Blank Gold Coast issue 19 - March 15 by Blank Street Press

March â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;15

free

JESSWAR Bleach* Festival pull out guide

issue #019

MUSIC

GC Music Awards London Grammar Bobby Alu Katie Who Greys

FOOD

Bac to Nam Wattle Hotel Currumbin Creek Road District 21 Box Espresso

SURF

Eco Challenge Ocean Film Festival Surfing through Art (m)ocean Swell, surfstars, cyclones

ART + CULTURE Visual Poetry Peter Nowotny Heart of Fire Rod McNicol RADF stars

MUSIC

Mojo Burning Trinity Roots East Journey Evol Walks Christine Anu

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Roughton Park, Musgrave Street, Kirra Beach Foreshore & Hinterland Regional Park, Mudgeeraba

Roughton Park, Musgrave Street, Kirra Beach Foreshore Roughton Park, Musgrave Street, Kirra Beach Foreshore Kirra Hill, Garrick St, Coolangatta

Southern Gold Coast Sculpture Museum

Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta Dust Temple, Currumbin Nerang & Davenport Streets, Southport

Animals with Attitude Clare on the Couch with Robyn Archer Bleach* in the City

Picnic in your Patch #1

7 Elanora & Coolangatta Branch Libraries

Summer Writes

BLEACH* JNR EVENT (FREE)

Toolona Street, Tugun

TICKETED EVENT

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin

Queensland Touring Film Festival & In the Bin Film Festival - Silent Movie Night

FREE EVENT

Marine Parade, Coolangatta

Sandy Cracks

Soundlounge, Currumbin

Soundlounge ‘Live Music’

The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Evandale Precinct

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Various locations

Home Sweet Home

Café Dbah, Coolangatta

Life is better in a Cape

Sunhouse, Coolangatta

Sand Sound Shake - Poster Exhibition

Roughton Park, Musgrave Street, Kirra Beach Foreshore

Slide Night Sequins & Sinew

Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta

Quiksilver Pro & Roxy Pro

Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta

Official Opening Celebration / ERTH (Ants performance)

12 13 14 15

Tugun Progress Hall, Tugun

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BLEACH* JNR EVENT (FREE)

TICKETED EVENT

FREE EVENT

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GOLD COAST MUSIC AWARDS: A GAME CHANGER A bunch of mums, passionate about the Gold Coast and its music scene are banding together to launch the Gold Coast Music Awards.

#019 MARCH 2015 Editor: Samantha Morris Design: Chloe Popa, Blunt Pencil Studio Advertising: Amanda Gorman Music Coordinator: Mella Bunker Cultural Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll Money Coordinator: Phillippa Wright Environment Editor: Mic Smith Subeditor: Cody McConnell Gig Guide: Emily Norman Cover story: Natalie O’Driscoll Cover image: Adam Christie Contributors: Samantha Morris, Natalie O’Driscoll, Mic Smith, Marj Osbourne, Catherine Coburn, Mella Bunker, Nev Pearce, Anthony Gebhardt, Kyle Butcher, Jake Wilton, Terry “Tappa” Teece, Anna Itkonen, Pip Andreas, Emily Russell, Emma Ballard, Mike J Roach, Jessie Ryan-Allen, Sarah McEwan, Janek Hranika

Acknowledgement of Country We show our respect and sincerely acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land and their Elders past and present. Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Blank GC is an independently owned and published magazine, with all of our writers contributing their time pro-bono to boosting the cultural scene on the Gold Coast. Founded in 2013 with the goal of busting those boring stereotypes which have surrounded the Gold Coast for decades, we rely on advertising to keep us in the fray. Opinions expressed herein, are not necessarily those of the Editor, Publishers or of the writing team.

“It’s going to be a game changer,” said Chloe Popa. She’s one of the drivers behind the Awards as well as one of the owners of Blank and the magazine’s graphic designer. “After 12 months of pulling Blank together, we thought we’d start to run out of content, maybe start interviewing the same artists over again,” she said. “But that is so far from the reality, I can’t even begin to explain.” The awards will stimulate national interest in the Gold Coast as a live music destination by rewarding and acknowledging the incredible diversity of talent we are cultivating here. “Saying we have diversity of talent on the Gold Coast is an understatement,” Chloe said. “From pysch rock to metal, folk and roots, hip-hop and electronica, we are breeding an incredible pool of talented artists.” “We think it’s time to shine a light on their work,” Chloe said.

“Beanies, boardies and Burleigh beers at the brewery, hopefully under a clear winter’s sky.” “As an avid supporter of all things local, we have loved having the occasional opportunity over the last 8 years to provide a stage (made of beer pallets, of course) for Gold Coast musicians to ‘do their thing’. The depth and breadth of talent that exists here on the Coast deserves celebrating – the inaugural Gold Coast Music Awards are the perfect opportunity to do so, while also shining a spotlight on a select group of ‘winning’ artists. Burleigh Brewing is thrilled to be able to assist bring the vision for these awards to life – and we encourage other local businesses to get behind them and join us for the ride … and the music!” An industry advisory panel is being engaged to help inform the categories and selection process and an independent judging panel will also be appointed. Organisers are asking people to show their support by snapping up a ticket to the award ceremony through a special Pozible campaign.

Nominations for the awards will open on Wednesday 1 April, which is also when categories will be announced. And the awards ceremony is locked in for Wednesday 22 July.

“We need a bit of cash to get things like staging and printing organized,” said Samantha Morris, one of the team coordinating the awards. “But all we’re asking people to do is to buy a ticket to the awards ceremony upfront.”

Burleigh Brewing Company is throwing its weight behind the inaugural event as presenting partner and they’re taking their role very seriously, with plans to shut down operations for the awards ceremony.

“The Brewery only has capacity for a few hundred people, so we are expecting this event to sell out,” she said. “There are only 100 tickets available in the first release and considering they include some food and a beer, they’re really cheap.”

“We’re planning a classic Gold Coast themed event,” Peta said.

QUICK FACTS GOLD COAST

Nominations open 1 April Nominations close 14 June Finalists notified 1 July Awards ceremony 22 July

MUSIC

First release of tickets to the awards ceremony has been capped at 100

2015

Buy a ticket NOW at gcmusicawards.eventbrite.com.au

AWARDS

Sponsorship opportunities exist. Contact sponsor@gcmusicawards.com.au. Creative partners are invited to collaborate. Contact info@gcmusicawards.com.au. Industry are invited to be on the advisory panel. Contact info@gcmusicawards.com.au. Musicians and artists can pre-register for a nomination kit. Visit gcmusicawards.com.au. Gold Coast Music Awards is an initiative of Blank GC, brewed in partnership with Burleigh Brewing Company and you.

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Indigenous Touch Football Tournament Some of Queensland’s best Indigenous Touch Footaball teams will take over Surfers Paradise Beach on Saturday 7 March. The tourname will celebrate Indigenous culture and talent with teams aged 14 – 17 years coming from as far away as the Torres Strait. After the football tournament (which starts at 10.00am), cultural celebrations including a Welcome to Country, smoke ceremony and ochre ceremony, along with traditional song and dance take place on the beach from 6.00pm. An Indigenous fashion parade and fireworks display will also occur. Bunburra is the Yugambeh word for beach and this event, the Bunburra Indigenous Beach Touch Football Tournament is the first of its kind in Queensland and is hosted by PCYC and Touch Football Australia. Join all the fun on Saturday 7 March.

Christine Anu’s Live At Bond Show on Sunday 15 March from 2.00pm. Enter at bond.edu.au/poetrygallery.

Applications for Folk Festival open Artists wishing to be considered for the 2015 Gold Coast Folk Festival need to be quick as the program is “nearly full” according to organisers. Expressions of interest are currently being sought for performers, buskers and stall-holders. Email info@goldcoastfolkfestival.com.au to throw your hat in the ring for this outstanding, grass-roots and community-focused event held at Paradise Country Parklands.

Something funny going on in the basement: Harley Breen Harley Breen has won over a legion of fans with his accessible and relatable comedy. From the sugarcane fringes of Queensland to the sweaty stages of the Edinburgh Fringe, all the way to The Basement, he regularly headlines all around Australia. So, don’t miss this chance to see him in your own backyard. He’s at The Basement at The Arts Centre Gold Coast on Friday 6 March and as well as standard tickets you can also book the dinner and show package. Get all the details and book online at theartscentregc.com.au.

Clean Up Australia Day celebrates 25 years Gecko – Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council is calling on locals to lend a hand this Clean Up Australia Day as the national event marks its 25th year. It’s Australia’s biggest community event and organizer Anna Itkonen says it’s a great example of action that makes a real difference. Australians have contributed to removing a whopping 288,000 tonnes of rubbish from public places to date. Site registrations are closed, but you can still volunteer to be a cleaner upperrer. Phone Gecko on 07 5534 1412 or email events@ gecko.org.au for more information. A full list of Gold Coast clean up locations appears in our environment section and the event takes place Sunday 1 March. Poetry Gallery a visual display Bond University is running the Poetry Gallery as a visual exhibition of poems by local writers and young writers, specifically are being encouraged to entre. As well as having their work visually exhibited, writers chosen to be involved will also receive an invitation to a masterclass with Pascalle Burton and David “Ghostboy” Stavanger. Be quick though. Entries close 1 March for the exhibition which will coincide with

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Gold Coast Music Awards The team behind Blank GC are so bloody excited to be bringing you, for the first time ever, the Gold Coast Music Awards. We’re aiming to stimulate national interest in the Gold Coast as a live music destination as well as reward and celebrate the unique depth and diversity of talent that we have here. Nominations open 1 April and close 15 June and the awards ceremony, to be held at Burleigh Brewery, will take place 22 July. For more information, to register your interest or to buy a ticket to the ceremony, visit gcmusicawards.com.au. There are only 100 tickets available in the first release and they are available right now.

Biggest Tree Planting is back There’s a job to be done out at Country Paradise Parklands, but thankfully it’s not ALL hard work. Sure, there’s 5000 plants to go in the ground, but it wouldn’t be the Gold Coast’s Biggest Tree Planting if we left it at that. Free wildlife shows, live music and art and the opportunity to get your hands dirty will all be on offer come March. It’s all part of Healthy Waterway’s Connect to your Creek Week. Special shout-out to Leopold’s Treat who will be providing the live music while you restore important wetlands. It all kicks off at 8.00am on Sunday 29 March and wraps up by midday at Country Paradise Parklands, 231 Beaudesert-Nerang Road, Nerang. Mick McHugh

Mick McHugh’s People Powered Music Irish singer-songwriter Mick McHugh has called Australia home for ten years, and during that time he’s established himself as a hard-working musician with a string of tours supporting some of Ireland’s best singer songwriters and a coveted slot on

the Bluesfest bill alongside the likes of The Pogues and John Butler Trio. But last year he signed with Troubadour Music and now he’s ready to release a debut studio album. The only thing is, he needs your help. For $25 you can pre-order a copy of the album knowing that you’re helping to get the thing recorded. There are a bunch of other rewards for chipping in too: like the secret of getting the cream to float on your Irish copy, psychic readings from Mick’s wife or a private house concert. Mick needs to raise $19,000 before 4 April and he’s already a third of the way there. You can pledge at pozible.com/mickmchugh. Vance Joy at Arts Centre Performing with his band, Vance Joy will hit Arts Centre Gold Coast next week to perform material from his new LP. He’s kind of a big deal is Vance Joy, even more so since being invited to tour North America with Taylor Swift later this year. Something to get nearly as excited about are the support acts: #1 Dads (Tom Iansek) and Airling. Vance Joy lands at The Arts Centre Gold Coast on Thursday 5 March. Tickets at theartscentregc.com.au. Salvadarlings @ Cooly Street Party

Cooly Street Party “We respect our past and try our best to create something new out of its quirks,” says one of the organisers of Attila the Hum 2015. Turns out that this little street party, started by a few businesses on McLean Street, Coolangatta is probably not going to be little. Running from 6.00 – 10.00pm on Saturday 28 February, there’ll be an art show with serious experiments in surf cartoonery by Nanda Ormond as well as markets and street food. But wait ‘til you see the lineup of live music these retailers have corralled: The Delicates, TSUN, Dead Beat Band, Salvadarlings and Nicole Brophy. Take it from us – that right there is some of the finest psych-surf-rock vibes you’ll get in Australia right now. Sunhouse, Maverick Hair & Art Space, Barberroy, Bang Bang Beauty and The Rattlesnake Motel are collaborating to bring this street party to life. Get more at attilathehum.xyz. Fire Twirlers compete for national title Registrations are now open for groups of two or more to enter the 2015 National Fire Twirling Comp. A chance to showcase your skills in the fire arts and share your talent in front of an appreciative crowd with actual cash (to spend at Threeworlds) on offer as prizes. Join the country’s most talented fire twirling troupes at Coolangatta for this spectacular evening of entertainment and

talent co-hosted by Threeworlds and In The Bin Film Festival. It takes place Sunday 8 March from 6.30pm on the Esplanade in front of The Strand, Coolangatta. More at threeworlds.com.au. Swing on this

Charm personified in a cocktail of swing Some of Australia’s leading stage talents – Michael Falzon (We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages), Luke Kennedy (The Voice, The Ten Tenors), Matt Lee (So You Think You Can Dance, Mary Poppins) and Ben Mingay (Wonderland, An Officer and a Gentleman) deliver a modern, audacious take on some of the all-time swing classics along with ‘well-swung’ interpretations of rock and pop songs that have defined the last four decades. Featuring an 18-piece big band, your toes will be tapping to the sophisticated sounds of the fifties through to the nineties and noughties. One night only: Wednesday 25 March from 7.30pm. Get tickets at theartscentregc.com.au. Saltfest celebrates surf Saltfest Surf Festival 2015 is promising a creative journey of discovery with a focus on small bespoke players in the surf industry. There’ll be fusion of surf and street products, food, beach art and sweet tunes atop a grassy knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Sounds #verygc to me. The event takes place on Sunday 1 March from 9.00am at Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre as a hybrid indoor / outdoor event with a handpicked selection of local businesses and artists: shapers, surf photographers, apparel, charities, musicians and local food vendors. Get more info at saltfest.com.au. Camp Quality goes Underground at Burleigh The dudes over at Burleigh Underground Drummers are holding a little soiree to give Camp Quality’s coffers a boost. Seven bands will play over seven hours – a first for the Gold Coast. This comes on the back of the venue winning the Gaffa Award from the SEQ Blues Association for its support of live blues music – another first for the Gold Coast. The fundraiser for Camp Quality will be held on Saturday 28 March. Get more information at facebook.com/bud4220.

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GOLD COAST

MUSIC AWARDS

2015 INTRODUCING

GOLD COAST MUSIC AWARDS The Gold Coast Music Awards will stimulate national interest in the Gold Coast as a live music destination and will reward and acknowledge the incredible diversity of talent we cultivate here.

Buy tickets: gcmusicawards.eventbrite.com.au Join the e-list: gcmusicawards.com Join the industry advisory panel: gcmusicawards.com

PRIL A 1 : OPEN S N JULY TIO 2 A 2 N : I Y NOM MON E R E DC AWAR

Presented by

Presenting partner

Gold Coast 5 www.blankgc.com.au Pictured: Yes Sir Noceur courtesy of Jake Wilton Photography

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Image courtesy Lamp Photography

“Outdated licensing laws and harsh noise restrictions are moulding the sounds that we hear in pubs, bars and cafes every weekend. For several years now GC artists have been given a bunch of guidelines when performing live. The flow on from this, is most regular working bands have had to develop a conformed and lackluster sound.” Mark Duckworth (Greys) Page 18

“I’ve been to places in the world where it’s crowded in the surf but it operates more harmoniously. So we’d really like to give people a homeopathic dose of surfing harmony.” Tim Baker Lifestyle page 3

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Image courtesy Lamp Photography

“For me music isn’t about getting rich, it’s about enriching my soul. Spreading joy, happiness and good vibes getting people dancing, crying and taking them somewhere they can relate to.” Katie Who Page 16

“Our songlines date back 40,000 years, you know. I mean, we were making music 40,000 years ago. So musically we go back that far. But we’ve managed to integrate the mainstream into our music and we use the old songlines and interpret them and educate people about connection to the land and the things within it.” Arian Pearson (East Journey) Page 20

“The world came together to ban CFCs and other chemicals to mitigate damage to our ozone layer. I don’t see why we can’t do something similar to mitigate and better adapt to climate change.” Keiran Richardt (Leopold’s Treat) Lifestyle page 8

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PEACHY KEEN It’s not often that you encounter 19-year-old Gold Coasters trying to break into the world of hip-hop. For the last few years however, that is exactly what homegrown local Jesswar has been working towards. Now with her first solo EP Peachy about to be launched, she sat down with Natalie O’Driscoll to have a chat about her journey so far. Jesswar (pronounced Jess-wah) was just 17 years old when she was accepted into the Bachelor of Popular Music at Griffith, but after the first year her restless feet took her down a different path. “I did the first year and then went overseas to the States. When I look back on that decision I do sometimes think it was a mistake.” She acknowledges that there is plenty of time to go back however, and her time in the States certainly wasn’t wasted. “I travelled around with my mum, we went to about 17 different states, I stayed in Memphis and in the south mostly. In uni I studied a lot about blues and rock ‘n’ roll so travelling to these places was like the lectures coming alive.” Jess grew up around music, especially Elvis. “My mum was this massive Elvis fan, and when we went to the states we went to Graceland, which was amazing. That was by far the most awesome, to be in the King’s house.” I want to know if she had any other major influences growing up. “I come from an Islander background and growing up going to family gatherings, an uncle would whip out the guitar and we’d all have a singalong. It wasn’t so much that I was influenced by any particular family members but just being around a lot of music, Bob Marley, a lot of reggae. It all reminds me of my childhood.” It wasn’t until her older brothers got into rap and hip-hop that Jesswar really found the genre that would come to define her later style. “I remember when Eminem first blew up in Australia, that was all that was playing around my house. Eminem, 50 Cent, Wu-Tang, and we would always play it before going to school and my mum would come yelling at us to get that stuff out of her house! She hated rap, actually, so much, until I told her that that’s what I wanted to do, and then I rapped

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a song that I wrote for her, and after that she wasn’t so biased against it.” Being introduced to male hip-hop artists by the males in her life, it took a little longer for Jesswar to become acquainted with the more successful female names of the industry. “I didn’t really know of many female rappers until I started listening to Missy Elliot, Eve, and I’m now a big fan of Lauryn Hill.... she would be my favourite female rapper.” Hip-hop as a genre and certainly individual male rap artists over the years have developed a reputation for misogyny and the objectification of women. I ask Jesswar as a woman in hip-hop, how she personally feels about that reputation. “It’s definitely a male-dominated genre. It’s hard out here, for a female rapper. It’s an iffy subject. No matter what I try not to make my gender apparent. I’m always hoping that my art will be judged on my talent. It’s an ideal world and I hope for that day, but until then I just try to keep my mind straight and stay positive. Especially because I’m gay as well, and in some ways hip-hop may seem like a homophobic genre.” We talk about how of late the industry seems to be making positive steps towards tackling homophobia, and I mention Macklemore as an example. “Macklemore changed a lot”, agrees Jesswar. “I think he had a lot of balls to release that song, you know he wasn’t even gay, it’s for his uncles, and that opened a lot of people’s minds. I remember the first time I heard that song, I cried. It’s a beautiful song. There’s a gay female rapper by the name of Angel Haze too, she’s getting quite big at the moment, and is actually dating Alec Baldwin’s daughter. I’ve also been

shown a video of a drag queen rapper from New York from a couple of years ago. He looked amazing. I can’t wait for the day for there to be a really famous gay male rapper.” Having previously MC-ed with all girl group Sneeky Picnic, Jess is no stranger to performing on stage, with two Big Day Outs under her belt already. “I just loved being in a band with those girls. I loved gigging, the live shows. I learned a lot of my stagecraft from years of gigging in the Valley, playing gigs with just the security guards there to having a hundred people there. I’ve seen it progress, and that gave me a hunger for the stage.” We finally get around to talking about her new EP, Peachy, which will be released in March. It’s Jesswar’s first solo recording now that she has recently signed to label Human Records, and she’s both eager and apprehensive about putting it out there. “I’ve always worked in a band or in a group, so this for me is going outside of my comfort zone. It’s massive. I kind of want to pave my way as a solo artist. I’m a little bit nervous, doing it solo. I’ve got the launch coming up in March and that’s going to be the first solo show.” Being an artist who writes everything straight from the heart and personal experience, it is understandable why Jesswar would be feeling a bit vulnerable about laying her first six tracks out there for everyone to hear. “Peachy is pretty much a summary of my life for the last eight months. Songs on there are definitely from personal experience. For instance Acid Fantasy was the time that I went to a party and did some acid and went clubbing afterwards. It was the worst idea I’ve ever had in my life.

Images courtesy of Adam Christie

featuring

BENNY D WILLIAMS

SUNDAYS: 1MAR l 8 MAR | 15 MAR | 22 MAR 3PM-6PM | FREE ENTRY | ALL AGES

LET’S GET TOGETHER Addicted is about the fact that I’ve grown up and seen the big drug problem here on the Gold Coast, and it’s my view of seeing that all around me. As for Jelly, well I just fell in love for the first time, it’s weird, so scary, my heart is so sore. I wrote that straight after I had a fight with her and she went to Bali, and it was just about the complications in my relationship. And it was through all the bullsh*t that relationships bring, I love it at the end of the day because I love the person, so that’s what it was about.” I say it’s quite flattering to have any piece of art or music inspired by you, and wonder what her girlfriend thought of Jelly when she heard it. “I played it to her before I played it to anyone. And she said it was so good, but also told me I was a little shit!” Jess lets out a big belly laugh. “She’s got it on her iPod and everything.” Jesswar has recently come off a regional tour where she played with friends and frequent collaborators Lane Harry x Ike Campbell as a support for popular Australian rapper 360. By far the biggest thing to happen in her career to date, she gets starry eyed when recalling the experience. “It was perfecto, my friend. 360 is just an awesome guy on and off stage. He’s such a beautiful human, and I felt so grateful that Lane had asked me to come and play those songs because... that was just... I’ll never, ever, ever forget that.” She lets out a big sigh. “It was beautiful, it was awesome. It really put fire in my belly to just keep going at it, and hopefully one day... I

watched every single show, when he went and played. There are a good thousand, fifteen hundred people screaming and he’s just so chilled!”

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I ask if she’s ever played to that many people before. “No way, nothing like. Actually before we went on in Toowoomba, I had a little panic attack before I went on, only because that crowd was huge. That had never happened to me before, but I was just so nervous.” She managed to overcome it however, with the simplest of tricks.

Join us at the Globe Bar enjoy the daily entrée & Beverage specials 4-6pm

“Breathing, that’s it. Just breathing. I went into the girl’s toilets, and sat down, and concentrated on my breathing until I just got it all under control. I do get really nervous, so that’s the thing that really works for me.” It’s so refreshing to speak with an artist who is as unguarded and unaffected as Jesswar. I find myself hoping that she manages to maintain her warmth, honesty and down-toearth nature in the face of whatever future success is to come for her. In the meantime, she seems more than ready to release Peachy onto the world – so named for one of her favourite slang expressions “everything’s peachy”. I ask why that is particularly relevant and once again her answer is simple. “Well, the EP is about my life, and for the last six months I’ve been feeling pretty peachy!” She smiles. Jesswar launches her EP during Bleach* at The Soundlounge Currumbin on Friday 13 March.

2015

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PRESENTED AS PART OF

Christine Anu March 15, 3pm

FREE MUSIC SERIES

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chloe@bluntpencilstudio.com.au | 0447 306 331

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LONDON GRAMMAR NOT WASTING THEIR YOUNG YEARS From receiving early Australian airplay to being hurtled around the globe with their debut LP If You Wait, the British trio, London Grammar, have made their mark on the international scene with their emotive yet minimalistic sound that opens hearts worldwide. Guitarist Dan Rothman took a late call on the other side of the world with Kyle Butcher to talk about their second upcoming Australian tour. It’s 10.00am over in England when I connect through to Dan Rothman. His laid back attitude is infectuous, and a shine of excitement breaks through when I mention their upcoming Australian shows, especially given that their Splendour in The Grass appearances in 2014 were cancelled due to illness in the band. “Australia this time is literally the last thing we have in our calendars. Obviously that wasn’t our intention, because we were supposed to come back and play Splendour in the summer, but I think every cloud has its silver lining and it’s nice to be able to come out and play what will probably be very memorable shows for us. We really regretted having to pull out of our slot,” Dan said. “It wasn’t our intention to let anyone down, and we are just excited to come back and play some more shows.” London Grammar has only toured Australia once before; they were cutting their teeth with evening slots at Falls Music and Arts Festival. But they were among the first to grace the new stage known as The Ampitheatre in Byron Bay Parklands, and when they asked the floodlights to be brought up to see the people, they were blown away by the 10,000+ crowd. “It was pretty interesting and exhilarating to be honest, being our first time. It was weird for us because we had this crazy success in Australia without really knowing anything about it, and it happening in this ridiculously organic way that just seemed to happen without much of our input. Everything just blew us away, from the country, to the people and the shows. I still remember that show, it’d still be my favourite gig we have ever played. I remember that trip really fondly. “ London Grammar are a band that are not wasting their young years, and Rothman hints at what we can expect from them after this Australian tour. “We’re already toying with things and doing bits and pieces of writing. We’ve more or less gone straight back into the studio, not with any motive of making a record or anything like that but just for the fun of being back in the studio, after it being so long,” he said. I think after the Australian tour we’ll have some time off and we’ll just take it leisurely. Our approach to things now is to just see how it feels at the time and go from there.”

London Grammar play Riverstage, Brisbane on Saturday 7 March.

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SAMOAN ROOTS RUN DEEP FOR BOBBY ALU It’s hard to imagine someone more GC than Bobby Alu. Born at Southport Hospital, schooled at Coomera State School and Trinity College and then graduating from Griffith University Gold Coast. He’s home briefly, between touring the world with Xavier Rudd and embarking on his own national tour that culminates in a show at Bleach*. Samantha Morris caught up with the ukulele-wielding man in the Blank studio this month.

and I only did a couple of years but it still involved two trips to the US,” Charles told me. I had a month off and recorded this new EP Bay Sessions of solo stuff which I’m touring right now. And we’re on the cusp of an even bigger tour with Xavier. Our dates for the US just got announced and we’re around basically every continent pretty much until December,” Charles said. Bay Sessions follows Bobby Alu’s 2013 release of Take It Slow which I let him know is the favourite CD of my two year old son. “Yeah, a friend said that album is like the Wiggles in his household,” he responded. But back to Take It Slow. Charles says he had three years at Griffith studying the Bachelor of Popular Music and his whole life revolved around learning about recording music. “Basically there was a studio that was open 24 hours, seven days a week and I lived five minutes down the road. I was there every day and every night, all night. I just really made the most of my time there and learnt so much about the recording process and how confronting it is.” It was his first album out of university and he tells me that it felt grea to get the songs out, use a band and put all of his knowledge to use. “I jumped up a whole other level,” he said. “It just went really well. We went around the country, did two laps for the tour.” But Bay Sessions is a smaller release – just five tracks. And the first single My Style is already on high rotation at the Blank office. Given the timing of its release (just days after being back from touring with Xavier), it’s obvious he wrote those songs on the road. I ask him what it’s like touring like that.

Image courtesy Lamp Photography “I was a Goldie boy from the start,” he said. “But my mum’s from Samoa and she moved here to the Gold Coast in the 80s.” Bobby’s not his actual name though. That’s Charles. Charles Robert Fa’agalu Wall to be precise. “It’s a family name (Fa’agalu) and that’s where Bobby Alu comes from,” Charles tells me. “When I did my first recording at Uni, I put my name on the CD and a friend, Sarah Howells played it on Triple J and said ‘this is Bobby Alu’, so I thought, well there you go, I guess I’m Bobby Alu.” It’s coincidental that Charles brings up Sarah Howells and her Roots ‘n’ All program on Triple J as I’d listened in the night before when he was guest programmer. A grin on my face as he opened the show with Harry Belafonte’s Banana Boat Song (Day-O). My family are islanders too and Charles and I share memories of growing up with music like this. Charles’ mother is a musician herself. I ask Charles about that influence and the music he listened to growing up in such a musical family. “A huge part of it is the old Samoan songs that she used to sing,” he said. “You know, the thing about my mum is that she just grabs the uke and sings. That’s a normal thing for her.” “And then her brothers would also bring in music. The music they were listening to and hence I was forced to listen to were artists like UB40 and Lucky Dube… these classic cheesy reggae songs,” he said. 12

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“But generally it was all island music – this really cruisy, summer style of music,” he said. There’s no question that the music of Bobby Alu has its roots in Polynesian culture. I have images of Charles and his mum jamming – do they ever play music together? “Oh yes,” he said. “Mum actually taught me to play. She only knows a bunch of chords but it doesn’t matter. It’s the way she plays. She asked me to come over and tune her ukulele for her – which is interesting, because she knows how to do that herself. But I figured she was teeing me up for a jam.” “And so she started playing this old Samoan song which is from the village that my mum’s family is from – it’s like every village has its song that’s about that land and that area,” Charles said. “So obviously I was pretty interested in learning the song. And so we started playing together and it was amazing – the strumming pattern she has? I can’t even play it. It’s so ingrained and so flowy – it’s like she steps back into time.” “And my brother actually came over at the same time because we were having a family dinner, so he got the guitar and we were having a bit of a family jam and that hadn’t happened for years,” Charles said. When I caught up with him he was only just back from touring with Xavier Rudd, something he describes as pretty hectic. The tour happened on the back of Rudd’s 2012 release Spirit Bird and crossed the globe: New Zealand, Dubai, Bali, Mexico, USA, Japan, Hawaii and Australia. “I jumped on board with him at the back end of that tour

“Being on the road with Xavier involves a lot of drive time, a tour-bus situation. The basic set-up is you arrive at the venue between 9.00am and 2.00pm, and we might have a few hours off so I might go for a run and see where we are. Then soundcheck, dinner, do the show, then finish the show, get on the bus, go to sleep and you wake up in a new place.” “And you do that about 48 times in a row. And sometimes longer,” he said. “You meet people on the road who’ve been doing it for ten years. Hundreds of shows a year. For me the stint is about two months and it’s amazing – you wake up in New York, go for a run, play New York and the next day you’re in Boston or Montreal or somewhere like that,” “Writing the Bay Sessions EP was a lot about being on the road – you know you get a lot of time to sort of assess where you’re at in your life and the things that you believe in and you meet some mega inspiring people,” he said. I suggest that being on the road so much might also mean you meet a lot of arseholes as well. He laughs “Exactly. People inspire you for the good they do and also for the bad. So that was a real eye opener.” Charles demeanor is one of light-heartedness and calm. There aren’t many people who travel for work who consider it a glamorous lifestyle choice. Charles agrees and we speak about how he actually takes care of himself while he’s on the road – how he keeps that calm head. He had already mentioned he likes to run. “I actually picked that up from Xavier. He runs 10 – 20k a day on the road. I do a huge amount of yoga on the road. I’m

so grateful for the opportunity but it’s definitely a test and a challenge,” he said.

of the Marley sons, Ben Harper, Fat Freddy’s Drop. I aspired towards jamming with them,” he tells me.

So, he runs now because of Xavier, I’m thinking there are lots of other traits and habits that are exchanged between people who tour together.

But with maturity comes the realization that gifts are often served up unexpectedly. Like playing with Xavier. And Lucky Dube’s bass player.

“Ooh, definitely.. And that’s what friends and people do – you evolve – that’s just what happens. You hang out with someone long enough, you pick up some of their traits.”

“Yeah, here’s this band I used to listen to as a kid, and then I’m jamming with the bass player. I never would have thought to myself that I’d like to jam with Lucky Dube’s bass player, but it just eventuated like that and it feels right and perfect.”

And according to Charles, he’s not the only one picking up healthy habits from tour mates. “Xav hated coconut water. He had a bad experience I think. When I arrived, on the rider I just wanted coconut water and I was smashing it. So he says he thanks me for helping him love it again.” Many Australian musicians would fall over themselves to tour with someone like Xavier. And growing up a music lover means fantasizing about collaborating with all sorts of big musical names. Charles tells me that when he was just starting out he’d think about acts he’d want to jam with; “Any

“You know, there’s a lot of people who’ve been struggling for years to enhance the music and art culture on the Gold Coast and this is kind of what it’s eventuated in. It’s eventuated in an awesome magazine – Blank – it’s eventuated in Bleach and Swell. There’s awesome things that are popping up: venues and coffee places. It all helps to create a culture on the Gold Coast and I don’t think we’re far off establishing that it’s not just glitter and Surfers Paradise, it’s more than that. Bleach is a part of that. And every artist that’s from the Gold Coast is a part of that,” he said.

But before Charles jet sets to the USA again, he’s got a string of shows, including a Bleach* gig and a Bluesfest set with Xavier on the horizon.

You know, we think Mr Charles Robert Fa’agalu Wall might be onto something there.

“Bleach is the last show of my solo tour,” he said. “We’ve got about ten new songs in the set – a whole new bunch of material including the EP and the show’s really fun,” he said. “Basically the Bleach Festival will be the best show because it’s the last one and we’ll know the material really well.”

Bobby Alu caps off an afternoon of music and entertainment at Bleach* Picnic in Your Patch on Sunday 8 March at Kirra. It runs midday to 8.00pm. Get details at bleachfestival.com.au.

Charles is quick to praise the creative minds behind Bleach* and other cultural activities on the Gold Coast.

He also appears at Bluesfest with Xavier Rudd. Get details at bluesfest.com.au.

WHAT’S ON March

MARCH Sat 21 Feb / 7.30pm / $15 Entry - $10+bf Oztix THE RUMJACKS (Syd) "National Tour" + The Scam + Payments In Gold + Crooked Face

FRI 6 MARCH

Jake Clemons FRI 13 MAR

Lane-Harry x Ike Campbell with special guests Jesswar & Scott Dalton

THU 19 MAR

Juzzie Smith FRI 20 MAR

Greys + Salvadarlings + The Dandelion FRI 27 MAR

My Friend the Chocolate Cake

April

Fri 27 Feb / 7.30pm / $10 Entry BONED + Kobrakai + Unfinished Business + Harley Young + Maiden May + Kenny Slide Fri 6 March / 7.30pm / $10 Entry BALTIMORE GUN CLUB + Alone Alaska + UverseU + Amy Stonehouse Sat 7 March / 7.30pm / $10 Entry Antichrists Anonymous + Decryptus + Inhailed + XYANIX + The Cilikis Fri 13 March / 7.30pm / $12 Entry - $8+bf Oztix "East Coast Americana Tour" Liam Gerner (Melb) + Caitlin Harnett (Syd) + Josh RennieHynes + Bree De Rome Sat 14 March / 7.30pm / $10 Entry Evol Walks + Upsize + TrashQueen + The Flame Fields + Domestic Disturbance Fri 20 March / 7.30pm / $10 entry IVORI + Street 66 + Tesla Coils + Aquila Young

THU 2 APRIL

Bustamento

Mention this ad at the door for your chance to win a $50 Currumbin Creek Tavern voucher.

Tickets at soundlounge.com.au

www.currumbincreektavern.com.au

Courtesy bus available – 5534 2322

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FROM BIARRITZ TO BYRON AND BEYOND

a sound engineeer who’s really good like he’s worked with Serge Gainsbourg and other big artists. I think his experience definitely helped us and we got a really clean recording. For the first recording we’re really happy with it.

Hailing from Europe’s surf capital Biarritz (France), Betty The Shark is Down Under to show Australia how they rock, promote their debut record Shepherd of the Moon and spread the good times. Comprising two longterm school friends Lee-ann Curren on vocals, bass and guitar and Philip Caradona on vocals, lead guitar and keyboards, the duo spoke to Janek Hranicka ahead of both music and surfing commitments. Lee-ann is also a Roxy team pro surfer with serious surf lineage – her dad is Tom Curren.

Philip: It was great and we’re very lucky to have found him. We connected with him great, he’s a friend.

Tell me about Betty and the Shark? Lee-ann: Me and Philip met in middle school in Biarritz. Philip is from New York originally and moved there with his older sister and his parents and we kind of started the band in middle school.

How does your creative process work when writing songs? Lee-ann: There’s like two different cases. We’re either away from each other like I’d be travelling or he’d be in Paris or New York. We start a song a send it to each other back and forth and add little parts. Sometimes it works really well. And when we’re writing music together it always starts with improvising and then if something sounds good we try to record it so we don’t forget it and work on in from there.

Philip: I moved to Paris when I was six and when I was thirteen we went to Biarritz and that’s where I met Lee-ann for the first time. Yeah. Me and Lee-ann were friends first and then...how did you realize we all played music? Lee-ann: I think we started playing music and after a while we kinda came up with a name Betty the Shark and that’s when it actually became a band. And we did a little recording on tapes and stuff. Lee-ann: For a while after we finished school Philip went back to New York and I went travelling a lot for surfing so we kind of kept playing but more like in summer holidays and stuff. 2011 is when we really committed to playing more and making an album and we started writing a lot of music again. Where did the name come from? Lee-ann: It just came from being suspended at school. Philip: Detention, two hour detention not suspended. Lee-ann: Yeah and in the two hours we made drawings of a shark and her name was Betty and we thought it was hilarious for some reason. That’s where it started. Tell me about your album Lee-ann: Shepherd of the Moon is our first album. It came out in May 2014. Lee-ann: Quiksilver have a recording studio in France and

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How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t listened to it yet? Philip: Very sunny, very bright. That’s it. Lee-ann: (smiling) That’s it. We’re kind of genre-hopping depending on what instruments we us… I think sunny is the word for it. What is more important to you – the music or the lyrics? Lee-ann: I think everything is important. You want lyrics that you can sing to people and be a hundred percent behind those lyrics. Philip: I think the lyrics. Of course I focus a lot on the musical part but you know people are listening to them (the lyrics), I have a lot to express, I want people . . . I wanna send a message in a way and I think lyrics kind of open up another world.

Do you have a day time job? Lee-ann: My day time job is surfing. A lot of people wouldn’t consider that a job, yeah, most of the time it’s just fun and not even a job. But that’s what I get paid to do. Philip: I used to work in retail, sometimes construction, painting and building but now I’m focusing on Betty the Shark so Betty the Shark is my day job. Lee-ann where is your surfing career going at the moment? Lee-ann: Well I’m doing a few contests but really focusing on free surfing and doing good trips, good photos and some content for my sponsors. They’re pretty happy so far so it hopefully keeps going this way and we’ll see what this year brings. Can we expect some surfing movies with Betty the Shark on the soundtrack? Lee-ann: Oh that would be great actually. We should do that. Philip: We love making movies so why not do that.

Catch Betty The Shark at Miami Tavern on 8 March and keep an eye out for Lee-ann in the lineup until 18 March.

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KATIE WHO? When we asked Emma Ballard to interview Katie Who, the response was “finally”. The Gold Coast is expecting great things from Katie after she took out the inaugural Battle of the Buskers in October 2014 which included a recording package as part of the prize – she has a five track EP due real soon. She’s humble and sweet and very, very talented. She’s home-grown and she’s an acoustic stomp boxing, guitar tapping, one woman band. So who is Katie Who? Emma delves beneath the surface. How would you best describe your music? It’s a hard question for me. I’ve never tried to play a certain style - my music is what it is. I don’t really have a label and I don’t feel a need to define the genre. I feel I could play at Soundwave, Tamworth or Splendour and would fit in okay at either. I guess if I had to define it I would describe it as a mixed bag of funk, blues with a slight punk rock influence as I was really into punk rock as a teenager. Has music always been your calling and what inspires you to write? I began singing at the age of two before I could even talk. Music is the only thing that’s ever made sense to me. I’ve always had a constant passion for music and when writing I love to tap into the magic of the universe. The ocean inspires me. And driving - I can be driving along and I start singing a vocal melody so I record it on my phone. Then I go home and put some guitar to it. Songs can be inspired by a personal experience, something one of my friends is going through or something going on in the world, also love and life lessons things like that. It’s always been a spectrum of things and taking people to another place. Your style has been compared to Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette. Were these artists influential? Not so much Alanis but yeah I was really into older bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Passenger. I love the way Passenger writes about life and beautiful things that take you to an atmospheric place. Again I haven’t tried to write like anyone so no one was a direct influence. I listen to and appreciate all sorts of music. You won the Battle of The Buskers Competition how was that experience for you? It was incredible, just incredible. The energy in the room was amazing. I only sang two songs but people stopped talking and got up and started dancing. They were engaged and were digging it so it was a great feeling. Then I found out I

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Image courtesy Lamp Photography won and I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t expecting it and when I won the prize of recording an EP at Love Street Studios it was everything I needed. You also took part in the Valley Rumble in May last year how was that experience? Again it was great. I was the only solo artist competing against 39 other bands and I came second so I was thrilled. And you played on the Buskers Stage at Bluesfest 2014? It was great but I was so nervous. When I first applied for the Buskers Competition I didn’t make the cut. Then I got a call on the day of the comp and was invited to the Beach Hotel to audition. There were 40 acts and only ten acts were picked to play - I got to play a set to around 200 people and people were dancing and singing along. I felt really proud of myself to be there. Did you also play at Splendour 2013 as well? That’s an interesting story! I didn’t actually get booked to play. I’m a massive Splendour fan and I’ve been every year for ten years. One night I walked through the camp grounds with my guitar at 2.00am and stopped at a camp fire. I started playing and began drawing a crowd. It was raining and people didn’t care. They were coming out of their tents and before I knew it there was maybe 200 people gathered around. It was like an upscale bonfire sing along! I would love to get to play on the stage at Splendour one day. You are currently recording a five track EP – how’s it coming along?

It’s going really well. It’s almost finished now and due for release in April. Three of the tracks are with a full band so that was really cool to do and my inner rocker has come out on a couple of the tracks. Scott French the producer at Love Street has been great to work with. I would also like to give a big shout out to Barry Martin who has been incredibly supportive. In fact I’m so grateful for all the support of family, friends and others along the way. You’re becoming well known for your unique mash ups. What’s your favourite? The crowd favourite is ‘Thrift-Shoop’ a mash up of Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Salt N Peppers ‘Shoop’. My personal favourite is the Chet Faker mash up. Does overseas appeal to you and what’s next for Katie Who? I’m doing a couple of gigs a week and I’d like to do more. This is my first year as a working musician after I gave up my job so I’m gonna give it a good crack. One of the judges at the Valley Rumble told me I was world class and I felt blessed and honoured to hear that. I’ve always been interested in travelling and music will take me there. Later this year I’d like to go to the UK and the plan is to be international in my own right. For me music isn’t about getting rich, it’s about enriching my soul. Spreading joy, happiness and good vibes getting people dancing, crying and taking them somewhere they can relate to. I’m so grateful and happy to share my gifts on a daily basis. Maybe in the past I wasn’t ready but now I’m ready to give it everything I have.

THE OBLIVIANS: LAUGHING MESSIAHS The name ‘Oblivians’ is one often spoken about in hushed tones of reverence amongst underground rock aficionados the world over. Their uniquely unhinged garage-punk-blues racket was a major influence on a host of current day acts such as Ty Segall and The Black Lips. And now 22 years after their original formation, messrs Cartwright (Greg), Yarber (Jack) and Friedl (Eric) are a semi-reformed entity once again and finally making it over to Australia to blow eardrums and minds! In the lead up to this exciting event, Anthony Gebhardt fired off some questions to singer/ guirarist Greg Cartwright, who also fronts the sublime Reigning Sound. So what brings you guys all the way out to Australia after 22 years - did you get an offer too good to refuse? Yeah, we got an offer and we’ve never been there. How were the 2009 European shows you did with (Detroit primitive-garage legends) The Gories? Did the two bands hit it off, and what’s your relationship with Mr Mick Collins, the coolest man from Detroit!? We all knew each other prior to touring. Touring with them and the Country Teasers in 1995 is a tie for best tour ever. Mick’s great, they’re all great! What was the music scene like in Memphis when you first started the band? Did you have a hardcore fan base or was indifference and hostility the truer reality for a band such as yourselves who have forged such a singular, non compromising musical path? We didn’t have anything resembling a hard core fan base until we stopped making records. The Memphis music scene had some really great bands at that time. None of them garnered a lot of attention except maybe The Grifters. Unless you’re making very mainstream music or genre pandering nonsense this will usually be the case no matter where you live. What’s the reaction been like to your most recent record Desperation, have the hardcore fans embraced it? I think so, I don’t know. When we released it we were happy with it. It’s hard to know what other people think. Are there any Aussie bands currently ‘doing it’ for you on a musical level? Sure, Ooga Boogas, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and

Ausmuteants. Eric (Friedl, Oblivians drummer and Goner Records head honcho) knows more about this scene and could probably expand on that list. What are your top three favourite Australian LP’s ever? Easybeats- “Best of the Easybeats + Pretty Girl”, The Saints“Stranded”, Scientists- “Weird Love”. It’s tough because there are a lot of great ones. I’ve probably listened to those three the most. Those and AC DC’s “74 Jailbreak” or Radio Birdman “Radios Appear” or that first Bee Gees album...Too many greats to make a list of just three! Any plans on bringing your other, equally amazing band, The Reigning Sound, over to Australia for some shows? Because that would make a few folk out here rather chuffed! I would love to do it. We’ll see how this upcoming tour goes first. I know there will be plenty of fans over here salivating at your impending arrival...what can we expect from The Oblivians in the live arena in this year of 2015? We like to think of our show as more of a comedy act. I expect to meet some great rock and roll fans... who like comedy! So if laughing it up while rocking the hell out sounds like a great night on the tiles, make sure you book a date with The Oblivians when they obliterate The Woolly Mammoth in Fortitude Valley, on 14 March.

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EVOL WALKING Leah Brown is from the Gold Coast, but she’s poised to take on the world. She’s the front woman of Evol Walks, and currently residing in Hollywood, California. Evol Walks have the feel of iconic 80s rock, but with an injection of unmistakeable Australian energy and craftsmanship. Kyle Butcher had a chat to Leah as she hung out around her old GC stomping grounds before touring Australia with a string of dates through March. The name Evol Walks is attention grabbing for many different reasons. Is it misspelled deliberately? What does Evol mean? I knew better than to whip my phone out and google the answer- I asked Leah the origins of the bandname as well as her reason for moving across the world. “My manager pointed out that I wasn’t exactly evil, so Evol is love backwards, along with being short for Evolution. I actually got invited to move over to America by an A&R company. They contacted me in December 2013, and I had to turn around and be there 14 days later. It was pretty awesome. Living over there was really different. The culture, the people, the way they relate to each other, just everything in general,” Leah said.

The Killers and Vampire Weekend. I definitely was pinching myself. We got to meet the Alabama Shakes and Dead Letter Circus along with being side stage for Grinspoon, which was really awesome,” Leah said. Once upon a time, Australian bands found footholds in the UK and Europe before being able to make the trek through the extensive land that is America, but Evol Walks seems to have pulled it off without a hitch. I was curious as to how the band has been going over in the United States.

That’s not to say that Australia hasn’t been kind to Evol Walks. The band has received national airplay and the band snagged a lucrative spot at the now defunct Big Day Out festival.

“I was having a conversation with someone about this yesterday!” Leah told me. “I was in a band prior to Evol Walks and we got a little bit of hype, but I’ve found that Evol Walks has been extremely well received. We released our first single for radio in September, and when it hit national radio, it exploded. People seem excited about our latest single which is awesome, because usually it’s just me being excited (laughs).”

“We got the opportunity to play Big Day Out in 2013. It was so fun, we ran into a few musicians, and it was a great day. We got to play the same lineup as Red Hot Chili Peppers,

Along with their success in America, Evol Walks landed themselves a massive producer in Brian Howes who has worked with artists like Nickelback, Air Supply, Simple Plan

and Skillet. Leah told me what it was like to work with a major producer. “I love working with Brian, he’s rad. He’s the nicest dude ever, and I was a bit scared going in there, because you hear horror stories about Hollywood producers being very intimidating and over the top, but he’s just a chilled out guy.” “He has excellent ideas, great studio and great vibes.” Still Leah said she’s never been worked so hard in a studio before in her life. “The pressure was on, but that’s what made it. You don’t want to work with someone who is complacent,” she said. And with that, the stage is set for Evol Walks to trip around Australia plying their wares. The band is not only servicing the major cities, but are also trawling through regional locations like Bendigo and Toowoomba. Evol Walks hit Currumbin Creek Tavern on Saturday 14 March

HANGING FIVE WITH GREYS Influenced by punk and post rock, founding members of Greys, Mark Duckworth and Morris Lauga have spent almost a decade working together creating songs that reflect their views on society. Blank’s music coordinator Mella Bunker asked the lads a few questions ahead of their Bleach* show at The Soundlounge in March. 18

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Which five musicians would you take on a roadtrip around Australia? David Fridmann - Steve Albini - Steve Shelley - Blixa Bargeld - Lilly Padula. The most under-rated musician right now? The Sea Shall Not Have Them and Cassette Cathedral are two amazing bands out of the Gold Coast and need to be heard more. What are your thoughts on the GC music scene Currently the Gold Coast scene is being sculpted by the government? Outdated licensing laws and harsh noise restrictions are moulding the sounds that we hear in pubs, bars and cafes every weekend. For several years now GC artists have been given a bunch of guidelines when performing live. The flow on from this, is most regular working bands have had to

develop a conformed and lackluster sound. Tell us about the best gig you’ve ever played? We played a show at the Globe in Brisbane as part of the Valley Fiesta one year. The room was full of music lovers and the line up was solid. We just had one of those shows where everything went right. One piece of advice you’d give to a large group of people? Stop thinking about what everyone else in the world is doing, eating, watching or buying. Put away your phones, and talk to each other. Greys hit The Soundlounge with Salvadarlings and The Dandelion in support on Friday 20 March as part of Bleach*

ACA-SCUSE ME? Gold Medal Chorus Throws Open its Doors Unless you’ve been living in a cave on the far side of Mars, (with a doona over your head and your fingers in your ears), you would have noticed the recent resurgence in popularity of a cappella music and groups, most notably set off in the last couple of years by the ubiquitous Pitch Perfect films. Well, as it turns out, a cappella singing (literal meaning: in the manner of the chapel) didn’t begin with Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick fighting it out on the national stage, but in fact has roots that are far more sombre and religious in nature. Over the years it has evolved into a variety of separate art forms which all embrace the one ideal – voices as the only instrument. One such art form which has been largely overlooked by the general public in recent years is barbershop music. Comprised of vocal harmony in four parts – tenor, lead, baritone and bass – it is most commonly associated with four guys in pink candy striped suits and boater hats singing Hello My Baby with cheesy side grins. However in modern times it has adopted a very different face indeed (except for at Disneyland, where the old tradition continues in the form of the Dapper Dans). For instance, were you aware that there are still large international barbershop organisations that exist to this day? Or that these organisations have massive annual regional and international contests, where big stars of the organisation compete for coveted gold medals? Or that – gasp – one of these organisations is solely dedicated to the practice of female barbershop singing? Sweet Adelines International supports over 500 choruses and 1200 quartets over five continents worldwide and sing a range of music including special arrangements of today’s ballads, classic songs, popular show tunes and mainstream music. Although you may not previously have been aware, the Gold Coast is home to a high level Australian female medallist chorus by the name of Vocalescence, who embody all of the musical styles above. We caught up with their Team Coordinator Jenifer Howson and Director Andrew to find out what on earth goes on inside the big secret world of modern barbershop. “It’s funny,” says Jen. “We love the whole big secret club vibe

thing because barbershop is really just one community. Anywhere you go in the world you will have friends and contacts and people to show you around and people to sing with, simply because it is a relatively small group of people and its easy to connect in that situation. On the other hand, having a low profile means it can be difficult to attract new members to the group.” Andrew agrees. “Whenever we get new ladies coming to visit a rehearsal, it’s amazing to watch their faces as those four part harmonies start to ring out. In a lot of cases they’ve simply never heard anything like it. That makes us feel proud because it’s always great to get a reaction like that, but it’s also a bit sad that more people out there aren’t getting exposed to the magic of the sound that can be created in the barbershop setting”. “Everyone just seems to think it is an art form for old guys, or that it doesn’t even exist anymore!” laughs Jen. “People are so surprised when they see our chorus made up of women from 14 years of age to 70 years of age, from all professions and walks of life. The only thing we all have in common really is a love of beautiful music.” “And laughing!” interjects Andrew. “Well of course!” Jen smiles. “And a competitive spirit too. We work hard to sound good, but we have a lot of laughs in the process. We’re a family, really.” I ask Jen about their successes at national convention. “We call them regional conventions, because Sweet Adelines Australia is actually just one big region out of the whole organisation, but essentially it’s the same thing. If you win regional, you get to go to international to compete. We’ve never won a gold medal in the open category, but we’ve competed every year since 2011 [the chorus chartered in 2010], and we’ve won a medal in the small chorus category every single year – two bronzes and two golds - so that’s a legacy to be proud of already.”

go to competition. We want to spend time working on our craft and give the girls a bit of a break from contest, while at the same time performing to hone our skills. We also want to introduce a bunch of new music. So a year off seemed the right choice, although it was a hard one to make as a competitive chorus.” “Very hard,” says Jen. “The best part about it is that although our doors are always open to new members, this year especially we can really throw them open to anyone who might be a little bit nervous about competing so soon, to indoctrinate them into the chorus lifestyle develop a real love of the craft, which is where the beauty comes from. So we welcome any ladies with a love of singing, really, to come and join our little Vocalescence family!” Vocalescence rehearses every Wednesday from 7.00pm to 9.30pm at the Gold Coast Youth Orchestra Community Hall in Community Drive, Ashmore. Rehearsals are open to anyone who is interested to joining or just keen to see what all the fuss is about. If you have questions or wish to advise someone that you are coming, you can contact Jen Howson on 0421 706 828. For gents who are interested in joining an a cappella singing group, Sound Connection is the brother chorus of Vocalescence and rehearses on Tuesday nights. You can contact Peter Lovegrove on 0410 050 020. Image above: Some of the ladies of Vocalescence with their director, Andrew Howson. Natalie O’Driscoll is Blank’s Cultural Editor and also a member of Vocalescence.

Andrew nods. “Especially since we’re the smallest chorus in Australia. Tiny but Mighty, we call ourselves. This year is actually the first year that we’ve decided as a chorus not to www.blankgc.com.au

JOURNEYS FROM ARNHEM LAND TO LA AND BEYOND Arian Pearson is a Yolgnu man. He’s articulate and charming (seriously, he asked Sam on a date during her interview) He works as a tour guide in Nuhlunboy in NE Arnhem Land, but he’s also one of the men who make up East Journey. He spoke to our editor, Samantha Morris on the day The Genesis Project was released. The ten track EP consists of previous material that has been rewritten and rearranged by original Yothu Yindi members Ben Hakalitz, Buruka Tau and Stu Kellaway in collaboration with East Journey. The press release I have in front of me talks about the band’s recent trip to LA for Australia Day celebrations. I ask Arian what it’s like flying into a city like LA when you come from a town like Nhulunbuy “It’s huge,” Arian said. “It can be confronting. But I did the New York Marathon in 2011 – as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project – and it was a great opportunity to experience that and city lifestyle.” “It went really well,” he said of the LA event. “It was sort of our first or second time doing a red carpet kind of thing. We did the Deadly Awards in 2013 – that was our first. So yearh, we were sort of ready for it – worked up to it. But it was still quite surreal when we first got there,” he said. I ask Arian about his thoughts on being Indigenous and playing at an Australia Day event when there are mixed feelings about celebrating the day Australia was invaded. “My father is only half Indigenous,” he said. “So you know, I think that part of the reason you do music is for unity. We want to unite people. It doesn’t matter what race or background, whether Indigenous or not. We all live together in this peaceful country of ours and I’m pretty proud to represent Australians and Indigenous Australians.” “We want to educate people about our culture and what we value as Indigenous Australians, but we also value education and unity and understanding eachother,” he said. We go on to talk about the musical heritage that is prevalent amongst Yolgnu people. “It’s always been very musical up here,” Arian said. “Our songlines date back 40,000 years, you know. I mean, we were making music 40,000 years ago. So musically we go back that far. But we’ve managed to integrate the mainstream into our music and we use the old songlines and interpret them and educate people about connection to the land and the things within it.” Some of the songs on The Genesis Project project are sung in traditional language and Arian talks about the importace of keeping Yolgnu language alive. “I mean up here, it’s sort of like the last frontier,” he said. “There hasn’t been that impact of cultural loss, that cultural sort of identity around connection to country and where your spirit is. Your language is the most important thing,” he

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said. “It’s part of your identity, your foundation, your true self – it’s where you are and where you come from.” I’ve been to NE Arnhem land myself and visited the school at Yirrkala. I asked Arian about how the Yolgnu language is taught and he tells me that English is absolutely the second language up there. The school at Yirrkala is one of the few bilingual schools in Australia. By coincidence, his mother is the Vice Principal there. While Arian plays guitar in East Journey his first instrument was the drums. When he became interested in guitar, he taught himself. “My brother, lead singer, Rowan – he’s a singer/songwriter and I sort of linked up and started writing songs and it grew from there,” he said. “We dreamt of making a band and created East Journey.” You will already be familiar with some of the musicians who have come out of Yolgnu country – Yothu Yindi, Gurrumul probably at the top of that list, and Arian tells me he had a lot of role models growing up. “My brother is a role model because he is a songwriter and he toured with Yothu Yindi. I guess I always dreamt of being in a band and writing my own songs,” Arian said. “It’s really hard for a lot of musicians – it’s a lot of hard work getting out there and if you don’t have that support behind you it can be really hard at times,” he said. “We’re just really lucky we have great support, lots of organisations, our community behind us, our management is very well structured. We’re just really happy that we have all this great support.” So, what’s the reaction to East Journey’s music been like? “It’s a huge opportunity for us to work with Stevie,” Arian said. He’s referring to Stevie Salas who has worked with an incredible list of musicians internationally. “And this new EP The Genesis Project, working alongside Yothu Yindi. It’s a huge opportunity. It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of good feedback from different areas – from our community and from the outside.” The story about how Stevie Salas came to work with East Journey is interesting. He was searching for young Indigenous bands coming through the ranks and happened to stumble across East Journey on Facebook. “And he contacted us,” Arian said.

I ask Arian if he has any advice for young Indigenous musicians and he says the main thing is to always, always believe in yourself. “Don’t give up on your dreams –follow your dreams, even if you don’t succeed you can try again.

The Genesis Project featuring Yothu Yindi is out now.

MR MOJO BURNING If you haven’t heard of Mojo Burning, then consider this a public service announcement for your riff-driven festival desires.

What are the goals for the future of the festival? We aim to increase the profile of particularly the Blues Rock/ Stoner Rock genres, create awareness and a good time and to grow the Festival slowly each year to a point where we need to start looking for a larger venue in two years.

Brisbane’s newest guitar-driven boutique festival Mojo Burning will bring together 27 bands from all over Australia and showcase them across three stages at the New Globe Theatre in Fortitude Valley on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March.

Have there been any challenges that you have overcome as the organiser in bringing the event together? There are many steps to putting on a multi-band event such as this one, organisation is the key. The primary challenge is creating buzz and awareness when such genres are under-represented on mainstream radio/media sites. We’re spearheading a whole musical/cultural shift with an aim to ‘bring back the riff’ and want to create a heightened platform for the bands we love. They deserve national attention and due to current ‘trends’ are mostly not getting that at present.

Aiming to help change industry and consumer perceptions of real music, Festival organiser Christian Tryhorn is aiming to bring to audiences music from nationally and internationally touring Aussie bands that are commercially flying under the radar.

What vibe will festival goers receive from attending Mojo Burning? The inaugural Mojo Burning last year was a deadset blast. We didn’t expect the vibe to be so high but it was. I think that came down to all the band members getting along, getting amongst the Sailor Jerry backstage and passing that exuberance onto the crowd with solid and engaging performances across the board. Everyone was buzzing, there were stage invasions and one fat time. The demographic was quite wide as well from 18 - 65 which made it even better and created a real sense of family.

What makes Mojo Burning a must-attend festival? If you dig modern Blues/Roots/Rock and Stoner Rock tunes from touring Australian bands then this is the best showcase in the country at the moment with 27 bands over two days. We’ve witnessed all the acts in the flesh and are excited to be lining them up over three stages right here in Brisbane.

TRINITY ROOTS Trinity Roots is one of New Zealand’s (and so by default, the Gold Coast’s) favourite reggae outfits, performing live since 1998. They share members with Fat Freddie’s Drop and have collaborated with that other famous NZ artist Neil Finn. With a heavilyanticipated third studio album set for release any day now, they’re about to tour Australia in support of that album’s launch. We’re used to making Kiwis feel at home here on the GC. Our Music Coordinator, Mella Bunker, who is a self-confessed Trinity Roots fangirl, got to ask Rio Hemopo (bass + backing vocals) a few questions ahead of their tour.

Bands that have been announced in the lineup include: Gay Paris, Redcoats, Mojo Webb, Bonez and many more. Get the lowdown at mojoburning.com. Mojo Burning takes place at the New Globe Theatre on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March. You played Blues on Broadbeach a few years back, as well as Bluesfest. Is this your first headlining tour of Queensland? Are you looking forward to being the main event? That’s right, we’ve been over a couple of times recently. Loved it and great to have a local audience enjoy our music, along with the ex-pats. Bit more pressure with our own headline shows but exciting as well. There are a lot of kiwis on the GC (including myself). Have you been calling any family to come see you play? Hell no. The venues for the tour aren’t big enough on this trip! Nah, we’re def calling on the cuzzes to come and check out/tautoko the shows. They all want bloody backstage passes though! What was the reason(s) behind the reform? Warren was missing us. Ha. In all seriousness, a multitude of reasons. Unfinished business. There was still a lot of love and requests for us to reform and tour again. We had a live album that was sitting there and our friend Sarah Hunter had just completed the doco. Seemed the right time to play a few shows and see where/if the desire for the TR sound was still there. Both as the band and audience.

Riddled with bands and graduating music students! Amazing actually. Great to see so many projects and acts releasing and touring. TR just came back from a festival called Celtic Connections which happened in Glasgow. We collaborated with a group of Irish musicians last year who came to NZ for a couple of shows. We were invited to take the project to perform in UK. Had a great response and we’re looking to do another run of gigs in Oz and NZ around Oct. Trinity Roots live 19 March | The Zoo, Brisbane (with Karl S Williams) 22 March | Bleach* Festival (with Tijuana Cartel + The Lyrical), Miami Marketta 25 March | Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Heads (with Karl S Williams)

Your 2014 single Haiku was not what I was expecting. Have your side projects influenced this new sound or was it just a natural progression? Residual bogan tendencies flaring up! I’d guarantee there’s a few side or recent projects influencing that track for sure. That track is kinda the only one of its kind on the album so it’s probably more out of the influences at the time than evolution of the TR sound/direction. What’s the NZ music scene like these days? Had any interesting collaborations lately?

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album reviews

AMELA

EAST JOURNEY

FKA TWIGS

HOLLYWOOD HEARTACHE

Amela, a local GC lady, blessing audiences all around the place just dropped her single Aeroplane and recently released her film clip for the track, working with animator David Blackwell.

Let the words ‘Arnhem supergroup’ or ‘NT desert rock’ resonate for a while.

British artist FKA twigs, born Tahliah Barnett, is a melodramatic performer who found her place by producing mesmerising, bewildering and sometimes horrifying video clips. Plastered in plain sight on the album cover, we see Barnett vulnerable and presenting anti-humanist characteristics. This ground between her music and maximinimalist presentation forms the beautiful interplay of Barnett’s FKA twigs persona and her real self.

Hollywood Heartache are new kids on the block, but they’ve settled in quite nicely.

Aeroplane

LP1

The Genesis Project

Following the much loved debut EP Not Enough Honey, Amela once again provides a beautifully crafted piece of music with a catchy and uplifting chorus that is bound to make you smile and sing along. Amela killed it on the Youtube scene a few years back with 25,000 views on a clip and has been gigging around the country since. What a voice she has; Aeroplane is such a sweet catchy tune where you can bop your head and dance in the afternoon sun. Something I really enjoyed about this track is the self-harmonising. Josh Pyke does it a lot and I just think it sounds so lovely. Amela has such great tone and really moulds her music well, together with easy listening guitar and her acoustically driven lyrics. Definite influences that I recognise are female artists, Feist and Ainslie Wills (who has been working with #1 Dads recently). I love hearing young female artists killing it, and this lady is definitely doing this. Just like the video clip, it’s a perfect song to listen to riding your bike leisurely down the road. Keep an eye and ear out for Amela this year and check out her website for more music: http://www. amelamusic.com/. Sarah McEwan

The ochre earth and white sands of Arnhem Land are an aweing part of the planet to be drawing musical inspiration from. Add to this a lineage that includes the late Dr M Yunupingu and other Yothu Yindi members, and there is something special going on with NE Arnhem Land young guns East Journey. Something going on doesn’t begin to cover it: add in influences from the likes of Santana, Yothu Yindi and Jimi Hendrix. It’s the sizzling lead guitar from PJ White that is a standout on their newest EP The Genesis Project: a rock sensibility deeply fused with manikay (traditional song), bilma (clapsticks) and yidaki (didgeridoo) permeates this release following their 2012 debut. Pick out the hypno-drone of Gapalan Yunupingu’s yidaki. He is one of the finest yidaki players in the world and you now get a sense of the musical pedigree present in East Journey. Lead single Bright Lights Big City adds in a funky rhythmic groove while Mokuy (Spirit) and Bonba (Butterfly) sounds like a long lost desert template. East Journey and Yothu Yindi recorded most of the EP in Cairns and the group expects the tradition of Yothu Yindi to carry on through East Journey. Album production is provided by LA import Stevie Salas and there is a sense that this is just the beginning of great things to come from the group. The Genesis Project is out now with the next single Ngarrpiya available 6 April. Mike J Roach

Sarah Says (single)

In terms of sound design, we’re left with spine shattering bass clicks and jumbled percussive splats that do no damage in terms of Barnett’s crystal clean vocals. To tie it all together: a winding frozen road of droning metronome which falls in and out of key. Similar to previous FKA twigs releases, Barnett hinders a small dose of auto-tuned harmonics split with that sensual R&B breathy husk which tunes a sexier Grimes or Lana Del Rey vocal ability. Every beat is calculated, each track runs so cohesively and Barnett presents the highest common denominator very early in LP1’s running time. Lights On is the track to take home and study – the album’s remaining content doesn’t exceed or hinder on this, yet plays at its advantages. For example, Video Girl is the most accessible track in terms of pop bass acoustics, yet shows Barnett’s failing lyrical composition, “Was she the girl that’s from the video? / Stop, stop lying to me.” The connection of body music and trap is present from beginning to end on this record, but makes no apologies in blurring the margins between Beyonce pop aesthetics and Jamie xx deconstructed electronic raves. Before LP1, FKA twigs was but a mystery wrapped in a swirl of blog and forum discussions. Although instead of trying to present herself through her name, Barnett has connected more with the image and body of what FKA twigs entails. LP1 may not give many clues into her character, or her true identity, but it’s impossible to avert your gaze from it. Jake Wilton

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Can I mention that in just a short space of time this band released a killer single that has already smashed the 10 000 view mark in less than two months? Yup. This band might be new but it’s clear they mean business, and they sure have found their fanbase. Sarah Says is the track in question, and it sure doesn’t disappoint as a debut single. From the strong pop edge to the professional recording quality, it seems that Hollywood Heartache are ready to take on the world. They are quickly being thrown into sentences with the likes of 5 Seconds of Summer, who are now touring stadiums, and when you hear this track, you’ll understand why. The melodies being sung by the band entwine in such a way that it drips pop effortlessly, and there is no doubt that this track would be great to hear live. It is exciting to see artists bring a new edge to the pop scene. Kyle Butcher

CHRISTINE ANU AT UNI FOR BLEACH Bond University has upped the ante on its successful Live At Bond series in 2014 booking one of Australia’s most successful and iconic Indigenous artists to open its program for 2015. Christine Anu will headline at the ADCO Amphitheatre stage on Sunday 15 March as part of Bleach*.

MASS SKY RAID

SUNNYBOYS

The Gold Coast has some incredible artists who have released great material in the past year alone. But from time to time there comes a band whose writing skills really shine above the rest. One of those bands is Mass Sky Raid, who have recently released their new single Enemy.

Well here I go reviewing an album released over 30 years ago. Headphones on and escaping to the memories of my youth. To someone not familiar with the work of the Sunnyboys, you might ask why they’d release a new mix of an album that never really went anywhere?

Individuals Deluxe Edition (Featuring original unreleased mixes)

Enemy (single)

Enemy is not only sonically stunning but also shows a maturity of bands that have been together for ten or more years.

In 1982 Sunnyboys released their second album Individuals. Recorded just six months after delivering their self-titled debut album Sunnyboys, it showed the growth in then 21 year old songwriter Jeremy Oxley’s songwriting ability. It was an album with layered harmonies and guitar; a feel good, fun album. That is what it sounded like live, anyway. Unfortunately the vinyl (No CDs then) wasn’t the same.

Mass Sky Raid have been kicking around the local scene since forming in 2011 and while I enjoyed their debut EP Courage Under Fire, if this latest single is a taste of what’s to come, it’s definitely a step up and a move in the right direction.

Individuals was recorded in New Zealand and ultimately mixed in LA. But the final mix didn’t capture what the band had delivered in the studio. It began a long downward spiral of depression for Jeremy, and as documented in Kaye Harrison’s movie The Sunnyboy, Jeremy declared his songs had been “stolen” from him. For the rest of the band, they knew what they had done, and what it sounded like when they recorded. But what came back from LA was just not it.

When asked about the meaning behind the lyrics, vocalist Adam Lomas said ‘Enemy is a sonic interpretation of a relationship fighting for survival where one person’s internal conflict and self disillusion now creates new borders between themselves and the person they love the most’.

But before it was taken to the States, veteran producer Lobby Loyde had provided a rough mix of the album presumably for the ears of Mushroom Records who were funding the operation. The band never heard these mixes.

Yes it is that epic! Mass Sky Raid are one band to keep a close eye on and I think it’s going to be a very exciting year ahead for the Gold Coast lads once their next release drops. Nev Pearce

30 years later Lobby Loyde passed away and his archive of tapes were discovered. Now the band has released this original “rough” mix as the new Individuals Deluxe Edition. Of the 11 tracks recorded for Individuals, eight were retrieved from Lobby’s archives with This Is Real, b-side Pain and the title track Individuals, the only songs remaining on the collection from the original release. There is also an inclusion also of a five-song radio broadcast from Sydney in 1982. Plus a bonus of the classic 7 inch version of Show Me Some Discipline, a favourite of all Sunnyboys fans…

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of her hit album, Stylin’ Up which featured My Island Home, and propelled Christine into the annals of Australian music history. Last year, Blank spoke with Christine Anu and asked her about opportunities that exist for emerging Indigenous artists in Australia. “There are more opportunities and more support than there was at the start of my own career, but there could always be more,” she said. “If there’s a high demand, this creates more work as more artists from across the board are being sought after. In an ideal world, it would be nice to have a booking agent whose sole purpose would be to source work for artists from bands to didj players, from singers to comedians, from dancers to speakers/storytellers, and the list goes on. More people would get work and there would be more work opportunities created,” she said. Anu’s successful career over two decades boasts platinum albums, sell-out musicals, Hollywood blockbusters, and highprofile collaborations with showbiz and musical luminaries such as Baz Luhrmann, Paul Kelly, Olivia Newton-John and David Atkins. She is a multiple ARIA and Deadly Award recipient, has received numerous awards for stage shows including The Sapphires, and is widely respected as a charity Patron and Ambassador. Presented as part of Bleach* Festival, Tyus Arndt and the Churchie soul band also make up the bill. Sunday 15 March | Christine Anu at Bond University as part of Bleach* Festival, from 3.00pm at the ADCO Amphitheatre. Get details at the Live at Bond Facebook page or at bleachfestival.com.au.

Well what do you get? If you are a Sunnyboys Fan like me, it is a crisp, cleaner, bouncier mix, with the muddiness of the original removed. Vocals are crisp and clean, as are the many layers of guitar. This is the sound that the boys knew was recorded in the studio. It also produces the sound and energy of a live Sunnyboys show. If you have not heard this album before, it is a classic, tales of love and life, feelings, and good times all with the beautiful happy chords and twangling notes that is the Sunnyboys. Dark tones in some of the words, with music that is so happy. A contradiction in emotions in music that makes for a great listen. What is even better, is the band themselves feel kind of vindicated, that album they made back then finally sounds as it should. Made in 1982, still fresh as a daisy and relevant today. Individuals is due for release 27 February and Sunnyboys are touring nationally in March. Terry Teece

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LIFE IS BETTER IN A CAPE Andy Baker and Bald Art remind us of the child within us all that screams ‘nothing can stand in my way!’ And that Life is Better in a Cape.

FREE BLEACH EVENT SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY TO FRIDAY 27 MARCH D’bar Gallery, 275 Boundary Street, Coolangatta

THE POP GROUP Citizen Zombie

Formed in Bristol, UK back in 1977 The Pop Group have long been regarded as the shape shifting shadow-men at the dawn of the post-punk revolution, their wide ranging aural forays taking in such disparate influences as funk, free jazz, art punk and dub. Like many true musical innovators, their appeal has tended to be more of an esoteric nature, even though their moniker is often strangely apt, in a twisted, subversive kind of way. After initially disbanding just four years after detonating onto the musical landscape, the band resurfaced in 2010 with fire in their bellies rather than dollar signs in their eyes, issuing the following statement on their unexpected reformation...” There was a lot left undone,....we were so young and volatile....Let’s face it, things are probably even more fucked now than they were in the early 80’s.....and we are even more fucked off!”

producer Paul Epworth (whose cv includes Bloc Party, Adele and Crystal Castles) at the helm. And with artists of the calibre of Nick Cave and Mike Watt quoting the band as an important influence, does 2015 see the band back up the aforementioned statement of intent and still sound relevant, cutting edge and original? You betcha!! Lead off single The Mad Truth, the clip for which was directed by none other than Italian director/actress Asia Argento, charters musical terrain not too dissimilar to latter period Clash track The Magnificent Seven, riding a funky, bass driven groove as singer Mark Stewart broadcasts on the state of play today... “sister freedom, the future’s in your hands.” The subversively funky vibe of the track is also in evidence on the tracks s.o.p.h.i.a and Box 9. Title track Citizen Zombie displays all the famed hallmarks of the band’s signature work, with woozy dub like effects married to an ominous, post-punk/industrial soundscape, the song twisting, turning and taking a number of left turns along the way. The band sound as relevant and year zero as they ever have, a soundtrack to the apocalypse of the now-times...

Fighting words indeed, and as we fast forward five years, 2015 sees The Pop Group unveil brand new recorded material for the first time in 35 years in the form of their fourth album, Citizen Zombie, with current hot-shot

The Immaculate Deception is a head spinning array of electro-funk, heavy, tribal like drumming and serrated art punk menace, vocals teetering on the edge of paranoia. And as with a number of tracks on the album, a subversive

Soundwave headliners Faith No More have announced the title and release date for their long awaited new album Sol Invictus. The new release marks the band’s first full length album since 1997’s Album of the year and will be available 15 May. Hopefully the band doesn’t make their fans wait another 18 years for a follow up.

shores. Machine Head play Eatons Hill Hotel on Saturday 27 June and tickets are on sale now.

The Soundwave festival app is now available for free to download for iphone and Android to help you navigate your way through the festival. The app lets you view maps of the venues in your state and also set times which are updated if there are any last minute changes. It’s easy to find in the app store so get busy. Had enough of seeing Kanye West in your social media newsfeeds over the last couple of weeks? Well so have Steel Panther, who have released a new song dedicated to the jerk who just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut and let anyone who isn’t Beyoncé win an award. The lyrics for the song are pretty brutal and like many of Panther’s songs it isn’t for those easily offended but leave it up to everyone’s favourite glam-metal comedy band to have their say! Classic stuff! You can view the song now on the band’s YouTube channel. One of the best live bands on the planet, Machine Head, has just announced their much anticipated Australian tour in June. The band released their amazing eighth studio album Bloodstone & Diamonds in November to rave reviews and fans have been hanging to see them back on Australian 26 www.blankgc.com.au

Swedish melodic death metal masters SOILWORK will release their highly anticipated first ever live DVD/BluRay, Live In The Heart Of Helsinki on 13 March through Nuclear Blast. The gig was recorded during the band’s special Helsinki show on in March 2014 at the Circus Club in the Finnish capital and features guest appearances by Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH, REVAMP) and Nathan J. Biggs (SONIC SYNDICATE). One of metal’s most influential drummers, George Kollias from Nile will be in the country in March for a drum clinic and intensive workshop tour. Even if you aren’t a drummer this is one night not to be missed as George shows off his amazing skills and talks to fans about his career and music. Catch Kollias 4 March at Brisbane Tafe. Tickets on sale through Oztix. Super charged power metallers and Soundwave favourites Dragonforce will release their debut DVD In The Line of Fire on 10 July through 3Wise Records. Shot at their headline show at the Loud Park Festival in Tokyo, the set features songs from their latest album Maximum Overload and many other classic Dragonforce tracks from previous albums. Don’t forget to catch the guys at the Soundwave Festival in your state for one of the most fun live shows you will ever see!

sing-along quotient sweetens the deal...and therein lies the essential beauty of these musical alchemists; delivering challenging sounds while still managing to be catchy - head music you can dance to! Nations is surely one of the albums defining moments, an urgently pulsing, electro-fueled number interjected with skeletal guitar stabs, robo-percussion and married to a spoken word style narrative, singer Mark Stewart rallying against the “barbarians at the gate”, a personal and political sermon on the current state of play...think of it maybe as a 2015 counterpoint to Ewan McGregor’s Choose Life rant from the movie Trainspotting. In the hands of lesser mortals a complex amalgam of stop-start rhythms, jarring sound interjections and howled slogans married to or co-existing alongside choppily catchy funk, dub art punk, and yes, pop, would run the risk of being an unpalatable hodge-podge. The genius of The Pop Group is their ability to incorporate such disparate elements into an ear pleasing oeuvre for hearts, minds and dancefloors...It’s great to have them back!!

Citizen Zombie by The Pop Group is out 27 February.

SOILWORK Gold Coast death metal band Eternal Torment have released their debut EP Descent into Madness. The band recorded the CD with Nik Carpenter at Core studios and it is one of the heaviest releases to come out of Queensland so far this year. Get your copy now through their Bandcamp page. Got some metal news we should know about? Email rabidnoiseradio@hotmail.com. And get the latest metal tracks and interviews with Rabid Noise every Wednesday night from 9.00 pm live on rabbitradio.com.au. Nev Pearce

LIVING WITH NO HESITATION: MAXIMO Gold Coast songwriter, producer, vocalist and keys player, Maximo has consolidated his reputation for original R&B and hip hop with his new single Hesitate. The single is atmospheric and dynamic and provides a great new perspective for Maximo who is no stranger to the party anthem. Both in the studio and live his music is entertaining and engaging, with his live band bringing their own flavour to the songs with an acute sense of musicality. Whether it’s a night out or a night in Hesitate has got you covered. Jessie Ryan-Allen caught up with Maximo to get the scoop on Hesitate and his musical evolution. Hesitate has a very distinctive sound and atmosphere. What kind of landscapes (in nature or otherwise) do you find inspiring? It’s definitely different to any track I’ve made in the past. I actually wrote this song late one night driving home from a party, so in this case it was inspired by the surroundings on the way – imagine lonely streetlights in a cold, eerie fog. Otherwise, I usually draw more from personal experiences and emotions. How have your musical influences evolved? I’d say the biggest difference is that the music is becoming more “me” - both as an artist and an individual. I used to write tracks that had a solid groove and then put any old lyrics over them, but these days it’s a little more about the storytelling aspect. I’m definitely more interested in exploring the obscure – unusual arrangements, cool textures, rich harmony – straying a bit further from the more commercial sounding tracks I’ve made in the past. That being said, I was raised on hip hop grooves and sexy R&B progressions, so I kind of like how these influences continue to creep in. Oh and more melodies than raps these days.

What’s the first concert you went to? Stevie Wonder. Way to set the bar high, right? It was incredible - I was only in high school and barely a musician when I saw it, but looking back on it now it was the ultimate concert. He’s an inspiration in every sense, but especially to me as a keys player. What’s the first song you knew all the words to? Oh wow… I used to have this cassette album (I know, right) of TLC’s CrazySexyCool that I used to listen to non-stop on our trips interstate to see family. Red Light Special was my jam. Although looking back now, I don’t think 5-year-oldme had the emotional capacity to understand what the song was actually about. Super inappropriate come to think of it, but hey, I think I turned out ok. What’s the last song you danced to? Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good) by Childish Gambino. I think it was at the gym, so really I shouldn’t have been dancing. 80s vibe and such a great melody, love this track. Gambino is a mastermind. What adventures will there be for Maximo in 2015?

Australia loves Steel Panther, the band have toured here regularly since the release of their second album Balls Out and their fan base seems to get bigger with each visit to our shores. When asked about their huge following down under, Starr said he believes it comes down to two things: having a sense of humour, and loving to party.

STEEL PANTHER’S SOUNDWAVE RETURN If there’s one thing Steel Panther know how to do well it’s put on a rock show. After starting out as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the glam metal masters before them, the band’s reputation and popularity has grown like wild fire and has seen them dominate stages all over the world. Nev Pearce caught up with frontman Michael Starr about their highly anticipated return to Soundwave Festival and ‘hanging out’ at old folks’ homes.

“Australian people don’t give a shit about being politically incorrect and neither do I so it’s like a match made in heaven man,” he said. “We sing about stuff that people think about and don’t talk about and we bring it out on Front Street. The people in Australia understand it, they enjoy it, let themselves go and have fun with the Panther.” The band, world-renowned for their stage show, garner rave reviews wherever they play and Starr thinks that is because their number one goal is to show people how to have a good time and forget about their day-to-day. “We’re a public service, actually,” he said. “To all the public that are in need of an escape of reality. A time where you can just go for an hour and ignore everything and not think about your car payment, your rent, your phone bill, your girlfriend finding out you cheated on her. You don’t worry about that stuff.” With songs like Gloryhole and Gangbang At The Old Folks Home, Panther have tracks that would make even the most politically incorrect comedian blush, but Starr said they’re just having a laugh and giving fans what they want.

We’ve got a couple of releases coming up soon from some Brisbane artists I’ve produced, I’m currently arranging the live show for a promising Gold Coast R&B artist, been writing some Motown/soul music for another recording project, and will continue to write and record my own material. But aside from music, I’d really like to learn Portuguese and go travelling – explore some places I’ve never been before. Looking forward to everything 2015 holds in store! Check out Hesitate at officialmaximo.com “Gangbang has really become a crowd favourite. It’s also become one of the favourite songs for old folk’s homes, in America,” Starr said. “I don’t know if you know this but they have DJ’s come in for the old people and they have bands and performers come in. Now the performers are starting to play Gangbang at the Old Folks Home.” Starr also revealed the song is more fact than fiction - actually based on his own experience. “Of course, it was embellished in the song but it happened for me. It was actually my guitarist Satchel’s mum’s old folks’ home. I remember I mentioned to Satchel, “dude, we should write a song about this.” He was a little bit upset about it.” Steel Panther are no strangers to Soundwave, having appeared early in the day on the main stage in 2012 and the band are more than stoked to have the opportunity to be a part of the country’s biggest gig of the year, this time in a much later time slot. ‘’I feel really, really, so grateful that we’re able to come over in Australia and rock,” Starr said. “It’s a big deal for us to do Soundwave. It’s a big festival. It’s like one of the most coveted festivals in the world, to be playing at a late slot on the main stage; we’re fucking so happy and excited.” Steel Panther’s third album All you Can Eat is available now and you can see them live at Soundwave. Get more info at soundwavefestival.com. www.blankgc.com.au

GOLD COAST GIG GUIDE POWERED BY BURLEIGH BREWING CO. FEBRUARY

Thursday 26 February Frazer Goodman & Friends | The Loft Chevron Island, 8.00pm Zookeepers | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm

Two questions: Who’s playing? What’s pouring?

Friday 27 February Round Mountain Girls | Miami Marketta Skin Deep | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Julia Rose + Hussy Hicks | Summertime Sessions, Mudgeeraba, 5.30pm Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission | The Soundlounge, Currumbin Boned + Kenny Slide + Kobrakai + Maiden May + Jemma Lee | Currumbin Creek Tavern, 7.30pm Calan Mai “Farewell Show” + Scott Dalton + Gabrielle Lambe | The Loft Chevron Island, 8.00pm Saturday 28 February The Twine | Miami Marketta Method | Sheoak Shack The Swamp Stompers Stepping Stones Tour |The Hotel Brunswick, 8.00pm Benny D Williams | The Loft Chevron Island Smooth Groove | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Thomas Con Party + Multi Culti/The Universe | Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Leopold’s Treat | Helensvale State Highschool Markets, 7.00 – 12.00am Benny D Williams + Salt & Steel + Kyle Wadle | The Loft Chevron Island, 8.00pm

MARCH Sunday 1 March Sounds of Sunday: Benny D Williams | Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise, 3.00 – 6.00pm Zoe O’Sullivan | Southport Sharks, 1.00pm Catfish & The Dee Jays | Southport Sharks, 7.00pm Kenny Slide | Nobbys Beach SLSC, 2pm – 6pm Monday 2 March Marco | Southport Sharks, 6.00pm Thursday 5 March Vance Joy + #1 Dads | Arts Centre Gold Coast Zookeepers | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Friday 6 March Eilish Ellen | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Jake Clemons | Soundlounge, Currumbin Baltimore Gun Club + Alone Alaska + UverseU + Amy Stonehouse | Currumbin Creek Tavern, 7.30pm The Lamplights | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Oceanics (album launch) + Von Villains | Elsewhere Surfers Paradise Mitch King + Essie Thomas | Summertime Sessions, Mudgeeraba, 5.30pm Saturday 7 March Bleach* The Toolona Street Festival with live music from Karl S Williams + Nadia Sunde | Toolona Street, Tugun from 3.00pm Future Music Festival: Avicii + Drake + The Prodigy + Afro Jack + Martin Garrix | Brisbane Showgrounds Bellusira We’ve missed you tour | Miami Tavern Dubarry | Sheoak Shack Benny D Williams | Coolangatta Hotel

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Gentle Jazz | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm London Grammar | Brisbane Riverstage Cameron Milford + Lauren Napier + BigfellaLinc | The Loft Chevron Island The Smokin’ Crawdads | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Sunday 8 March Bleach* Picnic in your patch featuring musical performances from Zed Butel, Hayley Grace and The Reversals as well as Bobby Alu, 12 noon to 8.00pm | Kirra Foreshore Sarah Frank | Nobbys Beach SLSC, 2.00pm – 6.00pm Bobby Alu + Zed Butl + Hayley Grace + The Reversals | Bleach* Festival Coolangatta Sounds of Sunday: Benny D Williams | Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise, 3.00 – 6.00pm Benny D Williams | Genki Cafe Palm Beach (evening) Simon Meola | Southport Sharks, 1.00pm Route 66 | Southport Sharks, 7.00pm Betty The Shark | Miami Tavern Monday 9 March Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks, 6.00pm Wednesday 11 March Dan Sultan | The Arts Centre God Coast Thursday 12 March Zookeepers | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Friday 13 March Bleach* in the city with Darren Middleton + The Delicates + The Altais | Cnr Nerang and Davenport Streets, Southport, 5.00 – 9.00pm Lane-Harry x Ike Campbell + Jesswar + Scott Dalton as part of Bleach* Festival | Soundlounge, Currumbin Clare Bowditch, Clare on the Couch, as part of Bleach* Festival | Dust Temple, Currumbin Creek Road DZ Deathrays Get Rich or Drunk Trying, + Bass Drum of Death + Hockey Dad | The Brightside Brisbane Clare Nella | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Mass Sky Raid | Coolangatta Hotel Josh Rennie-Hynes + Caitlin Harnett (Syd) + Liam Gerner (Melb) East Coast Americana Tour | Currumbin Creek Tavern, 7.30pm Saturday 14 March Picnic in Your Patch: Clare Bowditch +Jess Ribeiro + Felicity Lawless + Julia Rose + Aquila Young | Hinterland Regional Park, Mudgeeraba from midday to 7.00pm Feast on Bleach*: The Adventures of Figaro (Opera Queensland) + Sarazu featuring Kacey Patrick + Andrew Vievers | Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach from 4.00pm Tupenny Opera | Sheoak Shack Eleea Navarro | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Black Stove | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Grace Knight | The Arts Centre Gold Coast Basement, doors 7.00pm Kato (Wordlife) | Elsewhere Surfers Paradise Evil Walks | Currumbin Creek Tavern Sunday 15 March Opera at Paradise Point: The Adventures of Figaro (Opera

Queensland) + Saruzu featuring Kacey Patrick + Andrew Vievers | The Esplanade Paradise Point from 5.00pm Christine Anu is Live at Bond supported by Tyus Arndt and the Churchie Soul Band | ADCO Amphitheatre, Bond University from 2.00pm DZ Deathrays Get Rich or Drunk Trying Tour, with Bass Drum of Death + The Ron Swansons | Music Industry College Brisbane (U18 Daytime Show) then later at The Brightside for over 18s Bleach* Boulevard with Jellurgal Aboriginal Dancers + Emily + Tom Dodd & Shooty + Creature Kind + Timber Bones + Jake Whittaker + Slip on Stereo + Lisa Crawley | Village Green, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary from 1.00pm Garrett Kato | Southport Sharks, 1.00pm Nicky Convine | Nobbys Beach SLSC, 2pm – 6pm Tiki Taane as part of Bleach* Festival | Miami Marketta from 3.00pm Sounds of Sunday: Benny D Williams | Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise, 3.00 – 6.00pm Monday 16 March Lloyd Saniel | Southport Sharks, 6.00pm Thursday 19 March Juzzie Smith + special guest as part of Bleach* Festival | Soundlounge, Currumbin Zookeepers | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Friday 20 March Mitch Ryan | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Ivori + Street 66 + Tesla Coils + Aquila Young | Currumbin Creek Tavern, 7.30pm Trinity Roots Album Tour | Currumbin Creek Tavern Greys + Salvadarlings + The Dandelion as part of Bleach* Festival | Soundlounge, Currumbin The Sugar Shakers | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Jimmy Saint & The Sinners + Clare Taylor | Summertime Sessions, Mudgeeraba, 5.30pm Saturday 21 March Bleach* at Burleigh featuring (m)ocean with Kim Churchill + Band of Frequencies. Witness live surfing to live music and discover surfing as art, directed by Tim Baker | Burleigh Headland from 3.30pm Potbelleez | One50 Public House (1st birthday party) Bill Jacobi | Sheoak Shack Just Kirra | Chevron Renaissance, 6.30pm Funk n Wagnells | Southport Sharks, 8.30pm Mojo Burning, 21 and 22 March: Gay Paris + Redcoats + Claude Hay and the Gentle Enemies + Simon Meli and the Widowbirds + Mojo Webb + Transvaal Diamond Syndicate | New Globe Theatre, Fortitude Valley Sunday 22 March Where the Wild things dance: Trinity Roots + Tijuana Cartel + The Lyrical | Rabbit + Cocoon as part of Bleach* Festival Picnic in your patch with Bullhorn + Garrett Kato + The Fika | Arts Centre Gold Coast, Evandale from 11.00am Dallas James | Southport Sharks, 1.00pm Greg Peterson | Nobbys Beach SLSC, 2pm – 6pm Sounds of Sunday: Benny D Williams | Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise, 3.00 – 6.00pm

Food & Drink BÂC TO NAM Burleigh Gold Coast Motel 1910 Gold Coast Hwy (Cnr Christine Ave), Miami Like many other foodies, I have my little obsessions. For me they’re mostly Asian: Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), Gyoza, Sashimi (make that almost any raw seafood), Ramen (in progress) and Phở. They’re umami or savoury tastes. Phở. My eyes roll back as I remember Hanoi. The city captured my heart, as did their version of phở. Not game to eat from the street cart, I found that even the hotel’s breakfast station phở was amazing!

“I don’t remember too much of it,” Andrew says. “The US Army just said ‘Go!’ We had to walk out of the house with nothing so no one would suspect that we were leaving. I remember the M16s firing away as diversion when the boat pulled away. Mum’s brother left on a different boat. The boat sank and no one survived. We landed in Indonesia and lived in a rundown shed on the beach, waiting for processing. It was fun for me, the youngest, playing on the beach, but my brothers had to row to Indonesia [Java?] each day to work and get money for food. Somehow, in processing, the extended family got split up, with Mum’s sisters ending up in Canada and Luxembourg. My family came to Australia, to the East Hills Migrant camp in Sydney.”

I seek it out here at home, trying in vain to find a version with layers of meaning, achieved by hours of stewing and skimming beef flank before loading with slices of the cooked beef (or chicken), noodles, greens and bean sprouts, the richness cut through with Vietnamese basil, chilli and, most of all, a squeeze of tiny native lime.

Realising a gap in the market, particularly on the southern end of the coast, Sheree and Andrew sought to recreate the food of his family’s homeland. With the help of Chef Tien Truong and Andrew’s mum, who came up to spend time with Tien in the kitchen, they’ve achieved just that!

It’s what draws us to Băc to Nam, a Vietnamese restaurant nestled into a motel in Burleigh. Not only inferring a journey ‘Back to Vietnam’, the name also means ‘North to South’, the restaurant’s concise menu spanning the length of the country.

An authentic Vietnamese menu! It’s a rarity on the Gold Coast, more often a few Vietnamese dishes are mixed into a ‘multiAsian’ menu of Malay, Chinese and Indonesian, as if they’re similar!

When locals Sheree and Andrew Ly bought the Burleigh Gold Coast Motel recently, they decided to turn the disused ground floor storage area into a restaurant.

The Băc to Nam menu features some of my favourites: Summer rolls (or Spring rolls if you prefer) to start, of course there’s Phở (I don’t care about the meat; for me it’s all about the stock, boiled and skimmed for hours, freshened by the addition of Vietnamese mint, chilli and lime at the table), Vietnamese Pancake (oh yum!), Green Papaya or Vietnamese Beef Salad, and I now have a new favourite – Tien’s Coconut Chicken Curry. Try out the Corn or Banana Sago for dessert or the Coconut Pandan Jelly ($6 each) and don’t skip the Băc to Nam Lotus tea, either hot or cold. It’s amazing! With entrées priced under $10, main courses $18 and under, and BYO wine for a small charge, it’s a well-priced taste of an exotic cuisine.

“We wanted to show off authentic Vietnamese food, the sort of food that Andrew’s mother makes,” Sheree told me. Andrew’s as Aussie as they come, but his life didn’t start out that way. Born in Saigon, he was three years old when his family fled Vietnam as boat people. “It took Dad two years to save up the money to get onto a boat; one ounce of gold for each person and there were eight of us: Mum and Dad and six kids. Dad was an optometrist, so he made fake Raybans to sell to American soldiers. That’s how he raised the money.” (That’s a lot of glasses!) I glance up at the photo just inside the door of the restaurant. It’s a rare treasure: an enlargement of a tiny black and white snapshot of Andrew’s family crowded onto an open pontoon boat, hanging on for dear life.

Bâc to Nam @ Miami

Check out the lunch specials for extra value, and I heard a whisper that a banquet taster menu may soon be on offer. That will make the choices easier! It’s easy to feel the authenticity of this modest restaurant, with its bamboo-clad walls, family portraits and photographs of the couple’s recent trip back to Vietnam. ‘This is who we are,’ the place shouts. ‘Welcome to our family.’

Wattle Hotel @ Upper Coomera

Families can sit out in the courtyard beside the children’s play corner. There’s an old rickshaw the couple brought back from Vietnam, as well as a replica boat over the entrance, complete with ‘seeing eyes’ at the front to guide it back home safely after fishing. Best of all, you’ll receive a warm welcome from Sheree and the team. Eager to share explanations about the food and quick with a smile, their service is genuine and attentive. Maybe, like me, you’ll easily find a new favourite on this menu – an obsession in the making! Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews at foodgoldcoast.com.au

THE WATTLE HOTEL Cnr Reserve Road and Brygon Creek Drive, Upper Coomera If, like me, you live beachside between Burleigh and Broadbeach, you might take family-friendly dining for granted. But let’s be honest, if you live on the “other” side of the highway, there just isn’t the diversity of offerings we have in these central suburbs. Enter the Wattle Hotel in Upper Coomera. I meet the Manager as we arrive and he explains to me that the property has undergone a massive refurbishment, a reinvention if you will. “There used to be a nightclub over there, and it wasn’t family friendly,” he said. “We’re trying to change that.” It is a family-friendly space, there’s no doubt about it. And as we sit down to order, a waitress brings over crayons for my 2yo companion. I want to suggest a magnifying glass for my other 80yo companion, but I manage to bite my lip. We order Trio of Rice Paper Rolls ($10.50) to share for starters and my son’s Fish and chips arrive at the same. time. The rice paper rolls are tasty and tangy, full of fresh herbs, and the dipping sauce could just as well have been served in a Vietnamese restaurant. I’m kicking myself that I’d talked up the fish and chips for my baby on the way here, because the kids’ menu is commendable. As well as the standard pub fare for kids (with

Wattle Hotel @ Upper Coomera

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Food & Drink salad and vegetables), there’s a Cracker Box ($8.50) with fresh vegetable sticks, rice crackers and seasonal fruit. Winner! While we wait for our mains to arrive, my dad comments on the natural light and the view across manicured gardens and trees to the road. He has Battered Barramundi + Chips ($19) and I have the Rump Steak ($23.50), but the menu offers a greater diversity of options. We’re talking Roasted Qld blue pumpkin and pea risotto ($18), Seared barramundi with chips or mash ($26), Eight hour slow braised Riverine lamb shank ($24). But back to the steak. It’s cooked to perfection, the peppercorn sauce has just the right level of bite and the vegetables are roasted and flavoursome. It’s simple pub grub but it’s done well.

Quiet by day, the District gets lively by night when the regulars come out to play. This has always been a unique and intimate venue for bands and pop culture, particularly when there’s live entertainment on Saturday nights and open mic nights on Sundays, which are legendary! “The musicians are so close, so the experience becomes interactive. There’s no other venue like it in this middle strip of the coast. There’s so much musical talent in this area! They just get on their pushbike with a guitar on their back, come here and rock along with their mates,” waitress Annaliese tells us. Then again there’s trivia on Wednesday with Tappa. Everyone loves Tappa! These often riotous nights bring a new meaning to group games.

NOOK AND CRANNY PITSTOPS Everyone has their favourite places for coffee, their own secret social spaces to drink, eat and chat. They don’t need to be big to be great. They just have to do it how you like it with a friendly smile and a bit of a cheery banter! Here are a couple of tiny locals you may not know:

Dad raves about his fish and chips and so does the 2yo.

“So, is the name based on ‘District 9’? It’s so moody!” I pose the question to Nathan.

THE SALT MILL

While I wish I had more time to explore both the entrée menu (Soft-shelled crab salad ($24), House-smoked salmon salad ($16.50), Crispy tempura prawns ($12) as well as the cocktail menu (where you can buy Mojitos, Sangria and Long Island iced tea by the carafe), I settle for a single glass of Zilze Moscato from Victoria and then go and explore the facilities.

“There could be so many different answers to that question.” He smiles enigmatically, as inscrutable as Shannon Doyle’s paintings. Shadows of passersby play along the walls, mixing in with the portraits. ‘Who has passed here before?’ I wonder, imagining the conversations drifting through this space.

Walk up from the beach at Currumbin, and you can talk surf with Johnny Gilett, who owns The Salt Mill with his wife Sarah. It’s a little ‘cute as a button’ nook with rough-hewn bench seats, fruit cartons, and a wine barrel; an earthy sort of place, which matches the raw, mostly organic and wholefoods food and treats, all made fresh daily. In the cabinet when we visited were filled Bagel Boys bagels, quiches, organic Raw tiramisu and Raw caramel slice.

Samantha Morris

DISTRICT 21 CAFÉ & BAR 1/2243 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach If there was ever a cat with nine lives in the restaurant industry, it would have to be District 21. Sounding awfully like a post-apocalyptic area in South Africa inhabited by extra-terrestrial beings, District 21 is, in fact, a reincarnation of The Cave.

Nathan tells me that he wanted to create a place where locals could feel is home; yet a unique venue, different to others in the area. While there’s a regular customer base who use the venue: yoga ladies on Thursdays, a mixed crowd on Wednesdays, as well as a monthly art event, I get the feeling that locals want to keep this venue a secret from the rest of the coast. You see, it’s always been their ‘cave’, no matter what the name! Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews at foodgoldcoast.com.au

New owner Nathan Taylor has revamped the venue with a clean and industrial by day, moody and edgy by night mood; perfect for a multi-function venue. Coming in from the street it’s cool and brimming with mystique; a perfect shelter from the midday sun to sit sipping a fresh Apple, mint and lime juice in a hideaway corner. Sitting solo, the well-worn leather couch is a welcoming companion. There are plenty of well-priced options on the breakfast menu: Egg and bacon rolls, $7 or with a coffee for a $10 combo, which roll out the door to tradies and surfers; Eggs bene $13 – 14, Açai and berry bowl, Brioche with cinnamon, honey and ricotta $12, The Big Breaky (one of the cheapest in town at $16) including eggs your way, bacon, chorizo, mushrooms, tomato, avo, hash brown and toast, or you can order the Veggie version at $13.

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People come and go, obviously a regular cliente all greeted by name. It reminds me of an old corner store where everyone stops to chat to the owner and each other. Like everyone else, I’m really taken with the door, a huge studded number that would hold out a tribe! Johnny tells me that it once held pride of place in the Brisbane Ice Works. It’s 120 years old, which makes you wonder what that door’s seen! That’s certainly something to talk about!

Shop 7, Niecon Tower, Broadbeach Serving organic Verde blend Silipo Coffee and almost totally organic food, barista/owner Jimmy Thompson and partner Mel aren’t letting venue size be a limitation on goodness. They’re bringing a little bit of healthy to local business workers, not to mention tourists!

The Salt Mill @ Currumbin

The venue is full of surprises, with hidden corners and secreted away spaces. Walk through the dimly lit café and you’ll find yourself in a quiet sunny courtyard tucked away out the back, a perfect secret spot for a small group to get away from it all.

The Allpress flat white goes down a treat. It’s a four bean blend, full-bodied and smooth with shades of caramel. There’s also an Allpress single origin, changed weekly.

BOX ESPRESSO

Lunch, too, has plenty of healthy options: Red quinoa, spinach and roast pumpkin salad $15, Smoked salmon bagel $10, standards such as Chicken parmi or Chicken schnitzel with salad and fries $15 and the healthier option Mushroom Stack with field mushrooms, haloumi, roasted Mediterranean vegies, with feta and spinach on a crisp potato rosti $10.

Upstairs there’s a separate event space with its own bar which holds 30 in the bar and 50 or 60 all up. It’s available for use on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday nights only.

1/784 Pacific Parade, Currumbin

Choices can be seen in the refrigerated servery, with the daily choice outlined on the blackboard, either to go or to dine in at the front; a quiet spot away from the crowd! Brekkie Paninis are $6.50 or go the Works Burger Packed with egg, bacon, cheese, house pesto and homemade tomato relish; a steal for $8.50. Not that peckish? You could always pick a vego option or Bircher Muesli and, (as with your coffee or smoothie), have your choice of milk. Gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free desserts, raw slices and cheesecakes are sourced from boutique supplier Delish Wholefoods. If you’re feeling too hot for coffee, check out the organic iced coffee served in a jam jar or, better still, a healthy organic dietician-approved smoothie such as an Energy Booster or a Fast Break. I’ve scoffed a coffee on my way to work, kissed the Main Squeeze goodbye before he sunk his teeth into his brekkie burger, and grabbed a liver-calming protein ball for a quick lift. Not good enough! I’ll just have to go back!

Box Espresso @ Broadbeach

Marj Osborne Read more of Marj’s reviews at foodgoldcoast.com.au

DINING IN OUR BACKYARD - CURRUMBIN CREEK ROAD You wouldn’t expect an industrial area to be a new little food and coffee hotspot, but Currumbin Creek Road is becoming a breeding ground for coffee and low cost diners. Check out these four places for great quality at the right price: DUST TEMPLE

54 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters

‘Home to Hinge Gallery, fl.oz Espresso and Dangerous Adventures’, Dust Temple is right at home in its industrial surrounds. Opened by architect John Wilson and his wife Isla, it’s an open plan exhibition space with art pieces for sale and comfy lounge seating for relaxation. With so few exhibition spaces available on the Coast, Hinge Gallery plays an important role in promoting established local artists who may not be well known in their hometown. The venue is community-based with a focus on exhibitions including charity events and art classes rather than sales. Hence, Dust Temple is supported, in part, by the espresso bar, fl.oz, at the front of the gallery.

restaurant, listening to local banter as they grab a meal, have a quick chat and move on back to work. The lure of the tapas on offer at night is far too great, so I take along three friends who are also intrigued by the concept, to see what it is all about. Lotus root chips and edamame are nibbled on as we discuss the menu and decide to not order everything as we would like, but to stick to a few tapas and some mains. Of the tapas the fried tofu with chilli sesame wakame is a quick favourite with the sauce being unanimously described as “amazing”. The seared scallops with flying fish roe are an absolute must, with the flavour and texture combinations of the scallops, lotus root chips, roe and sauce making this perfection on a plate. Mains were ordered soon after and we quickly realised our eyes were far bigger than our stomachs as the dishes are very generous. They also happen to be wonderful to look at, with one friend describing the vegetarian udon as a “rainbow in a bowl”. Of the mains the chicken karaage was a highlight for me as it was both crispy and tender. It is definitely recommended that you check out the specials board when you are there as the fried beans and cashew nuts were absolutely delicious. When you do visit this this cosy spot you will undoubtedly discover, as we did, delightful Japanese food matched with possibly the best service on the Gold Coast.

next couple of weeks. As you sit outside sipping on your favourite cup you can’t help but notice the coffees roll out the door from this simple pineclad espresso bar as Froth has already built up an impressive fan base that has people coming in from Currumbin Valley to get their caffeine fix. During my visit there are several diners outside enjoying some pastries and smashed avo on Burleigh Baker’s sourdough. It’s a New York bagel for me with smoked salmon, dill and cream cheese. There’s also a Brekkie Bagel, or one of the daily specials on offer, iced coffees or Prana Chai as other options. With rustic crates and picnic tables for seating, dining’s more ‘beach simple’ than luxurious, but not everyone eats in. Phone or text ahead and your takeaway coffee and bagged brekkie will be ready to go through the front window! With attitude to burn, this place is right on the knocker for local industry and passersby!

Serving Brisbane roasters Fonzie Abbott’s coffee in takeaway eco cups, there’s also a daily cake (a Banana Cake when we visited) and fresh samosas in a hot cabinet. I take my coffee on a walk through the gallery. From huge stormwater drains to a whimsical wrought iron boat, from pottery to paintings, the thought-provoking art pieces beg to be photographed. Industrial and raw it may be, but Dust Temple is well worth a visit.

POP TACO

4/42 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters

FROTH COFFEE CO.

46 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters Jordan Malane, one of Froth Coffee Co’s owner baristas, says that living in Melbourne brought about his sea change back to the surf. Returning to the Coast, he’s opened Froth Coffee Co. with friends Declan (ex Barefoot and Blackboard) and Verity.

ZIPANG

Shop 10, 31 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters Former partner at Genki Café, chef Atsushi Mizushima has gone out on his own in a tiny casual Japanese diner. Named after the ancient title of Japan, Zipang, the café is a tiny ‘dine in’ or quick ‘grab and go’ eatery at lunch and a BYO tapas bar at night. When dining at lunch, fast food is the order of the day. We pass up the boxed curries, Gyoza and Chicken Karaage from the heated cabinet in favour of an Okonomiyaki (seafood pancake laced with ginger and mayo on top) and a cup of green tea. A cabinet of sushi holds Inari and Edamame rolls, wraps, as well as bowls of salads: Edamame and feta salad with roast onion dressing, and Coriander chilli chicken salad on the day we visited. Wheels of lotus root chips sit on top of the cabinet. While lots of patrons grab a quick lunch, I sit in the

“We used to go café hopping when we lived in Melbourne and we wanted to replicate that here for locals.” Jordan’s just returned from delivering coffee next door. Full of friendly smiles and banter, what he doesn’t tell me is that, as a member of the Bleeding Knees Club, he’s swapped late nights for early openings: 5am on weekdays, 6am on weekends, but what else would you expect from the trio whom Declan describes as being “young and awesome go getters having a go.” Froth prepares their coffees with Single Origin Roasters’ Yeehah! Blend beans, which lends itself beautifully to the edgy caramel and marshmallow flavoured piccolo and other milk coffees. The nutty aroma of the blend is most noticeable in the espresso, which has a nice sharp acidity, whilst in the long black the lighter berry flavours shine through. Froth are looking to start offering single origins in the next month or so, and are currently developing a single origin black coffee cold brew and an ice coffee, which should become available in the

Beginning as a mobile ‘honeymoon camper’, PopTaco has morphed into a dual personality: a travelling taqueria available for functions as well as a permanent popup operating from an industrial warehouse space. There’s honesty to such an unpretentious venue which brings it closer to Mexican street food, just as its owner, Kristal Smith, intended. After spending the best part of four years in Mexico, Kristal returned to Australia as Mexican cuisine was about to take off. “This is a fair representation of the tacquerias of Mexico City and Central Mexico, but Mexican food is so diverse…this is just one aspect of it. It ranges from street food to fine dining in really upmarket restaurants.” It’s a cool night as we dine at PopTaco, but the welcome is warm, the food tasty and well-priced, helped along by being BYO. As the name implies, tacos are one of the main menu items: soft double tortillas loaded up with fresh tasty ingredients, made to order and brimming with sauces. The food’s bursting with freshness and flavour, yet not too spicy. It flows from our mouths over our fingers, each drip licked up to catch the flavours. There’s murmuring from table to table, some chatter about the flavours, but mostly we’re just tucking in, hands reaching in, sharing and enjoying this great street food. Marj Osborne and Catherine Coburn Read more of Marj’s reviews at foodgoldcoast.com.au

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BLANK PAGE SUMMERLANDISH. DO AS I SAY: NOT AS I DID

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

THE WOLVES OF MIDWINTER

Summer Land

M.R. Carey

Anne Rice

Yes, Summer Land is the author’s real name. And like anyone who was raised by a mother who seems to think that a name which would work well either as a bad soap opera or a coconut candy is also a good idea for a little girl, she has her fair share of wacky adventures. When you first realise that Summer Land is writing her personal memoirs at the tender age of 26, one could be forgiven for wondering what she could possibly have to say about life. The answer is Nothing, if you’re looking for a deep and spiritual journey into the soul, and Quite a Bit, if you’re after an interesting, over-the-top and at times cringe inducing collection of personal stories. Personal being the word. Whether it is tearing her anus by cliff diving in Western Australia – an “enema from hell” as she describes it – or ripping out a soaked tampon in a bar and flinging it behind a cigarette machine, the entire book smacks of squirmy TMI moments that nevertheless keep you reading, albeit at times from behind a palm to the face. Today’s over-sharing social media culture is no doubt to blame for the sudden plethora of tell-all, warts-and-all attitudes of the twenty-somethings popping out of the blogsphere seeking to immortalise and legitimise their comparatively unispired pursuits between the pages of a printed book. Given the success of such efforts, the “pretty young girl with a dirty mouth” syndrome doesn’t appear to be going anywhere for a while. And with silly but entertaining novels like Summerlandish resulting from it, that’s not a bad thing. Those with weak stomachs: avoid. Those with moderate stomachs: proceed with caution. Summer’s oversharing, while fun and well written, is not for the faint-hearted. Natalie O’Driscoll

Melanie is different to other 10 year olds. She lives locked up in a cell in a place called Beacon. Every morning, the Sergeant and his people come to unlock Melanie’s cell. With guns trained on her, they strap Melanie into a chair and wheel her into a classroom for lessons. Melanie learns spelling, maths, and history, but suspects her teachers are hiding something important from her. Published in June 2014, The Girl with all the Gifts is a mash-up of Cormac McCarthy’s bleak novel The Road and the classic Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It’s a heart-thumping, apocalyptic thriller with writing reminiscent of the great Sci-fi/ horror/thriller master Stephen King. Carey is already an established writer, having written for both DC and Marvel comics. He’s also penned a Hollywood screenplay and perhaps because of this, it is easy to imagine The Girl with all the Gifts as a film. Like Stephen King, Carey’s writing is vivid. He knows how to build a world the reader can become immersed in, adding just enough to detail to his scenes without losing any suspense. Carey has also adopted King’s penchant for providing interesting backstories for his minor characters, causing readers to feel empathy for his carefully crafted heroes and heroines. Which is good because this is a disaster story set in post apocalyptic Britain, filled with infected humans who are now zombies. Spoiler alert, people are going to die. Unfortunately, like many disaster films from America, the reader is subjected to a narrow view of the world post zombie take-over. Apart from one sentence mentioning countries other than the United Kingdom, the novel is entirely focussed on Britain. Carey injects some humour into the story, however some jokes are only worthy of an eye-roll before they fall flat on the floor. Stories about zombies are not hard to find, however Carey has added something different to his. In The Girl with all the Gifts zombies move quickly and will hunt a human for days, never seeming to tire, however, with enough chemical blocker to mask the human scent and slow movements, a zombie attack can be avoided. This new angle, coupled with Carey’s skill in writing action and suspense, makes The Girl with all the Gifts a stand-out novel. Elizabeth Russell

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This is the second foray into the world of werewolves for Ms Rice, and it is a far superior offering to her first. Still acclimatising to the wonderful new world of his own powers and those of his immortal colleagues, forever 25-yearold Reuben Golding knows contentment as never before. The only thoughts that darken his days are those of the secrets he must keep from his family and their inevitable parting as his never-ageing nature becomes too obvious to hide from those he loves. In addition the house he has inherited, Nideck Point, is being haunted by the spectre of its previous owner. Her inability to communicate what is troubling her to Reuben, and his mentor Felix’s preparations for a massive mid-winter celebration incorporating the entire town, consume the first two thirds of the book. Somewhat lacking in plot until close to the end of the story, The Wolves of Midwinter nevertheless manages to hold the reader’s interest purely through the richness of the setting and its intriguing characters, who, due to sheer numbers, are each never quite present for long enough to quench the reader’s curiosity about them, a strategy which ensures a mild level of tension throughout. The author was also clever or in touch with her readers enough to recognise that some of her more popular works incorporated more than one type of supernatural creature, and has done so with a reasonable degree of success in this follow up to 2012’s The Wolf Gift. One needn’t have read this first book in the series to follow the second, as reasonable amount of exposition about for the uninitiated. With more conversation than gore, Anne Rice presents to us yet another group of impossibly articulate, worldy and mannered immortals that nevertheless enjoy the taste of human flesh and blood as much as they enjoy their baroque furnishings. Some of the human characters particularly resonated with me, such as Reuben’s quitely intelligent father Phil and his haunted brother Jim. I look forward to future novels in the series as Ms Rice finds her feet with these new (to her) beings and their various idiosyncrasies. Natalie O’Driscoll

Lifestyle & Culture

DARCI FIESTA D’YOGA INTERVIEW There is a huge community spirit currently brewing on the Gold Coast and inspiring events are popping up everywhere. There aren’t many yoga teachers as hands-on in the community as Darci Charli Dee, who teaches all over the coast. Yanina Benavidez caught up with the bubbly energetic Darci at one of her local teaching spots and asked her a few questions about an exciting upcoming event. Darci giggles contagiously and is clearly driven to spread her very own unique approach to yoga one engaging class at a time. Having taught classes all over the coast for three years she really has connected with the community and felt the call for the dynamic and captivating shift that yoga needed. And thus, Fiesta D’Yoga was born. Partnering with Rabbit + Cocoon allowed this event to really take shape and it’s really quite fitting as our community certainly has grown since the birth of the creative precinct in Miami. The name says it all, this isn’t your average yoga class it’s an invitation to party. And to get those bodies moving to the beat is Andy Dub of Dub Control Collective, one of Australia’s most renowned main stage festival DJ/producers. He’ll be spinning the decks on the night alongside percussion party king Drew Stephens of Kingfisha. This really is a yoga night like no other. It’s a unique approach to yoga that encourages a drug and alcohol free space to dance, let loose, dress up and ground our bodies with the guidance and infectious effervescent spirit that Darci brings. Following the success of her first event last April, Dusk D’Yoga which sold out the QT venue, it wasn’t long before the wheels set in motion for Fiesta D’yoga I asked Darci what inspired her to combine yoga with dance

and her answer was Future Sound: the love child of Sydney based couple Mat and Angel – a DJ and yoga instructor who featured at Byron Spirit Festival. Darci’s event will be held 8 March at Rabbit+Cocoon and Darci tells me at this point there are only 15 tickets left before the event sells out. If you haven’t been to one of Darci’s classes before I suggest getting away. Her approach is unlike any other. “I take a little bit from all the teachers I have had,” she says. Combining Ashtanga and Vinyassa flow with the strength and extended poses of Hatha yoga Darci has created a dynamic fusion of yoga called D’yoga, it really is her very own brand of yoga. Earlier this month D’yoga headed to Earth Frequency’s second biggest stage to share some playful dance-filled classes with Andy Dub again by her side. Tickets to all of Darci’s events are available online at www. dyoga.com.au. Her Fiesta D’yoga takes place 8 March at Rabbit+Cocoon.

SACRED MOON SPAWNS CIRCLES OF GIVING Sacred Moon Medicine will be a cosmic celebration in honour of the autumn equinox as well as the first eclipse of the new year. The event’s host Yanina Benavidez says the intention behind the event is to bring community together. “It’s an invitation to healing. And the aim is just to connect everyone,” she said. Some of Gold Coast and northern NSW’s most talented and successful people will be involved in tehe vent including those who will introduce participants to breath and body work, medicine drum sound immersion and gong healing. Guided meditation as well as organic food and drinks will also be available and each guest will receive a pack of goodies including a Boomerang Bag. “It’s such a pleasure and honour to be expanding this vision of the sacred circle,” Yanina said. “And it wouldn’t be possible without the help of so many talented and generous individuals.” Exhibitors involved include Organic Family Co, Acutonics Australia, Evohe, Hattie Store, Love Pretty Little, Shantique Designs, Epic Heal Time, Organic Ave, Lonely Wolf Australia, Good Karma and more. Sacred Moon Medicine takes place Friday 20 March from 5.30 – 9.00pm on the southern Gold Coast. Find out more via the facebook event for Sacred Moon Medicine. Samantha Morris

See you on the mat. Yanina Benavidez

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Lifestyle & Culture

RAW ‘VISIONARY’ ART EVENT RAW Natural Born Artists is an organisation that gives independent artists a platform to gain exposure that they might not otherwise have available. Artists from various genres including film, fashion, art, music, photography, performance art, hair and makeup artistry, can showcase their work at a RAW event every month, as well as online. The RAW concept began in 2009 in Los Angeles, California by a budding fashion designer who was frustrated by the limited, ineffective ways for artists to get their work seen. Heidi Luerra then took the concept nation-wide in the USA, then internationally, with the first stop being Brisbane, Australia! RAW events are now held monthly in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England and Japan. The Gold Coast and Byron Bay have RAW events run by Zara Klemick. The February showcase for Gold Coast artists was ‘Visionary’, and was held at the Currumbin RSL. The Currumbin Rissole may not be as alternative as other venues used for RAW events around the world, but the venue hosts Soundlounge, and is a Gold Coast mecca for quality, independent performers. It can now boast itself as the venue that brings quality artists of all genres out of the Gold Coast woodwork. It’s not possible to discuss all the talent at ‘Visionary’, but standouts for me included Fiona Watson’s lino relief printmaking for her preservation of Gold Coast memories, Kane Kokaris’s surrealist paintings for his dark, other-worldly imagination, Celeste Roddon’s realist sketches for her subject matter which includes Walter White and Jack Sparrow, Natarsha Alexandria for her dramatic black pen sketches, and Shirlyn Liaw for creating original crochet handbags from recycled Spanish cotton. Fiona Watson is a secondary school art teacher who has chosen the time consuming and painstaking process of lino relief printmaking as a way to ‘relax’. Calling herself ‘The Sentimentalist’ she sees her work as helping to preserve Gold Coast history. Like fellow Gold Coast artist Anna Carey, Watson loves to portray the fibro shack of the 1960s. She creates her prints by handcutting pieces of lino to create the relief, then paints watercolour over the relief onto paper, a technique that dates back to World War I. The result is dark ink-like prints that give the viewer an instant feeling of nostalgia for old Gold Coast suburbia. Kane Kokaris is a self-taught painter whose surrealist work can seem dark, foreboding and fantastical at the same time. His painting of a snail with a flowering cactus growing out of its shell, and another of a chameleon with a toucan on its back among sliced trees with slices floating directly over each other, were both mesmerising in overall detail. They were also surprising in the smaller details such as dark sunflowers underneath the chameleon and small skulls in the floating pieces of wood. Celeste Roddon’s realist sketches are done in pencil and graphite, and while that may not seem out of the ordinary, her subject matter creates instant identification with a wide audience. Her drawings of characters from contemporary film and television (such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad), attract attention because the characters are popular, but she also engages with her audience by portraying images of things we like to wear, 34

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namely, old Converse sneakers and Chanel No. 5 perfume. Natarsha Alexandria’s black pen sketch of an eagle’s head represented the strength and drama present in all the work she had on display. While sketches of skeletons with unicorn heads on them may have been confronting, such strongly defined drawings created a lasting impression in a room competing with so many other artists work. Shirlyn Liaw’s ‘The Cotton Pear’ crochet handbags stood out simply because they are so unique and so well made. Another self-taught artist, Shirlyn hand-makes every bag, and no two bags are the same. The bonus is that she has gone to great lengths to find ecofriendly yarn. There was plenty of music on the night and I loved hearing the hugely talented Quintessential Doll. Steph Lindsell’s voice is reminiscent of Julie Cruise singing the eery and spooky soundtrack for Twin Peaks. The backing cello, violin and electronic beats created musical drama perfect to match many of the visual artist’s work on display. All the talent on show was extraordinary. Yes, I’m biased because I live on the Gold Coast, but I can state without a doubt that Gold Coast RAW artists are world class. Who knows what would become of them if RAW wasn’t around to give them the opportunity to share their art? The next RAW event will be ‘Exposure’ upstairs at the Currumbin RSL on 9th April 2015. For more information go to http://www.rawartists.org/goldcoast Pip Andreas

VISUAL EXHIBITION OF POETRY COMES TO BOND Bond University is running the Poetry Gallery as a visual exhibition of poems by local writers. It will explore the creativity of poetry while evoking community appreciation for this artform that gets little traction in mainstream media. But there’s more to this project than meets the eye, because writers whose work is accepted into the Poetry Gallery will be invited to an exclusive masterclass with acclaimed poet Pascalle Burton and David “Ghostboy” Stavanger. Pascalle’s work is usually founded in cultural theory and conceptual art and the list of projects she’s been involved in is massive, with performance of her poetry taking place both locally and overseas. Pascalle’s critically acclaimed film Poems by Telephone won the Queensland Poetry Festival’s 2013 Filmmakers Challenge. David Stavanger is co-Director of the Queensland Poetry Festival and in 2013 he won the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Award. The master class with Pascalle will focus on developing poetic voice, experimental poetry and creating work for performance. David Stavanger will cover poetry reading, getting published and putting a manuscript together. The Poetry Gallery is open to anyone and poems must be submitted online at bond.edu.au/poetrygallery. Entries close Sunday 1 March. The physical exhibition takes place on Sunday 15 March from 2.00pm at the ADCO Amphitheatre at Bond University. It’s an exciting cultural addition to the Live at Bond concert featuring Christine Anu and presented as part of Bleach*. Poetry Gallery at Bond University | Sunday 15 March 2.00pm | ADCO Amphitheatre. Samantha Morris

NED KELLY: HERO OR VILLAIN? Matthew Ryan’s acclaimed take on the subject comes to the Gold Coast Controversial outlaw Edward “Ned” Kelly has long fascinated and divided Australians. Considered a folk hero by some and a murderous thug by others, the story has resonated with the general public to such a degree that even now, one hundred and thirty five years after he was hanged, you can still find a decent sized group of people who are prepared to conduct a robust discussion around the circumstances of his life and death. No wonder the story of this iconic Irish-Australian from the 1800s has inspired numerous works of art, several films and the largest number of biographies of any person in Australia. Many questions still remain: Was he indeed a victim of persecution by a corrupt and bigoted police service, or simply an entitled petty thug whose crimes eventually escalated into murder and robbery? Was he an articulate spokesperson for the common folk, or a lying scoundrel? What were the actual last words of this verbose and outspoken character, which were claimed to be unintelligible by those standing nearest him on the gallows? The fact that his thoroughly combed-through history is unlikely to yield many further answers at this point only adds to the desire to speculate on the truth. One of the more recent pieces of art inspired by the story of Ned Kelly is a play simply titled Kelly, by Australian playwright Matthew Ryan and director Todd MacDonald. Having previously received critical acclaim during its world premiere season in 2012, Kelly now embarks upon a 19 week

Australian tour from March to July in 2015. The Gold Coast is fortunate to be among the first stops on the tour, with March 13 and 14 set for the dates that this highly anticipated piece will take the stage at the Arts Centre Gold Coast. The play takes place inside Melbourne Gaol, where Ned Kelly sits awaiting his death sentence. Wounded yet defiant, he is shocked to discover that a priest who has come to visit him is actually his brother Dan, previously believed to have burned to death at Glenrowan, the site of their final shootout. Exploring the rumours of a difficult relationship between the two brothers and one theory that Dan actually escaped from the final shootout alive and fled to Queensland, this dynamic piece weaves fact, theory and fiction together to create an explosive and emotionally charged 80 minute experience. Whether you agree with any of the “facts” presented in the play or not, the endlessly fascinating topic is bound to enthral audiences from the oldest Australians to the younger generation who may be hearing the story of the contentious bushranger for the first time. Kelly plays 13 - 14 March at the Arts Centre Gold Coast. For details and bookings, please visit theartscentregc.com.au/whats-on/whats-on-items/kelly Natalie O’Driscoll

PETER NOWOTNY’S CULTURE LAYERS 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace has a lot of style, a refreshing approach and plenty of streetwise charm, right in the middle of Mermaid Beach. The gallery was launched in 2008 as a commercial contemporary art gallery and under the guiding hand of its director, Terri Lew, it hosts six solo and/or group exhibitions a year. One of the exhibitions this year is German Peter Nowotny’s Reflection ornaments and the spirit of Gold Coast. Peter Nowotny is a multi disciplinary artist who starts with painting on canvas and then further develops his piece by using a computer. Dark figurines at the background of the painting form the starting point on which the colourful, ornamental shapes play. With the aid of self-written software, the artist who studied communications engineering, dismantles his paintings into their components, with notions of contemporary life depicted by a love-child of a paintbrush and a wireless mouse. “My work focuses on the interactions between figuration (image) and ornament (concrete), between narcissistic reflections of the Western world and the prohibition of the pictures in the Islamic world,” Peter Nowotny said of his work. “The motives come from the world of fashion and the imaginaries of modern media. I reflect the divergence but also the convergence between the perfect realistic pictures from Occident and the fascinating ornamental pattern of the Orient. A topic which is currently having a grip on our world both politically and culturally!”

As an art consumer, a culture enthusiast and a Gold Coaster, I am always quite intrigued by how different artists perceive our city. I have seen and written about exhibitions where artists from outside the Gold Coast have interpreted the area and how its essence has emerged for them. Peter Nowotny’s Gold Coast seems quite different to mine. It has the recognisable, almost stereotypical trademarks; the superficial, trendy figures with a flare for life. But there is a more serious, structured, slightly separate, yet colourful ornamental order floating at the forefront. Sometimes he might cover the eyes or the mouths of the figures or sometimes just simply form a beautifying, decorative component that together with the background form an interesting and confronting whole. Peter Nowotny’s work is not the ‘easiest’ you will see but give it time and thought and it will entice and engage. And while you are there please check out the other solo exhibition Wave Rave at the gallery featuring the work of R. Nicholas Kuzyk’s. Peter Nowotny’s Reflection ornaments and the spirit of Gold Coast and R Nicholas Kuzyk’s Wave Rave run until 7 March 2015 at 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, 19 Karen Avenue, Mermaid Beach. More at 19karen.com.au. Anna Itkonen

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Lifestyle & Culture GOLD COASTER SETS HIS SIGHTS ON GLOBAL ROOTS OF FIRE DANCING Neal Webb has only been on the Gold Coast for a few years and he came here from the UK via the Philippines at that. A plumber and scuba dive master by trade, he’s had what you might call a baptism of fire when it comes to breaking into the entertainment industry. He chatted to Samantha Morris about his very grand vision and the need to raise $20,000 to bring it to fruition. I have to be honest and say I’ve never interviewed a dancer before, let alone one that dances with fire. How the hell do you even become a fire dancer? Neal Webb tells me that for him it was nearly accidental. He was working in the Philippines as a dive master and the hotel next to his dive shop saw him dancing with fire on the beach and started booking him for their entertainment. “I made some money and that escalated until we were touring the Philippines and making music videos and I thought: this is a lot better than plumbing. We flew to Ibiza, set up an entertainment company and then came to Australia about two / two and a half years ago.” His company, Energy Entertainments works around the Gold Coast performing at a range of venues and for a range of clients – including conferences and corporate events. Neal says he finds other performers who are good at what they do and then choreograph the shows together. Those shows involve so much more than fire, too. “That could be drummers, musicians or fire artists,” he said. I’ve only seen Neal and his troupe perform once, although I’ve heard about his work plenty of times. At the performance I witnessed, which was at a private party at The Avalon, they were atop shipping containers and art installations with tribal beats and sparks flying up to ten metres in the air. It was, in a word, incredible. Even more so when you consider that Neal (like most fire artists) is self-taught. But he’s had this idea he’s been harbouring for a few years now, and that involves getting back to the roots of fire dancing. “We went on Britain’s Got Talent,” he tells me. “Biggest shambles you’ve ever seen. And it got me thinking that I’m so fed up with mainstream bullshit, I just want to get raw, get back to the roots of it all.” “I had this idea to find the heart of fire dancing and I knew that Polynesian culture was really strong. I actually met Bobby (he points to Charles Wall who is also in the Blank office for an interview) on a plane and I find out from his mum that his uncle does fire dancing.” “So me and my girlfriend did a show in Hawaii in the Rip Curl house and while I was there I wanted to find the roots of fire culture. They don’t just do fire dancing at the end of their fire sticks, they have knives and the elders used to sharpen their knives as well. Its very warrior orientated instead of entertainment and it’s so thick in the culture.” It turns out that during that stay Neal and his girlfriend met 36

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the world champion fire dancer. “We gelled so well. I went training with the family and performed with them in a five star resort,” he said. So Neal’s plan to get back to the roots of fire dancing now include going back and staying with those people. “They’ll teach me traditional arts, take me to competitions and we’ll capture it all on film along the way,” he said. But visions like this don’t come cheap. As well as Neal and his girlfriend who will work as the sound designer for the project and accompany documentary, he’s working with 21 year old Gold Coast film-maker Elijah Cavanagh who has his own studio in Burleigh. “The project is all three of us,” Neal said. “We need $20,000 to cover travel, expenses while we’re there as well as pre- and post-production for filming. We need funds to enter competitions and to travel around the different islands.” “We want to see if there’s a difference between different cultures over there. And then the plan is, after this, to do a different culture – maybe go to Fiji or maybe take it to Africa – there are many tribes around the world that celebrate fire.” “Our aim is to find out where it actually originated from, because really, it’s made, isn’t it?” As well as an online crowdfunding campaign, Neal is hosting Heart of Fire at The Dust Temple. The event will include live music from his friends Juzzie Smith, Matthew Armitage and Mitch King as well as live fire shows La Fuente Fire and Fire Beats. Tickets are only $25 and the event takes place Thursday 5 March from 6.00pm. Neal gushes when I ask him about his connection to the Dust Temple. “I met them when I first arrived here. I actually had a meeting there with a plumber. And I turned up and I was like “man, this place is incredible” and I met John and I met Isla and told them I did fire shows. And I’ve done a couple of shows there now and I just love it,” he said. “And since then, we’ve really just become good friends.” Heart of Fire | Thursday 5 March, 6.00 – 11.00pm The Dust Temple, 54 Currumbin Creek Road

Images courtesy Lamp Photography

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MUSIC AWARDS

2015 RIL : 1 AP Y N E P UL SO TION ONY: 22 J A N I M NOM CERE D R A AW

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7 Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise T 5584 1200 www.qtgoldcoast.com.au

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Lifestyle & Culture ROD MCNICOL: A PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT OF MORTALITY The first survey exhibition of work by acclaimed Melbourne portrait photographer Rod McNicol will feature at Tweed Regional Gallery from 13 February to 24 May 2015. Tweed Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman said the Gallery was proud to host the Monash Gallery of Art travelling exhibition Rod McNicol: memento mori.

McNicol has photographed hundreds of people with relentless uniformity. They all look at the camera with a similar expression against the soft hue of McNicol’s studio backdrop, bathed in the uniform light of clerestories and skylights. Each body occupies precisely the same part of the photographic frame.

“This wonderful travelling exhibition highlights the work of one of our most enduring and important portrait photographers. Tweed Regional Gallery has had a long association with Rod McNicol through one of the Gallery’s major initiatives, the biennial Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture,” Miss Muddiman said.

His work has earned a string of prestigious awards including the National Photographic Portrait Prize (2012) and the Australian Photographic Portrait Prize (2004). McNicol recently won the inaugural DUO Magazine Percival Photographic Portrait Prize for his portrait of actor Jack Charles.

“Rod has been a finalist many times, and his work Eddi Stileto (1985 + 2005) was acquired for the Gallery’s collection through the Award in 2005.”

Born in Melbourne in 1946, McNicol attended the Prahran College where he studied photography during the early 1970s. His work is held in many major collections, including Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris), Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, National Library (Canberra), Monash Gallery of Art (Melbourne) and Tweed Regional Gallery.

Rod McNicol: memento mori comprises works spanning more than three decades, providing a compelling account of an artist deeply connected to his community and the genre of portraiture. From his earliest black-and-white prints through to recent colour portraits, McNicol uses photography to highlight ideas of mortality. Exhibition curator Stephen Zagala said: “Like Richard Avedon, McNicol uses uniform lighting and monochrome backdrops to isolate his sitters and foreground their physical vulnerability. These matter-of-fact portraits function as witnesses to the inescapable passing of time.”

K E L LY

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Workshop: The Art of Portraiture with Raimond De Weerdt Cost: $40 On Sunday 22 March from 10am to 1pm, Raimond De Weerdt provides a brief look at the ‘portrait’ and provides tips and practical techniques to help create portraits at home. Bookings are essential by contacting the Gallery on (02) 6670 2790. Natalie O’Driscoll

RADF: FINDING GOLD COAST ARTISTS The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between Arts Queensland and local governments around the state. For the Gold Coast, the 2014-15 RADF program actually signals the beginning of a more flexible approach to supporting the arts locally. The focus has changed from being one of funding a series of small, grass-roots projects to being one of funding several larger, more strategic projects that touch larger audiences. RADF’s website says that “your project should be bold, collaborative and fuel the cultural change that’s happening on the Gold Coast.” The funding program provides one-off, short-term, project-based grants which support professional development of artists and cultural workers as well as community cultural development activities. With a new Cultural Precinct taking shape as well as a

Culture Strategy informing the city’s investment in culture, this competitive funding allocation helps unearth and support incredibly talented practitioners across the city.

community, theatre, festival direction and education. Kate’s work on this piece will continue through to the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

In 2014 RADF projects employed 88 local artists and nearly 13,000 local and visiting participants. And applications are now open for a new round of funding which closes 20 March 2015.

Slide night is exactly what it sounds like. A project which captures pictures and stories with a coastal twist: the summer holiday. Artist Lisa Smith and the White Rabbit Theatre Ensemble present this variety show with the help of local memory keepers. They will relive and reimagine those summer holiday moments with love, kitsch and a decent dose of nostalgia. You can see Slide Night at Bleach from Friday 6 through Sunday 8 March at Tugun Progress Hall.

But before you set your sights on future funding, how about a snapshot of what some previous RADF recipients are up to: Inherit the wind is a community performance project about the weather. Its creator Meredith Elton is a dance artist who had led community members through the process of creating the piece which explores the connection between the environment, people and weather through dance. You can see the performance for yourself at Bleach* on Sunday 15 March. Time Capsule is a series of reinterpretion through audio installations and performance of what people thought of the Gold Coast in the 1960s when a time capsule was installed at Sundale shopping centre. The artist Kate Shearer has worked for 20 years on projects which span arts, education,

Queensland Music Awards last week announced finalists for their 2015 program and two previous RADF recipients from the Gold Coast were included. Nadia Sunde is a finalist for her children’s music and Bambini is a finalist for the music video category. They join two other Gold Coast finalists: Electric Lemonade who were a Soundcheck band and The Vernons, who were an A-Venue band. RADF applications close 20 March 2015 and more information is available at goldcoast.qld.gov.au. For more information about Bleach Festival visit bleachfestival.com.au.

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Environment It’s a fascinating country full of extremes. Its history of controversy isn’t over.

FINDING WAYS TO CONSERVE RHINOS

The times here have created a perfect storm for the rhino horn trade with Vietnam: Since the end of Apartheid in ‘94 South Africa’s exceptional conservation record has taken a battering because of the reduction in wildlife enforcement and increased corruption; After decades of recovering, while the rest of Africa’s rhino population was getting decimated, SA rhino populations are strong again, so rhinos are relatively easy for poachers to find and kill compared to anywhere else in Africa; The rhino horn trade tends to follow pockets of new wealth and Vietnam is an emerging tiger economy with an aspirational demand; South Africa’s borders are massive, making border protection difficult. Plus more corruption and less enforcement in neighbouring countries provide easy opportunities for smugglers; Kruger National Park, the world’s stronghold for Southern White Rhino, spans three countries and is so vast that nobody will hear a gunshot; China is building a lot of infrastructure in Africa and there’s an influx of Chinese workers creating a new conduit for rhino horn between Africa and Asia.

I’m driving north on the N6 from South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where I did a story on a survivor of rhino poaching and her new calf. The survivor’s story of hope presents a chance to smile in the otherwise miserable situation for South African rhinos, which are getting wiped out faster than they can recover. The Johannesburg leg of my research is almost in reach. Often it’s Johannesburg where a local poacher, Vietnamese rhino horn courier or sham hunter might wind up in court or jail. From the N6 that slices like a sharp knife through vast grassy farmlands I finally reach Johannesburg’s conveyor belt of motorways, exits and onramps, with about 15ks to go to the inner city. My trusty GPS steers me through names like NI, MI, R346. The electronic voice then directs me into more homely streets like Menton Rd and Fourth Lane, but it doesn’t feel like home, because at the traffic lights young black beggars walk down the white lines. My car windows go up, the doors lock centrally. Valuables get slewed away. It’s dark. At the first intersection a young man carries a sign saying, “I keep this crossway spotless and free of crime.” The guy at the next turn is flat-out poverty stricken, the next guy is juggling. He has rags on his body and flowers painted on his chin. They all come to my closed window asking for money. Warnings to take care have been pretty regular. Electric fences and locked gates and doors are evidence of bad experiences and fear. “Don’t walk down the streets at night.” It’s a country with a lot of crime, with severity varying in different areas from petty to violent.

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Rhinos also would do well to heed the warnings if only they could understand. “Don’t walk in the open at night, especially when the moon is bright.” Full moons are high alerts for the game reserves. The syndicates take advantage of low wages to recruit staff in the game reserves and national parks to supply them with information of the whereabouts of rhinos. They take advantage of poverty to recruit men from neighbouring townships or sometimes local gang members to be the foot soldiers or couriers. It’s like a war. Forty poachers were killed last year and spies are everywhere. Trust in the rhino conservation game is as rare as survivors of poaching because the horn commands such a huge price. Talk isn’t cheap. Stakeholders don’t share much information because they don’t know who in the authorities they can trust, let alone in their own organisations. The syndicates are always approaching people. Recruiting. Wildlife is farmed in South Africa. There is big money involved. Wild animals are bred and auctioned. Huge disparities exist. The gap between the classes is vast. The middle class and the poor live in distinctly different classes of dwellings. Big houses in the city with impressive security contrast with houses in nearby townships that are makeshift with bricks holding down their roofs instead of comprising their walls. Other townships are orderly rows of small boxes. On the Wild Coast south of Durban many communities seem to grow out of the grass. The small highways carry more walkers than cars. White and black cultures and beliefs deviate from each other strongly. In my interviews one guy says, “South Africa can’t even get on top of murder and rape, so what chance has rhino poaching got.” It’s not as dangerous as it sounds but you have to be careful.

So what can be done? The approach needs to be multifaceted and the polarisation between the conservation stakeholders and the syndicates and the consumers in Vietnam needs to soften to allow for dialogue. Investigators talk of catching the kingpins but they have to catch them red-handed. NGOs and the government talk about demand reduction campaigns. Game Reserves pay anti-poaching teams and dehorn their rhinos. The Private Rhino Owners Association is meeting to discuss legalising the trade to take away the moral hazard and secure their investments. Prosecutors are calling for better Vietnamese translation services. The list goes on… The Southern White Rhino species have survived crises before. In the 60s, one of the ancients of South African rhino conservation, Ian Player, pioneered techniques to translocate rhino, saving them from the very brink. China successfully clamped down on demand for horn in the 80s. Unsustainable horn use in Yemen slipped off the radar because the country was torn by conflict. What worked then might or might not work again, but there’s hope and there’s symbols of hope in the rhino poaching survivor and her calf. At the moment the solution is lost out there somewhere in all the vastness of Kruger, the sea of struggling humanity that surrounds it, the unreachable syndicate kingpins and the infinite mystery of Vietnam. Somewhere a road forward exists, a trusty GPS to guide the effort, to bring the right people together so the rhinos can survive this crisis. Mic Smith

Image above: A rhino calf in the Eastern Cape. The game reserve will cut the horn off as a safe guard against poaching. Image courtesy of Mic Smith.

LEOPOLD’S LOVE FOR MUSIC AND ENVIRONMENT Kate Leopold and her band Leopold’s Treat are names that often pop up at environmental events on the Gold Coast. Next Wednesday 25 February, she’s the guest artist at a special climate change event being held by Gecko – Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council. Our editor, Samantha Morris caught up with Kate and her band mate Keiran Richardt to ask about their passion for the Earth. As with most musicians, Kate Leopold has a ‘real’ job and while she’s the front woman of her band, it’s one of her band mates that calls the shots at work. “I teach nature-based education as part of the team at Natura,” Kate said. “Kieran is my boss. The environmental education branch is a fundamental part of the business and includes Gold Coast Waterwatch and a whole range of programs to raise awareness about the environment to school kids.” Kate studied a Bachelor of Environmental Scince but says it was through regular bushwalks with her dad that a love of the natural world developed. “We would spend time off the track looking for snakes under rocks and other things we might find. When i was growing up we regularly had snakes, lizards and other wildlife in the house. He has always had a mad passion for wildlife and the outdoors that was a little contagious.” Kate says that from those experiences it feels quite natural to support events that raise awareness about environmental issues. “It is really cool to be able to do that through music,” she said.

“If it’s something you care about it is going to come through,” she said. “Through connecting with nature and doing what I can in my own life to live sustainably and ‘tread lightly’ gives depth and power to the message behind the music.”

25 February 2015, Climate Reality and the Gold Coast Leopold’s Treat | Soundlounge, Currumbin A panel of industry and community experts will look at how climate change will impact food, infrastructure, investment, tourism, health and biodiversity from 6.30pm. Doors 6.00pm. Members from Leopold’s Treat will be onstage from around 8.00pm following the panel discussion. The panel is being facilitated by Blank GC’s editor, Samantha Morris who was named one of Queensland Champions of Conservation in 2013 and received a Golden Gecko Award in 2014.

I asked Kate what she thought the key issues around climate change are for the Gold Coast. She believes renewable energy from sustainable sources is important. “Here in Australia, we have the space to be a leader in solar energy for example, but the big investors still prioritise making big money out of limited fossil fuel resources like gas and coal, the extraction and use of which is arguably contributing to the global change in climate.” Kate’s band mate Kieran Richardt says that our generation takes a lot for granted. “For such a long time we’ve been taking the good stuff from the Earth and putting back the bad,” he said. “We live in a finite space and need to significantly limit the amount of resources we use and waste we generate,” Kieran said. But in terms of climate change and the Gold Coast specifically he believes the biggest issue will be preparedness. “Many Gold Coasters still seem to be in denial or really don’t give climate change much thought,” he said. “The fact that the Gold Coast is built on a swamp and the hind dunes of the coastal strip is not ideal, given statistics from scientists. I am concerned that not enough action is being taken and this really just comes down to too many people sticking their heads in the sand.” “The world came together to ban CFCs and other chemicals to mitigate damage to our ozone layer. I don’t see why we can’t do something similar to mitigate and better adapt to climate change.” Leopold’s Treat are one of many Gold Coast acts who are passionate about the environment and speaking up about its protection. Kieran believes music is a great medium for communication. “If we were to try and stop random people on the street or at a market to discuss issues such as deforestation, waste and global warming, we would only be preaching to the converted and everyone else would walk on by,” he said. “If we sang a song about some of these issues, people would be more inclined to listen. Notes from an instrument drive an emotional connection in everyone. Also, scientists are notoriously poor at communicating scientific findings to everyday people - it is so much easier for us to do that through music!” Kate says their song Mother Nature speaks deeply of a need to be accountable for our actions when it comes to climate change and that a lot of musicians try to communicate about the environment through their lyrics. www.blankgc.com.au

Environment

ECO CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS SUSTAINABILITY IN SURFING Greg Howell is known to both the surfing and the environment communities on the Gold Coast. Previous President of the local Surfrider Foundation branch and a passionate advocate of sustainability in surfing, he’s also the coordinator of Eco Challenge – a special event which both explores the roots of surfing as well as sustainability in surfing events. Last year’s event saw a freak swell which meant some of the water-based events needed to be cancelled. “That was a freak occurrence last year,” Greg said. “It was at least a six foot swell and there was no beach on the high tide.” Not surprisingly, Greg is hoping for kinder conditions for this years event which will feature a Roots of Surfing team challenge with wooden boards provided.

Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) While it’s not all about the money, it certainly helps. If you’re a local artist, creative business or organisation, grants are available to bring your big idea to life. Your project should be bold and fuel the cultural charge that’s happening on the Gold Coast.

New simplified two step application process! Applications for round two close Friday 20 March 2015. P 07 5581 6075 E cultural@goldcoast.qld.gov.au W cultural.goldcoast.qld.gov.au

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RADF is a Queensland Government initiative through Arts Queensland in conjunction with City of Gold Coast to support local arts and culture.

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As well as all the wooden surfboard events and displays, Eco Challenge 2015 will offer a full day of lifestyle and sustainability-themed activities: there’s yoga for surfers on the beach, market and food stalls showcasing sustainable products and services, environmental groups will be on hand to talk about their work and how you can get involved and there will also be a Plastique Fashion Show. The fashion show and associated Instagram competition will ask people to take photos of their plastic-bag fashion creations and tag @surfridergc in their post. The ancient wooden craft on display have roots which date back to thousands of years. And the event offers a unique opportunity to check them out as well as ride them if you’re competing in the events. Greg says the event is one for enthusiasts, sustainable surfing advocates and complete novices. “Anyone who’d like to watch professionals, or even try out one of the original surf craft should bring their family down to the beach for a fun day,” he said. The event runs Sunday 15 March from 7.00am at Tugun Surf Club and is part of the Bleach* program for 2015.

Get more information at climatewave.com.

über Mentorship:

Power up your Arts

Applications are now open for local artists/creatives to design their own mentorship program. Individual programs of creative activity will be funded up to $10,000 each! Apply now.

Applications close Friday 20 March 2015. P 07 5581 6075 E cultural@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

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CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY CELEBRATING ITS 25TH YEAR Clean Up Australia Day is a major event on any environmental calendar, and this year it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Taking place on Sunday 1 March, it’s Australia’s biggest community event and both the City of Gold Coast and our peak environment group Gecko are calling on people to get their hands dirty. Anna Itkonen is the Gold Coast coordinator for Clean Up Australia Day and she says the event is a perfect example of the community banding together to make a difference. “During these 25 years, Australian have volunteered for more than 27.2 million hours on Clean Up Australia Day, removing an estimated 288,650 tonnes of rubbish from 145,754 sites across the country,” she said. “The Gold Coast community has been enthusiastically involved ever since the beginning and many funny stories, weird and wonderful objects and new friendships fit into those years.” “Ideally there would not be any need for these kind of clean ups but until then, we encourage everyone to look after their environment, reduce waste, dispose of your waste responsibly and to join in Clean Up Australia Day.” Community members can get involved by registering a clean up site, registering as a volunteer at one of the existing sites below or simply by letting organisers know of a litter hotspot. Gold Coast Clean Up Australia Day sites Arundel Napper Road, meet at Arundel Tavern at 7am Arundel Meet at 144 Allied Drive at 9 am Ashmore Ashmore Community Centre, meet in car park 9am Ashmore Meet at Ashmore Scout Den at 8 am Burleigh Heads Along The Esplanade, meet southern end of The Esplanade 8 am Burleigh Heads Burleigh Headland, meet at the top of Goodwin Terrace at 8 am Coomera Meet at McDonalds BP Coomera at 9 am Currumbin Currumbin Creek, meet at Gecko House on Duringan Street at 8 am Currumbin Currumbin Lions Park, meet at the park at 9 am Currumbin Salk Oval and Currumbin Creek, meet at Palm Beach Scout Den at 8 am Elanora Meet at Pirate Ship Park at 9 am Helensvale Oyster Cove, meet at the park at Tranqulity Circuit at 9 am Helensvale Siganto Drive, meet at Helensvale McDonalds at 9 am Hope Island Jabiru Island, meet at Jabiru Island carpark at 9 am Jacobs Well Meet at Jacobs Well Community Centre at 9 am Labrador Harley Park, meet onsite at 9am Labrador Meet at McDonalds Hope Island at 9 am Main Beach Federation Walk, meet at Federation Walk carpark at 8 am Maudsland Flooded Gum Park, meet at McAuley prd at 8 am Miami Meet at Santa Monica at 9 am Molendinar Southport-Nerang Road, Meet at Ashmore McDonalds at 9 am Mudgeeraba Wiltshire Park, meet at cnr Wiltshire dr and Langport pde at 8am Nerang Meet at Pappa’s way drive at 9 am Ormeau The Ormeau Centre, meet at the centre at 9am Ormeau Pascoe rd and nearby streets, meet at McDonald Ormeau at 9 am Oxenford Meet at McDonalds Oxenford carpark at 9 am Oxenford Regatta Waters Lake, meet at the children’s playground at 10 am Palm Beach Lacey’s Lane, meet at 9am at the beach end of Lacey’s Lane Palm Beach Palm Beach Parklands, meet behind Dune Café at 9 am Palm Beach Pirate Ship Park, meet at 9 am Parkwood Parkwood bushland, meet at cnr of Olsen ave and Wintergreen dr at 9 am Parkwood Meet at Parkwood Scout Den at 7 am Robina Robina Common, meet at Robina Common carpark at 7.15 am Runaway Bay Shearwater Esplanade, meet atcnr of Shearwater esp and Runaway Bay ave at 9 am South Stradbroke Meet at Rudy Maas Marina at 6.15 am Southport The Spit, meet at Doug Jennings Park at 9 am Southport Around Ferry rd, meet at McDonalds Southport at 9 am Surfers Paradise Meet under Surfers Paradise arch at 4 pm Tugun Various sites in Tugun, meet at Tom Atkin Hall at 8 am Upper Coomera Along Days rd, meet at McDonald Upper Coomera at 9 am

Surf THE OCEAN: CELEBRATED IN FILM A short film about Gold Coast surf and skate star Quincy Symonds will feature as part of the Ocean Film Festival which takes place on the Gold Coast on Tuesday 10 March. This Aussie homegrown film festival will feature two world premieres and a number of Australian cinematic premieres. But the film about Quincy promises something special. She’s a six year old who’s full of spunk. The Tweed Heads lady only started surfing about two years ago but in that time has captured the attention of the surfing world and built a big social media following. She’s tipped as the future Layne Beachley. Her story is captured in just one of the films to be screened during the Ocean Film Festival, which has the Gold Coast as one of 18 locations it’s stopping in across the country. Audiences will be able to immerse themselves in the wonders of the ocean without getting their feet wet with seven of the world’s most captivating ocean-themed short films, fie Australian Cinematic Premieres and two World Premieres lighting up silver screens in places as diverse as Byron Bay, Darwin, Randwick, Christmas Island and Canberra. Blank spoke with Festival Director Jemima Robinson from her home in the northern beaches of Sydney. She told us this is the second year the event has come to the Gold Coast, after selling out its first screening in 2014. “This year we’ve gone for a much larger venue,” she said. “We have a local film and a local star (in Quincy), so we just feel it needed a grander venue.” The grander venue of which she speaks is the 700-seat theatre at The Arts Centre Gold Coast. That’s more than double the capacity of last year’s venue but Jemima is confident, given the quality of footage being screened. “What we do is we spend a year just watching ocean films from all over the world,” she said. Sounds like such a tough job. “And then we come up with what we think is the best selection for Australian audiences.” “We have seven films in total and they take us all over the world doing different things: surfing the Arctic in Norway with icebergs, Hawaii for ocean archaeology. The guys there discovered the ship that Moby Dick was written about,” she said. “And of course a bit of big-wave surfing which will appeal to the Gold Coast and Byron crew,” Jemima said. The Ocean Film Festival sold out its Brisbane screening the day before Jemima and I spoke, so you can imagine her excitement at that. “I’m feeling confident that we’re going to end up with a solid audience and a good crowd,” she said. It is, quite literally, the best in film focused on the world’s oceans, so that wouldn’t surprise us at all. Ocean Film Festival 4 March | Brisbane, Eldorado Cinema 10 March | Gold Coast, Arts Centre 27 March | Byron Bay, The Palace Cinema More at oceanfilmfestival.com.au.

Visit cleanupaustraliaday.org.au or phone Gecko on 5534 1412 for more information.

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Surf

SURFING THROUGH ART Cutback: Surfing Through Art will showcase the work of seven contemporary Australian artists responding to the art of surfing and alternative surf culture. Cultural rituals, dealing with depression and Australian masculine identity will be explored and the work of Chris Bennie, Shaun Gladwell, Andrew Kidman, William Mackinnon, Nanda Ormond, Ben Rak and Joel Rea will be featured. During the 1950s and ’60s, films such as Gidget, Blue Hawaii and The Endless Summer popularised surf culture, as did surf bands such as The Bel Airs, The Beach Boys, Dick Dale & The Del Tones and Jan & Dean. In doing so, stereotypes emerged, some of which linger today.

SWELL, SURFSTARS, AND CYCLONES We are in the last month of summer, and as every surfer worth his or her salt on the Gold Coast knows, this is the time of year everyone waits for. Surf Season. The low pressure systems in the Coral Sea are constantly watched by surfers around Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales, hoping for one or two or more to develop into a cyclone that will produce the world class waves that appear every year at the end of summer into autumn. It might seem that surfers are praying for disaster, but truth be told the best swells are the ones that come from thousands of miles away, and travel across the Tasman and Coral Sea for days before reaching the beautiful sand bottom points of the Gold Coast. As I write this I have already had one call from swell chasing videographer, Tim Bonython, looking for the peak day for the swell from Cyclone Olga, the first spinner of the season, perfectly placed to deliver some solid and powerful lines of swell our region. Pro surfers from around the world book tickets each time they see a system like this developing on the map. It’s their job to be present and get footage of themselves to do the best for their sponsors. Tough job, huh? This is also the time of year when the circus comes to town. What circus? That is what local surfers call the World Surfing Tour when it arrives. Maybe it gets that name from the carnival atmosphere that pervades the southern end of the Gold Coast, or possibly it could be because of the massive entourage of human soup that turns up to watch the world’s best surfers take on Snapper Rocks and hopefully Kirra. Surf groupies, company executives, brothers, sisters, dads, mums, mates, media, and every grommet in town head on down the beach, with some trying harder than others to get a hold of those VIP all access passes to the world’s best. Of course those passes are held by the company and surfing executives, and the interplay that is involved in the 44

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As well as the exhibition, a series of events will engage young people, explore surf culture and hopefully inspire a new generation of surf artists. Saturday 14 March, 3.00pm | Women and Surfing Seminar addressing some of the issues related to women and surf culture and the launch of a new book by Andrew Kidman Single – Stephanie Gilmore – Studies of Movement. Thursday 19 March, 6.00 – 8.00pm | After Dark: surf/life/ art with a panel of creatives and surfers including writer Tim Baker with some of the artists featured in the Cutback exhibition and music by Old Man Friday.

distribution of said passes can be comical to watch. It is rather disconcerting sometimes to see the VIP area, where the consumption of beer seems to be more important than the action in the water. But I digress….. In the end, the unique things about surfing shine through the ridiculous crowds at Snapper, the frothing industry parties and all that other neon stuff. You can get to surf with your heroes. It is amazing that you can sit there and watch the world’s best on waves only metres away from you. You may even get faded by Kelly or John John, but I suppose then you do still share a wave with one of your heroes. You cannot have a game of tennis with Novac Djokovic, you can’t get on the MCG when the Aussies are batting and be part of the game. That is the difference with surfing. Maybe that explains the crowds! The events are on and there is of course the Quiksilver & Roxy Pros (28th February to 11 March), but also some other events,with some great surfing and hopefully some pumping waves as well. The Kirra Teams Challenge tags onto the end of the Quiksilver Pro from the 13th to 15th of March, with 36 of Australia’s best board riding clubs fighting it out to get their name of the coveted Kirra “Eagle” Trophy. This is the 31st year of the event, and with the quality of surfers and surfing, it is a great 3 days of competition to check out. Hopefully another fantastic swell like last year will see the event returned to the fabled Kirra Point; for the guys in the event, the chance to surf this break with only 3 other persons out – a dream. To me it is a great time of year to surf. This is when we get swell, warm water, and beautiful people on the beach. But with those crowds at Snapper I would rather surf anywhere else. Maybe a great solution is to take a trip down the coast, and not run away with, but run away from the circus. Terry “Tappa” Teece

Friday 20 March, 10.00am – 5.00pm | Surfboard Designs with provided art materials for grommets aged 4+ Saturday 21 March, 2.00 – 4.00pm | Surf Stories Illustration Workshop with surf comic artist Nanda Ormond for grommets aged eight and over. Many of these events support Bleach* Jr and the exhibition is open right now, running through March. Get all the details at theartscentregc.com.au.

Image above: William Mackinnon, Green Wave 2013, oil and enamel on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Utopian Slumps

BRINGING YOU THE WORLD’S BEST OCEAN FILMS, FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE SURFACE.

Tickets: Arts Centre Gold Coast Box Office or 5588 4000 10th March 7pm • ONE NIGHT ONLY www.blankgc.com.au

Surf MOTION AND EMOTION THROUGH (M)OCEAN Tim Baker’s credentials are substantial. He came to live and work on the Gold Coast in 1991 for Australian Surfing Life and by coincidence we met in a café in the old Burleigh Theatre Arcade which is where ASL had their offices. This was after a stint as Editor at Tracks magazine. He wrote Rabbit Bartholomew’s biography Busting down the door in 1996 and has been a freelance writer ever since. He’s modest too. “I’ve written eight or nine books,” he said. But wow, those books point to surf credentials the rest of us can only imagine: Australia’s Century of Surf as well as biographies of Occy, Mick Fanning and Simon Anderson. He also wrote Surfari – a book about a trip with his family around Australia and also a children’s book The Surfer and the Mermaid. You’d think he had reached his zenith but it seems Tim Baker is far from done when it comes to surf culture. “I feel like I’ve sort of had a good ten years of being really possessed with pragmatic provider instincts and I’ve come out of that and am a bit more idealistic and feel I can do the real dream projects,” he said. “And this project is part of that.” The project he’s referring to is (m)Ocean: a unique celebration of surf and music that will take place at one of the most-loved beaches in Australia: Burleigh. “I want it to be open to interpretation, but I say em-ocean,” Tim said. “The ‘m’ stands for music and it’s a celebration about how surfing makes us feel.” He reflects on a bunch of performances over recent years that have provided a catalyst for this work, and have involved musicians and surfers collaborating. “Richard Tognetti (Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra) is a surfer and a friend of mine,” he said of the violinist who was creative director for The Reef, which was a performance piece that intersected music and nature focused on the rugged landscapes of northern Western Australia. “There was Musica Surfica, which similarly explored that synergy between music and surfing. And another friend of mine, Andrew Kidman made the film Spirit of Akasha and performed the soundtrack live at the Sydney Opera House.” “The logical step is to have live music and live surfing coincide, and to explore that symbiotic feedback loop that will hopefully happen. So that’s the kernel of the idea,” Tim said. This isn’t Tim’s first involvement with Bleach. Since its inception he’s had a creative project included. First there was a theatrical production of his children’s book The Surfer and the Mermaid. “I’d never done anything like that before… so all of a sudden I’m in a theatre developing a children’s play,” Tim said. And then the following year he conceived and designed a guided coastal walk around the longest wave concept. “That’s a reference to this one wave that Damon Harvey rode from Snapper to North Kirra in 2002 when the super bank was at its zenith. He was the only one to do it. I’m confident

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saying it’s the longest wave ever ridden in Australia.” “We used that as a tool for telling a lot of stories that happened along that stretch of coast,” Tim said. “And then the last Bleach I did an exhibition at Surf World.” “Then this year, well I felt really fortunate that I could explain my project as succinctly as: I want to present surfing as a performing art,” Tim said. Tim participated in a weekend workshop with Melbourne artist David Pledger through YARN: he had to develop his project and pitch it as well as gather feedback and input on how to develop it further. “David is also about the interface of sport and art. At the end of the workshop, we were encouraged to apply for these Uber mentorships and David made it known that he wanted to mentor me for this project and he’s been my mentor ever since,” he said. On the surface it seems like a big transition to make. From writer to creative director for something that’s never been done before. “I have moments where I wake up in the middle of the night and go “oh fuck, what have I done” but then in the light of a new day it’s really exciting. I know all the people I want to involve in the project. I have a producer. Asho (Graham Ashton) is our musical director. I have all these really accomplished people around me.” “This terrain is crying out for exploration,” Tim said. “But this is an experiment – we don’t know what will happen and we won’t know until we do it.” So picture this. Burleigh headland in autumn, right in front of the rock break where waves break closest to shore. A nice, gently sloping grassy hill with a stage set for bands. You’re in the crowd but you only have to move your head 30 degrees from band to waves and back again. That’s what Tim has in mind for (m)ocean which will come to life as part of this year’s Bleach festival. The opening act, Band of Frequencies have a long association with surfing and music and have experimented with the connection between the two. “Dave Rastovich is an occasional percussionist with Band of Frequencies too,” Tim said. “They completely get it and are improvisational - they all surf, so they can respond to the surf and the surfing.” As well as exploring surfing as art, there’s a historical element to this event too. Tim explains that it’s the centenary of Duke Kahanamoku’s visit to Australia where he gave surfriding displays at Freshwater and Dee Why in Sydney but was here primarily to swim as an Olympic swimming champion. “We’re going to have surfers riding everything from the original solid timber planks that Duke would have ridden 100 years ago through to the first balsa Malibu boards and the first fiberglass boards. The concept is to bring surf history to life before people’s eyes so they can watch how

these different craft move through the water.” As Tim curated the event he searched for surfers who have both a creative and musical mindset. Surfers who are musicians and musicians who are surfers; so they can read eachother’s art and respond to it. Dave Rastovich, Asher Pacey and Leah Dawson from Hawaii are all on board. There’s two former Stubby’s Classic champions: Rabbit Bartholomew and Peter Harris and the event has the blessing of Burleigh Boardriders as well as local surf clubs. “The other theme for me is that I really want to present a cooperative model of surfing rather than a competitive one,” Tim said. “Surf is so crowded and there’s all this talk of surf strategies and plans and this is about trying to create a more harmonious surfing environment through art rather than regulation.” On the day, Band of Frequences will perform for 90 minutes through the designated performance piece. And then Kim Churchill will play a 50 minute set after, at which point the public will be invited to surf and experience surfing to live music. “We’re not getting any authority to clear the water. We’re just relying on the surf community to help us out and clear the rock break for an hour and a half. We’re hoping people will recognize the unique opportunity to enjoy the spectacle. And then afterwards they get to surf to Kim Churchill playing live.” Who doesn’t want to be a part of that? “I’ve been to places in the world where it’s crowded in the surf but it operates more harmoniously. So we’d really like to give people a homeopathic dose of surfing harmony,” Tim said. Samantha Morris (m)ocean takes place as part of Bleach* at Burleigh Headland on Saturday 21 March from 3.30 – 6.30pm.

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The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Evandale Precinct The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Evandale Precinct Sunhouse, Coolangatta Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads Dust Temple, Currumbin The Arts Centre Gold Coast (Around the lake), Evandale Precinct Rabbit + Cocoon, Miami

Marlin Bleach* Jnr Hub Sand Sound Shake - Sunset Silent Disco Bleach* at Burleigh + (m)Ocean Slam Poetry Bleach* Jnr Picnic in your Patch #3

F Surf World Gold Coast, Currumbin

Tugun Progress Hall, Tugun

Ukulele & Hibiscus + film screening Hawaii - Times of Change

Robina Town Centre, Robina

Robina Town Centre Bleach* Party

Somerset College, Mudgeeraba

Somerset Celebration of Literature

Somerset College, Mudgeeraba

Ants Performance and Workshop

Tugun SLSC, Tugun

Surfrider Foundation Eco Challenge

Bond University, Varsity Lakes

Live at Bond Concert Series Featuring Christine Anu

BLEACH* JNR EVENT (FREE)

Rabbit + Cocoon, Miami

BHB Morning Tea with Clare Bowditch

TICKETED EVENT

Village Green & Lorikeet Area, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Bleach* Boulevard

FREE EVENT

The Esplanade, Paradise Point

Opera at Paradise Point

Miami Marketta, Miami

Tiki Taane

Kirra Hill, Garrick St, Coolangatta

Inherit the Wind

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin

Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach

Queensland Touring Film Festival & In the Bin Film Festival - In the Bin Film Festival

Mudgeeraba Hinterland, Mudgeeraba

Picnic in your Patch #2 Featuring Clare Bowditch & Bleach* Sistas

Tugun Progress Hall, Tugun

Clare Bowditch Workshop

Currumbin Estuary, Currumbin

TIDE

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life

*taking a closer look at life on the GC

free Issue #19 MARCH 2015

THE OCEAN

Celebrated in film

Bleach* Festival pull out guide