Time Off Issue #1514 by TheMusic.com.au

QUEENSL AND'S HIGHEST CIRCUL ATING STREET PRESS

GUINEAFOWL

M WARD MELBOURNE SYDNEY BRISBANE

TRICKY

ROSS NOBLE

TORO Y MOI THE BOOKS THE LIKE THE NECKS

W E D N E S D AY 1 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 11 ~ I S S U E 1 514 ~ F R E E

BRISBANE / GOLD COAST / SUNSHINE COAST / BYRON BAY

21,887

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The GBC, 131 Ridge St, Greenslopes QLD 4120 5th March 2011 10am - 11:45pm Tickets are $26 plus booking fee through Rocking Horse Records and $30 at the door.

Holly Throsby

TEAM OUT NOW ON SPUNK

RADIO NATIONAL ALBUM OF THE WEEK

“ A fragile, quiet joy.” MOJO

“Choral, medieval & very, very appealing” THE AGE (ALBUM OF THE WEEK)

INCLUDES

‘Here Is My Co-Pilot’ ALBUM LAUNCH (OVER 2 NIGHTS):

Friday 29th & Saturday 30th April, Visy Theatre tickets from brisbanepowerhouse.org

ALSO APPEARING :

Friday 1st April, Tanks, Cairns

M O G WA I HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL.

On Tour Now:

The Books

Sat Feb 19, The Zoo

M Ward

Sat Feb 19, Tivoli Theatre

Joanna Newsom Fri Mar 4, Tivoli Theatre www.spunk.com.au

NEW DATES CONFIRMED AFTER JANUARY POSTPONEMENT The Whitlams perform their quadruple platinum ARIA breakthrough album, ETERNAL NIGHTCAP.

with the

Queensland Symphony Orchestra Featuring best-selling hits NO APHRODISIAC, CHARLIE NO. 2 and YOU SOUND LIKE LOUIS BURDETT.

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GIVEAWAYS In The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. Thanks to Rialto Distribution we have ten double passes to a preview of the last installment of the Millennium Trilogy. The screening is on Wednesday Mar 2 at Event Cinemas Indooroopilly at 6.30pm. Subject Line: HORNETS’ NEST Kevin Kline stars as a washed-up playwright, now escort to wealthy widows, who mentors a younger writer in the form of Paul Dano in The Extra Man. Katie Holmes and John C. Reilly co-star in the adaptation of Jonathan Ames novel from writing/ directing team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor). Thanks to Roadshow Entertainment we have five copies of the DVD up for grabs! Subject Line: EXTRA MAN An illuminating and thought-provoking program of award-winning European films will delight audiences when the Windows on Europe Film Festival returns to Dendy Portside Cinemas

from Feb 19 to 25. Returning for its sixth season, the Windows on Europe Film Festival will showcase films and talent from 14 countries. Highlights include: Adventurers, Involuntary, and That Dear Month of August. We have got five double passes up for grabs which can be used at a screening of your choice. Subject Line: WINDOWS ON EUROPE Thanks to Kristian Fletcher we have two double passes up for grabs to the Rockumentaries + Nirvana screening at the Globe Theatre Sunday Feb 20. Screening will be: The Ramones’ End of the Century (2005) (M) – 4pm, Sex Pistols’ Great Rock n Roll Swindle (1980) (MA) – 6.15pm, and to commemorate Kurt Cobain’s birthday... Nirvana: Unplugged In New York (1993) – 8pm. Entrants must be 18+. Subject Line: ROCKUMENTARIES The Necks are one of the great cult bands of Australia who count Brian Eno and Nick Cave among their legions of fans. Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms. We have got three double passes up for grabs to their gig at The Old Museum Saturday Feb 19. Entrants must be 18+. Subject Line: THE NECKS

HOW TO ENTER: Email: give@timeoff.com.au with the designated Subject Line. Entries MUST include your full name, address and contact phone number in Body of Text. Please note our Giveaways policy: Email before Friday 3pm unless stated otherwise. If you have won a prize you will be notified by email. One entry per person/per competition. Prizes must be collected from the Time Off office during business hours with the presentation of ID. Prizes must be collected within 10 working days from email notification unless stated otherwise. Prizes are not transferable, exchangeable or redeemable for cash. Failure to collect the prize within the time specified will result in it being forfeited. Deadlines for entering and collection must be strictly adhered to.

CONTENTS

ISSUE 1514

TIME OFF

FRONT ROW

Get your music industry news from The Front Line 14 Lowdown – news, opinions, tours, Backlash, Frontlash 16 Kate Nash doesn’t see herself as famous 20 The supremely talented M.Ward discusses all of his different projects 22 Toro Y Moi talks about the distinctions between his electronic and acoustic output 23 We look into the incredibly unique way The Books go about creating 24 Tricky tells us what works and what doesn’t in his latest live show 26 Anxiety seems to be working for Guineafowl 27 Have The Necks progressed at all over the past couple of decades? It depends on how you look at it... 28 Timothy Carroll tells us about his European adventures 28 Prepare to be impressed by The Like 30 The Stones were a big part of Daniel Lee Kendell’s inspiration to go solo. But not those Stones... 30 D.Rogers can’t self-promote 32 There’s far more to Albare than he lets on 32 On The Record has the latest, greatest and the not so greatest new musical releases 34 Chris Yates spotlights the best (and worst) tracks for the week in Singled Out 34

This Week In Arts plans your next seven days 36 Ross Noble discusses his new DVD, Things 36 We go nuts with World Theatre Festival reviews 36 Opera singer William Shimell makes his film debut in Certified Copy 37 NYC theatre company Temporary Distortion comes to Brisbane with Americana Kamikaze 38 Chilean theatre company Teatro en el Blanco brings Diciembre to WTF 38 The Looking Glass looks at controversy for the sake of controversy in art 38 We preview the Windows On Europe Film Festival 39 Cultural Cringe looks at songs to not swoon your lover with 39

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BACK TO TIME OFF! Get the drum on all the coolest happenings in local music last week, this week and beyond in Live 41 If you’re hitting Good Vibrations on the weekend, don’t forget your Map and Times 47 Dan Condon gets the dirt on the blues scene from the Roots Down 54 Adam Curley cuts sick with another musical pop culture rant in The Breakdown 54 Lochlan Watt gets brutal in our new metal column Adamantium Wolf 54 Sarah Petchell has enough punk rock to Wake The Dead 54 We take you behind the music Behind The Lines 60 iFlog: Funny name, seriously good classifieds 62

CREDITS EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor: Andrew Mast Editor: Steve Bell Front Row Editor: Daniel Crichton-Rouse Editorial Assistant: Dan Condon Contributing Editor: Adam Curley

Front Row: Mandy Kohler, Kohler Lauren Dillon, Dillon Adam Brunes, Matt O’Neill, Mitch Knox, Jessica Mansour, Guy Davis, Rowena Grant-Frost, Danielle O’Donohue, Helen Stringer, Alice Muhling Photography: Stephen Booth, Kane Hibberd, Alex Gillies, Silvana Macarone, Brad Marsellos

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INDUSTRY NEWS A WORLD OF STRANGERS Sydney-based Strangers have changed their name to Strangers V Strangers to avoid confusion with new NSW Central Coast originating Fiftysixx reincarnate Strangers after a show at Sydney’s Spectrum caused confusion last week, with some suggesting the newer Strangers were gaining traction due to the work of now-named Strangers V Strangers. Manager of Strangers V Strangers Kimberley Galceran told The Front Line the name double-up was likely an “innocent mistake”. She said, “It’s a shame the Strangers I work with have started to get airplay and have been around for more than a year and have played gigs and this Strangers are fairly new out on the scene and they’re already headlining their first show.” An ad which appeared in The Drum Media lists Strangers as performing on the night, but has a picture of the incorrect band (Strangers V Strangers, meant to be Strangers), caused further confusion. “I think the reason they got the gig at Spectrum is probably because of the Strangers I work with, because they played Phoenix [downstairs at the Exchange Hotel, which also houses Spectrum] two months ago,” said Galceran. “I think there’s been a mix up and possibly they have been given some opportunities because of the other Strangers.” Venue booker Rob Giovannoni, from Select Music, assured The Front Line the right band was booked. The two bands have been in contact and the Sydney outfit opted to rename. Tom Larkin, Strangers’ manager, told The Front Line, “We’ve had correspondence from the other Strangers’ manager pointing out the sharing of the name but saying that she was changing their name anyway so we regard it as a non-issue.” “I think regardless whether the other band decides to change their name or not,” said Galceran, “there are too many bands called Strangers anyway. We’re not changing the name because of this Strangers at all, it was already decided beforehand.” A statement from the band was released late last week, confirming the name change, “We could try to take them on but we can’t afford the five leather jackets we’d need for that battle.” In another name change, Ballarat’s Howl have changed their moniker to Hunting Grounds, in a move to give the band a better identity and avoid confusion with an American band of the same name. Bassist John Crawford issued a statement to The Front Line. “It was almost a relief when we finally decided on a new name; we spent weeks trying to come up with a new one. But it was worth the wait because we are all really happy with the new name”

MUSIC’S DAY One year on from Melbourne’s SLAM [Save Live Australia’s Music] Rally that attracted 20,000 music lovers to march in support of the live scene and against government regulations that hindered its development, the day – Feb 23, this year a Wednesday – has been announced as National SLAM Day by the organisers. A reason to show support of your music scene right around Australia, this year will be marked by a benefit gig at Melbourne’s The Tote, while people are being encouraged to start planning events for 2012.

ROOM TO GROW Applications for The Seed’s seventh year are now open and will be so until Friday Apr 8. With new categories this year, opportunities are available in the Management Workshop, Publicise It (for manager who’ve already been through the workshop), the Next Wave festival and Remote Indigenous Musicians. Co-founded by John Butler, the grant program has a range of industry partnerships and opportunities, so to apply or for more information head to theseedfund.org.

ON THE LOOKOUT Melbourne guitarist Noah Grosz had five guitars stolen from his Bendigo, Victoria home two weeks ago. He’s put the call out for anyone with information on a 1932 National, 1948 Maton and a 1953 Gibson Laptop among others. Email nfwgrosz@ hotmail.com if you have any information.

bassist] have moved to Iceland and they’re having a child and they’re focusing on that so were not really a band anymore. Other than the fact that we’re putting out another record. It’ll be a kind of a posthumous release same way that Tupac started releasing records! It’s something that we’ve been working on for the last three years and it’s our best record without a fucking doubt, in my opinion. I’m really proud of it. But we just can’t push it uphill with a pointy stick anymore, we all need new people to work with and we all need to feel the spark again and I think that for some of us that spark was dampened.”

GUITAR HERO ACTUALLY A LOSER

FOALS DEMO IN SYDNEY While in Australia for Laneway, Oxford’s Foals have spent time recording new demos at Sydney’s 301 Studios with Jono Ma, the brother of Dave Ma who works on the band’s video clips. Their label is angling for the band to release a new album by September, but keyboardist Edwin Congreave told The Front Line that it will take “as long as it takes” and a January 2012 release is more likely. Ideas are at a very early stage and it is not clear to the band whether they’ll be making a progression as large as the one from their debut Antidotes to Total Life Forever was. They have started a wish list of people they’re hoping to have produce the record, though, and are quite particular about who they want to work with, considering they expect to be put up in a studio for a month to create it. “The band need to get along with him and he needs to get along with the band,” said Congreave. Guitarist Jimmy Smith said, “I think a band in the studio’s quite venerable, I think we are.” As for the new sound, they say it hasn’t been affected by their change in location. “The guy we’ve been recording with in Sydney [Jono Ma] listens to a lot of dance music and has a lot of expertise in synthesiers and drum machines and within a day of being n the studio everything instantly has this house feel too it,” said Congreave. “And it also had a summery edge. People will assume that you record in Australia and things will sound more summery and people in Australia listen to house music, but before we’d even got here it sounded like that anyway.”

WARNER’S REVENUE DOWN 14 PERCENT More gloomy numbers for a major label as the Warner Music Group posted a 14 percent drop in its quarterly revenue on Tuesday, sending their share price into free-fall. Despite releases from Josh Groban, Michael Buble, James Blunt, Kid Rock and Bruno Mars, Warner cited the dwindling physical sales that were once again not offset by digital sales. In a conference call to analysts, company chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. said, “While industry pressures and a highly competitive release schedule limited our results in the first quarter, we’re confident that our disciplined A&R investments, successful revenue diversification and innovative digital strategies will drive WMG’s long-term growth.”

FERGIE’S BOWL BLAST Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie has admitted the band were off key during their halftime performance at last week’s Superbowl and believed Christina Aguilera was overawed by the occasion. Their performance featured cameos by Slash and Usher in a medley of their own singles and those of their guests, with Auto-Tune and a pretty static performance from the four members. Regarding Aguilera – who messed up the lyrics to the national anthem – she said she empathised with the pop star, who was feeling the pressure of the concert. It was watched, incidentally, by 111 million television viewers in 53.3 million households making it the most watched television program of all time. “You know what?” Fergie said, “It’s such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you. I completely understand.” In a statement issued to America’s Associated Press Aguilera said, “I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through.” At least we know the artists weren’t miming. Tweeting

from afar, Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas wrote “black eyed peas are doing the best visual thing i’ve ever seen. the sound guy is fucking them.” (sic) on his account.

JOVI B-SIDE BECOMES NRL ANTHEM It was a bonus track with his latest Greatest Hits compilation and was written with commercial sporting opportunities in mind, so now the NRL has seen fit to license Bon Jovi’s track This Is Our House as the new official song for the league. It has featured in NFL broadcasts prominently, with the New England Patriots also using the track when they score a touchdown. NRL marketing manager Paul Kind said of the deal, “I spoke to Paul Dainty, who was the promoter of [Bon Jovi’s recent] tour and we have since been in negotiations with Universal management and Bon Jovi’s US management about the rights.” Notoriously a sports nut, Bon Jovi released a statement via the NRL saying, “I know the intensity and dedication that goes into cheering on your team. We wrote This Is Our House to be a sports anthem and House has found a home in the US on the playing fields of the New York Rangers, the New England Patriots and the NFL.” A report of the NRL’s website described it as “the biggest advertising coup in Australian sport,” but it will remain to be seen if the million-selling 80s rocker’s b-side will truly capture the imagination of the rugby league-watching public.

THE MAN IS DEAD Perth – now London – noise-rock outfit Snowman are about to call it quits, but not before they release their next record. In an interview with website Life Is Noise, the band’s frontman Joe McKee revealed, “We’re actually splitting up, which is why we’re not playing shows. Ross [DiBlasio, drummer] and Olga [Hermanniusson,

Wednesday 16th Feb

T-PAIN’S RANT TO FAKE MUSIC ‘LOVERS’ Frustrated with the increasing decrease in CD sales, T-Pain took to his Twitter – and the Twitlonger service to fit it all in – to rant on ‘respect for the form of art’ and threatened to leak his album. “Since nobody wants to respect this form of art that you all say we ‘love’ so much,” he wrote, “I’m just gonna go ahead and start leakin’ the album myself tonight. Well maybe I shouldn’t rant but everybody was lookin’ at me strange when I said I didn’t wanna drop my album, it’s not that album sales weren’t doin’ good for hip hop and R&B, it just felt like no one respected ‘music’ anymore.” According to Rolling Stone, he then posted two tracks from RevolveR, but these have since been taken down. After pioneering the modern Auto-Tune fascination with his previous records and working on hits with Akon, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne, his new material hasn’t broken through like previous singles did. Since 2009 singles rumoured to be from his forthcoming and fourth album have been released and reworked after flopping in an attempt to regain chart positions.

Saturday 19th Feb

Enola Fall (Tas) Card Houses Rolando | Van Meirt

Thursday 17th Feb

Sunday 20th Feb

Friday 18th Feb

BATTLES’ FIGHT TO ALBUM #2 The long-anticipated and awaited second album from math-rock masters Battles is finally done, after arguments and being “pissed-off” following vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton’s departure from the group. The band were last in Australia in 2009 as part of the Brian Eno-curated Vivid Festival at the Sydney Opera House, still as a quartet and in the middle of recording new ideas which were yet to take form, as the band told Street Press Australia at the time. Talking to Pitchfork, bassist Dave Konopka said that the record was completed and tentatively due this winter. Regarding Braxton’s walk-out in the middle of a studio session last year he said, “The three of us argued and were pissed off after Ty left but we were like, ‘Fuck that. That chapter’s closed. Let’s move on.’… When Ty left over the [American] summer, we were close to having an album’s worth of material – we had put so much energy into the project and then we had to re-establish ourselves as a three-piece.”

Papperbok New Columbia Dj Bacon

BOYS & GIRLS Blood Shed Remains Mark my words

648 Ann Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

Video game publishers Activision Blizzard have pulled the plug on their pioneering Guitar Hero series as another ‘saviour’ of the music business proves to be a flash in the pan. As part of a disappointing first quarter report, the company said that it would be disbanding the Guitar Hero unit and stop development on the series because the popularity of it had faded. Included in the cut are the DJ Hero and Band Hero titles as well as 500 people from the global 7,000 workforce. The company is now realigning itself to focus of more successful titles, like Call Of Duty. The latest edition Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock sold poorly worldwide, while the new Call Of Duty title made USD$1 billion in its first six weeks of release in America alone. “Demand for peripheral-based games declined at a considerable pace,” said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg in a statement. “Given the considerable licensing fees… we simply cannot make these games profitable.” Video games like Guitar Hero and Harmonix’s remaining Rock Band title were once touted and the next saviour of the music business, with some artists and labels choosing to premiere the tracks on the format.

Johnny Rock and the limits (single launch) Velociraptor Moon Jog Van Meirt | Aniki

N’Fa (1200 techniques) Tailor Made SexyPie

Tuesday 22nd Feb

Jak | Van Diem Snozberry Shortcake

Wednesday 23rd Feb

The Submariners |Cannon Maggie Collins

NOBLE PROPOSITIONS

Having just announced a landmark sixth day of Bluesfest, promoter PETER NOBLE talks on pushing the addition through council, how’s there’s too many festivals and not enough talent, why festivals are the new cocaine and why Splendour are struggling to return home. By SCOTT FITZSIMONS.

T A E LIV O

P M E T

AGE T S N I MA

JONSON STREET BYRON BAY THURSDAY 17 FEBRUARY

AUST SURF MOVIE FESTIVAL FRIDAY 18 FEBRUARY

AFRO FIESTA SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY

ISSAC PADDON & THE TIDES SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY

n order for Bluefest to announce their sixth day, and give punters an extra chance to see the likes of headliners Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello in the festival’s environment, there were council opposition they had to overcome – similar to those that are halting Splendour’s return to the area. Promoter Peter Noble, though, was never in doubt that the environmental and community-based concerns raised by certain councillors was ever going to stop him. A staunch Byron man himself, it’s obvious he has the utmost faith in the community’s festival ideals despite the current age and climate of heavy-insurance policy and regulation, even citing the region as the birthplace of modern music festivals thanks to the early 70s counter-culture gathering, the Aquarius Festival, which ended in Nimbin. “I live a country which believes in giving people a fair go and it believes in social justice and it believes in doing the right thing,” Noble says, and he’s not hesitant to let loose on the opposing parties. “And when people attempt to do something that is meant to thwart that through their own little Machiavellian machinations within their minds, then I let the larger court decide on that. Which was the court of the public, through the media. [The dispute] was world-wide news and those two councillors, I don’t know mate, I think they’re emulating wombats at the moment, they’re still down their holes,” he laughs. “And the poor bloody six councillors that get paid pretty poor money – and they get January off – had to come back for a special council meeting to vote for us to get that sixth day, because those blokes tried to do their little bushwhack game. And it was a game.” Perhaps tellingly, one of the councillors challenging the addition didn’t take part in the vote. “The bottom line was we’d sold out the Monday, there was a lot more people that wanted to see Bob [Dylan] at Bluesfest in Byron with Elvis [Costello] and other people, than one day could handle. And why shouldn’t people have the right to do that in a free country. Simple, isn’t it? “There’s always a couple of guys [who’ll protest], but they’re the type of guys that would be in the corner of the party, you know?” he laughs whole-heartedly. “I’m sorry, but no-one would want to talk to them, you try! I’ve tried!” Surely one of the best line-ups the event’s ever seen (Dylan, Costello are joined by BB King, Grace Jones, Ben Harper for starters), it’s a rare addition (discounting Big Day Out’s failed second-day addition in Sydney) in the over-saturated Australian festival market. “You’ve only got to Google two words, ‘festivals’ and ‘cancelled’. And that last time I looked I think it went past ten pages,” Noble assures. “There’s this misapprehension that the Australian festival area is going from strength to strength, and it really isn’t, there is an oversupply. One statement is that 20 years ago the fashion accessory was a coke-spoon around your neck and a coke dealer that came whenever you called

and now it’s, if you’re a rich kid and have a rich father, ‘Oh, I own a festival’ [laughs]. Sorry,” he patronises. It hasn’t just been the new and emerging festivals that are hurting, Homebake took a year off this year, as mentioned Big Day Out struggled to push through their second day in Sydney – offering two for one deal well before the event’s date and risking consumer confidence – and Good Vibes was selling half price tickets the night before kicking off in Sydney. “There’s a lot of festivals doing it tough and it’s obvious. There’s not enough talent going around and everybody’s trying to get the same talent to play their events, therefore that talent’s putting their prices up and of course the profit margins become tighter. And then there’s the established festivals, and even some of them seem to have not done so well this summer. “Seems like Soundwave have picked the perfect demo, they’re doing great from what I hear. The dance festivals – there’s just to bloody many of them. Five years ago there was none, now they’re like a pub, they’re on every corner.” In contrast to Noble’s success in pushing the addition through council, Splendour In The Grass and North Byron Parklands still have their proposal for the Yelgun site under State Government consideration, meaning they’ll be back at the Woodford site this year. Part of their proposal is the inclusion of other events around throughout year, with enough downtime for the area so in order for it to be environmentally sustainable, they believe. “It is when people try to do things that are extremely inappropriate or just when you really look at them, they’re just an over-development,” Noble says of the region’s concerns to certain plans. “That’s when you’ll have problems around here. If you’re referring specifically to the Yelgun site and Splendour, if that’s the only thing they wanted to do they probably would have had the opportunity to do so. It is the fact that they’re talking about doing four or five other festivals that is concerning our community, up to 50 thousand people a day in a very, very rural area. “The new Byron events policy, there is an element of fear and loathing in it, which is a pity and is because the climate that’s been created in the last few years through the uncertainty of what’s being planned to do on the Yelgun site. But I’ve got to be careful what I say, because every time I mention the Yelgun site in any kind of interview I’m immediately called by the presenters of those festivals and told, “Shut up about my fucken event you cunt!” So I can’t really say anything, because all I do is create enemies.” Byron Bay Bluesfest 2011 takes place at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm between Thursday Apr 21 and Tuesday Apr 26. Go to www. bluesfest.com.au for more information.

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IN BRIEF Arcade Fire were the surprise Album Of The Year winners at this year’s Grammy Awards. Lady Gaga showed up to the Grammy Awards in an egg. Former Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’arcy Wretzky was jailed last week after not paying her ticket for Animals Running At Large and failing to appear in court. Prince viciously kicked ‘famous for no reason’ woman Kim Kardashian off stage after she failed to dance when brought on during his recent Madison Square Garden date.

DARWINISM AT ITS FINEST When Darwin Deez made his first visit to our country at the tail end of last year as a part of the Parklife festival, his popularity was only just on the cusp of exploding. Of course he has since gone on to be a massive hit down under, so it makes perfect sense that he’d get his arse back here for the Groovin’ The Moo festival as well as a few capital city sideshows. The lo-fi indie-pop that Deez purveys is a whole lot of fun and its quirks just make it such an uplifting and carefree form of music. You can catch him delivering his tunes like Constellation and Radar Detector live in the flesh if you get along to The Zoo on Thursday May 5, you can grab yourself a ticket from OzTix and outlets right now for $42.45. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

WON’T STOP HALF WAY Local alt-country ensemble Halfway are getting ready to take over the world in May but before they do so they will be hitting up venues up and down the east coast of the country, partly to reacquaint themselves with their fans and partly to get their hands on some cash so they can pay for this upcoming overseas sojourn. The band kick off their run along the seaboard with a good old-fashioned Live Spark show at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday Mar 6 from 3pm before they hit The Zoo on Saturday Apr 2 with none other than Sydney indie-rock masters Knievel – who are up here playing their first Brisbane show in goodness knows how long – as well as Jackie Marshall and Silent Feature Era, and then they play the Caboolture Country Music Festival on Saturday Apr 30. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

Representatives for Gorillaz have confirmed that the band is still together, despite rumours circulating that they had split following their Australian tour.

STILL GOT THE BLUES The third announcement for the Byron Bay Bluesfest has been announced and, true to form, it is another list of enormously credible acts that bulk up the calibre of this bill even further, which frankly we didn’t even believe would be possible. The legendary Leon Russell, pictured, heads up the latest announcement, closely tailed by 32-piece funk extravaganza George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic. Also on the bill is Luciano and Jah Messenjah Band, Imogen Heap, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Ernest Ranglin, Raul Malo, Michelle Shocked, Peter Rowan & The Blue Grass Band, Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Eli Paperboy Reed, The Bamboos, The Mad Bastards, Warrior King and Bonnie Casey, The Hands, Bobby Alu and Hussy Hicks. The festival is awfully close to selling out, so hit up bluesfest.com.au to ensure you don’t miss out on this great bill. It happens at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm from Thursday Apr 21 to Tuesday Apr 26. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

IN BRIEF

Primal Scream’s Screamadelica has been rated the ‘druggiest album ever’ by NME.

The Living End are currently in a Byron Bay studio working on their sixth album.

Tupac, the biopic about legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, is currently at the casting stage and will begin filming this year. Jeff Bridges is currently recording an album with T-Bone Burnett and has indicated he’d like to duet with Elton John. So long as there’s no fucking Eagles, man... Kirk Hammett has said Metallica are entering the studio for two weeks, but not to record a new Metallica record. Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz and pop star wife Ashlee Simpson have divorced.

Controversial new Rihanna single S&M has been renamed Come On for the UK market. She has, of course, taken to Twitter to vent her anger at this move.

SO MUCH DATA Those unmistakable tracksuit clad Norwegians Datarock are back in Australia for the Groovin’ The Moo Festival and are making sure that their Brisbane fanbase get some special love while they’re here with a particularly intimate show set to take place in May. Before they head down here, they are releasing a designer toy with a USB stick that features 110 tracks, 1500 photos, 20 music videos, and Never Say Die, a brand new hour-long concert film. Sounds absolutely ridiculous and awesome and certainly something that no fan will want to miss out on. The same can be said for the band’s show that will hit The Zoo on Wednesday May 4. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA There are few punk rock bands in the world that come close to being as iconic as the legendary Dead Kennedys. The Californian hardcore punk pioneers exploded in the live scene in and around San Francisco in the late 1970s and then, with the release of 1980’s Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, took their sound to the world. The music connected with youth all over the planet and the band went on to become one of the most vital punk rock bands of the 1980s before splitting in 1986. About ten years ago, the band reunited minus lead singer Jello Biafra and about three years ago they enlisted former Wynona Riders singer Ron “Skip” Greer to take the role of vocalist. This line-up of the band have been pretty quiet of late so it is mighty exciting to hear that they will be in Brisbane in a couple of months, dropping by The Hi-Fi on Thursday Apr 7. Tickets are available through Moshtix right now for $49 + bf.

FAR FROM DEAD

NOT SO CREEPY UNCLE It is hard to believe that it has been three years since UNKLE last brought their incredible show to Australia; the memory of such a great performance just seems to have lingered around closely for all this time. The group are back for the Groovin’ The Moo festival in May and while they’re in the country will make their way to capital cities as well, treating us to their unique live performances in a nice, intimate environment. The band’s Where Did The Night Fall long player of last year was another rapturously received release for the outfit, proving that they have lost no relevance since coming together almost a decade-and-a-half ago. You won’t want to miss them at The Hi-Fi on Tuesday May 3, so make sure you hit up Moshtix now to secure yourself a ticket. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

Local rockers Dead Letter Circus are still riding high on the back of their debut album This Is The Warning and supports alongside two of the biggest bands on the planet in Muse and Linkin Park, as well as a stint on the Big Day Out festival, and now they’re getting ready to head out on another headline tour, most likely their last before they head back into the studio to start tracking the follow up to their aforementioned debut. The band are incredible in the live arena and will no doubt blow minds when they turn in a massive hometown show at The Tivoli on Friday Mar 25, with support from FloatingMe, [ME] and Army Of Champions. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek and newworldartists.net right now for $27 + bf.

Activision has announced it will no longer continue making the Guitar Hero series of video games.

REGULAR JOHNS Two much loved up-and-coming indie acts are coming together for a massive headline tour of super pop goodness. The John Steel Singers have been a favourite of local audiences for years now, but recent times have seen them well-and-truly break out to national stardom, their Tangalooma record of last year, as well as plenty of festival appearances, ensuring that plenty of buzz has surrounded the group in recent times. Sydney’s Jonathan Boulet has been somewhat quieter recently, hard at work on his forthcoming second LP as well as producing and re-mixing records for other bands around the country. Come March both of these acts will head around the country together to bring great songs and a whole lot of joy to all assembled at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Wednesday Mar 9, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Thursday Mar 10, King’s Beach Tavern, Caloundra Friday Mar 11 and The Hi-Fi Saturday Mar 12. Tickets are on sale now for $17 + bf.

The first Stevie Nicks record in ten years In Your Dreams, will be released in May. Spike Jonze premieres Scenes From The Suburbs, a 30-minute short film based on Arcade Fire’s clip for The Suburbs at the Berlin Film Festival this week. Ex-Perth, now London-based band Snowman have split, though their third album ∆bsence will still be released soon. Former David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick has joined the New York Dolls. Jack White’s Third Man Records have announced their two latest 7” singles. One is from impersonator Amy Walker, the other features the talents of auctioneer Jerry King. Yep, what the fuck? The new album from Battles is finished and should be released mid-year. It comes over four years after the release of their debut.

AURAL SCULPTURES The Stranglers are one of the most important acts in the history of rock’n’roll, with over 20 top 40 singles in their homeland, many of them living on to be iconic songs of the 70s and 80s. The man who fronted the band up until 1990 was Hugh Cornwell and the legendary former frontman is heading out to Australia later in the year to deliver some very special shows. The first part of his performance will be a selection of The Stranglers’ greatest songs as well as highlights from his solo catalogue; this will be followed by Cornwell playing The Stranglers’ classic debut album Rattus Norvegicus IV in its entirety. This promises to be a night no Stranglers fan ought to miss and it happens at The Hi-Fi on Friday Apr 29. Tickets are available from Moshtix right now for $44 + bf. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

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IN BRIEF Ballarat party rockers Howl have changed their name to Hunting Grounds. AC/DC’s website has mentioned Brian Johnson is in talks with the Australia V8 Supercar Series to get behind the wheel at a race later this year. Joe Perry has taken to Twitter to make it very clear that Aerosmith have not broken up and that they will finish a new record later this year.

EMBRACE THE PAIN It was 20 years ago that high school friends Everlast and Danny Boy hooked up with DJ Lethal to form good-time party hip hop group House Of Pain. Their initial run wasn’t a particularly long one; the band released their legendary single Jump Around – which you can still hear blaring out of the speakers at just about any night spot around the world any given day of the week – in 1992 and then split in 1996, with all members going on to work on other projects. Well to celebrate two decades since their formation, the group have decided to hook up once again and take their party jams around the world and will hit Australia in a couple of months time. Get your jumping shoes on and head on out to catch them doing their thing at The Hi-Fi on Monday May 2 and the Coolangatta Hotel Thursday May 5. Tickets are on sale from Monday morning. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

Aussie country rock icons The Dingoes will be splitting up once again following the release of a forthcoming live album. They initially split in 1979 but reformed in 2009 after being inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame. Radiohead have announced, somewhat out of the blue, that their new album The King of Limbs will be released digitally this Saturday.

WARM VIBES They might have had a couple of cancellations since announcing their stellar bill a couple of months ago, but the Good Vibrations Festival are pleased to report some good news, announcing that the super soulful hip hop artist Aloe Blacc will be joining the bill for this year’s festival. Recent reports of Blacc’s shows down south have been positive pretty much right across the board so we’re excited to hear he’s on the bill. As well as Blacc, the festival has announced Dubmarine as the winners of the Good Vibes Rising competition and as such they have scored themselves a slot on the bill too. It all goes down at the Gold Coast Parklands this very Saturday.

DABBLE IN DABKE Syrian Dabke master Omar Souleyman will be hitting Brisbane when he’s in Australia for the WOMADelaide festival for a massive midweek dance party that will hit The Hi-Fi on Wednesday Mar 9. Souleyman’s music takes some of the traditional elements of Syrian street music and injects it with massive beats that will no doubt get you shaking. He is hailed as an iconic and legendary figure in the scene in his homeland, he has been incredibly active as a musician for well over 15 years now, but recent years have seen him gain a great deal of notoriety in the West after inking a deal with US label Sublime Frequencies and being namechecked by a number of popular musicians from all types of genres. His unique vocal stylings and frantic keyboard and percussion will leave you gobsmacked, so be sure to grab tickets to see Souleyman live in action from Moshtix right now for $25 + bf.

THAT SENSITIVE TOUCH Magnetic Island is the name of the very, very long-awaited new record from local dreamboats Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side and the band are all set to launch it this very weekend. It has been well over five years since the release of their second album The Sober Light Of Day and those who have been enjoying this fine act in the live environment since its release have been waiting very patiently for a new record. Well, it’s here, and it shan’t disappoint. This charming ensemble will be releasing it in the finest fashion, hitting Woodland for a big launch party this very Friday night. You’ll catch them with stellar support from Seja and The Keep On Dancins from around 9pm and a good time is all but assured.

DRUMMING UP THE HYPE They were undoubtedly one of the most popular acts on last year’s Splendour In The Grass bill and now The Drums are ready to come back to Australia for shows at the Groovin’ The Moo festival as well as some more intimate club shows in capital cities. The band, who are now a three-piece following the departure of guitarist Adam Kessler, shot to stardom following the release of their perfectly poptastic self-titled debut record mid-last year, and are ready to show Australian audiences that their live show has only gotten better in the months since we last saw them and that their sound continues to mature. You can find out for yourself when they hit The Hi-Fi on Wednesday May 4. Tickets are on sale from Moshtix as of Thursday morning for $50 + bf.

FORGIVE AND FORGET There are few acts in Australia who can boast the kind of popularity as Washington right now. It seems that just about everything leading lady Megan Washington does just secures the band even more dedicated followers. Debut album I Believe You Liar was one of the runaway successes of 2010 and their performances at all the big festivals over the summer were nothing short of enormous. Washington is on the road for The Tour Of Laughter & Forgetting throughout May and she’ll be joined by some very special guests for it. American folkrocker Lissie started to make a bit of stir following the release of her Why You Runnin’ EP back in 2009 and followed it up with her wonderful debut LP Catching A Tiger mid-last year. She’ll join Washington and Sydney indie rockers Deep Sea Arcade for a show at The Tivoli Wednesday May 4. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek as of Friday morning. You’ll need to be quick!

COLLISION COURSE It might seem a while away now as you finally find yourself back into the groove of the working week, but Easter will be here before you know it. Melbourne rockers Children Collide are well aware of this fact and have already made their plans, embarking on a slap-dash tour of the east coast on the back of their killer new single Arrows over the holiday weekend with some very special guests in tow. The band have been kicking plenty of goals of late, becoming hot favourites on this season’s summer festival circuit, so you can be sure that they are as electric on the live stage as ever. They’ll be up here playing The Zoo on Wednesday Apr 20 with support from Sydney’s Red Riders and promising Perth young guns Young Revelry. Tickets are on sale from OzTix as of Monday morning for $25 + bf; make sure you get in quick! Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

MODERN MARSUPIALS Seeing as their eagerly anticipated second album This Modern Glitch is only being released in April, it’s pretty damn exciting that The Wombats have decided that they will be heading to Australia in May to celebrate its release. It’s not entirely surprising, though. Not only are the band named after one of our favourite marsupials, but Australian audiences absolutely adore them – their debut record A Guide To Love Loss And Desperation was a huge hit down here and they even appeared on Neighbours when they were in the country last. While they’re in the country for the Groovin’ The Moo festival in May, they hit Brisbane for a massive sideshow at The Tivoli on Tuesday May 3. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek from Tuesday morning. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

DON’T SAY SORRY!

STAMP OF APPROVAL

There’s a time and a place where it’s apt for PMs to apologise, but to the Kiwis for having an Australian accent isn’t one of them. As if a Welsh person from Adelaide has a proper Australian accent anyway…

That another porn star has come out and claimed to have shagged Warnie isn’t remotely interesting, but her use of the term ‘Warnie stamp’ to describe the carpet burns on her back is beyond awesome. If only they were collectors’ items Liz might stand a chance…

WE AREN’T ONE

ALPHA BRAVO…

Fucking Jeff Kennett suggesting that we replace Advance Australian Fair with I Am Australian as our national anthem – it’s been used so much as a TV ad we might as well opt for Happy Little Vegemite. Has he even heard the fucking lyrics to that song?

Charlie Sheen – the man with the most appropriate name in entertainment – has now been outed (by a porn star of course) for having no teeth due to his rampant drug abuse. He really has to quit that show, we’d all be a mess with that job…

EGG-STISTENTAL Lady Gaga has assured that it wasn’t an egg that she turned up to the Grammys in – carried by slaves, natch – it was a womb. Well that makes more sense. If your music sucks that badly the bigger props and gimmicks the better…

STOP THE EARTH LADY GAGA - NO SHE’S NOT DEAD

How could the man who came up with Blackadder and The Young Ones now be responsible for the abomination that is Live From Planet Earth? See what happens when you settle in Fremantle…

FLOOD FOLLIES

AN UNDERWATER BURLESQUE BENEFIT FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

THU 17 FEBRUARY w/ DJ Knave Knixx, La Viola Vixen and more

LAMB (UK)

FRI 18 FEBRUARY w/ Special Guests

KATE NASH (UK) SAT 19 FEBRUARY w/ Special Guests

GANG OF FOUR (UK)

FRI 25 FEBRUARY w/ Special Guests

NO FILTER

SAT 26 FEBRUARY w/ Special Guests

HIGH ON FIRE (USA)

TUE 1 MARCH w/ Trash Talk(USA), Protest The Hero(CAN), Kylesa(USA)

SILVERSTEIN (CAN) WED 2 MARCH w/ Blessthefall (USA), I See Stars(USA)

COMING O IN SOON... OON IMELDA MAY(IRE) – 3/3 KARAVAN! FT. GIPSY.CZ(CZ) & HAREM’DE(TR) – 4/3 MONARCH(FRA) – 5/3 OMAR SOULEYMAN(SYR) – 9/3 SWANS(USA) – 11/3 AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM(UK) – 15/3 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS – 18/3 UNWRITTEN LAW(USA) – 19/3 FINNTROLL(FIN) – 24/3

THE BLOODPOETS – 25/3 CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES(USA) – 6/4 SPARKADIA – 8/4 HORRORPOPS(USA) – 23/4 HUGH CORNWALL(UK) – 29/4 AGAINST ME(USA) – 5/5 ALESTORM(UK) – 12/5 SUICIDAL TENDANCIES(USA) – 13/5 THE HAUNTED(SWE) – 26/5 NEVERMORE(USA) – 9/6

JUSTT ANNOUNCED NNO N

DEAD KENNEDYS(USA) – 7/4 ANTHONY B(JAM) & CE’CILE – 24/4 HOUSE OF PAIN(USA) – 2/5 UNKLE(UK) – 3/5 THE DRUMS(USA) – 4/5

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UK songstress KATE NASH is back in the country for the Playground Weekender festival and a couple of sideshows. She talks to BEN PREECE about her relentless schedule and what she’ll do if her pop career ends tomorrow.

A FLEETING GLIMPSE OF HAPPINESS

n the nine months since Kate Nash’s second album My Best Friend Is You first hit record store shelves worldwide, you could say the singer has had nothing short of a non-stop schedule. Such is the way when you’re hot property like Nash – shows, appearances, interviews, shoots, plane rides – all of this and more is just another day in the life of the pop star. Her relentless touring schedule continues to stack up and the ongoing demand as an artist has allowed her no time to really stop and be anything other than the pop star the international music world has embraced over and over. As Time Off catches her on Christmas Eve, Nash has crammed in a frantic afternoon of last minute presenthunting and a string of interviews she has scheduled for this afternoon has completely slipped her mind. Being the consummate professional, however, she doesn’t skip a beat and slips right into the conversation with ease and explains just why she appears to be so flustered. “I’ve spent a long time away from home this year,” she explains politely. “I’ve been across Europe in the last four and five weeks, the UK for two weeks, the US for two, I went to Mexico and back to Germany and now I’m home and pretty ready to be home for a little while and just chill basically.” But before this “chilling” can take place effectively, Nash has a few more engagements to meet, one being a quick jaunt down to Australia for Playground Weekender and a couple of sideshows, including Brisbane which was overlooked last visit. Anyone would think she likes it down here. “Yeah I really do actually,” Nash laughs. “I think you don’t get the opportunity to go to Australia very much because it’s so far away, the opportunity often doesn’t come up. I’d like to spend more time there, I really enjoy it when I am there. When the festival came up, I was like, ‘Yeah I definitely want to do it!’ – it was a no brainer to say yes.” Following a successful debut album – 2007’s Made Of Bricks – the real test for Nash came with anticipation for a second record. She tended to linger slightly in the shadow of Lily Allen last time around but once My Best Friend Is You dropped, it became clear that Nash was following no one. It painted her as the young, enigmatic and powerful young star that she is, touching on everything from sexism to homophobia and beyond. Dressing it all with a glorious, nostalgic sound full of brass pipes, twangy surf guitar and poignant, often playful musings, the album is more than just another pop outing – it’s one that transcends the disposable and lands well and truly

on the right side of credible. It moves through witty lyrical narratives towards the realm of catchy hooks and is often crude and sometimes perhaps even a little too honest. “I’m really pleased and proud of it,” Nash enthuses. “I guess, early next year I’m going to be coming to the end of the run of it. It’s kind of exciting to go to Australia, I have some dates in Brazil and then one last UK tour and some smaller towns that I never got to visit on the last tour – so I’m very excited to be going out there or just to do the final tours of the record. I’ve had a really good year, I think I’ve done the best shows I’ve ever done and, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

into helping fellow female performers find their place in the often confronting world of the music industry. “There are a couple of things that I want to do,” she reveals. “Not sure where it’s going to happen but my year is pretty open ended so it should all get done. I really want to work with young people and kids and go into schools and do creative workshops with young girls, particularly [in regards to] songwriting and starting bands and stuff. Statistically there are less female composers than male and, over the summer, I’ve really become aware of that – there were so many girls in the charts and everyone is going, ‘There are so many

“I REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND KIDS AND GO INTO SCHOOLS AND DO CREATIVE WORKSHOPS WITH YOUNG GIRLS, PARTICULARLY [IN REGARDS TO] SONGWRITING AND STARTING BANDS AND STUFF.” But the thing is, Nash simply won’t sit still between albums. Following the fantasy-like success of her debut record and the subsequent successes it brought, Nash did slow down but she wanted to indulge more in “normal” things. She did what any normal 20-year-old would do – go to the movies, hang with friends and her first “real” boyfriend (Ryan Jarman of The Cribs) and read books but, incapable of sitting around for long, she quickly co-founded the Featured Artists Coalition with Billy Bragg and Blur’s Dave Rowntree and got involved in V-Day, the initiative to end violence against women. During this upcoming year after the cycle for My Best Friend Is You ends, Nash will undoubtedly be itching to find something to do next. She often comments about feeling like an outsider for not fitting into the format of a typical female artist and therefore feels she needs to inject some time and attention

females, it’s amazing!’ but still all the festival line-ups were completely male-dominated. I did a panel talk and only one of those girls in the charts write their own material and it made me feel that rather than complain about it that I should try and do something to change that. I want to go into schools and work with kids. “I’m in love with Joan Jett, she’s just like totally cool,” she continues of her own heroes. “I also really love Kathleen Hanna and I’m a big fan of Peggy Sue and really respect Laura Marling and SleaterKinney. I saw The Runaways movie and I can’t believe how much those girls look like the musicians.” And then of course, there are things like making another record to think about. Now world famous with two successful albums on the shelf, as well as a seemingly

fulfilling life, Nash isn’t concerned that contentment in her everyday existence will water down her songwriting edge like it sometimes can. She’s more concerned about whether she has actually written her last song ever. “I don’t really think about stuff like that when I’m writing, I just get into my world when I’m actually writing and it’s just an escape from all the other stuff,” she reveals thoughtfully. “The fame thing... I don’t even see myself as that person, apart from being able to travel a lot and have a really cool job, I don’t really see that as part of my life – the fame aspect, I think it’s a weird word. I still feel I will get nervous about doing the record because as a writer, I think you’re born to think you’re never going to write again g once you’ve completed something. I think I’m always like, l ‘Well that’s it, I’m not going to write anything else now’, now and I always approach everything thinking that I don’t kknow what I’m going to be doing next year. I can more records, I have it in me – I have ideas and write mo looking forward to doing it and just writing really.” I’m look The topi topic of being content and happiness in general seems illusive to Nash. On the surface, she mig might seem to have it all but, like any thinking human and a ambitious soul, she is well aware that everything remains peachy long-term. not ever “I don’t really feel you reach a point in life where you’re just ‘happy’,” ‘hap Nash muses. “I don’t really believe in that, I do don’t believe that word or the idea of finding happine happiness. Life is constant ups and downs and it can be going really smoothly and you’ll be thrown a curve ball or yyou’ll be struggling. Everyone has problems, even if they’re t small or just things I care about or am opiniona opinionated about even if they’re not happening to me or people I know. There’s issues in the world and plenty in the world worl that’s not right; even if I was, ‘I feel completely fine toda today’ I’d find something, even the urge to want to change it, be pissed off or upset about it just because the world is full of infections and things go wrong. I’m happy at the moment. Being happy makes me want to write songs too – when I’m comfortable or relaxed, it makes me want to write stuff that is fun or upbeat. And, like I said, there’s always issues in the world that can make me angry and write in that direction.”

WHO: Kate Nash WHERE & WHEN: The Hi-Fi Saturday Feb 19

COMEDY HITS SELLING FAST BOOK TODAY! “compellingly honest, relentlessly entertaining” The Age

Written with

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As heard on Nova. As seen on The 7PM Project.

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“makes comedy look effortless” Sun-Herald

#####

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SAM SIMMONS AND THE PRECISE

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HISTORY OF THINGS

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FESTIVAL DIRECTORS’ AWARD

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APPLES AND ORANGES He’s the best wingman in the music business, but M. WARD is riding solo to Australia for the first time in years. By GISELLE NGUYEN.

. Ward released his last solo album, Hold Time, in 2009 and the entirety of 2010 was dedicated to She & Him, his folk-pop side project with whimsical screen queen Zooey Deschanel. The year before, he toured extensively both solo and with Monsters Of Folk, the supergroup he formed with fellow indie heavyweights Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (both of Bright Eyes), after their debut album dropped that year. Last year Ward played only one show under his own name, supporting Yo La Tengo in December, so the upcoming gigs will be a change from his recent activities.

Ward’s career started in 1999, with six solo studio albums released since. He has always thirsted for collaboration though, appearing on albums by artists like Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Beth Orton and Neko Case in between working on his own music – so it was really only a matter of time before actual bands formed out of the friendships he’s created with so many different musicians. As such, his solo career has been on the backburner for a while.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to the way things used to be,” Ward says from his home in Portland, Oregon. “The last few years have been incredible and I love playing with Monsters Of Folk and She & Him just as much as I love playing the songs from the records that I make. Something that’s great about all of my projects is that we all have so many different things going on in our lives that we’re not bound by just having one project, which I think would put a lot of pressure on a single project.”

She & Him has been a big focus for Ward since the project began in 2006. They released their second album, Volume Two, in early 2010 and have spent the better part of the last year touring Europe and North America. Ward has long been known as a very private performer, often requesting no photography during his shows, so you’d assume that working with a big-name Hollywood actress would be a nightmare in that sense.

“I am starting to record another record very, very slowly, but I’m playing a few solo shows and just changing gears a little bit,” Ward explains. “I’m always writing, but I have recorded a few songs that I’m listening to. I’ve just started the recording process. I’m kind of seeing where it takes me. At this stage it’s too early to say.”

“Zooey feels the same way as me,” Ward clarifies. “We hope that when people come to see a show that they come to have a musical experience and we both know how it feels when the person next to you can’t stop taking flash photographs. It’s frustrating and it’s a distraction, but nobody is pulling their hair out over it. It’s just something that most of my friends and I request whenever we play live shows.” Deschanel is the primary songwriter in She & Him with Ward taking over production duties and Monsters Of Folk’s songs are a collaborative process between the four members. Because these projects have been a main focus recently, does Ward ever wish for more of a creative stronghold?

“EVERY PROJECT IS SO DIFFERENT. I LOVE MY ROLE IN SHE & HIM JUST AS I LOVE MY ROLE IN MONSTERS OF FOLK JUST AS I LOVE WHAT I’M DOING WHEN I MAKE MY OWN RECORDS. THEY’RE JUST SO DIFFERENT AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES THEM SO INTERESTING.” “Every project is so different,” he emphasises. “I love my role in She & Him just as I love my role in Monsters Of Folk just as I love what I’m doing when I make my own records. They’re just so different and that’s what makes them so interesting. It’s really difficult to compare them; it’s kind of like comparing apples and oranges.” In all his pursuits, Ward has been known to be a fan of including cover songs on his albums, from David Bowie’s Just Dance to The Miracles’ (and made famous later by The Beatles) You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me to an instrumental version of The Beach Boys’ You Still Believe In Me. “The way you make it your own song is to just start playing it and you realise that you can’t do certain things that the other recording did and you start seeing it as a strength rather than a weakness,” he explains. “I’m pretty much always learning other people’s songs. That’s the way that I’ve been learning to play guitar since day one and nothing much has changed.” In the decade-plus that he’s been making a living from playing music, Ward has never become complacent about his musicianship; quite contrarily, he says, it’s all still just as intriguing as it’s ever been. “The biggest thing that has changed since 2000 is just the amount of things that I’m influenced by,” he reflects. “It’s still mainly music, but the guitar is a very powerful instrument and it has the ability to play pretty much any kind of music and so I guess ever since I started playing guitar in high school, it’s always been a pretty mysterious instrument and nothing’s really changed – I still don’t really know everything that it can do. It serves so many different kinds of music and so many different kinds of artists – and it’s been my foundation.” Though She & Him has been thriving lately, Monsters Of Folk only played two shows in 2010. The idea for the group first came up around 2004, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the album actually materialised. “We were building the anticipation I guess for ourselves and we really wanted to see what happened if we just got into the studio together with new song ideas and we love how the record turned out,” Ward explains. “At the moment we’re just hibernating. We’re all working on different projects right now. We don’t have any concrete plans, but we get together in the same way that any four friends do and we just sort of see what happens.” For all three of his projects, despite the years between them, Ward says that things have stayed basically the same in terms of his approach. “You can’t help but be influenced by all the new music that you’re discovering along the way, you can’t help but be influenced by your friends and that continues to grow,” he tells. “My process is still basically the same which is never stop writing and pay a lot of attention to the demo and listen to the demo over and over again until it tells you where it wants to go and that process of sketching hasn’t really changed much for me.”

WHO: M. Ward WHERE & WHEN: The Tivoli Saturday Feb 19

HOME SWEET HOME If the holiday season has left you broke and you’re contemplating a move back to the parents’ place, then don’t feel too bad – TORO Y MOI has had to do it too. CHAS BUNDICK discusses home comforts with TOM HAWKING.

“T

his album literally brought me back home,” says Chas Bundick, better known as Mr Toro y Moi, of his new record Underneath The Pine. “I had to move back home to save money while I was on tour – I can’t afford to pay rent somewhere and not live there. So now,” he chuckles ruefully, “I’m back at my parents’ house, chilling. It’s okay. I think every single artist has done it at some point.” Bundick has been on tour since releasing his debut Causers Of This early last year, catalysing much debate about the legitimacy of (and actual existence of) the chillwave genre, and riding the Pitchfork seal of endorsement to several prominent support slots as well as headline tours. It’s little wonder, then, that sitting in a New York café with his girlfriend, sipping a much-needed coffee, he looks a wee bit frazzled. “I started touring this record with Caribou in March and April,” he explains. “That was a full US tour, a five-week thing. Then Europe. That’s pretty much all we’ve done all year, just back and forth [between the US and Europe]. I’ve been around the US two or three times, and then Europe twice.” He sighs. “Has it been intense? It’s been really intense.”

‘We’ll make it sound like what this equipment can handle’. It’s all analogue machines, and it’s really cool.” For his debut Australian tour, though, he’s bringing a full live band: “I made the transition to a full band as soon as I could,” he says. “Causers Of This wasn’t exactly made for a full band or anything like that, so when we play live, we play more songs from the new album, because it’s more intriguing live. We’re trying to learn it as fast as possible!”

WHO: Toro Y Moi WHAT: Underneath The Pine (Mistletone)

WHERE & WHEN:

Woodland Thursday Feb 24

But equally, Bundick has enjoyed the chance to travel constantly. “When I went to San Francisco for the first time, it really captivated me. It’s like a big city, but at a slower pace. Holland and that part of the world have also been great – those countries are really fun. And now,” he smiles, “we’re going to Australia.” Bundick’s lyrics have always been unabashedly autobiographical – as he mentioned to Time Off a while back, “It’s all 100 percent embarrassingly accurate... I namedrop friends, my ex-girlfriend, all these facts about them.” As such, family and the geographical removal from those you hold dear are strong lyrical themes on Underneath The Pine: “I think if anything,” Bundick says, “[the new songs] are more personal. After touring, being away from family for the first time in my life, really, I got to experience missing people. So I really opened up – I touched subjects I didn’t think I would. I don’t sing much about my brother or my parents, their viewpoints. So it was fun to do that.”

“I THINK IF ANYTHING [THE NEW SONGS] ARE MORE PERSONAL. AFTER TOURING, BEING AWAY FROM FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, REALLY, I ACTUALLY GOT TO EXPERIENCE MISSING PEOPLE. SO I REALLY OPENED UP…”

Chugg Entertainment, Lunatic Entertainment, Time Off & FasterLouder present

THE HOLD STEADY “...The Hold Steady don’t just show us how much they love classic rock — they make some of their own” – Rolling Stone

There was talk that Underneath The Pine was to be released simultaneously with another new album. As it turns out, such ambitious plans have had to be put on hold: “When I told the label [Washingtonbased indie du jour Carpark Records] I was interested in doing that, they were like, ‘Okay!’ But I was saying that in a naïve manner – I didn’t know I’d have to tour them, and all that. So when they said yes, it’d be cool to do that, I was like, ‘Awesome!’ Before I got signed, that’s how I’d work – I’d do an electronic album while doing an acoustic album, and release them at the same time. I think it’s a healthy balance. But I had to record [the new album] pretty much between tours, so they’re a year apart now. It’s all good.” He’s managed to keep his more dancefloor-oriented side satisfied with the release of a 12” under the pseudonym Les Sins, which came out late last year. The Lina 12” takes the disco influences that surface periodically on Causers Of This and bring them to the forefront, resulting in a couple of pleasantly summery jams – the a-side, in particular, is built around a house-y vocal sample and cheery, bubbling bassline. “Les Sins is pretty much all production and remixing, whereas Toro Y Moi is more personal,” Bundick explains. “That’s why I made the new moniker [Les Sins]: I didn’t want house music or dance music to overtake my image – I’m not a DJ, you know? So Les Sins was like, if I ever was to do a DJ set, it’d be under that name. ” Still, despite the emphasis on separation, Underneath The Pine does seem to span the two sides of Bundick’s musical output to some extent, combining the purely electronic flavours of Causers Of This with a more old-fashioned approach to songwriting and prodcution. “The album’s not sample-based or electronic-based,” Bundick explains. “I did live drums and bass and stuff. It’s a good way to start afresh. I don’t know if I felt like writing two electronic albums in a row. I don’t think I could ever do just electronic music or just acoustic music. I’d get bored. Also, when I wrote Causers of This, I didn’t have the intention of playing it live in front of people, [whereas] I had that in mind for the second album.” Despite Bundick’s roots in bedroom laptop noodlery, the Toro Y Moi live show involves a full band. Those curious about just how Bundick’s music translates into a live setting might like to check out the Daytrotter session he did late last year, which reinterprets some of the songs off Causers Of This in a minimal, acoustic setting.

Wednesday 9 March The Zoo

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849, www.thezoo.com.au or 1300 762 545, Rockinghorse, Skinnys, Butterbeats, Mosh Pit, Music Mania and Sunﬂower

Also appearing at Golden Plains chuggentertainment.com theholdsteady.net

New album HEAVEN IS WHENEVER available now

“It’s indicative of our live sound, yeah,” he says. “In a way. We do incorporate electronics into the full live show. To me, Daytrotter’s an acoustic thing – seeing the equipment they had there, I was just like,

APPETITE FOR COLLECTION The visual arts plays an important part in THE BOOKS’ music. As does whether it can hold up on a car stereo, as one half of the act’s creative team PAUL DE JONG tells DOUG WALLEN.

ere’s a challenge: name one other band like The Books. That is to say, consists of a cellist/curator and guitarist/ vocalist, recontextualises found music and words, then plays and sings over it. Even likeminded artists like the Glasgow duo Vernon & Burns are obscure to the point of being kept secret. The Books, on the other hand, are celebrated worldwide. Since 1999, Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong have made striking collage compositions that dwell between the accessible and esoteric. And they’ve been away too long: last year’s The Way Out was their first proper album in half a decade. “It takes a good while to make a new album and this album was a real big step,” notes de Jong, the aforementioned cellist/curator. “We had worked together for five or six really intense years and you hit a wall together where you don’t want to do the same thing. You want to transcend it all in a meaningful way. You have to sort of use force with yourself, but it shouldn’t sound forced.”

Luckily, it doesn’t. Like the pair’s 2002 debut Thought For Food and 2003 breakthrough The Lemon Of Pink, it flows as naturally as a babbling brook. It feels less like a static puzzle than a lively continuum, with ideas and influences crossing at every turn. And making considerable progress from the arguably glitch-folk or avant-classical leanings of early albums, The Way Out is more rhythm-based, flirting with the influence of funk, hip hop and forms of electronic music. There are also more “song-based” moments, like We Bought The Flood, where Zammuto sings for such a sustained period that we nearly forget we’re listening to a Books record. That said, the collage approach remains. “I think that’s 50 percent, at least, of what we’re doing,” de Jong admits. “Finding all these old sources that are almost the detritus of our society and finding the stuff we really feel is worth preserving because it has a universal value. Then make it into a universal voice, representing it back to the audience. We try to avoid the egocentric side of artistry.” In other words, the two men tend to disappear into their work. It’s certainly neither member that’s ever in the forefront for long – it’s the source material and its newly transformed DNA that reigns supreme. In that sense, The Books, especially de Jong, are almost as much archivists as musicians. “Yeah, it kind of comes with the job,” he states. “I just love collecting this stuff – imagery, moving image and sound clips.” Still, he makes clear, “I’m an artist in the first place, so I won’t call myself an archivist. But as an artist, I have to maintain a good archive of my stuff. Every artist needs to define what it means for them to be an artist and this is my job.” There’s a transporting quality to what The Books do, making The Way Out quite aptly named. Beyond that, the duo juxtaposes not just different sounds but mediums and genres. There’s a psychedelic transcendence at work in the closing Group Autogenics II, which ends with the phrase “You’re becoming the world and everything in it,” while The Story Of Hip Hop is something DJ Shadow might have once come up with. Like many Books compositions, it features bizarre spoken-word portions and blurs the seams of its creation so that the final product is utterly new and whole. So an obvious question – how the hell do they find these sources? “My father was a doctor,” shares de Jong, “so I got records with heartbeats on them, or instructional records or quizzes. I was drawn to that spoken word stuff over music. I started going to markets and thrift stores. I’ll ask, ‘Where are your leftovers? Where’s your spoken word and instructional stuff?’ By now I’ve got a huge, huge collection of basically the stuff that nobody else seems to be want.” Laughing, he adds, “You’ve got to have quite an appetite to go through all that stuff, but I do.” On a practical level, de Jong first digitises everything he collects before listening to it. Then he begins the process of selecting resonant fragments from which to build a Books track with Zammuto. Picture a living, breathing library of inspiration. While the duo does eventually hone a track to the point where it’s finished, their first album was never mastered until it came time to prepare for upcoming reissues of the first three albums by US label Temporary Residence (the band is released through Spunk here). In the recent mastering process, Zammuto changed some aspects of Thought For Food, which once earned a 9.0 from Pitchfork. “We [originally] just burnt it to a CD,” reveals de Jong, “and if it held up over our car stereo, it was okay.” De Jong developed his approach in the late 90s, when he began haunting the VHS collection available for loan from the Performing Arts Library of the New York Public Library. He was already gigging as a cellist, writing music and teaching, but still he found time to obsess over videos, recording the most interesting parts to minidisc. Soon he had stacks of archived minidiscs. Given the obscurity of these sources, The Books has never run into legal troubles due to sampling. They’ve obtained permission a few times for slightly better-known things, but usually it doesn’t come up. Another obvious question: how does all of this work in a live setting? “That’s a completely different story,” he begins. “We can’t reproduce what comes out in the studio. It’s impossible. That’s why it took us five years to develop a live show; we needed to reorchestrate and rethink our songs in a pretty radical way. We are not the greatest virtuoso performers and it’s not the kind of music that calls for that. So we saw it as an opportunity to bring in our interests in the visual arts and moving image.” Thus the video screen at Books gigs, its images painstakingly synced to the music being played live. Like beholding film clips spontaneously in the making, it was worth the years it took to perfect. As for the half-decade gap between the last two albums, de Jong calls it a break he and Zammuto needed to start their families. They both married and had children and now each has a studio in comfortable proximity to his home. “It shows in our music that we’ve settled down,” he beams. “It took us a few years to create that life for ourselves and to get grounded. It has done us both incredibly good.”

WHO: The Books WHAT: The Way Out (Spunk/EMI) WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Saturday Feb 19 24

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FIGHTING BOREDOM Displaying the exuberance and excitement of an emerging artist, UK legend TRICKY sounds more ready to take on the world than ever before. BENNY DOYLE catches up with the enigmatic artist on the eve of his upcoming Australian sojourn.

fter two decades in the game – having become a touchstone of influence for a generation of artists – Tricky should and does answer to no one. In this time, he has also maintained a well-publicised, tumultuous relationship with the press and as such, it’s with curiosity, excitement and trepidation that the phone receiver clicks from the operator to the man born Adrian Thaws. But much like his genre-busting music catalogue, Tricky’s affable style of storytelling is like everything you’d hope for, yet nothing like you’d expect. He discusses the ideals behind his present live incarnation. “When I left Massive Attack, we did an American tour and a European tour over a month and it was all turntables and I’d find it really difficult – I’d find it really hard,” he recalls. “Then when I left them, the new management said, ‘Are you going to perform?’. I said I didn’t want to go out with

turntables... so she goes, ‘Take a band!’. And I didn’t really have a clue, I didn’t understand how a band could play my album. So she put a band together for me and ever since I’ve had a live band on stage. It’s a very old fashioned live concert – I don’t have any TV stuff or visuals. It’s just an old fashioned rock show to be honest with you, it’s like the crowd and the band. It’s that vibe and it’s quite a lot of energy. It gets quite tense sometimes y’know, it can be quite tense.” Released in September of last year, Mixed Race was another fresh twist in an already refreshingly challenging career. As up-tempo as the Bristol native has ever sounded, the ten tracks wash through the speakers free of the grit and darkness that have been the staple of his prior releases. “It’s really weird,” he explains of the new material’s transition to the stage. “Now after touring for so long, for so many years, I write with stage on my mind, even when I’m in the studio. So sometimes I think this is going to be a great live song; like Murder Weapon, I thought that was going to be a stonker live, and that was kinda written for the live show, but it just doesn’t work. And then things like Every Day, when you think that’s never going to work, that goes down really well. So it doesn’t always go the way you think it’ll go. Then you get things like Council Estate from [2008 album] Knowle West Boy, which sometimes really works well and then if I’m tired, it’s not going to work. If I’m tired, that song I just don’t do.” Considering how well Murder Weapon has been received and knowing that many fans would be itching to hear the track, Tricky explained just exactly what the issue is with the song in a live setting. “Y’know what? We’ve tried it and tried it and tried it and it just doesn’t work so really I have to change it, but just change it for the live show,” he continues. “I haven’t had time to rehearse it but we’ve tried it live y’know, we’ve been doing it for months and it’s just very difficult to get across. The crowd’s still feeling it funnily enough but on stage there’s just no vibe at all.” Tricky has also just had a change in management, a change which seems to be a major catalyst behind his present infectious hunger. “I’m getting to a point where I want to do this bigger, I want to sell more records, like in a commercial way, and I’ve always believed that I can’t do that musically. But I’ve got management who are saying to me now there’s no reason I can’t have commercial success without staying as I am, it’s just putting a plan together. I haven’t had management talk to me like that before,” he bluntly states. “They’re like, ‘You shouldn’t have to change to be a bigger artist.’ So to be honest with you, Mixed Race for me, is a touring album. I’m kinda looking at the next album already. It’s the first time since the beginning of my career I’ve got a proper team around me and I’m going to start doing more things again. It’s got to a point from [old management] talking, people kind of got the idea that I’m very dark, maybe don’t communicate well at times and then they don’t wanna get in touch with me. People think I just don’t want to do anything or I’m going to say no. I want to get rid of that stigma.” Tricky continues, talking about wanting to try his hand at soundtracks and put some guest turns in, both in front of the mike and behind the mixing desk. However as far the present buzz dance genre, dubstep, goes... forget it. “Dubstep’s great but it’s just down-tempo music influenced by hip hop and reggae like we were when we were young so really, it ain’t a new thing,” he opines. “It’s just a new generation of people making it. What I don’t like is the thing where people say about being a relevant artist. I don’t think that artists should be relevant to what’s going on. There’s no way I want to be a part of the jungle or dubstep scene or anything, I just want to be a musician. So by trying to be current, you’re not doing what you should you be doing. I think an artist’s got a responsibility of creating new music or at least experimenting, whether it’s good or bad. You should experiment – you try new things. You try and create something no one has ever heard. So me being relevant, going doing dubstep, I wouldn’t see the point of it. Basically I just go into the studio and try to listen for things I have never heard before and try and make new sounds of it.” Tricky’s musical vision is still going strong – even at 43 years of age, the father of one assures that, “there’s so much to do.” With a tinge of sadness in his voice, he laments on the traps of a fanbase, and the limitations it can provide – but only if you let it. “I suppose success has something to do with it,” he offers.” Like if you’ve been getting in the charts for ten years, you’re used to being in the charts and you don’t want to change everything because you wouldn’t sell records maybe. I once said to this artist, ‘Why don’t you try something like this?’, and he said, ‘My fanbase wouldn’t have it – they would walk away from me’. And I’m like, ‘Well y’know what? You get a new fanbase then, fuck it!’. If you’re worried about that then you’re already trapped into doing the same thing. “Doing the same thing kind of bores me. I get bored within a month of touring y’know? When I come to Australia now, we’ve had enough time off that I can be enthusiastic about the gigs. But sometimes when you’re four, five weeks into the show you’re sick of the songs, you’re sick of it and you just don’t want to do the songs. So it’s like that with recording – if I am going to do the same thing then it’s just not worth it.”

WHO: Tricky WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Sunday Feb 20

BIRDS OF A FEATHER Emerging artist SAM YELDHAM – aka GUINEAFOWL – talks turkey with TYLER McLOUGHLAN on how despised high school nicknames can become the inspiration for creative excellence and why staring at a wall is so very important.

t’s taken a long time for people to start calling Sam Yeldham just plain old Sam after a teacher mocked the sweeping 60s fringe that covered most of his eyes and gifted the nickname Guinea Pig, later evolving to Guinea Fowl, upon him.

“Guinea stuck with me as a nickname all throughout high school; it was so prevalent in my identity that I’m pretty sure people forgot what my name was,” Yeldham admits. “So when picking a pseudonym… this was the only name I could think of that really meant something to me. Even though I’m at odds with this name… turning that negative connotation it has in my mind to a positive is really important to me. “I would have preferred T-Bone or Slugger,” he laughs, though insists that adopting the moniker musically is in no way a middle finger to his high school days. “It’s more like Batman. You know how Batman chose the bat because he found strength in his own fear? I guess it’s a bit more like that, except I don’t fight crime and I’m not a billionaire, or a genius with mechanics, so I’m not like Batman at all! But it’s more about deriving energy and strength from something you consider a weakness.” Now Yeldham finds it hard to be called just plain old Sam, when in music mode.

it’s a very anxious experience and so the EP is sort of saying all right let’s meet this anxiety head on. I think of the title as being said by a really over the top large man just going, ‘Hellooooooo anxiety!’” Whilst the headstrong youngster is inherently dedicated to his art, at heart he’s just a guy that can’t wait to let loose in a tour van with his band mates. “We’re a pretty road savvy band, not that we’ve been on the road lots, but we really enjoy spending that time with each other. I can’t wait! It’s going to be so much fun. We have great band banter – amazingly good band banter. That’s something that’s really joyous because I love the people in my band.”

WHO: Guineafowl WHAT: Hello Anxiety

(Dew Process/Universal)

WHERE & WHEN:

Alhambra Lounge Thursday Feb 24, Ric’s Big Backyard Festival Saturday Mar 26

“I have two minds – one is Sam’s and one is Guineafowl’s,” he offers. “I know that sounds creepy but it’s kind of the way it is. And Guineafowl can say and talk about things that Sam can’t, so that’s important. See, how creepy is it?” At night, Yeldham brings home the bacon so Guineafowl can wile the nine-to-five away tinkering on his laptop, writing and recording. “It’s pretty hard to get up in the morning. I’m not very good at it. I’ve never been good at it. But I’m getting better at treating music like a nine-to-five job even though it doesn’t yield very many monetary rewards,” he says of his stringent routine. “It’s important to maintain a consistency in being creative. You spend so much time if you’re trying to write something anyway just staring at a wall. You could stare at a wall for six hours but if you catch that five minutes of absolute inspiration and you write down something brilliant or you record something brilliant, it’s so worth staring at the wall for six hours. You’ve got to give yourself the wall time.” Should a Vitamin D deficiency and cabin fever induced from heavy wall-staring sessions set in, what would Guineafowl do then? “I don’t know what else to do,” he says with absolute terror. “I’ve always been distracted by making things. It’s pretty simple for me – it’s not a huge urge to do something for a reaction, it’s more that making stuff is fun. I remember at high school… making things under the desk with plasticine or blu-tack or something like that – just always distracted by having to make stuff. So trying to have a career where that’s all you do is ideal for me.” Soon after taking his indie guitar riffs to the lounge rooms and kitchens of friends using loops and vocal layering to create the fullness of a band, Yeldham recruited a real five-piece band to deliver his ideas. Enlisting two guitarists from his previous project [“We were so arty that we didn’t play gigs”], the rhythm section of a broken-up band and a keyboard-playing songstress, the all-rounder has asserted his position as boss man from the get-go. “Everyone’s pretty clear that it’s my vision and my songwriting,” he says firmly. “But with that being said, I really need my band. They’re not a backing band – they’re so important to me, and I’m vice versa. “Sometimes it’s a fully-formed song [brought to the band] and every part is written and I want them played exactly how I’ve written them – I get pretty narky when they’re not played that way. Sometimes I just have this idea and I can’t figure out what to do with it but I love the idea. I’m lucky that I trust my band mates creatively and I’m sure in the future I will open up the creative floodgates and let them contribute a lot more than they have previously.” Demanding though he may be, Guineafowl remained an attractive prospect to label Dew Process who’d been watching and waiting from the wings. “I signed to them a couple of months ago and they’re helping me get this EP off the ground and heard. They’re one of the best labels in the country so I’m really lucky to be involved with them,” he declares. “They contacted me really early on and were interested – they were pretty astounded by what I’d told them I’d used to record the songs with and how little time I did it in. They were, I guess, intrigued by me as a songwriter and then came to see us a whole bunch of times and saw that we were a live act as well. “I really respect a lot of the bands on their line-up. Sarah Blasko is a hero, so I really wanted to be involved with the team that brought this sort of music to more people,” he says seriously, before switching to frothing fan-boy mode about his long-time music crush. “Oh God, I’d melt if I ever got to collaborate with her. I think I’d just swoon the whole time.” Yeldham entertained no such thoughts for labels or business relationships as he worked on the tracks that would become his debut release. “It was all an afterthought,” he concedes. “When I was recording these songs… I didn’t think anything about where they would go – I was just writing because I needed to. And that’s still the way I am. I’m not writing now for anything, I’m just doing it because I want to. [I’m] trying to put together more stories, trying to put together a bigger body of work, and then I worry about what happens to them afterwards.” Recently beating Sally Seltmann, Sparkadia and Andy Bull to be given the Best Sydney Song title for In Our Circles at the 2010 SMACS celebrating the city’s music, arts and culture, Guineafowl is now solidly in promo mode touring debut EP Hello Anxiety. “It’s getting a little bit of attention which is really flattering,” he admits. “The title is actually how I feel about being a musician. I feel

KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID

Avant-jazz visionaries THE NECKS are currently entering into their 24th year of existence. Ahead of the trio’s latest run of Brisbane shows, MATT O’NEILL catches up with bassist LLOYD SWANTON.

“Our philosophy has always been to maximise any opportunity that comes along but not drive ourselves into an early grave trying to generate those opportunities. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. We’re quite fatalistic about it,” the bassist elaborates. “It’s a bit of a cliché but it’s true nonetheless: the career and the profile of the band is simply a larger version of how we make our music. If we see a good idea, we pounce on it but, if nothing’s on offer, we don’t worry ourselves.”

ew acts in contemporary music can be described as genuinely anomalous. Australian avantjazz veterans The Necks are the exception that proves the rule. Formed in 1987 with the intent of exploring new approaches to composition and improvisation, The Necks’ unique stylistic vocabulary – a still-indefinable blend of ambient, minimalism, noise, free-improvisation and jazz – has consistently existed without antecedents or imitators for over two decades.

What’s most unique about the band’s remarkable career is that it’s been one largely predicated on the art of restraint. While comprised of three exceptionally accomplished musicians (Swanton alone has appeared on over 90 albums while Abrahams has played with both the Laughing Clowns and Midnight Oil), the band’s work has always been characterised by an abiding fascination with and precise articulation of the smallest and simplest of musical ideas.

“It’s interesting – [pianist] Chris Abrahams and I were in an interview the other day and he actually made the point that he didn’t think the band had evolved at all over the past two decades,” upright bassist Lloyd Swanton reflects. “He thought the concept of the band emerged pretty fully formed back in 1987 and was totally okay with that. I think it’s a question of where you’re calibrating your question of change, though.”

“Well, what’s interesting is that we’re not all that educated,” Swanton laughs. “You know, Chris and Tony [Buck – percussion] are among the most intelligent people I know. Educated? I’m not sure. I don’t know. There may be a point to the argument that we’re making in making an educated decision to resort to simplicity and primitivism – and I’m pretty comfortable with that. I like when people can intellectually sustain an argument for what they’re doing but I really can’t stand music that sounds overtly academic.

Furthermore, The Necks have actually managed to translate their idiosyncrasy into a surprisingly broad array of audiences and a not inconsiderable level of mainstream acceptance. Despite each and every live performance since their inception having been completely improvised and the majority of their extensive back-catalogue having been released on their own Fish Of Milk label, The Necks boast dedicated followings throughout Australia, Europe, America and Japan. Brian Eno is even a fan. “The initial intention of the band was that it was just going to be a private jamming band. We were quite specific that this was just going to be behind closed doors and we were never going to perform in public. It was to be a kind of weekly group therapy session,” Swanton explains of the band’s career. “With that in mind, any kind of success at all would have exceeded our initial expectations for the group.

“The other argument, of course, is that there’s nothing simple about simplicity. Personally, I’m more obsessed with simplicity as I get older. My delight in it is constantly renewed. Just the simple fact of the overtones of a note. You know, when you play a note, you’re dealing with these fundamental laws of the universe. I find myself getting more and more intrigued by the sound of a single note, rather than the complexities that can be generated in the other direction.”

WHO: The Necks WHERE & WHEN: Brisbane Powerhouse Friday Feb 18 and Saturday Feb 19

ABSENCE MAKES THE ART

Having spent a good portion of last year spoilt for Swedish hinterland, Berliner bars, and a wealth of new influences, treasured Brisbane singer-songwriter TIMOTHY CARROLL returns home to talk to SAM HOBSON about travel, a new relationship, and his ongoing project, The Swedish Tapes. while I was away, as a way of kind of keeping up and in-touch with people I would write and record one song every month for the 12 months that I [was] gone.” It’s this semi-interactive album idea that’s formed the influence and backbone for his latest LP release, The Swedish Tapes.

fter spending a full three days running bartending operations at the Tasmanian Circus Festival near Launceston, Tim Carroll’s exhausted. His soft voice drifts in and out of complete sentences, most of which are yawning apologies for his sleep-deprived state, but the man’s just about alive, and more than enough so to recall fondly of the trip that brought him to his current place. “It’s been lovely in Stockholm, we’ve been there for six months. Summer was amazing, and on the way over we stopped in Paris, and did a little show [there], and then dropped in to Stockholm, and was enjoying the summer, and the hot-air balloons in the air,” he pauses, either taken aback from the memory, or stifling another yawn. “Stockholm’s an archipelago,” he regains, “so [we could go] swimming in the ocean between the islands and stuff. And then winter came... [it was] snow everywhere, and really short days, so just a couple of hours of light – it’s been a real trip, and really, really interesting to see.” His departure from the country, from his core fanbase, and from what he knew may have had some followers worried, but Carroll had a remedy for this before even leaving. “I just sort of had this idea before I left that I was going to be gone for a year, [and] I had people on the mailing list and you know, my mailing list is pretty small, but the people write back to me, and we have communication like that,” he intones kindly, referring to his Bandcamp page. “And so I had this idea that

“It was a kinda throwaway idea,” he admits, responding to comparisons made between his online initiative, and that of other artists, “but it ended up being really, really great for me to have a bit of a schedule to work to, and some little deadlines, and it pushed me to collaborate with some other producers and artists in Europe, and it’s been going really well, and I’m really happy with the six tracks that I’ve released so far, and I’ve got another three that are just waiting, you know? Waiting their turn to be released month by month.” Anyone’s that’s heard any of his new songs can see clearly the strong influence of one of collaborators in particular. Where on previous albums, the man’s espoused a beautiful, but admittedly rather simplistic, aesthetic, with The Swedish Tapes tracks, his sound’s really taken on a new density. “Atmospherics”, as it’s put to him. “Probably the most influential person on [my] sound is a guy by the name of Oscar Dawson,” Carroll offers. “He and I taught English in Thailand when we were young... [and he] went on over the next ten years to be in a couple of bands, who had quite a deal of success in [the] electro dance-pop [genre]. He’s [now] living in Berlin...and so he came over to Stockholm to do some mastering of his work, and we recorded some stuff together, and then I’ve been over to Berlin twice, and he’s been producing, and, to a degree, kind of co-writing, especially the electric guitar parts, and the production and stuff. So yeah, that’s a new relationship, and it’s pretty interesting and exciting.”

WHO: Timothy Carroll WHAT: The Swedish Tapes (Independent) WHERE & WHEN: Beetle

Bar Thursday Feb 17

STREAKS OF MOTOWN WHAT’S IN A WHISTLE THE LIKE’s frontwoman ELIZABETH “Z” BERG takes DOUG WALLEN on a musical trip back through time.

exactly the way they made records in Motown: everything live, all to tape, with one microphone on the drums and the great vintage gear. And also the very complex backup harmonies.”

On the up and up, DANIEL LEE KENDALL is a name you’re going to be hearing a lot more of in the near future. But as the Central Coast singer-songwriter explains to BENNY DOYLE, never underestimate the power of a whistle.

get lost in the world for hours at a time and not realise it and that developed into a few songs coming along.”

The Like certainly don’t shy from influences of old, between Ronson’s vintage drum sound on tracks like Fair Game and the black-and-white, 60s-style film clip for He’s Not A Boy. As a whole, Release Me is crafted to be utterly timeless. Call it a throwback if you must, but it’s a spirited and detail-obsessed rendering of one of the most celebrated eras in music history. And yes, you can dance to it.

he last time The Like came to Australia, it was supporting The Strokes. It was also a pit stop between tour dates in Asia, and frontwoman Elizabeth “Z” Berg was waylaid in Korea by passport issues, making it to Sydney just in time for a full day of press. “It was complete madness,” she recalls. But that didn’t colour the band’s experience: “That was one of the most fun trips of all time,” she confirms. “Sydney and Berlin are the only two cities where I thought, ‘Oh shit, I could move here.’” Returning seven months later as headliners, The Like are still touring last year’s Release Me. Recorded with Mark Ronson, Phantom Planet leader Alex Greenwald, and members of The Dap-Kings, that second album saw the all-female band realise the Motown-inspired girl-group sound they’d always idolised. Coming nearly a decade after The Like’s formation as mere teenagers, it was a sweet experience indeed. “It was like being thrown in a room with the most musical and inspiring people you’ve ever met,” beams Berg, who co-founded the band with drummer Tennessee Thomas and bassist Charlotte Froom. No stranger to musical people, all three have fathers in the biz: producer Tony Berg, Elvis Costello’s long-running drummer Pete Thomas, and producer Mitchell Froom, respectively. Following a trio of early EPs, Froom departed after the 2005 full-length Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?. These days The Like are completed by bassist Laena Geronimo and keyboardist Annie Monroe. In other words, they’re a girl group. “Any tag can be limiting,” notes Berg, “but we love girl groups and Motown. We made [Release Me]

It’s this understated quality – not only from Kendall personally but from his music – that makes his songs instantly likeable. As such, it’s no surprise that similar sounds inspired him to push further musically. “I saw Angus and Julia Stone live and that really changed things for me,” he says. “I really enjoyed the simplicity of their music, the things they did and the heart behind it – that really captured me. The next day I wrote a song then recorded that, wrote a few after so I had about six or seven songs and then I thought I better do something with these so I played a gig and it’s gone from there.”

The first Like album was a bit more grounded in alt-rock than the starry-eyed pop heard on the second. “It’s very different,” muses Berg. “It’s still my songs and comes from the same people fundamentally, but I think [the first] was a lot less focused. I mean, I wrote those songs when I was 15 and we recorded right out of high school. I’m proud of both, but I’m happy with this one so much because I feel like it’s the record I’ve always wanted to make.” The band’s been on tour since the album was finished, writing all the time. Yet the girls have made time for a cameo on 90210 last October and working up a few choice cover songs. Having once appropriated Split Enz’s One Step Ahead, The Like finish Release Me with a hiddentrack take on the Isley Brothers classic Why When Love Is Gone?. As they’ve also been doing The Rolling Stones’ Let’s Spend The Night Together on the road, no one’s going to accuse them of not knowing their history. But being young females with parents in the industry, The Like arguably had the odds stacked against them when supporting the likes of Muse, Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon. “Well, I think there’s always something to prove,” argues Berg, “if you’re trying to make people like your music.” That said, she adds, “But definitely the thing I hear the most after a show is: ‘I really thought you guys were going to be terrible, but you were great.’”

WHO: The Like WHAT: Release Me (Universal) WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Friday Feb 18

As for Lost In The Moment, the video clip has turned out just as charming as the song behind it. Starting as a legitimate bedroom clip and transforming into a colourful cartoon, you can view both on YouTube, like a visual ‘before and after’.

ith the Lost In The Moment EP in the bag and another one geared up for release in 2011, Daniel Lee Kendall is taking his live show around the country in a triple troubadour billing that includes Old Man River and Passenger. “We’re all going acoustic on the trip,” he confirms. “I’ve got a little pedal that I use on a few songs to switch on a few loops here and there but it’s just me and my guitar for the most part. I think long term definitely I’d like to have a band but at the moment it works well on my own.” With plenty of radio play and praise for infectious single Lost In The Moment, Kendall and his whimsical style of storytelling are very much on the rise. He explains the timeline from his first moments with a six-string to presently being known as ‘DLK’. “Guitar wasn’t an early thing – music wasn’t a thing I’ve done since I was a kid. I kinda picked it up in about year ten when it was off to the music room because that was the cool thing to do, then I just started practicing more and more at home,” he admits. “I was in a band when I left school which I tried pretty unsuccessfully to write for so when that all fell apart I found myself mucking around, just recording and I enjoyed the process. I could

“I had a spare day and a thought to make a video so I just raided all the rooms around the house to see what I could find,” Kendall offers. “I found this little Indian girl in a white dress which was perfect then I just grabbed whatever else I could find and made a home cut movie. Then with the animated version we tried to keep that vibe but just make it a bit more pro.” With the track itself, not since Peter, Bjorn and John’s Young Folk has a whistle hook suited the mood of a song so perfectly. At what point does a songwriter send a whistle to the rescue? “I had tried a whole bunch of different stuff,” Kendall reflects. “I’d tried it with strings; I’d tried it with normal drums. Originally the little whistle was an electric guitar riff but it just sounded a bit clunky or something so I changed to the electric drums and a more quirky side so I thought to try a whistle. At first I had a bit of a laugh and thought, ‘That’s pretty corny’, but I showed it to a few people and it seemed to work so I just left it like that.”

WHO: Daniel Lee Kendall WHERE & WHEN: Soundlounge, Gold

Coast Friday Feb 18, Old Museum Saturday Feb 19

MR. ROGERS’ NEIGHBOURHOOD On the eve of his fourth full-length album launch, Melburnian troubadour D. ROGERS (the D is for David) laments the pressure of birthdays (sort of), gets romantic about interstate travel, and imparts some wisdom he picked up in Japan to MITCH KNOX.

AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Melbourne guitarist ALBARE is returning to Brisbane for the first time since the 90s. MATT O’NEILL speaks with one of the most important figures in Australian jazz about new album Albare Travel Diary and his unique career in the industry. second album in 1995, everyone was doing it. I started recording more live instruments and, at this stage, the majority of what we do is done with real instruments.”

things, which is bad for an indie muso who should be a good self-promoter, so I think there’s that aspect to it – ‘What if no-one shows up?’” he sobs jokingly. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m really, really excited about it, actually. “I can say I’m actually just purely excited about going interstate, because it’s always a great chance to catch up with people that we know there and people that have come out to shows before, so while I dread the Melbourne launch, I’m actually really looking forward to going away and launching it in Brisbane and Sydney as well.”

“W

e’ve got the Melbourne launch tomorrow night, so we’re kind of all hands on deck getting ready for that. I spent this morning making some walk-on music.” David Rogers sounds harried, though not to the point of being unfriendly. With the hometown launch of his fourth album Natural Disasters weighing on his mind, what dominates his thoughts right now is the entrance. This is, after all, not just a gig – it’s a launch, and that means putting on more than your stock-standard show. It should, according to Rogers, be treated with at least a degree of reverence. “I think the big thing for me is, I’m a nobody. But when you put on a launch, you’ve got to put it on as though it’s the biggest thing in the world, right? A few people from the band went to see a launch a couple of weeks ago and it just felt like a gig, so you definitely want to make people go, ‘This is more than a normal show – they’ve got a walk-on collage,’” he laughs. “It’s a weird time, I guess; like, coincidentally the launch is on the day the album comes out, so on one hand it’s really, really exciting to have the record out in the world, and on the other hand, it’s kind of like – I never have birthday parties, and a launch feels like a big birthday party. I don’t really like the idea of trying to get people to

This is an unsurprising revelation – Rogers has travelled abroad plenty in his time, including having spent some time in Japan a few years back following the general equivalent of a mid-20s crisis. As it turns out, it was a better move than he could have anticipated, careerwise. “I quit my job and just went and lived there and did what everyone does, which is, uh, teach English,” he says sheepishly. “But I was never a songwriter before then; I’d played in bands and I wrote a couple of songs, but I never really took it seriously, and it was actually being there and being isolated and not having the ability to talk to people, and not having many people in my social circle – like, I kinda could just lock myself away and work on it and be serious about it. So I think it was really good for me in that way. “I had written songs but I’d never taken it seriously enough to value it. I think that was what I got out of that, was that if you work hard at stuff, you can get better at it. This is the fourth album I’ve put out since then and really I think it traces my development as a writer and producer as well. You can really clearly see where I’ve gotten better at things. So hopefully it keeps going up and doesn’t tail off; I think that’s probably when I’ll chuck it in.”

WHO: D. Rogers WHAT: Natural Disasters (Popboomerang/MGM) WHERE & WHEN: Brisbane Powerhouse Sunday Feb 20

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While some of these reports may sound like the exaggerations of an ambitious musician on the comeback trail, one can rest assured that they are not. Albare requires no exaggeration. If anything, describing Albare as a jazz guitarist is doing the man a vast disservice. Behind the alias stands potentially the singular most important administrative figure in the contemporary Australian jazz scene – Melbourne businessman and philanthropist Albert Dadon.

lbare is not a musician given to advertisement. If asked, the Melbourne jazz guitarist will happily volunteer information about his life and work but, outside of asking the man directly, one is unlikely to learn of the true scope of the musician’s remarkable career. There are traces of information littered throughout the Internet – ambiguous references to two albums released on Festival Records in the 90s, for example – but little chronicling his considerable accomplishments in detail.

In addition to his musical career, Dadon boasts a successful career as a property developer, a host of important political appointments and an Order of Australia for Service to the Arts. Over the past ten years, he has been responsible for the Melbourne Jazz Festival (largely responsible for his lengthy solo career hiatus), the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange and the prestigious Jazz Bell Awards. If ever Albare were inclined to exaggeration, he’d have to make some manner of claim to divinity.

“I consider music to be very much an organic thing. I’m not a big believer in pushing things. I think music will inevitably speak for itself,” the guitarist explains. “Back in the 90s, I was credited as the first artist in Australia to be making acid-jazz in Australia. At the time, the Internet was in its infancy and, as such, there’s nothing really recorded on the Internet about it all. Unfortunately, in the era we live in, if you’re not on the Internet, you don’t exist.”

“My music is my music, my work is my work,” Dadon – who will donate all proceeds of his upcoming Brisbane shows to the Premier’s Flood Appeal – says of his career. “When I’m on stage, I’m showing my artistic side. When I’m working, it’s largely about logistics. You will never find me playing at any of my festivals and anyone who wants to nominate me for a Jazz Bell Award will get nowhere because I eliminate myself from anything to do with awards.

Bearing in mind, in addition to spear-heading acid-jazz’s development in this country, Albare also managed to break through to the mainstream with a single that actually remained in the number one position at triple j for 16 weeks in his earlier years. Yet, listening to the lyrical and lively jazz of latest album Albare Travel Diary, few would believe the guitarist was originally an acid-jazz pioneer or that the record was in fact his fifth long-player. “Yes, it’s my fifth album,” Albare confirms. “As well as the albums I released in 2007 and 2009 that most people know about, I also released an album in 1995 and another in 1992. When I first started in 1992, a lot of things we were doing were computerised – because it was a new thing – but, by the time I released my

“You know, my career as a musician and as an artist is something I always keep at arm’s-length from the work I do for others. I think it’s important,” the guitarist explains. “It’s not about me.”

WHO: Albare WHAT: Albare Travel Diary (Holy Cow Records) WHERE & WHEN: The

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London Sessions

THE STROKES

Under Cover Of Darkness (Sony)

Everything The Strokes do well, they do on this song, the first track from their new album Angles. Spiky guitars crackle away at the beginning, almost arguing with each other over the famously restrained minimal drums. Even before Casablancas starts singing it’s obvious who you’re listening to. The chorus is catchy, but not so immediate that it will become tiresome after a handful of listens. They have successfully managed to get some new ideas into the mix without threatening the signature sound that threads all their work together. Through sticking to their initial idea of what they wanted their band to sound like, and by not letting overnight success make them succumb to suckiness, The Strokes have managed to avoid the traps that so many of their peers jumped headlong into – like trying to remain relevant and blogworthy by copying the next big thing – and accordingly the band and their music have earned an increased lifespan.

ADELE

Rolling In The Deep (XL/Remote Control)

Already a massive hit around most of the world, Adele’s faithful and honest gospel blues tune gets a reworking by Jamie of the band who never smiles, the xx, who does a ridiculously minimal reworking of the track for a digital download package. Paring down the instrumentation to a shuffle of a beat with only the most basic and simplistic musical accompaniment must go down on record as one of the easiest remixes ever created, but thanks to Adele’s massive voice the song is actually enhanced by removing the guitar and rocking blues drums that rumble away on the original mix of the song.

The Big Day Out proved to be the perfect platform with which James Murphy and co. could effectively farewell their Antipodean followers before heading back to New York City to put LCD Soundsystem to bed. An act that on face value seem bound by the trickery of the studio, LCD Soundsystem have proven time and again they are the consummate live performers, creating sets that extend their dance favourites to serpentine lengths, wringing every drop of sweat out of a captive audience before finding yet another aural high to reach. Which makes London Sessions the perfect swansong. Recorded in one day without an audience, the nine-song set may lack some of the immediacy of a live atmosphere, but benefits from marrying the immaculate production of the three albums with the live manipulations that allowed these songs to thrive in the live arena. Opening with eightminute sprawler Us Vs Them, we’re treated to astonishing versions of tracks such as All I Want, All My Friends, Drunk Girls and Get Innocuous, the last of which brilliantly highlights how important the live instrumentation, and in particular the tight as fuck rhythm section and keyboard jolts, is to the construction of these songs. Murphy has created an amazingly tight core of musicians to perfectly project his ideas, and here that’s never more apparent. While it would have been nice to have had a curveball thrown in there – it’s all safe territory – what London Sessions does is provide a testament to the amazing prowess of James Murphy. He’s a pop genius in the vein of David Byrne both in front of a live audience or within the controlled confines of the studio, and if this is just the first step in a move for world domination, London Sessions will provide a plethora of willing acolytes.

(Odd Future)

Holy shit, just when you thought rap couldn’t get darker and nastier out pops this dude. Tyler is the main man behind the production of nearly all the releases for his LA crew, the awesomely titled Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All or OFWGKTA. Yonkers is the first track from his second album, called Goblin, which is due to drop anytime soon, and he has not only made all the music and produced it himself, he has also directed the stark and incredibly confronting video for the track as well. Musically it’s nothing more than a slow, simple beat with a droning sample and a high squeaky sample over the hook in the chorus with Tyler’s bad ass raps slithering all over it, spitting venom like a snake from hell. Or something. Wildly infectious and offensive as shit. Perfect.

NIGHTMASTER Tiger

(Independent)

Nightmaster from Melbourne play an instrumental kind of noisy rock that’s actually not all that noisy. It’s a little discordant, the beats are jagged and a little confusing at times but it somehow manages to find some space amongst the guitar riffery. Circle Gets The Square floats along on an afrobeat-inspired backbone that becomes more obvious when the awkward timing gains some momentum during the track. The bassline of Cool Breeze has a similarly African or Jamaican feel, and even adds some steel drums (or something that sounds like them) and some jungle noises to enhance the effect. Surely a good time party band to watch live, the recording is very natural and captures the ambience of a real band while still being polished enough to highlight their strengths.

As the story goes, misery loves company. The misery of Joan Wasser’s first two brilliant yet grief-stricken torch albums as Joan As Police Woman certainly courted their share of tissue-wielding company. Her third, The Deep Field, will likely split fans into two camps – one will believe they are watching another instalment of the long-running drama When Much Loved Artists Get Happy And I Don’t Like It, whilst the other will be deeply appreciative of new vitality, bigger instrumentation and an altogether more ambitious Wasser. The Magic is the conduit between Joan of old, and Joan of The Deep Field, a confession of change that encourages old fans to hang about on the basis of her continued knack with articulation. Edging in with a familiar keys-based intro, instead of the expected piano-heavy, jazz-styled number she accentuates with a range of bold key tones and backing vocals instead to create a shiny piece of pop magic. Run For Love is made robust with the deep vocal of regular JAPW contributor Joseph Arthur, who adds a solid bass vocal to Wasser’s weaving melody. Autoharp, Moog guitar, and ominous microKORG tones punctuate the track in their own time until they fall down together in a structured, dirty wail of sound. This is Wasser experimenting with texture, and it works. In a big way. This woman has always had soul, and The Deep Field shows it off with more sass, swapping out the strings of old for brass, piano for organs and synths and heavily making use of guitars and percussion (as on 2005’s self-titled EP) where previously the instrumentation favoured less over more. The mournful balladry is still in the mix, though Joan As Police Woman has drawn from a much broader and brighter palette this time around. ★★★★

Tyler McLoughlan

★★★★½ Brendan Telford

CUT COPY

STEVE KILBEY & MARTIN KENNEDY

(Modular/Universal)

(Inevitable Records/MGM)

Zonoscope

S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey of Shinju TNT (Dead Oceans/Spunk/EMI)

Portland, Oregon’s favourite psychedelic freak-folk noiseniks Akron/Family have carved out a very unconventional musical path since their 2005 selftitled debut. Some six years later, with segues into folk strumming, experimental glitches and sprawling bursts of guitar abandon, they have provided the world with their second self-titled release, with the ambiguous subheading The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT. Whether you believe the elongated, secretive and surreal genesis of this album or not (including leaking the album themselves in a looped, sampled and sloweddown fashion so as to seriously confuse file-sharers worldwide), the end result manages to bridge all of the more out-there components of the Akron/Family aesthetic whilst making their best effort yet to bridge the mainstream with the obscure – and it’s this eclecticism that makes S/T II very nearly a resounding success. Starting with Silly Bears, we’re thrown into a joyous musical rocket ship that hurtles towards an everexpanding sun – it’s jubilant, infectious, and teetering on wanton self-destruction with its distorted effects, guitars and strange vocal harmonies (alongside lyrics about fun-loving bears). This is the best introduction to Akron/Family in general and S/T II in particular – there is verve, quirks, space and a pervading sense of silliness throughout. We have emotive atmospherics (Island), Devendra Banhart-via-The Black Keys (So It Goes), shoegaze-via-Vampire Weekend (Another Sky), bizarre vowel harmonizing (A AAA O A WAY ) – and that’s only the first half of the record! You name it, it’s here – garage hoedowns, 60s elegiac pop, dream pop, blues rock… However, there are no pretensions here – Akron/Family are just ambitious and fit to bursting with musical ideas that they attempt to shoehorn into any given musical mould. It shouldn’t work, yet this menagerie does work in myriad ways. A flawed, yet fundamentally fun, release.

When Cut Copy released their debut in 2004, they seemed like a band that although perfect for that present time, were destined to be looked at as one-trick ponies in the future. After all, hadn’t this intelligent 80s new wave already been done far better by Talking Heads? But then sophomore release In Ghost Colours burst through the speakers with all its lucid dancefloor awareness and, suddenly, they’d broke away from their inspirations and carved a sound that was undoubtedly their own. Now with Zonoscope, the band have taken a further evolutionary step into the realms of what could be considered afro disco. It has calypso melodies, African rhythms and tropical ideals dotted all over the album like islands in the ocean. Yet it still retains bright nu-rave lights and flat out disco moments that will allow their audience to smoothly follow this artistic evolution. A perfect summary of what’s to follow, opener Need You Now gives glimpses of everything awesome on Zonoscope. It has mood, build and feeling while the vocals of Dan Whitford sound stronger and more direct than anything he’s done before. The consistently quality first half of the album continues with singles Take Me Over and Where I’m Going but it’s the second half of Zonoscope that holds all the aces. The uplifting strings of Alisa give the future a slight kick of dreamy retro while the breakdown of Corner Of The Sky is the joyous highlight, the big synthdriven chorus taking the pop perfection above the red line. Zonoscope is an expansive slow burner that rewards the listener who sticks with the album and deconstructs the beautifully-crafted songs; Cut Copy, not only protecting their bubble from bursting, have somehow given it a fresh breath of air in the process. ★★★★ Benny Doyle

White Magic

There’s nothing particularly innovative at play on White Magic. While the collaboration responsible (The Church frontman Steve Kilbey and All India Radio guitarist Martin Kennedy) has often been presented as an outlet for the experimental and uninhibited creative impulses of those involved, the album in question – the pair’s second – is actually quite an accommodating listen. Kilbey’s songwriting, while as lyrically ambiguous as ever, is still relatively conventional throughout. Martin Kennedy’s instrumental work rarely ventures beyond the realms of swirling ambience and key melodic motifs. One can discern aspects of experimentation in isolated moments – the gently mangled electronics and sampled bird song of The Broken Sea, for example, or the loping trip hop rhythms of opener The Demo – but, for the most part, the record is a straightforward pop release. That said, it’s still a remarkable record. White Magic may not be wildly experimental or even all that unpredictable but it is assuredly well-crafted nonetheless. Throughout, Kilbey and Kennedy excel at grounding their broad and textured soundscapes with enough intricacies to reward interest and prevent unnecessary drift. The sweeping strings and soaring refrains of Intense are offset by a creeping guitar line while the echoing guitar motif of Unfocused ably counters Kilbey’s gloriously narcotic delivery. There are still a lot of reasons for certain audiences to shy away from the release. Aside from its generally inoffensive sound (Pink Floyd’s work is a significant touchstone throughout the record), White Magic is not an album audiences are ever likely to describe as ‘uplifting’. Fans of the kind of relaxed atmospherics and emotional swells that typified The Church’s mid-90s output (or even aspects of The Go-Between’s final albums), though, would be advised to check this out. ★★★★ Matt O’Neill

AKRON/FAMILY

★★★★ Brendan Telford

TYLER THE CREATOR Yonkers

The Deep Field

ADELE 21

(XL/Remote Control)

Remember Adele, the teenager with the booming voice courting comparisons to Amy, Duffy, Kate and Lily on her folky-pop debut album 19 ? She’s a little older now, has apparently given up her boozy, teenage ways, and has knuckled down to deliver sophomore album, 21. Rolling In The Deep introduces Adele Adkins as an entirely more confident and sassy prospect, the stomping percussion and gospel backing vocals providing a sturdy base for her commanding vocal. Following up with Rumour Has It (a co-write with OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder), the hits look set to continue for Adkins who cheekily layers the chorus line as though a sexy little Róisín Murphy has taken over her voluminous lungs. And just when Adkins is having fun, she channels her BRIT School classmate Leona Lewis and suddenly it’s adult contemporary ballad hour, which is a tad boring. Recorded in six different studios, with as many producers (including the legendary Rick Rubin) in control, there’s a notable lack of continuity across the album, which is made more obvious with the odd inclusion of a sweeping strings and jazzy guitar cover of The Cure’s Lovesong. If you choose to cover a song that has been done to death, you;d bloody well better do some kind of mad-ass number on it to get the attention of a well-versed audience. Not so in this case. Upon 19’s release, many said Adkins would take time to hit her stride, that her recorded work would need to catch up to the depth of her magnificent voice. A few moments of 21 prove this idea, usually when Adkins is erring on the side of playful and vamping it up ‘60s girl-group style. So, when 23 graces the shelves, expect to see at least half an album of gems, more if the right co-writers get involved. ★★★ Tyler McLoughlan

LIA ICES

LLOYD COLE

FUNERAL PARTY

MINI MANSIONS

(Jagjaguwar/Inertia)

(Tapete/Other Tongues)

(Jive/Sony)

(Rekords Rekords/Liberator)

Grown Unknown It’s an eerily dark, misty night and emanating from the darkness comes a hauntingly beautiful voice. It creeps up on you, slowly drawing you in until you are so encapsulated, so enwrapped by the music you are unable to escape. It surrounds you, calming you, until it takes over your mind, your thoughts, leaving you thinking about nothing else. Like a siren drawing sailors to their deaths, Lia Ices draws you in and captures your soul on her second studio album Grown Unknown. The classically trained New York songstress’s emotionally driven pop is more avant-garde and experimental than a Lady GaGa outfit but is much more aesthetically pleasing. Moving away from comparisons drawn with the likes of Tori Amos and Cat Power, Grown Unknown sees Ices develop her own enchanting style. Following the less-is-more approach, her powerful voice takes centre stage, with only sparse instrumentation used to lightly complement her vast vocal range that easily slips between sultry coos and emotive yelps of passion. Ices knows how to fill a space with her voice, and boy does she use it to her advantage. On Daphne, she is joined by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame and their voices combined create a powerful force to be reckoned with. Set among finger clicks, sleigh bells and a frail piano on Little Marriage, Ices lithely floats among the notes like fluttering leaves on a cool autumn afternoon. In fact, the whole album musically paints the picture of an enchanted wood where the fairies and sprites come out to play. Whether you’re a sailor or a prince wandering through the forest, you’re bound to be drawn in by Lia Ices’ ethereal voice and once she has you in her clutches, you’ll be haunted by her forever. ★★★★

Rachel Tinney

Broken Record

Lloyd Cole’s first musical excursion since his 2006’s opus Antidepressant is a record defined by Cole’s remarkable skill as a storyteller, yet one cannot help but feel the actual songs are merely mediocre secondary thoughts which serve only as the backing soundtrack to his stories. Broken Record is an 11-track journey of countrified folk that cops the adult contemporary song work of Paul Simon whilst at times having the essence of an AM radio-tinged Joe Pernice. Whilst the spirit of the two aforementioned artists haunt the record, it is by all accounts a signature Lloyd Cole record, albeit one imbued with a country rock signature that Cole explores with a wide-eyed sincerity that proves engaging yet at times somewhat forced. That’s Alright and Writers Retreat are archetypical Cole yet one’s only criticism is at the heart of these two particular songs is seemingly Cole’s appetite to create overly-commercial country music, and accordingly these two numbers are defined by overly trite romantic sentiments. As the record progresses Rhinestones and Double Happiness serve as the two more riveting moments of the album as Cole explores a less contrived form – Rhinestones is an upbeat country acoustic number that relishes in a melodious harmony only Cole is capable of, while Double Happiness is perhaps the album’s finest moment of pop-sculptured country. Broken Record is an album steeped in adult contemporary lyrical concerns and songcraft that forces one to set aside initial prejudices and truly listen, for as the album progresses there is a charm to Cole’s lyrical talent that invites one to truly become immersed in each song. File away for the rainy day when you need a break from 1980s mid-west hardcore bootlegs ie. the day you sell out and admit you have become your father. ★★½ Denis Denutu

The Golden Age of Knowhere LA’s Funeral Party may have borrowed their name from a Cure song, but there the similarities end. Produced by Lars Stalfors (The Mars Volta) The Golden Age…comes within an inch of making a real splash, but the majority of tracks are so contrived the band will have to settle with a ripple. Opening with the cow bell-punctuated New York City… is wise move – set at a cracking pace, the tonguein-cheek call to arms is raucous and irreverent and catchy-as-hell to boot. Likewise Car Wars is a cracker: unlikely disco beats meet layered percussion and staccato guitars with enough energy to get the heart racing. If disco punk isn’t appealing it’s still worth listening to for the final minute-long guitar solo, courtesy of The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. It’s a pity Omar didn’t stick around for the rest of the record because the band loses its footing after the first three tracks. The energy is still there, but the urgency is lost; influences stop being merely nodded to and start taking centre stage. Julian Casablancas must have been plastered on the walls of these kids’ bedrooms, because The Strokes are a pretty ubiquitous presence. On the more down-tempo tracks – Giant, Relics To Ruins – Funeral Party really show their weakness. The latter in particular has vocalist Chad Elliott inadvertently channelling Jared Leto for all its faked emotional intensity. Funeral Party desperately want to be the band the kids turn to when they’re sick of twee indie shit and rehashed post-hardcore bands. It’s a noble goal and the time is most certainly ripe, but the band is yet to find the requisite substance to spark a fist-pumping revolution. They can shout pretty loudly, but a scream is as provocative as a whisper when you don’t have anything to say. ★★★ Helen Stringer

Mini Mansions

Mini Mansions is the first offering from Josh Homme’s revived imprint Rekords Rekords thus it should come as no surprise that the outfit is the work of Queens Of The Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman. Regardless of Shuman’s previous work, Mini Mansions is a captivating album of baroque psych pop that harks back to the LSD harmonies of psych pop originators The Zombies. Those expecting stoner trudge rock ala QOTSA will be sorely disappointed, however the album deserves to stand alone for it is rich in innovation and melody. Whilst it’s akin to the recent damaged psych of Texans Gris Gris, Mini Mansions are one band with few contemporaries that manage to equal the depth of songcraft, psychedelic passages and harmonious interludes which characterise their self-titled debut. Whilst Shuman in part remoulds psych traditions he succeeds in creating his own world of sound. From the opening number Vignette 1# the minimalist organ and Shuman’s melodies, which immerse themselves into one’s psyche almost instantly, set the tone for the album. The luscious tones of Room Outside alone herald this LP as a contender for one of the finest albums of the year. The sleazy and cramped sonics of Monk and Majik Marker coupled with the acid damaged lyricisms and passive experimentation paint Shuman as being a worthy descendant of Roky Erikson. Mini Mansions are not reinventing the musical spectrum on their debut, they are however presenting to the world their own beautifully skewed interpretation of psych rock which 50 years on from its initial conception remains a genre that can still be adapted and contorted to reveal whole new dimensions in sonic possibility. Grab a sheet of microdots, your old lady and head to the desert. This is perhaps the great debut LP of this year. ★★★★½ Denise Granse

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

WEDNESDAY 16

SUNDAY 20

World Theatre Festival - shows today include: The Pact, a Young Artists Access Initiative involving sitespecific installations transforming the Powerhouse to transform into a place of whispers. It’s “an opportunity for audience members to engage in an intimate experience with a stranger.” (Until Sunday 20.) Opening tonight: the Japanese horror inspired Americana Kamikaze (until Sunday 20), the public space exploration Downtown (until Sunday 20), and Scratch Work Rramp, a performance band (also performing Friday 18). See brisbanepowerhouse.org for details.

World Theatre Festival - closing day for Elephant Gun, a collaboration of award-winning Indigenous contemporary independent theatre makers – Lucas Stibbard, Neridah Waters, Matthew Ryan, Jonathon Oxlade, Sarah Winter and the members of the Breadbeard Collective – explore travel, nostalgia, memory, and love. Part of WTF’s Scratch Series. WTF Forum 2: What Next? will also be held, featuring Jude Kelly, artistic director of Southbank Centre (UK), who played a large role in London winnig the 2012 Olympics hosting bid. See brisbanepowerhouse.org for details.

THURSDAY 17 World Theatre Festival - opening today: Daniel Santangeli and Genevieve Trace’s work in progress, Room 328 (until Sunday 20), and Chilean theatre company Teatro en el Blanco’s Diciembre (until Saturday 19). See brisbanepowerhouse.org for details.

SATURDAY 19 World Theatre Festival - performing today: Black Queen Black King, a Scratch Work about three indigenous gay men and the bonds that they share, and Three Magpies Perched In A Tree, another Scratch Work - this time a reading of a play in development - revealing the dark side of the urban Aboriginal life. See brisbanepowerhouse.org for details.

ONGOING Sacre Bleu – from the same creative team behind QTC’s Fat Pig comes this double dose of French farce: Coal Seller Affair, involving two mates that wake up in the same bed incredibly hungover and with no recollection of the night before, only to discover their belongings have been found at a crime scene; and A Murderous Affair, involving a love triangle interrupted by fourth man, who matches the description of a wanted murderer. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC until 12 March. Wicked – See the world’s most popular musical from the past decade before it’s gone. Lyric Theatre until 6 March.

W O R L D T H E AT R E F E S T I VA L

APOLLO 13: MISSION CONTROL Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse Before we begin, a declaration: I’m a bona fide space nut. Everything about astronauts inspires me. I cried during doco In The Shadow Of The Moon, listening to spaceflight veterans recount their experiences, and during the Ron Howard film version of Apollo 13. Even The Right Stuff got me dewy-eyed. But none of that prepared me for the emotional weight of Hackman’s Apollo 13: Mission Control. With the Powerhouse Theatre decked out to look like Houston mission control – metal consoles, screens, flashy lights – the audience sits behind them, each playing the part of a cog in the machine that will get three stricken astronauts – one of them an audience member – home safely, in a loose retelling of the ‘successful failure’ that was the Apollo 13 spaceflight. In between sparring, Jason Whyte as gruff Gene Krantz and Ashley Hawkes as a rookie flight controller guide the audience through many tasks, follow cues on the fly and preside over very carefully-orchestrated chaos. And this all came together to incredible effect. When Apollo lifted off, filling the theatre with sound and fury, I shook uncontrollably. When ordered to call an astronaut’s wife with bad news, I sputtered my way through a clumsy conversation with the actor on the other end of the phone. This is a performance that does something utterly different from anything else around – if you simply give yourself to the chaos of it, and let yourself be in the moment, it can consume you and take you to another world – just as theatre at its best is supposed to do. Season finished BAZ McALISTER

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME MADCAP GEORDIE COMEDIAN ROSS NOBLE HASN’T GOT AUSTRALIA ON HIS ITINERARY FOR 2011 – BUT WE’RE GETTING TWO DVDS AND SCADS OF FREE YOUTUBE CLIPS TO FEED OUR ADDICTION, AS HE TELLS BAZ MCALISTER.

t might be hard to believe, but it’s 20 years this year since Ross Noble first strode on stage with microphone in hand to make people laugh. “I was 15 when I did my first gig,” Noble says, “and I was always the young kid on the bill, and now you see these young kids doing stand-up and you go ‘Bloody hell, when did I become one of the old ones’? Most people get to about 35 and then try and stop doing stand-up as quick as they can. Me? They’ll have to drag me off the stage and pry that mic out of my cold, dead hand,” he says with the gravitas of Charlton Heston at an NRA rally. After 20 years of solid slog that’s made him a household name both here and in his native UK, Noble’s taking a well-deserved year off. Having lost his Victorian home in the Black Saturday bushfires he and his young family – wife Fran and daughter Elfie – moved to the UK, where they now live. “We did actually discuss the idea of moving somewhere in Australia that’s not as prone to fire, and we thought ‘Oh, we could move to Queensland’. Luckily we didn’t entertain that idea!

That really could have been the worst idea anyone could have ever had. Can you imagine? That would shit you!” he says. With the family safely relocated, Noble is taking it easy following a massive UK tour, saying that he plans to indulge his passion of riding motorbikes and also just spend time with his daughter, now two years old. “What I wasn’t expecting was the lying,” he says of Elfie. “She’s talking now, and she’s just coming out with all this stuff that I know to be lies. She told me the other day that she’d taken my car. ‘Daddy’s car, me drive daddy’s car’. She told me she’d driven down to see her equally two-year-old friend, who lives two hours away, and apparently she was peeping the horn at the horses. “The crazy thing is not that she’s just created this scenario, it’s the detail. You just think, OK, if you’re gonna pretend to steal my car and go and visit your friend can you at least drive it responsibly? Don’t go hooning around peeping the horn. But I like the bizarre logic of it.” Bizarre logic, mixed with the ability

to make up crazy stories on the fly? Wonder where she gets that from? “Yeah,” laughs Noble. “Between her and me, it’s not making a particularly smooth time for my wife – ‘Oh god there’s two of them’.” So, Aussie fans, to feed your Noble fix this year you’ll have to content yourself with two DVD releases – Things, out now, with Nonsensory Overload looking like making an appearance by Christmas. Noble says the plan for that is to include six two-hour shows from the same tour on the one DVD, to highlight his ‘no two shows the same’ approach

to comedy. “Also – which probably isn’t helping the sales of the DVD – is I release ten-minute clips on my YouTube, the Ross Noble Channel,” Noble says. “There’s about two hours of free stuff up there now. Someone sent me a tweet saying ‘What happens when the clips run out’ and I sent a message back saying ‘Don’t worry about that, by the time that happens the sun will have burned out and we’ll all be long gone’.” WHAT: Ross Noble: Things on DVD (Shock)

REVIEWS

ELEPHANT GUN Powerhouse Plaza, Brisbane Powerhouse Was there ever a more aptly named gang of theatremakers than The Escapists? This little group of tinkering visionaries specialise in sheer escapism, and each of their shows – Attack Of The Attacking Attackers, boy girl wall – is an exuberant celebration of all that’s good, all that’s fun, all that’s right with the world. Elephant Gun shows all the signs of being no exception. It’s only a 20-minute ‘scratch work’ at this stage, but already its themes are strong enough to sustain a fulllength piece. As a small audience follows two mute, lab-coated women through the Powerhouse grounds and backstage staircases, before we know it we’re part of the show, fully enmeshed in this extraordinary little promenade piece. And we’re learning lessons, and bonding, and laughing together at the chain-smoking pissed ‘minotaur’ in the labyrinth, and the sock-puppets who speak with the creators’ voices. By the time said creators, Lucas Stibbard and Neridah Waters, appear high atop the Powerhouse’s tech terrace to lead us in a lifeaffirming finale, soundtracked by Beirut’s song Elephant Gun, we’re ready to lose ourselves in a flurry of balloons and confetti. I won’t say any more here about the end of the show, as it’s a marvellous surprise – but the final sight you’ll see will have you grinning all evening. It’s wonderful that theatre like this exists – risky, boundary-smashing and wholly beautiful. Until 20 February BAZ McALISTER

GOOD COP BAD COP Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse Good Cop Bad Cop begins slowly. Upon entering the theatre, audiences are treated to a tableau of three performers preening and lazing about in an animal fashion within a suburban living room. After a considerable passing of time wherein nothing appears to be occurring, one fears that such a situation may be all there is to the performance. Fortunately, the production proceeds to evolve into something considerably more substantial. After all, Good Cop Bad Cop is a work of Kassys – the same transdisciplinary Dutch theatre company that so cleverly and poignantly captured the absurd nature of human grief with Kommer back in 2008 in this very theatre. With Good Cop Bad Cop, the company have targeted the various intersecting relationships and constructs of reality TV and, true to form, delivered a production that is as honest and insightful as it is lighthearted and hilarious. The work is built on the foundation of one key relationship – the compare and contrast dynamics between the world on stage and the world on screen (projected on the theatre’s back wall). The stage world chronicles the exploits of three animal-like creatures enduring each other’s company in a locked room. The screen world, meanwhile, depicts the three characters empathetically and articulately reflecting upon their seemingly irrational actions (i.e. ‘I didn’t stay under the table long’). Through this (occasionally hilariously tenuous) relationship, Kassys deliver comedy, social commentary and profundity. While it would be easy to dub a performance such as Good Cop Bad Cop as a satire (and it’s certainly

hilarious enough to be considered a successful one), it’s far too human to be reduced to simple mockery – and the show is more rewarding because of that. Kassys aren’t skewering us so much as showing us a reflection of our beautifully strange selves. Season finished MATT O’NEILL

SUPER NIGHT SHOT Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse Anglo-German collective Gob Squad has declared a war on anonymity and for WTF they’ve brought the fight to the streets of Brisbane. Armed with cameras, balls of steel, and smiles impervious even to the most reticent of participants (for this night’s performance a lovely character spat in a performer’s face) by the time the audience is seated the Squad has spent the past hour convincing strangers to be part of the mostly ad hoc movie which ticketholders are about to be shown. Gob Squad’s performance begins - at least for the audience - with a hero’s welcome, complete with a ticker-tape parade to celebrate the war-weary guerrillas’ return to the safety of the theatre. What unfolds after the audience is seated is a largely improvised 60-minute film in which Gob Squad attempt to convince the people of Brisbane that they’re in need of a hero, publicise that hero, and cast a willing star to fall in love him. The result of their hour long adventure is projected unedited on four adjacent screens, with the action guided by a sound engineer whose intuitiveness and subtlety should be whole-heartedly applauded. Having performed the show 140 times since 2003 Gob Squad are now well-trained veterans - think the SAS of improvised live performance - but

the moments of planned synchronicity are nonetheless hilarious and moving in equal parts and the final uncut result is a gleeful, perception-altering triumph. If there is indeed a war to be fought against the alienation of anonymity then Gob Squad are on the winning side; Super Night Shot is elating, heart-touching and completely unmissable. Season finished HELEN STRINGER

THE DRAWING PROJECT Stores Rehearsal Room, Brisbane Powerhouse The creative process is usually undertaken in the privacy of locked rooms and in the recesses of talented minds; WTF’s Scratch Works programme takes works in various stages of progress and puts them under the harsh glare of a (mostly) paying audience. The multi-talented Fleur Elise Noble artist, performer, maker of fine theatre - is one such brave soul presenting the ongoing development of her new show, The Drawing Project - although names, like content are likely subject to change. In a brief half-hour Noble takes the audience from conception - a dream of a kangaroo-bodied man - through the development of a narrative to accompany Roo-Man, as he’s been named, on his as yet unknown journey. What began for Noble as a whimsical journey through dreams is, as she explains through various visual means, temporarily slowed by the realisation that not all dreams should be followed. As it is, Noble doesn’t know where Roo-Man will find himself when the project is completed, but on the strength of this introduction it’s well worth finding out. It is pervasively vulnerable and slightly intrusive to watch an artist

relive the mistakes and impasses that stymie the making of any new work; for Noble, whose project is about following dreams wherever they may take you, this vulnerability is heightened immensely. But Noble is such a talented visual artist and endearingly honest performer that when presented to an audience, her process feels inclusive, almost collective and this makes the experience of watching her struggle to create both moving and inspiring. Season finished HELEN STRINGE

THE WAITING ROOM Graffiti Room, Brisbane Powerhouse On paper, Melbourne outfit Born In A Taxi and the Public Floor Project’s The Waiting Room appears to present a relatively simple premise – audiences are led into a small room and, within that room, six physical performers and two technical personnel improvise an entire physical performance. Yet, what actually unfolds within those parameters is so much more involving and comprehensive than such a premise would suggest – a virtuosic triumph of technique, imagination and whimsy. Speaking from a purely technical perspective, the show is a confounding delight. Whether hurling each other from the room, writhing on the floor between audience members or simply sitting on loud-mouthed reviewers, The Waiting Room’s various performers consistently prove themselves both remarkably creative and astonishingly gifted. While clearly improvising, at no point does the ensemble appear to be grasping for ideas. Season finished MATT O’NEILL

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

OPERA SINGER WILLIAM SHIMELL MAKES HIS FEATURE FILM DEBUT OPPOSITE JULIETTE BINOCHE IN ABBAS KIAROSTAMI’S LATEST, CERTIFIED COPY; THE BRIT TAKES SELF-DEPRECATION TO A NEW LEVEL WITH IAN BARR.

FILM

“I

KALANDOROK (ADVENTURERS)

f you were thinking of somebody to be in a film, an opera singer would probably be at the bottom of your list. Acting in opera is not the best preparation for film work, really.” That’s British opera singer William Shimell, taking a self-depreciating view of his screen debut in Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy, opposite arthouse goddess Juliette Binoche. He goes further: “Can you imagine, this poor woman, who has worked with the greatest actors and the greatest directors in the world, working with someone who doesn’t know anything.” Despite his lack of formal experience, Shimell was unphased about his participation in the project, and collaborating with Kiarostami. “You have to go back a few years, 2008 I think it was. I was in the South of France doing Così fan tutte and Abbas Kiarostami had been asked to direct the opera. We got on very well, and it was only the second day and he asked me, ‘Have you ever been in a film?’. I didn’t know what he had in mind, but I said ‘Yeah’.” Binoche won the top prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for her characteristically electric performance, but contrary to what his modest attitude suggests, Shimell more than holds his own as her male counterpart, a British author arriving in Tuscany to give a presentation on the value of artistic frauds; the ‘certified copies’ of the film’s title. There, he meets Binoche, playing antique dealer, and the two discuss the subject of his lecture, before testing the universality of some of those concepts in increasingly fascinating ways. Throughout the film, constantly asked to call in question the reality of the relationship we’re witnessing blossom. The nature of Shimell’s character – a man playacting a character assigned to him by Binoche – was something of an entry point for the non-professional performer into his character. “In the very first scene,

REVIEW

KALANDOROK

from their failings as sons, husbands and fathers – between the three men blossoms. Géza’s a dreamer, neglecting his son to fulfill his dreams of being a musician. Andris is a habitual gambler, and looks down upon his father’s attempts to uphold a traditional relationship between them still, and Géza’s father is a kind man, who may or may not have cheated on his wife. The film has an classic-comedy sensibility to it, as it dawns on us that all three men are running from scorned women. Suggesting that perhaps their failings are hereditary, the film concludes with a delightfully cyclical quip, but a new hope for them all in their shared disappointments, and new found familiarity. WHERE & WHEN: Screening at Dendy Portside Sunday 20 February, 1:20pm as part of Windows On Europe Film Festival SAM HOBSON

Adventurers is a delightfully earnest little road movie. From Hungarian first time feature-director Béla Paczolay, the film charts a week or so in the lives of three men: a middle-aged trumpet player, Géza (Péter Rudolf), his estranged son Andris (Milán Schruff), and the boy’s grandfather, played with a pitch-perfect sweetness by the great Péter Haumann. Picking up Andris to visit his aging grandfather, Géza sets off to his father’s farm, expecting the visit to be brief, and to expunge the guilt he feels for not visiting more often. Calamity mounts, as it must in all good road-movies, and the three men end up together on a trip back to the house that Géza lied to everyone exists. And it’s from here that a wonderful, healing interplay – aided by the wisdom each has accrued

DVD

UNDER THE

ROSS NOBLE: THINGS

TUSCAN

Shock

SPELL

I’m giving a lecture. So in a way, I was presenting myself. And he’s playing the role assigned to him by Juliette Binoche.” He credits much of the success of his performance to both Binoche and Kiarostami, the latter perhaps the most reknowned of Iranian filmmakers, and a legendarily astute director of non-professional actors. “I didn’t know anything,” Shimmel says. “In a way, it was better than knowing a bit. One of the G WIN HO S W NO

reasons I accepted was that I knew [Kiarostami] was used to working with non-professional actors, so he wasn’t going to be phased by my complete incompetence. He would’ve had to find ways around it.” On Binoche, he effuses: “She was so kind, and she was so helpful, and she really worked hard to give me the opportunity to work to the best of my abilities. I’m not saying it was any good, but it was the best I could do.” Rest assured, Shimell’s beating up

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

WHAT: Certified Copy WHERE & WHEN: Screening in cinemas from 17 February

(MA 15+) SUNDAY, 13 FEBRUARY

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on himself is largely flippant, and has even spoken to his director about future film collaborations. “There are possibilities. I keep going on to Abbas about making another one, but I’m not sure if that’ll happen, he’s a very busy man. There are other possibilities, but I don’t want to jinx them.”

THURSDAY, 10 FEBRUARY

10:30 AM, 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM

REVIEW

One of the best things about comedian Ross Noble – better even than his thick Geordie accent and copious amounts of Lord Of The Rings hair – is the fact that he knows how to do DVDs. Whereas other comics might film a few shows and edit them to get the best collection of gags, Noble commits by presenting not only one main feature unexpurgated show on his DVDs, but often a couple of other shows into the bargain. And if you know Noble’s work, there’s pretty much no crossover of material – everything happens on the fly, on the night and in the heat of the moment.

in fifth gear. Don’t go looking for a theme or a topic, though – ‘things’ is pretty much all Noble talks about anyway, and that’s what you’ll get here. Among the bonus features on the DVD is the full-length arena show from Brisbane last year. Brilliant, breakneck stuff. BAZ McALISTER

Things is no exception. The main show is from Manchester, in the UK and it’s a cracker, as Ross hits the stage already running his mouth

N SOO ING COM

MONDAY, 14 FEBRUARY TUESDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM, 8:45 PM

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WED 12.15, 4.30, 8.50PM THU 10.30AM (BABES) FRI- TUE 4.45PM

127 HOURS (MA15+)

BLACK SWAN (MA15+)

WED 10.40, 12.40, 2.40, 4.40, 6.40, 8.40PM THU-TUE 10.20, 2.10, 6.30PM

WED 12.20, 4.45, 9.10PM THU 12.10, 4.30, 9.30PM FRI 11.45, 4.00PM SAT 4.40, 9.00PM SUN 1.40, 4.40, 9.00PM MON- TUE 12.30, 4.50, 9.10PM

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frontrow@timeoff.com.au

WORLD THEATRE

F E S T I VA L

BEAUTIFUL HAZE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR NINE-YEAR CAREER, NEW YORK’S TEMPORARY DISTORTION ARE BRINGING THEIR WORK TO AUSTRALIA. MATT O’NEILL SPEAKS WITH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR KENNETH COLLINS ABOUT AMERICANA KAMIKAZE.

here’s something immediately confronting about the work of Temporary Distortion. Formed in New York in 2002, the company’s work over the past nine years has oscillated around the development of a tautly rendered audiovisual vocabulary equally indebted to multimedia installation, contemporary performance and cinema. A Temporary Distortion work will often find audiences forced to inhabit a world of statuesque performances, visceral cinematics, and meticulously structured experimentation. “I think we’re a design-oriented ensemble as opposed to a performance-oriented ensemble,” artistic director Kenneth Collins explains. “We’re a company that’s

incredibly interested in design, we’re a company that’s incredibly interested in aesthetics. I think there is a formalism to our work. I think it’s primarily form that we’re interested in and content has occasionally taken a back seat to that – the early work of the company was very abstract, very austere, and almost strictly formal.” It’s only been in recent years that one has been able to make sense of the humanity at the heart of the company’s productions. As the ensemble’s core creative team has solidified over the past five years, the company’s work has blossomed with an increased appreciation for pathos and narrative. 2006’s Someone In The Ghost Box Told Me It Was You was a multi-lingual exploration of memory

and psychosis while 2007’s Welcome To Nowhere interrogated concepts of romance and escapism. “As the work’s progressed the last couple of years, it’s certainly become more content-heavy, with more narrative and a greater sense of character,” Collins reflects. “The last two shows, we’ve been really interested in exploring film genres. Somehow, with Road To Nowhere, the concept of the road movie became the focus – it kind of grew out of my realisation that I’d never seen Easy Rider. When it came to Americana Kamikaze, I was really interested in Japanese horror. “I think it’s something that’s happened quite organically,” the

director elaborates. “You know, in the beginning, the company was really just me and a couple of performers I would work with from show to show. There wasn’t a consistent artistic team. The last five years or so, though, have seen the company really gel into an artistic team that’s really consistent from piece to piece. I think that’s something that’s really set us apart from other theatre companies.” Americana Kamikaze, Temporary Distortion’s most recent production, is perhaps most indicative of the ensemble’s developing artistic concerns. While still replete with the aspects of abstraction and formalism which have defined the company since their inception, Americana Kamikaze is also arguably Temporary

Distortion’s most cinematic and accessible work yet – the ensemble’s technical and aesthetic innovation grounded by traditional values of story-telling and entertainment. “I don’t think there’s a specific audience in mind for the work, when we’re making it, but I think our work is accessible to anyone interested in having an experience outside of what one would normally experience inside

a theatre,” Collins considers. “You know, I don’t think it’s in any way beyond or outside what the public are equipped to deal with in regards to theatre. I do think our work can be enjoyed by anyone if they’re openminded enough.” WHAT: Americana Kamikaze WHERE & WHEN: Brisbane Powerhouse until 20 February

WAR NEVER CHANGES CHILEAN COMPANY TEATRO EN EL BLANCO HAVE ARRIVED AT THE WORLD THEATRE FESTIVAL WITH DICIEMBRE, A BOLD POLITICAL WORK ABOUT A NEAR-FUTURE WAR. DIRECTOR GUILLERMO CALDERON TALKS TO BAZ MCALISTER.

t’s Christmas Eve, 2014: Chile has become embroiled in a bitter war with Peru and Bolivia, and Santiago is besieged. A young soldier, Jorge, returns home to spend one night with his twin sisters and reveals his plans to defect. He has the unconditional support of one – and the contempt of the other. That’s the setup for Diciembre, a work from cutting-edge Chilean theatre company Teatro En El Blanco, written and directed by Guillermo Calderon. Calderon has set the play in the near future so he can ramp up some of the tensions that exist in South America today. So, what does the average theatregoer with little knowledge of South American politics need to know before seeing Diciembre? “Bolivia became landlocked and bitter after a war Chile won in the 19th Century,” Calderon explains. “Peru was its ally, and remains a formidable enemy. These three

THE LOOKING

countries like to insult each other. In the last 20 years 150,000 Peruvian immigrants have come to Chile to work. Chileans feel they are superior to them, and also ‘whiter’, meaning ‘not as Indian’. And in the last few years the Mapuche Indians in the south of Chile have been escalating their fight to get back their stolen land, but the Chilean government has been fast to pull the trigger.” Calderon says the little family at the heart of his play does represent a microcosm of the tense political situation in Chile. It’s a play that’s keenly aware that a war in the future is also a remembrance of Chile’s own war in the past – the war against the people perpetrated by the military who governed during Pinochet’s dictatorship. Calderon was a university student when Pinochet stepped down, but spent the first two decades of his life living under Pinochet’s regime. Despite all the politics in Diciembre there’s also

lashings of dark humour, a product of the same upbringing. “I wanted to write a comedy because our previous work, NEVA, was quite dark and we really wanted to laugh a little,” Calderon says. “The group has a great sense of humour and I wanted to take that and put in on stage. The step into political drama was rather logical – I grew up during a dictatorship and a dry sense of humour is what makes you cope with the grim situation. In that way, the play tries to recreate the state of mind we had growing up in the 80s under Pinochet.” Calderon himself has some poignant memories of that time. “During the dictatorship, the light was cut off often,” he says. “It was scary – and it was also beautiful to light the candles. It meant that the guerrillas had bombed a couple of electric towers and it was a sign of hope.” Pinochet’s regime, Calderon says,

Mere weeks ago I was lamenting the decline of controversial art in Australian galleries. It seemed that major galleries were favouring the easily-consumed over the incendiary. It seemed that curators had forgotten that the relationship between art and society was symbiotic; one interacting with the other in such a way that it’s quite logical to propose that conservative art represents a conservative society. We’re doomed, I thought, to galleries filled with shiny but empty things. But then along came an eccentric millionaire with the same criticism, but more importantly with the funds to vent with much greater effect.

it nonetheless. Walsh built what he’s named the Museum of Old and New Art - but we’ll just call it MONA for short. He filled his museum with pieces of art and ancient artefacts and essentially had a very expensive rebellion against gallery conservatism. Good for him. Included in MONA’s private collection are works by Andres Serrano - he of Piss Christ fame; Chris Ofili’s dungcoated favourite The Holy Virgin; an obese Porsche; and a wall of plaster cast sculptures titled Cunts And Other Conversations (the name of which makes it rather unnecessary to explain which part of the anatomy is on display). Walsh hasn’t organised his collection in the traditional manner; the pieces here aren’t grouped by categories or displayed by chronology. There are no plaques explaining the purpose and

intent of each work. Visitors are given a device that tells them where they are in the gallery, and if they choose to they can access the traditional didactics by tapping on an icon of a crudely drawn penis that will take the curious to what Walsh has very accurately named “Artwank”. It’s clear that Walsh’s aim is to shock and to provoke; he turned up to his own opening in a shirt that read “Fuck the Art, let’s rock’n’roll”. It’s also clear that he’ll be successful in both regards. But on the question of whether MONA will have any lasting effect on the state of contemporary art in Australia, the jury is still out. The problem is this all seems very familiar. Even some of the artworks on display seem very familiar. This might be because a few years back another very wealthy collector by the name of Charles Saatchi held an

exhibition of his own titled Sensation; it was pilloried, picketed, defaced, and almost banned from several cities. Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin was there, as was the then unknown Ron Mueck’s Dead Dad. The possible difference between Saatchi and Walsh is that Saatchi knows his art. The question is, does David Walsh?

WHAT: Diciembre WHERE & WHEN: Brisbane Powerhouse Thursday 17 February to Saturday 19

GLASS WITH HELEN STRINGER

CHRIS OFILI’S THE HOLY VIRGIN

And theatre here has never lost its political commitment.”

“When the institutions fail to deal with these issues, theatre takes over

and tries to make sense and reflect about it. Venues in Chile are for 150 audience members on average, so you always get the feeling that you are watching independent theatre – which you are – and that helps to keep the scene alive and interesting.

did its best to stifle art – but theatre survived. Now, it enjoys a little more funding, but the country is still scarred and the justice system slow to prosecute Human Rights violations.

David Walsh, the millionaire in question, built a gallery - it’s in Tasmania of all places, but he built

Topicality is the key to conceptually driven modern art; pieces that are made with the sole purpose of causing shock often lack that fundamental element. Walsh may not want to advertise in the conventional manner what each piece is attempting to say and that may well be an attempt to make the viewer decide; but art that shocks for no reason is as empty as the shiny new toys the major galleries are currently choosing to exhibit.

frontrow@timeoff.com.au

C U LT U R A L

CRINGE OPEN THE WINDOWS

WITH MANDY KOHLER This Monday past we celebrated one of the more polarising dates of the calendar, Valentine’s Day. Greeting card printers stock up on red ink, Woolies stock up on chocolates, and singles stock up on DVDs. Of all the possible gestures to say I love you there’s none more romantic than saying it in song. Many a gal has swooned listening to a ballad and wondering about the person who inspired it - whether she had a heart of gold or possessed the kind of beauty that turns men to goo. Many a gal has imagined that they too fall into one of these categories and as such might get their own song one day. However it’s not always a good thing to have a song written about you, and in the name of being realistic let’s consider some of the songs you wouldn’t want to be on the end of. Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad by Meatloaf “I want you, I need you, there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you, but don’t feel sad, two out of three ain’t bad.” It would be an awfully pragmatic woman who’d accept this song as an answer to her professions of love. I think it’s the ain’t no way that really puts the boot in. What if she saves his granny from a house fire? No. What if she donates a kidney to the ’loaf after his heavy drinking rock’n’roll lifestyle takes its toll? Nup, no way. 24 Hours From Tulsa by Gene Pitney (covered marvelously in 1998 by Chris Wilson)

Have you ever actually listened to the lyrics of this song? If you just take in the hook, it sounds like it’s about someone coming home from a long trip only to be beset by troubles on the last leg. Maybe there’s a road closure due to flooding or volcanic ash has grounded all flights. It’s actually about a guy who is one day’s travel away from his wife when he falls in love with someone he meets at a hotel. He’s telling his wife that although he was so close to coming back home to her she will never see him ever, ever, ever again. I just hope Meatloaf isn’t her rebound guy. Tell Laura I Love Her by Ray Peterson Along with Leader Of The Pack and Last Kiss, Tell Laura I Love Her is one of those early ’60s hits obsessed with people dying in car accidents. In this ditty Laura’s boyfriend Tommy enters a stock car race to win $1,000 in prize money so he can buy Laura a wedding ring. All does not go to plan. They can’t even use that pearler, “He died doing something he loved.” It’s more like, “He died doing something he’d never done and had no business attempting. What the hell was he thinking? I guess Tommy was kind of a douche.” They’re love songs in their own rights, but it’s probably best to keep them off the radio dedication list and go for some good old fashioned Wind Beneath My Wings, though that makes you something awesome like an eagle or angel while your beloved is wind. Take a romantic shortcut and put on Prince instead.

SAM HOBSON EXPLORES HOW WORLD CINEMA IS IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN, IN PREVIEW OF THE WINDOWS ON EUROPE FILM FESTIVAL, IN BRISBANE THIS WEEK.

oreign cinema has that aura to us like it’s liberated cinema. Watching foreign cinema just has this exquisite, life-affirming pleasure to it. It’s one part ineffable cool; you tell your friends, you amass the underground Polish poster-art from eBay (Kieslowski films, I’m looking at you.) Hell, you may even venture out and attempt learning another language; be that guy who can loftily transpose j’taime because of that one portmanteau film, or use the phrase du jour with subtle, stupid winks to Buñuel on first-year uni essays. Foreign cinema’s also one part rapturously alien; NOTHING looks like a Tarkovsky film, and his landscapes you just can’t unsee. Then there’s the exploration. From Tarkovsky, you may find directors like Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and his film Uzak, before dabbling in inscrutable, post-Solaris genre-fare like Franck Vestiel’s recent Eden Log. You’ll notice the Norwegians are starting to take to slashers, that South Korea doesn’t do a bad disaster flick, and made probably the best monster film of the past decade or so in Bong Joon-Ho’s The Host. You can sleep soundly, knowing Vanilla Sky was once Abre los ojos, that Yojimbo formed the basis of

Fistful Of Dollars, and that The Magnificent Seven started with Kurosawa, too. You’ll discover that Tarantino wouldn’t be so, were it not for the French new wave, and that the same’s true for Martin Scorsese and the Italian neorealism movement. You follow the porting of directors like Alfonso Cuarón, and JeanPierre Jeunet from their worlds into American cinema, having that extra layer of excitement compouded onto the release of your favourite franchise films. You can even work backwards from that, tracing the humble beginnings of people like Michel Gondry, and Luc Besson. And then there’s getting into the meat of it. There’s becoming a Almodovar fan, and of Ebert favourite, Ozu. There’s Werner Herzog, and Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy. There’s Man Bites Dog, and Dreyer. There’s Kitano, and Takashi Miike. There’s Michael Haneke. Lars Von Trier, and Fellini. There’s Satoshi Kon, Wong Kar-wai, and Godard. And, of course, there’s the glorious Criterion Collection. And perhaps, most importantly, foreign films are exclusive. Odds are, you’re watching something mass-markets haven’t seen. Some may insist that that’s a crime, but save the best for those who look, I

HANAMI: CHERRY BLOSSOMS, SCREENING AS PART OF THE FESTIVAL

say. You’re closer to finding the thing that talks just to you. You’re closer to the specifics of things you’ve not seen represented in Western cinema. You’re closer to explicit violence, and sex. You’re closer to the universality of things. The ubiquity of the human condition. The privileges you have. The things you don’t. Your Parisian neighbour. There’s a real magic to all that, for film fans. And a whole world out there, literally. Which is why, in a sprawling, roundabout “these are a few of my favourite things” way, the Windows On Europe Film Festival playing at Dendy Portside fromthis weekend is worth your time. It’s worth opening up that world. Among the countries

mentioned, the festival’s screening films from Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Greece, and Ireland. And they’re all very little-known films, too. Opening night’s Béla Paczolay’s Adventurers, a wonderful Hungarian road-movie, then there’s the Belgian Ben X, about a boy’s online escape from Aspergers. There’s Prehod from Slovinia, a psychological, Dorian-Gray twisted thriller, and the devastating The Storm, a pared-back post-disaster flick from the Netherlands. Go, and find yourself a new obsession. WHAT: Windows On Europe Film Festival WHERE & WHEN: Dendy Portside Saturday 19 February to Friday 25

IN CINEMAS MARCH 3 40

ISSUE 1514 - WEDNESDAY 16TH

FEBRUARY 2011

GENTLE BEN & HIS SENSITIVE SIDE MEMBER /ROLE IN BAND: Gentle Ben – song & dance man.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER?

I don’t know – it seems an eternity. Probably since dinosaurs ruled the earth. And the airwaves.

HOW DID YOU ALL MEET?

We were all popular relief teachers at a school for wayward youths. Like Sidney Poitier or Michelle Pfeiﬀer.

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?

Probably Pulp This Is Hardcore or the Devastations’ Yes, U. Unless you mean actually physically throwing musicians of our choice onto a stereo, in which case the list is endless. Oh what spiﬃ ng fun.

WOULD YOU RATHER BE A BUSTED BROKE-BUT-REVERED HANK WILLIAMS FIGURE OR SOME KIND OF METALLICA MONSTER?

IS YOUR BAND RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE MAKE-OUTS OR BREAK-UPS? WHY?

WHICH BRISBANE BANDS BEFORE YOU HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION (MUSICALLY OR OTHERWISE)?

The Farmer Wants A Wife. Or Beauty And The Geek. We would clean the fuck up

I think I’ve done a pretty good job of aiming directly down the middle of both of those things for at least the last 15 years – like a broke, out-oftouch, egotistical douchebag in cowboy boots.

I’m inspired by anyone who just gets on with making their art regardless of in-scene bitching, fashion and the rank odour of desperation and irrelevance that emanates from music industry professionals. I don’t even really care if they’re good or not.

WHAT PART DO YOU THINK BRISBANE PLAYS IN THE MUSIC YOU MAKE? Brisbane fosters our rank odour of desperation and irrelevance.

We’re deﬁnitely a make-out band, but it’s making out with tears in your eyes and a stiletto jammed between your ribs.

WHAT REALITY TV SHOW WOULD YOU ENTER AS A BAND AND WHY? WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE FOR THE BAND IN THE SHORT TERM?

We’re launching our new album Magnetic Island at Woodland on Friday Feb 18 with Seja, Keep On Dancin’s and DJ Jimi Kritzler. Then I might have a shandy and a lie down. Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side play Woodland on Friday Feb 18 Photo by ALEX GILLIES.

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GIG OF THEWEEK

INTERNATIONAL

SWERVEDRIVER: The Zoo Feb 16 BLACK MOUNTAIN: The Zoo Feb 17 DE LA SOUL: The Tivoli Feb 18 LAMB: The Hi-Fi Feb 18 THE LIKE: The Zoo Feb 18 KATE NASH: The Hi-Fi Feb 19 M. WARD: The Tivoli Feb 19 THE BOOKS: The Zoo Feb 19 TRICKY: The Zoo Feb 20 MC PLANET ASIA: Step Inn Feb 24 ROBERT HENKE: IMA Feb 24 SURF CITY: Byron Beach Hotel Feb 24, Elsewhere Feb 25, Woodland Feb 26 TORO Y MOI: Woodland Feb 24 GANG OF FOUR: The Hi-Fi Feb 25 RIHANNA: BEC Feb 25 THE BRONX: Step Inn Feb 25 CAPTAIN AHAB: Jubilee Hotel Feb 26 HIGH ON FIRE: The Hi-Fi Mar 1 MARTHA WAINWRIGHT: A & I Hall Feb 26, The Tivoli Mar 1 ROXY MUSIC: Riverstage Mar 1 IMELDA MAY: Great Northern Mar 2, The Hi-Fi Mar 3 SILVERSTEIN, BLESSTHEFALL: The Hi-Fi Mar 2 SLASH: The Tivoli Mar 2 KE$HA: Riverstage Mar 3 MGMT: Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Mar 3 JOANNA NEWSOM: The Tivoli Mar 4 THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: Riverstage Mar 4 MONARCH: The Hi-Fi Mar 5 BELLE & SEBASTIAN: The Tivoli Mar 7 WAVVES: The Zoo Mar 8 OMAR SOULEYMAN: The Hi-Fi Mar 9 THE HOLD STEADY: The Zoo Mar 9 ALAN JACKSON: BEC Mar 10 – 12 BEST COAST: Woodland Mar 10 EDDIE VEDDER: QPAC Mar 10 & 12 JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: Step Inn Mar 10, Joe’s Waterhole Mar 11 NANO STERN: Mullumbimby Civic Hall Mar 10, Judith Wright Ctr Mar 19 THE CLEAN: The Zoo Mar 10 JUAN DE MARCOS & THE AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS: QPAC Mar 11 SWANS: The Hi-Fi Mar 11 THE BESNARD LAKES: The Zoo Mar 11 D.O.A.: Prince of Wales Mar 12, Shed 5 Mar 13 DONAVON FRANKENREITER: The Zoo Mar 14, Coolangatta Hotel Mar 15, Beach Hotel Byron Bay Mar 16 WEIRD AL YANKOVIC: Jupiters GC Mar 14, QPAC Mar 15 STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: Riverstage Mar 23 FINNTROLL: The Hi-Fi Mar 24 SANTANA: BEC Mar 24 ANN VRIEND DUO: Brisbane Jazz Club Mar 31 URIAH HEEP: The Tivoli Mar 31 LUKA BLOOM: The Tivoli Apr 1, Joe’s Waterhole Apr 2 MOTORHEAD: Gold Coast Convention Ctr Apr 1 KNIEVEL: The Zoo Apr 2 TIM BARRY: Rosie’s Apr 2 CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: The Hi-Fi Apr 6 DEAD KENNEDYS: The Hi-Fi Apr 7 STAR FUCKING HIPSTERS, AC4: The Zoo Apr 7 CITY AND COLOUR: The Tivoli Apr 8 GOOD CHARLOTTE: BEC Apr 8 JIMMY EAT WORLD: The Tivoli Apr 9 KEITH URBAN: BEC Apr 15 HORRORPOPS: The Hi-Fi Apr 23 HUGH CORNELL: The Hi-Fi Apr 29, Kings Beach Tavern Apr 30, Caxton St May 1, Coolangatta Hotel May 1 DISTURBED: BEC Apr 30 ESCAPE THE FATE: The Tivoli May 1 HOUSE OF PAIN: The Hi-Fi May 2, Coolangatta Hotel May 5 THE GO! TEAM: The Zoo May 3

GENTLE BEN & HIS SENSITIVE SIDE

WOODLAND FRIDAY FEB 18

It seems like an eternity since local reprobates Gentle Ben and His Sensitive Side dropped their debut record The Beginning Of The End, but in reality it’s only been... fucking hell, it’s been seven years! Christ almighty, what’s been going on? Well, not to worry because the wait is over – they’ve just released their brand new album Magnetic Island, and as one would expect they’re throwing a party to celebrate! The foursome will be unveiling a swathe of new tunes – as well as unleashing some old faves – at Woodland this Friday night, and will be joined in their pursuit of happiness by local synth-goddess Seja and 60s-inspired upstarts Keep On Dancin’s. DJ Jimi Kritzler (of Slug Guts notoriety) will be spinning tunes, so get amongst it and head along to support an awesome night of original local music. Beers and tears assured in the ratio of your choice...

Mark Sultan @ Step Inn by Stephen Booth

PRESENTS SWERVEDRIVER: The Zoo Feb 16 LAMB: The Hi-Fi Feb 18 AXXONN: Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Feb 18, Woodlands Feb 19 KATE NASH: The Hi-Fi Feb 19 THE WAIFS: Great Northern Hotel Mar 1, Nambour Civic Centre Mar 2, The Tivoli Mar 3 THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: Brisbane Riverstage Mar 4 KARAVAN GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL: The hi-Fi Mar 4 FRIENDS OF FOLK FESTIVAL: Old Museum Mar 6 WAVVES: The Zoo Mar 8 THE HOLD STEADY: The Zoo Mar 9 THE CLEAN: The Zoo Mar 10 BALL PARK MUSIC, EAGLE AND THE WORM, WE SAY BAMBOULEE: The Loft Mar 11, The Zoo Mar 12 STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: Brisbane Riverstage Mar 23 RIC’S BIG BACKYARD FESTIVAL: Ric’s Mar 26 HLAFWAY & KNIEVEL: The Zoo Apr 2 THE HOLIDAYS: Elsewhere Apr 14, The Zoo Apr 15, Great Northern Hotel Apr 16 CHILDREN COLLIDE: The Zoo Apr 20 BLUESFEST 2011: Byron Bay Apr 21-25 HUGH CORNWELL: The HiFi Apr 29, King’s Beach Tavern Apr 30, Coolangatta Hotel May 1 GROOVIN’ THE MOO 2011: Townsville Cricket Grounds May 1 CAXTON STREET SEAFOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL: Caxton Street May 1 HOUSE OF PAIN: The Hi-Fi May 2 THE WOMBATS: The Tivoli May 3 UNKLE: The Hi-Fi May 3 DATAROCK: The Zoo May 4 DARWIN DEEZ: The Zoo May 5 KYUSS LIVES: Coolangatta Hotel May 4, The Tivoli May 6

ANDREW MCMAHON, LEENA THE HI-FI: 10.02.11

MARK SULTAN, THE HORRORTONES, TINY MIGRANTS STEP INN: 11.02.11

Freshly-minted locals Tiny Migrants kick us off on this night of decidedly degraded down home garage rock with a blistering yet endearing set. The twin guitar attack complemented by the boy/girl chanted vocal dynamics propel these scuzzy jams forward, yet it’s the engine room that really shines here, with Jesse’s incessant pounding and Corey’s invigorating bass pulses showing that these guys could dominate the scene in due course. “If we fuck it up, we’ll suck it up” is murmured towards the end of the set – a true workmanlike comment, but unwarranted, as they nailed it tonight. Dapper howlers The Horrortones waste no time ensuring the venue is compacted with drunken shuffles and giddy grins. Th rowing themselves into their brand of garage soul, the Brisbane ‘supergroup’ are a band that are much classier than their sporadic list of shows would normally dictate. The horn section in particular propels these soulful dirges along with verve, whilst frontman Pete Collins stalks the crowd, his impassioned growls coercing the pundits to get down and boogie. The booze and sweat intermingles, and as they close it all down with a particularly sleazy, swinging number, The Horrortones sign off, the damage done.

On approach to The Hi-Fi tonight, the street outside is completely barren, usually a bad sign for the night to come, however walking into the large grey room it simply shows that no-one wants to miss a second of tonight’s festivities as every person has come early and staked their spot, with the sounds of Louisiana blues beating from the PA. Before long Leena shifts quietly onto stage and takes up her position behind the keyboards – with no backing band or tapes, little lighting and virtually no-one having heard any of her material, the cards are certainly stacked against her, but her glittering vocal rise and fall during Mean Old Clock shows that she has arrived to turn heads. While she is still visibly nervous at playing a venue of this size, her slightly awkward stares into the room mean nothing in comparison to the tales of broken hearts which inhabit Drowning In The Wishing Well or the slightly darker fringes of Blood. She may still be a stranger to many people but it certainly appears that Leena has a very bright future ahead of her.

One of the hardest workers and tourers in the music business, Mark Sultan saunters on stage, sits down behind his bass drum, picks up his guitar and without further ado breaks into one of the fullest hours of musical beauty and mayhem that this reviewer has witnessed in some time. Sultan’s many guises – as BBQ, a Spaceshit, a Les Sexareeno, an Almighty Defender – means the garage alchemist comes armed to the teeth with a wealth of tasty material, which he bleeds together in a show of consummate showmanship, stirring soul and bloodcurdling blues, all with a crooked grin and a wicked gleam in the eye. Sultan swings from bombastic doo-wop to vintage Sun Records rock’n’roll, sometimes in the same song. There is no doubt that this man was born to entertain, and the unremitting march of the bass and snare drums and the virtuosity of his voice have him eclipsing the musical prowess, if not the stage aura, of other likeminded guys like Bob Log III. It feels like no genre is overlooked – whilst his penchant for doo wop and rhythm and blues is ever present, there are elements of psychedelia and even noise brought to the fore, all of which feels strangely organic. At one stage he breaks down in I Am The End to croon to the moon, a lone wolf driven mad by moonshine and one too many lonely nights, and his voice inhabits your soul. When he ﬁnishes up with a particularly barnstorming number, it is all too short, and the small crowd are smiling at each other, slapping each other on the back, and counting down the seconds until Sultan graces these shores once more.

It’s obviously a bit of a gamble bringing out a solo tour for someone who fronts two bands that have yet to expereince any true success in this country, but it has clearly paid off as the diehard fans squeal their brains out when Andrew McMahon takes up his position on the piano stool. He instantly delivers the subdued piano rock that the room wants to hear as he whips back and forth through the catalogues of Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate in the form of She Paints Me Blue, Th e Resolution and Swim before offering up a cover of Elton John’s famed Rocket Man. While previous songs had offered a good display of musicianship, it’s McMahon’s take on this classic that displays his passion and ease for performance to perfection. Aiding tonight’s display is the fact that no matter what song he leads into, each punter knows the lyrics inside out. Sitting onstage alongside McMahon is Mannequin guitarist Bobby Anderson, who fi lls McMahon’s melodies out nicely and adds a strong harmony to each track, including a door-busting rendition of Punk Rock Princess. Despite two dozen people continually shouting out requests for a certain nine-minute track, it is politely declined and replaced with Dark Blue before a very taken back and appreciative Andrew McMahon leaves the stage.

BRENDAN TELFORD

MARK BERESFORD

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TOUR GUIDE THE WOMBATS: The Tivoli May 3 UNKLE: The Hi-Fi May 3 DATAROCK: The Zoo May 4 KYUSS: Coolangatta Hotel May 4, The Tivoli May 6 THE DRUMS: The Hi-Fi May 4 AGAINST ME!: The Hi-Fi May 5 DARWIN DEEZ: The Zoo May 5 KATY PERRY: BEC May 5 & 15 QUIET RIOT: The Tivoli May 7 ERIC BIBB: Brisbane Powerhouse May 10, The J May 11, Soundlounge May 13 ALESTORM: The Hi-Fi May 12 GARY NUMAN: The Tivoli May 12 SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: Coolangatta Hotel May 12, The Hi-Fi May 13 BEN FOLDS: QPAC May 17 JOE BONAMASSA: The Tivoli May 21 THE HAUNTED: The Hi-Fi May 26 NEVERMORE: The Hi-Fi Jun 9 RANDY NEWMAN: QPAC Jul 22 KINGS OF LEON: BEC Nov 8

NATIONAL

OVER-REACTOR: Fitzy’s Loganholme Feb 16, Club Envy Feb 17, Step Inn Feb 18, Runaway Bay Hotel Feb 19 ALPINE: Alhambra Lounge Feb 17 AXXONN: The Spotted Cow Feb 18, Woodland Feb 19 OLD MAN RIVER, PASSENGER: Soundlounge Feb 18, Old QLD Museum Feb 19 THE NECKS: Byron Bay Community Centre Feb 18, Old QLD Museum Feb 19 HELL CITY GLAMOURS: Step Inn Feb 19 GUINEAFOWL: Alhambra Feb 24 SEABELLIES: ASP Surfing Awards Feb 24, Globe Theatre Feb 26 THE WHITLAMS: QPAC Feb 24 & 25 DARREN HANLON: The Majestic Theatre Pomona Feb 25, Zoo Feb 26, Lismore City Bowling Club Feb 27 THE WAIFS: Great Northern Mar 1, Nambour Civic Ctr Mar 2, The Tivoli Mar 3 KATIE NOONAN AND THE CAPTAINS: Judith Wright Ctr Mar 4 SYDONIA, JERICCO: Step Inn Mar 4 THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS, JONATHAN BOULET: Great Northern Mar 9, Spotted Cow Mar 10, Kings Beach Tavern Mar 11, The Hi-Fi Mar 12 BALL PARK MUSIC, EAGLE & THE WORM: The Loft Mar 11, The Zoo Mar 12 DEEZ NUTS: Rosie’s Mar 18 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: The Hi-Fi Mar 18 DEAD LETTER CIRCUS: The Tivoli Mar 25 GARETH LIDDIARD: The Zoo Mar 26 HOUSE VS HURRICANE: YAC Mar 31, Hard Rock Cafe Apr 1, The Fort Apr 2, Rosie’s Apr 2 OH MERCY: Neverland Mar 31, Alhambra Lounge Apr 1 MILES AWAY: YAC Apr 7, The Fort Apr 8, Rosie’s Apr 9 SPARKADIA: Coolangatta Hotel Apr 7, The Hi-Fi Apr 8 BRITISH INDIA: The Zoo Apr 14, Coolangatta Hotel Apr 15, Great Northern Apr 24, Kings Beach Caloundra Apr 25 THE HOLIDAYS: Elsewhere Apr 14, The Zoo Apr 15, Great Northern Apr 16 THE AMENTA: Rosie’s Apr 15 CHILDREN COLLIDE: The Zoo Apr 20 HOLLY THROSBY: Brisbane Powerhouse Apr 29 – 30

FESTIVALS

GOOD VIBRATIONS: Gold Coast Parklands Feb 19 SOUNDWAVE: RNA Showgrounds Feb 26 KARAVAN INTERNATIONAL GYPSY MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Hi-Fi Mar 4 FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: Doomben Racecourse Mar 5 FRIENDS OF FOLK FESTIVAL: Old Museum Mar 6 RICS BIG BACKYARD FESTIVAL: Fortitude Valley Mar 26 SUPAFEST 2011: RNA Showgrounds Apr 16 BLUESFEST 2011: Byron Bay Apr 21 – 26

Amanda Palmer @ Old Museum by Brendon Grove

AMANDA PALMER, MIKELANGELO AND THE TIN STAR, TOM DICKENS

combine the percolating synth-craft of New Order with the percussive fury of early Killing Joke and Joy Division’s ominous profundity. While such a combination sounds revivalist, the vitriol informing performances of vocalist Dan Templeman or synthman Shane Rudken ensures the act’s sound is timeless.

In the central cloister, below the loom of the the Old Museum’s wonderfully bizarre architecture, bustles a fit of patrons. Bobbing beside the doors – and as ludicrously large as it is contextually wanting – sits an inflatable, iridescent palm-tree. Security, at the door, urges everyone back. The palm-tree blinks and bobs, and no-one pays much attention; a perfunctory shuffle, and then it’s back to excited conversation. After a few more bald-headed barks, a line’s begrudgingly formed, and we all start the slow inch inside. Tickets, merch-desk, drinks, stage-side.

Typically, such a volatile performance would easily outmuscle leftﬁeld indie-pop locals Skinny Jean – but tonight’s performance sees a much appreciated reevaluation of the group’s priorities. Their musicianship is tight as per usual but, where intelligent indie-pop once lay, angular and unpredictable math-rock now reigns. The set is a chaotic collage of incredible musicianship, twisted humour and leftﬁeld developments. Occasionally, this is frustrating (turgid blues lament Army Wife) but, for the most part, it’s remarkable – jazz-punk blitzkrieg closer Abort Abort, for example, is the best thing the band’s ever done.

OLD MUSEUM: 12.02.11

Tom Dickens of The Jane Austen Argument awaits us on the wood-finished stage inside. As In Berlin kicks off his three-song set, the lights dimming on his colourful, piano-sat figure. Dressed like a hipster re-imagining of a lost German tourist, the man’s stark in a single, dust-snowy spotlight; his textured, comical croonings fi lling the cavernous room. Haemorrhaging 60s cool, and engorged with a showy, macho confidence, Mikelangelo and The Tin Star are up next. Opening with a gangly, instrumental surf tune, the band – a series of sharp-edged caricatures led by their Elvis-styled frontman – ooze a dark, out-west atmosphere, and a cool-again speakeasy sleaze. They’re joined by the husky Saint Clare, who moves in her shimmering purple dress as if underwater, whispermoaning into a microphone as the cricks and bounces of a dusty guitar slink and crackle at her side. And then Amanda Palmer crowd surfs her way onto the stage, with a heavier Mikelangelo awkwardly in tow, (though they both could have just as easily swum on the sea of cheering and whooping.) She’s dressed in shreds of things; loops and tassles bound by garter-bits and feathers. Her painted face distorts straight into the shrills of the Dresden Dolls classic Missed Me, cutting a frightening, spooky figure; a drunken, broken, maddened mess of scorned burlesque red. But then she quietens, taking to the piano and jovial conversation before the crashing Astronaut. After an extended bout of technical difficulties, and rowdy crowd interruption – Amanda staying unwaveringly good-spirited throughout – the mood of poignant, goth-tragedgy returns with highlight Australia. Taking requests after that, the night shifts from intimate, and soul-bearing, to rowdy, raucous and rude. SAM HOBSON

MR MAPS, SKINNY JEAN, DOOM DOOM, GRIDS/UNITS/PLANES THE ALLEY BAR: 12.02.11

Laptop musician Andrew Foley (a.k.a. Grids/Units/ Planes) is the relative unknown of tonight’s bill. Nevertheless, the musician holds his own. Specialising in a dreamy blend of Warp-inﬂuenced IDM, Foley’s work is well-produced, rife with clever rhythms and soaring melodies and delivered with subtlety and ﬁnesse. A lack of originality means that Foley’s productions tend to fade into background noise for many of tonight’s patrons but, with time, Grids/Units/ Planes could easily develop into a very special project. Doom Doom, by contrast, are very much the product of distilled experience. The reincarnation of defunct Brisbane electronic veterans Ponyloaf, Doom Doom’s music is lean, utilitarian and utterly brilliant. Densely layered but uncompromisingly raw, the trio’s songs

Mr Maps’s set is infinitely more consistent. Fortunately, it remains at a consistent high throughout. Launching debut album Wire Empire and farewelling keyboardist Chloe Cooper, the instrumental quintet’s set acts as a comprehensive overview of their accomplishments thus far and a stirring affi rmation of the band’s future prospects. Older tracks like This Mess Is A Place sound as gorgeous and intimate as when they originally appeared while more recent numbers like Nice Fights and Tennis Party are sharp, cerebral and explosive. In light of the group’s more contemporary and aggressive sounds, the post-rock theatrics of final number I See Them, They’re Like Mountains feel a touch melodramatic but, within the context of the bittersweet triumph that is Mr Maps’ set tonight, the track’s elegiac melodies prove not only appropriate – but surprisingly evocative. MATT O’NEILL

JAC STONE, JAMES GREHAN, EMMA LOUISE OLD MUSEUM: 11.02.11

With a stage presence way beyond her young years, Emma Louise captivates the early listeners with poetic storytelling and personal warmth that bursts through the songs. Harmonising sweet summertime melodies, the pint-sized female pairing front and centre are dwarfed in stature by their sizable male bandmates but stand tall on a musical measuring scale, Sandalwood especially moving with their vocal interplay a joy to listen to. Like emerging Sydney act The Jezabels, the rhythm section complements rather than overpowers Emma Louise throughout and the whole show reeks of ripe talent soon to be picked. Warming up with Massive Attack’s seminal Teardrop, James Grehan does nothing to dispel Jose Gonzalez comparisons with his deep and dreamy acoustic style. And although early tracks like Be The Ocean, abetted by a cellist and drummer, ride along the same wave, the opening stanza doesn’t hold the audience at all. APRA nominated Hold On, with its smooth guitar lines, earthy vocal hook and simple Cajon box drum rhythm turns the vibe in Grehan’s favour. While the slide guitar and bass lines on Falling ﬁnally provide the performance with the energy to allow Grehan to become his own artist and really bring forth the engaging and immensely-talented songwriter he is. With every song this evening, Grehan and his backing band, notably hired drum gun Chris O’Neil, become stronger and more assured and by the set’s end it’s apparent that the swelling crowd has been well-and-truly won over.

With silence enveloping the crowd to a point where you could hear a pick hit the ﬂoor, the sass of Jac Stone’s voice quickly makes all conversation stop and all eyes draw to the stage. Following in a line of powerful storytelling, not only from this evening but from female Australian peers like Diana Anaid and Missy Higgins, Stone tips her hat to the domestic way of life without sounding clichéd or contrived. Her backing band is also of the highest calibre with O’Neil again providing stick work, while her chemistry with guitarist, producer and mentor Yanto Browning resonates and constantly shines throughout. But what should be an intimate showcase to introduce Stone’s new EP to the city of Brisbane transforms into a night at the family BBQ, a BBQ which most of the crowd seemed not invited to. Taking the engagement of the room away from the stellar performance happening onstage, The Jungle is perhaps the only track energised enough to transcend the crowd through the family tree rooted front of stage. But a Grehan-assisted encore shows cohesion and chemistry far stronger than two names sharing a gig poster and caps oﬀ a positively sparkling night of Queensland-bred songwriters. BENNY DOYLE

FOSTER THE PEOPLE, MITZI THE ZOO: 13.02.11

It’s a slow start at The Zoo tonight as punters quietly gather for the fi rst show out of America for LA’s Foster The People. Local quintet Mitzi open proceedings with their constant four-to-thefloor disco-funk sound for only four songs over 30 minutes, providing a somewhat entertaining albeit monotonous set. The production itself is interesting with a retro fl avour dressing up the contemporary samples and synth stabs. It’s clearly a fi rst big gig for the band and a mostly positive one at that – tracks like India and the derivative Morning Light slip by effortlessly, although the vocals struggle a bit while the seemingly superfluous female singer/ dancer is virtually inaudible. With one of the greatest singles of 2010, a brand new one only just starting to make the rounds and only one extra track available to hear anywhere, there’s something seemingly premature about the arrival of LA’s Foster The People. The relatively infantile nature of the band itself, however, certainly doesn’t show as they whip through an incredible yet frustratingly short set, leaving the paying punters dishing out more than one dollar a minute for the band (that’s 41 minutes for $45 for those playing at home). Regardless, FtP’s largely percussive set with electro lacings throughout is near-perfectly executed with live drums and more organic instruments lending an even more appealing take on the tracks you hear on the radio. Houdini makes an early appearance and so does Pumped Up Kicks, well so it seems – it’s actually the second last song in what feels more like a showcase than a gig. Frontman Mark Foster positively glows with a high voice and an eff ortless stage prowess that sees him fl ip from fronting to seated at the keys. After just 30-odd minutes, he announces a fi nal radio-ready acoustic guitar-driven number before slipping off into the darkness, emerging only for a quick encore performance of Helena Beat, the next great slice of pop from the group. Despite the set-length, Foster The People clearly have a canon of great songs to be reckoned with – Foster hints that the group has just fi nished a record and if tonight is anything to go by, it’s going to be damn good! BEN PREECE

New Weird Australia presents AXXONN National Tour 2011

Toowoomba Friday Feb 18th The Spotted Cow + Ambrose Chapel & Die On Planes Brisbane Saturday Feb 19th Woodlands + Ambrose Chapel, Die On Planes & Dot.AY ‘Let’s Get It Straight’ (Useless Art Records) — available from axxonnband.com “one of the most interesting Australian records of 2010” DRUM MEDIA

Full details & free downloads at newweirdaustralia.com

Supported By Sound Travellers and Street Press Australia Artwork & Design— madebyhk.com

SIX PACK GINA HORSWOOD BAND SINGERSONGWRITER GINA HORSWOOD AND HER BAND HAVE DECIDED TO SHAVE THEIR HEADS ONSTAGE AT THE ZOO, AS YOU DO. BUT TONY MCMAHON FINDS OUT THAT IT’S MOTIVATED BY A FRIEND’S FATHER WITH LEUKAEMIA, AND FUNDS WILL GO TOWARDS MORE RESEARCH. seems Horswood is not the only one who knows someone with Leukaemia. “Two of the other bands have also been aﬀected by Leukaemia in some way, so it’s fantastic to have them on board for the cause. They’ve all been really supportive of what we are trying to achieve, namely to have a heap of cash and awareness raised for the Leukaemia Foundation, so it’s great to be working with them. We’ve got a real mix of sounds too: altcountry/blues/rock/pop, so there’s something for everybody. Bound to be a great night.” And it seems that the fact the gig is for such a good cause won’t change the outcome much, although Horswood is looking forward to being back in the group dynamic after several solo and duo shows.

SEEKING YOU OUT Local rockers No Filter are on the up and up at the moment, with a brand new single and a huge launch party to go along with it, starting oﬀ their 2011 campaign with a bang. The new single is called Where Are You Now and the band made their way out to Pisscotton Studios, which we mention purely because it’s such a bizarre name, to record it, before sending it oﬀ to New York City so it could get the mastering treatment from Matthew Agoglia. Needless to say it sounds bloody delightful and you can hear it for yourself by hitting the band’s website and downloading a copy. The band are launching the single with a massive show at The Hi-Fi on Saturday Feb 26, where they will be joined by fellow local rockers RVLR, Sharon Freil and Sould Doubt. Tickets are available through Moshtix now for $15 + bf and the doors will swing open at 7pm.

SIX PACK

WHO: Gina Horswood Band WHERE & WHEN: The Zoo Friday Feb 25

JUST TAKE IT

OUTRAGEOUSLY MOHAWK’D LOCALS KOMBI KILLERS ARE GETTING OUT THE HAIR GEL TO HELP VICTIMS OF THE BRISBANE FLOODS. TONY MCMAHON CHATS WITH BASS PLAYER AARON HEANEY ABOUT FLOGGING THE DOLPHIN FOR A GOOD CAUSE. local bands have stepped up to give a hand with these shows it’s not funny. It’s been a huge group eﬀort from the local music scene really.” So, what can punters at Greenslopes expect from a Kombi Killers gig? It seems there’ll be some bad language and a little bit of, err, self-pleasuring, shall we say? “A lot of anger and energy and a lot of swearing. So if anyone is thinking about coming along to one of our shows they better be well prepared for some in-your-face punk and a little masturbation. Yeah that’s right, masturbation! (You’ll know what I mean once you see a live performance). The punk we do is a little heavy in some guitar bits with old school vocals, a progressive drummer with the Mohawk-bass playing. One thing is for sure though; most of our songs don’t sound the same.”

“Well, thanks to some photoshopping, I have a little bit of an idea and I’m pretty sure I’m going to look like a boy. The boys will probably look like criminals. It will certainly make for some interesting visuals at gigs.” Horswood will be ably supported on the night by local artists Danny Widdicombe, Halfway and My Fiction. Interestingly, it

KOMBI KILLERS

“I was conned,” Heaney says when Time Off asks how he got involved in the benefit gig. “When the floods were going on I’d seen a few other bands I know that were on the net talking about how someone should do a flood appeal show. So I put my hand up and told the boys that I’d sort it out not knowing what I was getting myself into. But I’m glad I did. I’ve had a lot of help along the way mind you: Chris Converse from 4ZZZ, Cathy from Punkfest, Christian from Headlump Music and so many

Okay, let’s get the obvious one out of the way right up front, how are Horswood and the rest of the band going to look with bald heads?

“It’s awesome to be back with a band. It’s a slightly diﬀerent line-up, which has naturally brought some new sounds, which is great. My songs are very intimate, storytelling types. I’m brutally honest sometimes, or so I’m told. So there is that element, with some fairly hefty country, rock and pop inﬂuences. Other than that, they can just expect a bunch of guys and a girl playing their instruments and loving what they do.”

In closing, Heaney gives a rebel yell out to anyone thinking about coming along. “Support your local music scene, get out there and raise your ﬂag for your country! We only ask that people come to ours shows and get drunk, head bang and have a bit of a slam dance.” WHO: Kombi Killers WHERE & WHEN: Greenslopes Bowls Club Saturday Feb 19

The debut single from Gold Coast hard rockers From Within is all ﬁnished and ready to be launched onto an unsuspecting public this weekend and the band are dropping by one of their area’s most well renowned live music venues to make sure that it’s launched in style. The band have enlisted a deadset killer support cast to make sure that the music throughout the night is of a terribly high standard, with Dreamscape Measurement, Sending Artax, Erase The Thought and Exploder all ensuring that the music is nothing but insanely heavy all night long. It happens at the Miami Shark Bar on Saturday night, entry is just ten bucks and if you’re one of the ﬁrst 50 cunts through the door then you get a free copy of From Within’s single Take It for nix! So make sure you’re there when doors open at 8pm.

OPEN YOUR EARS

A diverse range of indie bands are getting together next Friday night to bring a wide selection of wonderful aural delights to the open-minded music loving public of Brisbane. All female ﬁve-piece Legless head up the bill and they’ll be joined by locals The Auburn, Tourism, JackSeven and new electrorockers Swim. It all happens at the Tempo Hotel on Friday Feb 25 and the best news of all is that entry is not going to cost you a cent! So get along, drink a beer, eat a steak and enjoy what the local scene has to oﬀer. The fun begins from 7pm.

DOG EAT DOG WORLD

Melbourne folkies Husky have just come back from the United States where they have been mixing their forthcoming album Forever So, and they’re just that damn pleased with it that they have decided to release History’s Door, the ﬁrst single from it, without delay! So they’re coming up our way this weekend to say hello and play a bunch of their new material for audiences up here who have been craving to see the group for a while now. The band will be ducking by the Beetle Bar on Thursday night before jumping in the van and heading to Byron’s Buddha Bar for a Friday night party. Tickets for both shows will be available on the door.

SOUTHERN ROCK Two of the biggest names in Melbourne’s vibrant alternative rock scene have joined forces to give punters some serious bang for their buck on an upcoming east coast tour. Sydonia, pictured, have had a pretty productive couple of months, wrapping up a tour with the legendary Korn and then immediately releasing their latest single Ocean Of Storms with a big tour of the country. Fellow hard rockers Jericco have been just as busy, with a massive year of touring in 2010 followed by the release of their highly lauded Nice To See You EP, which is just about to have its second single B Song lifted from it in time for this upcoming tour. These two powerhouse rock bands drop by the Step Inn for a massive show on Friday Mar 4.

THIS ! Y A D R U T A S

STAR BAR

5.10

5.40 - 6.40

6.40

7.10 - 8.10

8.10

8.40 - 10.00

Teleprompter

Tim & Jean

FenechSoler

Friendly Fires

The Ting Tings

Kelis

Faithless

1.15 - 2.00

2.00

DJ Maxwell

Zennith

Sampology & Tom Thum

2.25 - 3.10

3.10 - 3.40

3.40 - 4.55

4.55 - 5.25

5.25 - 6.25

6.25 - 6.55

6.55 - 8.25

8.25 - 8.55

8.55 - 9.55

Erykah Badu

Fat Freddy's Drop

Nas & Damian Marley

Ludacris

Koolism

6.45 - 7.15

7.15 - 8.45

8.45

Wongo

Skool of Thought

Kill the Noise

Fake Blood

Rusko

Sasha

Fans DJs

Ball Park Music

Sidney Samson

1.15 - 1.55

1.55

2.20 - 3.05

3.05

3.30 - 4.15

4.15 - 4.45

4.45 - 5.30

5.30 - 6.00

6.00 - 7.00

7.00 - 7.30

7.30 - 8.30

8.30 - 9.00

9.00 - 10.00

My Fiction

Aloe Blacc

Hungry Kids of Hungary

Mike Posner

Bag Raiders

Miike Snow

Phoenix

12.00 - 1.00

1.00 - 2.30

2.30 - 4.00

4.00 - 5.30

5.30 - 7.00

7.00 - 8.30

Jason Morley

Cutloose

Teejay

DJ Morgan Baker

Surecut Kids

Yolanda Be Cool

Please note that all times are subject to change

10. 30

9.00 - 10.30

DJ Nick Findlay

5.15 - 6.45

DJ Nick Findlay

3.45 - 5.15

DJ Nick Findlay

2.15 - 3.45

DJ Nick Findlay

12.45 - 2.15

Fans DJs

12.00 - 12.45

Scott Walker

12.50

Scott Walker

12.20

Samrai

4.10 - 5.10

Samrai

3.45

Samrai

3.00 - 3.45

Aniki

2.35

12.00

Fans DJs

10.00

Spenda C

9.00

Spenda C

8.00

Spenda C

7.00

Spenda C

6.00

Agent 86

5.00

1.50 - 2.35

12.00 12.20-12.50 12.50

MR J

4.00

Fans DJs

CHINESE LAUNDRY

3.00

1.25

Dubmarine

ROOTS

2.00

12.40 - 1.25

12.00

Agent 86

GOOD VIBRATIONS

1.00 Agent 86

12.00

DJ Juicy

TIME:

8.30 - 10.00

Tenzin

DOWNLOADABLE VERSION AVAILABLE FROM GVF.COM.AU 47

ON THE DOWNLOAD Screeching Weasel – Beginningless Vacation Pop punk legends Screeching Weasel are back! It has been 11 years since the release of their last album Teen Punks In Heat and 25 years since their formation in Chicago. Frontman Ben Weasel is the only member of the band who has remained constant throughout, but their sound hasn’t altered all that much from the early days. Beginningless Vacation, the ﬁ rst taste from their new record First World Manifesto, has surfaced online courtesy of Spin and unsurprisingly it’s a feast of power chords, sickly poppy melodies and the kind of snotty delivery that only Weasel could muster up. It’s pretty slick, but that’s been Weasel’s modus operandi for ages now – important thing is it’s a whole lot of fun. Their

like Surly and the blunted, downbeat tracks are all well worth your time. [saintsurly.com]

First World Manifesto album will be out on Fat Wreck Chords in March. [spin.com/articles/ exclusive-punk-standouts-screeching-weasel]

drums and a brightly twinkling guitar motif. There’s something awfully comforting about it. [myspace.com/loveconnect]

Love Connection – Home On Th e Wave Melbourne’s Love Connection had a big 2010, well and truly graduating from being a little Melbourne indie outﬁt to a well-respected part of the national scene. The band’s few visits up north were all incredibly wellreceived and now they have thrown a brand new track up on their MySpace (they mustn’t have got the memo that it’s dead) that gives us a bit of an indication as to where they’re heading in 2011. It’s a beautiful piece of atmospheric pop that is driven by spasmodic

Saint Surly – LoFi Emporium Saint Surly is one of the coolest cats in Brisbane hip hop, possessing that all too rare quality that makes him appeal to the indie nerds, hip hop heads and clubber kids all at once. Okay, maybe not everyone can get behind his work, but that’s their problem. He’s just released a new beat tape for free on his website made up entirely of beats made on the E-mu SP-1200 drum machine – a piece of technology that’s close to 15-years-old. It’s a cool little sample of what the machine can do when in the hands of someone

The Strokes – Under Cover Of Darkness The Strokes kept up with the cool kids (they’re still cool, just no longer kids) by oﬀering the ﬁ rst single from their new album Angles up for free download last week and while that might be over now, they have it streaming on their YouTube channel. As expected from The Strokes, it’s pretty good. Maybe not their finest hour, but it’s perfectly poppy, catchy-as-hell, a little bit gritty and while it’s not really doing anything new, it sounds like The Strokes, so that’s good. [youtube.com/user/thestrokes]

FLOOD BENEFIT SHOWS SATURDAY FEB 19: Fun With Explosives, Celebrity Stalkers, The Gud Fierce, The Last Outlaw, The Vampers, Cheap Th rills, The Irrits, Artiﬁcial Red, Cash Howe, DJ Remy Voodoo, Messiam, Trepidation, Myrtle Place, Embrace Eterinty, Sevenskies, 1.1.1, Th is City Ignites, Kids on Glue, Stone Chimp, D.M.S PUNX, HACK, Kombi Killers, Harming Monica, Macho Grande, Goldstool, Chevy T. Metcalf Greenslopes Bowls Club

FRIDAY FEB 25: The Bronx, Terror, H20, Trash Talk Step Inn

SATURDAY MAR 5: Sub-Vival: Reason & Briggs with DJ Dice, DJ Katch, MC Shureshock, The Coalition Crew, Desmond Cheese, DJ Cutloose, MC Undertow, Dubmarine, Mark 7, 3RDEYE, MCs D-Tek & Antic, Subliminal Dubsterz, Kurrupt, Silent Shadow, De La Haye, Speaker Wrath, Erther Jubilee Hotel

SUNDAY MAR 6: Friends Of Folk Festival: Robert Forster, Don Walker, The Gin Club, Andrew Morris, Asa Broomhall, Emma Dean, Tara Simmons, Mardi Lumsden & The Rising Seas, Hotel Motel, Hannah Macklin & The Maxwells, The Good Ship, Rachael Brady, Mark Lowndes, Matt Nelson, Plastic Wood, Jennifer Boyce, Candice Long, The Flumes, Greshka, Shannon Caddy, Bernie Carson Old Museum

FRIDAY MAR 11: Carnival: Juan De Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, Sidestepper, LDG, Chukale, DJ Cubanito, DJ Frank Madrid, MC Jean-Luc Lamb QPAC

SATURDAY MAR 12: Carnival: Victor Valdes & Real Mexico, Los Mambesis, Azukka, Chukale, Papituy Magepa, Celestino, La Tropa Latina, The View from Madeline’s Couch, DJs: Chamo, Toro, Roberto, Maravilla, Pepe, MC Jean-Luc, MC Tupamaro QPAC

SUNDAY MAY 1: Caxton St Seafood and Wine Festival: Shihad, Ash Grunwald, Gangajang, The Radiators, Evil Eddie, Joel Turner, Nat Col & The Kings, The Optimen, DJ JimmyZ, James Johnston, Harmonic Generator, Revolucion, Afrodisa Caxton St

YOUNG MASTER

Look, we don’t care who you are, but if you’re getting high praise from someone like Chick Corea then it’s pretty damn obvious that you’re doing something right, we reckon. Th is has recently been the case for UK pianist Gwilym Simcock who has spent the past few years travelling the world blowing peoples’ minds with some incredible jazz playing informed heavily by his previous classical training. The music that he plays calls to mind names like Corea as well as artists like Keith Jarrett and John Taylor. Th is 29-year-old can really play! Don’t take our word for it, check him out for yourself on at the Brisbane Powerhouse’s Visy Theatre on Wednesday Feb 23. You can get tickets from the venue now for $35, or ten bucks less if you’re a concession. It all kicks oﬀ at 8pm.

PERSONAL BEST RECORDS with 8 BALL AITKEN

RETURN TO TINY TOWN

Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? An album of early B.B King cuts, but I didn’t steal it – I put it back after I listened to it. I have always been inﬂuenced by the epic blues artists, even at an early age, and this was especially signiﬁcant in the way I developed as a guitar player in my youth.

Record you put on when you bring someone home? Grateful Dead – American Beauty; I have a retro girlfriend. The Dead never made it to Australia, but when you tour America, their inﬂuence is everywhere.

First record you bought? I bought the John Lee Hooker Blues Collection. I loved the simplicity of it. My friends were all listening to Nirvana at the time. I liked them too, but I wanted to get something that was very guitarcentred, and I was keen to get back to the source of popular music, even when I was in my early teens.

Most surprising record in your collection? Sushi & Gravy – Japanese shamizen bluegrass music. It is really fast and a lot of fun.

Record you put on when you’re really miserable? I’m not really the bummed out kind, but if I was sad, I’d pick Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Last thing you bought/downloaded? Ray Wiley Hubbard – Snake Farm. Ray is a Texas stoner cowboy legend, and I highly recommend his tunes. I saw him play a few times in Nashville, and he blew my mind. He mixes psychedelia, rock, country and blues in a completely bent way. 8 Ball Aitken plays The Joynt on Thursday Feb 17 and Ric’s Bar on Monday Feb 21

Brisbane-bred musician Peter Loveday has been spending most of his time living in Spain in recent years, but next week will see him make a return to his home city to play a couple of all-too-rare shows with his hotshot band behind him. Said band features John Willsteed of The Go-Betweens and The Apartments fame, Steven Pritchard of Swell Guys and Xero and Michael Elliott, who was one of Loveday’s band mates in Bird Of Tin back in the day. If the name rings a bell but you can’t put your ﬁ nger on it, Loveday was also a member of bands like Tiny Town, Antic Frantic and The Supports and while we’re not sure how much of that material he’ll play when he’s in town, we guess you can only hope. He plays the Beetle Bar on Friday Feb 25 with support from The Sixteenth Century, Stag and The Dark Bower and Room 60 at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village Saturday Feb 26 from 5pm.

CHEAP, FAKE, AWESOME

Seven-piece good time group Cheap Fakes have been busy spreading their poppy brand of funk and reggae to audiences down Sydney way over the past couple of weeks, but they’re now back in town and ready to deliver yet another couple of parties in the home town and down the coast. Th is party band are likely to (figuratively) tear the roof off The Loft, Chevron Island on Friday night before heading to their favourite South Brisbane The Joynt on Saturday night to help that venue get back on its feet following the floods a couple of weeks back. Whether you feel like dancing like a maniac or just grinning your face off, you won’t want to miss these shows.

IN ROARING FORM

They’ve been a little quiet on the live front of late, but local orchestral pop rock band Lion Island are set to turn in their third of four shows at the Brisbane Powerhouse this Friday night as they continue on their run of shows for The Residents series of shows at the venue. The band – who are now a six-piece – have been writing plenty of material for a new album which they hope to have released sooner rather than later and we bet you’ll be able to hear plenty of their new material when they hit that Turbine Platform from 6pm. Entry is free, it’s open to all ages and it’s one hell of a way to kick start your weekend! The band will, of course, be there again on Friday Feb 25.

ROCK THE SLOPES The Greenslopes Bowls Club is going to be turned into one almighty den of rock’n’roll power come Saturday Mar 5 as the In-Surge Festival takes over the venue for one massive day and night of kick arse music, pyrotechnics, markets, food and booze. No fewer than 26 bands are on the bill for the events, including – in no particular order whatsoever – Eternal Rest, Veiled In Flesh, Dead End Kings, The Fevered, Promises, Bonesaw, Inhailed, We Live Forever, Brazen Bull, The Kidney Th ieves, pictured, Dreamkillers, If I Lie, The Stone Fox, Embrace Eternity, Southern Crossﬁre, Never Plead Guilty, Kablammo!, Kunst, Adriatic, The Black Market, Mad Machine, Origin Of Janken, INCYDE, Silver Ocean Storm, Five Star Prison Cell and the mighty Lynchmada. Tickets for this huge event are available from Rockinghorse Records for $26 or you can grab one on the door for $30.

SIX PACK MACHO GRANDE

SUBSCRIBER INCENTIVE

HARDSWEATING LOCAL OUTFIT MACHO GRANDE ARE PUTTING THE FLOODS BEHIND THEM AND DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST: PLAYING KICK ARSE MUSIC TO BENEFIT OTHER VICTIMS. TONY MCMAHON HEARS SOME AMAZING STORIES.

Subscribe during the months of February and March and go into the draw to win a hot pink electric guitar package that includes case, lead, strap, guitar and hot pink amp supplied by proud sub-discount outlet and business sponsor Browning Street Music.

And drummer Mark Reid says that Brisbane should be full of pride about how it coped. “The level of damage was devastating – and the level of help coming out onto the street was inspiring. Brissie really mobilised and the music community in particular. There were more musos than at a rock festival but everyone had brooms and shovels instead of guitars. It’s something Brisbane can be proud of.” So, what will the gig be like? Are Macho Grande up to the task given their recent travails? Sounds like it. “Everyone has been affected in some way,” says bassist Russell Bellotti. “Some of our good friends have lost their place and a lot of their stuff, our band room went under, and some of the band have flood refugees staying. Some of the band were flood refugees (really more moochers than refugees, but hey). As a flood safety side note: don’t let someone on a three-day bender help you decide when to leave a flood bound house and what you should do with your belongings. ‘It’s cool man’ isn’t so cool anymore once you’re driving down your street in a boat!” “Our jam room in West End went underwater,” says vocalist Matt Costigan. “Luckily we got all the important stuff out in time. In the days following the flood, we were down there trying to do anything that needed to be done to help out with the damage.”

“Funny, sexy, family-friendly, petfriendly, comforting,” is how vocalist Suzie Misso says it’s going to be. “We have a lot of fun, try to give it our all and hope that the audience enjoys what we’re serving them, a big plate of steaming hot balls,” says Costigan. “The best way to help your fellow Brisbane-ites out of the swamp,” says Costigan, “is to come to Greenslopes on Saturday and party!” WHO: Macho Grande WHERE & WHERE: Greenslopes Bowls Club Saturday Feb 19

RADIO TRAINING

TOO COOL Two relatively new bands who are doing their all to satisfy the ever growing population of indierock loving folk in Brisbane town are Lunch Tapes and Tiger Beams and as such it makes fairly decent sense that the two groups would join forces for a big night of indie fun at Ric’s Bar this coming Thursday night. Lunch Tapes have just had a bit of a line up change with a new member joining the fold while Tiger Beams have been chugging along as only the can, playing plenty of shows, winning over heaps of new fans and generally having a good old time. Entry is free and the fun begins sometime around 8pm.

TIME WARP

Feb 16, 1990 – Ike Turner is sentenced to four years in prison on cocaine charges.

Feb 17, 1969 – Johnny Cash and Bob

Dylan have a recording session in Nashville, Tennessee. The duet Girl From The North Country is released from the session. Feb 18, 1968 – David Gilmour replaces Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd. Barrett had gone and checked himself into a psychiatric hospital and then gone into seclusion. Feb 19, 1980 – Bon Scott, the lead singer of heavy metal band AC/DC, dies in London at the age of 33. Folklore has him dying as a result of choking on his own vomit after drinking heavily, but many believe he froze to death after being left in a car overnight... Feb 20, 1996 – Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and a bodyguard are found not guilty of ﬁrst-degree murder. The jury is deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter charges resulting in a mistrial. Feb 21, 1958 – The ﬁrst Flying V, by Gibson, is shipped from a factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Feb 22, 1978 – Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are arrested in New York and charged with drug possession.

BIRDS MEET LAMB

A FINAL BANG The past few weeks have seen local group Bang Bang Boss Kelly line up each Friday night at new local venue The Alley in the Brisbane CBD and this Friday will be your fourth and final chance to see them as a part of this residency. The band are capitalising on what was a solid first year of their existence by wasting absolutely no time in getting back into the swing of playing live and these shows have been a great testing ground for all sorts of new and exciting things for the band. The final show in this residency hits The Alley on Friday night and the band will be joined by fellow locals I Am Tiger and Dead Shades, entry is just $5 and the drinks are apparently quite reasonably priced too. It all kicks off at 7.30pm.

Much lauded UK electronic music luminaries Lamb are going to be in Brisbane and we can tell you for a fact that there are a huge number of people very excited about having the chance to see this majestic duo once more. One group of people who are probably just a little bit more excited that anyone else though are the members of local indie outﬁt Oh Ye Denver Birds, pictured, who have just been announced as the support act for the duo’s entire Australian tour – a great coup for them to say the very least. The band’s eclectic blend of diﬀering styles of indie rock has had them marked as a real band to watch in recent times and no doubt they will over plenty of new fans when they support this legendary act this week. They play The Hi-Fi on Friday night and there are still a couple of tickets available from Moshtix for $60 + bf.

4ZZZ is now offering the full Certificate III in Media for volunteers wanting to formalise their broadcasting skills or learn some new ones! Th is affordable course is being run at the station from March 2011 and will include community radio program maker/presenter ore units plus: CUFRES201A Collect and organise content for broadcast or publication CUFPPM301A Plan and prepare programs CUFWRT301A Write content for a range of media CUFSOU302A Compile audio material for broadcast CUFAIR201A Develop techniques for presenting information on radio CUFAIR301A Present a radio program BSBDIV301A Work effectively with diversity CUFSOU204A Perform basic sound editing Th is is great opportunity to work with a small group and an experienced trainer to gain certificate level skills which are nationally recognised. If you are interested in learning more about the course structure, fees and dates please contact giordana@4zzzfm.org.au.

4ZZZ GEARS UP FOR YOUTH WEEK The 4ZZZ The Youth Show is going to celebrate this year’s Youth Week (Apr 1-10, 2011) like never before. The main event, Fluorescent Adolescentzzz, will celebrate emerging digital artforms and encourage youth community involvement, with an exhibition, live music and an outside broadcast on 102.1FM! We are looking for young people to get involved in the event management, hold workshops, contribute art or play their music at the event. If you are under 25 and are keen to be part of the action please email youthweek@4zzzfm.org.au.

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES Do you own a business and would like to join the 4ZZZ 102.1fm family by becoming a business sponsor? Every day more local businesses are discovering the beneﬁts of promoting on 4ZZZ as we have a very unique target audience and our listeners trust the businesses we promote because we keep our audiences needs in mind when taking on sponsors. Please email sponsorship@4zzzfm.org.au to ﬁnd out more about our business sponsorship packages.

YOUTUBE OF THE WEEK

Raekwon – Shaolin VS Wu-Tang Say what you will about the Wu-Tang guys, they know how to keep busy. The title track from Raekwon’s forthcoming LP Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang was revealed last month and now a pretty insane video has surfaced too. As you’d probably expect by the subject matter of the tune, there’s a shitload of really very violent kung-fu action happening courtesy of some animated ninjas, who have apparently broken into The Chef’s studio for some reason. The action is all so frenetic that it kinda makes you a bit dizzy, but it suits the slamming track nicely and probably looks amazing after you’ve ripped a few like a sultan so serves its purpose nicely.

NEW ALBUM

HARD TIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES

SOCIAL DISTORTION

Iconic rock’n’roll band Social Distortion are back, better then ever, with their ﬁrst studio album in six years, Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes. Catch them live, touring Australia for the ﬁrst time as part of the Soundwave Festival in Feb/March 2011.

The Music.com.au is also giving you the chance to win a signed Epiphone 56 Goldtop from the band. Simply go to the themusic.com.au and ‘like’ the page for your chance to win. HARD TIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES by SOCIAL DISTORTION is on sale Friday 21 January. You can also see the band live at Soundwave 2011 or at one of their many sideshows. Go to www.soundwavefestival.com for more details.

www.iconmusic.com.au

GETTIN’ COMFY

SIX PACK

with LION ISLAND

HEAVY SUN SELF-PROCLAIMED HIGH-OCTANE STONER PUNK ROCKERS HEAVY SUN MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN TOGETHER A SHORT WHILE, WEATHERING A VOCALIST CHANGE IN THAT TIME, BUT THE MEMBERS’ INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES MEAN THEY’RE MORE THAN PREPARED TO FINALLY MAKE THEIR STAGE DEBUT. GUITARIST LUKE EARTHLING CHATS TO MITCH KNOX. with the band’s relative unfamiliarity to the public the familiarity between the members themselves is fundamental to their workability – especially considering Wallace’s later arrival. “I’ve known Tal for ages and love his Smokestack Orchestra,” Earthling enthuses. “When we had to get a new singer I hassled him for a couple of months and he ﬁnally agreed. I sweetened the deal with the promise he can play some crazy space rock synth on the new songs.”

What is it about the venue that makes you want to do a run of shows there? We’ve always loved playing the Powerhouse, it has really good sound and plenty of room on stage. Plus it’s all ages and free so everyone can come, and it’s easy for people going to other shows to stop and listen.

Our Talons going around and we’re trying to get Yolande to sing a song with us, probably in the last show of the residency.

Same set every week or mixing it up? We’ve been writing a lot of new material, so we’ll be gradually bringing in a few new songs during the course of the residency.

What have you been up to of late? Cleaning ﬂood mud out of our rehearsal space, gradually getting our album sorted, and writing songs for the next one.

Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? There’s a particularly good new folk band called

Lion Island play Brisbane Powerhouse’s Turbine Platform every Friday in February (6pm-7pm, free and all ages)

Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? Out on the balcony, or in the park.

“Heavy Sun was ready to gig last year with another singer who didn’t work out so we had to start all over again when we got Tal [Wallace – The Smokestack Orchestra] on board,” Earthling explains. “We had a huge amount of material to throw at him, to get out and gigging ASAP we decided on a solid set’s worth of songs and Tal used an updated cutup technique for the lyrics doing random Wikipedia searches; he got some very surreal results that we are still getting our heads around – it’s like working with Captain Beefheart!” There has to be an inherent element of trust in any band where the group are happy for the vocalist to essentially Google for lyrics, and Heavy Sun is no exception, where even

Crazy space rock synth is not the only glitchy wonder that one will ﬁnd amidst the Heavy Sun soundscape, however, although Earthling remains coy about what exactly lies in their arsenal. “Secret weapons!” he laughs. “You will have to come to our gigs to hear them in action. eBay and Cashies are an Aladdin’s cave for gear junkies.” Ably prepared for their maiden show, Earthling and Heavy Sun now turn their eyes to the future. “We’ve got a few gigs coming up… So I guess the next few months there will be lots of fuzz!” WHO: Heavy Sun WHERE & WHEN: Step Inn Saturday Feb 19

TUES 15TH FEBRUARY

TWISTED TRIVIA FROM ABOUT 7PM SHARP!

Saturday rday 26th February

• Free to play, prizes & good times •

WED 16TH FEBRUARY

ZOOLICIOUS ART AUCTION A QLD FLOOD PROJECT

71 Vulture St West End

• 6pm till late ~ Get down for arts sake! •

THUR 17TH FEBRUARY

After 3:00pm

LIVE MUSIC ~ TIM JACKMAN & FRIENDS

Free Entry

• 7pm till late •

FRI 18TH FEBRUARY

LIVE DJ IN• 5.30pm THE LAUNDRY BAR WITH DJ CRAIG till late music for big kids • Verve caters for weddings, celebrations, birthdays, parties, launches. let the crew at Verve twist your event into something fantastic

• OPEN DJ SPOTS AVAILABLE CONTACT SHANE • To Play at Verve email info@vervecafe.com.au Verve Cafe Basement Metro Arts building 109 Edward St Brisbane City

WWW.VERVECAFE.COM.AU

Debut LP out early 2011 www.myspace.com/turneronline www.triplejunearthed.com/turner wwwreverbnation.com/turneronline

SIX PACK HUSKY

ON THE TIME OFF STEREO Magnetic Island GENTLE BEN & HIS SENSITIVE SIDE The London Sessions LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Dye It Blonde SMITH WESTERNS American Anthems VARIOUS Rage – In Love VARIOUS Dollar Bar DOLLAR BAR Her 12 Faces LANU Heaven Is Whenever THE HOLD STEADY Mothership Connection PARLIAMENT What’s In Your Mind? NICK MURPHY

4ZzZ FM NOW PLAYING

MELBURNIAN ROOTS/INDIE QUARTET HUSKY ARE QUIETLY STEALING HEARTS EVERYWHERE THEY GO, ESPECIALLY NOW THEY HAVE A NEW SINGLE ALL READY TO LAUNCH. SINGER-SONGWRITER HUSKY GAWENDA TALKS TO MITCH KNOX ABOUT PICKING SINGLES AND RECORDING ON LEVELS SIMULTANEOUSLY DOMESTIC – REALLY DOMESTIC – AND INTERNATIONAL. bandmates worked on every level imaginable – from the lounge room to the United States.

ENGINES FIRED UP You’d be hard pressed to find a harder working band in Brisbane than the ultra-contemporary chamber group Topology and sure enough they are back in 2011 with their seventh studio album Diff erence Engine at the ready. The ensemble have yet again delivered a piece of work that is complex, intriguing, exciting and completely unlike anything else coming out of Brisbane at the moment. They will of course be launching the record in the only way they know how, by having a big musical celebration at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday Feb 27. The band will be joined by local soprano Emma Baker-Spink, who will undoubtedly add a whole new sense of colour to proceedings. It kicks off at 6pm and you can get yourself a ticket from the venue’s box office right now for $29.

1. Magnetic Island GENTLE BEN AND HIS SENSITIVE SIDE 2. Wire Empire MR MAPS 3. Demo PASTEL BLAZE

“The recording process was amazing,” he enthuses. “We started the project with very little experience in recording. Gideon [Preiss – keys] and I set up a bungalow in my back yard with a bunch of old recording gear we borrowed and hired and spent months recording and writing parts and moving microphones around rooms to ﬁnd the sounds we were after. My whole house became a studio. We recorded in the lounge room, the bathroom, the kitchen; we recorded rain and ice cream trucks in the distance … it was a very creative and fertile time for us. “It’s always a bit of a mysterious thing, what makes a song a single,” Gawenda muses on the band’s decision to promote new song History’s Door as the ﬁ rst taste of upcoming sophomore record Forever So. “It’s not a consideration we make during the writing and recording process. History’s Door seemed to have a catchy chorus and really good momentum and we love the song, and when we were … trying to work out what might work as a single, History’s Door sounded like a song you might hear on the radio.” As far as the wider writing and recording experience for Forever So, due to be released in April, was concerned, Gawenda and his

4. Sang Chaud KATHRYN MCKEE 5. Axxonn Remixed AXXONN

“We mixed the album at the House of Blues Studios in LA which sits up on a hill in the San Fernando Valley. The studio is run by great folk and we got along famously with Noah [Georgeson], who mixed the record. We spent 10-12 hours mixing each day and then headed to Hollywood or Silver Lake in the evenings to hang out and see music. There’s a great live music scene over there right now.” WHO: Husky WHAT: History’s Door (Vitamin) WHERE & WHEN: Beetle Bar Thursday Feb 17

6. Scraps SCRAPS 7. EMD-12 THE SMOKESTACK ORCHESTRA

THE BALD TRUTH

8. Unreel Unravel TAPE/OFF 9. Beg For Love CATHERINE TRAICOS 10. Dunks GHOUL

BILLBOARD TASTEMAKER

TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Kiss Each Other Clean IRON AND WINE 2. The King Is Dead THE DECEMBERISTS 3. Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes SOCIAL DISTORTION 4. Pink Friday NICKI MINAJ 5. Brothers THE BLACK KEYS 6. Live Forever: September 23, 1980 * Stanley Theater * Pittsburgh, PA BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS 7. Sigh No More MUMFORD & SONS 8. Low Country Blues GREGG ALLMAN 9. The Party Ain’t Over WANDA JACKSON 10. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KANYE WEST

FILL THE V01D Sydney metal behemoths The Amenta are considered by many to put on the most confronting stage show of any band in the country, and they’re about to celebrate the release of their exciting V01D release. V01D is said to be a multimedia release like no other, comprising of a professionally-recorded, multi-camera live gig as well as other exciting elements that the band are keeping under their hat for the time being but which will surely be revealed in due course. One thing the band have announced is that they will be touring the country on the back of its release, hitting the road with Hobart black metalheads Ruins and getting themselves up to Brisbane for a massive show at Rosie’s on Friday Apr 15.

In order to raise some funds for the Leukaemia Foundation, a group of very brave souls are putting on a big show at The Zoo next week and we can tell you that there will be a whole lot more than just quality live music going on. All five members of the Gina Horswood Band will be shaving or colouring their hair on the night (as well as playing a set, of course) and they will be in some mighty fi ne company on the music front with Danny Widdicombe, Halfway and My Fiction – three of Brisbane’s most loved performing artists – joining in (musically) to help raise some funds. So if you want to hear some quality music and see a band go bald, you need to be at The Zoo on Friday Feb 25. Tickets are just $10 + bf or $12 on the door, but you can dig a whole lot deeper than that on the night and donate some funds to a mighty good cause. It all kicks off at 8pm.

FLOOD OF MUSIC

There are going to be a hell of a lot of good vibes circulating around the Greenslopes Bowls Club this Saturday from noon til night as a whole bunch of musical acts band together to raise funds for ﬂood relief and hopefully have a damn good time while doing so. Fun With Explosives,

Celebrity Stalkers, The Gud Fierce, The Last Outlaw, The Vampers, Cheap Th rills, The Irrits, Artiﬁcial Red, Cash Howe, DJ Remy Voodoo, Messiam, Trepidation, Myrtle Place, Embrace Eterinty, Sevenskies, 1.1.1, Th is City Ignites, Kids On Glue, Stone Chimp, D.M.S PUNX, HACK, Kombi Killers, Harming Monica, Macho Grande, Goldstool and Chevy T. Metcalf will all be there providing quality tuneage from midday to midnight, entry is just $15 and kids under 12 get in for free!

DIDYOU KNOW...

M. Ward has started a blog with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, featuring nothing but crème brûlée reviews?

Hardcore and punk with Sarah Petchell. Email punk news to www.wakethedead@timeoff.com.au The Bronx

The Dead Kennedys are touring! Okay, so Jello Biafra is not doing vocals but it is pretty much the rest of the band we know and love from the 80s with Klaus Flouride, East Bay Ray and DH Peligro joining forces with Ron “Skip” Greer to bring the DK’s to Australia for the first time in a couple of decades. There are only three shows on this tour (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) so this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all you young’uns out there to catch this undeniably influential band! The Brisbane show will be at The Hi-Fi on Thursday Apr 7 and tickets are on sale now. Soundwave Touring have also announced their first major tour of 2011. Escape The Fate will be hitting up Australia with progressive-hardcore act Pierce The Veil. I’m not a massive Escape The Fate fan, but I’ve heard good things about Pierce The Veil. The double bill will definitely kick arse, so make sure you pick up tickets for the show that’s booked for The Tivoli on Sunday May 1. Tickets are on sale now, so make sure you get in quick! In other release news, Los Angeles’ Letlive have been signed to Epitaph and that their explosive third album, Fake History, will finally get a local release later this year. I heard about Letlive late last year and was absolutely blown away by what I heard. To me, I hear Glassjaw, Refused, The Blood Brothers and even a little bit of Protest The Hero when I listen to this album, and it’s a combination that continues to blow me away only a few months later. Epitaph’s release of Fake History will include three brand new tracks Hollywood And She Did, Lemon Party and the Brett Gurewitz (president and founder of Epitaph, guitarist for Bad Religion) produced track This Mime [A Sex Symbol]. The album will hit shelves Apr 8.

There are also a few gigs going on this weekend that fans of Brisbane’s own Against and also New Zealand’s Antagonist AD should check out. On Thursday Feb 17, Against, Bloodshed Remains and Mark My Words play at X&Y Bar. Then on Saturday Feb 19 there’s a killer all ages line-up at The Fort featuring these three bands, who will also be joined by Antagonist AD, Third Strike and Strength Through Purity. Finally on the 19th Antagonist AD, Inﬁnite Thought Process and The Fevered play Rosie’s while Against, Bloodshed Remains, Mark My Words, Relentless and Deceiver hit up Shed 5 on the Gold Coast for another all ages meltdown of a show.

George Clinton

This week’s Soundwave Q&A is brought to you by the mighty ﬁne looking gentlemen in The Bronx. If you don’t check them out at Soundwave, you’re an idiot! That’s all there is to it, basically…

The third announcement for Bluesfest has just dropped and so has my jaw. Boy are there some surprises! The legendary Leon Russell heads up the latest announcement and he is very closely tailed by one of the greatest bands in the history of the world in the 32-piece funk extravaganza that is George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic, who will be playing a three hour set! If you have seen P-Funk play before then you know that they are absolutely unmissable and if you haven’t then I won’t be taking any excuses for you not seeing them this time around. My only hope is that organisers decide to give both of these artists sets on a day other than the Tuesday so those who can’t afford to get along on this last day. The rest of the bill is solid as a rock too, with my previously suggested acts Luciano and Jah Messenjah Band, Imogen Heap, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Raul Malo, Michelle Shocked and Peter Rowan & The Blue Grass Band as well as Ernest Ranglin (whose set at the festival in 2005 with Monty Alexander was one of my finest personal Bluesfest discoveries ever), Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, The Bamboos, The Mad Bastards, Warrior King and Bonnie Casey, The Hands, Bobby Alu and Hussy Hicks. The depth of this festival is mind-boggling, there are already very limited tickets left and I’m guessing there’ll be none at all before long, so hit bluesfest.com.au and grab one right now. The festival hits Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm from Thursday Apr 21 to Tuesday Apr 26. Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on up to the Mothership.

What are you most looking forward to about heading to Australia for Soundwave? Every time we play in Australia is better than the last. This time it’s extra special because Soundwave has gotten so big. We’re looking forward to playing our part in what will deﬁnitely be the best festival of the year. Who are you most eager to check out on the bill? We have a lot of friends on this tour that I can’t wait to see – Queens, Terror, Trash Talk, Melvins… But let’s be honest: it’s all about Slayer and Iron Maiden. What is something that no one knows about your band? We sleep naked. Do you have any rituals or superstitions that you have stick to before you go onstage? If so, what… We stick to a strict routine of hanging out, cracking jokes on each other and drinking. Works every time! What was your favourite album of 2010 and your most anticipated for 2011? 2010 was all about Eyes & Nines by Trash Talk, produced by our guitar guru Joby J Ford. 2011 belongs to us. There’s a new Mariachi El Bronx and Bronx 4 coming this year. Nothing will top it.

Infinite Thought Process, though having had half-a-dozen proposed release dates already over the last year, are supposedly finally releasing their killer debut EP this Friday before launching it the night after at Thriller. The group will be playing with New Zealand metalcore vegans Antagonist AD and local melodic death metallers The Fevered, and have recently posted the self-titled EP’s instrumental track on their Facebook page. The Gold Coast gets another semi-regular serving of metal this Saturday, with From Within launching their debut album, Dreamscape Measurement playing their last show for six months, Sending Artax and Erase The Thought all shredding it up at The Miami Tavern. Attendance will cost you $10 from 8pm. It’s set to be a big night next Wednesday at The Step Inn - young death metal band Kyzer Soze are officially launching their debut EP, Perth death group Entrails Eradicated will be making their Brisbane debut, Black Mask will be playing their last ever show, with Ignite The Chamber opening. Free entry and free pool from 7pm! Soundwave Festival artists Saxon and The Sword will be playing a couple of sideshows – not in Brisbane however. You can catch the duo in Melbourne on Monday Feb 28 at The Espy, and on Tuesday Mar 1 at Sydney’s The Manning Bar. Protest The Hero have been added to High On Fire’s Sidewave show, alongside the already confirmed line-up of Trash Talk and Kylesa. Huge! Tickets for the show, which

Super chillaxed bro Donavon Frankenreiter really loves Australia. It makes sense, he is a keen surfer and his laid back brand of roots pop goes down a treat with Australian audiences. I spoke to the guy late last year after the release of his Glow record and it sounds like he lives the greatest life; living in Hawaii, touring the world, playing music and surfing. Anyway, the aforementioned Glow sees him continue down that well trodden path of down tempo easy listening roots pop and the man himself will be returning next month to show off his new tunes as well as reacquainting us with the old favourites. You can catch him playing The Zoo Monday Mar 14, Coolangatta Hotel Tuesday Mar 15 and the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Wednesday Mar 16. Tickets are on sale now. I’m not sure whether Ohad Rein and Mike Rosenberg have some kind of identity issues or whether they just don’t want to be known by their real names, but the guys who we know better as Old Man River and Passenger respectively have more in common than just bizarre non de plumes. These two singer-songwriters have really taken hold of the Australian public and rapidly built up a solid profile on the back of plenty of touring and a couple of great records. It really makes sense then that these two gentlemen would hit the road together and that’s precisely what they are doing throughout February, hitting just about every major city and regional area they can as they make their way around the nation. They’re taking young fella Daniel Lee Kendall along for the ride and you can see them at Currumbin’s SoundLounge on Friday Feb 18 and the Old Museum on Saturday Feb 19. Tickets are $17 + bf and available right now. I haven’t written anything about Mojo Webb for a while, mainly because I don’t really know what the hell he’s doing at the moment. I can tell you he’s playing a shitload of gigs for the rest of the month, you can catch him at the Boundary Hotel every Sunday in solo mode – a highly recommended Sunday session from yours truly – or with the band at Seagulls on Friday night and the Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna on Saturday night. Also, you can see him filling in with The Walters at the Boundary on Saturday night.

Pop culture therapy with Adam Curley

Metal with Lochlan Watt Fresh out of the studio where their second album is nearly complete, State Of Integrity return to the Monstrothic stage this Friday night. Joining them will be Hate Disciple, Inhailed and newcomers Trepidation. Meanwhile Melbourne black metal group Perseverance will be upstairs to launch their grim new full-length release The Fading Light, with support from black thrash veterans 308 and Lustration. Doors are at 8pm for $10!

Blues ‘n’ roots with Dan Condon rootsdown@timeoff.com.au

takes place on Tuesday Mar 1, are on sale now for $42.90 from thehifi.com.au. Australia’s Brutal Ballet, a group of handpicked ladies dancing to the likes of Lamb Of God, Slipknot, Meshuggah and more, will be heading off for a near-month long US tour in March, and they are bringing Brisbane’s Dethklok tribute band Klokblok over with them as their main support act. Sunshine Coast deathcore band The Ailment are launching their debut album Dead Ends with an all-ages show on Mar 11 at The Fort. The line-up also features fellow Sunshine Coast metallers Infinite Thought Process and Tomb Of Doom, as well as newcomers All My Friends At Sea. Entry will be $15 or $25 for a ticket/album combo, with doors opening at 6pm. You can also currently pre-order Dead Ends in various merch/ticket combinations from theailment.bigcartel.com. Though dates had previously leaked, The Haunted’s latest Australian tour has finally been made official via Red Ant Touring – the modern thrash act, which features ex-members of the legendary At The Gates, will play The Hi-Fi on Thursday May 26 with support from local bands Nefaria, Lynchmada and Desolution. Friday Mar 27 will see them perform at Sydney’s The Manning Bar with Buried In Verona, Recoil and Dawn Heist, with the tour stopping short at only three shows on Saturday Mar 28 at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi Bar with The Omen, Scar The Surface and Subjektive. In regards to the tour, the ever-confident frontman Peter Dolving has stated that he is “fully prepared for anything that is thrown his way”. NSW-based hyper-prolific black metal project Drowning The Light are about to release a split EP with Finnish project Sargeist entitled Crimson Wine / As The Blood Flows On. It’s currently available for pre-order through Morbund Records – moribundcult. com – and will be limited to 500 copies.

‘Film nights’ can be strange and awkward little ventures. If you don’t know the person running it, or the group of their friends there to watch/ drink/talk Fassbinder, they’re about as appealing as inviting your neighbours over to curl up on your bed and read a book over your shoulder. Okay, it depends how hot your neighbours are, but the point remains: small gatherings of strangers can equal social anxiety to the max. And no one wants to feel self-conscious at the moment James Spader is sticking it into Holly Hunter’s leg wound. On the ‘flip side’, film nights can bring with them a spirit of community and even a level of virtuousness (assuming it’s not a Jennifer Aniston movie or 127 Hours on the screen). Gathering a like-minded group to ‘appreciate’ something with an interesting idea behind it – to ‘share’ in an idea – can enrich relationships and cultures. There’s a reason it’s the basis of ‘underground’ culture. On the whole, it seems that film nights are becoming the ‘thing’ again, as commercial cinemas lose patronage and therefore variety due to the home-viewing ‘revolution’. With no money and nowhere to go besides a handful of festivals, independent film is getting intimate, finding homes in bars and art galleries and lounge rooms thanks to inventive distributors (if the film has a distributor at all). However, that goes double for films connected to music or the ‘music business’. Put it down to the continued meshing of film and music mediums, the availability of technologies or the need for record labels and venues to diversify in order to find audiences. Music peeps seem to be leading the film night revival. In August last year, word came from the US that Jagjaguwar, the Indiana label that houses Bon Iver and The Cave Singers, was dipping its toe into film with a DVD release of The Builder, directed by a guy named R. Alverson, whose old band, Spokane, was also signed to the label. With no experience in film distribution, the label turned to the ways it held gigs to find an interested audience – screenings were held in small bars. Likewise, Chicago label Drag City bought the distribution rights to Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers, opening up

distribution to anyone with money and a screen who wanted to show it. Around the same time, Danish band Efterklang were working with French director Vincent Moon to create An Island, which they’ve now made available to anyone who wants to organise a screening. The film is essentially a performative reworking of the eight-piece group’s 2010 album, Magic Chairs (out through 4AD), with the help of an island off the Danish coast and its inhabitants. A website dedicated to it – anisland.cc – has three previews for streaming. Anyone can apply to host a screening as long as the space the film is screened can hold a minimum of five people, entry is free and the event is public. Moon has previously worked with many bands around the world on filmed performances, as part of the Take Away Shows project with other directors (go to blogotheque.net to watch films of Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear, Scout Niblett, Sweden’s Wildbirds & Peacedrums and over a hundred others) and independently with the like of The National, REM and Arcade Fire, who he’s recently been involved in a public word-biffo with over really boring business stuff. With REM, Moon directed the ‘90nights’ series in which, for 90 days leading up to the band’s 2008 album Accelerate, a downloadable hi-def piece of footage was made available on a dedicated website each day. At the end, anyone could cut together their own edit of the footage. If that project was a sign of the way film and marketing was invading individuals’ home environments and even of the breaking down of the creator-audience relationship, perhaps the Efterklang project is a sign that ideas relating to ‘community’ are slowly making their way back. In Efterklang’s model, there is less ‘us and them’ and more ‘we’; the audience also culturally virtuous by being actively involved in the process and the awkwardness somewhat surpassed by everyone’s innate connectedness to the project. Better change the sheets and get ready for the neighbours.

HYH HAVE YOU HEARD?

SIX PACK UNLIKELY SUPERHEROES RILEY NOTTINGHAM AND EMMA WALTON OF LOCAL RISING INDIE FOLK DUO UNLIKELY SUPERHEROES ARE RIDING HIGH ON THE SUCCESS OF RECENT SINGLE MISS YOU IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE LAUNCH OF THEIR SEVEN-TRACK EP SHOOTING DOVES AND, IN TRULY HEROIC FASHION, THEY TAKE TIME OUT FOR THE LITTLE GUY – IN THIS CASE MITCH KNOX. than seven would’ve been overkill when the direction of the EP isn’t thematically focused.” Ordinarily a duo, Nottingham and Walton recently have expanded their live set-up to include a backing band, enriching their intimate compositions for the concert arena – though expect the duo to play as such as well; after all, that’s how they started this ride. “We now have a backing band, so much of our set is played with them to give the songs more dynamic and ﬁll out the space,” Walton explains. “But then we’ll also strip it back and play a few songs as a duo, which is what most people have seen live. Now we have the band playing with us we’ve got that kind of versatility.”

The Big Rigs play Prince Of Wales Hotel, Nundah on Friday night How did you get together? The Don (guitar): “Idiot magnet syndrome mainly. We all knew each other from playing gigs with our old bands: Billy Condemned, Usandfatso and Vicious. The Big Rigs was a drunken idea that stuck.” Sum up your musical sound in four words. “Loaded loose and loud.” If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? “The Dayglo Abortions in Canada. Really cool guys and awesome to hang out with.”

From Within play Miami Shark Bar on Saturday Feb 19 How did you get together? Daniel Whitelock (drums): “A love of heavy hittin’ rock and a few Street Press advertisements for band members and we were good to go!” Sum up your musical sound in four words. “Melodic. Rhythm. Epic. Awesomeness.” If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? “Killswitch Engage.”

You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? “It’s Alive, Ramones.”

You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? “Karnivool – Themata.”

Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? “David (drummer) getting his Big Rigs tattoo before we played our ﬁrst gig.”

Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? “Recording our debut six-track EP Timeless at Core Studios.”

Why should people come and see your band? “Cause everyone is there for the same reason, to get loaded and get fucked. We provide the soundtrack. Gigidy Gigidy.”

Why should people come see your and band? “Epic solos. Drums smashed. Guitars ﬂung and vocal chords severed. If you want an energy-ﬁ lled, mosh-worthy show… From Within are your band!”

DIDYOU KNOW...

Tricky’s debut single Aftermath was written for Massive Attack, but they rejected it?

DIDYOU KNOW...

Kate Nash also plays in a punk rock band called The Receeders?

“Recording the EP was a great opportunity for us to try lots of things – and so we did,” Walton explains. “As a result there’s a great variety of styles throughout the EP, although they mesh together quite well. Having seven tracks on the EP simply gave us more to work with, without having to release an album-length debut.” “We did have more songs obviously, but we didn’t feel it would add by having more than what we included,” continues Nottingham. “Seven songs is a big EP, eight songs is a bit hazy as to what it’s called, and nine songs is deﬁnitely an album. The purpose of the EP was to show a wide range of songs, and experiment to some degree. More

Nottingham expands: “[Expect] fantastic, dynamic arrangements of all seven Shooting Doves songs, complete with violin, drums, harmonica, bass, guitar and other bits and pieces. Plus four brand new songs that we have been working on for months and think people will enjoy.” WHO: Unlikely Superheroes WHAT: Shooting Doves (Independent) WHERE & WHEN: Barsoma Thursday Feb 17, The Tank Hotel Saturday Feb 19

GET YER YAH YAHS OUT Local purveyors of rootsy funk Laneous & the Family Yah have had a busy summer, getting themselves to as many festivals as they can, making sure that their respective dancefloors are far from empty. Now that this festival madness is all but over the band have decided to continue on their always productive path by dropping a brand new EP by the name of Scissors, the first of three they are looking to release this year (yes, the other two will be called Paper and Rock). Of course the band will be taking their dynamic live show out on the road in support of this new release and will kick that tour off with a big hometown show at The Zoo on Thursday Mar 24. Tickets are available from OzTix and outlets now for $15 + bf.

WED 16

Adrian Keys, Kye Cole, Damin Robertson, Ofa Fanaika The Tempo Hotel Despotic Ruin, Irukandji, Sending Artax, Nemesystem Step Inn H.R.G. Swingin Safari Iretro Elephant & Wheelbarrow Mark Sheils Royal George Oatmeal, Tape Oﬀ, Brutet Ben Club 299 Open Mic The Music Kafe Open Mic Night Birdee Num Num Over-Reactor Fitzy’s Loganholme Owie Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Ramjet Royal Exchange Hotel Redspencer, The Moderns Ric’s Soula’ Flare Glass Bar & Restaurant Swervedriver, Giants Of Science, Loomer The Zoo The Bowery Hot Five With Mal Wood The Bowery Tyson Faulkner Fiddlers Green Venus Envy Victory Hotel

THU 17

8 Ball Aitken The Joynt Alla Spina, Trip Sinister, A Cartoon Graveyard, J.D. and The Express The Music Kafe Ballad Boy Loving Hut Black Mountain, The Night Terrors The Zoo Blues Jam Broadbeach Tavern Chester Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Davey Rankin Crusty Quartet The Gollan Hotel Enola Fall The Brewery Geoﬀ Rayner Logan Diggers Club Harry Healy Royal Exchange Hotel I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Satellites The Bowery In Hearts Wake Byron Bay Youth Centre Ingrid James Trio Limes Hotel

Jazz Under The Stars Cloudland Lambda: Alpine Alhambra Lounge Lunch Tapes, Tiger Beams Ric’s Mike Barber Ryan’s Bar, Treasury Casino My Escapade, Fever Pitch, Alloneword Globe Theatre Nik Phillips Victory Hotel Over-Reactor Club Envy Return To Forever QPAC Concert Hall Thousand Needles In Red Hamilton Bowls Club Timothy Carroll, Husky, Planet Love Sound, M Jack B The Beetle Bar Tom Carty, The Wind Up Dolls The Tempo Hotel Woody Elephant & Wheelbarrow

FRI 18

3 Days Oﬀ Broadbeach Tavern 8 Ball Aitken Agnes Waters Tavern Adrian Keys The International Hotel Axxonn, Ambrose Chapel, Die On Planes Spotted Cow Belinda Carlisle Twin Towns Benjam Burleigh Heads Hotel Big Bang Theory Logan Diggers Club Blind Lemon Ric’s Booster Hamilton Hotel Bud Manthey Band Logan Recreation Sports Club C4 Stones Corner Hotel Callum Taylor Horse & Jockey Warwick Cheap Fakes, Nr&D, Chris Sheehy Band The Loft Chevron Island Chick N’ Stu, Brooksy & Co The Tempo Hotel De La Soul The Tivoli Dead Shades, Bang Bang Boss Kelly The Alley, Elizabeth St DJ Quintrixx The Rolling Rock DJ Randyandy Narangba Valley Tavern Duck Duck Goose Bowler Bar Dynamic Duo Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba

Face Ache Coolum Beach Hotel Farrago, Mad World, The Vampers The Music Kafe Floating Bridges Locknload West End Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, Seja, Keep On Dancin’s Woodland Geomantra, Otaku, Gentlemen, Jerry Blam, Monster Monster Basement 243 Glenn Esmond, Michelle Brown Duo Alexandra Headlands Surf Club Hemi Kingi Trio The Morrison Hotel Jan Lennardz J’z Jazz Crew Vida Amor Restaurant Jason Mcgregor Ryan’s Bar, Treasury Casino Jeﬀ Carter Victory Hotel K2 Duo Edinburgh Castle Hotel Kye Cole, Venus Envy Elephant & Wheelbarrow Lamb, Oh Ye Denver Birds The Hi-Fi Lifted Minds, Karm & Kb, Hell Or High Water, Demolition Crew The Beetle Bar Lisa Hunt Live Wire Bar, Treasury Casino Mace Southern Hotel Toowoomba Mason Rack Band Bribie Island RSL Mirror World Royal Exchange Hotel Mr Perkins Kawana Surf Life Saving Club Nat Col and The Kings Tewantin Noosa RSL Old Man River, Passenger, Daniel Lee Kendall Soundlounge Currumbin Over-Reactor Step Inn PJ Hooker Cannon Hill Tavern QSM Live: Amy Janson, Tyrone Noonan Queen Street Mall Ramjet Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Roses Are Red Poetry Burlesque: Pascalle Burton, The Scroundrelles Brisbane Square Library Rushmore The Crown Hotel Samuel Jared Criterion Dalby Secret Agents Chatswood Hills Tavern

Simon Kennedy Q Bar Holiday Inn Solar Rush Newmarket Hotel Starlight Theatre, Words Versing Verses, Alibrandi, Luke Lukess Globe Theatre Stevenson St Albany Creek Tavern The Beam Alderley Arms Hotel The Front Kedron Park Hotel The Geoﬀ Green Trio The Point Restaurant The Green Sinatras Miami Tavern The Kate Mackie Quartet Gertie’s Restaurant And Bar The Like, Oceanics, Feathers The Zoo The Necks Byron Cultural & Community Centre The Residents, Lion Island Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Platform The Wizard and Oz Australian Legion Memorial Club Thousand Needles In Red Fusion Villa Noosa Timothy Carroll, Husky, Planet Love Sound, M Jack B The Brewery Todd Burns Centenary Tavern Tuﬀ y Wharf Tavern Tyrone Noonan Transcontinental Hotel Tyson Burrell Club Hotel Waterford Vertigo CBX Viper Room Hinterland Hotel Well Hungarians Murrumba Downs Tavern

SAT 19

4 Play Redcliﬀe RSL 8 Ball Aitken Beach House Hotel, Hervey Bay Adrian Keys Tinbilly Travellers ASMF: Band Of Frequencies, Dave Flower Band Noosa Bicentennial Hall Axxonn, Ambrose Chapel, Die On Planes Woodland Az Kerwin Pub Mooloolaba Belinda Carlisle Kedron Wavell Services Club Big Guy, Little Guy Rum Jungle, Brackenridge

Black and Tan Fantasy Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn Tributes Australian Legion Memorial Club Boogie Knights Live Wire Bar, Treasury Casino Bowler Bar Bowler Bar Bud Manthey Band Fisherman’s Wharf Tavern Cheap Fakes The Joynt Choose Mics, Kawz, 333 Clique, The Allegiance, Dj Returnagain, Discrete Pete Basement 243 Comicbook Hero Royal Exchange Hotel Dave Kemp Gertie’s Restaurant And Bar Dave Ritter Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Dean Watkin, Nik Phillips Hamilton Hotel DJ Quintrixx The Rolling Rock Downlode Broadbeach Tavern Enola Fall X & Y Bar Flood Fundraiser: Artiﬁcial Red, The Vampers, Embrace Eternity, Th is City Ignites, Kids On Glue, Goldstool, The Last Outlaw and more Greenslopes Bowls Club Flood Fundraiser: Bernadette Fisher, Daniel Mallari, Brett Kane, Lucy Mcintosh, Champagne, Narelle Schmalkuche Paradise Point Esplanade Park Flying Blind Newmarket Hotel Francesca Sioti, Hemi & 2 Stroke, Rear Vision, Zed Charles & His Boys The Music Kafe From Within, Dreamscape Measurement, Sending Artax, Erase The Thought, Exploder Miami Tavern Shark Bar Geoﬀ Rayner Southern Hotel Toowoomba Glenn Esmond Narangba Valley Tavern Good Vibrations Feat., Faithless, Phoenix, Sasha, Nas And Damian Marley, Kelis, Ludacris, Erykah Badu and more Gold Coast Parklands Goran Sedlar Duo Redland Bay Hotel

Heavy Sun, The Smokestack Orchestra, Ironside, Rollerball, Hell City Glamours, Mick Medew & The Rumours, The Moderns Step Inn Jabba Elephant & Wheelbarrow Jimi Beavis Railway Bar, Byron Bay Kate Nash, Young Men Dead, The Th in Kids The Hi-Fi Keiran Halpin, Steve Tyson Loose Acoustic Listening Room M Ward The Tivoli Mason Rack Band Cabarita Beach Bar Meridian O’Malley’s Irish Bar, Mooloolaba Michelle Brown Duo River Lounge Noosa Mick Danby, Punchline The Tempo Hotel Nat Col And The Kings Hinterland Hotel Old Man River, Passenger, Daniel Lee Kendall, The Necks Old Qld Museum Our Ithaca Creek, What Rhymes With Music Ric’s Over-Reactor Runaway Bay Tavern Palmwoods Got The Blues: Doc Span Blues, Kniki & Mike Beale, Mojo Bluesman Palmwoods Hotel QSM Live: Dana Gehrman, Murphy’s Pigs Queen Street Mall Ramjet Surfers Paradise Beer Garden River.Stone.Haze Globe Theatre Scooby Don’t Paciﬁc Pines Tavern Second Gear The Palace Hotel Solar Rush Victory Hotel Stone Mountain, Hogjam The Gollan Hotel Sue Bond Jazz Quartet Woombye Pub The Black Stars, Lords Of Wong, New Jack Ruby’s The Beetle Bar The Books, High Places The Zoo The Febs Cleveland Sands Hotel The Greenstones Locknload West End Thereafter Brothers Ipswich Thousand Needles In Red Albany Creek Tavern

KEEN RELIABLE COURIERS WANTED TO DISTRIBUTE OUR MAGAZINES IN BRISBANE AND THE GOLD COAST. EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING. EARLY START. GREAT PART TIME WORK. MUST HAVE ABN NUMBER.

EMAIL: DISTRO@ TIMEOFF.COM.AU

TLD Wharf Tavern Todd Burns Centenary Tavern Trace Logan Diggers Club Tyson Faulkner Manly Hotel Unlikely Superheroes, Eyes Of Azure, Eli Cavanagh, Stephen Denham, Foxes, Kitsunegari, Zander Hulme The Tank Hotel Vertigo CBX

SUN 20

8 Ball Aitken Bucca Hotel Adrian Keys The Breakfast Creek Hotel Bec Laughton Australian Legion Memorial Club Block Party Elephant & Wheelbarrow Candice Long, Edward Guglielmino Queen Street Mall Chris Ramsay, Darren Scott Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Clark Brick Waterfront Hotel Cuca Shop Ric’s Green Room Genki Café Hodads Broadbeach Tavern Johnny & The Heartbreakers Live Wire Bar, Treasury Casino Jonesy The Crown Hotel Live Spark: Timothy Carroll, D. Rogers Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Platform Mace Southern Hotel Toowoomba Mason Rack Band Bearded Dragon Tavern Michelle Brown Duo Rococos Noosa Mirror World Dublin Docks Tavern Mustard Duo Blue Paciﬁc Hotel Nik Phillips Victory Hotel Ramjet Miami Tavern Razz Newmarket Hotel Red Deer Loaded Sundays: Sarah Collyer, Steve Case, The Fumes Locknload West End Ross River Fever Redland Bay Hotel Russ Walker Duo Oxford 152 Scenic Tour, Jimi Carr, Brendan Agius, Mike Beale The Music Kafe

Sunday Solo Session, Tom Carty The Tempo Hotel Syd Wilson Benowa Tavern The Mick and Sidey House Band The Italo Club, Nth Lismore Thousand Needles In Red Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Tricky, Katch The Zoo Tyrone Noonan, Venus Envy Royal Exchange Hotel Tyson Faulkner Burleigh Heads Hotel Uni & Her Ukelele, Ukulelezaza, Shelley O’brien, Jontom, Paul Moore, Bosko And Honey, Dino Divo Brisbane Arts Theatre

MON 21

8 Ball Aitken, The Reversals Ric’s Stoner Pony The Music Kafe Twisted Trivia Birdee Num Num

TUE 22

Albare Gold Coast Arts Centre Best Of Escalate: Sky Pilot, The Snatch, Seven Sermons The Tempo Hotel Blues Benders Jam Night The Italo Club, Nth Lismore Bogan Bingo Birdee Num Num Burl Calypso Bar Casey Fogg Elephant & Wheelbarrow Dame Kiri Te Kanawa QPAC Concert Hall Deva Premal And Miten Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Jak, Van Diemen X & Y Bar Pascalle Burton, Alan Wearne, John Koenig, Chris Lynch Riverbend Books Paul Young Trio Locknload West End Shelley Short, The Gold Coats Ric’s Venus Envy Wharf Tavern Winter Of Reason, Now & Then, Connor Cleary The Music Kafe

THURSDAY 17TH FEB

MY ESCAPADE + FEVER PITCH + ALLONEWORD $12 TICKETS

FRIDAY 18TH FEB

STARLIGHT THEATRE + WORDS VERSING VERSES + ALIBRANDI + LUKE LUKESS $10+BF PRE, $15 DOOR

SATURDAY 19TH FEB

RIVER.STONE.HAZE + APOLLO + THE CURVES + TRASH QUEEN $12 TICKETS

SUNDAY 20TH FEB

ROCKUMENTARIES (AFTERNOON)

SEX PISTOLS' GREAT ROCK N ROLL SWINDLE + THE RAMONES' END OF THE CENTURY $13 TICKETS

(EVENING)

KURT COBAINS BIRTHDAY! NIRVANA: UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK

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$10 TICKETS

THURSDAY 24TH FEB

CULT ULT CINEMA CINEM NOSFERATU: RE-SCORED $10 TICKETS

FRIDAY 25TH FEB

FUNK’D N SOUL’D OUT + SCRIPTED DIALECTS + TAILOR MADE + BROMPTON RD + STUB BORN + QUORUM CONSENSUS $10 TICKETS

SATURDAY 26TH FEB

THE SEABELLIES + THE CAIROS + GLASS TOWERS $10+BF PRE, $12 DOOR

SUNDAY 27TH FEB

CULT LT CINEM CINEMA HORROR EVENING NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD + CHILD’S PLAY + CARRIE $13 TICKETS

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THURSDAY 17 FEB

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FRIDAY 18 FEB

SATURDAY 19 FEB

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SUNDAY 20 FEB

MONDAY 21 FEB

UPSTAIRS:

CUCA SHOP (2 SETS) (9PM)

TUESDAY 22 FEB SHELLEY SHORT (9.30PM) +THE GOLD COATS (8.30PM)

8 BALL AITKEN (9.30PM) + THE REVERSALS (8.30PM)

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ALHAMBRA LOUNGE Thursday Lambda: Alpine

BIRDEE NUM NUM Wednesday Open Mic Night Monday Twisted Trivia Tuesday Bogan Bingo

BOWLER BAR Friday Duck Duck Goose Saturday Bowler Bar

BRISBANE POWERHOUSE THEATRE Tuesday Deva Premal and Miten

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Sunday Live Spark: Timothy Carroll, D. Rogers

ELEPHANT & WHEELBARROW Wednesday Iretro Thursday Woody Friday Kye Cole, Venus Envy Saturday Jabba Sunday Block Party Tuesday Casey Fogg

FISHERMAN’S WHARF TAVERN Saturday Bud Manthey Band

FUSION VILLA NOOSA Friday Thousand Needles In Red

Friday The Residents: Lion Island

GLOBE THEATRE Thursday My Escapade, Fever Pitch, Alloneword Friday Starlight Theatre, Words Versing Verses, Alibrandi, Luke Lukess Saturday River.Stone.Haze

MIAMI TAVERN Friday The Green Sinatras Saturday From Within, Dreamscape Measurement, Sending Artax, Erase The Thought, Exploder Sunday Ramjet

MIAMI TAVERN SHARK BAR Saturday From Within, Dreamscape Measurement, Sending Artax, Erase The Thought, Exploder

QPAC CONCERT HALL Thursday Return To Forever Tuesday Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

RIC’S Wednesday Redspencer, The Moderns Thursday Lunch Tapes, Tiger Beams Friday Blind Lemon Saturday Our Ithaca Creek, What Rhymes With Music Sunday Cuca Shop Monday 8 Ball Aitken, The Reversals Tuesday Shelley Short, The Gold Coats

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Wednesday Despotic Ruin, Irukandji, Sending Artax, Nemesystem Friday Over-Reactor Saturday Heavy Sun, The Smokestack Orchestra, Ironside, Rollerball, Hell City Glamours, Mick Medew & The Rumours, The Moderns

Thursday Timothy Carroll, Husky, Planet Love Sound, M Jack B Friday Lifted Minds, Karm & Kb, Hell Or High Water, Demolition Crew Saturday The Black Stars, Lords Of Wong, New Jack Ruby’s

SURFERS PARADISE BEER GARDEN Friday Ramjet Saturday Ramjet Sunday Thousand Needles In Red

THE HI-FI

Thursday Tom Carty, The Wind Up Dolls Friday Chick N’ Stu, Brooksy & Co Saturday Mick Danby, Punchline Sunday Sunday Solo Session, Tom Carty Tuesday Best Of Escalate, Sky Pilot, The Snatch, Seven Sermons

Friday Lamb, Oh Ye Denver Birds Saturday Kate Nash, Young Men Dead, The Th in Kids

Friday De La Soul Saturday M Ward

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Wednesday Adrian Keys, Kye Cole, Damin Robertson, Ofa Fanaika

Friday The Like, Oceanics, Feathers Saturday The Books, High Places Sunday Tricky, Katch

WOODLAND Friday Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, Seja, Keep On Dancin’s Saturday Axxonn, Ambrose Chapel, Die On Planes

X & Y BAR Saturday Enola Fall Tuesday Jak, Van Diemen

Wednesday Swervedriver, Giants Of Science, Loomer Thursday Black Mountain, The Night Terrors

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BEHIND THE LINES RETURN TO NOWHERE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BEHIND THE LINES WITH MICHAEL SMITH BTL@STREETPRESS.COM.AU

LITLE BIG MARSHALL

Back in the day, no self-respecting guitarist would hit the stage without at least a couple of Marshalls behind them, the bigger the stack the better. Times have changed, though there’s still plenty of call for that trusty old Marshall stack there are times when you’re working stuff out at home, or in a small rehearsal room or gig, where you want the grunt of a Marshall but space and volume constraints demand otherwise. Well, Jim Marshall and the team have got the answer – their brand new Class5 valve amp. A tonally rich five-watt all-valve combo, the Class5 features true class A Marshall circuitry from input to output, which means you get all the tone, feel and response you expect from a Marshall in a compact, punchy little beastie armed with a 10” speaker. Check it out at your local stockist.

SOUND BYTES Currently living in New York City, The Grates, now a two-piece with the departure of drummer Alana Skyring but using Brooklyn-based replacement Ben Marshall, have been recording in the Williamsburg studio owned by and with producers Gus van Go and Werner F. Due out in April, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes spent the best part of a year recording their new album, Helplessness Blues, utilising Avast Recording, Bear Creek Studios, Reciprocal Recording and Dreamland Studios under the watchful ears once again of producer Phil Ek (Built To Spill, The Shins, Les Savy Fav, Band Of Horses). Also due in April is the as yet untitled seventh album from Foo Fighters. Produced by Butch Vig, who of course produced Nirvana’s Nevermind album, and mixed by Alan Moulder, it was recorded entirely on analogue tape in the garage of Dave Grohl’s home in California’s San Fernando Valley. While American guitarist Will Ackerman, who founded the Windham Hill imprint, was in Sydney in November last year, he co-produced the next album from Newcastle-based pianist and composer, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Earthbound, due for release on Windham in October, with the album’s engineer, Corin Nelson. Welshmen Funeral For A Friend opted to share recording time between Long Wave and Monnow Valley Studios in Wales as they worked on their latest album, Welcome Home Armageddon, with producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bullet For My Valentine, Kids In Glass Houses), who previously worked on their 2008 album, Memory And Humanity. New York guitarist Joe Bonamassa called in South African-born expat Australian producer Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) for their sixth collaboration in five years, the recording of his latest album, Dust Bowl, which was recorded in sessions across Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, Ben’s Studio in Nashville, The Cave in Malibu and The Village in Los Angeles.

It was 21 years ago this year that RIDE went in to record their debut album, Nowhere. Ostensibly among the pioneers of shoegaze, guitarist ANDY BELL talks to MICHAEL SMITH about the making of that album and its remastered glories.

“Y

eah, I’m excited,” Bell, who switched to bass when he was invited to join Oasis towards the end of 1999 and has remained with Liam Gallagher as part of his new band, Beady Eye, admits. “It really means that you’ve stood the test of time if you can do a 20th anniversary edition of an album. Plus you get to have a brand new vinyl copy of Nowhere, so that’s a treat.” For those who weren’t around at the time, here’s a bit of the back-story. Andy Bell met fellow guitarist Mark Gardener at school in Oxford, UK, soon after enrolling in art school and forming Ride with bass player Steve Queralt and drummer Laurence Colbert. In 1989, they were spotted by the legendary Alan McGee, who signed them to his label Creation and three EPs followed in quick succession. The sessions for the last EP, Fall, were recorded at Blackwing Studios in London, introducing them to engineer Marc Waterman, with whom they then recorded their debut album, Nowhere, again at Blackwing. “The first [self-titled] EP [released January 1990] was recorded in Oxford in a very small studio on a very limited budget and the second [Play, April 1990] was similarly recorded in a small studio in London, so getting the more extended time of I guess a month or more, doing the album in London was a huge deal for us. Marc we found at the EMI Publishing studio, which is where, if you were signed to EMI, you could come and record demos for free. We did that to record some of the songs that would have been on the album and we really got on well with Marc and decided, ‘You’re going to produce our album’ and he was as surprised as anyone, but he said yes. “Alan Moulder came in to mix it in the end because it was too much for the poor guy’s shoulders, to do recording and mixing. Alan didn’t bring much to the party apart from his balancing until we did the next album. He was brought in after [Nowhere] was done by Alan McGee – to sort of fix things sonically – and he did a great job of doing that. But then he produced the following album, Going Blank Again [1992] on his own. He taught me how to bend strings – that’s why there’s a lot of string bending on that album [laughs]. Alan Moulder’s definitely got his own sound, which you can hear on things he’s done since then.” Even going into the studio with Waterman at the beginning of recording Nowhere, the band’s sound was undergoing a defining sonic change, as a consequence of Bell and Gardener buying themselves

Once they’ve knocked over their enviable duties as Queens Of The Stone Age supports on their Soundwave sideshows, Calling All Cars will be heading back into the studio with producer Tom Larkin from Shihad. Utilising their warehouse rehearsal space in Alexandria, psych-pop four-piece Plasticine Machine invited engineer Greg Fitzgerald down to capture material for their debut EP, hooking up a Zoom HD16 Hard Disk Recording Studio and an Apple Mac laptop, running the vocal mics – an Audio Technica AT2020 and a Shure SM58 bundled together – through a Digidesign DIGI 2002. Last October, Lion Island became the first band to record in the then newly completed Stephen Bartlett Productions studio in Moorooka in Queensland, utilising the Neve 5316 console. The Beggars have been tracking their new album at MixMasters in Adelaide and are mixing it on the HD System in The Red Stairs in Sydney with engineer Andrew Beck at the helm.

a brand new Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and matching Roland GP-16 rack effects unit each. “They were bought for the album sessions and I still use that guitar today,” Bell chuckles. “The 80s Rickenbackers are really good by the way, if anyone’s looking out for a 12-string – they’re better than 60s ones. There was probably a bank of a hundred sounds you could set yourself [on the GP-16] and you could see little names on them, so there was a lot of button pressing [laughs] going on for the first week – ‘Wow, it does this! Wow it does that!’ – and I was always really interested in trying to program tremolo. I never really got it right until the song Time Machine on the album after. I was always trying to get the [Smiths’] How Soon Is Now sound, but I think that was actually the amp tremolo that Johnny Marr used on that, I read later.” Bell sat in on the remastering of Nowhere, which was done at Abbey Road Studios in London with engineer Nick Webb from the original two-inch analogue tapes. This also included adding the tracks from the Fall EP and March 1991’s, Today Forever, which was recorded at Black Barn with Matt Oliver and mixed once again by Alan Moulder at Swanyard Studios in London. “It was all done very quickly at the time and to have the opportunity to go and do it again was very cool,” Bell enthuses. “It was more to do with making

sure the process got through with the minimum of interference. There was a little bit of EQing, but it was mainly trying to make sure it was the best quality transfer of the original sound possible and make it as loud as it could be without any loss of dynamics.” Also included in the 20th anniversary reissue of Nowhere is a second disc featuring a previously unreleased 12-song set recorded Live At The Roxy, in Los Angeles in April 1991. “It’s my favourite recording of a Ride gig I’ve ever heard,” Bell admits. “It’s got so much excitement on it. And I do remember the night really well. It was achieving our dream of playing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood and we were all big fans of Buffalo Springfield and The Doors and all that kind of thing – all these people that had inhabited these clubs in the 60s. Everything went right – the audience went crazy for us and we kind of felt like, ‘Yeah, we’ve landed in America’. We didn’t even know it was recorded. We never really heard about it. Years later it kind of comes to light that there are all gigs recorded on multi-track tape and I was particularly interested to hear this Roxy one because I remembered it so well.” The expanded 20th anniversary edition of Nowhere by Ride is out now on Rhino Handmade.

GEAR REVIEWS DAVE SMITH INSTRUMENTS MOPHO

Obviously secure in their abilities to achieve what they set out to do, Architecture In Helsinki dubbed their own studio space Buckingham Palace, and it’s there that they’ve spent the past two years recording their next album, Moment Bends, due out in April, and calling on long-time collaborator Francois Tetaz to help out in what they’ve described as a “Spiritual Healing/Co-Production/Mixing role”. As busy as ever, The Brain Studios in Sydney’s inner city Surry Hills has seen owner/operator and in-house producer Clayton Segelov recording singles, EPs and albums for, among others, The Dunhill Blues, Red Bee, Little Napier, Inside The Exterior and Captain Kickarse & The Awesomes among many others over the past three months.

RIDE CIRCA NOWHERE NOWHERE,, 1990

editor will make your life a whole lot easier if you’re not the type to read an instruction manual or if you have trouble learning from pressing a million buttons and turning a heap of knobs repeatedly. The best part about the Mopho is that it comes in both keyboard and module forms to ensure that it will fit nicely into your workspace. One function on the module that everybody will find easy to use is “Push It”, the big red button that is literally asking you to “Push It!” Unfortunately it won’t implode your neighbour’s mailbox but it will aid you in listening to sounds if you’re stuck without a controller keyboard.

n the world of synthesisers the name Dave Smith is all too familiar (being the man responsible for MIDI and the innovation of multi-timbral instruments). You could only expect that all of his products would hold up to their reputation of pushing the envelope in design, innovation and sound quality and the Mopho is of no exception. Being 100 percent analogue and using a singular voice from the iconic Prophet spread over two oscillators it isn’t surprising that this sounds HUGE. This is also thanks to the addition of a switchable analogue Curtis Low-Pass filter and two sub-octave generators (for that March Of The Pigs-styled deep synth sound!). The Mopho also features an arpeggiator, step sequencer and an external audio input. Whilst sporting a humorous name, it was actually named after the fact that it is a monophonic synthesiser – meaning that is has a ‘single-voice’ – you can only play one note at a time. To those of you who are unfamiliar with synthesisers DO NOT palm this off because it’s monophonic, some of the most popular synths (ie. The Moog Voyager) are mono! Unlike it’s not so distant relative the Evolver, the Mopho is simple and easy to wrap your head around, although to be completely honest, the free software

Overall the Mopho is the kind of synthesiser you hear once and buy it immediately. At a price that rivals mainstream, sterile sounding fulldigital synths you can’t go past the Mopho! Ryan Mortimer Supplied by Allans Music. For stockists see allansmusic.com.au/Stores/

DAVE SMITH INSTRUMENTS – EVOLVER Unfortunately this review has to be one of those filled with “boring technical mumbo-jumbo”, synth nerds prepare! Let’s break this synth down, it comes in a mono-module, 37 key mono-keyboard, poly-module and a 61 key poly-keyboard. Although being single-timbre this really is a dream synth featuring four oscillators (two very accurate analogue and two digital), two switchable, selfresonating analogue low-pass filters that each feature their own envelope. Oh no, it doesn’t stop there, not even close! The Evolver also features a VGA (Variable-gain Amplifier) with it’s own envelope, four extremely versatile Low-Frequency Oscillators and a 4-pole, digital high-pass filter which can be placed in the chain before or after the low-pass filters, however, if you place it before it will only effect the signal from the external audio input.

On top of all of these “regular” features you’d expect to find in a synthesiser the Evolver has been equipped with inbuilt effects which can be very useful if you either don’t have the money to purchase individual effect pedals or units or if you would like to minimise space. Some of these effects are feedback, distortion, tap delay. If you can manage to use the inbuilt effects correctly in conjunction with the LFOs you can muster up some very cool and “out there” effects similar to a chorus, flanger and a phaser… kind of. If all of this hasn’t got you on the edge of your seat or even excited you, you will be happy to hear that Dave Smith Instruments have added an internal clock-powered analogue 16 step-sequencer that has a very wide range of uses! You can also access an arpeggiator which has been described as a “hidden-function” in the mono versions. Okay, now down to the ease of use. Have you ever heard of the saying “Give them an inch and they will take a mile”? If you don’t read the manual for this Synth you have given it miles to begin with. So what, it’s a little hard to get used to, don’t let it scare you away because the Evolver has a lot to offer and packs a serious punch, especially in the bang-for-your buck category! Ryan Mortimer Supplied by Allans Music. For stockists see allansmusic.com.au/Stores/

EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION LAWYER: TRAFFIC, DRUGS & CRIME

Vase All Valve Guitar Amp. 1960’s Trendsetter 60 with vibrato.with 2 2/12 matching cabs.very loud,great tone.australian made.Perfect Original Working Condition. suit collector/enthusiast. $1200. Cooroy Qld. Ph.0428744963 iFlogID: 11336

GUITARS

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Guitar/synth to join established Brisbane based band playing original electro groove rock, pop and soul tunes.. CD in production with recording available, video shot and mixes by US and European and Oz producers. Band has management and gigs. iFlogID: 10811

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL Keys Player/ Composer to join established band, good original repertoire recorded & in production. Can contribute to that & next album. Electro rock/pop/ soulful sound, dynamic diva & emcee. Video shot & a track mixed US out now plus gigs & management iFlogID: 10792

ENTERTAINMENT 3D Animator needed to collaborate with musician/sound designer on experimental audio/visual project. An interest in music or a musical background preferred. If successful, our content will be seen at large scale live events such as festivals, concerts, etc. Email: info@immersivemovement.com iFlogID: 11267 Theatre,Backstage,Lighting,Sound,Cre wing jobs online now at backstagejobs. com.au join our facebook page search backstagejobs.com.au and press like or join the fun on twitter/bsjaustralia its free to join and search iFlogID: 11112

PROMOTER Promoters wanted for a nightclub in kings cross easy money Get paid to party Duties will include Hosting/ organising birthdays/ flyering for more details jarrad@therouge.com.au iFlogID: 10887

RETAIL & CONSUMER PRODUCTS Art Gallery Promotions: Refer students to this art course and make $30 commission on each sign-up. Email info@monstrosity. com.au Immediate start, no set up costs. Fun and informative art lessons. Ph 0421356410 iFlogID: 11197

FOR SALE

Gibson 335 chet atkins tennessean signature guitar ebony neck translucent see thru orange real head turner, no fret wear or scratchers mint condition in case $2000 no offers PH 0449536661 iFlogID: 10920 Maton 1973 accoustic steel string 3/4 guitar.model F11.dated 10/73.all australian timbers.original cond.$500. Ph.0428744963.Cooroy. iFlogID: 10788

OTHER AKG D112. Never used!

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Excellent studio monitors, Yorkville YSM1P. Sparsely used and in great condition. iFlogID: 11126 Korg Mr-1000 1-bit professional mobile recorder.Includes Korg’s exclusive AudioGate software and carry bag. As new condition. Original packaging. RRP $2500. Will sell for $1200 O.N.O. Call Shaun on 0408 993 889 or e-mail billop93@hotmail.com. View online ad for more details. iFlogID: 10769 Lexicon MX 220 Dual Reverb Effects Processor. A pristine, never used unit, ideal for small studios. iFlogID: 11124 Male Siberian Husky 7 month Puppy Great Affectionate Nature Pedigree Papers Chipped and Vaccinated All accessories with sale $700 negotiable call matt 0425 820 547 iFlogID: 11136

PA EQUIPMENT Australian Monitor, Inter-M, amps, foldback, racks. The Princess Theatre has PA equipment for sale. Check out the list and prices at http://bit.ly/pasale. Contact Jeremy 0400 404 919. iFlogID: 10991 Australian Monitor, Inter-M, dbx and more. The Princess Theatre is selling a number of PA components including amps, foldback wedges, rack cabinets, and crossovers. Check out the list and prices at http://bit.ly/pasale. Contact Jeremy 0400 404 919. iFlogID: 11167 Carver USA 1800 watt split mono rack mount P.A amp.with Bose controller/ pre amp.8 speaker inputs.very loud. in case.VGC.cost over $2500.sell $850. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy. iFlogID: 10784

MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE Create your own merch! Screenprinting workshop at Monstrosity Gallery, inner Sydney $95 full day. Arrive with ideas, leave wearing your band’s merch. Fun and creative. We also print Custom Tees from $15 each. 0421356410 www.monstrosity.com.au iFlogID: 11194

BOOKING AGENTS AMPS Fender Super Reverb guitar amp (circa 1969 - 71) 4 x 10” original Fender speakers, top right speaker needs re-coning otherwise unit sounds great. Needs cleaning.Speaker repair cost is approx $200 in Sydney. Will deliver anywhere in Sydney...Sell $1895 iFlogID: 11075 Markbass Studio Pre-500 bass amp. Top of the line unit...Three stage distortion... 2 x valve stages + solid state... Compression on-board....EQ.... 9 months old still under warranty. Retails for $4395. SELL $1950 ...Perfect condition.Will deliver anywhere in Sydney. iFlogID: 11077 ORIGINAL 1973 VOX AC30 Amp! Get the original from the year Brian May made it famouse!It’s now a head & cab as head was taken out and given new casing to preserve it’s condition. pics avail on request. 0403-498-103 info@nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11000 Peavey Bandiy 112 80 watt 12” guitar amp combo with reverb’saturation and more.2 channel footswitchable.USA made.great fat tone.VGC. $350. Cooroy. Ph.0428744963 iFlogID: 10782

SYDNEY SUMMER 2011 - Compilation of Sydney bands. Download free from www. swimmingpoolrecords.com Now seeking submissions for Sydney Autumn 2011. iFlogID: 11098

HIRE SERVICES

Fender Pink Paisley Strat.genuine 1980s model.all original.plays great. beautiful tone and action.very rare. excellent condition.with case. $2500ono. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 10786

All court appearances, work licences, unlicenced driving, drink and drug driving, defended trials and guilty pleas. Get advice early. Over ten years experience, assault and public nuisance offences. Music Law and Contract advice. Get legal advice and make informed decisions about your legal issues. Please contact my office on 07 32101663..................... ....,email:info@thecriminallawyer.com.au or visit wwww.thecriminallawyer.com.au iFlogID: 10912

EP RELEASE

Gig Launch are looking for artists to receive free radio play in and around Australia. Lots of genres, lots of time slots. Submissions are free, we just need quality songs! To submit, head to www. giglaunch.com.au iFlogID: 10930 Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency, connecting artists and promoters all over the world. Opportunities local and globally, we need quality artists for our gigs! Head to www. giglaunch.com.au to submit. iFlogID: 11207 Gig Launch is Australia’s first online booking agency, connecting artists to promoters. We’re currently taking submissions on a large amount of opportunities and gigs, so head over to www.giglaunch. com.au to submit your songs and information! Go Aussie, go Gig Launch! iFlogID: 10938 OzSong International is now accepting submissions! Choice of prize is yours: fly to Nashville to record or fly to Sydney to record. Runner-up prizes include studio equipment. Head to www.giglaunch.com. au to get submitting! iFlogID: 10932

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL For as low as $100, you get a professional PA system with a sound mixer with operator. Suitable for weddings, pub/club band gigs, private parties etc. infovision@yayabings.com.au Contact Chris 0419 272 196 iFlogID: 10926

MASTERING Mastering by Wayne Lotek (UK), award winning producer of Roots Manuva and Speech Debelle. From $50 per track, online service available or come into the Melbourne studio. All styles catered for, reggae, hip hop specialist. Email: wayne@lotekproductions.com Phone: 0394170760 iFlogID: 11132

OTHER ATTN METAL BANDS! We’re looking for acts to feature on our Valleyarm Absolute Metal compilation to be sold on iTunes internationally with royalties paid to each act. Contact marta@valleyarm.com to submit your track for consideration. iFlogID: 10857 Daniel is now giving guitar lessons phone 0432 614 066 iFlogID: 11253 Have your music handed out at SXSW and Canadian Music Week to the world’s top music industry professionals with Valleyarm! Contact info@valleyarm.com for more information on how to be included in our American Music Industry Sampler. iFlogID: 10855 Mr Moon Alien? 100%Austr-alien, since Earthtime 92 mr Moon Alien has been creating the craziest sci-fi soundtrax & imagery ever! its Weird-its Crazy - its...Totally Space Out! prepare to blow your mind!! www. youtube.com/digitalfiction3000 iFlogID: 10833 MUSIC PUBLICITY: Got the music but need it to be heard? Need more people at your shows? Take your band to the next level with a publicity campaign designed to put your band in front of music lovers. www.aaaentertainment.com.au iFlogID: 11257

RECORDING STUDIOS Glisten Music is offering free recording sessions for musicians who don’t have their own set up or a good sound room - relaxed vibe with a professional result. Call Rob 07 3324 0378. iFlogID: 10869 Have you got a hit song, but no production skills to match??? Get world class production without blowing your budget. Radio quality - EVERY TIME! Don’t sing? We’ll provide session vocalists and any musos needed. www.nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498-103 iFlogID: 11053 We’re proud to introduce our new recording studio, utilising state of the art technology, at affordable community rates. The studio is available for hire both for production and as a rehearsal space. Located at Liverpool PCYC. Facebook Us!! 02 96086999 iFlogID: 11234

REPAIRS -----SYNTH SERVICE MELBOURNE--Specialising in sales and repairs of pre 90’s analogue synths. Complete recalibration/tuning, sliders and keys refurbish only $130. Visit: www.synthservicemelbourne. com.au Call or Text Luke: 0424 420 605 iFlogID: 10928

ROCKIN REPAIRS - GUITAR TECH RESTRINGS-SETUPS-UPGRADES-REPAIRS Do you live to play? Whether you’ve bought a new guitar or a favourite is feeling faded, we’ll rejuvenate it! We work hard to give you the feel/sound you want! 0405253417 tara@rockinrepairs.com www.rockinrepairs.com iFlogID: 9346

TUITION Guitar Lessons with Jon St. Clair. 10 Years teaching experience and founder of rock school @ olympic studios. Learn any style and progress quickly. First Lesson Free. iFlogID: 10780 Private singing and acting lessons with an full time working and interanational award winning performer. Brake new boundries and let go of your inhibitions, develope flawless techniques & have lots of fun. In Sydney inner city. $50/hr. 0412206675 www.damiennoyce.com.au iFlogID: 11269 SPEECH LEVEL SINGING LESSONS Certified Speech Level Singing (SLS) Instructor. Learn the Technique of over 120 Grammy award winners. Extend your Range. No more Breaks/Flips. Develop Strength. All Styles. Eastern Suburbs. www.mazmazak.com /slsvocalinstructor - Contact Maz: maz@mazmazak.com iFlogID: 11184 Studio 88’s now filling vacancies for private music tuition in Albion Park! Studio 88 provides tuition in piano, voice, saxophone and musicianship in a quiet, relaxed environment. All ages welcome. Call Blake to organise your free trial lesson e:studio88music@live.com.au m:0431007910 iFlogID: 10896

VIDEO / PRODUCTION MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with over 20 artists and strives to offer quality creative Music Videos at an affordable price. Visit www.immersionimagery.com or email info@immersionimagery.com iFlogID: 10885

join a rock n’ roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10948

MUSICIANS WANTED BASS PLAYER A fun Sydney indie/alt/folk band looking for bassist: Age 18-25, Play by ear, Saturday practice, Own transport, Good gear/ fx, Backing vox. www.polarknights.com for our tunes! iFlogID: 11293 Atmospheric electro-acoustic-psychsurf-swamp-kraut-indie-rock band with an upcoming album release seeks friendly bass player. Call or text Danny on 0407226667 check out our songs www. transatmusic.com.upcoming LP and gigs in March iFlogID: 11334 BASS PLAYER NEEDED FOR ALTERNATIVE/ROCK BAND iFlogID: 10952

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! You MUST be an outstanding male bassist! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Drummer is forming a fast paced original rock band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, self-motivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Muse, The Killers etc. Age: 18-30. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11346 Indie/rock covers band looking for bass player to join gig-ready duo in Surry Hills to play David Bowie, Killers, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Dandy Warhols etc. iFlogID: 11018 Invalides are looking for a bass player to play shows and record albums. Must be serious and reliable. myspace.com/invalidesmusic MIshka: 0404 247 555 iFlogID: 10777

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

BASS PLAYER

Bass player wanted for sydney based rock/funk/blues/hard rock band. We’ll start off playing a few covers then start writing our own material once we’re gigging. Call Ben on 0400120340 or dractacular@hotmail.com iFlogID: 10918

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL

26 y/o sunshine coast bassist seeks original prog/alt/rock band. Own good gear & transport. 3+ years experience in original bands. Must be keen, committed & easy going. ph: Broc 0457235607 iFlogID: 11161

Looking for singer, bass player, drummer and 2nd guitarist to form a creative rock band. Applicants must want to create originals and want to expand in playing infront of bigger crowds. Contact if interested iFlogID: 10934

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE

Quality Bass programming avail. Can work on most styles. Prices charged on hourly rate. Visit www.nathaneshman. com for audio examples or email info@ nathaneshman.com iFlogID: 11057

DRUMMER 25, experienced & powerfull keen for most licks Call for Rates Sydney City Based 0425 820 547 iFlogID: 11139 Drummer available for pro cover gigs in Bris or touring. Casual or Permanent. 39yo. 22yrs exp. Rock Blues Hick. Recently returned from cruise ships. Keen to work. Cool to rehearse. Chart reading no prob for jazz/shows. Call or Text anytime. iFlogID: 11149 Quality Drum programing available. Great sounds & awesome groove. Able to do all styles. Check out the audio at www.nathaneshman.com or call 0403 498 103 iFlogID: 11059

GUITARIST 18 year old Guitar player wanting to

Wanted Bass guitarist between 18 and 28yo that is professional. Must have: • Great gear • Transport • Good attitude (happy and enthusiastic & see it through) • Live experience email: thestellaraffect@hotmail.com Our links are: reverbnation.com/thestellaraffect Please, no time wasters. iFlogID: 11002

DRUMMER Brisbane Songwriter/Guitarist is searching for a drummer who plays with Taste and Authourity to round out a fuzz rock trio looking to begin gigging.Own Gear & Transport a must Contact James iFlogID: 10803 Drummer wanted for experimental rock band. Originals. Influences Primus, QotSA, Cake, Beck, Tool, Zappa. Intending to gig. Fast learner preferred (by ear). Hawthorne. Adam 0431629306 For a listen go to http://myspace.com/DBinator iFlogID: 11297 Drummer wanted for LIBERATION FRONT Well established Sydney/Newcastle based Rock/Alternate/Punk/Hardcore band. Influences include: Green Day, Bad Reli-

gion, Against Me!, Rise Against and AntiFlag. To listen check out myspace.com/ liberationfrontau Contact: liberationf@ hotmail.com and Call Tim: 0416128852 iFlogID: 11051 Drummer wanted for up and coming original,covers rock blues band, require committed and experience drummer, influences free hendrix Deep purple Eric clapton to play with motivated Guitarist no band hoppers rehearse between central coast and newcastle 0449536661 iFlogID: 10924 Established Brisbane indie retro pop. EP released to great reviews. Played at all the major venues across Brisbane w/ east coast touring. Write own material but nothing brilliant required. Someone easy to get along with who can rehearse once/ twice a week. iFlogID: 11038 Indie/rock covers band looking for drummer to join gig-ready duo in Surry Hills to play David Bowie, Killers, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Dandy Warhols etc. iFlogID: 11020 Lead Guitarist and Singer seeking an enthusiastic Drummer and Bass Player to join a Western Sydney rock covers band to play various gigs. Influences include Collective Soul, Pearl Jam, Matchbox 20 etc. Please contact Paul on 4774 0085 or 0402746733. iFlogID: 10865 Session, possible full time DRUMMER wanted for central coast rock band.On a rock compilation in USA, Itunes, amazon. com, tunecore etc. Press release in late Feb, Contact Kurt on 0403915430 iFlogID: 11089 Sydney-High Energy, Well Dressed 60’s Garage/Punk outfit looking for Male or Female Drummer who can hold a beat, and wants to gig. Once a week rehursal. Influences-The Stooges, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Hives. Own kit and transport prefferable. myspace.com/jukeboxzombies Astro:0430243915 iFlogID: 11180

GUITARIST 18 year old Guitar Player looking for another Guitar player to form a band with. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper. I live in the south. Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 10950 Drummer Northside own quality P.A looking for guitarist to jam and possibilty, of form band able to practice most day’s before 5pm. Influences Hot Water Music,Leatherface,Coheed and Cambria,Smoke or Fire,Cog. Ph: Matt on 0422692335 or text. iFlogID: 11094

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! Rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist wanted. You MUST be an outstanding male rhythm guitarist or lead guitarist! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Drummer is forming a fast paced original rock band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, self-motivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Muse, The Killers etc. Age: 18-30. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11350 I’M A SINGER/GUITARIST, LOOKING TO START DUO/BAND. WANTED: LEAD GUITARIST/BASSIST/DRUMMER, OR WHATEVER BLOWS IN... I’VE A REHEARSAL ROOM BIG ENOUGH FOR DUO, MORE BAND MEMBERS AND WE’LL NEED A LARGER PLACE. I’M FROM TWEED COAST NSW AREA. CALL PONE 0430597676 iFlogID: 11363 Lead Guitarist Wanted:busy original band Novakayn,are looking for an easy going, peacelovin’ person 2 join us. Must be reliable, creative and professional attitude. Soft Rock, catchy songs. Email: novakayn@y7mail.com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10971 We are seeking a Rhythm Guitarist.1828yo. Professional to join Rock/pop band. (Vocal ability bonus) Must have: •

Great gear • Transport • Good attitude • Live experience Please send, MP3’s or myspace link to: thestellaraffect@hotmail.com Our links: www.reverbnation. com/thestellaraffect & www.myspace. com/thestellaraffect iFlogID: 11004

OTHER OzSong International is Australia’s newest songwriting competition. Grand prize is a paid trip, accommodation and recording time in Nashville or Sydney - the choice is yours. Each contestant through to the finals receives professional recording gear. www.ozsong.com.au for more info. iFlogID: 11205 ROCK BAR LOOKING FOR ACTS!!! Melbourne’s newest original live music venue located in Melbourne Central, is currently looking for artists to perform. Please email Trager at johntragernoiseprojects@ hotmail.com for more information. iFlogID: 11120 We’ve revamped and renamed soundornot.com, we’re now online @ www. indiemunity.com! Artists, upload your music and receive 100% commission on all sales. Promote your music even more with a featured ad! www.indiemunity.com! iFlogID: 11242

SINGER 90s Influenced Frontman in Brisbane Originals band with vintage sound of funk, grunge, heavy, experimental looking for UNIQUE frontman with energetic stagecraft, lyrics, crooning, singing, rapping & aggressive capabilities. 11 songs written. Very serious. Ages 18-27. 0423378506. jordanbleiberg@gmail.com. iFlogID: 11291

iFlogID: 11174

SONG WRITER Acoustic Open mic nite in Footscray at the Plough Hotel starts Feb 17th Thursday contact nsound@live.com.au for bookings Great Pa and equipment, great atmosphere. All instruments welcome Covers and orignals welcome iFlogID: 11096

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! You MUST be an outstanding male singer-songwriter! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Drummer is forming a fast paced original rock band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, selfmotivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Muse, The Killers etc. Age: 18-30. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11340

SERVICES GRAPHIC DESIGN GIG POSTERS Professional Posters at a great price. nicole.a.reece@gmail.com or 1200 Design on facebook iFlogID: 11251 Seriously Good Design. Website design ranging from only $100 - $400. Free domain hosting and email included. Check out our website for all the information www.seriouslygooddesign.com.au iFlogID: 10987 WIN A T-SHIRT for your valentine! Go to amandawest.com.au/shop Just choose your ink colour and we will hand-print it for the winner. Usually $45! ENTER NOW! iFlogID: 11219

OTHER

GET SIGNED TO A 360 DEAL! Get signed to a 360 deal! You MUST be an outstanding male singer-songwriter! Rehearsing at Wetherill Park N.S.W. Drummer is forming a fast paced original rock band to get signed to a 360 deal. Must be ambitious, self-motivated, committed, reliable and have a lot of drive. Musical direction: Muse, The Killers etc. Age: 18-30. Only contact me if you want to get signed to a 360 deal! Phone Will: 0413 772 911 iFlogID: 11348

NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE ADS. CL New dynamic 60’s concept show is looking for a professional male vocalist who can cover all vocal ranges and styles. Must be a fan of the music and times with rehersals in Eastern suburbs 1-2 times a week.Auditions 19/2 Call 0420511187 iFlogID: 11104 Professional female singer with cover band experience - for a High End Corporate/Functions Party Covers Band; Sydney based with great pay and conditions. Please send the CV/Bio and recent photo to info@techwebdevelopers.com iFlogID: 10873 Singer wanted 4 busy original band Novakayn. Harmonies and shared lead vocals required. Must be a peacelovin’, easy going person with a profession, creative, reliable attitude. Soft Rock with catchy tunes.email novakayn@y7mail. com or ph. 0403777532 iFlogID: 10973 SINGER WANTED FOR ROCK/ALTERNATIVE/HARD ROCK BAND. MUST WANT TO WIRTE MUSIC AND PLAY GIGS ANYONE 16 18 MALE OR FEMALE. OUR INFLUENCES ARE CHILLI PEPPERS GUNS AND ROSES AND MUCH MORE. IF INTRESTED PLEASE EMAIL US BENNY-6666@HOTMAIL.COM OTHERWISE STAY SWEET iFlogID: 10429 We are a band new to the live scene seeking a charismatic female vocalist aged18-25. Someone determined, open-minded and confident live. Our style includes blues, punk, rock and funk. Jam/practice sessions in Bondi twice a week. Call Bo:0401365924 or Email:andrewakman2001@gmail.com

A2 & A1 Full Colour Prints. A1-$20, A2-$15 Call Dave on 0400011389 for details iFlogID: 10809 Boutique T-shirts in Monstrosity Gallery. Hand-printed, unique tees for the fashion evangelist from $45.00 amandawest. com.au/shop iFlogID: 11201 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively - About Us, Photogallery, Videos, Audio Jukebox, Gig Dates, Links, Contact Us, Forums and much more from $399 including Hosting! Contact info@ bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 10871 PHOTOGRAPHY! Melbourne based professional photography service, specializing in gigs/concerts, parties, festivals, shows and other events. Cheap rates. Contact Caleb on 0420415510. Check my website for examples of my other work www.caleblloydphoto.smugmug.com iFlogID: 10955 Senior First Aid $90 Valiant Training www.valiant.net.au Ph: 1300 600 343 iFlogID: 11176

TUITION evening guitar lessons, in the redland shire. 1 on 1 lessons with singer guitarist Chris from “the febs”$20 for half hour lessons 0414340354 iFlogID: 10894

SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Unfurnished Room- Rent $280 per week including electricity. In 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with pool and gym, In Alexandria, close to transport.To Share with 1 female who works full time,loves music and enjoy mixing music.Available Now!contact 0411822557 iFlogID: 10946

U DRIVE SPLITTER VAN HIRE • SEATS 11 • TRAVEL IN STYLE AND COMFORT • SECURE GEAR IN THE BACK SAFELY (4 CUBIC METRES) • TOUR COST-EFFECTIVELY ANY WHERE ON THE EAST COAST • NO EXCESS BAGGAGE COST - UNLIMITED KILOMETRES

E: INFO.NOMADTOURING@GMAIL.COM P: 0435 014 608 W: WWW.NOMADTOURING.COM.AU

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P-Series DIGITAL PIANOS No Compromises. Yamaha Quality.

P-95B

T VALUE S E B B 5 -9 P NO DIGITAL PIA !** 0 0 10 $ R E UND

P-155B

GE PIANO P-155B STA RE FOR SEE IN STO E! A HOT PRIC

HURRY LAST DAYS! Buy a Yamaha P-95B or P-155B Digital Piano and get a BONUS heavy-duty keyboard stand* While stocks last. Valid for purchases BETWEEN 1/1/2011 AND 28/2/2011.

The Yamaha P-95B is the ultimate digital piano for musicians on the go. Features trademark Yamaha sound and natural piano touch along with a high-quality built-in speaker system, all packed into a slim and lightweight design.

Whether you’re practising at home or away, performing solo or in a band, the P-155B digital piano offers professional quality sound with Yamaha’s legendary piano touch. s 88-key Graded Hammer (GH) keyboard

s 88-key Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard

s 17 authentic voices

s 10 essential voices

s Pure CF Sampling for superb tonality

s Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) stereo sampling

s 4-level Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) dynamic stereo sampling

s Features in-built metronome and stereo speakers

s Key-off samples, stereo sustain samples and damper resonance

s Lightweight design weighing only 12 kg

s Features standard ¼” variable output jacks

s Includes foot switch for sustain and music rest

s USB to Device port for song storage and playback s Includes sustain pedal and music rest

Visit www.yamahamusic.com.au to ﬁnd your nearest dealer. *Offer available at participating dealers. **P-95B. Based on promotional recommended retail price of $949 as set by Yamaha Music Australia Pty Ltd valid to 28/2/2011. Refer to www.yamahamusic.com.au for full terms and conditions. In the event the KHKSK287 heavy duty stand is out of stock, customer to allow 1-3 weeks for delivery of the keyboard stand to the store of purchase.