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PUTTING THE BRISBANE IN BRISBANE FESTIVAL
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CROCKERY OCKERY DESIGNERS
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“IF I THINK, ‘IT’S TIME TO IMPRESS THEM’ THEN NO ONE’S HAVING ANY FUN. IF IT’S JUST NONSENSE IT WORKS.”
#054
INSIDE FEATURES The Kite String Tangle DevilDriver Dennis Remmer
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Trygve Wakenshaw aka Squidboy Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings You Me At Six Conan Phil Rudd The Kooks
“THERE WAS MASSIVE PRESSURE, BUT YOU CAN’T WRITE MUSIC TO THAT. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS WRITE MUSIC THAT YOU ENJOY.” - LOCAL LAD DONE GOOD DANNY HARLEY, AKA THE KITE STRING TANGLE (P12)
- SQUIDBOY HIMSELF TRYGVE WAKENSHAW TALKS ABOUT HIS BRISBANE FESTIVAL SHOW (P16)
THE FULL BLUESFEST LINE-UP – AN INTERACTIVE ANALYSIS!
AT THEMUSIC.COM.AU
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REVIEWS Album: Death From Above 1979 Live: Lady Gaga Arts: What We Do In The Shadows
THE GUIDE Cover: The Bloodpoets Food/Drink Frontlash/Backlash Indie News Indy Features Gig Guide
“I WAS WRITING, BUT I KNEW DEEP DOWN AND SORT OF CONFRONTED THE FACT THAT I WAS JUST WRITING THE SAME SHIT AGAIN AND AGAIN.” - THE KOOKS FRONTMAN LUKE PRITCHARD TALKS LISTEN (P22)
LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS, INCLUDING MERGER OF TWO TOP MANAGEMENT COMPANIES. FULL DETAILS AT THEMUSIC.COM.AU
review “IN A YEAR OF FANTASTIC COMEBACKS, THIS POTENTIALLY STANDS AS THE PICK OF THE BUNCH. THROW ON YOUR LEATHERS AND GET DANCING.” - DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 ARE BACK FOR YOUR BLOOD (P26)
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CONTRIBUTORS Alice Bopf, Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood, Anthony Carew, Baz McAlister, Ben Marnane, Ben Preece, Benny Doyle, Bradley Armstrong, Brendan Telford, Brie Jorgensen, Carley Hall, Chris Yates, Cyclone, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Dave Drayton, Guy Davis, Helen Stringer, Jake Sun, Jazmine O’Sullivan, Lochlan Watt, Madeleine Laing, Mandy McAlister, Mitch Knox, Paul Mulkearns, Roshan Clerkea, Sam Hobson, Sky Kirkham, Sophie Blackhall-Cain, Tessa Fox, Tom Hersey, Tony McMahon, Tyler McLoughlan
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Get your geek on, it’s Comic-Con time! This weekend at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre it’s our turn for Oz Comic-Con, the pop culture conference that combines exhibitions, autograph sessions and photo opportunities with some of the biggest stars from the big and small screens, as well as special panel events. No matter what your taste there will be something for everyone, as long as your taste is awesomely lowbrow.
Those massive pink rabbits are starting to emerge from their warrens all around town and that can only mean one thing – Brisbane Festival is upon us! Kicking off this Saturday and running for three weeks, the annual mass party celebrates everything there is to love about our great capital city and brings a cavalcade of music, theatre, dance, comedy, opera, circus and all things artistic from all around the world for our enjoyment.
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There’s no doubting that jazz – when done properly – is one of the most relaxing musical forms, and the Sunshine Coast is surely one of the most laidback places in Queensland (which is the chill capital of the western world), so this weekend’s Noosa Jazz Festival should go down as one of the most stress-free shindigs imaginable! It all happens from this Thursday through Sunday at the gorgeous Noosa Lions Park, Noosa Heads and features an absolutely brilliant line-up and festivities for everyone. Relax the Noosa jazz way! BRISBANE
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JONSON STREET BYRON BAY THURS 4 SEPT KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD
FRI 5 SEP DALLAS JAMES & THE GRAINS, THE BADLANDS, JAKE KEMP
SAT 6 SEPT MESA COSA FEELING DAVE
FRI 12 SEPT THE PIERCE BROS, TIMBERWOLF
SAT 13 SEPT THE OWLS
SUN 14 SEPT JOHN GARCIA
FRI 19 SEPT MT WARNING
SAT 20 SEPT GOONS OF DOOM
FRI 26 SEPT CASTLECOMER
FRI 3 OCT TOMORROWS TULIPS
SAT 4 OCT BLUEJUICE
THURS 9 OCT HOLY HOLY
18 & 19 OCT STICKY FINGERS
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE WWW.THENORTHERN.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 9
national news news@themusic.com.au THE MEANIES
PIERCE BROTHERS
PIERCING LIGHTS
Indie-folk favourites Pierce Brothers don’t look like resting on their laurels anytime soon; welcome news for fans, no doubt, particularly the ones who’ve followed their progress from Melbourne buskers to international stars. The schedule will take the brothers to Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 16 Oct; Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 6 Nov; Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 7 Nov; and Indi Bar, Perth, 6 Dec with full dates on theMusic.com. au, proud presenting partners of the tour.
YOUNG & RELEVANT
Something like that at least... Aussie punk rock institution The Meanies are celebrating their silver jubilee, playing shows 3 Oct, Rosemount Hotel, Perth; 10 Oct, The Roller Den, Sydney; 18 Oct, Prince Of Wales Hotel, Brisbane; and 24 Oct, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, all proudly presented by The Music. Relive the late nights and fist fights when the frantic Melburnians spit venom across our great land once again!
SWEATER OUT
Adelaide royalty Hilltop Hoods continue to walk tall across this great land of ours, with another ARIA chart-topper in latest LP Walking Under Stars and a big Cosby Sweater Tour to spread the hip hop love. Get to theMusic.com.au for the closest gig to you, with the Hoods’ dates including 24 Oct, Hordern Pavilion, Sydney; 30 Oct, AIS Arena, Canberra; 31 Oct, Newcastle Entertainment Centre; 14 Nov, Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne; 22 Nov, The Marquee, Brisbane; and 6 Dec, Red Hill Auditorium, Perth.
THE RIVER RUNS FAR
Share The Smith Street Band’s musical stories when they launch Throw Me In The River at The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, 21 Nov; Manning Bar, Sydney, 22 Nov; Zierholz, Canberra, 23 Nov; Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 28 Nov; and Rosemount Hotel, Perth, 29 Nov.
READY FOR TAKE OFF
Dance duo Flight Facilities are finally bringing their debut album, Down To Earth, in to land. Launch onto the D-floor at Capitol, Perth, 8 Nov; Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 13 Nov; The Tivoli, Brisbane, 15 Nov; and Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 20 Nov.
GOSSLING
HARVEST CONTINUES
After a busy string of events overseas, Gossling is coming back home just in time for a spring tour, which will be proudly presented by The Music. To celebrate, the singer-songwriter is releasing a digital-only edition of her debut Harvest Of Gold, which also features a bonus EP of unreleased tracks. Hear her lush arrangements at Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 6 Nov; The Bakery, Perth, 9 Nov; Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 11 & 12 Nov; and Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 19 & 20 Nov.
CELIA PACQUOLA
JACK CARTY
WAGONS
AUSSIES OWNING EDINBURGH
Celia Pacquola has been named the winner of the Amused Moose Laughter Award 2014 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which aims to discover the best shows by performers who do not have a current DVD deal or option. Melbourne’s Sam Simmons was also nominated for Best Comedy Show for Death Of A Sails-Man and Sydney’s Steen Raskopoulos was up for Best Newcomer. 10 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
KEEP ON TURNING
The wheels are back in motion for Wagons, with an intimate national tour providing a perfect platform to showcase their new album Acid Rain And Sugar Cane. Find shows at Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, 25 Sep; Under The Clothesline, Perth, 26 Sep; Wave Rock Festival, Hyden, 27 Sep; Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 3 Nov; Old Museum, Brisbane, 6 Nov; and Newtown Social Club, Sydney, 7 Nov. Proudly presented by The Music.
FEELS LIKE HOME
Sydney-by-way-of-Bellingen singersongwriter Jack Carty has dropped the news of a forthcoming third fulllength album, Esk, and a national tour as well. The stalwart troubadour plays at New Globe Theatre, Brisbane, 17 Oct; Rosemount Hotel, Perth, 9 Nov; Howler, Melbourne, 4 Dec; and 505, Sydney, 13 Dec. Proudly presented by The Music.
local news qld.news@themusic.com.au THE BLACK KEYS
GAY PARIS
SET FIRE TO THE HIVE
We’re stoked to announce that Mojo Burning festival is returning to New Globe Theatre in 2015 (proudly presented by The Music), with a line-up that needs to be heard! On 21 Mar the venue will host those rock’n’roll evangelists Gay Paris, the guaranteed goodness of Redcoats, Claude Hay & The Gentle Enemies, Mojo Webb, Transvall Diamond Syndicate, La Bastard, Guthrie and The Urban Chiefs, with loads more on the bill too! Head to theMusic.com.au for full event details; tickets on sale at Ticketbooth.
SAIL AWAY, SAIL AWAY
If you’re a party monster, there’ll come a time in your life where you say goodbye to the looseness. That time is now for Yacht Club DJs. The boys are signing off in true style, playing a boatload of shows on their final Hooroo! Tour, including The Northern, Byron Bay, 7 Nov and The Brightside, 8 Nov.
THE OTHER BIG O
GETTING THE BLUES ALL OVER AGAIN
Byron Bay Bluesfest returns for its 26th incarnation over the Easter long weekend, 2 – 6 Apr, at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, and the initial line-up announcement brings some big names. First cabs off the rank are a combination of new faces and returning favourites, including The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Paul Kelly presenting the Merri Soul Sessions ft Dan Sultan, Kira Piru and Vika & Linda Bull, Xavier Rudd, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx and more in the first of what will likely be many more announcements to come.
SPACE REGGAE
A 50th anniversary is usually saved for your grandparents, not a band, but Jamaica’s finest, The Skatalites, don’t care for the rules. Skank along to the nine-piece, led by original vocalist and first lady of ska Doreen Shaffer, when the group play at The Zoo, 11 Dec.
Gomez favourite Ben Ottewell is bringing his rich brogue Down Under, touting a brand new solo record, Rattlebag, at Black Bear Lodge, 31 Oct. Californian bloke Buddy supports.
“THIS SUIT IS THE BOLDEST THING OBAMA’S DONE IN MONTHS.”
REWRITE THE BOOKS
Brisbane/Melbourne folk rockers Holy Holy are doing the slow burn thing right, teasing out the lead-up to a debut LP with a string of great singles. History is another stunner that you can get behind 9 Oct, The Norther, Byron Bay and 10 Oct, The Brightside.
NO! BUT YEAH!
Pennsylvania punks The Wonder Years have cancelled their tour this month, but they’re making it up to you by joining the massive Soundwave 2015 bill. If you had tickets for their Brisbane headline shows, seek out your point of purchase for a refund.
THE US PRESIDENT WORE A TAN SUIT AND HUNTER WALKER [@HUNTERW] HAD A MELTDOWN.
BEAUTIFUL HORIZONS
We told you last week that Factory Floor would be taking part in G0Ma’s Future Beauty Up Late program, and now we can give you the full list of artists, with Japan’s Broken Doll, Shonen Knife and Cornelius all making the trip south, with additional performances from locals like Sampology, Mtns, Oscar Key Sung and Last Dinosaurs, all happening 21 Nov and 13 Feb. Find out specific dates at theMusic.com.au.
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO
C.W. Stoneking’s new album Gon’ Boogaloo apparently took him years to come by but was recorded live in Castlemaine, Victoria in the space of two days. The lauded bluesman will take the tunes to the people 31 Oct, The Hi-Fi – proudly presented by The Music.
Bleeding Knees Club’s Alex Wall brings his Wax Witches project to Ric’s Bar, 11 Sep; Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise, 12 Sep; Alhambra Lounge, 4 Oct; Sounds Of Sunday, Gold Coast, 5 Oct. Hear some quality snot-pop pulled from new LP, Centre Of Your Universe.
WE STILL REMEMBER
Metalheads rejoice! Melbourne slayers Ne Obliviscaris are coming to obliterate venues, joined by Canadian death-metallers Beyond Creation. Have yourself a dark and stormy time at The Brightside, 29 Nov.
The Sands Tavern, Maroochydore is hosting The Mosh For Daniel Festival on 8 Nov. Not only will you be able to thrash about to the sounds of Darkc3ll, Widow The Sea, Holistic, Countdown To Armageddon, and more, but you’ll be helping to raise money for The Daniel Morcombe Foundation (Dean Morcombe plays in Holistic). Tickets from Oztix.
STILL GOT IT
RELIGHTING THE FIRE
THE END IS HERE C.W. STONEKING
HOT WAX
With Shihad’s newly released album FVEY landing in the ARIA top ten as well as debuting at #1 in New Zealand, the time seems right for the four-piece to rev up the engines. They’ll bring their incendiary live show, along with special guests High Tension and Cairo Knife Fight, to The Hi-Fi, 24 Oct.
After only just finishing up a short and intimate tour, Melbourne folk favourites Husky return to the road to celebrate the release of their new album, Ruckers Hill. Ride the folk train with the boys 21 Nov, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba and 22 Nov, The Zoo. THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 11
music
WIND IN HIS SAILS With debut EP Vessel taking listeners on all sorts of journeys, Danny Harley, aka The Kite String Tangle, tells Jazmine O’Sullivan about the personal thrill ride that he’s currently on.
Y
ou may have stumbled across the boy wonder that is Danny Harley when he gained radioplay on triple j last year with his first single Given The Chance, which landed the number 19 spot in the station’s Hottest 100. Or perhaps it was his dreamy rendition of Flight Facilities’ Clair De Lune that won you over, or his performance at Splendour In The Grass, or one of his many acclaimed gigs across the country this past year. No matter how you came to know The Kite String Tangle, Harley has managed to earn household name status across the nation in a short period of time, which will only be cemented further with the release of his debut EP Vessel. Ahead of the release, Harley muses, “It’s been a while coming and I’m feeling appropriate levels of anxiety and nervousness and excitement all mixed into one confusing emotional rollercoaster. I’ve had the songs
experiences on a single journey and that’s what it’s about for me – it could be a bit farfetched to think that people might come to the same conclusion from a single word, but I like to leave things open to interpretation anyway.” With the EP delving into themes of love and loss, all through his beautiful, blissedout electronic style, Harley admits that his music-making process has the tendency to be cathartic at times. “I’m not a hugely outwardly emotional person, so when I write music it tends to be emotionally driven, which is a surprise to me because I never start out with the intention of doing that, and then it just kind of ends up that way. So I think [making my music] has been like my own therapy without me
alike. With so much success coming his way, Harley says he feels a little bewildered by the whole experience. “It has been weird, I mean that song Given The Chance was actually a slow-burner, a lot of people think it blew up, but it took about six months to really get going. I did my first Given The Chance tour early on and then I got to do another one or two after that because of the slow-burning nature of it. It was like a journey that became a parody of itself because it would just oneup itself every month or so, like something awesome would happen, and you’d think, ‘Oh that’s it, it’s run its course,’ but then something else would happen. “It’s been an insane year and I’ve had some pretty massive lifestyle changes,” Harley adds. “When music presents itself as a career like this I kind of drop everything else, and so it’s changed the course of my life, which is awesome. I think every musician wants that to happen, so I’m feeling kind of lucky.” Prior to his work with The Kite String Tangle, many knew of Harley from his exploits with Brisbane band Pigeon, who are now on indefinite hiatus. Initiating a solo project was an exciting prospect for Harley, as it gave him an opportunity to take complete control of the music he was creating, from the writing process right through to the mixing, mastering and producing. With Vessel, however, there are moments where he has allowed others into his tangled musical world, notably the breathtaking collaboration with vocalist Tiane Khasi for the track Stone Cold. “I’ve come from mostly a collaborative background with bands where everyone contributes, and so this
“I’M FEELING APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND NERVOUSNESS AND EXCITEMENT ALL MIXED INTO ONE CONFUSING EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER.”
for quite a while now so it’s exciting to get them out there and see what people think of them.”
ever realising that it was, but now it’s pretty clear.”
With the success of Given The Chance pushing Harley well and truly onto the public spectrum, he admits there was a fair amount of pressure involved in any sort of follow-up release, however, he didn’t let it affect his music or his drive. “There was massive pressure, but you can’t write music to that. The only thing you can do is write music that you enjoy, which is what you do in the first place. I think you have to do that first and foremost and if people like it they like it and if they don’t they don’t, you just have to live with that.”
In the lead-up to, and since the release of, Vessel, there’s been an undeniable amount of buzz and attention given to the movements of The Kite String Tangle. Earlier in the year Harley was – dare we say it – given the chance to perform at the lauded SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, before securing a guest appearance at one of the world’s favourite festivals, Coachella, earning praise from spectators and musicians
We were given a brief glimpse of what to expect from the EP when Harley released his second stunning single Arcadia earlier this year, however, reflecting on the true essence of Vessel as a whole he offers, “The last year has been a pretty crazy journey full of incredible experiences, and all those journeys make a whole, and that’s kind of what Vessel means to me. Everyone’s kind of a vessel that transports their own 12 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
project has been my own thing, which is nice because I enjoy being a control freak as well,” Harley laughs. “But having someone else come on board [for these new songs] was really nice, it was really natural. It wasn’t forced at all and I never really had a chance to think about the fact that someone else was having an input on it, and I think that’s the only way to work really, because if you force collaborations or if it doesn’t work immediately it can feel wrong.” Reflecting on the future of Pigeon and its bandmates, Harley says, “[Pigeon has] definitely had to take a back seat because of this project, so the dynamic of the band has definitely changed. I think a lot of people from the band are also starting up their own projects now as well, so if anything [the hiatus] has kind of sprouted a few more creative avenues for the guys and myself.” While it could be argued his peaceful electronic style might sound more at home in Australia’s more night scene-driven cities such as Melbourne or Sydney, Harley humbly believes he doesn’t need
KEEP YOUR EARS PEELED One of the most immediately striking features of Harley’s music with The Kite String Tangle is its lush and transporting sonic soundscapes. Given The Chance melted hearts across the country with both its fragility and its complexity, while Arcadia introduced a more melodious side and vocal experimentation – both showcasing Harley’s natural flare for producing and a heightened dexterity for creating sounds. When questioned whether he would consider lending his producing talents to other musicians’ work, Harley is quick to indicate that it is definitely within his realm of possibilities. “I used to [produce] a fair bit as well, mainly doing more sort of studio work for bands and stuff, but I’ve done a little bit of production for other people and it’s definitely something I like. I like playing around different styles as well so [making music for other people] is also a good outlet for that.” So, if Harley ever finds time away from his busy schedule with The Kite String Tangle, it’s entirely possible you could find yourself hearing a whole lot more of his work floating around the Australian music scene in the near future, and in a wider variety of forms. If the sounds found on Vessel are anything to go by, this can only be a good thing, right?
himself in those areas to propel his career forward. “There’s a lot of great music that comes out of Brisbane, it’s pretty well known for its garage/grungerock moreso than my style of music, but I like the sleepiness of Brisbane, how it’s kind of chill here. I like being other places, but I like coming home to Brisbane. I think if I was ever going to move it would be a big move and I would go to the UK or something.” While the EP may have felt like a long time coming for fans and spectators, with almost a year falling between the release of that song and Vessel, it has no doubt felt like a lot longer for Harley, who admits he is amazed he actually finished it, and considers it one of his greatest accomplishments. “It took so long and it felt like I was never going to get it out, but I’m really proud of it. It’s fairly diverse in terms of its ups and downs, and it’s not super focused and cohesive, which was intentional, so I could see what I liked after it was released. After it’s been out for six months I want to see what tracks I still like, what’s had longevity to me, what I most like performing and what people
react to the most. It has been like a little experiment with the various styles I write in to see what sticks.” With Vessel still being relatively fresh, Harley reveals he has already started work on what could be his debut album. “I’ve got maybe four songs that I’m happy with right now, but that could all change in six months. I could have three albums that I hate by then so I’m trying really hard to not release an album unless I’m really stoked about it and proud of it. I reckon there’s a lot of pressure from people to put out an album if the momentum’s there and the time is right, but I don’t think you can force it.”
WHAT: Vessel (Warner) WHEN & WHERE: 17 & 18 Sep, Brisbane Festival, The Telstra Spiegeltent; 19 Sep, Toowoomba Carnival Of Flowers; 30 Dec – 3 Jan, Falls Festival, North Byron Parklands THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 13
music
LIGHT IT UP Twenty years into his career as a metal vocalist, Dez Fafara balances a wholesome family life alongside his two bands DevilDriver and Coal Chamber. Lochlan Watt discovers how weed helped him find that balance. ez Fafara is at home in California and has taken a short break from making lasagne with his kids to chat. They’ve got some pretty serious plans for the evening – a poolside barbecue. It’s a well-deserved break.
D
probably do all of the things at once, but you’re boring him with one thing, and that’s why he’s not getting good grades.
“I’ve not taken a summer off in almost 11 years,” he explains. “Everyone in a band knows that that’s the time when you’re touring, you’re doing festivals overseas, and I’ve just had enough. I just needed to take some time with the family, take some time with the wife, and come back to me.”
“When I found marijuana in my life, it absolutely changed me for the better. I was at a friend’s house and we put on Black Sabbath and I smoked a joint and sat
The band’s forthcoming Australian run with Whitechapel will in fact be the last tour off the back of their hugely successful 2013 album Winter Kills. “We figured [we’ll] come Down Under and finish it off right. The record has performed so well all over the globe. For our sixth record to actually do what it’s been doing, I just think okay, let’s end this cycle, let’s come off for a while, let’s take our first prolonged break as DevilDriver, get with our families, and get writing.” He reveals that the band have been given the deadline of 1 Nov to turn in six songs for the next album. “I write daily, and I want everybody to write daily, so if you don’t give people deadlines some people will slack [off ]. You just have to say, ‘By November, if we have six songs, then we’ll know by January, February next year if we’ve got a record,’ and then we can start talking to producers or whatever. I work best on a deadline, and the people around me need to work best on a deadline.” With the reactivated Coal Chamber having also just announced plans to release their fourth album in 2015, Fafara definitely doesn’t fit the increasingly invalid stereotype of the lazy pot smoker. Nonetheless he smokes daily, and is proud to support the legalisation movement. “I’ve suffered from ADD and ADHD my whole life. My parents had me on Ritalin for a long time, which is a terrible drug, and if you’ve got your kids on any of those drugs – they’re giving them for hyperactivity – what you have to know is you’re dealing with a hyperactive kid, which means you’re dealing with a very intelligent, smart individual. He could listen to four teachers at once and 14 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
versed in the social and economic benefits of the plant. “In the United States most of our farmers are out of work. We don’t build anything here anymore, most of our stuff is made overseas, and all you’ve gotta do is install hemp and watch it happen. I think people here are watching what’s happening in Colorado, where it’s fully legal, as if it was going into a liquor store and buying beer, and all you need is ID. They’ve gotten millions of dollars from it and they’re putting it all into schools. Over here in the school system we’re watching the arts completely disappear – everything from shop class to painting, sculpting, a lot of the music
“WHEN I FOUND MARIJUANA IN MY LIFE, IT ABSOLUTELY CHANGED ME FOR THE BETTER.” back and said, ‘What a minute, what’s this?’ And then what’s crazy is I remember I had to go home [after] to do homework, and I not only flew through that homework, but I understood it and it stuck with me. The doors of perception opened wide. The third eye opens. The brain works differently. The manifestation from that is incredible on an individual.” Beyond the mental effects, Fafara is well-
classes are suffering horribly – and we’re watching Denver giving all of that money, all of that surplus to their school system, and the schools are booming. “There’s so many aspects of this herb that have unfortunately been demonised over the years. The hemp seed is the most powerful piece of protein on earth: it makes incredible clothing, our constitution was written on hemp, our forefathers over here grew hemp, smoked hemp, Benjamin Franklin smoked it... It irritates me that it’s illegal – for something derivative from the universe, not even touched, not even chemically altered – it’s illegal for humankind to take it. Who’s making that statement? Who’s telling me what I can and can’t do with my body? Who’s directing me like that? It’s just very upsetting to me. We should all be of free will.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 Sep, The Hi-Fi
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 15
event
FROM THE START Dennis Remmer talks to Helen Stringer about chronicling a movement.
W
ell before electronic artists started employing compound nouns more prolifically than German lexicographers, electronic music was both slightly less well known, and slightly more cohesive. Back in the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s, moreover, it required that people actually leave their homes to experience it. Long-term Brisbane electronic music champion, Dennis Remmer, co-owner of Transmission Communications (Trans:Com), maker of anthology BNE, has long been pushing the River City scene as a punter, a label owner and a former occasional musician. “We were thoughtful of the relationship between record labels and their cities
– to document that and to establish a history of that challenging genre and art form in the city,” he says on the BNE book project. “This is the 20th anniversary of the start of our record label. We thought that’s a good way to celebrate. Yes we want to celebrate ourselves, but we were also standing on the shoulders of people who came before us and those who have come since.” Remmer explains that they decided to look at the overall history: from 1979-2014. Remmer has also spent the past few decades researching Brisbane’s robust independent electronic music scene. The wealth of information and music meant that BNE quickly gathered
theatre
momentum. “Brisbane was certainly behind Sydney and Melbourne; there was more alternative-punk and rock. So certainly, to some extent electronic music flew below the radar. Particularly in the Joh Bjelke-Petersen era. In hindsight [electronic music] was the true alternative… whereas now we’re fundamentally different city, but back then it was all extremely challenging.” Remmer first came to Brisbane in the late ‘80s and spent his formative introduction “knee-deep in acid-house”. “What’s happening on BNE is really a true time capsule.” Asked what he thinks of today’s electronic scene Remmer says, “It’s a good question: What is electronic music? If we look on the compilation there’s a lot of fashion around certain genres – dubstep and all of that – but you can’t pigeonhole that. If I think about the contributors to the book and those earliest periods, this was part of [the] Joh Bjelke Petersen [era] – weird times. The fact that anybody could do anything is amazing. What’s interesting is to get the DNA of that material and to see [it] right now. When we play the earliest material to the Gen Y people doing stuff right now, they can see the connection.” Of the changes, Remmer says, “People tend to label, to do things themselves without a need of anything collectivistic, [but] the most fundamental thing that’s changed is technology… that’s a positive thing, except the ultimate generalisation of people claiming whatever two terms have been thrown together to make a new genre. So I’m slightly annoyed by that.” WHAT: BNE: Brisbane Electronic Music 1979:2014 (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: 6 Sep, Brisbane Powerhouse
DEEP SEA EXPLORATIONS Trygve Wakenshaw tells Helen Stringer the reason he made his show Squidboy was because he had an appropriate costume for it.
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ew performers would admit to woeful underpreparedness and plagiarism, but Trygve Wakenshaw isn’t one of them. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention; especially when you devise a show live on stage armed only with a skinny, preternaturally elastic body and a costume that vaguely resembles a squid. He can get away with minor digressions because he’s a truly rare performer, able to take small things and turn them in to something unexpected and hilarious.
Wakenshaw is bringing two shows to Brisbane Festival: the wildly popular Squidboy and Kraken. Asked whether there’s a deep sea theme running through his work, Wakenshaw is dismissive. “Nope. I mean, Squidboy came out of having that costume.” Wakenshaw started his career in New Zealand, but the voracious autodidact left his home to study at clowning institution Ecole Philippe Gaulier, throwing him into an existential crisis. “I thought I just [needed] to make something,” he says, “And that something was Squidboy.” The first incarnation of Squidboy was [simply] getting to know the costume, but last year in Edinburgh, he says, “it just exploded and sold out… and this year I made Kraken and that’s gone gangbusters as well.” Now that Squidboy has garnered effusive praise, Wakenshaw says that performing is terrifying. “Rather than the audience [not knowing what they’re seeing] they come in going, ‘Alright, I heard the show was funny. 16 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
Come on funny guy, be funny.’ If I think, ‘It’s time to impress them’ then no one’s having any fun. If it’s just nonsense it works.” After Squidboy, Wakenshaw found himself in Norway under instructions to make something brilliant. Which he didn’t. “Sadness and trauma came out of Norway,” he says – he was unable to write anything. “After four weeks I had two ideas; one of those stayed in my show.” True to form Wakenshaw says he simply got on stage and stayed there, screwing around until the technician started waving a light at him to tell him he’d made it through the hour. “I just thought, ‘I’ll pretend like I’ve spent four weeks
making this really great show.’” To no small amount of guilt for someone who turned up on stage with one idea, Wakenshaw laments, “I won the Underbelly award… making a show that I knew nothing about.” So can Wakenshaw actaully explain what the shows are about? “Sort of. It’s a little bit hard. Squidboy is about imagination; it’s about a fisherman having an identity crisis.” He stops himself, “No, that’s not quite right. It’s kind of a battle of egos between a fisherman and a Squidboy… That sounds awful as well.” Wakenshaw pauses again before delivering his pitch. “It’s better than any other show... Because I’m one of the finest performers touring the Australian circuit at the moment.” It’s a joke, but it’s also true.
WHAT: Squidboy WHEN & WHERE: 16 – 20 Sep, Brisbane Festival, La Boite Studio
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 17
singin’ at this club and we went to see him and James Brown happened to show up, because my brother used to imitate James Brown,” she says. “I remember [Brown] gettin’ up on stage and I was standin’ at the stage at eye level and I remember lookin’ at him. My father passed away when I was 12 years old, so at this time I had to have been maybe eight or nine, and I remember sayin’, ‘Look dad, he’s floatin’!’ It was like his feet ain’t even touchin’ the ground! Literally, I thought James Brown was just floatin’ across the stage.” In 2013 Jones’s musical life was put on hold when a pancreatic cancer diagnosis led to months of treatment. The chemotherapy was a success and she’s currently cancer free – one of the lucky ones. “Everyone has a life and you have to deal with it the way you deal with it and your outcome is your outcome,” she says. She looks at this next phase of her life as an opportunity to spread the soul music gospel even further. “That’s why my life’s been spared through this cancer scare,” she says. “I’m plannin’ to go on for a few more years to help people recognise soul music.”
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SPREADING THE SOUL GOSPEL Her last chemo treatment was on New Year’s Eve and then four days later Sharon Jones hit the US TV talk show circuit and then resumed touring relentlessly. She tells Samson McDougall she feels “more energetic and stronger” than she did three years back.
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haron Jones is all about channelling the energy of the early soul performers, bringing this stuff to a new generation. The story of her tough road to ‘discovery’ is fairly well documented, so we’ll kick off in the midst of her now-regular gig with The Dap Kings – the Daptone Records house band. Jones and Daptone are largely associated with a widespread soul revival. We’re seeing it in Australia with the rise of Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, The Bamboos, Hiatus Kaiyote, even punksoul outfits like Royal Headache, but according to Jones it’s a worldwide thing. And whether or not her influence is a right-place, right-time kind of scenario or whether she’s actually responsible for any of this coming to bear, her festival appearances (Sydney Festival, Meredith, Falls, Roskilde, Glastonbury etc etc) are bringing slabs of soul to younger audiences. Jones knew long before Daptone Records’ first album release – Dap Dippin’ With Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (2002) – that they were onto something special. “I don’t know if those guys knew it but I went to Gabe [Roth, Daptone founder] after we started doin’ it and I said, ‘Look, let me tell you somethin’... This is gonna be the last job that I ever work, when I leave this gig I’m retiring, so y’all, let’s get serious’,” she says. “And that’s when we started. I knew then. I said, ‘Right now you guys don’t even realise [but] we’re makin’ history here. You don’t know what’s goin’ on’. No one [was] doin’ this – well, people were doin’ it but no one [was] as serious as we are.” The goal was to be electric and authentic, to continue in the traditions of a musical form that was in danger of fading away, rather than mimicking a sound-goneby. The key to validity was in harnessing the energy 18 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
of the old-time soul performers. And watching thousands of young folk dancing in a festival field to music that was conceived a long time before they were is testament to how well Jones & The Dap Kings have hit the mark. When the band are on the road, they still turn to old footage of the greats for inspiration. “James Brown or Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner onstage – to watch that energy they have is totally amazing,” she says. “So to see that we’re actually doin’ that, really doin’ what they were doin’ onstage, it’s unbelievable.” Jones laments never seeing James Brown at the famed Apollo Theatre – a venue she’s now played – but she did have an early brush with greatness. “My brother was
Since her treatment finished, the odd seven- or tenday break is the only respite Jones has had. She loves fishing, and gets to do a fair bit of it on a friend’s boat while she’s not on the road. In fact, she would’ve been on the water had this run of interviews not been scheduled during her downtime. But drive is something Jones has plenty of and the success she’s experiencing now is something she’ll work hard to hold on to. She says since the cancer treatment she’s lost a bit of weight, is eating better and generally looking after herself. “I look at myself and I feel unbelievable,” she says. “Believe it or not right now, at 58, I feel more energetic and stronger than I did three years ago.
“THAT’S WHY MY LIFE’S BEEN SPARED THROUGH THIS CANCER SCARE. I’M PLANNIN’ TO GO ON FOR A FEW MORE YEARS TO HELP PEOPLE RECOGNISE SOUL MUSIC.”
“For the last eight months I’ve been goin’ right from New Year’s Eve – my last chemo treatment – and I’ve been on the road ever since,” she continues. “New Year’s Eve was the last one and January fourth I was on [The Tonight Show Starring] Jimmy Fallon. Then I flew out to California and was on every night show: Ellen, Leno, Kimmel, Conan – every show, all in January. And then come February the fifth, here I am startin’ my tour, hittin’ the road.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 Sep, The Tivoli
MORE THAN BANGIN’
Success has followed You Me At Six for their entire career, but that doesn’t mean Josh Franceschi is going to start wearing sunnies indoors anytime soon. He chats with Benny Doyle.
J
osh Franceschi didn’t experience the ‘80s. Maybe that’s why a hedonistic rock’n’roll lifestyle has never been on the radar for the 24-year-old? The Music is tempted to get all Dr Phil on the young bloke but really, Dr Phil seems like a bit of an arse; instead, we talk about some highlights of this year, namely You Me At Six’s first UK number one (2014’s Cavalier Youth) and the Kerrang! Awards, where the quintet won Best Single (Fresh Start Fever) and Best British Band.
Sharing red carpet screams with fan favourites Fall Out Boy, Franceschi questioned whether the rock band he fronts were just FOB’s “weird, ugly younger brothers” or if they were genuinely holding their own, though he acknowledges that validation from listeners and peers felt very cool. “You’re doing something right if you’re turning heads,” he sums up. Talking to Franceschi, you quickly pick up the vibe – You Me At Six are a band of friends that hold no tickets on themselves whatsoever. It’s a surprise given their large-scale success
and increasingly stylish press shots (see: mature), but it’s something the frontman takes great pride in.
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“I’ve never met a more non-rock star band,” he agrees. “Some of our mates in other bands are quite similar to us, and then there are some that love [the bullshit] – they love wearing sunglasses inside. And that’s not to say they lose their passion for the music, but they get caught up in that stuff basically. They’ve gotten carried away and forgot about what they’re actually meant to do, [which is] building a fanbase and writing good songs. “We’ve always kept each other in check [and] we have a lot of fun with our music, but we also have a very focused game plan – we’re passionate about not being a flash in the pan. If you want to go out to five or six in the morning and bang models and do all that sort of stuff then great, good for you, you’ll have a really cool time doing that, but at some point a line is going to be drawn and you’re going to look around and go, ‘Oh shit, no one cares about our band anymore.’ And you’re so wrapped up in that other shit that you didn’t recognise it. “At the end of the day man, I’m no better than you and you’re no better than me,” Franceschi finishes. “And everybody gets the same – whether you’re Dave Grohl or the intern at a radio station I’m going to give you the same amount of time and the same level of attention when I’m having a conversation with you, and I think that’s what it’s about – you’ve got to separate the guy onstage to the guy walking the street, and I think we’ve been pretty good at doing that.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 Sep, Eatons Hill Hotel (all ages)
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 19
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BARBARIANS UNITE
urgency on the record – that tends to be magnified live. So stuff gets heavier and faster to emphasise the point that the slow bits are supposed to be slow and the faster bits are supposed to be speed up.�
A UK trio who carry the moniker Conan might not dig tattered animal carcasses slung about their netherparts, but Jon Davis tells Tom Hersey doom fans can definitely expect some brutality.
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criticism levelled at heavy metal is that it’s none too subtle. Everything’s loud and in your face and what even are they singing about? Metal fans know that’s bullshit, and that there are a slew of bands out their pushing boundaries, utilising awe-inspiring dynamics and writing the type of music that might change those stigmas. Conan ain’t one of those bands though. “It’s quite crude I suppose in the way that we deliver it,� Conan’s guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis reckons.
“We’re not particularly sophisticated in the way we write or perform.� Case in point, the band’s third album Blood Eagle. The meaty six-track offering sounds like a horde of marauders drunk on bloodlust pillaging a village. And according to Davis, the intensity of the album has only been amplified as the band have turned their attention towards touring the material around the world. “The songs always do evolve a little. The most notable changes have been to the paces of some of the songs; some come across a lot slower now that we’re playing live, and the ones that have a bit more
That’s what Davis promises Aussie fans ahead of Conan’s first-ever run of dates Down Under. Straight-up doom fury, no frills. Just three dudes on a stage with bullshit loud amplifiers. “Live, we sound more urgent and in-your-face, there’s more feedback and we’re playing everything louder. And everything becomes bigger than what it is on the record, we like it slow so we play as slow as we can, and as loud as we can, and then we like the mid-paced riffs so we try and do them as best we can. It’s probably not the professional way of doing it, but we just go for it.� Though it might not be professional, Davis is unapologetic about Conan’s approach. In fact, he thinks Blood Eagle is the perfect template for what the band are hoping to do when they sit down and start work on album number four. “If you look at Blood Eagle, although it doesn’t seem sophisticated in any way, you compare that to the album before that, or the shorter releases we’ve done, or even our first album, and I think you can hear our technical ability improve a bit with each release. We’re playing more technical riffs and the arrangements are a little more interesting. We’re not Mastodon or anything like that, but we don’t want to be. Because I’m not into that sort of music to be honest, so it wouldn’t feel right to do something like that.� WHAT: Blood Eagle (Napalm/Rocket) WHEN & WHERE: 6 Sep, Crowbar
Ŝē ē
LISTINGS CLOSE
SEPTEMBER 2 MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT! COMPLETE YOUR LISTING FORM NOW BY DOWNLOADING THE RELEVANT FORM FROM: WWW.THEMUSIC.COM.AU/AMID
20 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 21
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FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
have hit the high notes but really it wouldn’t have suited the music – so what’s the point?”
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has come out of the shadows with his debut solo album. Mark Hebblewhite cornered him (and bassist Allan Badger) to find out why rock’n’roll refuses to die.
P
hil Rudd may be lounging back in one of Sydney’s most exclusive hotels but it’s clear the bloke hasn’t let fame go to his head. Laconic and quietly spoken, Rudd is supremely proud of his latest endeavour – a fully fledged solo album. “Some of the ideas for these songs have been around for 25 years,” he reveals. “Me and the boys even jammed some of the tracks many years ago, so to finally get in the studio and lay them down was a real pleasure.”
The tracks that Rudd is talking about are the 11 slabs of unashamedly classic Aussie pubrock contained on the charmingly monikered Head Job LP. “It’s a no-bullshit rock’n’roll record – that’s all we set out to make and I think we did it well,” offers Rudd. “The vocals, the riffs – everything’s real and comes from things I’ve experienced.” “That’s definitely the approach I took with the vocals,” chimes in Allan ‘Badge’ Badger, who played bass on the album as well as providing the bulk of the vocals. “I could
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As the drummer for AC/DC, Rudd is part of veritable empire of minders, assistants and business managers – not to mention being the focus of high expectations on the part of the band’s fans. Was it hard to come from this background to one where you were out on your own producing and your name was on the cover? “Well I’m only about four foot one so my feet are always firmly on the ground! As for being worried about how people would react – I wasn’t worried at all. There’s no pressure with this project – there’s actually far more pressure being a part of AC/DC. I’m my own worst critic, but this was just a matter of getting into the studio with the boys and going for it. We had a great time in the studio making Head Job and I think that’s reflected in the songs.” While The Music was ostensibly sitting down with Rudd to talk about his new solo album we couldn’t just ignore his other role – you know, being the drummer for arguably the biggest rock’n’roll band on the planet. Rudd wouldn’t let much out of the bag, but here’s what we managed to extract. “There’s definitely going to be another AC/DC tour, which is part of the reason we can’t do any shows right now to back up Head Job,” he reveals. “As for the new album, I’ve put down my rhythm tracks and I can tell you from what I heard when I was in the studio it was sounding great. I know how many tracks the band had when I was there but that could change with the final album. I keep in touch with Angus [Young] and I know everyone’s pretty happy with how the record is coming along and is looking forward to getting back on the road.” WHAT: Head Job (Universal)
GET YOUR GROOVE ON
Although The Kooks worked with a hip hop producer on their new record, Luke Pritchard admits to Benny Doyle that Listen is more hip shaking than anything else.
“I
t all feels quite new, really – the [songs are] so funky, it changes the way you are with the music, you just want to dance.”
That’s Luke Pritchard’s vibe on The Kooks’ new record Listen, a welcome detour from the British band’s established twee indie sound. For proof of this, you need look no further than the group’s latest clip for single Forgive & Forget. The new music is in the frontman’s bones, and it’s obvious the quartet as a whole are finding a great deal of joy in these songs. Aussie fans will instantly sight a similarity in presence and delivery to Michael Hutchence, with the track’s main riff holding more than a little INXS vibe to it. Pritchard acknowledges that inspiration, but says it would be “a bit on the nose” if they were aping a specific band completely. There were, however, a few influences that informed the new songs. “Serge Gainsbourg’s record where he used a lot of African percussion [1964’s Percussions], and then we had some Prince references and stuff like that, but we really started from the rhythm. Personally, I had a big desire to make something danceable.” That’s why Pritchard got in touch with relatively unknown London hip hop producer Inflo, “a tricky dude” according to the frontman, and one who’d never
22 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
heard of The Kooks before. Inflo has since told Pritchard that he was originally unsure about the project, but once they got chatting they found they had very similar creative outlooks, even though they were from completely different musical backgrounds. “We were both searching for something to inspire us – we just clicked instantly,” he smiles. “We talked about music for a couple of hours [when we first met], and then we went into the studio like next week. I didn’t want to make a hip hop record, I just liked his beats and his sound. I really wanted to have a fresh start; I was pretty keen to change and forget the past.
“And what was [even] more attractive [than the fact he didn’t know us] was that he had no idea about any bands or artists around us, which was quite cool,” adds Pritchard, who also produced alongside Inflo. “And our musical heritage – The Kinks, The Stones, Blur – he wouldn’t know those guys. He might know a few songs, but he’s not coming from that world at all.” Listen arrives roughly three years after The Kooks’ third record Junk Of The Heart; it was a period that saw Pritchard question his ability as a songwriter for the very first time. In hindsight though, he thinks that dark period may have been more positive than anything else. “I was writing, but I knew deep down and sort of confronted the fact that I was just writing the same shit again and again,” he concedes, “so I needed to do something different and [push] myself.” WHAT: Listen (EMI)
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 23
music
STRIKE UP THE BAND
Jazz singer Emma Pask tells Jazmine O’Sullivan about her relationship with Australia’s favourite jazz man, James Morrison, and how he taught her to own it on stage.
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mma Pask’s 20-year career as a jazz singer has seen her perform countless festivals and club shows with highly acclaimed musicians on stages across the globe. For a young girl starting out in the music industry, jazz might not seem the most common genre of choice, however for Pask it was a natural development. “My parents were really big fans of what I like to call ‘the great music’. Mum was a huge fan of Ella Fitzgerald and Dad was into his rock’n’roll, listening to Bill Hayley &
The Comets in the early days. It’s just something that captured me.” Recently, Pask has found herself sharing the stage with probably her longest and strongest jazz collaborator, James Morrison, who plucked her from obscurity back in the early days to perform with him on stage, something which she still considers a thrilling experience. “Playing these shows takes me back to when I first started 20 years ago with James – this year we’re celebrating 20 years of working together, which is fantastic. One of the first things I did when I started working with James way back in 1994 was to go on a big
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band tour with him, and it’s fantastic to stand up on stage with him and do it all over again. It’s just such a buzz, and big band is one of my favourite line-ups in jazz.” Reflecting on what Morrison has taught her as a performer over the years Pask gushes, “Everything! Everything that I do on stage, and everything that I think about on stage comes from him because it all started with him. I was thrown onto the stage not knowing anything at 16, so I was put into this environment with his big band where I literally did learn everything on the road with him. “I think one of James’ fantastic qualities as a musician and an entertainer is to bring audiences in to what you’re doing, to involve them, to set up a song and let them know a little bit about what you’re doing. I could go through so many things I’ve learned from him but really I learned everything from him. I’m still learning more things from him.” Pask and Morrison are also set to play the Noosa Jazz Festival, but this time Pask’s experience will be a little different. “For the last 15 years James and I have been up [at the Noosa Jazz Festival] every year, but this year is the first year for me to be coming up there with my own band. James is still going to be up there but I’m going to be doing something a little different this year, so it’s kind of exciting. I’m going to be at a different part of the festival, I’ll have my own trio and yeah, I’m really looking forward to playing up there.”
WHEN & WHERE: 6 Sep, Noosa Jazz Festival, Noosa Heads
STILL HUNGRY
On the eve of Pop Will Eat Itself ’s second coming, mainstay Graham Crabb tells Steve Bell that they weren’t pioneers – mixing rock’n’roll and dance music just seemed to make sense. ven during their heyday in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, UK alternative outfit Pop Will Eat Itself were a unique proposition. A rock band at heart, their innovative use of beats and samples in a guitar context in many ways paved the way for industrial rock (Trent Reznor was a huge disciple, releasing their later albums in the States and taking them on tour with Nine Inch Nails).
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excited ourselves. I guess from that point of view we were probably quite selfish, because we were just chasing an amalgamation of sounds that really excited us.
They split in 1996 after five studio albums, reconvening sporadically for gigs over the next 15 years before officially reforming in 2011 in a new configuration (most notably without former vocalist Clint Mansell). The only surviving original member, Graham Crabb, attests that straddling the divide between the guitar and dance worlds was a purely organic happening.
“In the early days we were into our punk rock or indie and alternative stuff – guitar music – and then the likes of Run DMC and the Beasties and Public Enemy came along, and that’s when I left the drum stool and we started using programmed beats. Plus I’d moved to London and there was a lot of warehouse parties going on and the acidhouse scene was really taking off – those were the things that really shaped our sound.”
“When I started writing for the band – and Clint too really – we had no schooling in songwriting so there were no particular dos or don’ts,” he explains. “Getting into the studio and accessing more equipment we started to realise what you could do with this equipment and for us it was just a natural progression that we were going to use that stuff in line with the things we were listening to and the things we liked. As the hip hop explosion was happening and as the dance music explosion was happening it just became perfectly natural to use that equipment, and that became our new sound. It wasn’t so much us trying to be pioneers as much as to do something that really 24 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
PWEI’s appeal was also strengthened by sardonic and often biting lyrics, which could be as humourous as they were intelligent. “We used to all hang out a lot together and shoot the breeze and just talk shit, and I suppose all of those things came up in song lyrics,” Crabb smiles. “When we started following the rap format it gives you the scope to put a lot more into your lyrics, if only because you’ve suddenly got to write four or five times the amount of words than you would in an average guitar song. From our punk roots you do want to say something that’s got some kind of social conscience, or some kind of rebellion stance where things are pissing you off, so I suppose it was always in our hearts that we wanted to say something meaningful compared to some of the crap that people spout.” WHEN & WHERE: 5 Sep, The Zoo
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★★★★½
album reviews
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979
BANKS
Last Gang/Warner
There’s some pretty beautiful post-R&B getting made right now, and Banks is at the forefront of this push. A lot of this album feels familiar, with singles Waiting Game, Brain and the title track having been doing the rounds for a while now, but that doesn’t take away from the undeniable quality, nor the emotional impact, that the music holds.
EMI
The Physical World
A pre-warning coming at ya – you’re going to need to stretch up good and proper before listening to The Physical World. These are some damn fine arse-shaking, baby-making rock’n’roll jams; so fine in fact that this reviewer would almost go as far as to say it trumps magnificent 2004 debut I’m A Woman, You’re A Machine.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Goddess
For all the fans that were pissing and moaning when first single Trainwreck 1979 dropped – don’t stress, the LP gets plenty heavier. But after multiple listens you realise that’s a freakin’ awesome single anyway. When that riff bursts into life at the 52-second mark – hot diggity damn! Meanwhile, with Always On, Crystal Ball, Government Trash, the duo have once again turned punk rock into a dancefloor commodity, with sexier rhythms across the board. The slower numbers like White Is Red carry that panache
too, and it’s all thanks to the consuming bottom-end offered up by moustachioed bass wielder Jesse F. Keeler. His riffs on this record are bulletproof, and gives Seb Grainger the strongest of platforms on which to finesse his lyrics out, making for a combo as deadeye as Jordan and Pippen in their prime. DFA1979 are older, smarter, more accomplished, yet they still manage to hold onto that youthful rebellion that rocketed them into our psyche in the first place. In a year of fantastic comebacks, this potentially stands as the pick of the bunch. Throw on your leathers and get dancing. Benny Doyle
INTERPOL
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Sad thing is though, this album couldn’t have landed at a worse time, what with the universal acclaim being showered upon contemporary FKA Twigs’ LP1. Still, Goddess holds more than enough merit to stand alone under the flickering light, and will unquestionably age as well as that Bordeaux in the cellar. Benny Doyle
Dream Your Life Away
[PIAS] Australia
And the album simply continues on in that vein. Their alt-rock pop with grit might not appeal to all – people might still find Banks’ voice wearying, a drain on their will to keep listening to music, but that miserableness (take My Blue Supreme or Everything Is Wrong) is part and parcel of what Interpol are. They don’t shy away from it. But at the end of it all nothing really sticks. Repeated listens
Even at an hour long, the album doesn’t seem to hang
around too long, a credit to the quality of songs on offer, and track placement. Cover to cover it flows gorgeously, moving from ambient trip hop to naked ballads and downtempo pop seamlessly. There’s not a passage that punishes you in any way.
VANCE JOY
El Pintor
First single All The Rage Back Home brings the new Interpol clearly into focus. A combination of the best bits of Antics (the pop riff, Paul Banks’ brooding vocals) with the new lush sound of 2010’s self-titled record, the track kicks off slow and rich, before breaking into the jangly upbeat chorus. The pace is set; the band, as it stands without founding bassist Carlos Dengler, is here. Banks has taken over bass duties and he struts his stuff with aplomb. But it’s not much different to the Interpol of old.
When Jillian Banks is on, she quickly makes your world stand still. Her range is ridiculous, and the 26-year-old LA native can deliver her lyrics stretched out or spitfire rapid, depending on the situation. The mix on the record is a dark one, more urban gloom than earthy lush. At times it sounds like Banks is presenting her heart to you in the leaky basement of a highrise building, but the power and warmth of her voice means that the listening experience never comes off as isolated or cold.
★★★★
Liberation
★★★ don’t give up a standout track. In fact, all the songs tend to blend and warp into an amorphous mass of slow builds, anguished catch cries and layered vocals. All the songs are equally emotional, some are fun, some brood, jittering along with complex melodic guitar work from Daniel Kessler, but none come up to the high points of their earlier work. It just feels a little dry, a little done, a little too easy. This is far from the reinvigoration some Interpol fans were looking for. Hannah Story
Vance who? Even if you’ve been living in a Siberian train tunnel you’d probably have heard the familiar strains of the allconquering Riptide. Despite that song’s success it has taken Vance Joy, ie James Keogh, until now to finally release his debut record. It’s the kind of folk-pop that you may have predicted, delivered honestly and without fear. Each of the 13 tracks across Dream Your Life Away are well balanced, Keogh backed by a more than capable band, and his arrangements, while not original, are effectively delivered. In fact, without taking anything away from its brilliance as a pop song, when compared with songs like Wasted Time and the tremolo-filled From Afar, Riptide is actually very poor in terms of arrangement and production. Sometimes Dream Your Life Away can feel over-produced, with Keogh and producer Ryan
★★★ Hadlock (The Lumineers) following the same pattern of opening softly with acoustic guitar and vocal reverb before adding instruments and the occasional string section (We All Die Trying To Get It Right, Red Eye). By doing this on the majority of the record though, other songs like Georgia stand out for their lyrics and emotion. The clear strength of Dream Your Life Away is its consistency. Each of the tracks has the potential to be an individual listener’s favourite. Each will inspire fans to learn the lyrics by heart, and to belt them out when Vance Joy next performs in their town. Dylan Stewart
album reviews
★★★★
★★★★
★★★
★★★½
THE TEA PARTY
MOSMAN ALDER
COUNTING CROWS
THE LOVE JUNKIES
The Ocean At The End
Humdrum Star
Anthem/Sony
Dew Process/Universal
Somewhere Under Wonderland
Blowing On The Devil’s Strumpet
If 2004’s Seven Circles seemed like a band lost at sea, The Ocean At The End is evidence of ten years’ shore leave well used. Frontman Jeff Martin has never sounded so untroubled or civilised, more inclined to “have another glass of wine” (Black Roses) than to indulge the exotic teas of, say, Shadows On The Mountainside. The title track goes knowingly Dave Gilmour and a new anthem is forged in Water’s On Fire. Trademark overwrought-ing and mysticism is decidedly downplayed, making a smooth sail into port for The Tea Party’s eighth studio record.
Humdrum Star is an amalgamation of the exotic and the familiar. Whereas opening track Golden Archers evokes eastern European winters, much of the rest of the album – the brilliant Germland (Of Julien Charbonneau) as an example – strongly resemble the distinctly Australian sound of The Church. Likewise, the jangly guitars that layer the melodic Prized Paradise channel The Go-Betweens, and help make this debut record from Brisbane group Mosman Alder one of the finds of the year. Producer Paul Dempsey leaves an undeniable fingerprint or two over the sound, accentuating the craftsmanship of the band members themselves.
Capitol/EMI
Bütsikatsic/MGM
With an enviable back catalogue and 20 years at the top of their genre, Californian troupe Counting Crows have substantial clout when it comes to FM-friendly pop-rock. Somewhere Under Wonderland is the band’s seventh album and, compared with some of their previous records, the nine songs present here are, overall, decidedly more upbeat. This will no doubt please plenty of fans who love nothing more than to kick off their shoes and boogie down, although what lets Somewhere Under Wonderland down is the lack of slower pianobased songs, which has been a highlight of their past work.
While their shows are compulsive punk’n’roll demolitions, there have always been other sides to The Love Junkies. Here their destructive bouts of neurosis are tempered by lovely ennuisodden passages. Although the airplay-gobbling title track is oddly not present, there’s ample compensation in the form of ghostly drifters Goodnight Ellen and In The Belly Of My Beast, which ramble between pleasant street and lachrymose lane; conjecturing as to how many layers of the onion The Love Junkies can peel with passive-aggressive rock.
Mac McNaughton
Dylan Stewart
Dylan Stewart
★★★
Christopher H James
★★★
★★★★
★★★★
JIMMY BARNES
TRENTEMØLLER
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
STEVE SMYTH
30:30 Hindsight
Lost Reworks
Whorl
Exits
Liberation
In My Room
Anti-/Warner
Ivy League
When he’s not busy being a national fucking treasure, Jimmy Barnes seems very happy to spread the musical love. This retrospective sees him duet all over the place, not just with the family (David Campbell, Mahalia Barnes, Tin Lids), but with some old school musical mates as well. The semi-acoustic Working Class Man with Mossy and Jonathan Cross is worth the revisit – so bloody fair dinkum it appears twice on the collection. Also expect Simply The Best (of course), that great Badloves collaboration on The Weight and a sweet addition with Kasey Chambers on When Two Hearts Collide. Scream on, you crazy diamond.
The overriding criticism of Trentemøller’s last album Lost was that it was too stylistically random to gel as a whole. Despite its piecemeal development, Lost Reworks hangs together much better than its source material. Much of the rewiring is done by the man himself and his injection of evil undulations into River Of Life is a genuine highlight, as is Toydrum’s radical reimagining of Come Undone, whose vampire stomp recalls the spirit of Goldfrapp’s Strict Machine. Alas, multiple reworks of only a handful of tracks make for a repetitive listen.
It’s hard to not wish for another I Believe or Audacity Of Huge from Simian Mobile Disco – the techno wizards of electro in forms from minimalism to pop – though one thing is always certain; just trust, go with the flow and James Ford and Jas Shaw will undoubtedly provide moments to get lost in. Lead single Tangents provides the easiest entry point on their fourth record; building from an egoless beat, the pair gradually add their trademark melodic flourishes and bleeps before deconstructing, then reassembling. And to think they did it all in analogue form, due to a desire to remove computers from their process… Clever blokes.
There’s much going on behind that impressive facial hair. From the Tom Waits chain-gang stomp of Get On, Smyth takes a range of sidetracks. Melodic delicacy gets juxtaposed with his emotional delivery – Digital Heart could almost have him as the missing link between Augie March and The Drones. Then to the inveterate traveller’s distant melancholy of South Land, even while being a busking boulevardier in Paris. Then there’s the towering, heart-bruised balladry of Written Or Spoken – which still gets in your guts even after repeated listenings. It’s an intimate – but often glorious – little scuffed gem of an album.
Liz Giuffre
Christopher H James
Ross Clelland
Tyler McLoughlan THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 27
albums/singles/eps
★★★★
MKO
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
Puddles
Single Mothers
Independent
Vagrant/Warner
Brisbane’s MKO describe this song as sub-aquatic and the gurgling synths and splashy pads give that atmosphere. The vocals are excellent, the lyrics are quirky and the beat is fantastic.
THURSTON MOORE
Justin Townes Earle keeps blossoming artistically, his fifth long-player continuing his rapid ascent. The mellow collection drips with his trademark empathy and resignation, and furthers his slight fixation on parenting issues (Single Mothers, Picture In A Drawer). Recorded live with his band, the gorgeous pedal steel of Paul Niehaus (Lambchop, Calexico) and deft drumming of Matt Pence (Centro-Matic) add beautiful texture to tracks like White Gardenias and Today And A Lonely Night. No longer just his father’s son, Earle now casts a substantial shadow himself over the fertile Americana landscape.
The Best Day
Steve Bell
PRINCE Clouds Warner Clouds is so funky they might have to invent some new word, but the song is pop and intact, and the production is both reminiscent of Prince’s best work and also future sounding.
★★★★
★★★½
NICHOLAS ALLBROOK
RYAN ADAMS
Ganough, Wallis And Fatuna
Ryan Adams
Spinning Top Nicholas Allbrook’s debut solo effort starts off with guitar noodling. Surprise! Allbrook throws all your conventional psych bits and pieces into the pot and stirs to create an album that ripples and blurs, that’s at once enigmatic and defined. At times the album is almost too chill, too quiet and understated from the beloved Pond frontman – we expect wailing energy, pomp and bombast from Allbrook, but then it kicks into gear and he delivers with the extended bassheavy outro on ITTTME, and the lush synth closer QF325. Hannah Story
Columbia/Sony The mercurial Adams is always chasing his muse in whatever direction it takes him and this time it is back to the electric guitar with strong rock trappings compared to the acoustic Americana of Ashes And Fire. Heavily reverbed chords ring out somewhere between Johnny Marr and Tom Petty, making this sound like a more upbeat, brighter cousin to his Love Is Hell album. If performed on acoustic guitar these would sound like pure Adams songs, so it is testament to his playing and self-production that he has shaped them into ‘70s and often ‘80s-tinged west coast rock, bristling with an emotive moodiness. Chris Familton
Matador I don’t wanna sound like someone who doesn’t think people are capable of change and doing good stuff in their old age or whatever, but I randomly listened to Daydream Nation the other day and seriously, there is no reason to listen to this MOR when that album still exists.
KRISTY APP & THE SHOTGUN SHIRLEYS Modest In Its Glory Independent App’s voice is magnificent and hardcore – full of character and nails and life. The track is autobiographical and the band do a great job filling in the space.
BAD NEWS BOYS We Are The Champion In The Red King Khan & BBQ have changed their name to Bad News Boys, and the video for this comes with the disclaimer, ‘This is not the best song off the album’. The song is great of course. Chris Yates
★★★
★★
★★★★
NIKKI LANE
THE BLOODPOETS
THE KOOKS
The Grand Machine
Listen
Independent
EMI
New West/Warner
From the sci-fi album art to the slow-burning intro, it’s clear that The Bloodpoets were shooting for something big. But ambition can only get you so far, and radio-rock can only command attention for so long. The album does spit out a few crackers like War and City Lights. The group undoubtedly know their way around their instruments, and tastefully placed synths accentuate the punchy mix in all the right places. Still, the band may have been better off culling a few tracks and concentrating their efforts into a solid EP rather than a decent full-length.
It’d be almost too easy to just post ten of Luke Pritchard’s most clumsy, dull, patronising lyrics to justify this bad review (okay, here’s one: “I’ve been in sticky situations, I fell in love with a girl who likes girls”). But it’s not just the words that hurt, it’s also the total genre clusterfuck that is an overblown mess of an album with loops and drum machines and bombastic backing vocals and disco guitar and acoustic crooning, none of which works particularly well together. The closer is like Ed Sheeran, but also like jazz? Come on, let’s not waste our time.
Cameron Cooper
Madeleine Laing
Nikki Lane hits all the right marks on her excellent new album of rollicking Americana and sultry rock’n’roll. Her savvy writing style blends those genres with a pop sensibility that provides hook-laden and ridiculously catchy songs for the first two thirds of All Or Nothin’. Whether it is the bigbeat honky-tonk of single Right Time or the soulful lilting You Can’t Talk To Me Like That, the songs are perfect country nuggets yet utterly contemporary courtesy of Dan Auerbach’s production. The back third of the album loses momentum slightly but by then she’s already nailed an impressive, infectious follow-up to her 2011 debut.
All Or Nothin’
Chris Familton 28 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 29
live reviews
VELOCIRAPTOR, BLOODS, WOODBOOT, THE JENSENS The Brightside 29 Aug Local upstarts The Jensens kick off with a polished set of catchy and fully-realised indie pop to get the ball rolling. Their retro attire speaks volumes and the way that all five members seem to really feel the hook-laden music and get involved is contagious, and while it’s older tracks like Shark Thunder and Sick Sad World that elicit the most response from the dancers up front, a couple of new ones they air auger very well for the future.
the packed house eating out of their sweaty palms. By now the only vestige of space left anywhere is onstage, but that too is quickly usurped as multi-limbed Brisbane behemoth Velociraptor cram into the fray and commence with a frenetic burst of action, the infectious familiarity of Hey Suzanne and Riot bringing the party from the get-go. The ten-strong band form in little clusters around the microphones and spit harmonies into each others’ faces like only good mates can, frontman Jeremy Neale twitching and contorting as he leads his bandmates into the fracas. New track Robocop shows off the indubitable chops of the self-titled debut album that’s being celebrated tonight, and the new and
VELOCIRAPTOR @ THE BRIGHTSIDE. PIC: SARAH PADDON
Between them the four members of Woodboot are in more bands than most people have had hot dinners, and it’s probably the most abrasive outfit for some (but not all) of them. As they take turns at vocals it’s all frantic and snarling and ramshackle, an unrelenting spray of invective shrouded in near indecipherable vocals and pounding guitars. It’s over all too fast but a ton of fun. Sydney trio Bloods are the sole interstate interlopers tonight and don’t disappoint, delivering an unwavering slew of catchy garage-pop nuggets. With two equallytalented vocalists – guitarist Marihuzka Cornelius and bassist Sweetie Zamora – there’s plenty of diversity, and tracks like Into My Arms and new single Want It have 30 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
the band in a big potpourri of smiles and riffage. Goofy, guitar-laden, grin-inducing, garage-pop greatness. Steve Bell
THE DANDY WARHOLS, THE UPSIDEDOWN, SACRED SHRINES The Tivoli 30 Aug Dreamy Brisbanites Sacred Shrines kick off proceedings with understated style and unmissable noise. Theirs is a set that is varied and fuelled by natural, relaxed talent – hard rock laced with haze and harmony. The crowd, as it continues to trickle into The
THE DANDY WARHOLS @ THE TIVOLI. PIC: FREYA LAMONT
old Raptor material segues together perfectly, while it’s remarkable how tuneful the cacophony from six guitars can actually be when done right. The ever-catchy The Walk On By gives way to Cool Baby Cool, and then drummer George Browning swaps roles with Neale and tackles the absent James X Boyd’s tracks Do The Ruby and Mystery Man with aplomb. There’s a ton of love in the room and everyone is having a blast; the languid Sneakers and earlyLibertines vibe of The Right To Call You rock the house, Bloods’ Zamora returns to add vocals to One Last Serenade and Monster Mash – which has Si Ridley crowd-surfing with his axe – and then Cynthia and Ramona finish things off with zest, half the crowd now partying onstage with
limits of excitement. As lead vocalist Courtney Taylor-Taylor bounces on stage, his double braids bouncing along behind him, the crowd scrambles for any semi-appropriate viewpoint, throwing their hands in the air, screaming manically. They launch into the first of their songs, and it soon becomes clear that this is not necessarily an opportunity for The Dandys to promote a new record, but to play the hits for the fans that have added yet another sold-out tour date to their Australian foray. The first of the fanatic waves comes in the initial notes of We Used To Be Friends, which goes from hushed vocals and cruisy strums to full power before we know it. It’s amazing just how rapt the crowd is as a whole with the characters
MEGAN WASHINGTON @ THE Z00. PIC: SARAH PADDON
Tivoli, quickly put their dancing shoes to good use, cheering with building enthusiasm between each song. Polished and tight, yet psychedelic and experimental, Sacred Shrines prove themselves peers of the acts to come, and a local gem to keep a close eye on. Portland’s own The Upsidedown start their set with some big sounds, low rumbling vocals and a harmonica; it’s safe to say that this grabs the swelling audience’s attention, and so sets the tone for their set. Tracks such as Elizabeth & Wake Up Drive Thru showcase the incredible combination of their bluesy backings paired with the shoegaze trimmings and those crooning voices driving the audience into a frenzy. By the time The Dandy Warhols spring on stage, the crowd is at capacity and at the
on stage, as the audience works as one to create a wave pool of bodies. We proceed forwards with songs that are either highly anticipated or are brilliant reminders of The Dandys’ back catalogue in a welcomed assault of hits; Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, everyone’s favourite Bohemian Like You, Get Off, Horse Pills and, the song that cries for a lone flame swaying overhead, Godless. The crowd is enamoured, taking each other by the hand and slow-dancing on the compacted dancefloor. Rather than performing for the crowd, the four-piece that is The Dandy Warhols are there with the crowd, having a blast and revelling in music that is solidly good, no matter how much time passes. Alice Bopf
live reviews
MEGAN WASHINGTON, TEETH & TONGUE, GOVS The Zoo 30 Aug It’s a shame that the audience at The Zoo is treating the soft crooning of Govs as background music. The Gold Coast singer-songwriter Josiah Birrell usually has a band in tow, and as he huddles over his guitar, it’s hard not to wish they were up there with him. On record, his songs are refreshingly exciting and emotive, but something has been lost in these bare-bone acoustic renditions. The alluring and cleverly crafted Australian Summer proves to be a standout, but the majority of the understated set is drowning in a room dominated by conversation. “How do you feel about feelings?” Jess Cornelius, aka Teeth & Tongue asks
quickly follows up with the infectious Get Happy and old favourite Sunday Best before stopping to break the ice with the crowd: “This next song is about having hope… even when you feel apocalyptically like shit.”
ironically, before diving into another song that negotiates the highs and lows of relationships and restlessness. It’s midway through her set; the audience has increased considerably in size and it’s easy to kick back, smile at the quirky onstage banter and be taken on a journey of alt-pop enjoyment. By combining prerecorded drum samples with heavily textured and intriguing guitar lines, the Melbournebased songstress is able to create wonderfully big sounds for just one person. Although these tempo-perfect samples occasionally make it feel as if we’re all watching someone sing at a karaoke bar, it doesn’t seem to affect the crowd and the set goes down a treat.
Continuing on to play a well balanced selection of old songs with new treats littered throughout (including the lively, hook-heavy crowdpleaser My Heart Is A Wheel and the beautifully raw Begin Again), Washington is able to show off her colourful array of vocal textures and impressive range. She has a scarily talented knack for weaving sultry melodies through interesting chord progressions. Add that to a tight rhythm section and we’re left with a recipe for success.
Touring for the release of single Limitless from her upcoming album, There There, local girl Megan Washington takes to the stage and is on her game. She comes across as a seasoned veteran and powerfully grabs the attention of the audience by way of her opener Limitless. Washington
stand out strongly amongst a back catalogue already full of hits and she leaves the stage triumphantly to receptive cheers – it’s clear that there’s a lot of love in the room for this girl. Ben Marnane
MORE REVIEWS themusic.com.au/reviews/live
Lady Gaga @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre Kellie Lloyd & Tim Steward @ Brisbane Powerhouse
Washington may not win over a huge number of new fans on her upcoming release, but she continues to prove that it’s possible to perform cleverly constructed songs with substance and still have a laugh while doing so. Her new tunes
arts reviews
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Film
In cinemas 3 Sep
★★★★ Vampires are played-out. Mockumentaries are definitely played-out. So why does What We Do In The Shadows, a mockumentary about a quartet of bloodsucking housemates in 21st century New Zealand, work so well? Well, it’s brisk, imaginative and, best of all, funny in a goofy, amiable kind of way.
Talented Kiwis Taika Waititi (the maker of the well loved Boy and Eagle Vs Shark) and Jemaine Clement (one-half of the mighty Flight Of The Conchords duo) are co-writer/directors here, also taking major roles as dandy vamp Viago – who fussily spreads newspapers on the floor to catch errant plasma – and the more bloodthirsty Vlad, respectively. The two share their Wellington home with 183-year-old “bad boy” Deacon ( Jonathan Brugh) and 8000-year-old Petyr (Ben Fransham), bickering about household chores (who going to do the bloody dishes... the literally bloody dishes?) and bemoaning their inability to fit in with modern society. Maybe a new housemate in the form of recently turned vampire Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) will help matters. Or maybe not, given Nick’s penchant for telling all and sundry he’s the new Nosferatu in town. Quirky without being overbearing, sweet without being saccharine, clever without being show-offish, What We Do In The Shadows
walks the fine line between horror and comedy without making a misstep. What’s more, it even throws werewolves and zombies into the mix. Who could ask for anything more? Guy Davis
WE ARE THE BEST! Film
In cinemas 18 Sep
★★★½ We Are The Best! follows Bobo and Klara, two 12-year-old punks in 1980s Stockholm. But they’re not fully accepted by the scene, but they’re not deterred, not even by the small problem that neither of them know how to play their instruments. They enlist the help of acoustic guitarist Hedvig, and a band is formed, as well as a friendship that withstands boy trouble, parental interference, and the everyday minutiae of being an outsider school student. And that’s the only problem with this film. It’s sweet, and at
times raw, but it’s ultimately a run-of-the-mill outsider narrative. ‘These girls aren’t the same as the others’ has been done time and time again, to the point where the outsider character and their battles with authority and other people are as clichéd as the “popular” group they react to. Artfully shot, the images of the Swedish scenery are arresting, and the songs are humorous adolescent power-chord punk, but it doesn’t feel like much more than your regular coming-of-age story. A heartwarming narrative about adolescence and friendship, but without enough bite to stay with its audience for long. Hannah Story
WE ARE THE BEST!
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 31
32 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
the guide
THE BLOODPOETS Member answering/role: Tom (vocals/guitar) How long have you been together? We formed in late-2006. How did you all meet? I was busking in Germany where I wrote songs for a demo EP. I came back to Australia and put an ad through Time Off to start playing the EP live. Toddy, our drummer, responded. It took us a fairly long time (probably into 2009) to formalise a line-up. I met Bec at a singer/songwriter night and a few months later she joined. Barney was referred onto us when our bass player left the band. You’re on tour in the van – which band or artist is going to keep the most people happy if we throw them on the stereo? Todd introduced a number of the bands that influenced my writing on the new album, particularly Biffy Clyro and Manchester Orchestra. Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? At the moment I’m digging Jeremy Neale’s stuff – A Love Affair To Keep You There is a cracking tune. There are a number of others but too many to mention. What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? Heaps! The friends, the loose nights at clubs, drunk parties, the people (good and bad), other bands’ music – pretty much everything about Brisbane affects our songs. Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? Funny enough, we’d be more responsible for make-outs. We do have a romantic edge to what we do, plus there’s the drinking at shows to kick things along. What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? We have a super cool secret thing that we can’t disclose, but we are releasing some more songs, playing more interstate gigs and hopefully starting to record some new material at the end of the year. The Bloodpoets launch new album The Grand Machine (Independent) at New Globe Theatre on Friday 5 September.
Pic: TERRY SOO
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 33
culture
HANDMADE IN AUSTRALIA Locally designed and handmade crockery and ceramics – art you can use!
SHIKO POTTERY Sophie Harle of Shiko Pottery is inspired by the Japanese folk art movement Mingei (handmade crafts to be used in everyday life), and makes items such as plates, jars and cups with a minimal aesthetic focusing on form and soft surfaces. The warm and subtle flecks of colour on Harle’s pieces make them look different depending on how the light hits them. They’re the kind of things that feel purposely shaped to fit to the curve of your hand, no matter how big or small it is. shiko.com.au // Instagram: @shikopottery
YIYING LEE If anything’s going to make you happier than well made ceramics, it could be well made ceramics that smile at you. Yiying Lee, a Melbourne-via-Malaysia artist, is influenced by nature, travel, stories, outer space and dreams. Just try to look at her small plates, vases, cups and spoons with little faces and not feel
SHIKO. PIC: LILLIE THOMPSON
YIYING LEE
immediately more jolly. The cups even have tiny noses! yiyinglee.com // etsy.com/shop/ byYiyingLee // Instagram: @ byyiyinglee
TAKEAWEI Chela Edmunds of Takeawei draws inspiration from nature, beach culture and fashion. Her work combines organic, odd shapes and textures with bright colours and includes pieces like the Wombat Planter (it’s spotty!), Ice-Cream Wall Vases (shaped like a cone), origami-patterned crockery, hanging wall planters, candle holders, mugs with triple-hole handles, and more. Edmunds has also created an
MINNA GRAHAM
exclusive textile and ceramics pattern for Melbourne fashion label Dress Up’s Namaste collection. takeawei.com // Instagram: @tkawei
TARA SHACKELL Functional tableware is Tara Shackell’s specialty. She’s especially interested in the method of making things, and the relationship between form, line and surface. This all comes out in her pieces – plates, beakers and bowls that are white with gold edges, or speckled, or two-toned. She also makes delightfully pinched small dishes, plant-holders and vases of various shapes, sometimes dipped in or splashed with bright colours or decorated with line drawings, other times looking like they were plucked out from the ground. tarashackell.com // Instagram: @tarashackell
MINNA GRAHAM Minna Graham has lived in many a harsh environment – deserts and salt lakes, mining areas, snow country and dense forests – so it’s no wonder that her work is an expression of her emotional relationship with her surroundings. You can see all the extreme aspects of nature, the elements of fire and water and wind, in Graham’s textured and sculptured pots, tea/sake cups, bowls, sauce dishes, plates and other pieces; they look like they’ll last through anything Mother Nature throws at them. minnagrahamceramics.com // @minnagraham
TARA SHACKELL
CLAY 101
lot of skin products because it’s so mild.
If you’re keen to make your own mug/bowl/planter/ dish, the first thing you’re going to need is some clay. Here are a couple of tips for creating your own pieces.
Adding ingredients like nylon or sand can aid plasticity and affect the clay body’s firing temperature, which also affects its colour.
Earthenware clay is the most common summer-camp/ craft class clay; it requires the lowest temperatures for firing and is porous, so it needs a sealing glaze to make it watertight. Think terracotta pots as an example. Stoneware clay is more heavy-duty and requires heavy firing temperatures, but it comes out waterproof. The result is a glass-like substance, which is often used for bowls and vases. Kaolin clay, otherwise known as white clay, is used to make porcelain. If you’re a pottery novice you should probably stay away from this stuff, as it can be tricky to work with. This clay is also found in a
34 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
TAKEAWEI
Materials like sawdust or coffee grounds help reduce the weight of a finished clay piece, so it’s best to explore their uses if you don’t want a two-ton salad bowl. Pic: Takeawei ‘The Boss’ mug
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
FRONTLASH
INDIE NEWS
THAT’S MY RABBIT
The pink bunny rabbits are starting to appear at various places around town – that means Brisbane Festival is fast approaching! Spring rules!
HEY! HO! LET’S GO! Amazing news that legendary director Martin Scorsese is going to make a Ramones documentary to celebrate da bruddas’ 40th anniversary. Gabba gabba we accept you!
FINALLY… Thank God local airlines have relaxed the ludicrous rules about mobile devices on airplanes. Being told to turn off your iPod for landings is so strange…
PLAYING MIND GAMES
UNDERNEATH IT ALL
GOOD SPORT GUYS
To coincide with the release of their fourth long-player Ponderosa and new ‘80s sitcom film clip for single Hammered, Sydney psych masters Richard In Your Mind are hitting the east coast. Get in on the band’s antics at Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, 30 Oct.
Brisbane folk singer-songwriter Hannah Rosa is set to release her second EP, Buried Alive. See her play an intimate set at The Green Room, Sunshine Coast, 20 Sep; The Bearded Lady, 25 Sep; and Mandala Organic Arts Café, Gold Coast, 26 Sep.
Olympic Ayres’ latest single, Say My Name, showcases the kind of indie/disco/funk sonic hybrid they’re masters at. Get a preview of the dreamy escapism when they play Alhambra Lounge, 3 Oct and Elsewhere, Gold Coast, 10 Oct.
BURN BABY BURN
HELLISH DELIGHTS
BUGGING OUT
Drawing inspiration from the ‘60s and ‘70s, Sydney’s Burn Antares are an endearing advocate of pop and melody. The five-piece play Miami Marketta, Gold Coast, 12 Sep and Black Bear Lounge, 13 Sep.
New Zealand’s Devilskin have a gold debut LP in the form of We Rise, and are selling out shows everywhere. Check out their powerful rock sound when they showcase at The Bearded Lady, 11 Sep.
On 11 Sep, Ladybugs returns to Beetle Bar, with yet another incredibly strong female showcase holding court all night long. Get sets from June Low, Leah Flanagan, Marville and Carrie & The Cut Snakes, with $10 cover from 8pm.
FROM DAWN ‘TIL DUSKY
CAUSE TO PARTY (FOR)
Deep house duo Dusky return for their most extensive Aussie tour yet. The London boys have spent the last three years carving their place at the forefront of the UK underground, and they’ll showcase their silky skills at The Met, 7 Nov.
Get your fundraising on while listening to hot sets from Cured Pink, Deadshred, Shooga, pictured, Karl Stefanovic’s Dog and Bottlecock. The Underdog is hosting Rare Cuts Vol. 1, the night generating much needed funds for DV Connect.
MOVE IN, MOVE OUT
COMING BACK TO YOU
Sydney trio Movement have released a steamy new film clip for Ivory, the standout jam from debut EP The Movement, and have announced a string of east coast tour dates. Get canoodling before they run off to the US, Thursday, Alhambra Lounge.
The Middle East doesn’t exist anymore, but Rohin Jones certainly does. He’s continued making beautiful music since the Townsville band went to ground a few years back, and will showcase his new body of work at Old Museum Cafe this Thursday.
RIP JAY CURLEY
BACKLASH VALE JAY CURLEY
Aussie rock’n’roll lost a true warrior last week with the tragic passing of Jay Curley, bassist for Wollongong rockers Tumbleweed. He’ll be sadly missed and our thoughts go out to his family and bandmates.
GLASS-HOLE To the tool who glassed Redfoo – just ‘cos someone’s an annoying idiot doesn’t mean you get to bottle them. And good on Foo for not getting on his high horse.
GC VENUE CRISIS Seems that there’s a battle facing music lovers on the Gold Coast – google ‘Save Our Live Music Gold Coast’ and get behind the people fighting the good fight!
FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 35
the guide qld.live@themusic.com.au
EP FOCUS
BRISBANE BOUND What can we expect different this time around? We’re playing quite a few songs off the new album.
END US Member answering: Mark Eggleton EP title: Obey How many releases do you have now? This will be our first! First of many, hopefully!
Has anything exciting been happening in your world of late? Well, we’ve finished the second album! So that’s a big deal. We’re also working on an electronic EP for MHDJs.
We’ll like this EP if we like... Progressive metal, metal with synth or just metal in general.
MIAMI HORROR
End Us play Beetle Bar on Saturday 13 September.
Home ground: We’re kind of based in LA at the moment.
What will you be taking home as a souvenir? Hopefully we’ll still have our dignity intact, haha.
Member answering: Benjamin Plant
Describe your live music/ performance style as succinctly as possible: Five-piece dreamy disco.
Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Ensuring the end product was something we could be proud of
Is this your first foray to Brisbane? We’ve probably played Brisbane around ten or more times over the years.
What’s your favourite song on it? Personally Grey is my favourite, but overall Girls Arent Real People seems to get the best response live!
Where can we come say hi, and buy you a beer? We’re kicking off our Aus tour on 16 Sep in The Spielgeltent at Brisbane Festival! Miami Horror play The Telstra Spiegeltent on Tuesday 16 September.
Please relate your impressions of performing in our fair city: Everyone is a little more upbeat and willing to dance in Brisbane, I think it’s the weather.
HAVE YOU HEARD
FESTIVAL CAPERS
James Brown or Aerosmith.
UNSOUGHT DUKE Member answering: Matt Neilsen How did you get together? The universe did it for us. After I got sick of playing solo shows and not getting that “family or gang” vibe that only collaborative playing gives you. It kinda happened without too much intention. Sum up your musical sound in four words? Happy rock, dirt pop. If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? Probably KISS or AC/DC, only to try and steal some of their fans, haha. Seriously, maybe 36 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
You’re being sent into space, no iPod, you can only bring one album – what would it be? I’m speaking for myself here not the band but Facelift – Alice In Chains. My medicine through high school. Or maybe something more uplifting like Off The Wall – Michael Jackson. It is space after all. Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? Being together only a couple years, there hasn’t been too many besides the odd free beer or booby flash, but we’ve just got word that Magoo will be producing our EP in October. Way excited. Why should people come and see your band? Because if they don’t know what’s good for them they will after this. When and where for your next gig? The Zoo. Sat 6 Sep. $10 entry. Unsought Duke play The Zoo on Saturday 6 September.
STEVE CLISBY Role: Lead vocals Festival playing at: 2014 Noosa Jazz Festival. Who are you looking forward to checking out there? Vince Jones. Have you had much experience playing at festivals in the past? Not as a band but I have played at plenty of festivals. How will you change your set up compared to a normal gig? We’ll do more jazz style arrangements from Golden Ring and Live Unplugged. Have you been to many festivals before as a punter? Highlights? I missed all the big ones….
Monterey and Woodstock. What five acts (past or present) would comprise your dream festival bill? Hendrix, Tower Of Power, Prince, Stevie Wonder and John Coltrane Quartet. What have you got planned down the road? New album release Leave Me Dreaming, a sold out tour and a number one album! Steve Clisby plays Noosa Jazz Festival on Friday 5 September and Saturday 6 September.
CAFÉ - BAR
321 BRUNSWICK STREET MALL, FORTITUDE VALLEY
WED SEPTEMBER 3RD RATTLING SPINES (10PM) + THE FOOLIGANS (9:00PM)
THU SEPTEMBER 4TH ADDAROC (10:30PM) + LUSIQUE (9:30PM)
FRI SEPTEMBER 5TH ET AND THE ALIEN (9:00PM) + GONZOVILLAIN (8:00PM)
SAT SEPTEMBER 6TH DEAD WOLVES (9:00PM) + MUDDY CHANTER (8:00PM)
SUN SEPTEMBER 7TH
EXPOSED ULTIMATE HEAT 1: FROM 7PM
MON SEPTEMBER 8TH DAVID KNIGHT (9:30PM) + GUESTS (8:30PM)
TUE SEPTEMBER 9TH TBC FREE LIVE MUSIC AND INDIE DJS
WANT TO PLAY? EMAIL BOOKINGS@RICSBAR.COM.AU
WWW.RICSBAR.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014 • 37
the guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au Phil & Trudy Edgeley: Solbar, Maroochydore
THE MUSIC PRESENTS
Brisbane Festival presents Andy Bull: Spiegeltent, South Bank
Noosa Jazz Festival: Noosa 4-7 Sep
Caravana Sun: Miami Marketta 26 Sep, Solbar 10 Oct
Urthboy: The Telstra Spiegeltent 6 Sep
DMA’s: The Brightside 2 Oct
BrisbaneFestival: Jazz on Sunday + Natalie de Jager + Elly Hoyt: Spiegeltent (3pm), South Bank
Bluejuice: Solbar 1 Oct, The Hi-Fi 2 Oct
Sarah Frank: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba
Woodlock: The Rails 8 Oct, Black Bear Lodge 9 Oct
Steve Grady + Marcus Blacke + DJ Black Amex: The Bearded Lady, West End
Andy Bull: The Telstra Spiegeltent 7 Sep Phil Jamieson: The Telstra Spiegeltent 9 Sep Steve Nieve: The Telstra Spiegeltent 10 Sep
Bonjah: The Zoo 10 Oct, Racecourse Hotel 11 Oct, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 12 Oct
BIGSOUND 2014: Fortitude Valley 10-12 Sep
Courtney Barnett: The Zoo 11 Oct
Com Truise: The Telstra Spiegeltent 11 Sep
The Blurst Of Times Festival: The Brightside, The Zoo 18 Oct
Ronny Chieng: The Telstra Spiegeltent 12 Sep
The Meanies: Prince Of Wales 18 Oct
Vancouver Sleep Clinic: The Telstra Spiegeltent 13 Sep
Ball Park Music: The Tivoli 18 Oct, Alhambra Lounge 2 Nov (U18)
Joe Henry: The Telstra Spiegeltent 14 Sep Miami Horror: The Telstra Spiegeltent 16 Sep
Airlie Beach Music Festival: The Whitsundays 7-9 Nov Gorguts: Crowbar 16 Nov
The Kite String Tangle: The Telstra Spiegeltent 17 & 18 Sep
Jack Carty: New Globe Theatre 17 Oct
HTRK: The Telstra Spiegeltent 19 Sep
Jungle Love Festival: Lake Moogerah 21-22 Nov
Dune Rats: The Telstra Spiegeltent 20 Sep
Mullum Music Festival: Mullum 20-23 Nov
Gareth Liddiard: The Telstra Spiegeltent 23 Sep
The War On Drugs: The Zoo 10 Dec
The Bombay Royale: The Telstra Spiegeltent 24 Sep
Festival Of The Sun: Port Macquarie 12-13 Dec
Juana Molina: The Telstra Spiegeltent 25 Sep
Thy Art Is Murder: Crowbar 20 Dec & 21 Dec (U18)
Midnight Juggernauts: The Telstra Spiegeltent 26 Sep
Mojo Burning Festival: New Globe Theatre 21 Mar
WED 03
Celia Pavey: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley
Boyce Avenue: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
THU 04
Movement: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley
Julia Henning + Brianna Carpenter + Love Like Hate: Beetle Bar, Brisbane Cam Avery + guests: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Dead Letter Circus + Jordan Leser: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Noosa Jazz Festival feat. various artists: Noosa Lions Park, Noosa Heads Rohin Jones: Old Museum, Bowen Hills The Brightside: Unplugged feat. One Dollar Short + Nicholas Bellringer + Beth Lucas + Alex Crook: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley
FRI 05
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard + The Murlocs: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley Boss Moxi + Le Suits + Harlequin: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Scott Spark: Brisbane Powerhouse (Visy Theatre), New Farm Nobunny + The Hussy + Chinese Burns + Unpeople: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley You Me At Six + Tonight Alive: Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Noosa Jazz Festival + Various Artists: Noosa Lions Park, Noosa Heads 3rd Birthday with Kim (The Presets): Oh Hello!, Fortitude Valley Jep & Dep + Darren Cross: Padre Bar, Woolloongabba The Amity Affliction + Architects + Issues + Stray From The Path + Deez Nuts: Riverstage, Brisbane Steve Smyth + Joshua Swan: The Bearded Lady, West End
Protest The Hero + special guests: The Hi-Fi, West End
DevilDriver + Whitechapel: The Hi-Fi, West End
Biffy Clyro + Calling All Cars: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
True Vibenation: The Motor Room, West End
GIG OF THE WEEK NOBUNNY: 5 SEP, CROWBAR Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings + Saun & Starr: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley Turnpike + Grieg + Barge With An Antenna On It + Bottlecock: The Waiting Room, West End Pop Will Eat Itself + Dogmachine: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
SAT 06
Jawz + Spicy + Tucker + 95 Royale + Fancy Pants: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley 360 + Gossling + Hopsin + Pez + Miracle + Lunar C: Arena (ander 18s), Fortitude Valley 360 + Gossling + Hopsin + Pez + Miracle + Lunar C: Arena (18+), Fortitude Valley Phil Barlow & The Wolf + The Royales + Don & The Mobsters + Electric Suede: Beetle Bar, Brisbane Tsun + The Baskervillans: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Lauren Grace + Lachlan Bell + AJ Hall + Steve Fischer: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point BNE: Brisbane Electronic Music 1979:2014 feat. The Megamen + Vision Four 5 + Soma Rasa + Boxcar + DJ Jen-E: Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm Conan + Yanomamo + Fear The Setting Sun + Lizzard Wizzard + Golden Bats: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Sisters Doll + The Molotov + Bad Virtue + Odins Ravens: Currumbin Creek Tavern, Currumbin Waters The Phoncurves + Sundown Jury: Eat Street Markets, Hamilton Kid Kenobi + MC Shureshock: Family Nightclub, Fortitude Valley Trainspotters feat. Multiple Man + Mere Women + Cured Pink + Stress Waves: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Brutal Fest feat. D9 + Headcase + Darkc3ll + Bound For Ruin + Humality + Dead End Kings + Symbolic Weapon: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Grindhouse Wrestling with + Bertie Page: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley
Noosa Jazz Festival feat. Vince Jones + Grace Knight + Scream Big Band + Galapagos Duck + Laura Bernay + Greg Gould & The Chase + Australian Army Band Brisbane + Feel The Manouche + Ange Takats + Carl Wockner + Juzzie Smith + more: Noosa Lions Park, Noosa Heads Todd Sibbin: Padre Bar, Woolloongabba Dead Wolves + Muddy Chanter + DJ Valdis: Ric’s Bar, Fortitude Valley Brisbane Festival: Twilight Music Series feat. Ngaiire: River Quay, Southbank Transvaal Diamond Syndicate: Royal Mail Hotel (2pm), Goodna True Vibenation + Schoolfight: Solbar, Maroochydore King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard + The Murlocs: Soundlounge, Currumbin
Samuel Kerridge + Matthew Brown + Elliot Clarke + Enderie Nuatal + Club Sound Witches: The Underdog, Fortitude Valley
MON 08
Steve Clisby: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley
TUE 09
Julia Henning: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
The Night Before BIGSOUND feat. Ayla + Billy Fox + The Jensens + Little Odessa + Tin Sparrow + Waax! + Everett True (DJ Set) + Edward Guglielmino (DJ Set) + Eves (DJ Set) + The Furrs (DJ Set) + Rolls Bayce (DJ Set): Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley The Bug feat. Daylight Moon + Curious Finch: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm Brisbane Festival presents Phil Jamieson: Spiegeltent, South Bank
Brisbane Festival presents Urthboy: Spiegeltent, South Bank
Amy Shark + Fieu + Todd Sibbin + Bree De Rome: The Bearded Lady, West End
Steve Smyth: Taps Australia, Mooloolaba
Shihad + The Sinking Teeth: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Woodnutt’s Lament + DJ Burn It Down: The Bearded Lady, West End Lowtide + Roku Music + Cassette Cathedral + Kigo: The Brightside, Fortitude Valley Anberlin + The Getaway Plan: The Hi-Fi, West End Tigermoth: The Motor Room, West End Unsought Duke + Casey Fogg + Generation Jones: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Lowtide: Tym Guitars, Fortitude Valley
SUN 07
LiveSpark feat. Jac Stone + McKisco: Brisbane Powerhouse (3.30pm), New Farm Jason Owen + Bree De Rome + Scott Dalton: Currumbin Creek Tavern, Currumbin Waters Zac Gunthorpe: Dragon Bull, Noosa Heads Som De Calcada + The Floating Bridges: Eat Street Markets, Hamilton Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Tom West + Todd Sibbin: New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Noosa Jazz Festival feat. various artists: Noosa Lions Park, Noosa Heads
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CAT C H S T E V E B E L L TA L K I N G G I G S W I T H U G LY P H I L T H U R S DAY S O N T R I P L E M
38 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014
tour guide qld.gigguide@themusic.com.au
INTERNATIONAL
T-Pain: Eatons Hill Hotel 5 Oct (AA)
Bearded Lady 18 Oct
Boyce Avenue: The Tivoli 3 Sep
Nils Frahm: Old Museum 8 Oct
Jack Carty: New Globe Theatre 17 Oct
Biffy Clyro: The Tivoli 4 Sep
Dire Straits Experience: QPAC 8 Oct
The Meanies: Prince Of Wales 18 Oct
Slaves: The Brightside 15 Oct
Amaya Laucirica: Junk Bar 18 Oct
Protest The Hero: The Hi-Fi 4 Sep Nobunny: Crowbar 5 Sep
Miley Cyrus: BEC 15 Oct
DevilDriver, Whitechapel: The Hi-Fi 5 Sep
Torche: Crowbar 16 Oct
You Me At Six: Eatons Hill Hotel 5 Sep Pop Will Eat Itself: The Zoo 5 Sep Sharon Jones & The DapKings: The Tivoli 5 Sep
The Selecter: The Zoo 16 Oct Ryan Bingham: Black Bear Lodge 17 Oct Lil Jon: Eatons Hill Hotel 18 Oct (day, all ages) Rodriguez: BCEC 19 Oct
Conan: Crowbar 6 Sep
Dwarves: Crowbar 19 Oct
Anberlin: The Hi-Fi 6 Sep
Say Anything: The Hi-Fi 19 Oct
Samuel Kerridge: The Underdog 7 Sep
Pat Metheny Unity Group: QPAC 20 Oct
The Ghost Inside: Byron YAC 9 Sep, Kontraband 10 Sep, Coolangatta Hotel 11 Sep
The Tea Party: Coolangatta Hotel 21 Oct, The Tivoli 23 Oct
Steve Nieve: The Spiegeltent 10 Sep Com Truise: The Spiegeltent 11 Sep
Justin Townes Earle, Linda Ortega: The Tivoli 22 Oct Shihad: The Hi-Fi 24 Oct Jillian Michaels: QPAC 24 Oct
The Wonder Years: The Hi-Fi 11 Sep, The Lab 12 Sep (AA)
Buck 65: Black Bear Lodge 24 Oct
Devilskin: The Bearded Lady 11 Sep
Comeback Kid: The Brightside 25 Oct, Byron Bay YAC 26 Oct (AA)
Mak & Pasteman: The TBC Club 12 Sep Tchami: The Met 13 Sep Cannibal Corpse: The Hi-Fi 13 Sep John Garcia: The Zoo 13 Sep, The Northern 14 Sep Joe Henry: The Spiegeltent 14 Sep El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: The Hi-Fi 14 Sep Kanye West: BEC 15 Sep Night Beats: The Brightside 18 Sep, Elsewhere 19 Sep
Towner, Muthspiel, Grigoryan: Byron Bay Community Centre 26 Oct, Brisbane Powerhouse 27 Oct Elbow: The Tivoli 30 Oct Ben Ottewell: Black Bear Lodge 31 Oct Black Voices: Brisbane Town Hall 1 Nov Joe Satriani: The Tivoli 4 Nov Manchester Orchestra: The Hi-Fi 12 Nov John Digweed: The Met 15 Nov Gorguts: Crowbar 16 Nov
Iceage: The Brightside 19 Sep
Accept: The Hi-Fi 16 Nov
American Authors: The Hi-Fi 19 Sep
The Rolling Stones: Brisbane Entertainment Centre 18 Nov
Kasra, Enei & Mefjus: Coniston Lane 19 Sep
Prong: The Hi-Fi 20 Nov
Robbie Williams: BEC 22 Sep
Jimmy Eat World: The Tivoli 20 Nov
Veruca Salt: The Zoo 24 Sep
Tori Amos: QPAC 21 Nov
Sara Bareilles: The Tivoli 24 Sep
Broken Doll: GoMA 21 Nov
Juana Molina: The Spiegeltent 25 Sep
Rick Astley: The Tivoli 21 Nov, Twin Towns 22 Nov
Swollen Members: Coniston Lane 25 Sep
NOFX: The Tivoli 22 Nov, Coolangatta Hotel 23 Nov
Justin Timberlake: BEC 26, 27 Sep
Agnes Obel: Old Museum 25 Nov
Bombay Bicycle Club: The Tivoli 27 Sep
UB40: Riverstage 7 Dec
Maybeshewill: Crowbar 28 Sep Fur Coat: The TBC Club 3 Oct Dead Kennedys: The Hi-Fi 3 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 4 Oct Tuba Skinny: Mullumbimby Civic Hall 3 Oct, The Zoo 4 Oct Sepultura: The Hi-Fi 4 Oct Hardwell: Riverstage 5 Oct
Ball Park Music: The Tivoli 18 Oct, Alhambra Lounge 2 Nov (U18)
The War On Drugs: The Zoo 10 Dec Ice Cube: Eatons Hill Hotel 10 Dec Sleep: Crowbar 11 Dec
COMEBACK KID: 25 OCT, THE BRIGHTSIDE Cloud Nothings: The Zoo 14 Dec Ty Segall: The Zoo 19 Dec, The Northern 20 Dec
NATIONAL
Angus & Julia Stone: The Tivoli 18, 19 Sep The Arts Centre Gold Coast 21 Sep HTRK: The Spiegeltent 19 Sep Hands Like Houses: Crowbar 19 Sep
Cameron Avery: Black Bear Lodge 4 Sep
Safia: The Factory 19 Sep, Alhambra Lounge 20 Sep, Stranded 21 Sep
Dead Letter Circus: New Globe Theatre 4 Sep
One Day: The Hi-Fi 20 Sep
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: The Northern 4 Sep, Alhambra Lounge 5 Sep, Soundlounge 6 Sep
Dune Rats: The Spiegeltent 20 Sep Icehouse: SEQ Outdoor Concert 20 Sep, Twin Towns 21 Sep
The Amity Affliction: Riverstage 5 Sep
Gareth Liddiard: The Spiegeltent 23 Sep
True Vibenation: The Motor Room 5 Sep, Solbar 6 Sep
The Bombay Royale: The Spiegeltent 24 Sep
360: Arena 6 Sep (U18 matinee/18+ evening)
Patrick James: Old Museum 26 Sep
Urthboy: The Spiegeltent 6 Sep
Midnight Juggernauts: The Spiegeltent 26 Sep
Lowtide: Tym Guitars 6 Sep (2pm), The Brightside 6 Sep Andy Bull: The Spiegeltent 7 Sep Phil Jamieson: The Spiegeltent 9 Sep I Killed The Prom Queen: Byron YAC 9 Sep, Kontraband 10 Sep, Coolangatta Hotel 11 Sep The Bennies: The Spotted Cow 12 Sep, The Lab 13 Sep (AA), Crowbar 13 Sep, The Time Machine 14 Sep Boy & Bear: The Arts Centre Gold Coast 12 Sep, The Tivoli 13 Sep Kingswood: Ric’s Big Backyard 12 Sep
Caravãna Sun: Miami Marketta 26 Sep, Solbar 10 Oct Missy Higgins: Caloundra Events Centre 26 Sep, BCEC 27 Sep, Empire Theatre 28 Sep, GCAC 30 Sep, Lismore City Hall 1 Oct
Thirsty Merc: Lismore Workers Club 23 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 30 Oct, Mick O’Malley’s 31 Oct, Woombye Pub 1 Nov The Griswolds: The Brightside 23 Oct, Solbar 24 Oct, The Spotted Cow 25 Oct, Byron Bay Surf Jay Whalley: The Loft 24 Oct, Crowbar 25 Oct Area-7: The Spotted Cow 24 Oct, Prince Of Wales Hotel 25 Oct Hot Dub Time Machine: The Tivoli 25 Oct Hilltop Hoods: Surfers Paradise 25 Oct, The Marquee 22 Nov Richard In Your Mind: Beach Hotel 30 Oct C.W. Stoneking: The Hi-Fi 31 Oct
FESTIVALS
Noosa Jazz Festival: Lions Park 4-7 Sep Brisbane Festival: Brisbane 6-27 Sep BIGSOUND: Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct 10-12 Sep Pirate Fest: Club Greenslopes 13 Sep Originals Music Festival: Noosa AFL Grounds 13 Sep
DMA’s: The Brightside 2 Oct
Mitchell Creek Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest: Mary Valley 19–21 Sep
Bluejuice: Solbar 1 Oct, The Hi-Fi 2 Oct, Coolangatta Hotel 3 Oct, The Northern 4 Oct
Toowoomba Carnival Of Flowers: Toowoomba 19-21 Sep
Allday: The Zoo 3 Oct, The Lab 4 Oct (U18) Tijuana Cartel: Beetle Bar 4 Oct, Verrierdale Hall 8 Nov, Buddha Bar 31 Dec Antiskeptic: The Brightside 4 Oct
Stranded: South Stradbroke Island 21 Sep Listen Out: Brisbane Showgrounds 5 Oct Caloundra Music Festival: Kings Beach 3-6 Oct
Oscar Key Sung: Alhambra Lounge 12 Sep, GoMA 6 Feb
Northeast Party House: Alhambra Lounge 4 Oct
The Blurst Of Times Festival: The Brightside & The Zoo 18 Oct
Ash Grunwald: Soundlounge 12 Sep, Bramble Bay Bowls Club 26 Sep
John Butler Trio: Empire Theatre 5 Oct
Soulfest: Riverstage 25 Oct
Pierce Brothers: The Northern 12 Sep, Solbar 20 Sep, Black Bear Lodge 16 Oct Stephen Cummings: Junk Bar 13 Sep Russell Morris: Kedron Wavell Services Club 13 Sep Vancouver Sleep Clinic: The Spiegeltent 13 Sep
Boris The Blade: The Brightside 9 Oct, The Lab 10 Oct (AA) Holy Holy: The Northern 9 Oct, The Brightside 10 Oct Bonjah: The Zoo 10 Oct, Racehorse Hotel 11 Oct, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden 12 Oct The Cat Empire: The Tivoli 10, 11 Oct, Rabbit & Cocoon 12 Oct Courtney Barnett: The Zoo 11 Oct
The Skatalites: The Zoo 11 Dec
Luca Brasi: The Lab 13 Sep (2pm AA), Crowbar 13 Sep
The Lemonheads: The Zoo 12 Dec
Miami Horror: The Spiegeltent 16 Sep
Confession: Shark Bar 15 Oct, Byron Bay YAC 16 Oct (AA), The Brightside 17 Oct
Joan Armatrading: Twin Towns 13 Dec, QPAC 14 Dec
The Kite String Tangle: The Spiegeltent 17, 18 Sep
The Peep Tempel: The Spotted Cow 17 Oct, The
Out On The Weekend: The Brightside 26 Oct Island Vibe: Stradbroke Island 31 Oct-2 Nov Mullum Music Festival: Mullumbimby 20-23 Nov Jungle Love: Lake Moogerah 21-22 Nov Stereosonic: Brisbane Showgrounds 6-7 Dec Falls Festival: North Byron Parklands 30 Dec-3 Jan Soundwave: RNA Showgrounds 28 Feb & 1 Mar Mojo Burning: New Globe Theatre 21 Mar
C AT C H S T E V E B E L L TA L K I N G G I G S W I T H U G LY P H I L T H U R S DAY S O N T R I P L E M
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40 • THE MUSIC • 3RD SEPTEMBER 2014