with PATRICK ELLIGET
Publisher Lisa Walton Editor Simon Mills Music Editor Simon Imrei Arts Editor Andrea Louise Thomas Sales Sarah Jacobs, Mitch Lacy Design Natalie Smith, Stitch, Lisa Walton Feature Writers Matilda Heggie, Jessica Mills, ‘Doghouse’ Dave Philpots, Simon Imrei, Kate Selth, Ben Lopez, Simon Mills, Davo Music Writers Patrick Elliget, Lachlan Bryan, Ben Lopez, Ashlee Tomlin-Byrne, David Edtmaier, Simon Mills, John Kendall, Taylor McVean, Dylan Boyd Reviewers Ray McGrotty, Jess Scudamore, Maddison Wilson, Walter Benells, Simon Topalovic, DJ Marky Mark, DJ Iceman, Scott Gardner, Simon Mills, Gary Bradshaw Arts Writers Andrea Louise Thomas, Andrea Ebsworth Photographers Molly Mitchell, Natalie Smith, Stella Thurbon, RockOn Photography, Simon Mills, Shae Holmes. Distribution Manager Archie Mitchell
INDEX REVIEWS 11-13 PEARLS OF WISDOM 14 SURF 18-21 POLISHED 22-27 REVOLUTION 26-27 GIG GUIDE 28-29 INDUSTRY 30-31 FESTIVALS 34-39 PEARLIES 44,46,48,50,52 BILLBOARD 54 A dedicated music, arts & culture magazine for Bayside and the Peninsula.
OUT MONTHLY AVAILABLE FREE from over 900 outlets Patto’ to Portsea, Langwarrin to Red Hill. NEXT ISSUE March 8 • Deadline Feb 24 Ph: 5906 5771 or 9708 8222 publisher@pearlmag.com.au PO Box 3554, Mornington, 3931 www.pearlmag.com.au
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PEARL magazine
FEBRUARY 2012
JIMI HOCKING That ‘Skinny White Boy’ who plays the blues. With a career spanning over 25 years the name Jimi Hocking has become synonymous with the Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula blues scenes. He’s established a reputation as a gun guitarist and dynamic performer, continuing to win accolades and recognition from both his peers in the music fraternity and his growing fan base. His performances are high intensity, full throttle affairs that showcase not only his rare talent as a highly gifted guitarist but also highlight his story telling skills and ability to work and entertain an audience. There is no doubt Jimi Hocking has made a significant contribution to the blues scene and Live music culture over his time.
Jimi’s developmental years were forged in the 80s where he performed at a furious pace throughout Melbourne’s pubs and clubs as the front man for bands such as ‘The Astro Boys and the Astros’. His musical journey has since seen many genres explored including a hard rock period during the late 80s/early 90s where as ‘Jimi the Human’ he released two albums, one of which was the Live ‘No Turning Back’ which reached the national Top 20. Jimi’s music milestones include being seconded into the legendary Australian band ‘The Angels’ for a national tour in 1988 after just one rehearsal, playing support for ’Status Quo’ on several occasions and being named the 2004 Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’s Blues Performer of the Year. 2005 was also a particularly significant year for Jimi when he was crowned winner of the Solo/Duo section of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA. This recognition led to a comprehensive US tour of clubs and festivals and saw his blues albums added to playlists in the USA, Europe and the UK. Inevitably Jimi’s lightening fingers and amazing dexterity on the guitar continued to turn heads internationally, including the likes of seminal bluesmen Edgar Winter and George Thorogood, both of whom Jimi was to subsequently tour with. A meeting with the great BB King in 1989 resulted in the legendary blues journeyman observing to Jimi, “I’ve been watchin’ you and you‘re good“. It would be hard to imagine higher praise being possible in the world of blues. Later in the 90s Jimi joined the prominent Australian rock band ‘The Screaming Jets’ as their lead guitarist for over four years of national touring and several recordings that included two gold records. During this busy period Jimi still found time to pursue and develop his solo work and started to rekindle the flame of his first love - the blues - which culminated in the release of ‘Blue Guitar’ in 1999, a highly acclaimed and successful Australian blues album. Over recent times Jimi’s schedule has been a relentless alternation of solo gigs and performances with his band ‘Jimi Hocking Blues Machine’, with Graham Maddicks on drums and Karl Willebrant on bass. The Blues Machine have been busy at Live venues throughout Melbourne, as well as many major national blues festivals such as the Queenscliff Blues Festival and the Woodford Festival in Queensland. Jimi (with and without the band) are also frequent performers at one of Australia’s more unique blues venues, the Blues Train, which operates out of Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula. For info on Jimi’s gigs visit jimihocking.com Patrick will be writing monthly for PEARL on blues & jazz. If you’d like Pat to review your release or you know of something happening in the blues or jazz world, drop him a line at blues@pearlmag.com.au
Well now we have your attention (lol) here we are again with the second edition, our heads are still spinning from the first! What an amazing response from our debut, PEARL Magazine is certainly the talk of the town. Support from readers, writers and advertisers has been amazing . . . so much so that our February edition has equalled our bumper double issue debut, proving that PEARL is growing rapidly every day and is definitely here to stay! Such a busy Summer season in local music! Pyramid rocked New Years, INXS rocked Morning Star Estate, and the PEARL Kombi cruised into the successful Oz Day Concert at Mornington Park with freebies for all! Now Feb’s here and off we go again! Between the Bays and Westernport Festival go head to head this February, there’s some great touring acts gracing our local venues, the Arts are alive - pulsating vibrantly and with this glorious Summer sun . . . SURFS UP! Join us on Facebook and keep up to date with special bulletins, the latest pics and plenty of giveaways including latest release CD’s, gig tix, iSplash waterproof phone cases and plenty more. The PEARL Kombi will be pulling up at local events with plenty of copies on board so come and say g’day! Have a great February. . . don’t drink toooo much at the Mornington Cup, and if you know something we don’t about local music, Arts or Surf . . . drop us a line! SIMON MILLS & LISA WALTON
MORNINGTON PENINSULA & BAYSIDE