and sharing pitchers.

Our signature drink is the Pavilion Piña Colada; we use a dash of salt to counteract the sweetness of our fresh pressed pineapple.

Sounds?

Chilled, beachside house… matched by the sound of crashing waves on the shore.

Highlights: A fun and relaxed social destination for the iconic beachside suburb, Coogee Pavilion Rooftop is home to four indoor and outdoor bars, a sweeping balcony and one of the best vantage points a Sydney venue has to offer. The bar was designed as if it was once the conservatory of an eccentric botanist. From overflowing lush greenery to mismatched Moroccan tiles, each bar possesses an entirely different aesthetic. Beautiful chairs covered in sketches of exotic birds and tables painted by local artist Mayriel Luke complete the stunning interiors.

The bill comes to: For the salted pork neck skewer with fresh dill and tzatziki ($16.50) and Pavilion Piña Colada ($18), $34.50.

The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Thurs & Sat 4pm-late; 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 The Loft UTS 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Wed 2pm-10pm; Thurs – Fri 2pm-late 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 Mr Tipply’s 347 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 4877 Mon – Fri 11am-2am Palmer & Co. Abercrombie Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3172 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Fri 5pm-late; Sat – Sun 5pm-late Papa Gede’s Bar Laneway at the end of 348 Kent St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 5pm-12am Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern 199 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 6pm-10pm Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Sat lunch & dinner The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 4pm-late The SG 32 York St, Sydney CBD 0402 813 035 Tues – Fri 4pm-midnight Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon –Wed 8am-6pm; Thu – Fri 8am-10pm Since I Left You 338 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4986 Mon – Wed 5pm-10pm; Thu – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782 Mon – Fri noonmidnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Smoking Panda 5-7 Park St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 4618 Wed – Sat 4pm-late; Fri midday-late The Spice Cellar Basement 58 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD (02) 9223 5585 Mon – Wed 4pm-late; Thurs 5pm-2am; Fri 5pm-4am Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Wed & Sun 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

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Banter Surry Hills 425 Bourke St Surry Hills (02) 8354 0954 Tue noon-midnight; Wed – Sun 6pm-12am Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-late; Sun 10am-3pm 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 noonmidnight; Sun noon11pm Brooklyn Social 17 Randle St, Surry Hills 0451 972 057 Mon – Sun 12pm-2am 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 Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Wed – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm The Carlisle 2 Kellett St, Kings Cross (02) 9331 0065 Thu – Sun 6pm-late Ching-a-Lings 1/133 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 3333 Tue – Wed 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-1am; Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 4pm-1am The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Wed – Sun 6pm-4am The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Sun noon-late Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst (02) 8095 0129 Wed – Sun 5-11pm Eau De Vie 229 Darlinghurst Rd, thebrag.com

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

4-10pm

5pm-midnight

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

The Victoria Room Lvl 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 4488 Tue – Fri 6pm-midnight; Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-midnight

Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0414 691 811 Mon –Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon10pm The Passage 231A Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 6116 Mon – Fri noon-late; Sat 4pm-late Play Bar 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 0885 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight Pocket Bar 13 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 7002 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 4pm-midnight

PIRATES PALM @ MS.G’S 155 VICTORIA STREET, POTTS POINT Ingredients: • Havana Especial rum • palm sugar • lemongrass • chilli • fresh lime More: merivale. com.au/msgs

Origins: The tiki brain of Ms.G’s bar manager Olly Siv. Method: Shake and strain.

Glass: Rocks.

Garnish: Kaffir leaf, Julienne chilli, lemongrass

The Flinders 63-65 Flinders St, Surry Hills (02) 9356 3622 Tue – Thu 5pm-3am; Fri – Sat 5pm-5am The Forresters 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon10pm Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6:pm - 12am Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9357 5333 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat – Sun noon-midnight Goros 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0214 Mon – Wed 11:30am-midnight; Thu 11:30am-1am: Fri 11:30am-3am; Sat 4pm-3am

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The Hazy Rose 1/83 Stanley St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 5036 Tue 5-11pm; Wed – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Hello Sailor 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9332 2442 Tue – Sun 5pm-1am The Hills 42 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3814 Mon – Sun midday-2am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 5pm-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;

Queenie’s Upstairs, Forresters Cnr Foveaux and Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late Peekaboo 120 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo Mon – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm – 12am

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 Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Mon – Fri 6pm-late; Sat 4pm-late; Sun 4-10pm Mr Moustache 61-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach, Bondi (02) 9300 8892 Mon – Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat midday-11pm; Sun midday-10pm

Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point 0423 203 119 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight

The Rum Diaries 288 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9300 0440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight; Sun 6-10pm

Sat 8.30am-late; Sun 8.30am-evening

Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight

Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4-10pm

Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sun 4pmlate

The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Thu 5pm-2am; Fri – Sat 5pm-5am

Spring Street Social (and Jam Gallery) Underground 110 Spring St Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tues – Sat 4pm-3am

Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Thu noon-3pm & 5-11pm; Fri – Sun noon-11pm

Sweethearts Rooftop 33/37Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point (02) 9368 7333 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun noon-midnight

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

LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri 5pm-late; Sat 11am-late; Sun 11am-10pm

This Must Be The Place 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 8063

Best drunk with: Ms.G’s sweet and sour lamb ribs During: Winter While wearing: A parrot And listening to: Biggie Smalls

Darlinghurst 0422 263 226 Mon – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6pm-midnight

The Print Room 1 Glenmore Rd, Paddington 0424 034 020 Wed – Fri: 3pm-late; Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm

The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Local Tap House 122 Flinders St, Surry Hills (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun

Tio’s Cerveceria 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills Mon – Sun 3pm-midnight Unicorn Cellar Basement, 106 Oxford St, Paddington (02) 9360 7994 Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight Vasco 421 Cleveland St, Redfern 0406 775 436 Mon – Sat

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun – 5pm-10pm Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6-midnight The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat midday - midnight; Sun midday - 10pm Blacksheep

256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm

Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm

Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon, Wed –Thu 5pm-late; Fri – Sat noon-late; Sun noon10pm

Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight

The Chip Off The Old Block 3 Little Queen Street, Chippendale (02) 9318 0815 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm 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 Tues – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 7pm-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 9-10pm Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noonmidnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-midnight Knox Street Bar 21 Shepherd St, Chippendale Tue – Thu 4pm-l0pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-11pm Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am 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 (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road,

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag. com 5pm-midnight The Hayberry Bar & Diner 97 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest (02) 8084 0816 Tue – Thu 4pm-12am; Fri & Sat noonmidnight Sun noon-10pm

The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight; Sun 2-10pm Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm The Oxford Tavern 1 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham (02) 8019 9351 Mon – Thu middaymidnight; Fri – Sat midday-3am; Sun midday-10pm The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Tue – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0409 284 928 Wed – Sun 5pm-11pm 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 – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-midnight ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat; Sun 10am-12am Zigi’s Wine And Cheese Bar 86 Abercrombie St, Chippendale (02) 9699 42221 Wed 2pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 2pm-midnight; Sun 2pm-9pm

Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Thu 5-11pm; Thu 4-11pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noonmidnight 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

Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm In Situ 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman 0409 100 339 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm The Local Bar 8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 7am-late The Mayor 400 Military Rd, Cremorne (02) 8969 6060 Tue – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon10pm 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 SoCal 1 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5691 Mon – Tue 4pm-midnight: Wed – Thu midday-1am; Fri – Sat midday- 2am; Sun midday-midnight The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sun noon-late Wilcox Cammeray 463 Miller St, Cammeray (02) 9460 0807 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 25

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK CLOWNS Bad Blood Poison City

Of late, Clowns have burned bitumen with Aussie punk legends the HardOns, Cosmic Psychos, The Meanies and Frenzal Rhomb, among others. They wrote Bad Blood nestled in amongst a morgue, cattery and cemetery. Odds are these boys scared kibble out of kittens and fielded complaints from the recently deceased. Their thrashed-up old-school hardcore is moulded by early SST Records, crowd-surfable riffs and a yearning to rearrange your insides.

By welcome contrast, Clowns’ brand of noise looms so viciously it’s a readymade moral panic.

Australia’s next punk legends have churned out a second album – get on board.

BLAKE MILLS Heigh Ho Caroline

Blake Mills is a talented guy. The spider-fingered guitarist has played with the likes of Jenny Lewis and Julian Casablancas, and his recording know-how has serviced records by Conor Oberst and Sara Watkins. Heigh Ho magnifies these skills, while depicting Mills’ affection for a classic vein of American songwriting.

Along with a hearty dose of Americana – think Neil Young by way of Ryan Adams – ‘Cry To Laugh’ springs like a Randy Newman number and ‘Three Weeks In Havana’ is melodically and chordally indebted to Harry Nilsson. These are solid foundations for an impressive LP, but unfortunately Mills spends most of Heigh Ho parading his tools, rather than using them to generate a constructive breakthrough. On several occasions he introduces a crafty chord progression, coupled with the scent of a fast-fermenting melodic brew, then proceeds to add layers of instrumentation – 360-degree percussion, effects-y guitar, orchestral synths or grand piano – but fails to resolve or expand upon the curiosity roused at the song’s outset.

Granted, the instrumentation is handled with prowess, but first and foremost Mills is a singersongwriter. As such, the misuse of his tools leaves one feeling like a great story has been cut short due a phone battery dying.

Augustus Welby

‘Never Enough’ breezes with sunny skate punk before slamming the throttle to the floor. Minute-and-a-halfer ‘Bad Blood’ gulps fresh air between the blazingly intense ‘Infected’ and the violent and panicked ‘These Veins’. The production

26 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

Tom Valcanis

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ

TARYN LA FAUCI

TWIN PEAKS

Darksky UNFD

Vestiges & Claws Shock

Unveil Independent

Wild Onion Communion/Caroline

Western Australia’s I Am Zero have managed the oddly admirable feat of sewing the cadaver of nu-metal with brain-numbingly ubiquitous metalcore, with their debut EP Darksky featuring five tracks of this Frankenstein-esque abomination. So how does it sound?

Little has changed for José González in the near eight years between solo albums – but who does that say more about? It could well be argued that the issues refl ected upon within each song – the human condition, the crumbling relevance of organised religion – remain in an evergreen state of pertinence; as does the simplistic approach of one man and one guitar. Even the backing vocals and percussion feel as though they’re interrupting something extremely intimate.

A lot of heart has gone into Unveil, the debut EP from Sydneysider Taryn La Fauci. From its beautifully painted cover art to the quivering emotional weight that balances on the precipice of each song, the sincerity and authenticity is something that cannot be brought into the line of questioning. It’s a quiet, humble and unassuming collection of songs, often delivered with the kind of stark intimacy that would suggest a bedroom confession or a balconyscene soliloquy.

By now you’ll know if you’re into the garage punk of bands like Twin Peaks, and Wild Onion probably isn’t the album that’s going to change your mind.

Well, ‘Until The Sky Falls’ features the prominent tired trope of screaming and singing, but with the added punishment of rapping. There’s also the overbearing and completely predictable drop-tuned, half-time groovy sections, which prove that there’s common ground between these two nadirs of modern metal.

I Am Zero attempt to sound like a metalcore Linkin Park in parts, too.

The openings of ‘Until The Sky Falls’ and ‘The Winter Sun’ sound like something straight off Meteora, with their soft, high-pitched, building piano chords underlying singing about teenage hardship. On the topic of lyrics, they too bring further pain.

In ‘Until The Sky Falls’, the guitarist sings in a sombre moment where words stick out like sore thumbs: “And this time, in this moment, I will not trust myself”. There’s nothing like a platitude and tautology to really get you moshing.

It’s hard to explain the existence of this album other than part of a conspiracy to sell cochlear implants to permanently damaged ears.

Of course, it’s always felt this way when it comes to González – and that may well be the point.

If such a specifi c and distinctive palette did not draw you in the previous times around, Vestiges & Claws is not the album that is going to change that. Then again, that’s not part of its agenda. It’s a further refl ection on life and those who live it, hushed in tone and yet quietly devastating in its own way.

Three albums in 12 years may be an inconsistent rate, but the record always shows that each José González record is more than worth the wait. Vestiges & Claws is no exception – it’s an album to be welcomed in with open arms.

David James Young

The reason for that grim opening is because Steven Wilson, the progressive rock magician, has gone off and written a rather accessible concept album about Vincent. The first song to note is the title track, with catchy rock that comes off as almost a progressive impression of Coldplay. The following song on the tracklist, ‘Perfect Life’, which has been released as a single, occupies an avant-garde electronica/rock mood in common with fellow English heavyweights Radiohead.

La Fauci’s voice is lilting and lush, particularly when paired with arrangements of strings, percussion and slide guitar. ‘Withered And Weathered’ serves as the definitive showcase of her talents, presenting a sombre and lovelorn take on broken-heart balladry. The influences are often clear (Simon & Garfunkel guide ‘Oceans Between Us’; Joni Mitchell is central to ‘Map Of The World’), and the tone of the songs lacks a versatility. For a debut release, however, such minor issues are common.

In a climate where to call the singer-songwriter scene ‘overcrowded’ is a generous understatement, it takes a lot to be heard and to leave a lasting impression. La Fauci has gotten this far on Unveil, and it’s as warm an introduction as one could hope for.

David James Young

Nicholas Hartman

Joyce Vincent was a young English woman who died in her London flat in December 2003. Her corpse was only discovered in 2006. No-one had bothered to check in on poor Joyce for almost three years.

Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Kscope

Crossing over into crust, thrash, noise and back again with veteran ease, Clowns’ second record will alert the entire world to their imminent takeover.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

I AM ZERO

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

STEVEN WILSON

edges on a live show right there in your living room (train, car, dive bar; take your pick). Clowns’ DIY work doesn’t sound like bottled-up studio fakery at any stretch.

Even so, it’s not brutality all the way down. ‘Play Dead’ circles drums and bass hypnotically, exploding into a blood-curdling roar and haunting your idle moments.

However, the comparison to these established bands does Wilson’s individual brilliance a great disservice. Hand. Cannot. Erase. takes the listener every which way, with soaring vocals in ‘Routine’ transitioning to soft progressive rock, the metal-esque odd-time chugga on ‘Home Invasion’, and the Steve Vailike soaring guitars on ‘Ancestral’.

It’s difficult to give a fair account of a progressive rock album in so few words, given the delicious bubbling hot tomato sauce of musical influences on something like Hand. Cannot. Erase. So in short: it is very good.

Wild Onion is poppy, noisy and melancholy, with songs that range from uptempo punk to distant ballads. Rather than deftly switching styles, the mix feels jarring, like the combination of the pumping, chorus-driven ‘Flavor’ and the hazy caress of ‘Ordinary People’. Here, the change of pace feels more like discord than diversification, and it detracts from the individual songs. Depending on your taste, you’ll be wishing Twin Peaks did more speeding up or slowing down, and it’s hard not to wish they’d focus on the one style and really nail it.

Still, the 40-minute, 16-song album always has another tight, twominute track to bring it back into step. ‘I Found A New Way’, ‘Making Breakfast’ and ‘Fade Away’ are all Twin Peaks at their most listenable, mixing garage noise with effortlessly catchy hooks.

Wild Onion is a strong second effort from the Chicago-based four-piece. It’s the kind of album you could spend a whole summer listening to, but it never really does enough to stand out in a heavily saturated genre.

Lachlan Mackenzie

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

GHOSTPOET - Shedding Skin XAN MÜLLER - Your Ancient Future IBEYI - Ibeyi

LL COOL J - Authentic FOO FIGHTERS - Wasting Light

Nicholas Hartman

thebrag.com

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

NEW FOUND GLORY, BAYSIDE, THE WONDER YEARS Factory Theatre Friday February 27

With roughly two years separating their last visit and this one, the energy in the room for the arrival of The Wonder Years practically makes them seem like headliners. As they near the end of touring in support of 2013’s exceptional LP The Greatest Generation, the lion’s share of the set is taken from that album, considering it’s the first time the band has had the opportunity to play it here.

It goes over incredibly well, but all bets are off when The Wonder Years delve into their back catalogue to finish up with ‘Washington Square Park’ and ‘Came Out Swinging’, two of their most beloved tracks.

The all-ages aspect of the evening is clearly showcased when the underage kids move out of the way so the overage ones can get a cheeky finger-point and sing-along in for Bayside. The veterans showcase their latest effort, Cult, as well as a few early favourites that allow fans to lose their shit (well, if you count mouthing along to yourself and standing up the back trying not to get hit to be losing one’s shit.

All about perspective, you see).

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

FOO FIGHTERS

ANZ Stadium Thursday February 26 Foo Fighters are a very decent band with some very decent songs. If we’re honest, they’re unlikely to go down in history among the greats, and yet here they are, 20 years on from the release of their debut record, playing a stadium show; their biggest yet in Sydney. Strumming the guitar in a rock band isn’t the cool thing to do anymore – far more fashionable to rap or drop the bass from behind a laptop screen – yet Dave Grohl and co. not only scream, shred and solo their way through almost three hours of madness, they evidently have a ball doing it. It’s spectacle delivered with a smile, and against all the trends, it keeps the crowds coming back.

This really is the Dave Grohl show, too; in every single one of the first five songs on tonight’s setlist, he bounds his way down the runway that leads from centre stage to a third of the way through the middle of the crowd, pointing to distant audience members in the top tier as he goes. There’s no artifice of enjoyment on either Grohl’s or his fans’ part, and it’s reflected in the band’s choice of songs – a vintage trio of ‘Learn To Fly’, ‘Breakout’ and ‘My Hero’ all arrive in this enthusiastic opening, because that’s what the fans want, and that’s what they’ll get.

Once everyone’s in the spirit of things (it doesn’t take long), the show settles into those happily decent songs that are Foo Fighters’ bread and butter. ‘Arlandria’ gets the crowd moving in the moshpit, and the energy is kept up through ‘Monkey Wrench’. There’s a rather unimaginative acoustic interlude from the frontman,

thebrag.com

before covers of some other bands’ happily decent songs. KISS (‘Detroit Rock City’), Van Halen (‘Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love’), AC/ DC (‘Let There Be Rock’) and Queen/ David Bowie (‘Under Pressure’) all get the nod, with Grohl and fireball drummer Taylor Hawkins alternating vocals during this B-stage breakaway. Rage Against The Machine (and current Smashing Pumpkins) skins man Brad Wilk appears for the Van Halen song, which is a welcome surprise.

After this there are only the hits left to play, which means ‘All My Life’ and ‘These Days’ get an airing, and the ‘Best Of You’ refrain echoes throughout the stadium. It all goes to show why Grohl still pulls a crowd – his Foo Fighters are one of the only groups from their era who’ve managed to pen rock songs for the mainstream without sounding bland or dated. Still, they’ve kept a genuine classic up their sleeve for the inevitable finale, ‘Everlong’. It sounds as good now as it will in another two decades.

Chris Martin

New Found Glory are one of the few pop-punk bands who can be regarded as both evergreen and cross-generational, with a career spanning eight albums that have each subsequently introduced a new audience to their sound. It shows in how the audience engages with just as much ferocity and energy to newer cuts like ‘Selfless’ and ‘Stubborn’ as they do the tried-and-true hits like ‘Something I Call Personality’ and ‘Dressed To Kill’.

It could be argued that the band is somewhat of a three-legged dog at the moment, considering drummer Cyrus Bolooki is off tour on account of his wife giving birth. In practice, however, there are no greater issues whatsoever. Chad Gilbert more than holds his own as the sole guitarist, and former Set Your Goals drummer Mike Ambrose slides seamlessly into the fold. In fact, there’s probably never been a better time to see them than right now. They are playing as if they’ve a new lease on life entirely, and it’s a true joy to see.

The evening closes on ‘All Downhill From Here’, which gets some bodies up in the air one last time and voices united as one for a rousing chorus finale. The wheels keep turning, and New Found Glory survive yet another day.

David James Young

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS Big Top, Luna Park Wednesday February 25

insalubrious whispers to ceiling-quaking screams, the guy can sing the stripes off a tomcat.

The stark lettering on the gig bracelet read, “VOID IF REMOVED”, and with that omen of existential angst the scene was set. Though it’s more accurate to call The Smashing Pumpkins’ show The Billy Corgan Experience these days, it’s also a little unfair – yet lyricist and oh-so-distinct vocalist Corgan was always the soul of the band, and if my teenage crush on Melissa Auf der Maur remains unrecognised, so be it.

The set opened with a strong trio showcasing many of the band’s strengths: ‘Cherub Rock’, ‘1979’ and ‘Ava Adore’. The latter became a remorseless, sultry anthem for a uniformly ecstatic crowd, but in truth, from the opening notes of ‘1979’, Corgan had us hooked. While the band’s new album Monuments To An Elegy is a little patchy, performing live Corgan throws his all into selling its songs alongside the best of his catalogue.

Having been relocated from the Hordern to the carnival shores of Luna Park, this was always going to be an interesting gig. Wandering past the Ferris wheel and distorting mirrors, there was a strong sense of surreality you carried across into the Big Top, where sleepy goth girls were sprawled around the sidelines and 40-year-old fathers were frowning at the drunk bogans.

When the band emerged, you were struck by that distinctive Corgan frame staring calmly out into the audience; he looks a lot like a supervillain who traded in world domination for rockdom. After close to 30 years in the business you expect a singer to become more subdued with age, yet his voice is powerful as ever – from pleading,

It was a loyal crowd willing to be happily led wherever the band chose, but it was the classics, of course, that really made this night rise. ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’ still stands up after all these years, and when the Pumpkins emerged for their encore with ‘Tonight, Tonight’, you witnessed one of those genuinely rare live moments when you are made freshly conscious of how exhilarating and communal music can be. It was a nostalgic but above all fun gig, made all the more memorable since Corgan himself seemed to be genuinely enjoying it. Let’s just hope they stay together long enough now for another taste.

FALL OUT BOY, TWIN ATLANTIC, EMILY’S ARMY

performance was a humbling experience – you might be a big deal elsewhere, but in Australia you’re as good as your last hit.

UNSW Roundhouse Tuesday February 24

No-one’s saying the only reason Emily’s Army are playing Soundwave is because the drummer’s dad, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, headlined last year… but we are thinking it. It’s harder to argue their inclusion on grounds of musical capabilities – it’s essentially a cycle of watered-down Buzzcocks riffs set to a sub-5 Seconds Of Summer aesthetic. The phrase ‘bubblegum pop’ was coined on account of its correlation of music being a fleeting moment of flavour. Emily’s Army are more Snapchat pop – you look at it once, laugh to yourself and then never think of it again.

Twin Atlantic are used to the high life in their native land, topping massive festivals and selling out national tours. They’re building from the ground up here, which means two things. The first is that their arena-sized pandering – the “make some noise”, the arm waving, et al. – is largely unwarranted. The second is that their bloated recent material has the air taken out of it in such a small environment, falling significantly flat. If anything, their

Adam Norris

A downgrade of venue was certainly needed following Fall Out Boy’s poorly attended Entertainment Centre date on their previous tour. An oversold Roundhouse, however, wasn’t ideal. Still, fans dutifully played the cards they were dealt – besides, it’s always interesting to see a bigger band take their huge show and scale it down to a club setting.

Fall Out Boy thrive in this environment.

Even the poppier, over-processed tracks from their post-comeback records have substantial bite to them, particularly ‘American Beauty/American Psycho’ and bombastic set opener ‘The Phoenix’.

They still kick it old-school, too – ‘Sixteen Candles’ and ‘I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy’ both hit as hard as they did back in the day, as did the welcome return of ‘Grand Theft Autumn’. Patrick Stump, formerly the introvert and reluctant frontman, now arguably prowls about the stage even more than perennial preener Pete Wentz. There’s more confidence and energy within Camp FOB than ever before.

David James Young

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 27

snap sn ap

incubus

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

judas priest

PICS :: AM

27:02:15 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666

24:02:15 :: The Hordern Pavilion:: 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park 9921 5333 28 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

marilyn manson

PICS :: KC

steel panther + slash

PICS :: KC

24:02:15 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666

25:02:15 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666 thebrag.com

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4

pick of the week

Connor Oberst

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Rufus Wainrigh

Sydney Jazz Orchestra Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Knox + Itu & The Joy Stars + Heavyset Dub Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $15.

Musos Club Jam Night The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free.

Songsonstage - feat: CJ Fairleight + Guests Olympic Hotel, Paddington.

7:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Conor Oberst Metro Theatre, Sydney.

8pm. $71.85.

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

5pm. Free.

FBi Live - feat: Cloud Control FBi Live, Alexandria.

5:30pm. Free.

Graveyard Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $43.60.

Heath Anthony + Ry Kemp + Adeline Pines + The Delta Lions The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham. 8:30pm. Free.

Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9pm. Free.

Oblivians Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $30.

Parquet Courts Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $40.

Piper Street Play Bar, Surry Hills.

7:30pm. Free.

Professor Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $46.50.

Vibrations At Valve - feat:

Band Competition Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

THURSDAY MARCH 5 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

The Rev. Dr And His Cruisin’ Deuces The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Bombino The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $33.

Kim Richey + Felicity Urquhart + Sarah Humphreys Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $30.

Milan + Alex Gibson Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm.

Free.

Songsonstage - feat: Charli + Steve Smith + LJ Phillips + Michael Kugel + Daisy Sherwood-Miller + Melinda Blankers Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. Free.

Songsonstage - feat: Mich Hambly + Chris Brookes + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. Free.

Tim Walker Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 8pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Andy Mammers Duo

SHARED OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE DOUBLE BAY WITH ROCK CIRCUIT HARRY DELLA

FULLY FURNISHED /MULTIPLE WORK STATIONS INTERNET ACCESS/SEPARATE SECTION/ BALCONY/KITCHEN/AIR CON/TOILET/ SHORT WALK TO EDGECLIFF STATION MIDDLE OF DOUBLE BAY CLOSE TO ALL BANKS/SHOPS CLOSE TO SERCURED AND PUBLIC PARKING NOTHING NEEDED, MOVE IN AN INSTANT

CALL HARRY 0415 414 655 harry@rcp.com.au thebrag.com

Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9pm. Free.

Don Hopkins’ Good Rockin’ Band Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay. 9pm. Free.

Massive + Tequila Mockingbird Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

10pm.

No Dice Paradise - feat: Avivaa + Our Man In Berlin + Ginger And Drum + Luke Wellington Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $10.

Ride For Rain - feat: Chasing Tuesday + Halcyan + We Take The Night + Eat Your Heart Out Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Shovels & Rope + Shakey Graves Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $54.90.

Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

7pm. Free.

The Courtneys Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

8:30pm. Free.

The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. Free.

Village People Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

8pm. $86.

Wayne Hancock + The Rechords Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $55.

FRIDAY MARCH 6 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Divyatma Saraswati Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm. Free.

Flamin’ Beauties Crown Hotel, Camden. 8pm.

Free.

Glenn Esmond Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay. 6pm. Free.

Kim Richey + Sarah Humphreys Lizotte’s, Kincumber. 8pm. $35.

Marty Stewart Club Liverpool, Liverpool.

5:30pm. Free.

Songjam - feat: Stuart Jammin + Guests Rosehill Hotel, Clyde.

7:30pm. Free.

The McClymonts Panthers, Penrith. 7:30pm. $40.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS AM 2 PM St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 9pm. Free.

Ange Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9:30pm. Free.

Armchair Travellers Duo Vikings Sports Club, Dundas Valley. 7pm. Free.

Bandsonstage - feat: Silent Garden + Lion Calamity + Bonfire Bison Gladstone Hotel,

SATURDAY MARCH 7 Taronga Zoo

Rufus Wainwright 7pm. $80.95.

Chippendale. 8:30pm. Free.

Bandsonstage - feat: Crossroad Y + Ben Hardie Trio + Cherokee Rose Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 8pm.

Free.

Conor Oberst + The Felice Brothers Taronga Zoo, Mosman.

7pm. $63.25.

Ecca Vandal Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.

Forenzics + Elsen Price The Record Crate, Glebe.

8pm. $10.

Freshly Squeezed - feat: DJ Raine Supreme + DJ Katch + Thavy Ear + Izzy & DJ Maniak + P. Smurf & Rivals + Ill Theory + Miz Lush Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 7pm. $5.

Funkified Ettalong Beach Club, Ettalong Beach. 8pm. Free.

Good Question Windsor Leagues Club, Windsor South. 9:15pm.

Free.

Gruff Rhys Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $28.

Harbour Master Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard.

9:30pm. Free.

Jonathan Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. Free.

Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. Free.

Rock Solid Duo Canterbury League Club, Belmore. 9pm. Free.

Songsonstage - feat: CJ Fairleight + Xater Bay + Guests

Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham.

8:30pm. $15.

Spirit Valley - feat: Tees + Joseph Liddy & The Skeleton Horse + Okay Cocaine + Misere The Sly Fox, Enmore. 7pm.

Free.

Steel City Allstars + Eboldagoldfish + Batfoot + Trapdoor Collective Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Sugar Reef Horsley Park Tavern, Horsley Park. 7pm. Free.

Tanzer Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. Free.

The Allniters + The Porkers + The OzSkas + Project Collective Ska + Wally Wally + Prince Vince Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $30.

Time Machine Penrith Gaels, Kingswood.

8pm. Free.

Wildcatz Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Leumeah. 9:30pm.

Free.

SATURDAY MARCH 7 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Johnny G & T E-Types The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8:30pm. Free.

The Swinging Sixties Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

3pm. Free.

Glenn Esmond The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Altitude Kareela Golf Club, Kareela.

8pm. Free.

Ange The Palace Hotel, Sydney.

7pm. Free.

Californication - The Red Hot Chilli Peppers Show Oaks Hotel, Neutral Bay. 8:30pm. Free.

Endless Summer Beach Party Ivanhoe Hotel, Manly. 10pm.

Free.

Eye Of The Tiger Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill.

8pm. Free.

Gyrate Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 8:30pm. Free.

Happy Hippies St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek. 7:30pm. Free.

Harbour Master Marrickville Ritz Hotel, Marrickville. 8pm. Free.

JJ Duo Club Windang, Windang.

7:30pm. Free.

Macson Springwood Sports Club, Springwood. 8pm. Free.

Panorama R.G. McGees, Richmond.

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 29

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

five things WITH

JIMMY VANN FROM THE VANNS Wonder and Jeff Buckley. I do remember the first albums I heard from them: Couldn’t Stand The Weather, Innervisions, Grace.

Other inspirations are surfi ng and women.

Your Band Myself on guitar and vocals, 3.

Adam on bass, Lachie on drums and Cam on keys/guitar. We all grew up in the Kiama/Wollongong area getting into trouble – setting fire to things, pretending to be on Jackass, getting scars, that type of deal.

Nothing’s changed really!

The Music You Make Indie/rock/alternative/blues.

4.

Our releases include the self-titled

debut EP The Vanns, a re-release of the debut EP called 2.0 with extra tracks, and the recently released Scattered By Sundown EP. Our live show is just a party that everyone’s invited to.

Music, Right Here, Right Now It’s hard to fully understand the 5. current music scene at the moment.

There is so much opportunity though for up-and-coming musicians, it’s all about [being at the] right place at the right time. It’s unpredictable, exciting, ever-evolving.

1.

Growing Up Starting my first band when I was 12, we were called The Apple Sticker Collection Company.

My dad was the most talented

30 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

muso I knew when I started, until I learnt to play a G chord and I overtook his abilities. My childhood was constantly surrounded by music and live gigs, so to this

day I always look back on it as a massive infl uence.

Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stevie 2. Inspirations

What: Scattered By Sundown out now through Capgun Kids Where: Marlborough Hotel When: Thursday March 5

9pm. Free.

Rufus Wainwright Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 7pm. $80.95.

Ryan Thomas Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. Free.

Spencer Scott + Rachel Maria Cox + Vanishing Shapes The Record Crate, Glebe.

7pm. $5.

Steph Micayle Strattons Hotel, Sydney. 8pm.

Free.

Steve Lucas + Devotional + Terza Madre Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

8pm. $16.

Toxic Dolls PJ Gallagher’s, Parramatta.

9pm. Free.

Us Too Penrith Gaels, Kingswood.

7pm. Free.

Wildcatz Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. Free.

SUNDAY MARCH 8 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Finn And Friends Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

6:30pm. Free.

Larissa McKay Plonk Beach Cafe, Mosman.

1pm. Free.

Marty Stewart Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 3pm. Free.

Songsonstage - feat: CJ Fairleight + Michael Yazbeck + Guests Harlequin Inn, Pyrmont. 3pm.

Free.

thebrag.com

gig picks

g g guide gig g

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Parquet Courts photo by Ben Rayner

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. Free.

AM 2 PM Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. Free.

Ange Ambarvale Tavern, Ambarvale.

2pm. Free.

Bill Kacir Ingleburn Hotel, Ingleburn.

3pm. Free.

Double Lined Minority feat: Rooftops + Undercast + Stand Atlantic + Our Past Days Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 1pm. $10.

Fuckfest - feat: Timothy_ DDT + Evylz + Giygas + Dfo:Bad Vs Rainbow Vomit And Cum Bubbles + Rancid Meatflaps + Mooocooowwtittuggz + Gravitational Constant + DJ Diabolique + DJ Dachshunddildo Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm. $10.

Glenn Esmond Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm. Free.

Harbour Master Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

1pm. Free.

Holiday Sidewinder + Tees Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. $15.

Leon Gort Riverstone Sportsmans Hotel, Riverstone. 1pm. Free.

LJ The Mill Hotel, Milperra.

12pm. Free.

Outlier Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. Free.

Steve Edmonds Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm.

Free.

White Bros

Graveyard

Parquet Courts

MONDAY MARCH 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin + Chris Brookes + Guests Kelly’s On King, Newtown.

8pm. Free.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4 FBi Live - Feat: Cloud Control FBi Live, Alexandria.

5:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Anton Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm.

Free.

London Grammar + Wet + Until The Ribbon Breaks Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

8pm. $69.50.

Live And Originals - feat: Dom White And Chris Muir + Dom White Accompanied

By John Kaldor + Aria Wood + Katherine Vavahea Mr Falcons, Glebe. 7:30pm.

Free.

Wet Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $42.

wed

Parquet Courts Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $40.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $46.50.

TUESDAY MARCH 10 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Graveyard Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $43.60.

THURSDAY MARCH 5 Bombino The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $33.

Kim Richey + Felicity Urquhart + Sarah Humphreys Camelot Lounge,

The Allniters + The Porkers + The OzSkas + Project Collective Ska + Wally Wally + Prince Vince Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $30.

SUNDAY MARCH 8

Shovels & Rope + Shakey Graves Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $54.90.

SATURDAY MARCH 7

MONDAY MARCH 9

Village People Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $86.

Spencer Scott + Rachel Maria Cox + Vanishing Shapes The Record Crate, Glebe.

7pm. $5.

London Grammar + Wet + Until The Ribbon Breaks Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

8pm. $69.50.

Marrickville. 8pm. $30.

No Dice Paradise - Feat: Avivaa + Our Man In Berlin + Ginger And Drum + Luke Wellington Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $10.

FRIDAY MARCH 6

Steve Edmonds Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

6pm. Free.

London Grammar

Conor Oberst + The Felice Brothers Taronga Zoo, Mosman.

7pm. $63.25.

Ecca Vandal Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10.

Gruff Rhys Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $28.

thu

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

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(9:30PM - 1:15AM)

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BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 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 Martin and Spencer Scott

five things WITH

Rabbits Eat Lettuce

STEELE CHABAU FROM DUBMARINE

RABBITS EAT LETTUCE

Queensland’s favourite festival destination Woodfordia will become an oasis for electronic music this Easter as Rabbits Eat Lettuce returns for 2015. The four-night camping event has confirmed its lineup for this year, with beats by Aeroplane, Berg, Opiuo, Zomboy, Jay Lumen, G Jones, Vini Vici, Wild Culture, Eelke Kleijn, Filibusta, Hedflux and Thriftworks. Remember kids, even Jesus was a dance music fan, but he knew the importance of being able to rise again by the end of the weekend. Rabbits Eat Lettuce 2015 is on Friday April 3 – Monday April 6.

gig this weekend are DJ Force, Waza, Raine Supreme and Benny Hinn.

TKAY ON THE D-FLOOR

Growing Up No-one in my family 1. was musical. My sister tried playing piano once but I stole it off her when I was like nine. Cold-blooded. Mum used to have a lot of dinner parties when I was young, and would only play four albums: Sade, Billy Ocean, Janet Jackson and Madonna.

After that, party’s over. Get out of my house. I’ve got a big day at kindy tomorrow.

Actually, I only found this out maybe two months ago, but it turns out my dad’s first job was as a jingle writer in New Zealand.

2.

Inspirations Prince. Anyone who can release hours upon hours upon hours of unlistenable shit and still have the best live show for 30+ years straight has got to be admired.

3.

Your Crew Well… I’m only filling in after the trombone player

4.

The Music You Make And Play As a previous audience member, I can guarantee you will dance. Expect solid dancehall, drum’n’bass, trap. High-energy! Amazing sonic landscapes with these ultra hooky choruses and bangin’ beats. One hell of a live show, messages of empowerment and unity, a freaky charismatic frontman, a totally babein’ frontlady, and the most stylish MF-ing eight-piece band. Think The Prodigy, Groove Armada, Major Lazer, Rudimental, and surprisingly Midnight Oil. Now that I’m onstage with them, I’m getting to live my dream of playing dirty stanky synths with a blazing hot band!

Boutique east coast label We Play! Records will take over Play Bar this Friday March 6 for a special seven-inch launch. The cut in

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I like to think of the term ‘future music’ when writing or playing, because it allows me to envisage our music as something that exists outside of current trends, yet still influenced by them.

It is (hopefully) what music will sound like in one/two/ ten years from now. In that way, I find it easier to deal with those feelings we all get as creatives, that our work isn’t good enough. It doesn’t sound/look like what everyone else is doing. It’s too weird. I know so many musicians that have battled with imposter syndrome. So, stop thinking about what triple j want, stop thinking about what will get you booked, and start writing for the scene you want to be in next year.

With: Balkan Beat Box Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday March 11

question is Connecticut artist Apathy’s ‘The 45 Killer’, which has been pressed on blue vinyl for a limited edition release of 500 worldwide.

Celebrating all things hip hop and beyond at the

BACK TO UNI WITH PACHA

It’s that time of year again. Students around Sydney are hitting the libraries and study rooms (or should that be lawns and pool tables?) as they return to a new university year and a new opportunity to gaze wistfully at the cutie across the lecture theatre without ever working up the courage to say ‘hi’. Sure, it can be tough to get social in an unfamiliar environment – but that’s where Pacha Sydney comes in, with its Back To Uni party happening at Ivy this Saturday March 7. Yolanda Be Cool and Generik will get the dancefloor moving, with a little help from Ben Morris, Acaddamy, Jesabel, Avon Stringer, Samrai, DJ Moto, Jace Disgrace, Wheeler, Chris Arnott, Vito, Elly K, Pro/Gram, Here’s Trouble, Jade Le Flav, Mike Hyper and DJ Eko. Oh yes.

SYDNEY CYPHER SUPREMO III

Good things come in threes. Don’t believe it?

Believe this: Normski, Makoto and Benny Hinn will go head to head at Play Bar next week, with the dance beats split across three categories – breakin’, funk styles and freestyle jam. Mystery judges will be on hand to pick out who’s got the best moves in each section, with cash prizes up for grabs. It all goes down on Friday March 13, and that’s the 13th day of the third month, so with all those threes involved, you know it’s gonna be good.

MORNING GLORYVILLE

Morning Gloryville

32 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

Hot Dub Time Machine

HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

On the back of yet another festival engagement with the regional Groovin The Moo in April and May, the unstoppable time-travelling party that is Hot Dub Time Machine has announced a huge Australian tour for 2015. Surely one of Australia’s most popular party-starters, DJ Tom Loud has had an enormous 12 months, with sold-out shows across the globe, headlining the 100,000-strong Hogmanay NYE Festival and appearing centre-stage in The Domain for Sydney Festival, not to mention his Falls Festival and Splendour In The Grass performances. This time he’ll be at the Metro Theatre on Thursday May 14.

You’d have to be a morning person for this one. The dawn rave party Morning Gloryville promises to create an immersive music, creative and holistic experience, rewriting the rules of both raving and fitness this month when it returns to Sydney at a new venue. Opening its doors at 6:30am on a Wednesday morning, the party is hardly at the peril of lockout laws – meaning punters will be more worried about how to get to work than how to get home.

Music will be provided by local artists Levins and Max Attack, and there will also be a selection of tasty breakfast options and juices, as well as free yoga and massages to help you acclimatise to the day. The party takes place at All Sorts Indoor Sports Factory on Wednesday March 18.

Rabbits Eat Lettuce photo by Daniel Tran Photography

APATHY LAUNCH

broke his tromboning arm.

You do one show and they get you on interview duty. I could start making shit up.

What are they gonna do, fire me? Pfft.

Fresh from slaying Laneway Festival audiences around the country, Tkay Maidza has announced a national tour for her whipcracking new single ‘M.O.B.’ The first track from her upcoming debut album is an anthem about “money over bitches”, mixing calypso beats with a lightning-fast emcee flow. Joining Tkay on her cross-country takeover will be up-andcomers UV Boi and Joy. Catch her on Friday April 17 at Goodgod Small Club.

Client Liaison Pretty Lovers In Arms By Lachlan Kanoniuk

I

t’s mid-afternoon, a fairly hot one, as Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan return to Client Liaison headquarters – a corner of a spacious storage warehouse in Melbourne, halfway between the business end of Collins Street and the Yarra River. It’s a working space bordered by synthesisers and sample pads, and a huge Ansett Australia banner sits high up on the rear wall. Miller and Morgan have spent the day scouting locations around Melbourne for a secret project, details not ready to be disclosed at this stage. The duo exhibit a calm focus in the lead-up to their biggest tour yet, having sold out decent-sized venues across the country in what appears to be the closing of a chapter, putting their debut EP of last year to bed as album plans come into fruition. We take a sofa each – there’s a natural air of retro business space about the studio; it’s not unbearably hot, but Miller removes his shirt just the same before taking a seat.

The release of the debut, self-titled Client Liaison EP last year consolidated a growing reputation built around their live show, winning over fans one dancefloor at a time. A penchant for refined pop songwriting underpins the duo’s alluring aesthetic – each track from the EP has been presented standalone at various stages alongside a film clip (the most recent of which, ‘Pretty Lovers’, gives its name to the new tour).

Though the tracks resonate strongly, Client Liaison are yet to produce a crossover hit. I ask if they have one in them.

“Good question,” Miller says, as he opens up a MacBook, replete with rainbow Apple decal on the rear, on the coffee table in front of him.

“We can play you some stuff?” He runs through snippets of four unreleased songs, all of which definitely sound like Client Liaison. One is called ‘Foreign Affair’. One has a ridiculous guitar solo.

“That’s what we have going at the moment,” says Miller.

“We’ve been playing ‘Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight’ quite a bit,” Morgan adds. “And we’ve been playing ‘Hotel Stay’ quite a bit, and that’s unreleased. We’ve probably got five songs that we’re finishing off right now. We’re more excited to write new material. Some of that stuff is very old, written before the EP. We picked the tracks to finish for the EP and

now we’re finishing what was left over. We’re interested in the next batch of songs after this tour, because we have a bit of time. We like those songs and those film clips, but for our next batch of songs we just want to write them, not make any promises they’ll be released, or have film clips, be singles, be album tracks.

We don’t know. We just want to make a big collection of songs.”

“Then do the video clips,” Miller says.

“Not the other way around,” Morgan adds. “[The EP] was just to get music out there, plain and simple. There was no coherent sound. ‘Groove The Physical’ was the first song we ever wrote.

At the time of releasing it, we didn’t think it was a good indication where we are at sonically.

But we’re still happy with the song, we’re happy with the song. We’re not gonna get all high and mighty and ditch a song because we’re sick of listening to it.”

“For our EP, we were mixing our songs one by one,” Miller explains. “For the album, we want to mix a lot of songs with one person, together.”

The Pretty Lovers Tour is set to mark a high point in Client Liaison’s trajectory so far. “It’s all been incremental, in small steps,” Miller continues. “Though we’re proud of our songs and how they’ve resonated, we haven’t had one that’s had a million, or half a million, hits on YouTube or SoundCloud.”

“Every song has helped the cause,” Morgan says.

“There was Golden Plains,” recalls Miller, “then selling out our first headline show. Then supporting a big act. It’s all baby steps, not like, ‘Here’s the hit, here’s the world tour.’ We do [talk about] now where we want that next song to crossover. We feel like we’re at that point now, but it’s a hard thing to do. Again, it’s taking the next step. We’ve never had high rotation on triple j, even though they’ve supported us in so many wonderful ways. But still, we can sell out decent-size venues.”

One of Client Liaison’s biggest breakthroughs came two years ago as they took to the Golden Plains stage in a primetime slot,

instantly gaining thousands of fans in the process. “That’s the most quantifiable step up that we’ve ever had,” Miller says. “When we came back, we had a headline show at The Toff, and I thought no-one was gonna come.

We’d never put on our own show, just cutting our teeth at smaller venues. Then it was one of the quickest shows to sell out ever at The Toff.”

“But then we didn’t release anything for a while,” says Morgan. “It was fun to play on that stage. It takes a while to get your team and your strategy together. Behind the scenes, that takes a while. When our manager came on, he pushed us to do a new song every three months.”

Now, Client Liaison are looking ahead, looking at something big, as if they’re ready to float an IPO. “Last year was huge,” Morgan says.

“Doing the clips, doing tours, doing support tours. Since October 2013 it’s been full on. Now we can take the time to think about the type of music we want to make.”

Says Miller, “You only get one shot at your first album.”

What: Client Liaison out now through Dot Dash/Remote Control Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday March 13 and Saturday March 14

DJ Shadow The Renegade Of Rhythm By Tom Clift for the era, and helped to establish the foundation from which an entire musical culture would grow.

“To me, the gift of Bambaataa is the concept that the world is a vast place and that there’s a lot of music to be discovered,” says the California-based DJ Shadow. “He helped expose a lot of different types of music to the initial generation of B-boys and B-girls, and was a huge influence on other DJs to look to unusual things to add to your set. In the early ’70s and everything prior to that, DJs were expected to cater to the audience and to play things that the audience knew and that the audience was expecting to hear. But Bambaataa, along with Kool Herc, was one of the first people to turn the DJ set into an artistic statement.”

A mainstay of the instrumental hip hop scene himself, DJ Shadow’s upcoming Australian tour, dubbed Renegades Of Rhythm, is a tribute to Bambaataa’s insurmountable legacy. Along with regular collaborator Cut Chemist, Shadow has constructed a set exclusively from Bambaataa’s personal vinyl collection. The idea is to provide audiences with a kind of aural history of hip hop’s beginnings.

W

hen it comes to the world of hip hop, few names hold more importance than DJ Afrika Bambaataa. Coming up in the South Bronx in the 1970s, thebrag.com

he was influenced by everything from funk and rock music to the philosophies of black liberation.

His innovative sets and focus on social issues were groundbreaking

“We were approached by somebody who was basically the middleman for Cornell University and Bambaataa,” DJ Shadow explains.

“Bambaataa donated his collection to the hip hop archive at Cornell University in Upstate New York last year, and as the actual records were being collected from various facilities around New York and put into one holding place in Queens, it was this person’s idea that maybe some DJs should give the collection

one last spin before it goes off to the Cornell vault.

“Really the show is a celebration of Bambaataa as a DJ, and all the records that he helped bring to the fore of hip hop culture. To me, the collection of records that we play from in the show is as close as you can get to the epicentre of hip hop culture, because they’re the exact same copies that were played in the Bronx in the mid-’70s.

“He would play little spoken word pieces, he would play sound effects, he would play krautrock, he would play weird new wave records and mix that in with his love for funk. He would play salsa and calypso and things like that, and it’s really that aesthetic that I think really attracted that initial wave of downtown New Yorkers to his sets, and helped him gain popularity. People like The Clash and Deborah Harry – what blew their mind about him was this really unorthodox collision of all these different musical styles.”

As Shadow recalls, Bambaataa’s music also had an influence on him personally. “‘Planet Rock’ was the second real hip hop song I ever heard,” he says. “I was ten years old, and it was played by the soul station in San Francisco that I listened to on my little transistor radio. I leaned over and pressed ‘record’ on my portable tape recorder and held it up to the speaker and made a little primitive recording of it. So in terms of my hip hop experience as a youth, Bambaataa was literally there from the beginning. Then once I started buying vinyl, I noticed there were certain names that you always saw thanked on the backs of everyone’s records, from Run-D.M.C. to Kurtis

Blow to Whodini. All the artists who had albums out around ’83-’84, they all thanked Bambaataa.”

To construct their set, Shadow and Cut Chemist went through more than 40,000 of Bambaataa’s records.

“We kind of whittled it down to about 500 that we then built the set from,” says Shadow. “Obviously you can only play so much music in an hour and 45 minutes. Cut and I talked at length about what we wanted to say and not say. It was kind of hard going through the collection and seeing things that we knew to be rare, and that you know as a collector is worth a tonne of money, and that people would love to hear us play. In the end though, if it didn’t speak to his legacy in any meaningful way then we didn’t play it.

“In a weird way, there are parts of the set where we don’t expect the crowd to necessarily be into it in the same way that they might be into other pivotal parts of the set. It’s more like we just want them to stop and take a breath and think about the magnitude and the depth of what Bambaataa brought to the table. And we feel that those moments are really important.

Just like in a good movie – you don’t just want explosions for 95 minutes.

There has to be a little bit more to it than that. And we’re proud of those kinds of moments. It’s really satisfying, because at the end of the sets, the audiences just seem to want to applaud for minutes on end, and you really get the impression that they get it; that they’ve been exposed to something that has historical significance.”

With: Cut Chemist Where: The Hi-Fi When: Thursday March 12 BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 33

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

club pick of the week Paul Mac

Supreme + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

SATURDAY MARCH 7 HIP HOP & R&B Swagger Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 11pm. $25.

CLUB NIGHTS

SATURDAY MARCH 7 Playbill Venues And Entertainment Quarter

Mardi Gras Party ’15

Nick Jonas + Dannii Minogue + Jessica Mauboy + Paul Mac + Jake Shears + More

10pm. $139.16.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4 CLUB NIGHTS

DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm.

Free.

The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. $5.

THURSDAY MARCH 5 HIP HOP & R&B

Thundamentals Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $29.10.

CLUB NIGHTS

34 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:02:15

HIP HOP & R&B

Freshly Squeezed (Daily Meds + Svelt) - feat: Mata & Must + Sarah Conner + Point One Rap Clique + Azza-D + DJ Maniak The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7pm. Free.

Hustler Fridays - feat: MC Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm.

Free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Adore Delano The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $48.

Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm.

Free.

Bassic - feat: Yellow Claw + Spenda C + Nemo + Phaseone + Deckhead + Blackmale + Gradz + Beatslingerz + Gold Brix + Yng Bldz Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $32.80.

Cosmo’s Midnight Civic Underground, Sydney.

6pm. $14.

Dilf - feat: Alex Taylor + Chip + Special Guests Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $40.

DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. Free.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.

10pm. Free.

SUNDAY MARCH 8 CLUB NIGHTS

Finale - feat: Crazibiza + Adore Delano

Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $55.

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

8pm. Free.

Pub Dub Club The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 3pm. Free.

Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. Free.

S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

Sunday Sessions - feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky Goldfi sh, Kings Cross. 4pm.

Free.

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

Free.

The 45 Sessions - feat: Nickodemus + Toon + JC + Josie Styles + Jayo + Juzzlikedat + Makoto Secret Location, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

MONDAY MARCH 9 CLUB NIGHTS

Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm.

Free.

TUESDAY MARCH 10 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. Free.

p up all night out all week...

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

7pm. Free.

Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm.

Free.

Kasparov - feat: Mack Da Ripper + Toon N Raziel + Ivor Mantello + Spindo + Cateyez + Compress3d + Aurora Vegas Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $15.

Lil’ Jon (DJ Set) Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.

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

Free.

Mum - feat: Lewis Cancut + Astrix Little + The Electric Vogues The World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm. Free.

October Records Takeover - feat: Ribongia + Amateur Dance + The Completely Boys + Modern Fairytale Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

11pm. $10.

Sam Wall Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

8pm. Free.

Soul Control - feat: Dreems The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Voodoo - feat: Darude + Thomas Knight + Antony Carpena + Tass Valan + Losty + Soundbreakers + Draaz + Android + Eleuthis + Milsey + Synerjy Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 10pm. $20.

We Play! Records - The 45 Killer 7” Launch - feat: DJ Force + Waza + Raine

THURSDAY MARCH 5 Thundamentals Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $29.10.

FRIDAY MARCH 6 Bassic - Feat: Yellow Claw + Spenda C + Nemo + Phaseone + Deckhead + Blackmale + Gradz + Beatslingerz + Gold Brix + Yng Bldz Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 8pm. $32.80.

Cosmo’s Midnight Civic Underground, Sydney. 6pm. $14.

Freshly Squeezed (Daily Meds + Svelt) - Feat: Mata & Must + Sarah Conner + Point One Rap Clique + Azza-D + DJ Maniak The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7pm. Free.

Voodoo - Feat: Darude + Thomas Knight + Antony Carpena + Tass Valan + Losty + Soundbreakers + Draaz + Android + Eleuthis + Milsey + Synerjy Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 10pm. $20.

Thundamentals We Play! Records - The 45 Killer 7” Launch Feat: DJ Force + Waza + Raine Supreme + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Robin Schulz + Set Mo + Space Junk + Whitecat + Aboutjack + Nightwalkers + Antoine Vice + Samrai + DJ Eko + King Lee + Discofool Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $22.60.

SATURDAY MARCH 7

Spice 07.03 - Feat: Audiojack + Robbie Lowe + Michelle Owen + Mike Witcombe + Murat Kilic + Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

9pm. $15.

Pacha Sydney Back To Uni Party - Feat: Yolanda Be Cool + Generik + Ben Morris + Acaddamy + Jesabel + Avon Stringer + Samrai + DJ Moto + Jace Disgrace + Wheeler + Chris Arnott + Vito + Elly K + Pro/Gram + Here’s Trouble + Jade Le Flav + Mike Hyper + DJ Eko Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $38.

Tech N9ne Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $67.25.

SUNDAY MARCH 8 S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

thebrag.com

Paul Mac photo by Tony Mott

Krystel Diola Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm.

Free.

Money For Nothing - feat: Money For Nothing DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Pool Club Thursdays - feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm.

Free.

Shears Unshord - feat: Jake Shears The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. $34.

The Top Party - feat: Crazibiza Sydney Tower Eye, Sydney.

8pm. $89.

The World Bar Thursdays The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. Free.

FRIDAY MARCH 6

Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests The World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm. $10.

DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. Free.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.

10pm. Free.

Flamingo + Joy Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. $10.

Halfway Crooks - feat: Levins + Captain Franco + Jimmy Sing + Nacho Pop + Radge + Luen Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

9pm. $10.

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

Johnny Rad And Nad Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

6pm. Free.

Mardi Gras Party ’15 Feat: Nick Jonas + Dannii Minogue + Jessica Mauboy + Paul Mac + Jake Shears + Betty Who + Courtney Act Playbill Venues And Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. 10pm. $139.16.

Pacha Sydney Back To Uni Party - feat: Yolanda Be Cool + Generik + Ben Morris + Acaddamy +

Jesabel + Avon Stringer + Samrai + DJ Moto + Jace Disgrace + Wheeler + Chris Arnott + Vito + Elly K + Pro/ Gram + Here’s Trouble + Jade Le Flav + Mike Hyper + DJ Eko Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $38.

Robin Schulz + Set Mo + Space Junk + Whitecat + Aboutjack + Nightwalkers + Antoine Vice + Samrai + DJ Eko + King Lee + Discofool Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $22.60.

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

9pm. Free.

Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $20.

Spice 07.03 - Feat: Audiojack + Robbie Lowe + Michelle Owen + Mike Witcombe + Murat Kilic + Guests The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

9pm. $15.

Tech N9ne Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $67.25.

The House Of Who - feat: Rotating DJs + Levins + The House Of Who + Nacho Pop + Kato’s Wig Shop Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Venom Clubnight - feat: Dropbear + Double Chamber + Galleries + The World In Cinematic Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

live review

Off The Record

What we've been out to see...

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

DRAKE

S

weet merciful Jesus: House of Mince and Strange Signals are teaming up to put on what will quite possibly be the gig of the year. Their upcoming party will feature techno royalty Voices From The Lake (AKA the collaboration between the legendary Donato Dozzy and Neel) alongside the one and only Mr. Ties. Just saying, this is going to be something special. It goes down on Thursday April 2 at the Marrickville Bowling Club. Start your Easter weekend off right.

The brother of the seminal minimal maestro Paul Kalkbrenner, Fritz Kalkbrenner, is returning to Sydney.

Having previously worked as a culture and music journalist for various TV stations, in 2008 Fritz got his big break when he produced the soundtrack for the motion picture Berlin Calling alongside Paul, with his track ‘Sky And Sand’ blowing up. His return will follow the release of his latest album Ways Over Water, while he’s also just released his Void EP, which features remixes from the likes of Gui Boratto and Baron Defoe. He’ll perform live at The Spice Cellar on Thursday April 2.

A mainstay on the revered Desolat imprint, Argentinean master Guti is bringing his live show to Sydney. The South American blends house and techno with an inflection of his Latin roots, and has also released on the likes of Crosstown Rebels, Raum, Musik, Wolf & Lamb and Supplement Facts.

He’ll be joined by locals LeOCh, Jeremiah, Dave Stuart, Tyson Bruun, Aaron Robins, Robbie Cordukes and Brosnan Perera & FFFreya. It goes down at the Burdekin Hotel on Saturday March 21.

Having released one of the biggest tracks of 2014 in ‘Bugatti’, Montreal-born DJ and producer Tiga has announced his return to Australia. The head honcho of Turbo Recordings has one of the catchiest back catalogues of electro-tinged techno, including ‘Sunglasses’, ‘Mind Dimension’, ‘Plush To Pleasure From The Bass’, ‘You Gonna Want Me’ and ‘Let’s Go Dancing’.

He’ll be joined by Motorik Vibe Council, The Finger Prince, Avon Stringer and

Allphones Arena Wednesday February 25 “I’m not trying to change your lives, I’m just trying to be a part of it,” announces Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham as he strides across the Allphones Arena stage on his first Australian tour.

Guti Marks & Oz at Chinese Laundry on Saturday March 14.

One of Sydney’s most talented electronic names, Dro Carey, has announced a launch show for his latest EP Club Injury Handbook. Released by London label Greco-Roman, the three tracks show Carey at his most eclectic, alongside being the first time that he has worked in a studio with vocalists (Chocolate and Kid Kairo).

Catch him with Mark Pritchard, Cliques and Preacha at Marrickville Bowling Club on Saturday March 14.

Tour rumours: expect to see visits from DJ Fett Burger and DJ Sotofett of Sex Tags Mania fame next month, while I’m also told that both Terekke and Victor Simonelli will be here mighty soon.

Best releases this week: as expected, Pomegranate by Nicolas Jaar – an alternate soundtrack to the 1969 Soviet film written and directed by Sergei Parajanov entitled The Color Of Pomegranates – absolutely rules. Other highlights include Bambounou’s Centrum (on 50 Weapons), Killawatt’s Émigré (Osiris Music), Joey Anderson’s 1974 (Dekmantel), Route 8’s This Raw Feeling (Lobster Theremin), Binh’s Visio / Ruski (Perlon) and Daze’s Neuromance (Lobster Theremin).

While he may be a perennial target for internet parody, it’s online where Drake has cultivated his significant following. Starting from the bottom with his modest MySpace page, the former Degrassi child star has released a series of successful mixtapes, claimed a Grammy win and hit the top of the Billboard charts with his recent release, the gritty If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. It’s an impressive resume for someone who’s only been making music professionally for six years.

Tonight, Drake is all about creating a spectacle, and some of his biggest hits suffer for it. There are costume changes, fireworks, strobe lighting and even ziplining above the audience on a flying fox to deliver hit ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’.

Schmoozing the crowd, he’s soon delivering more lines than a Mills & Boon novelist on a first date, declaring his unwavering love for his Sydney devotees. Unfortunately, many of his most notable stadium anthems are pared back to 16 bars as the gig begins to feel like it’s being curated by an impatient teen flicking between radio stations at a house party. When a track does reach the second verse, it feels like a luxury.

as a video screen intersperses images of him as a much younger, inexperienced artist struggling to make an impact.

For all his swagger and bluster, Graham is more of an old-world crooner for the internet age than any bristly gangsta rapper from the proverbial ghetto – although he’s a genuine showman. And that’s important. Over the last decade, hip hop has taken a distinct detour from common chest-thumping machismo to a more measured introspection. Drake’s performance tonight speaks to success, vulnerability and insecurity in equal measure, and his alternate approach succeeds against the wave of gaudy gangsta rap that has previously flooded the market. What’s more, he can actually sing too.

Drake may not have changed our lives tonight, but he’s certainly changed hip hop for the better.

Tim Armitage

Despite these issues, Drake is certainly an endearing character. When he fires through the defiant ‘Worst Behaviour’ and Rihanna collaboration ‘Take Care’, the momentum of the show soon begins to accelerate. Ending on signature track ‘Started From The Bottom’ is a nice touch

Dro Carey

RECOMMENDED FRIDAY MARCH 6

Theo Parrish Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY MARCH 7 Carl Cox Greenwood Hotel Audiojack The Spice Cellar Lovecult 2000: Tama Sumo Metro Theatre Suzanne Kraft Imperial Hotel

SATURDAY

MARCH 14

Dro Carey Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY MARCH 21

Dixon, Âme AGWA Yacht Club Guti Burdekin Hotel Delano Smith The Spice Cellar

THURSDAY APRIL 2

Voices From The Lake, Mr. Ties Marrickville Bowling Club Fritz Kalkbrenner

The Spice Cellar

SATURDAY APRIL 4

Audiofly, Martin Buttrich, Blond:ish Greenwood Hotel

SATURDAY APRIL 11 Developer The Sly Fox

SATURDAY APRIL 18 James Zabiela Chinese Laundry

FRIDAY MAY 29 Carmada Oxford Art Factory

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos?

Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. thebrag.com

BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15 :: 35

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up all night out all week . . .

live review

What we've been out to see...

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 Royal Randwick Racecourse Saturday February 28

Usually, there’s a hook. Something about a festival, the general sense of it, the vibe, Mabo, that you can grab onto as unique, indicative of why the eight-plus hours you spent in this particular field, eating this particular gozleme, with these particular artists, were different.

Following the throng from the Futuredome to the Future Live stage, I felt at a loss. Finally, as I stared up at the massive screen, towering behind 2 Chainz as he spat some of his biggest verses (usually off others’ singles), it all made sense. The visual theme for this year’s Future took cues from the eight-bit and emoji worlds and there, behind the reinvented rapper, were smiley faces turning into tongue-out man and transforming into the dude with the crosses for eyes.

As a Future Music virgin, it was unclear to me whether the festival ever had a modus operandi.

If anything, the event is to be applauded for its dedication to form. I have nary witnessed an Australian music festival that targets this age bracket (18-24ish) and remains so orderly, seamless and, for the most part, on time. And there were highlights on the lineup, to be fair. Although they haven’t put out an album since 2011’s Welcome Reality, British trio Nero proved their staying power with a blistering set, including the well-received ‘Satisfy’, the lead single from their upcoming LP. The Prodigy, true to form, were at their big beat best, stunningly potent given their average age is 45. Later on the same stage, South Africa’s Die Antwoord proved, love ’em or loathe them, that they are a live performance force to be reckoned with – all stage-diving and lewd imagery and constant energy. Hilltop Hoods win everything, always.

But in the main, the punters walking around like headless chooks were probably an indication of what they had imbibed as much as they looked like music festivalgoers who didn’t quite understand what to do at the music festival they’d gone to. Headliner Drake produced the identical set – down to the shtick between songs – he’d proffered three nights prior in Homebush, and accordingly confused an audience unfamiliar with his more esoteric cuts, while English rapper Example came off sounding strangely more adult contemporary than I ever thought he had been. If that was the Future, hand me the keys to my DeLorean.

future music festival 2015

PICS :: KC

David Seidler

28:02:15 :: Royal Randwick Racecourse :: Alison Rd Randwick 9663 8400 36 :: BRAG :: 602 :: 04:03:15

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