BMA Mag 316 11 Dec 2008

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FREE STUFF Funny stuff and free stuff.

Send your answers and loveletters to: editorial@bmamag.com Hugs and kisses....

Imagine That!

Playing the role of the quirky ‘Murray the Manager’ in Flight of the Conchords, actor and comedian Rhys Darby has not only just finished recording Season 2 of Flight of the Conhords, snapped up a supporting role in Jim Carrey’s new movie Yes Man and feature in Richard Curtis’ (Notting Hill) new movie The Boat That Rocked, but has also just released his own live stand-up DVD, Imagine That. Thanks to Warner Music, we have five copies to give away. If you be wanting a piece of Darby action, tell us your favourite Murray one-liner from Flight of the Conchords.

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No Rest for the Wicked If you’re like me, and spend Christmas eve restlessly looking forward to gauging yourself on ham and booze at your parents’ expense, and are looking for something to take your mind off your agitated anticipation, then you can head down to Transit Bar on Akuna Street to catch two of Canberra’s hottest acts, Casual Projects and D’Opus & Roshambo. With Casual Projects’ first single Move Along from their 2008 album No Rest winning a place in the top 15 songs of the International Songs Writing Competition, and D’Opus & Roshambo’s The Switch receiving ever-increasing airplay around the nation, Christmas eve’s Seasonal Beats Christmas Party sure to one mighty fiesta. To celebrate, the handsome lads have furnished us with a copy of both The Switch and No Rest to give away to some plucky little devil. To grab them, tell us the name of D’Opus & Roshambo’s newest single.

Control Your Rage Over the last two decades, hundreds of guest programmers from Australia and abroad have settled into the Rage sofa to pick out a feast of their music to broadcast to a nation of blearyeyed night-owls. The new Rage Most Chosen DVD collects 40 of the most popular clips from Rage’s history, producing as a result some type of audio-visual offering likely to impress even the most discerning music nerd.

Some are chosen repeatedly for technically admiration, many are picked for love of the song itself, plenty are picked for amusement rather than enjoyment, and the odd one might even sneak in for reasons of sheer titillation. If you’d like us to deliver personally to you one of the three copies we have here, thanks to Universal Music, tell us your most hated video clip and why.

Tastes Like Chicken When you think “old-school stop-motion animation and fast-paced satire that is useful for getting rid of those boring friends with no sense of humour”, which TV show first comes to mind? That’s right, Robot Chicken.

Action figures find new life as players in frenetic sketchcomedy vignettes that skewer TV, movies, music and celebrity. It’s a brand of television especially formulated for the Attention Deficit Disorder generation.

Rude, crude, and clever, this is the long awaited third season of pop culture parody from Matt Seinrech and Seth Green, available merely weeks after its release in the USA! To snag one of the three copies we have, thanks to Madman Entertainment, simply tell us the name of another television program which Seth Green provides voice-overs for. The rest of you will have to go buy one yourself – out now for $34.95.

Good Bush. Bad Bush.

Mighty Boosh.

Whether it be a shamozle of scintillating shambles or organised chaos, the new live DVD of The Mighty Boosh is probably the funniest thing you will see this year (along with, of course, all the other fine comedy DVDs featured in this section…).

This live performances brings together the entire ensemble of characters from the original BBC series, as they perform on stage in a singing and dancing extravaganza. See all the characters from the cult show as they parade about in front of your naked eyes. That’s right – naked! Thanks to Universal, we have seven copies to throw in your general direction, just so long as you can tell us which two actors from da Boosh are related in real life.

Flash-dance mixed with MC Hammer shit Think breakdancing died in the eighties? Think again. And maybe some more. Jumping continents and crossing cultures, the basic moves from the eighties have developed into a highly sophisticated and unimaginably acrobatic dance form. Documentary Planet B-Boy takes us inside the international, underground b-boy scene happening today in Japan, France, Germany, South Korea, and the United States. Meet the five of the best b-boy crews from around the globe and follow their stories as they prepare to face off at the Battle of the Year - one of the most prestigious bboy events in the world. For any old pleb sucker, this doco will set you back $24.95, but thanks to Deveedeeatron, the omnipotent God of DVDs and shoehorns (aka Madman Entertainment), we have three copies to give away.

To savour one of these fruits from our benevolent overlord, simply tell us the name of your favourite breakdancing-focussed video clip.

FREE STUFF Stop that Monkeying Around!

iChamps

Beginning back in the day, when Saturday morning meant quality kids’ TV, and not halfnaked pseudolesbian 15 year olds prancing about in lace outfits to computergenerated ‘pop’ (*cough*) music, is Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.

From 1970 to 1972, this comedy thriller with an all-monkey cast saw its cheeky characters get around in the latest fashions (of the time), accompanied by hilarious (notice absence of sarcastic cough) scripts and kooky storylines. You will be thrilled by the charming secret agent Lancelot Link and Mata Hairi, the sensual seductress as they take down the bad guys, Baron Von Butcher and Creto, his chauffer.

And you would hope so to, as it is the most expensive children’s TV show ever mad. Yikes! To have your way with one of five copies we have, thanks to Shock, tell us the name of Link’s ‘swinging’ monkey band

Hitting the streets to unearth the next crop of undiscovered Australian talent, iriver has recently announced the winners of their I’ve Made It award.

Continuing the success of iriver’s previous initiative, which unleased the hugely successful Dukes of Windsor onto the airwaves, iriver has just awarded first place in the music category to Melbournian three-piece Bipolar Badwise. Influenced by first-wave electro groups like Depeche Mode, New Order and Pet Shop Boys, and recently topping the Triple J Unearthed dance charts with their tracks Entwined and Sacrifice, these boys are massively talented, and definitely one to watch for in the future. To celebrate the iriver’s discovery of these first wave electro revivalists, we have one hot little iriver E100 loaded up with the group’s tracks, to giveaway. To snap it up, tell us your favourite first wave electro group.

Firestarter

three copies we’ve been slung, tell us the name of the Christmasthemed movie which features a menacing furnace.

Good Hustle

Hot off the heels of The Fiery Furnaces’ critically acclaimed Widow City, comes Remember, a jaw-dropping double-disc live album. Remember captures the high energy, intricate complexity, amazing vocal acrobatics and technical musicianship that defines a Fiery Furnaces performance. Collecting songs from their entire catalogue and performances across the globe since 2005, this is a highly unique collection. The group has even left out a track-listing, creating a competition for listeners to guess the exact names of songs and their order, which can often be hard to decipher, as the group go to great lengths to create versions of their tracks which differ greatly from album to album and tour to tour. We have three copies to give away. To relieve us of one of the

From the people who gave you Spooks and Life on Mars, comes the third season of Hustle, the story of much loved UK con artists whose game plan is to line their pockets with the fortunes of the amoral and undeserving.

Experts in the art of the ‘grifter’, when Mickey (Adrian Lester), Albert (Robert Vaughn), Ash (Robert Glenister), Stacie (Jaime Murray) and Danny (Marc Warren) are in town the con is definitely on, as the quintet dream up endless new ways to liberate the corrupt of their cash. Thanks to Hopscotch Entertainment, we have three copies of the complete third season of Hustle (released December 11) to giveaway. To learn the art of the ‘grifter’, tell us your greatest personal story of being conned.

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STRUTH BE TOLD

In grade ten my girlfriend Kristen cheated on me with an older guy.

When I say older I mean he had his Ps. I’d tried everything I could with her, a four hour phone conversation when we lived half an hour away, some serious leg playing with, I even let her boss me around and change her mind every five minutes about whether my school shoes were yae or nae. She ate my chips, she finished my jokes, she left cryptic messages on my pencil case. Now I think about it, she was pretty annoying. As an apology for cheating on me she blu-takked the lyrics to Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love on my locker. I was devastated. It wasn’t my locker. She’d been seeing eight other guys while we were together.

The ‘youth group’ she’d taken me to was just a big second date.

In Grade Six I was part of a girlfriend lottery scheme for four-eyed boys. I was placed next to Tenille Alford. She was from New Zealand with exotically dark skin, blue eyes and a shy but funny demeanour.

Look at our photo! Seriously, how did I get her? She was so cool her windcheater is still in fashion. We wrote letters to each other, sat next to each other at play-lunch, I think once we even spoke. Crunch time came during the school camp. It was night and we were wandering around the bush, high on Chomps. With a childlike curiosity we gravitated around the back of one of the cabins, alone for the first time. We stood there staring at the moon flecked wood pine for ten minutes. Neither of us spoke. I didn’t breathe. My brain had bungee jumped into my heart, which was sky diving into my stomach, which had unravelled down my legs. I knew why we were there, but I also knew that it was impossible.

I was like a possum in the headlights with a bottle opener. She was so lovely and warm and if I had just let my face drift forward and guided it gently against hers – the nicest snap-crackle-tickle could have been mine. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I didn’t. With twigs breaking beneath us I led us back to our friends.

A few weeks later she said she didn’t want to keep being my girlfriend.

I’d always attributed it to the fact that the day before my Mum had come to pick us up in her little Yellow VW Beetle. The thing roared like Crazy Frog and looked like a Matchbox Popball. Tenille didn’t look so rapt about being in the back seat. The more I think about it, the more I come back to that night behind the cabins. Through the choice I insisted on making, I had revealed a crucial weakness of character. I had tucked my windcheater into my shorts.

My first real kiss wouldn’t come until four years later when I started wearing contact lenses and girls realised I was all right in the face. I used to attend a regular Christian camp, which had such dangerous rope swings and grass sledding that it was in your best interests to have JC onside. Saturday nights were always pretty flirty. Once, a love-struck couple got their braces stuck together and they had to call in the S.E.S. I’d paired up with Chantel, both of us shy and second tier cool.

We wandered up the gravel road and under a clear night sky I told my body that history wouldn’t repeat. It’s a shame it didn’t because we also bumped teeth. Several times. Even God had to look away. It lasted a couple of minutes by which stage we slunk back, too embarrassed to ever talk to each other again.

Twelve years on and not much has changed. Only now I bump hearts.

JUSTIN HEAZLEWOOD www.bedroomphilosopher.com 10

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NEWS Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Gypsy Voodoo Phoenix

Grime Wave Sweeps the Nation

Canadian punks Propagandhi are finally dragging their politicallycharged rock arses back to Australia. It has only been 11 years since they last turned themselves loose upon us, meaning most of their fans from that era will have to get a baby-sitter if they want to come out and see them this time they come through town.

Was the group lazy? Did they not care? Maybe they crave forgiveness. You can give it to them when they swing by the Weston Creek Community Centre for an all ages show on Friday February 20. Tickets are on sale from December 12 from Landspeed Records and www. bluemurder.com.au

Modern gypsy band, The Woohoo Revue, are a Melbourne six piece who, despite forming only this year, have quickly risen to be a favourite amongst Melbourne punters and festival goers. Their debut album Dear Animals, just like their live shows, is an energetic and exciting experience for all involved.

The Woohoo Revue are set to release the new album and go out on a national tour, which will bring them by Canberra on Wednesday December 17 at the Phoenix from 8:30. Joining them will be the elegant gypsy and cabaret-inspired locals, Mr Fibby.

And what’s more it’s free, so get ya skates on!

The UK Grime Lord, Wiley, will be arriving on our shores this January. Wiley is debatably the most influential Grime artist in the UK, influencing almost every artist in the scene. He cultivated the young talent of the likes of JME, Skepta, Doctor, Jammer and Dizzee Rascal. His track Wearing My Rolex off his new album See Clear Now (out January 17) has been a massive hit with audiences in both in the UK and Australia. He will be in Canberra on Wednesday January 21 at Meche nightclub.

Chasing the Sun Friday December 19 will see a mouth-watering trio of musical acts storm the Potbelly Bar to help bring you some Christmas cheer. Modern rock gurus Sunchaser, who recently took out the Songwriter of the Year Award and third place in the rock/indie genre of the 2008 Australian Songwriting Association awards in Sydney, will be joinded by Melbourne indie darlings Last Note Foundation, as well as reggae/folk outfit Quinn Band.

With Christmas only days away and much jovial spirit going around, these groups are sure to prove a treat. ichamps The last time iriver took to the streets to scout out some hot young talent as part of their I’ve Made It award, they came up with the Dukes of Windsor. This time, they’ve dug up a Melbournian electro trio by the name of Bipolar Badwise. Growing up together, these plucky lads of a mere 19 years have also recently topped Triple J’s Unearthed dance charts, with their track Entwined reaching number one and Sacrifice achieving a number two spot. Be sure to add these guys to your iriver, as they’re bound to be popping up again come 2009!

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Frankie Wants Out

Melbourne’s nine-piece swing kings, Frankie Wants Out, will be returning to Canberra this January to show off their new album Prohibition. Influenced heavily by the music of the New York dance halls of the 20s and 30s, as well as taking influence from more modern acts such as Royal Crown Revue, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, the group had the entire floor of the Greenroom swingin’ and groovin’ last time they were here in 2007.

This time, it will be Transit Bar that gets the special treatment, with the whole shebang going down on Friday January 9.

Mamma Always Told Me… The Days Like This festival has just announced five more acts to join the already massive line up.

The new additions will include Mr Scruff, A Guy Called Gerald, Radioslave and Mike Monday.

FAT FREDDY'S DROP They will join Fat Freddy's Drop, Public Enemy, Sharon Jones & The Dap-kings, Morcheeba, South Rakkas Crew, Katalyst, Ro Sham Bo, Deepchild, and many more.

It goes from 12pm to 10pm on Sunday January 4 at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park in Sydney, where the bands will be playing across four stages.

Tickets are on sale now at www. moshtix.com.au or phone 1300 GET TIX, or pic some up wherever you get your moshtix tickets (Hint: Landspeed).

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AND ANOTHER THING...

YOU PISSED ME OFF Has someone yanked yer chain recently? Well, send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and have your sweet vengeance. And for the love of God, keep it brief! ALL ENTRIES CONTAIN GENUINE SPELLINGS.

I’m rarely moved to tears by music, although the recorded output of Natalie Bassingthwaite often comes close to achieving such an outcome for very different reasons, but, recently, I’ve been getting a bit sniffy when listening to Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, especially the adagio of same. You’re probably familiar with the piece yourself, even though you may not know it, as it’s been featured in countless films and adverts over the years, even popping up in the Fawlty Towers episode Basil the Rat… It’s a spectacularly evocative piece of music, written by Rodrigo in 1939 after his native Spain had spent four years ripping itself apart via a bloody civil war, and for me it totally sums up Spain and Spanish music.

The adagio is a wonderful, wonderful thing; if you get the chance, listen to Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia’s version, which was hailed by Rodrigo himself – even though the piece was conceived as a ‘classical’ rather than flamenco one – as the most brilliant interpretation he’d heard. I first came across the piece in the mid seventies, when the British bandleader Geoff Love, capitalising on the boom in cheap tourist package holidays to Spain from England, had a hit with it under the guise of ‘Manuel and his Music of the Mountains’. I’d just been on my first trip, with the olds, to the Iberian Peninsula, where we stayed in the delightfully named resort of Tossa, a small seaside hamlet dominated by a magnificent reconquista castle, and had fallen in love with all things Spanish. It was before the age of VCR technology, but if it had have been possible I’d have watched the marvelous Charlton Heston/Sophia Loren film El Cid over and over again. I couldn’t, so I made the best of the situation by listening to Manuel over and over again on the stereogram, possibly to the frustration of my parents, but who cared? Whilst listening I would deploy my toy soldiers – 1/29th scale – and re-enact the Moorish loss of Castille and Granada on the living room floor.

Ten years later, Spain was our yearly ‘boys week out’ holiday destination, whereby anywhere between four and a dozen of us would embark on a week of merrymaking (ok, boozing, and, if lucky, which in my case was not at all often, fornication), usually in Ibiza or Mallorca. Being lucky enough not to suffer from hangovers, I would steal away in the late morning whilst the rest of my party slept off the night before and visit whatever local churches or castles were nearby, walkman plugged into my ears and Rodrigo accompanying me all the way. Happy times.

It’s a tribute to the power of Rodrigo’s piece that I’m still transported whenever I hear it. Should you be minded, go to www.geocities. com/fredje222000, where you’ll find excerpts of the piece as played by guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza, the instrumentalist to whom Rodrigo dedicated the piece, recorded over fifty years ago and taken direct from the crackling vinyl. It’s brilliant. *

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As this is the last time you’ll be hearing from me for a while – I believe ‘Christmas’, whatever that is, is soon upon us and BMA is closing down for a month of booze-fuelled rest and recreation – may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season, and hope that whichever deity you burn offal in honour of delivers you all that you wish for. I’m asking for a box set of season two of Minder, but I don’t suppose it’ll come. Cheers!

SCOTT ADAMS thirtyyearsofrnr@hotmail.com

bma :: Issue316 www.bmamag.com "bma: not your average stroke mag."

Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd | ABN 76 097 301 730

bma is independently owned and published Opinions expressed in bma are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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To the smug morons who call up my work and ask to speak to their financial advisors as if they’re the only client that their advisor has, you piss me AND your fucking advisor off. I pick up the phone, “hi, could I speak to David please” you say. Fair enough, nothing too fuckwity about that. “Sure, may I ask who’s speaking?”“It’s John”,“John who?”“He’ll know who it is.” Oh will he? Do you really think that you’re so fucking important that your advisor is going to know EXACTLY who the fuck you are?! Especially if I just say “oh, John is on the line.” It’s not like you’re name is fucking Nabuidal – there aren’t too many of them going around. Why the fuck is it so hard to give a receptionist your second name, and why are you so fucking unwilling to give it to me?! Oh yeah, I forgot, despite the fact that I’m 20 years old and am so fucking smart that the best job I can get is a receptionist, it nevertheless means that if you actually give

me your first AND second name, then I might commit some type of identity theft. Yeah, that’s right, I’m an expert identity thief who is fronting as a receptionist in a two-bit financial advisory firm. But thankfully, you’re so fucking clued-up that you could tell that the only reason I asked for your second name was so I could then use my magical kniving powers to steal your bank details out of fucking nowhere. It wasn’t REALLY so that I could just save both yours, mine, and your advisor’s time.

You fucking pissed me off!

To all the pregnant women who come into my restaurant and think that because they're pregnant they can get whatever they want, even if it's FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE for us to do it - you pissed me off! You can't have too much salt IN your steak? Do you think we can take the salt OUT of the fucking steak?! Go home and cook your own food, you irresponsible, self-centred bitch.

You fucking pissed me off!

FROM THE BOSSMAN

Hell’s bells, stone the crows, blimey o’ trousers and various other utterances of disbelief. The rumours are true. 2008 is, in fact, drawing to a close, meaning the shackles of BMA are loosened once more, giving this little black duck a month off (I can finally take that bath I’ve been trying to get around to).

After touring the great rehab clinics of Europe, I shall indulge in a stop over in New York to start working on the script for The Bronx version of High School Musical. It has better songs, and tons more violence, featuring the instant classic songs We’re Breaking Free’s Legs and We’re All in This Together (‘Cept you, Cracker!). I think Jay Z’s licensing out 99 Problems for it, but we’ll see if the paperwork comes through. Getting the whitest man in Canberra to pen this jolly yarn should go down well, too, allowing for a refreshingly objective perspective.

But enough about my scurrilous holiday activities; what are you up to this Yuletide season? O, really? That should be fun. Mmmmm, don’t know about that, though. Isn’t that largely illegal? O right, you’re doing it in Brisbane, fair enough then.

Even though I’ve never had the chance of meeting a lot of you face to face, I consider you all my children, and not in some Waco Catholicismgone-wrong style way. So have an absolute blast for the month ahead, but stay safe, y’hear? I want to see as many of your bright, gorgeous faces in the oh-nine. ALLAN “YAHASRA AND GOODNIGHT” SKO

Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne General Manager & Advertising Manager Allan Sko: T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Editor Ben Hermann: T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Fahim Shahnoor : T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Super Sub Editor Julia Winterflood Graphic Design Jenny Freeman Film Editor Mark Russell Principal Photographers (The Flashbulb Posse) Andrew Mayo/Nick Brightman/John Hatfield Issue 317 Out January 21 Editorial Deadline January 9 Advertising Deadline January 13

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TIDBITS WHO CELLBLOCK 69 WHAT REALLY GREAT ROCK. REALLY. WHERE ANU BAR WHEN TUE DEC 23

WHO FOLKUS ROOM WHAT saturday afternoon jazz WHEre FOLKUS ROOM, MAWSON WHEN SAT DEC 20

Rock music heavyweights Cell Block 68, though quite slim to look at, have not hit Australian shores since their last visit here. So it’s with cautiously anticipatory joy that they return for just two shows. Cell Block 69 bring their renowned Stadium Spectacular to the ANU Bar this festive season featuring all of their most memorable hits, mostly made famous by other so called “artists”. Critics are hailing the new line-up as great, really, really great with one music industry commentator saying, “great. really, really great”. With the 90s fast approaching, this may be the last chance to see Cell Block 69 in their heyday or it may not, only time will tell, although watches tell time so they might know as well. I’m not sure. I’m not a scientist but I’ve got great rippled abs to die for. Australians audiences are in for an extra treat this summer as White Leather, the all-girl hair metal dream trio join Cell Block 69 as special guests. The handsome lads will hit the ANU on December 23 with special guests White Leather.

The Folkus Room has been in oporation for 18 months and is providing a venue for local, national and international artists to perform in an intimate setting. Saturday afternoon jazz was added to the program in May of this year and has featured some of Canberra's, Australia's and the world's best jazz musicians. Join the folk at the Folkus Room on Saturday December 20 at 2pm for the final Jazz afternoon for 2008, featuring the Brass Monkeys (made up of members of Kooky Fandango and Spectrum Big Band), who have formed for a one off dixieland and funk extraveganza. Also on the program is Turner’s Antidote and Frequently Asked Questions. The Folkus Room is based at the Serbian Club, 5 Heard St Mawson. Great music, great food, great fun. For more info, visit www.thefolkus.org.au

Brisbane band Ellington, who have just announced the release of their Summer of Love tour in support of their new EP More Like A Movie, Less Like Real Life, have been ripping it up nationally WHO and internationally. Their new EP was recorded with renowned producer Mat Malpass ELLINGTON (Copeland, Lydia) and has captured the imaginations hundreds of thousands on MySpace.

WHAT “Mick and I saved up and went to the States on a gut feeling,” Jake, the singer and guitarist from pop rock awesomeness the band explained. “We set our little minds on getting over there and finding an awesome WHERE producer and studio to expand our minds and skills and music to the next level,” Michael the transit bar other guitarist continued. Their debut EP, The Joy We Keep In from 2006, was an underground hit, WHEN and just last month, the duo signed a publishing deal with Sony BMG Australia. This month they thur dec 11 will be playing on their own national headline tour to launch More Like A Movie, Less Like Real Life, including a show on December 11 at Transit Bar. Entry is free. JACK AVERY WHO OUR HOUSE WHAT MOS ALBUM LAUNCH WHERE OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE WHEN SUN DEC 21

Friction & Lexington Music are returning to Old Parliament House to launch the Ministry of Sound Annual album. The first ever Friction & Lexington Music event at Old Parliament House was nothing short of amazing, a a sold out Senate Courtyard saw a diverse line up of Australian and international talent rock this truly amazing space. Now the folk at Friction & Lexington Music are very excited to announce the follow up, and they’ve made sure that it’s a big one!

Sunday 21 December will see one of the favourite annual CD releases – The Ministry of Sound Annual – being launched at the Friction & Lexington Music Xmas party at the House of Reps Courtyard of Old Parliament House. Helping them out with the party vibes will be Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock, John Course, Chris Fraser, Derty Rich, Ashley Feraude and Michael O’Rourke.

Tickets on sale now from Moshtix, Landspeed Records, Parliament Clothing & www.inthemix. com.au First release: $29.95+bf. Final release: $39.95+bf.

WHO AGENCY DUB COLLECTIVE WHAT DOUBLE BILL REUNION SHOW WHERE TRANSIT BAR WHEN SAT DEC 27

Since their humble beginnings in Canberra as an experimental dub fusion band in 1999, those dub-addled extremists Agency Dub Collective have released six albums in and undergone numerous line-up changes – at last count about 18 band members had passed through the Dub Collective ranks. Founding member and current guitarist Rondos came up with the crazy idea for a reunion show: Why not put the original line-up back together and have two different line-ups of Agency Dub Collective play together on the same bill? The resulting reunion show will feature two line-ups of Agency Dub Collective – the original line-up from 2000, dubbing classic tracks from their very first underground release, Seventh Listen, and the current line-up dropping their freshest dub and dancehall tunes, tracks from the 2008 album $O$ and beyond.

The night will also feature special guest DJ Dub Ninja, direct from Japan, with a set of his signature original dub/reggae/roots compositions.

WHO BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR WHAT HARDCORE PUNK FEST WHERE ALBERT HALL WHEN TUE JAN 20 16

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2009 will see the return of one of the country’s most loved single-stage festivals. Since its inception, the Boys of Summer tour has played host to some of the biggest local and international hardcore, punk and rock acts, and this year it will once again make its way across this vast brown nation of ours, with none other than Carpathian, Comeback Kid, Verse and Against in tow. Leading the charge will be Melbourne straight-edge hardcore group Carpathian who, after recently ripping through the UK and Europe alongside label mates Parkway Drive, have returned to Australia with more passion and a more brutal sound. Following closely will be Canadian hardcore lads Comeback Kid, US group Verse (playing Australia for the first time ever) and Brisbane boys Against. The Boys of Summer Tour will stop by the Albert Hall on Tuesday January 20 for an all ages show. Tickets from www.moshtix.com, Landspeed Records and The Music Shop.

7 Akuna St

Canberra City

ALL SHOWS FREE ENTRY

PH/FAX 6162 0899 / transitbar@gmail.com | www.myspace.com/transitbar

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Tim Galvin

TITTSWORTH kicks back and adjusts the brim of his pristine Yankees cap, tilted North East in true Baltimore club fashion towards the dimly lit Coke machine that provides the backlight for my notes as I thumb through the interview questions.

“It’s my real last name,” he responds to the obvious first query. “Painful childhood turned lucrative DJ branding. I had a fellow Tittsworth reach out via Facebook (Josephine Tittsworth in Houstin, TX). She reminds me, 'Remember that there are two ts because they come better in pairs.'"

"All I can say is that I'm the type of cat that doesn't stay happy unless I step my game up, so watch out!"

This DC native has become infamous as a true party starter; trying to lock him down to one genre would be as hard as finding a modest Kanye West interview. “I grew up on all types of music. I really liked Nirvana, but also couldn’t get enough golden era and ’90s hip-hop. I was really inspired by a bunch of local bands and the whole DIY thing that was going on around it. At one point I was a DNB/rave DJ for about seven years and then really started to focus hard on (Baltimore) club.

I’ve lived in the DC/MD area for 15 plus years or something like that so go-go and club music both have a big place in my heart.”

His DJ sets are predominantly a high energy one-man musical circus; jaws drop as the ringmaster takes you on an eye popping journey into foot stomping club bangers. “I use Serato via turntables with a Pioneer 800 mixer. Even as a vinyl DJ, I could mix very fast so Serato makes a lot of sense for me. I really like the live looping features and live sampling via cue points. The Pioneer is nice too with all types of fun filters, rolls, reverses and reverb to add extra drama. I like to mix hard, fast and dramatic. I think it’s the raver in me, backed by a little bit of American club/hip-hop swagger. It’s all about having the ability to drop a record a minute when need be but knowing when to twist, turn or slow down depending on observation.”

He has previously released a bunch of popular bootlegs on blogs but his debut album Twelve Steps has been the most acclaimed of his studio work to date. “It was my first release where I couldn’t depend upon samples, which is especially difficult in my genre. It was also one of the first times I had to consider audiences a little more outside the usual DJ/ nightclub crowd. Though frustrating at times, I welcome the challenge and it’s something I am continuously improving and upgrading. I was really happy with the end result, especially this being my first attempt at traditional songwriting. I think it was important for me and more importantly the genre to bridge the gap.”

Jessica Conway For a 22 year old DJ, SAMPOLOGY has made significant progress, having played at the Big Day Out, Earthcore and Parklife whilst holding residencies at some very swanky Brisbane lounge bars like Uber, the Empire Hotel and Alhambra Lounge. Now, hot off the plane after a whirlwind tour of Japan, the Brisbane born DJ will be bringing his MPC to spin some tunes with MC Tom Thum at Block Party on January 10.

When it comes to touring, it isn’t the size of the name that matters for Sampology, but how they work the crowd and the party vibe of the venue. Having said that, this kid’s rubbed shoulders with some awesome headliners too, including Grandmaster Flash, Mix Master Mike, Pendulum, Kid Kenobi, Kid Confucious and the Resin Dogs. Get the idea?

Sampology even had DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist shout out mid set “yo, how about that guy who took Wild Cherry and flipped it into Chili Peppers? That shit was crazy!” High praise indeed.

Having just returned from Japan, Sampology has many a fond memory, including some alcohol-induced nakedness. “My main gig was one of the funniest experiences I have had in a while. Everyone (including me) got drunk on Kirin draught and at one point in the night all the Japanese guys started taking their shirts off and dancing on the furniture; pretty camp but Japanese people are so cool it didn’t really matter.”

"I wanted to do more than just play records and Tom wanted to do more than just beatbox. 'With our powers combined' Captain Planet type thang...

Sampology and Tom Thum,“the human beatbox who can rock a headspin and beatbox at the same time”, came together to support a Blackalicious show in Brisbane two years ago. Looking back now, Sampology admits they were pretty basic but it was a perfect match.“I wanted to do more than just play records and Tom wanted to do more than just beatbox.

‘With our powers combined’ Captain Planet type thang…”

Many DJs these days hit the decks and wing it, but this doesn’t fly when Sampology and Tom Thum are involved.“To a certain degree I plan my sets but mostly I leave different avenues open to take at certain points of the night depending on the direction where people need to go. When I am playing with Tom we totally plan and practice everything to the second!

No room for mucking around when it comes down to our routines!”

Their powers have certainly combined, forming a tight unit. Tom expertly beatboxes over Sampology’s loops, samples, movie lines, analogue synths, live instruments and other random sounds flying out of his MPC. Unlike Tom, Sampology lets his hands do all the talking, flying over the MPC hitting a string of buttons – a nice fire and water type vibe.

He visits the nation’s capital to light the wick at the Trinity Block Party, where he promises to make the yearly institution a memorable one with this prediction. “My laptop is covered in alcohol splatters, missing a control key and the frame is dented. The funny thing is, I don’t drink and the computer isn’t even that old. The last time I played Canberra, it was a lot of scuffed shoes, yelling, screaming, singing and dancing. All I can say is that I’m the type of cat that doesn’t stay happy unless I step my game UP, so watch out!”

Sampology has played in the ACT twice before; the first time with a DJ set and the second time around lugging his signature ‘Sampology’s Super Visual Disco Party’ equipment. ‘Super visual what?’ I hear you ask.

Let me explain, or better yet let Sampology. “The concept is basically, you take any video file, be it a music video, excerpt from a movie, TV show, whatever. The turntables and mixer manipulate the video and audio from the video file live. So you get audio and video coming out in sync over a big projector behind me on the decks.”

Tittsworth will play alongside P-Money, The Bamboos Feat. Kylie Audlist, Good Buddha, and many more at Trinity Block Party, in the Trinity car park, Dickson, on Saturday January 10 from 2-10pm.

Block Party is set to be a wild one this year; we’ll see if Sampology (with the aid of Tom Thum) manage to have the boys stripping again and back on the furniture.

The Sampology & Tom Thum MPC Beatbox show will appear at Trinity Block Party, Saturday, January 10. Tix on sale now through Moshtix, Trinity, Landspeed, Parliament Clothing Stores and inthemix.com.au.

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ALL AGES

As I sit here, eating my banana, I realise that this here is the final edition of BMA for 2008. How fast the year has gone I hear you say. Well I have to disagree; I found 2008 to be boring and monotonous and will be glad to be done with it. This week is my last week of high school

and I’m off to college next year.

‘How could someone so young be as beautiful and talented as yourself?’ I hear you say, and yes I do ask myself that exact question every morning when I get up and look at myself in the mirror for half an hour every day, but I blame it all on the fact that I am perfect in every single way. Some of you may call this ‘vanity’ or may accuse me of being up myself, but I can’t help it that I’m the best in the world at absolutely everything. Anyhow, I shall be back, even more amazing then ever, with a whole lot of new shit for you next year.

Anyway, putting aside all that nonsense, coming up very soon, Bleeding Through, in light of their newest release Declaration will be space jumping into the Albert Hall on the January 16 to amaze us with their amazingly amazing brand of metalcore, but not only will you delight in the titillatingly delicious Californian hardcore five-piece but supporting them will be As Blood Runs Black, Between The Buried And Me and In Trenches.

Starting at 6pm, tickets are $39.50 and available from www.moshtix. com.au.

Up next, four of our favourite metal bands are all coming together for one amazing show at the Albert Hall on January 20.

Verse, Carpathian, Comeback Kid and Against will knock you on your arses with this brutal mix of energetic hardcore for the Boy’s of Summer Tour. I’m sure that after witnessing these four bands coming together in one god-like show you’ll be begging for more.

Yet another gnarly metal show coming up, Misery Signals have decided to give us a lesson in their own special brand of epically fast and heavy hardcore.

Hot off the release of Controller, these guys are fully loaded and ready to blow. Supporting the lads will be The Amity Affliction and Confession, and they’ll be hitting the Tuggeranong Youth Centre on February 12, tickets are available from www.moshtix. com.au, Landspeed Records, and The Music Shop.

Next on the agenda we have the pop-tastic Veronicas. The most ear-wrenching twins this country has ever seen will be hitting up the Royal Theatre at the National Convention Centre for their Revenge is Sweeter Tour. This is the girls’ biggest tour since 2006 and accompanying them on this all-out tour will be the creators of the Shake It phenomenon Metro Station and Sydney boy’s Short Stack. This triple set of today’s rock-pop gods will give you a right slap on the face, and tickets are reasonably priced at $55.55. So make sure you're there on February 21.

Redefining metal, The Amenta are taking the stage for the Chaos Act V Festival at The Basement on February 1. Breathing new life into hardcore metal, these guys will leave your ears ringing and your knees knocking. Pushing hardcore to the boundaries, these guys are fresh off the release of their second album nOn. Mixing industrial noises, intricate and mind numbing guitar riffs, throat wrenching vocals and brutal distortions, this album pushes technology and its listeners to the limits. So don’t miss this because it’s sure to be bloody amazing.

Catch ya!

LIZZY LIZ-LIZ ROWLEY elizabeth_rowley@live.com.au

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LOCALITY Season’s greetings, dear readers!

There was a time when the Christmas song was possibly the daggiest form of music known to man. While some may regard Wham’s Last Christmas as a guilty pleasure, others would rather have mistletoe stuffed up their arse than be stuck in a room with a bunch of carollers. And yet, while the Metallica Christmas album may still be a way off (Black Christmas does have a certain ring, does it not?), it can’t be denied that this most disparaged of song-forms is experiencing a resurgence.

Two years ago, Sufjan Stevens released a whole album entitled Songs For Christmas. While Sufjan is known for harbouring some twee affectations, no one was expecting The Hives to get their jolly on. Their recent contribution to the pantheon, A Christmas Duel (featuring none other than Cyndi Lauper!), is a vintage blast of wall of sound production and sleighbells. But it’s not just indie rockers having a crack – for two years running the hip-hop label Dipset have been producing a Christmas mixtape. This year’s masterpiece is based around the movie Bad Santa. And now with the much delayed Flaming Lips movie Christmas On Mars finally being released, maybe Black Christmas is not that far off!

shall include plenty of tinsel, a DJ spinning Christmas tunes, and an all-band Christmas carol medley.

If you only see one all-band Christmas carol medley this year, make it this one. And, the best bit (no, not just the booze) – it’s free!

While some venues may be winding down over the festive period (or just not sending me their gig listings, tsk tsk), Transit Bar will be keeping you entertained all month with a plethora of interstate and international acts. From the nu-grunge stylings of Brisbane’s The Sun Pilots on December

11 to the grubby breakbeats of Atomic Hooligan on December 13, they endeavour to cater for all tastes. What’s more, on December 18, they are playing host to Australia’s self-proclaimed best band, The Fauves! Far too long between drinks, this venerable Australian institution will be playing, like all the gigs in this fortnight’s column, for free.

Free! So do an extra shot, or buy your dad something better than socks again for Christmas. And speaking of Christmas (as I feel I haven't given it ample attention yet in this column), December 24

will see two of Canberra's bestlooking, not to mention musically talented groups Casual Projects and D'Opus & Roshambo play the Seasonal Beats Christmas Eve Party, also at Transit Bar. The whole shindig kicks off at 7pm, with support from DJ Alistair.

See you in the New Year readers – until then, it’s been real.

Luke McGrath lukemcgrath@hotmail.com

The Woohoo Revue, the “face smashing gypsy supergroup” featuring members of The Counterfeit Gypsies and The Red Eyes will be making the trek to Canberra from Melbourne for one night only of furious bawdy Balkan bigbeat highjinks. Accompanying them will be Canberra’s own extremely talented (and even better-looking) Mr. Fibby – all this for free at The Phoenix on Wednesday December 17.

Those country-rock posers The Bluffhearts are playing their inaugural Christmas show on December 19 at The Front.

Sharing the stage with The Big Score, One Foot In The Gravy and The Missing Lincolns, I have been promised the night bma magazine 21

DANCE: THE DROP

Welcome to the end of another stellar year full of boozy late nights and neon club lights.

You will excuse any slurs or tear shaped dribble patches as I recover from my post-Foreshore haze to celebrate the end of another fabulous party season.

The year has seen some of the biggest and best events Canberra has ever staged along with some that were made infamous for all the wrong reasons.

The recent Crookers incident at lot 33 was one definitely from column B. Due to the event being oversold this left a lot of disgruntled ticket holders standing in the ‘line ride’ all evening, so I spoke with Pang promoter Hubert to get to the bottom of the issue. He had this to say: “The overcrowding problem was mostly due to the fact that my Jeep was broken in

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to earlier this week and about 150 leftover tickets were stolen… we decided to go ahead with the existing tickets… Please accept our humblest apologies and rest assured we will be doing everything in our power to ensure that this will never happen again.”

Looks like someone really put the ‘crook’ in ‘Crookers’. Pang keeps rocking towards the new year with Australia’s #1 DJ TyDi (Qld) appearing on Friday December 19 along with Enerv8, Peekz, Scottie Fischer and Hubert followed by Random Soul (Syd) on Saturday December 20 and a special Xmas Eve all nighter featuring Canberra superstars The Aston Shuffle playing from open till close on December 24!

Monkey Bar keep the punters going bananas with the half man/half machine Harris Robotis (VIC) appearing on December 13 follwed by Victoria’s #1 DJ Adam Bartas on December 20 supported by Trent Richardson, DJ Kiz, Tim Galvin and B-Tham.

Following the much talked about ‘perspiration palace’ evening with Booka Shade last month, Transit

Bar back up with another massive international guest Atomic Hooligan who will rock the bassbins on Friday December 12.

Proving that they love keeping the backpackers awake well into the evening, LLIK LLIK LLIK returns on Friday December 19 featuring Gavin Keitel followed by Scott Burns’ (SYD) Day 1 album launch on the following night.

Proving that Academy are popular for more than just their ridiculous drink specials, the big acts are coming through in December faster than a meth addict on a motorcycle. Fridays see Mr Timothy return on December 12 and Carl Kennedy makes his ACT big room debut on the 19th. Love Saturdays present Alan Thompson on December 13 and super sexy Faraude Vs Fraser showdown on December 20.

Oh and a little birdy told me that Dutch Maestro Fedde Le Grand will be making an appearance on Saturday January 3 so don’t demolish your brain cells too much on New Year’s Eve! Friction and Lexington return in 2009 with yet another impressive festival, O in the Park, featuring

the return of Sneaky Sound System, The Herd, Van She and KRAM from Spiderbait, tickets are on sale in early December but stay tuned for more details!

Just to keep your liver unhappy until then, the seemingly unstoppable promotional juggernauts bring the next instalment of Our House back to the pristine Senate Courtyard with the Ministry of Sound Annual tour. John Course and Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock are supported by Chris Fraser, Derty Rich, Ashley Feraude and Michael O Rourke. The party begins on Sunday December 21 at 3:00pm and tickets are available from normal outlets.

According to early ’90s science fiction movies, 2009 will see the earth transformed into a massive prison island ruled by a Mohawked megalomaniac with a savage half naked biker army so until then, thanks for reading and I’ll see you all at Cell Block Four.

TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

G KNOT YOUR AVERA

E DJ

Shailla Van Raad DJ TYDI may not have the best name to play puns on, but he is certainly the latest prodigy to come out from sunny-side North-East Australia. “I grew up in a wonderful location; I often sat next to the water with my laptop composing music. I lived in a small town and had big dreams. I now live in Brisbane. It’s a beautiful city and has lots of culture.

I have many friends there and a good network but I’m away on tour a lot. I could be in three different cities every weekend, so right now it seems like the airport is more my home.”

Perhaps it’s the gorgeous weather, but making music comes easily to the young composer, who is only just finishing his last semester at the Conservatorium. “When you’re young and fifteen it’s very easy to be inspired by things; surfing, or a girl. I discovered the world of electronic music. I really wanted to write. I compose a lot of my own music. The fair few tracks that are out there are very different to the ones in my album.

The album is very different; it explores different genres of music. It’s something ambient, similar to chillout. I like my music to be bearable.”

"I'm always excited and a little bit nervous when I get up on stage to perform. It's always satisfying to see everyone having a good time when I'm playing" Well known-for heavily trance-inspired performances, TyDi admits that trance is not the only genre that he is interested in. “Trance is what I have a name for, but it’s not what’s close to my heart. I like to explore melody and how it moves people. A melody played in Tokyo makes the crowd react similarly to one played in Australia. Music speaks on a global level, it speaks to everybody.” And even though dance music might be a relatively new genre in the music scene compared to rock and classical music, TyDi vehemently supports its rise throughout Australia. “Dance music is everywhere. Even in the smaller cities that I visit, there’s still a following. Dance music is a very unique genre, it’s always changing. There are always people making new sounds and new styles. As technology advances so do the way we make sounds.”

Although TyDi can put out quite a neat sound, the musician makes it a point that all the fame doesn’t go to his head. “I’m grateful that people listen to my music. I don’t like those DJs who act like superstars because they’re famous. Those DJs become rude and act like they own the place.

I just like playing my music and meeting different people through that.

My latest tour, the Global Gathering Tour, was pretty cool. I played the set before DJ Tiesto and that was amazing. He is a really nice guy.”

For a young gun, TyDi certainly knows what he wants. His long term plans don’t exist because his short term plans are so large. When the focus is on one performance after another it’s hard to look past just living for the moment, getting up on that stage and existing for the crowd. “I’m always excited and a little bit nervous when I get up on stage to perform. It’s always satisfying to see everyone having a good time when I’m playing.”

TyDi will be hitting the decks at Lot 33 on December 19, supported by Peekz, Scottie Fisher, Enerv8 and Hubert. Tix are 20 scheckles at the door.

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THA REALNESS Well the year is nearly over, so I thought I’d use this column to wrap up my favourite local album achievements for 2008. These records all represent different styles and sounds but all impressed me and raised the bar throughout the year.

1. Muph + Plutonic - ...And Then Tomorrow Came (Obese) The famed Melbourne duo unleashed their third and most accomplished set to date. More concise, adventurous and fully-realised than Silence The Siren, this record cemented M+P’s place at the top of the game, proving that hip-hop can be both intelligent and head-nodding.

2. Horrorshow - The Grey Space (Elefant Traks) For two young 20-somethings, The Grey Space is a remarkable achievement. Musically rich, full of texture and undeniable beauty, emcee Solo breaks himself apart with brutal honesty and unnerving courage. Watch for these guys in 2009!

3. Illzilla - Wasteland (Method/Shock) Wasteland features the most amazing emcee performance of the year, with Mantra combining incredible flows with informed and relevant political commentary and a scathing social eye. The musical compositions are also top notch!

4. Funkoars - The Hangover (Shogun/Peepshow) A sonic-boom of epic proportions, The Hangover is full of raucous energy and lashings of clever humour. A near perfect excursion into the warped minds of the ‘Oars and full of neck-cracking, funk and rock laden bangers!

5. Dialectrix - Cycles Of Survival (Obese) Just one of the many highlights from the Blue Mountains this year, the 21 year old prodigy teamed up with Chasm for 13 solid story-laden compositions. D-Trix’s flow is butter to the ears and his ability to both rock the speakers and spin a yarn is testament to his talent. Dope music!

6. Scott Burns - Day-1 (LookUp) The Sin City veteran unleashed his long-awaited debut on the public in ‘08 to the praises of many! Featuring slamming production from Jase, Regal (Wiseguys), M-Phazes, S-Dub Chasm, Nebs, Aeon and JP, Scott delivered on his promise with a more than solid set of hip-hop jams.

7. Terra Firma - Music To Live By (Shogun/Simbiotic Audio) An epic and ambitious undertaking from the Adelaide veterans that succeeded on all counts. Simplex’s production is multi-faceted and musically accomplished and the emcee performances are all excellent.

The dope sophomore album that we were all waiting for.

8. Chasm - Beyond The Beat Tape (Obese) One of the new signings to the legendary Obese in ‘08, super producer Chasm wasted no time in dropping his debut producer LP blessed by a who’s who of dope emcee talent. Dub-heavy, dancehall boomin’ brilliance!

9. Raven - Humble Beginnings (Shogun/Darkwing Productions) Highly slept on and immensely talented, Geelong’s Raven stepped out of the shadows with a lyrically advanced effort over strong production from some of Australia’s best kept secrets.

10. Axe Aklins - Limb By Limb (Grindin’) Local Canberra legend, KOA and Koolism affiliate Aklins' first solo outing is blessed by the production talents of Koolism’s Danielsan, aka Fresh Kid Beard and Canberra’s D’Opus. Full of soulful head-nodders, heart-onthe-sleeve honesty and lashings of lowbrow humour, Limb By Limb was one of the year’s more slept on highlights.

Honorable mentions must go to releases from Hermitude, Tomohawk, Spit Syndicate, Mdusu + Dameza, Draft and Pez who all also released quality records.

To hear music from all the above artists and more tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM, Tuesday nights from 9:30pm. ROSHAMBO 24

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MONEY AND SENSE Erin Cook

P-MONEY is Peter Wadams. P-Money is the grand collaborator of Akon, Scribe, Grandmaster Roc Raida and countless others. P-Money is the co-owner of label Dirty Records. And P-Money is the all round stalwart of the burgeoning New Zealand hip-hop scene. P-Money is billed as a major draw card to for this summer’s Trinity Block Party, an event which is quickly securing its position as intrinsic to the Canberra music calendar. A veteran of the festival circuit, both here in Australia and back in his home country of New Zealand, he’s quick to distinguish between the crowds of both countries. “Australian audiences are little less inhibited and get a bit more rowdy than Kiwis. But the Kiwis are a touch more discerning and harder to win over” he says.

"I was really hoping we wouldn't elect a rightwing government but we have" P-Money’s success is best quantified by the burgeoning crowds following his live shows from festival stage to headline shows. He’s since shared the stage with everyone from metal bands to dance acts, something P-Money relishes with his eclectic and always developing personal tastes. “The older I get the more broad my tastes get. But I’m still a pretty tough critic! I like so few things,” he laughs. “Of late I’ve certainly been more influenced by music outside of hip-hop. They seem like really trendy dudes to mention, but producers like Diplo and Justice have been making some very cool shit.”

These diverse influences and more importantly the active seeking of fresh sounds have helped to create the ever developing and alwaysahead-of-the-curve sound that has come to define P-Money’s work.

“My sound develops all of the time. I have different periods; right now I’m in dance mode. Most of the things I’m making are up tempo and reference different things from the spectrum of dance music; late ’90s, very early rave and modern nu-disco/electro stuff.”

His skills in production and song writing won him two awards at the 2004 New Zealand Music Awards for his work with fellow Kiwi MC Scribe. The ubiquitous Not Many showcased the talents of both artists and is so far the biggest hit for them. “Those accolades were great to achieve and I guess they came fairly early on in my career; I’d only been recording music for about four years at that time. I’m definitely still learning and developing my skills as both a songwriter and producer.”

It hasn’t been all touring and accolades for P-Money however, as he’s increasingly frustrated by the state of political affairs within his country and within the music industry. “I wish popular (music) contained more political and social commentary, especially in hip-hop, but that’s not the type of shit that gets support from major labels/ radio/media outlets etc, cause it’s too challenging for programmers.

They don’t want to confront listeners with political opinion in fear that it might polarise people and they lose market share.”

Politics briefly replaced the hilarious entries about airport terminals and drunk girls on P-Money’s blog, showing his support for both Obama and the incumbent NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark for which he was only fifty percent lucky. “ I was really hoping we wouldn’t elect a right-wing government but we have. My personal stance is far more liberal, but hey, we have a democracy and majority rules so I’m ok with that,” he concedes.

P-Money will be dishing out his rhymes like a saintly soup kitchen worker at Trinity Block Party, Saturday, January 10. Tix on sale now through Moshtix, Trinity, Landspeed, Parliament Clothing Stores and inthemix.com.au.

BLOCK ROCKIN', BELLY RUBBIN' BEATS Jessica Conway

GOOD BUDDHA’s tracks are in no way calm or relaxing, despite what their namesake may suggest. They are the creators of great Aussie beats and rhymes, as well as funky live sounding tunes. Better yet, they are coming to a Block Party near you... if you live near Trinity, that is.

What began as a garage side project has evolved into three albums, a vast touring record, some awesome supports and some wicked funk, soul and hip-hop tracks. Hailing from Sydney, the four-piece have recently released Hit the Sky Running, a funky sounding, soulful feeling, hip-hop spinning, big band blasting album with a dash of ’70s rock thrown in. “Well that’s what we are all about, we’ve always been diverse", says Alex Young, singer and guitarist. "I’d like to think that there is something for every one on this record."

Good Buddha have certainly progressed since their first two releases, and Hit the Sky Running is clear proof. This album has strayed from the straight up hip-hop and rapping to have a strong funk and soul undertone. Alex says that the change in tone was a natural evolution and a conscious effort to find a challenge.“I find it really easy to write rhymes and to say less with more. But when you sing you’ve got fewer words in there so they have to be more important and hold more weight.”

"Originality might not pay the bills but at least down the line it shines" Though the Good Buddha boys have toured with some big acts, including Public Enemy, The Herd, TZU, Illzilla and Pharcyde, to name but a few, along with playing the stages of major festivals such as Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, Splendour In The Grass and Woodford Folk Festival, they are still happy to play to any sized crowd. Good Buddha took any gig they could prior to recording Hit the Sky Running, however, an ulterior motive was at play; the Buddhas wanted to be as tight as they could possibly be and, touting the ‘practice makes perfect’ mantra, played far and wide to audiences big and small. “We decided we’ll go up the coast playing whatever gigs we can, including nowheresville and play every song until we really know them and we get into the studio and are on fire.”

Movin’ On was the first track released from Hit the Sky Running, with a great live sound and more rapping than some others on the album, being quite reminiscent of Canberra’s own Casual Projects, who Good Buddha has also toured with. Al was surprised that Movin’ On was chosen as the first single. “I never thought it would go so far really. It is kind of a quirky song, sort of slow and fast. I think it does represent the album in a way, because it is really soulful with a female voice and it’s got some really cool raps and big hooks and big sounds. I love it, man. It is something that is close to me and Andy.”

The Buddha boys have just released their second single, Smoky Haze, a totally different track to Movin’ On; very slow, sultry and sexy. The vocals on this track have been left in the highly capable vocal cords of regular collaborator and contributor Ms. Ranji. Ranji will be making an appearance at this year’s Block Party, featuring on tracks Do Right and Playa.

The only message this Good Buddha is preaching is “to be extraordinary and not to sit back on your laurels. Originality might not pay the bills but at least down the line it shines. But apart from that, will you just have some fun, would ya?” Not a bad message from a Good Buddha.

Good Buddha will be playing at the Trinity Block Party on January 10. Hit the Sky Running is out now.

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METALISE

It’s the end of year column which means also Top Fives, Tens, top eleventy seventies and so on. Gig wise this year, there could be nothing to top the Iron Maiden performance at Acer Arena on the first night. The atmosphere, affection and sheer excitement that was in the air this night was by far the most awesome atmosphere at a gig of anything ever.

Judas Priest and Pig Destroyer were also fantastic. Fallout 3 wins my most brutal video game of the year award thanks largely to the V.A.T.S. system, however before going on the summer writing rest, it’s dutiful reportage that opens Metallise this Black 666mas.

Smashing The Basement over two days in Jan/Feb is Chaos Act V. Headlining both shows are The Amenta and The Bezerker who’ve both released new albums in the last couple of months (n0n and Re-Awakening respectively) and are touring the country together. The Chaos V shows coincide for an 18+ show on January 31 and an all ages on February 1. The over 18 lineup also features Mytile Vey Lorth, Aeon of Horus, Ne Obliviscaris, Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, Synperium, Templestowe, Gasma, Deprivation and New Blood. The all ages show on February 1 is The Amenta and The Bezerker with Ne Obliviscaris, Templestowe and Leichotica. All at The Basement in Belconnen for your brutal entertainment.

TEMPLESTOWE

The Eternal have a great new album out called Kartika which brings their awesome album total to three out of three. More stocking stuffers for the discerning doom metal fan.

There’s another grindcore bonanza event coming up in Melbourne on January 25 with pretty much the entirety of the best in Melbourne grind. Fuck I’m Dead, Agents of Abhorrence, Captain Cleanoff, The Day Everything Became Nothing, The Kill, Roskopp, BTBG, Super Fun Happy Slide, Shagnum and Doubled Over. All shall crush at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, a good excuse for a late summer jaunt to Mexico.

Having had a go at this myself a few years back, it was welcome news to hear of someone else giving an Australian Metal Awards show a crack. http://www.australianmetal.com.au is the place for all the info; my only slight criticism is that bands wishing to be considered for awards need to register. Registrations opened at the beginning of December and run through til March ahead of the awards show next year.

Devil’s Kitchen is on again next year with the Sydney leg hitting the Annandale on January 31 with locals Pod People and Looking Glass joining Winnebago Deal (UK), Nunchucka Superfly, Midget, Fattura Della Morte (new drummer yay!) Hytest, Summonus, HWCT, Mother Mars, My Left Boot and Buzzard. Pod People will have their vinyl release of their new album in time for these shows.

I hope you all have a simultaneously brutal yet safe 666mas, take care on the roads and save your necks for thrashing it in ’09.

Josh – Electric Grave – Cathedral – The Carnival Bizarre.

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F METAL THE CHURCH O Brad Pynn While the United States' most celebrated music may be jazz, something new and darker has been creeping out of it of late. Death metal and metalcore bands have been streaming out like a plague. While this may seem frightening to some, the support for these bands seems to keep growing. One such band, WHITECHAPEL, has taken up the banner of leading artists such as Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Meshuggah and Slipknot into this new age of fast, dirty and violent music. And luckily for us, we’ll get to experience it first-hand, when the group passes by Canberra this January.

"Right now it's honestly probably easier than it ever was to achieve success in a metal band...I think metal is starting to become more accepted by a wider audience than it was before" Their new album, This Is Exile, was released in July this year despite their almost six month tour. “The only thing I would change,” Alex says,”is to take more time in writing it. We only had two months to write so I think we did a pretty good job, but I think we should have taken a bit longer and the album as a whole would have been better.” While Alex may have his small regrets for the lack of time they had to produce the album, the rest of the world seems to think otherwise. Two of their videos have been put up for nominations as Headbanger’s Ball’s Metal Video of the Year and in the first week of their release the album made over 5,000 sales and undoubtedly a few more thousand in downloads.

While some artists might have been worried about online piracy in this digital age, Whitechapel certainly isn’t. “Right now it’s honestly probably easier than it ever was to achieve success in a metal band.”While it may limit their sales, popularity goes up and “metal is becoming more and more popular with mainstream media covering it like MTV2 and Fuse; I think metal is starting to become more accepted by a wider audience than it was before.”

Most people say that once you’re signed, you’ll sell out. If this is true then Whitechapel must have been the exception to the rule. They support their fellow bands with zeal. “My favourite right now would be Molotov Solution. Very similar to us in sound, a dark deathcore type sound. They just signed to Metal Blade so keep an eye out for their debut release; it’s going to be crushing!” If that’s what you’re think of as 'selling out', then I think we’re all guilty.

On a different tune, the band has been touring most of this year and will be coming to Australia soon enough. “Never Say Die was a great tour. Tons of people every night, the biggest show was London, I think with like 2,300 people. All the bands were awesome and really friendly.

The tour just had a great vibe and atmosphere to it.” While the high of gigging in front of thousands of people is a great high, there is still the demand of going on a prolonged tour, but White Chapel get that they just have to “stick it out until we get to have some time off. Then we’re all ready to hit the road again.” Don’t doubt that they will make it to their ’09 tour dates, they’ll definitely stick it out if only so that they can “come over and meet all of our Aussie fans and see some kangaroos.”

Whitechapel will play a licensed, all ages show at the Basement, Belconnen, on Saturday January 10.

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UNGLE RUMBLE IN THE urban J Ben Hermann “Anyone who’s into psychobilly really digs what we do, but some of the traditional rockabilly people don’t like it so much.” Although touting quiffs, a double bass, and heavy influences from traditional ‘50s-era rockabilly, Sydney six-piece THE CASINO RUMBLERS have laden their sound with a notorious mix of horns and distortion which has set them apart from almost every genre with which they could be associated. Coming to Canberra this December for the Rock for RADD mini-festival, lead vocalist and double-bassist Dave Bean points out that the group has never tried to fit into one particular scene, whether it be rockabilly, psychobilly, punk, ska, or hardcore. “Basically, we see ourselves as being like no other group because we have that heavier edge. It does scare a lot of people away who are really into those scenes, especially the rockabilly folk” Bean says. “But I think we have to stay true to where the group is going and who our influences are. In our opinion, you have to not play for a scene.”

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"Some of the big groups are real arseholes, but the Misfits were so nice" Describing themselves as having a “bitch-slapping, bone-crushing double bass, vocals straight from the belly of the beast, some obsessive guitar riffs, vein-ripping, eye-popping brass and a fucking psycho drummer”, the Casino Rumblers have always had a slightly heavier edge than other similarly-styled groups. Although being strongly comparable to international acts like Nekromantix, Tiger Army and the Horrorpops, as well as local groups such as Zombie Ghost Train or even the Louisville Sluggers, their new EP Seeing Scars, the follow up to their recent LP See How It’s Gonna End…, is once again a move away from their older style. “It definitely got heavier” Bean admits. “The different musicians in the group played a huge part – just putting the songs together with new group members changed the sound completely. I’ve always been into metal and punk and hardcore as well as rockabilly stuff, so I guess we kind of just explored that side of our influences, which we’d been listening to a lot more recently.” However, the fact that the group is so openly flexible in their influences and style has allowed them to appeal to a diverse range of crowds, and supporting acts from Reel Big Fish to the Misfits. “Some of the big groups are absolute arseholes, but the Misfits were so nice and incredibly awesome” Bean says. “The first two shows of the tour they thought we were just another support group and didn’t really talk to us. But on the third night they came up to us and said we were great, and for the rest of the tour they watched every one of our sets – it was bloody awesome.”

Although Bean doesn’t mention exactly what type of crowd the boys are able to evoke the greatest reaction from, he seems to imply that the ability for brass-influenced groups – whether they be ska, or just horninfused rock – will always struggle to survive and remain dominant in any scene, due to the impracticalities of maintaining such a large group.

“I think it’s too hard for a lot of bands to have that many members, which is why I think a lot of groups don’t grasp onto it” he says. “As the saying goes, two’s company and three’s a crowd, so when you get six people touring together, it gets rather difficult. So I can understand that it’s not the type of thing that a lot of groups really latch on to.” The drive from Sydney is only couple of hours, so let’s hope the boys make it down in one piece.

The Casino Rumblers will headline the Rock for RADD festival at the Holy Grail, Civic, on Saturday December 20. Joining them will be the Rumjacks, The Vee Bees, All Guns Blazing, Escape Syndrome, Gasma, and many more.

Doors open at 2pm and entry is a mere $15!

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PUNKSKA Last chance to dance to the bluebeat dance. It’s the final ska ‘n’ punk column for noughty-eight so put on your dancin’ shoes and let’s boogaloo at the barbeque, because it’s good for you and you know it’s true. The debut album from San Francisco skankers The Impalers (featuring ex-members of Lets Go Bowling, Skanking Pickle, and The Rudiments) is now out on Axe Records. Blood, Rum & Reggae draws obvious comparisons to Hellcat’s heavy-reggae heavyweights, The Aggrolites, but The Impalers have a much ‘cleaner’ interpretation of this Jamaican music and singer Cindy Chi has one of the sweetest and strongest sounding voices, channeling JA singing legends like Phyllis Dillon and Hortense Ellis. Twelve tight tracks, so visit www. axerecords.com for samples.

The new Propagandhi LP is ready for an early 2009 release on Fat Wreck Chords. A statement from the band reads, “For the first time in the last ten years we have completed a record on schedule! It is a killer record! Everything went really well. We’re really excited for everyone to hear it. We will begin touring all over the place in February 2009.

Prepare yourself!” When they were last here, playing the Civic Youth Café in 1997(RIP), I was stuck visiting family in Queensland. Bloody Christmas… grumble grumble... So it's a good thing that they'll be heading back to Canberra for an all ages show on Friday February 20 at the Weston Creek Community Centre.

Also out on Fat Wreck Chords is a Swingin’ Utters collection of rare 7” singles, B-sides, album outtakes, compilation songs and covers, entitled Hatest Grits: B-Sides and Bullshit. That’s 26 tracks, nine previously unreleased, liner notes on each song from band members, past and present, photos and so on. You can download two tracks now, at www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/734.

Reel Big Fish have finished up work on a new ten song serving of high-energy covers, which they’ve dubbed Fame, Fortune and Fornication. As well as the band’s signature ska takes on mainstream bands (this time it’s the like of Poison, The Eagles, Tom Petty and Slade et al) they also pay tribute to ska’s forefathers, with versions of Desmond Dekker’s Keep a Cool Head and The Maytals’ Monkey Man. It’s due out on January 20. Can’t tell you what label they’re on as their myspace declares they’re still unsigned!?!

If you’re looking for something to do on December 20, go support you’re local scene at Rock for RADD at the Holy Grail in Civic. It’s for a great cause and you’ll catch the likes of Outcome Unknown, The Toxicmen, The Vee Bees, The Rumjacks, Mafia, Charlie Greaser, Casino Rumblers, slick Central Coast psychobillys Checkered Fist and many more. Visit www.myspace.com/rockforradd for further details.

Finally, if you thought that Obama’s election in the USA meant we’d be spared anymore Bushit, think again. In October, Biff signed a controversial new bill strengthening anti-piracy efforts in the US, bringing greater penalties for copyright infringement and creating an intellectual property czar reporting directly to the president on how to better protect copyrights, both domestically and internationally.

The bill, supported by both the music industry’s RIAA and the movie industry’s MPAA, along with increased penalties, allows for asset forfeiture. Already existing in drug laws, this allows the government to seize assets: your car, your clothes, your house and pretty much anything they think they could sell for a buck. Find out more here: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49C7EI20081013? rpc=64.

Oi Oi that’s yer lot! I’m off to celebrate me baby grrl’s first Xmas.

SIMON HOBBS Next deadline is January 11. Send news, gig promos and abuse to rudebwaay@gmail.com

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BOYS OF SUMMER FULL PAGE COLOUR

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The Bad Seeds’ involvement in the festivus stemmed from their association with ATP head honcho Barry Hogan. “Actually, I think Barry tried to get the Bad Seeds to do one of the early events in England,” Mick recalls. “He’s an old friend of the band. He’s got a lot of Australian connections - his wife’s Australian - and he liked the idea of getting it going in Australia.”

TOMORROW'S HEROES TODAY Peter Krbavac Mick Harvey sounds like he could live quite happily never having to deal with a telephone again. In a couple of hours he’ll need to be on a plane to England for the next leg of NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS' Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! tour. For now, however, Cave’s right hand man, who has followed him through high-school proto-punk band The Boys Next Door, seminal post-punk group The Birthday Party and now the Seeds, is contending with a packed interview schedule that is backing up by the minute.

Luckily, after enjoying a snatch of Harvey’s hold music, the quiet, friendly tones of the great man are emanating through the receiver. With only a precious few minutes at our disposal there’s little time to waste, so we leap straight onto the topic at hand - Australia’s inaugural All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. “That’s what everyone’s been talking to me about!” chuckles Mick.

Since reading UK music journal Select’s report on the very first, Mogwaicurated ATP festival back at the turn of the millennium, I, along with countless other Australian music nerds, dreamt of the day when we might experience such delights in our homeland. A laundry list of the indie rock elite - including, but not limited to, My Bloody Valentine, Portishead, Dirty Three, Sonic Youth, The Shins, Sleater Kinney, Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Slint, Stephen Malkmus, Mogwai, Tortoise, Shellac, Modest Mouse and, err, Matt Groening - have since donned their curator’s hats and now, not a moment too soon, Australians will be able to bask in the splendours of All Tomorrow’s Parties with Cave at Co. at the helm.

“It’s quite a different set of events for us, as opposed to our own tour,” Mick says. “The scale of the ATP events is quite daunting… we’re a bit exhausted by it now but I’m sure it’ll be great when it’s happening,” he laughs wearily.

I imagine the Seeds are all thoroughly sick of talking about the event by this stage. “Ahh, just sorting and sifting through it all, making decisions and to-ing and fro-ing,” Mick sighs. “It’s a lot more complicated than just doing another tour, obviously, but we knew it would be like that.”

But there’s absolutely no doubt their hard efforts will be worthwhile.

The festival boasts the re-formed original line-up of classic Brisbane punk pioneers The Saints, Ed Kuepper’s other combo the Laughing Clowns, Washington psych-rockers Dead Meadow, Swans and Angels of Light mastermind M Gira, Cave and Harvey’s old bandmate Rowland S Howard and, perhaps most excitingly of all, the Bad Seeds’ Warren Ellis leading his group the Dirty Three through their masterwork Ocean Songs in its entirety. In fact, Cave sat in on piano the last time the Dirty Three performed that particular album.

"The scale of the ATP events is quite daunting...we're a bit exhausted by it but it'll be great when it's happening" So how did the Seeds settle on such an array of bands? I picture the group in a wood-panelled room, huddled King Arthur-style over a round table, reams of paper listing ‘80s post-punk bands from Ballarat and 89-year-old Appalachian folk singers spread about, arguing over each selection. The truth, however, seems far more prosaic.

“Everyone’s asked about the selection process and…,” Mick pauses,“I don’t know. People just suggest stuff and we’ve all thought about it and said yea or nay, really. The main bands we wanted to bring nationally were Spiritualized and Suicide. There are limitations on how many international acts you can bring in. Unfortunately Suicide were unable to do it, they had some personal stuff and couldn’t clear the time in January.”

“Lots of the midrange and smaller acts have just been thrown up by people,” he continues. “It’s nice if a couple of people know who they are.

We work out if we’re all okay with them and bands get put on. We’ve gone for diversity so I think it would be fair to say that most people don’t know most of the acts - even the curators don’t, so it will be a voyage of discovery for us too. [The choices] are always based on a couple of people’s suggestions and discussions about how they’ll work with the rest of the line-up.”

Given the stellar bill on offer, were there any particular bands - other than Vega and Rev, of course - who the Seeds would have liked to host, but for whatever reason couldn’t?

“Well, there are a few that have come up in particular - actually there’s lots, probably - but My Bloody Valentine were mentioned. And a few other odd ones like Mary Margaret O’Hara, a few people like that where we discussed it and you have that problem of justifying it, where you have to pay someone but nobody knows them, and stuff becoming a bit of a juggle with who’s a drawcard and what the cost is. You weigh all that up and it becomes quite complicated for those poor people who are doing it.”

As to what we can expect from Cave and his Bad Seeds at their festival appearances, Mick is somewhat vague.“It will probably be related to what we’ve been playing more recently in America - I really can’t remember off the top of my head. Quite a few songs from the new album, but I think we’ll be getting back to quite a few older songs too.” Get excited.

All Tomorrow’s Parties strikes Mt Buller, Victoria on January 9 and 10, Brisbane on January 15 and Cockatoo Island, Sydney on January 17 and 18. For the full line-up and details, and to purchase tickets, head to www. atpfestival.com . Reissues of From Her to Eternity, The Firstborn is Dead, Kicking Against The Pricks and Your Funeral… My Trial will be available in March 2009.

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Julia Winterflood “A really prominent journalist said to me that one day the name Yunupingu may be associated with Gurrumul more than Galarrwuy and Mandawuy. They’re both really prominent Indigenous musicians and spokespeople and Australians of the Year, and are very strong cultural men. But that journalist might be right, because this is just not stopping.”

GEOFFREY GURRUMUL YUNUPINGU was recently named

want it to be a really big part of it.” And his life is what Gurrumul sings about, in a voice as sweet as nectar sucked straight from a grevillea flower, or the golden abdomen of a honey ant. Its timbre resonates like the ghostly whip of wind through corkwood trees and in this resonance echoes his ancient ancestry; the ethereal voice of a man born blind breathes life into the stories of his land and people. This is what differentiates Gurrumul’s songs from many Indigenous artists today.

Says Hohnen, “Gurrumul’s not an activist, he doesn’t have any views on the social or political commentary; they’re just beautiful songs.”

“When I spend time in big cities I listen to Indigenous radio there and there are a lot of really angry people and I can fully understand that, but when people are really angry and publicly voice that anger I don’t know how much that actually helps the cause, or how much it helps non-Indigenous people to embrace what’s going on. There is so much negative stuff out there and you know there are some really big issues out there to deal with but I think if a community can feel really good and strong about itself, that’s only when the issues start to change.

So if you have a lot more of these sorts of things going on the whole community would feel a lot more powerful and positive. Once that happens there’s more inspiration to actually start changing. But that’s just human nature really.”

the NT Winner of Australian of the Year (which puts him in the running for Australian of the Year), has just won two ARIAs (Best Independent Album, Best World Music Album), three AIR Awards, three Deadly Awards and a sizeable swag of others while his debut album Gurrumul has just gone Gold. But does the Yolngu Mata man from Elcho Island in North East Arnhem Land actually realise or even acknowledge the full extent of his consistent acclaim and skyrocketing success? According to Michael Hohnen, Gurrumul’s close friend, fellow musician and album producer who has known him for over a decade, the fact that he is swiftly "I have sort of come to a realisation that I think It must be asked to what extent the becoming one of Australia’s most this CD is going to be a classic in Australian music" seemingly relentless negative media popular Indigenous artists ever is coverage Indigenous communities “quite a process for him to believe.” receive actually assists in the alleviation of suffering and abuse, and why “He’s the sort of person who won’t voice realisations of success until it is that the many positive and constructive elements remain relatively someone brings it up and he needs a lot of prompting to do so. As a ignored by suburban Australia. Gurrumul is, I suggest to Hohnen, in his person his language and culture is very strong so he does have strong own way effectively an activist, revealing to the world the myriad of self-confidence. But in terms of his notoriety and recognition of how majestic wonders of Northern Aboriginal Australia. “Yeah, he is, without much this record’s taking off, there’s an awareness growing but that meaning to be of course, but you’re right. It’s a bizarre thing for me to needs to be reiterated. He won’t talk about something that’s successful, know that this record has probably sold 50,000 now – it went Gold a he’ll listen to you talking about it then ask you, maybe even cross couple of weeks ago and it’s gone faster since the ARIAs. 50,000 records examine you in two or three different ways, to find out whether you’re being in suburban homes around Australia; it’s like suddenly this just hyping him or whether it’s fact. Having been born blind I think he’s Indigenous language exists through all of the suburbs in all of the cities had to do that a lot. Say he’s going into a new room or building he needs and to me that’s heartening because the language will sit in the minds to know all the facts about it but I’ll talk to him about something being of the people and kids for a long time.” really popular or really successful and because he knows me really well “A lot of amazing things happened on our most recent tour and I’ve now he might actually take it and talk about it with family members.” been trying to reflect on some of these things. I have sort of come What is fact is that Gurrumul’s voice has been rained down upon with to a bit of a realisation that I think this CD is going to be a classic in words like ‘sublime’, ‘divine’ and ‘transcendental beauty’, while Bruce Elder Australian music.” Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu may speak little of the Sydney Morning Herald called it “the greatest voice this continent English, but the languages of his people and the songs and stories of has ever recorded”. Yet to Gurrumul, these Balanda, or whitefella words, his 60,000 year old culture transcend language barriers and people’s mean nothing. Says Hohnen, “When someone famous that he actually preconceptions of Aboriginal music. This is world music, and indeed knows – like Paul Kelly, who wrote to him saying how much he liked his Gurrumul is taking the world by storm, and by a magnificent Top End album – that means so much to him because he actually knows who that monsoonal storm at that. person is. But if I say Bruce Elder wrote this article in the Sydney Morning Gurrumul will be playing at the Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts and Music Herald and it’s a really big newspaper it actually doesn’t mean anything Festival at Glenworth Valley from December 29 – January 1. Tickets at all. It’s pretty funny sometimes, like when he was asked to play for the available through Moshtix. Gurrumul is out now on Skinnyfish Music.

Pope, he really didn’t know who the Pope was.”

Not surprising really, as Gurrumul’s life is deeply entrenched in the traditional ways of the Yolngu Mata, which is the collective noun for the people of North East Arnhem Land. Being born blind, he spent a lot more time with family than your average unruly, rebellious kid; he was brought along to church and learnt gospel songs and at a very young age was given a guitar and told to play. So he did, turning the right-hand strung instrument upside down to play left handed. His success can in no way be described as overnight however, as in addition to his time with Yothu Yindi, he founded Saltwater Band who have released two well-received albums and have a third on the way. Yet Gurrumul remains a man happiest in his homeland, and as Hohnen says, “culturally he is one of the strongest men I know.”

“Culturally he knows nearly all there is to know; he has full knowledge and language. His life isn’t changing that much because he really doesn’t want it to. He wants to be involved in music and the music industry but he doesn’t want it to be a big part of his life. So he’d be happy if 90 per cent of his time was spent with family and ten per cent was spent touring. That’s his life. The music is his life too but he doesn’t 36 bma magazine

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COT! GREAT S Shailla Van Raad

DOUGIE MCLEAN was once probably known as a ‘dizzyingly beautiful Scottish Hunk’, but he now has been around for a while in the music industry and this title’s novelty has worn off. It’s better we think of Dougie Mclean as a ‘singer/songwriter, composer and multiinstrumentalist’. It’s more professional this way. “I’ve been in the music industry for quite a while now; the public haven’t changed much.

They still like good songs and melodies. Technology has changed, though. We now have the internet and new ways of making music. The internet helps me to keep in touch with my fans globally, to create a healthy musical community and the use of technology has made a big difference to the way we make music.”

"I try to be honest with myself, because true honesty in a songwriter is about connecting with your roots" Yarning about his younger days Dougie provides some interesting insights into a musician’s life. “It’s a difficult life, being a musician; you’re always travelling around and living out of a suitcase. It requires a strong mental constitution and a good home base with an excellent family.

There are both high and low moments. You never have a dull moment and you feel like you have achieved what you were meant to. I want to do this until I drop.” Coming from a rural part of Scotland, Dougie used the facilities in his town to contribute to his music. “I live in a very rural part of Scotland in Perthshire. It has about ten houses. My father went to the village school, and then I went to the same school. Eventually though, I bought it and made it my recording studio. It was the best decision I made to set up my own record label, here in Scotland. In this way I built up my own fan base and public. This is part of the reason of my success.”

Dougie is certainly very successful, with now 32 years in the business, though he never forgets his heritage. Dougie is very proud of his background and integrates its bias heavily into his music. “I learnt when I was a young musician that you should always write about things that you know. I try to be honest with myself, because true honesty in a songwriter is about connecting with your roots. I write from a Scottish viewpoint, but I always write on universal themes; life, death and love.

These themes people connect with whatever their background. My music always stays true to its folk tradition, though.”

Always having music in his life, the instruments he played as a child gives the composer an interesting slant. “I grew up playing the traditional fiddle. I’m kind of a schizophrenic songwriter. I draw from everything that I listen to.” He is best known for his single Caledonia, which was first released in 1979, and topped the Scottish charts and became one of Scotland’s most popular contemporary songs. Dougie recalls how it was born. “Caledonia was a little song I wrote when I was on tour in France in my 20s. It’s a lovable monster that just grew. It’s now played a lot in Scotland, at sporting events like football matches and weddings. It’s become part of common culture. Every Scottish pop singer at some point has sung a cover of Caledonia.”

For a musician who’s been in the biz for this long, Dougie still maintains some of that charming Scottish sense of humour as he chuckles recalling, “it’s lovely to wander into a bar and have a giggle when Caledonia is playing because no one notices that I’m there.”

Dougie Mclean plays The Folkus Room at the Serbian Cultural Club, Mawson, on Tuesday December 16.

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BLACKBOX Freeview, the consortium of free to air networks has started marketing itself and the new digital channels that are due to arrive in 2009 but there’s no air date, or many details so far. Just one. SCTEN has announced that its second (nonHD) channel will be dedicated to sport.

Presumably the ‘Berra won’t be the first market to get tuned in so if you’re paying for pay TV, don’t tear up your subscription just yet.

Speaking of pay TV, the transition of Gossip Girl (WIN, Wed, 10.30pm) is further proof that it’s all about waiting (as long as the network doesn’t axe it because it’s not rating well enough). Dirty Sexy Money (Prime, Tue, 11.30pm) is in danger with its move to late night.

Looking for a trip away but can’t afford to leave the couch? Go on a culinary tour of the world with Food Safari (SBS, Wed, 7.30pm) and visit delectable delights from Persia, Africa, Syria as well as (scarily enough) the UK and US. Check out Iron Chef America: Cheese (SBS, Wed Dec 24, 3.10pm) for a taste.

New shows for the summer include In Plain Sight (SCTEN, Tue Dec 16, 9.30pm) which is another crime show, Gangland Graveyard (ABC1, Mon Jan 5, 8.30pm) another one and Nigel Marven’s Ugly Animals (ABC1, Sun Jan 4, 7.30pm).

Docos to search out in coming weeks include Hitler’s Museum (SBS, Fri Dec 12, 8.30pm) tracing Hitler’s plan to pillage Europe’s museums to build his own, Celebrity Dominick Dunne (ABC1, Mon Dec 15, 8.30pm) which follows the legendary 82-year-old commentator as he follows the murder trial of Phil Spector, Roller Derby Dolls (repeated ABC2, Wed Dec 15, 8.05pm), Expedition Bhutan (ABC1, Mon Dec 22, 8.30pm), The Real Mrs Doubtfire (ABC1, Mon Dec 22, 10.15pm), 638 Ways to Kill Castro (SBS, Mon Dec 29, 8.30pm) which speaks to a number of men who have tried to assassinate Fidel Castro, Destiny in Alice (SBS, Thu Jan 1, 9.30pm) looks at lesbianism in Alice Springs and AC/DC – Legends of Rock (Prime, Wed Dec 17, 9.30pm).

If you want to look forward rather than back as the year comes to a close, check out At the Movies Summer Special (ABC1, Sun Dec 14, 6pm) and let David and Margaret help plan your summer.

In the true tradition of celebratory specials, Myf Warhurst will ‘host’ New Year’s Eve – The Best 0f 2008 with Myf Warhurst (ABC 1, Wed Dec 31, 8.30pm) strings together a series of (mostly) repeats of The Gruen Transfer, Spicks and Specks, The New Inventors and Enough Rope. It does, however, begin with the Chaser-produced Happy News Year.

Over at SBS, they have a more novel approach to the new year (while you recover from your hangover). Terry Jones traces The Story of 1 (SBS, Thu Jan 1, 8.30pm).

Don’t miss 1 Giant Leap – What About Me? (ABC2, Wed Dec 31, 8.05pm). The series takes musicians Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Catto as they travel around the world with their music, adding layers to the music through the cultures of the places they travel to. Alongside the music there are interviews with some famous actors and some of the world’s greatest thinkers on all aspects of the human condition.

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year and check out the following shows while you get excited bout the white-bearded fat man in the red suit. Scrooged (Prime, Sat Dec 20, 11.20pm), Merry Christmas Joyeux Noel (ABC1, Sun Dec 21, 8.35pm), Christmas Lights (ABC1, Wed Dec 24, 8.05pm), Jamie at Home: Christmas Special (SCTEN, Wed Dec 24, 7.30pm), Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight (WIN, Wed Dec 24, 8.30pm), Catherine Tate Christmas Special (ABC1, Wed Dec 24, 9.35pm), Father Ted Christmas Special (ABC1, Wed Dec 24, 10.10pm), An Irish Christmas (ABC2, Wed Dec 24, 11.05pm), Santa Claus Parade (SCTEN, Thu Dec 25, 6am), A Very Barry Christmas (ABC1, Thu 25, 8.15am), The Grinch (SCTEN, Thu Dec 25, 12pm), Creature Comforts: Merry Christmas (ABC2, Thu Dec 25, 9.50pm).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com 42

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THEATRE COLUMN Minutes of meeting re: Last column of the year.

Theme discussed: Christmas.

Proposed theme thrown out due to columnist’s unwavering atheism.

Further proposals include: Yule. Saturnalia.

Festivus.

Further proposals vetoed due to religious associations, also irrelevance to theatrical world of Canberra.

Veto questioned due to high ratio of festive-themed shows in December, viz: Shortis and Simpson, and… um…

Questioning of veto laughed out of boardroom.

End meeting.

So the end of the year has rolled around again. The tinsel rash that plagues the world throughout December is adding to my allergies (though I must admit it’s more of a philosophical, Grinchy allergy than actual physical intolerance) and theatrical ventures are… well, they ain’t venturing, by and large. Christmas is the time in the theatre world in which the accepted wisdom is to stay well away. Punters are too busy attending Getting Sauced At Work Functions to bother with art, and quite frankly, so are practitioners. But still, there’s a few things on the horizon.

1. Remember to get in to see Centrepiece’s 8 Women, playing at the ANU Arts Centre and Teatro Vivaldi until December 18. Book now on 6257 2718!

2. The Street Theatre are providing crowds with Escape from Xmastraz fun every Friday night til December 19. Exile on Childers Street, curated by Julia Johnson (of The Deep Sea Sirens, music aficionados), will bring you live music from 5.30 to 8. Best of all, it’s free. Even better of all, there’s a bar.

The Street Theatre presents Exile on Childers Street, every Friday night til December 19, 5.30-8pm at The Street.

3. It’s the end of the year and that means… yes, drumrolls and everything… the CAT Awards nominations are ready for announcement. The announcements will be held at Teatro Vivaldi on December 15, and if you want to go it’s $20 a head for adults, $15 for kidlets. If you want tix, give CAT Grand Dame Coralie Wood a call on 6281 0250 or email cfw@ozemail.com.au to book. My picks for the year?

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until January 22 to find those out. But you can be guaranteed that they won’t be on the CAT list. And you can take that how you will.

And finally, Review Within Column #400: Oceans all boiled into sky.

Serious Theatre’s show was… Awesome. Director Barb Barnett took David Finnigan’s po-mo dystopia by its fractured, multi-voiced horns to create a live radio play that ticked all the boxes of compelling, original theatre. Five actors (Lloyd Allison-Young, Hannah Cormick, Raoul Craemer, Chris Lloyd and Virginia Savage) stood essentially still for 90 minutes as, through their different voices, they played out the story of seventeen year old Mack Finch, trying to take his driving test in a post-apocalyptic Canberra. Behind them, Gillian Schwab’s set sketched the broken bones of Canberra, a world dominated by steam and decay and monstrous things. Oceans all boiled into sky is what we hope for in theatre: every move, every change of the eerie light, every sound effect, every decision made by barnett and her talented cast, contributed to the creation of a new world.

Happy Capitalist Buying Season To One And All! I’m off to wash down my gall with some eggnog flavoured whisky. Catch you all when the calendar clocks over.

NAOMI MILTHORPE princessnaea@gmail.com

bma magazine 43

DISCOLOGY SINGLED OUT

WITH DAVE RUBY HOWE Empire Of The Sun We Are The People (EMI) Luke Steele should probably collaborate with everyone. Especially since everyone’s forgotten about The Sleepy Jackson, but mainly because they’d produce awesome skewed pop much like this.

Lady GaGa Poker Face (UMA) Lady GaGa should certainly be admired for popularising this particular brand of robotic pop. It’s glitzy and plastic, the elements of pop. But passing off Grace Jones’ rejected wardrobe and recycled electroclash production as her own new and totally individual pop-withedge steez is just blood boiling. You’re nothing new GaGa. Akon produced your fucking record, so how authentic can you be? Just because you can mix an LA ethos with Eurythmics beats doesn’t mean you invented the fucking wheel.

T.I. ft. Rihanna Live Your Life (Warner) It takes a lot of balls to pull off an O-Zone sample in a hip-hop song. And while I’m still not sold even T.I. and RiRi do pull it off in this. Damn, they go for it and don’t care either way. Nice.

The Potbelleez Trouble Trouble (Vicious) Like a bastard spawn of TV Rock and Rogue Traders. And I mean bastard in the most hurtful and offensive sense of the word. Like if it actually meant something like fuck hole.

Wes Carr You (Sony BMG) Congratulations Wes Carr, you’ve won Idol. Now here’s your prize! We’ve mixed things up a bit this year, so you get to choose which ‘Idol Future’ you’d like to follow. Behind Door No. 1 we’ve got the Shannon Noll package. That comes standard with a core audience of fatties and bogans. Choose Door No. 2 and score the Casey Donovan suite. Includes dreadlocks, smokes and a lifetime of obscurity. Door No. 3 is our renowned Damien Leith set. You’ll have moderate success with the oldies and closeted men looking for a sensitive balladeer to emote with, but you’ll eventually find yourself doing acoustic Elton John covers at a Lithgow Primary School fete.

Welcome to your new life Wes. Enjoy it.

Just because you’ve got a shitty little beard and can play the harmonica doesn’t mean you’re different from any of the rest, and it doesn’t mean that anyone is going to give two shits about you in a year’s time.

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Bang Gang – D is for Disco E is for Dancing (Modular) With over 60 songs crammed onto two discs, this is definitely a winner for those with a short attention span. The next offering from Trash Troubadours is their best yet with a glamorous mix of indie, hip-hop, electro and everything in between. The first CD has a ‘chill out rave’ vibe with an eclectic mash of records such as Yusek’s Contact, Biz Markie’s Turn Tha Party Out and Hold On by Holy Ghost while the second keeps fans of 4/4 appeased with former Riot in Belgium member Beni’s new single My Loves Sees You, The massive Crookers mix of Kid Cudi Day ´n´ Nite and Cut Copy’s Far Away (Bag Raiders remix) being highlights.

For those who like it fast and loud this one’s for you.

TIM GALVIN Black Asylum Truths of the Blood (Riot) Once Central Coast headbangers Black Asylum have decided who they are, there may well be a future ahead of them that contains more than tedious east coast tours playing pubs to handfuls of bearded drunks in sweat-rotted Testament tee shirts. If they decide correctly that Trivium have the next ten years sewn up as Junior Metallica, and move off in their own direction they will hit paydirt. The chops are there – Victims of the Fall in particular sets the pulse racing – and there’s a nascent songwriting savvy evident here that means they should be able to make the leap to the next stage with relative ease. So, ditch the Hetfieldisms evident on Bleeding Away, concentrate on the coruscating riffage and you’ll be huge rockstars. Simple. But will they take my timely advice?

NAMBUCCO ‘MY WAR’ DELIRIA Deez Nuts Stay True (Stomp) Deez Nuts recently played here and no doubt left you a sweaty, half-deaf, bruised and battered punter, judging from the power and riotous riffage that can be heard on their LP Stay True. It’s hardcore done by the ‘Jocks’; full steam ahead testosterone-soaked beefcake punk rawk. Thirteen tracks chug brutally along, with titles like Damn Right, Tonight We’re Gonna Party, Never Grow Up and Fuck the World. Title track and Love Hate appear positive in that Minor Threat sort of way, but Deez Nuts are no Pennywise or Dag Nasty.

Track 13 is an amped up version of the Beastie’s Fight for Your Right (To Party) and is the standout track.

SIMON HOBBS Dido Safe Trip Home (Arista) Safe Trip Home has been in the pipeline for years and it was great to see it finally released. Dido’s songs are subtler and richer on this new album. There is an impressive lineup of guests on the album who range from Mick Fleetwood to Citizen

Cope, Brian Eno and ?uestlove from The Roots, but don’t be mistaken in thinking that this is a dramatic break from Dido’s elegant, shimmering past; it’s a deepening, adding layers and textures, both musical and emotional, that are apparent upon the first listen but reveal themselves more with repeat spins.

Dido’s songs gently hook their way into the subconscious. There are melancholic edges, but it’s not haunting, it’s comforting, reassuring music that’s quietly powerful.

CECILIA PATTISON-LEVI Fourth Floor Collapse Victoria (Creative Vibes) FFC come from Perth and now live in Melbourne, but that doesn’t tell you anything about the music. The band has been together for ten years and this is their fourth album. They are a five-piece with three singers, drums, the usual guitars, piano and brass instruments supporting. Lead singer Michael Miller has a strong voice and the band is technically very good and the album well produced. FFC use the same layered, build-up techniques as Coldplay, The Verve and Turin Brakes. If you like that stuff, you will like FFC (don’t forget that is an acronym). I’m guessing I’ve never heard of them before because their excessively emotive music just is not what people wanted to hear over the last decade. Some bands do that – they fail to progress beyond the style of music that surrounded them when they formed. So, if you want to know where music is going in the future, you will not find it in Victoria. But if you like the way music was in the late ’90s, give ‘em a spin.

LUCY BATTERSBY Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna (Warp/Inertia) Perched somewhere between the psychedelic trance rock of contemporaries such as Astral Social Club and visceral early 1990s techno, US group Gang Gang Dance has crafted its most electronically textured album

to date. And at various points, Saint Dymphna’s Western approximation of pan-ethnic rhythms looks back to the proto-sampling experimentation of Brian Eno and David Byrne’s pioneering 1981 album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Although there are noticeable traces throughout of certain club techno standards like dependable beats, disembodied, yet frenetic female vocals and twinkling synth-intros, this music is better suited to the chill-out room.

This is in part due to recurrent washes of oceanic sound which prepare the listener for a journey into inner space.

And this is where early 1990s shoegazer guitar bands come in. The dreamy atmospherics of fourth track Vacuum can be placed alongside the layered explorations of My Bloody Valentine’s classic 1991 album Loveless, and there are many instances of those lovely psychedelic vapour trails beloved of UK bands from this era. In many respects Gang Gang Dance is revisiting the past, but there is much for the contemporary music traveller to enjoy.

DAN BIGNA Jack Ladder Love is Gone (Spunk) Well, just when rock and roll was turning into nothing but a giant circle jerk, consisting of same same but different kinds of fender fuzz and skinny jeans synth pop vomit vomit pointless dribble, where people were secretly thinking "I want to kill myself" or actually start listening to Hall and Oates with my uncle, something unusual comes along. Like Television’s Marque Moon or The Smiths’ Hatful of Hollow or Dylan’s Highway 61, a similar thing has just happened with Jack Ladder’s Love is Gone. Now this review will do the man absolutely no justice unless you picture yourself on a boat on a river with Leonard Cohen, Jonathan Richman, Nick Cave, Antony and hey why the fuck not Gregory Corso, give them all a youthful vision of summer and cheery smiles and you have what is probably the most outstanding rock and roll record of the last couple of years and the fact that it is Australian makes it all the more finger licking good. Jack Ladder you’ve done it, you’ve given me a fine

Awesome Color Electric Aborigines (High Spot/Fuse) There’s a famous quote attributed to Otto Von Bismarck comparing the legislative process to sausage making, something along the lines of whilst you may like the result its best to steer clear of the process. Sometimes the same applies to garage rock.

It doesn’t matter what goes in or how basic, juvenile and repetitive it may be – it’s how it sounds that matters. I couldn’t care less about originality or recording quality when scuzzy subterranean sonic blasts like Already Down peel back ear lobes and fry your brain into the ionosphere. This Michigan bred band has clearly devoured their Nuggets compilations and the fact they relocated to Brooklyn is not some Williamsburg ‘It Scene’ cop out. They trade in swampy, primal, simplistic, woozy riffing that hipsters would either deem too simple or retro, but not the good sort. It’s the sort of stuff that Australia cornered the market with in the ’80s via The Scientists who in turn heavily influenced Seattle upstarts, Mudhoney.

The blood of Michigan’s favourite feral son clearly runs through Awesome Color’s veins and amps; but this ain’t no Stooges facsimile. There’s a sense of reverie, abandon and sheer grin inducing joy as each chord is pummelled, as every sun licking solo engages in mortal battle with wah-pedals and flangers. With Comets On Fire in hibernation, The Warlocks diminishing into irrelevancy and Dead Meadow taming out, Awesome Color have stepped up and into the breach. Electric Aborigines is a windows down, elbows out stunner from every era, best listened to now.

JUSTIN HOOK

soundtrack for summer and reinstated my hope in the frail and thin skinned world that is rock and roll.

TIM BOCQUET Jurassic 5 J5 Deluxe Re-Issue (Decon) Mixed feelings were summoned upon Jurassic 5’s announced split in 2006. Their positive-tipped hip-hop breathed life into the genre in the late ’90s, reminding us that sampleheavy boom-bap could be fun without losing its gritty aesthetics, whilst influencing a host of similar minded folk including the wonderful Ugly Duckling, Speech Defect and Time Machine.

However, ever since the departure of dusty-fingered vinyl-phile Cut Chemist – to pursue a very successful personal career (both solo, and with genre don DJ Shadow) – the group soured and sought commercial and creative inspiration from the wrong sources (a collaboration with Dave Matthews, for fuck’s sake?) Well, the cash has obviously finally dipped, for here we have a re-issue of their first, most famous, and best album. The re-sling serves as a reminder of just how damn good this album remains. It’s elevated, in fact, in light of the Timbaland/Pharrell style blip-hop that’s swamped the airwaves recently. But what makes this worth scooping is a 15 track bonus disc with all the B sides, remixes, radio skits, and general rare stuff from those early Cut Chemist baring years, which are excellent on a whole, but also include gems Ducky Boy, Rubber Tires and, most noteworthy, The Rhythm. Throw in a DVD with concert footage and a doco and you actually have a re-issue that goes slightly beyond the usual desperate grab for cash to provide fans and newcomers alike with a reason for why the group were deemed so important in the first place, as well as something new to sink the teeth into for the cognoscenti.

ALLAN SKO Ministry of Sound Annual 2009 (Ministry of Sound) Love it or hate it, the Ministry of Sound Annual is a one way ticket to what is hot in club music across the country. This year’s edition contains more hits than a Rocky movie with teenage anthems The Ian Carey Project’s Get Shaky, Axwell, Bob Sinclar, Ron Carroll’s What A Wonderful World, Eric Prydz’s Pjanoo and Fake Blood’s Mars rounding this off as one of the best yet. The usually mellower first disc has been beefed up this year with the more progressive sounds coming through into house music of late, making this a 44 track house party favourite for the commercially inclined.

TIM GALVIN Religious Knives The Door (Ecstatic Peace) There is some great stuff happening on this album because of the right combination of organ, guitars and darkly sensuous rhythmic flow that brings to mind the best 1960s psychedelia.

This is revealed on album opener Downstairs which in times past might

have existed as a bonus track on The Doors’ classic LA Woman album, but entrancing wah-guitar and shimmering organ repetition also conjures the down in the basement feel of 1970s German psychedelic rock and The Stooges’ hypnotic mantras, suggesting that Religious Knives’ inspirations hit some good peaks. This grooved-up US four-piece is a relatively new outfit on the underground scene, and given the line-up including Maya Miller on organ and vocals, and Nate Nelson from deconstruction obsessives Mouthus on percussion, one might be tempted to perceive Religious Knives as one more noise group among many. But this is no side project for the mere sake of it.

Across six drone smeared tracks, the group conjures an intense atmosphere, helped along by co-producer Thurston Moore who ensures that an elemental intensity remains an integral presence.

This band has it all sorted.

DAN BIGNA The Smiths The Sound of the Smiths (Warner Music) For those who like a sprinkling of committed introspection in their music, The Smiths are hard to beat, given that vocalist Morrissey is partial to the kind of self-obsession to which we are all prone at times. I can recall pining after girls I knew I could never possess, and I sometimes struggled to work out whether the desire was preferable to the possession. Morrissey takes thoughts like these and turns them into good art through intimate self-expression. Considering that The Smiths created their voluminous body of work during a particularly bleak period of UK history in the 1980s, Morrissey’s withdrawn state almost makes sense.

And it is also little in doubt, considering lines like, “I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, heaven knows I’m miserable now”. But there is a lot more to The Smiths’ music than the rampant turmoil of Morrissey’s innerself. Guitarist Johnny Marr has a bunch of frenetic music signifiers on hand that encompasses Beatlesque pop and Sun studio rock ‘n’ roll. It seems there was a lot more to 1980s music than Madonna and comical hair metal.

DAN BIGNA Various Artists From Jamaica With Love - Gangstas, Guns & Ghettos (Hardwax/MRA Entertainment) This collection from the From Jamaica With Love series (Hardwax) concentrates on the violent gun culture of this tiny Caribbean island. This being the case, the tracks are mostly raggamuffin and dancehall numbers, although there are a few vocal tracks by the likes of Tarrus Riley, Beware, and Mavado’s Top Shotta Nah Miss.

Included on this mix are such boss deejays as Terror Fabulous, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Capelton, Mad Cobra and the legendary Ninjaman, with Permit Fi Bury. This is a ‘dangerous’ mix of older and newer dancehall productions.

SIMON HOBBS

bma magazine 45

Cell Out

With Mark Russell; to him, every day is like Christmas. But a really crap one where all you get is socks and a creepy conversation with your uncle at dinner time.

Yep, surprise, surprise - Australia just doesn’t cut the mustard. But the story of the rich uptight woman falling for the rough-around-the-edges man is so original. Oh it’s not? So the film is just a really expensive way to scare people further away from Australian film? Sigh. Have a solid Christmas/New Year. Make sure you see at least one of the Boxing Day blockbusters – the Hollywood studios are feeling the credit crunch too these holidays. See you in 2009!

Australia How would you like to ride a horse across the Australian outback? C’mon, it’ll be fun. We’ll pass the occasional greenscreen – oh, and someone should sporadically yell out really cheesy dialogue. Well shell out your fifteen bucks and let’s give it a whirl.

Baz Luhrman’s epic Australia has arrived on a marketing swell to rival an American presidential campaign.

We’ve had constant ads, the actors on every talk show and magazine cover, and Darwin tourism and Telstra tie-ins.

But what’s the actual film like? Early on it’s a little hard to understand exactly what movie you’ve walked into. It’s like The Man From Snowy River if the countryside was part of a Moulin Rouge set. Gaudy colours and that not-quite-

American Teen American Teen is an interesting look at a town I’d never want to live in.

Warsaw, Indiana, is home to largely white, largely religious folk who vote red and stick to the more conservative side of things. This documentary follows four (arguably five) teenagers from the town during their senior year – bitchy queen bee Megan Krizmanich, basketball star Colin Clemens, arty and alternative oddity Hannah Bailey, socially inept nerd Jake Tusing, dreamy douchebag Mitch Reinholdt and their many friends and love interests.

Nanette Burstein’s camera follows Jake as he desperately seeks a girlfriend, Megan as she attempts to keep her status as teen queen and Hannah as she struggles with her own inner

Sex Drive Oversexed boy gets chance to have sex and so goes to extreme limits to get said sex. You know the formula, you’ve seen the formula, you’ve lived the formula. You can’t believe they’re trying the formula on you again. Sex Drive is another in the long line of teen movies conceived at an all-guy, porn-themed kegger. Ian (Josh Zuckerman) chats online with some tasty piece of ass, with the messenger moniker of ‘MsTasty’ aptly enough. When she offers him a booty call he naturally responds by setting out to drive nine hours to meet her, with two quirky friends in tow. This film bears an uncanny resemblance to a budget version of another tale

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Andy (Charles McDermott): Stop staring at us. Why don’t you take a picture Ian? Randy (Mark L Young): Yeah, and post it on total fucking awesomeness dot com!

Andy: Backslash we rule!

Sex Drive

real feeling make it very difficult to settle into scenes where characters are rolling in the dirt and muck. They all just seem a little too clean. When they open their mouths it’s not much better.

‘Streuth’ and ‘crikey’ etc are supposed to sound odd coming out of Nicole Kidman’s stuck up English sheila, but they also sound totally unnatural from every other character who’s meant to be true blue. All in all it plays like a bunch of Americans making a film about Australia. This may have been the intention but box office reports from the States suggest it hasn’t payed off.

It’s true that Brandon Walters, the young actor playing Nullah, is very charismatic; but there’s only so much that can help. His narration often

falls flat with some of his lines being completely at war with his pidgin English speech patterns. The poor grammar used to try and cover these patches make him sound like a young Yoda. There was too much pressure to perform on this film – particularly from the title’s arrogant suggestion that this story sums up our great southern land.

It’s just not up to the challenge.

conflict. At the same time, each tries to secure their future plans and survive their last year of high school hell.

This is kind of like The Breakfast Club, but with fewer insightful revelations and that extra tinge of ‘reality’ that makes it both more and less interesting.

While they are all entertaining enough to watch, Burstein never really lets any of them escape their labels, except for a few brief glimpses here and there. It’s hard to like many of them, and even harder to fully understand them or grasp what is going on beneath their stereotypes of ‘nerd’, ‘jock’, ‘rebel’ and ‘princess’. Unfortunately, as a result, American Teen is neither edgy nor probing enough, and while Burstein gets quite a free reign over their lives,

it all feels a little unfinished and unsatisfying. I couldn’t help but question its authenticity – one wonders how much of this fairy floss depiction has been restaged, and how much is actually in the moment. Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly enthralling look at the private lives of teens from Midwestern USA – parental pressures, stuffed deer heads, teen angst, marching bands and basketball games. While it doesn’t quite deliver an emotional punch, it’s pretty good reality entertainment.

of teenage horniness – Eurotrip. And this is kind of what it is. The main differences between the two (besides the international element of Eurotrip) mostly work against Sex Drive. It has fewer characters, fewer jokes and too much time spent with the Amish. Most confusing of all, early on Ian actually walks out of a room where a drunk young girl is ready to pop his cherry.

She’s not made to seem particularly unattractive and he isn’t guided by his moral compass or something; he’s just a little bit slow. It’s also a sad state of affairs when your star power consists of a Seth Green cameo and a shamelessly self-promotional appearance

by Fall Out Boy. There’s the occasional bit of new stuff here but by the end they’ve exhausted gay jokes, sex jokes and Amish jokes. What’s left is the structure of the formula, and it’s a shaky one to begin with.

MARK RUSSELL

MEGAN McKEOUGH

MARK RUSSELL

"It's been the first time in history that an entire genre of films has come out about a war that's still happening. It usually takes fifteen years for this sort of reaction"

AB BLACK C Mark Russell The War On Terror is a war dominated by inverted commas and redefinitions. The George Dubya model would have us see ‘Muslim’ and think ‘terrorist’, see ‘invasion’ and think ‘liberation’, and see ‘torture’ yet think ‘necessary force’. The imprisonment of this war’s ‘enemy combatants’, both in the Middle East and at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, has given us some of the most arresting images captured on film: hunched over figures in shackles and orange jumpsuits; crowds of bearded men herded by khakied, machine-gun-toting shepherds; humiliated, naked and hooded figures, bound and piled at the feet of grinning military guards.

The Academy Award winning documentary TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE explores this difficult topic and the political climate it has created.

Eva Orner, an Australia-born producer on Taxi..., sees this as an incredible time for film. “It’s been the first time in history that an entire genre of films has come out about a war that’s still happening. It usually takes fifteen years for this sort of reaction.” Eva and writer/director Alex Gibney were motivated to make the film by a constant stream of articles about prisoners being killed by American military guards at Bagram Prison, the infamous leaked pictures from Abu Ghraib, and regular reminders of this war’s casualties. “It was born out of a really dark period. There was a combination of these events coming one after another. All this great journalism was coming out and it was clear that this was a really important opportunity to make a document that would talk about everything.”

Taxi to the Dark Side begins with the death of Dilawar, an Afghani taxi driver who, it is later revealed, was imprisoned falsely. Dilawar died in custody as a result of the violent interrogations he underwent. The film goes on to study the techniques of physical, mental and sexual abuse that were/are regularly used to break down detainees in US military detention facilities. It also looks at how these techniques were unofficially sanctioned by the powers that be. Countless vivid and harrowing stories of torture are revealed throughout. “Alex and I had worked on a few projects already but Taxi was the hardest we had to make. Working on other films helped balance things out but it was still a very gruelling process. At the end of the day it’s not our story though. We were listening to it, not living it.”

But the film does have universally affecting elements. It constantly demonstrates the US government’s complicity in the worst of these atrocities, and suggests many deeper corruptions. This kind of misuse of power speaks to Eva’s past. “I’ve known from a very young age what can happen with bad government. My parents grew up as Jews in Poland in 1937. A lot of their family were murdered and they went through terrible woes to get here. I also vividly remember Poll Pott in Cambodia and the insane injustices that occurred there.”

But even constant work on a project like Taxi to the Dark Side has not soured Eva’s outlook. There’s a hint on the near horizon that these violations will not be perpetuated much longer. Barack Obama’s election as the next President of the United States has lit a candle of possibility.

“There couldn’t have been a better end to this period in American History.

He’s a smart man, a good man. The country’s in terrible shape but America bounces back. It recovers, it changes between good and evil. There’s a good deal of hope ahead.”

Taxi to the Dark Side is out now on DVD through Madman Entertainment.

bma magazine 47

FIRST CONTACT: Write your band’s name as well as the name and phone number of the

BMA BAND PROFILE

gASMA Where did your band name come from?

It was actually a mis-hearing of the popular Queanbeyan colloquialism for a smoke - ‘gasper’. Being the misguided youth we were at the time, it was incontestably the most badass name we had.

Group Members?

Nickau Wall (vocals), Andre ‘Soynuts’Matuszyk (guitars, backing vox), Brian BJ Jackson (drums), Noof McDonald (bass), Nick ‘the shredder’ Rigby (guitars, backing vox).

Describe your sound Heavy. Kind of like if Andre Rieu, Il Divo, Alan Jackson, Rick Astley and Michael Bolton all had some horrible love child.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Ron Jeremy and Peter North! Musically though, anything heavy from Tool to Unearth, Ozzy, Pantera… It’s a long list. We also listen to quite a lot of pop garbage.

What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing?

Nickau playing in adult diapers. That was pretty weird.Nickau playing in red speedos and red suspenders, covered in blood. Nickau splitting his shins open falling off the stage. Nickau passing out.Nickau cracking his head open on a guitar head.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?

Recording our EP and landing in the Musicoz top 5 for metal and hardcore this year (and hopefully winning!). Also, having kids slam dancing at the Antagonist show.

What are your plans for the future?

Release said EP early next year, and do a bit o’ touring hopefully.

What makes you laugh?

Axle Whitehead, odd-sized-saleen-injected balls, The Family Guy, Arrested Development, and the Skatt Brothers. Everyone should youtube the Skatt Brothers.

What pisses you off?

Bands with egos who take themselves too seriously, and KFC never getting our orders right!

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

Venue-wise it’s a little depressing at the moment. Of the few still open, they are quite genre-specific which can be a little limiting for local bands looking to play in different places. Though that’s not to say the venues here aren’t great - they’re quite awesome in fact!

There’re definitely some awesome bands in the ACT too, like Dead Kings (personal favourites), Hancock Basement, Casual Projects, Tonk, Spoil, and All Guns Blazing - Canberra’s definitely not lacking talent.

What are your upcoming gigs?

Dec 20 – Rock for RADD @ the Holy Grail Jan 24 – w/ Silverback and others at Tuggers youthie (probably).

Check the myspace on that one.

Jan 30 – Chaos ACT Contact Info (phone numbers, email, whatever you wish) Best to get us on the myspace – www.myspace.com/gasmametal Gasma_metal@yahoo.com.au Brian can also be found at www.redneckandsingle.com 48 bma magazine

person to contact (limit of two contacts ie. phone and email) and send $5 (cheque or money order made to Bands, Music, Action) to bma: PO Box 713, Civic Square, ACT, 2608. For your $5 you’ll stay on the register until you request removal. Changes to listings also cost $5.

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Afternoon Shift Adam 0402 055 314 After Close Scotty 0412 742 682, afterclose@hotmail.com Alcove Mark 0410 112 522 Alice 0423 100 792 Allies ACT (Oxfam Group) alliesact@hotmail.com/ myspace.com/alliesact Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410 308 288 Ampli5'd Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@ hotmail.com.au Annie & the Armadillos Annette 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone singer/songwriter(guitar), sax & flute Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Kingswood Factory Sharon 0412 334 467 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Bastards Jamie 0424 857 282/ www.bastards.altpro.net Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Casual Projects Julian 0401 016 885 Catchpenny Nathan 0402 845 132 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 CD and Website Design Brendan 0404 042 574 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Chuffs, The Glenn 0413 697 546 Cold Heart Projects Andrew 6294 5450 Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 087 833/colebennetts@gmail.com Colourful Racing Identities Josh 0410 135 605 Cool Weapon Luke 0410 983 450/ Josh 0412 863 019 Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Cumulonimbus Matt 0412 508 425 Dance With Amps Marcus 0421 691 332 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 DayTrippers, The Reidar 0414 808 677, daytrippers@grapevine.com.au (dp) New Media Artists Mal 0414 295 297 Dogact dog-act@hotmail.com, Paulie 0408 287 672.

DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 DJ/MC Bootcamp Donte 9267 3655 DJ Latino Rogelio 0401 274 208 DJ Moises (RnB/Latin) 0402 497 835 or moises_lopez@hotmail DNA Vic 0408 477 020 Drumassault Kate 0414 236 323 Dubba Rukki Jim 0409 660 745 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com EYE eye@canberra.teknet.net.au Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Dan 0410 480 321 FirePigs, The Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 4dead Peter 0401 006 551 Freeloaders, The Steve 0412 653 597 Friend or Enemy 6238 0083, www.myspace.com/friendorenemy Funk Shui Dave 0407 974 476 Gareth Hailey DJ & Electronica 0414 215 885 GiLF Kelly 0410 588 747, gilf.mail@gmail.com Guff Damian 6230 2767 HalfPast Chris 0412 115 594 Hancock Basement Tom 6257 5375, hancockbasement@hotmail.com Happy Hour Wendy 0406 375 096, Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com Hitherto Paul 0408 425 636 Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226

Infra Retina Kyle 0437 137 775/Michael 0430 353 893/www.infra-retina.com In The Flesh Scott 0410 475 703 Inside the Exterior Nathan 0401 072 650 Itchy Triggers Andrew 0401 588 884 Jacqui Seczawa 0428 428 722 JDY Clothing 0405 648 288/ www.jdyclothing.com Jenn Pacor singer/songwriter avail. for originals & covers, 0405 618 630 Jennifer Versatile singer looking for band; 0422 158 362 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/dj@ karismakatz.com Kurt's Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Lenders, The Tim 6247 2076 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos Jules 0413 223 573 los.chavos@yahoo.com.au Manilla Green Herms 0404 848 462, contactus@manillagreen.com, Mario Brujo Gordon world/latin/reggae/ percussionist and DJ. 0405 820 895 Martin Bailey Audio Engineer 0423 566 093 Malumba Dan 6253 5150 MC Kayo Marbilus 0405 648 288 kayo_101@hotmail.com, www.myspace. com/kayo_marbilus, Meatbee Ben 0417 492 560 Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907/hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Huck 0419 630 721 Murder Meal Combo Anthony 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com Myriad Kath 6253 8318 MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus Neptune's Necklace Mark 6253 1048 No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 Para 0402 277 007 Petra Elliott Petra 0410 290 660 Phathom Chris 0422 888 700 The Pigs The Colonel 0422 412 752 Polka Pigs Ian 6231 5974 Premier Audio Simon 0412 331 876, premier_audio@hotmail.com Queanbeyan Music & Electronics 6299 1020 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 Roger Bone Band Andy 0413 483 758 Rob Mac Project, The Melinda 0400 405 537 Rug, The Jol 0417 273 041 Samsara Samahdi 0431 083 776 Sansutra J-Ma 0403 476 350 Sara Vancea Sara 6247 9899 Seditious Intent Toby 0419 971 547 Sindablok Duncan 0424 642 156 Simone Penkethman (Simone & The Soothsayers, Singing Teacher) 6230 4828 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401 588 884 Solid Gold Peter 0421 131 887/ solid.gold@live.com.au Stalker and Liife Darren 0413 229 049 Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 Taboo Bamboo Greg 0439 990 455 That ‘80s Band Ty 0417 265 013 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/transmissionnowhere TRS tripstate@hotmail.com Udo 0412 086 158 Undersided, The Baz 0408 468 041 Using Three Words Dan 0416 123 020, usingthreewords@hotmail.com Voodoo Doll Mark 0428 650 549 William Blakely Will 0414 910 014 Woden Youth Centre Jeremy 6282 3037 Zeitgeist www.zeitgeist.xwave Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

GIG GUIDE December 11 - 26 THURSDAY DECEMBER 11

ARTS _____________ The Nutty Professor (1964) Forget the Klumps, Jerry Lewis directs and stars in the original comedy hit. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON Seventh Drawing Biennale Curator Elizabeth Cross has chosen artists whose draughtsmanship is rooted in observation. Until Dec 14 DRILL HALL GALLERY, ANU Over the Front: The Great War in the Air Highlights the role of the young men of the AFC. Opens 6pm AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL Open Air: Portraits in the Landscape The first exhibition in the temporary exhibition spaces of the new National Portrait Gallery.

Reflecting on what places mean to people. Until Mar 1 2009 NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY Blaze 08 The Canberra Contemporary Art Space studio residents' exhibition, featuring Sonja Barfoed, Kress Beecher, Rosalind Lemoh, Owen Lewis, Fiona Little, Anna Madeleine and Amy Nguyen. On show until Jan 31. From 6pm CCAS GORMAN HOUSE, BRADDON Hands on Studio An arts education and skills development program for people with disabilities. Until Dec 14 M16 ARTSPACE, MANUKA

THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 Locked Inside An installation by Ibtihal Samarayi and an exhibition of artworks by asylum seeker artists and children. Until Dec 19 BELCONNEN LIBRARY Comments on Picasso Commenting on the life and works of Pablo Picasso. Until Sunday December 14 CCAS MANUKA, FURNEAUX ST

DANCE _____________ Nathan Frost KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue ACADEMY, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Sun Pilots/Ellington TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Shoe Levy 9pm - midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Chris Harland Blues Band/The Bridge Between & Friends FYSHWICK TAVERN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Braddon Brainbuster Trivia THE BRADDON CLUB Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Karaoke With a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Karaoke CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

friday DECEMBER 12

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________

The Peter Cook & Dudley Moore Riotous Revue Playing every Friday and Saturday until Dec 20. Directed

by Jason Savage GALLERY CAFE, UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA, BRUCE

Top Shelf HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Max Power From 10:30pm - 2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Dubba Rukki THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

DANCE _____________ Mowgli (UK) With The Aston Shuffle, Beat It, King James and Hubert. From 10pm, $15 LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Atomic Hooligan Smashing UK breakbeat TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Mr Timothy With Miles and Saad ACADEMY, CIVIC Jemist KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE After Work Dranks With DJ Jemist. From 5pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE ____________ Live Latino Band MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Rev Weekly punk/indie/dance/ electro/alternative night. Woo! BAR 32, N'BOURNE AVE, CIVIC Slovac With Please to Jive You, Crab Shrapnel, Turbulence and No Assumption. From 6pm WODEN YOUTH CENTRE Angels Are Architects From 6pm SOUL BAR, WODEN The Bouchet Brothers Blues and covers from 8pm ROOs CLUB Live Music @ The Grail With Duff & Mates from 6pm, and Endless Summer from 10pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON The Cool From 10pm - 2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC SATURDAY DECEMBER 13

ARTS _____________ Gimme Shelter (1970) The Maysles brothers' Rolling Stones concert film. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

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SATURDAY DECEMBER 13

SUNDAY DECEMBER 14

DAY PLAY _____________ Old Bus Depot Markets KINGSTON Burley Griffin Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch from 1pm THE BRADDON CLUB

DANCE _____________ Sound Baked Sundays With DJ Assault (USA), Aston Shuffle, Hubert, Dave Norgate, Ashley Feraude and Scottie Fischer. Free entry (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Cube Sunday From 9pm with DJ Peter Dorree CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Chris Harland Blues Band CHISHOLM TAVERN Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Lanyon Christmas Carols Plus picnic. From 5pm LANYON HOMESTEAD MONDAYDECEMBER DECEMBER MONDAY 15 15

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Bootleg Sessions Local musos bustin' it out THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC TUESDAYDECEMBER DECEMBER 16 TUESDAY 16

DANCE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

Sam La More With Michael O'Rourke, Dave Norgate, Ashley Feraude and Hubert. From 10pm, $15 LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Harris Robotis With Staks, Sean Kelly, B-Tham and regulars. $10 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Cheese '70s, '80s and '90s filth TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Shunji KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Alan Thompson With Ashley Feraude and Michael O'Rourke ACADEMY, CIVIC

Musical Madness @ Filthys With Matt Dent, Friendly Yen and Teddy Conrick FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Trivia Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Games Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17

FRIDAY DECEMBER 19

SATURDAY DECEMBER 20

TUESDAY DECEMBER 23

LIVE _____________

DANCE _____________

LIVE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

The Woohoo Revue With Mr Fibby. Doors open at 8:30pm. Entry is free THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Calling All Cars With The Satellite Nation. Free TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

Scotty Fischer KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE White Caribbean Party With Foshow and Los Chavos.

White attire requested MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Tydi With Peekz, Scottie Fischer, Enerv8 and Hubert. $20 LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Carl Kennedy With Team Wing and Alex McLeod ACADEMY, CIVIC

The Wedded Bliss THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC Rock for RADD With The Casino Rumblers, The Vee Bees, All Guns Blazing, Escape Syndrome, Gasma, Metavirus, Checkered Fist, Charlie Greaser, Mafia, The Toxicmen, and Outcome Unknown. Entry is $15 with all proceeds going to RADD. Free soft drink for drivers.

Raffles and giveaways. 2pm HOLY GRAIL, CIVIC SUNDAY DECEMBER 21

Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Trivia Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Comedy Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke From 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Karaoke HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON THURSDAY 18 THURSDAYDECEMBER DECEMBER 18

ARTS _____________ Bad Santa (2003) Billy Bob Thornton in Terry Zwigoff's outrageous antidote to the holiday season. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

DANCE _____________ Jemist KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Foam Party With DJs Adam and Esscue ACADEMY, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Fauves TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Tripitide 9pm - midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Braddon Brainbuster Trivia 6pm rego, 6.30pm start THE BRADDON CLUB Karaoke With a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Karaoke Belt your lungs out from 9 til 11pm. Cash prizes and 2-4-1 basic spirits and tap beer CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Sunchaser With Lost Note Foundation and Quinn Band Trio. $7, 8:30pm THE POT BELLY, BELCONNEN Llik Llik Llik With Gavin Keitel TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Rev Punk/indie/dance/electro/alt.

With Santa as special guest DJ BAR 32, N'THBOURNE AVE, CIVIC Chris Harland Blues Band From 6pm SOUL BAR, WODEN Heuristic KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC Identical Strangers HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON SATURDAY DECEMBER 20

ARTS _____________ Cool Hand Luke (1967) Paul Newman's most famous role. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

DANCE _____________ Random Soul With Ashley Feraude, Dave Norgate and Michael O'Rourke.

From 10pm, $15 LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Adam Bartas With Monkey Bar regulars. $10 MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Scott Burns Launching album Day 1 TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC D'Opus KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE Chris Fraser vs Ashley Feraude With Rexy, and Nathan Frost ACADEMY, CIVIC

DAY PLAY _____________ Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch from 1pm THE BRADDON CLUB

DANCE _____________ Ministry of Sound: The Annual Frictington are at it again, bringing you Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock, John Course, Chris Fraser, Derty Rich, Ashley Feraude and Michael O'Rourke HOUSE OF REPS COURTYARD Cube Sunday 9pm till late with DJ Peter Dorree CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC MONDAY DECEMBER 22

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC TUESDAY DECEMBER 23

LIVE _____________

Cell Block 69 ANU BAR, ACTON Musical Madness @ Filthys With The Feldons, Bliss and Jonno Zilber FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

DANCE _____________ RnB Heat ACADEMY, CIVIC The Aston Shuffle Playing an all-nighter. $10 LOT 33, KENNEDY ST, KINGSTON Yacht Rock II KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

LIVE _____________ Seasonal Beats Chrimbo Party With Casual Projects (2 sets), D'Opus & Roshambo and DJ Alistair. Free entry, and presents from Santa. 7pm til late TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Karaoke Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC THURSDAY DECEMBER 25

LIVE _____________ The Fred Smith Band's Orphans' Christmas THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC FRIDAY DECEMBER 26

DANCE _____________ After Work Dranks With DJ Jemist. From 5pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Rev Weekly punk/indie/dance/ electro/alternative night. Woo! BAR 32, N'BOURNE AVE, CIVIC

bma magazine 51

GIG GUIDE December 27 - January 21 Saturday DECEMBER 27

MONDAY DECEMBER 29

THURSDAY JANUARY 1

tUESDAY JANUARY 6

ARTS _____________

DANCE _____________

LIVE _____________

LIVE _____________

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Joseph Cotton stars in Hitchcock's taut thriller. 4:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

Charles Chaitan 9pm - midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

Nothing But the Blues With Chris Harland Blues Band and Jonno Zilber FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

DAY PLAY _____________ Gorman House Markets GORMAN HOUSE Burley Griffin Antique Centre KINGSTON FORESHORE

DANCE _____________ Pure Hard Dance With Soul-T, Artemis, JFX, Nomad + more. $30 + bf from Landspeed CANBERRA INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING CENTRE Decadence Saturday With Ashley Feraude and friends ACADEMY, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Bouchet Brothers Blues and covers from 8:30pm LANYON CLUB Agency Dub Collective Double Bill Reunion Show Two different ADC line-ups. With Dub Ninja (Japan). Free entry TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC SUNDAY DECEMBER 28

DAY PLAY _____________ Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch between 1 and 3pm. Happy hour from 2-4pm and live bands between 2-5pm.

Sizzlin'!

THE BRADDON CLUB

DANCE _____________ Cube Sunday 9pm till late with DJ Peter Dorree CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Brouchet Brothers THE LIGHTHOUSE, BELCONNEN Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

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LIVE _____________ Bootleg Sessions THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC TUESDAY DECEMBER 30

LIVE _____________ Musical Madness @ Filthys With The Beetle Boys and DJ and the Karisma Kats FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

FRIDAY JANUARY FRIDAY JANUARY 22

LIVE _____________ Rev Weekly punk/indie/dance/ electro/alternative night. Woo! BAR 32, N'THBOURNE AVE, CIVIC The Cool 10pm-2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC SATURDAYJANUARY JANUARY 33 SATURDAY

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

ARTS _____________

Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Trivia Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Trivia Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

Open Air: Sunset Blvd. (1950) ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

DANCE _____________ Fedde Le Grand With special guests ACADEMY, CIVIC

LIVE _____________

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31 31

Heuristic 10:30pm - 2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

DANCE _____________

SUNDAY SUNDAY JANUARY JANUARY 44

Bleep NYE PQM With Gabriel Gilmour, Mig L, Bruisa and Ronnie Gordon TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC NYE Retro Future With insane sounds from Ashley Feraude, Staky and Sean Kelly ACADEMY, CIVIC Tropical Island NYE Island theme dress for $15 entry MONKEY BAR, BUNDA ST, CIVIC Glitter & Glam Party Come in your sparkliest attire to win brilliant prizes. DJs Matt Chavasse & Peter Dorree. Entry $25, including free drink on arrival CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Funky Band NYE HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON The Remnants Doors open at 5pm. Entry is via $10 donation to the Salvation Army. Band starts at 10pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

DAY PLAY _____________ Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch from 1pm THE BRADDON CLUB

WEDNESDAY JANUARY7 7 WEDNESDAY JANUARY

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke From 9:30pm. $1000 grand prize THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Karaoke Night HOLY GRAIL KINGSTON THURSDAY JANUARY8 8 THURSDAY JANUARY

ARTS _____________ Wonderful Town (2007) Masterpiece of Thai indie cinema. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Braddon Brainbuster Trivia 6pm rego, 6.30pm start THE BRADDON CLUB Carry On Karaoke PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Karaoke With a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Karaoke CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC Where to Now From 9pm-midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC FRIDAY JANUARY9 9 FRIDAY JANUARY

DANCE _____________

DANCE _____________

Cube Sunday 9pm till late with DJ Peter Dorree CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

After Work Dranks With DJ Jemist. From 5pm TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Bridge Between From 2-5pm THE BRADDON CLUB Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

LIVE ____________ Frankie Wants Out Nine piece band playing red hot swing tunes. Free entry TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Rev Weekly punk/indie/dance/ electro/alternative night. Woo! BAR 32, N'BOURNE AVE, CIVIC Itchy Triggers 10pm-2am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

TUESDAY JANUARY 13

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________

LIVE _____________

Open Air: Manhattan ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

Musical Madness @ Filthys With Aria Stone, Angels Are Architects and Alice Cottee FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

Braddon Brainbuster Trivia 6pm rego, 6.30pm start THE BRADDON CLUB Karaoke With a Twist PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Karaoke CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

DANCE _____________ Block Party Returns for a third year, with NZ's P-Money, USA's Tittsworth, The Bamboos (with Kylie Audlist), Good Buddha, Sampology and a host of others. $49.95 + bf from Landspeed and Moshtix (TRINITY) BAR, DICKSON Block Party After Party With UK breaks don Adam Freeland, Jeff Drake, Sean Kelly and Derty Rich. $25/$20 with Block Party wrist band ANU BAR, ACTON

LIVE _____________ Curious Fate From 10:30pm - 2:30am KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC SUNDAY JANUARY1111 SUNDAY JANUARY

DAY PLAY _____________ Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch from 1pm THE BRADDON CLUB

DANCE _____________

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia Every Tuesday POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Trivia Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Trivia Night THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14 14 WEDNESDAY JANUARY

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke From 9:30pm THE DURHAM, KINGSTON $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Karaoke HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON THURSDAY JANUARY1515 THURSDAY JANUARY

DJ Mehdi & Busy P With Beni from Riot in Belgium MINQUE, FRANKLIN ST, MANUKA Cube Sunday 9pm till late with DJ Peter Dorree CUBE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

ARTS _____________

LIVE _____________

DANCE _____________

Irish Jam Session From 5pm KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

Trash Thursdays With DJs Adam and Esscue ACADEMY, CIVIC One Love Sessions DJs playing reggae, dancehall, roots, and dub from 8pm HIPPO BAR

MONDAY JANUARY 12 12 MONDAY JANUARY

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Bootleg Sessions THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC

Westworld (1973) Michael Crichton written and directed sci-fi. 7:30pm ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

LIVE _____________ Tinku With Zeppelin @ The Taj TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Shoe Levy 9pm - midnight KING O'MALLEY'S, CIVIC

THURSDAY JANUARY 15

SUNDAY JANUARY 18

SATURDAY JANUARY 10

FRIDAY JANUARY 1616 FRIDAY JANUARY

DANCE _____________ Llik Llik Llik TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ Rev Weekly punk/indie/dance/ electro/alternative night. Woo! BAR 32, N'THBOURNE AVE, CIVIC EFFIJY From 10pm HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON Bleeding Through With Between the Buried and Me, As Blood Runs Black and In Trenches. 6pm, all ages ALBERT HALL, YARRALUMLA SATURDAYJANUARY JANUARY 17 17 SATURDAY

ARTS _____________ Open Air: On the Town (1949) ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON Kirikou and The Savages (2004) ARC CINEMA, NFSA, ACTON

DANCE _____________ Club Cassiya Mauritius' #1 Creole Sega & Reggae Band ANU BAR, ACTON Illzilla Premium Aussie hip-hop TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

LIVE _____________ The Barons of Tang THE PHOENIX, EAST ROW, CIVIC SUNDAY JANUARY1818 SUNDAY JANUARY

DAY PLAY _____________ Sunday BBQs $10 BBQ lunch from 1pm THE BRADDON CLUB

MONDAY JANUARY1919 MONDAY JANUARY

DANCE _____________ Hospitality Night With Sean Kelly & guests TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC TUESDAY JANUARY TUESDAY JANUARY 2020

LIVE _____________ Boys of Summer Tour With Comeback Kid, Against, Carpathian and Verse. All Ages ALBERT HALL, YARRALUMLA Musical Madness @ Filthys With Jordan Best, Kooky Fandango and The Bluff Hearts FILTHY McFADDEN'S, KINGSTON

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Carry-On Karaoke TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC Fame Trivia THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Pot Belly Trivia POT BELLY BAR, BELCONNEN Trivia Night PJ O'REILLY'S, TUGGERANONG Trivia Night HOLY GRAIL, KINGSTON WEDNESDAY JANUARY WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21 21

DANCE _____________ Wiley The Godfather of grime is heading back to Australia MECHE NIGHTCLUB, CIVIC

SOMETHING DIFFERENT _____________ Fame Trivia PJ O'REILLY'S, CIVIC Carry-On Karaoke From 9:30pm. $1000 grand prize THE DURHAM, KINGSTON Karaoke Night HOLY GRAIL KINGSTON $5 Night TRANSIT BAR, AKUNA ST, CIVIC

bma magazine 53

DVDEVOTEE

Appleseed Ex Machina (Madman)

Boston Legal – Season 4 (Fox)

The X Files: I Want To Believe (Fox)

When I first picked up the movie Appleseed Ex Machina, I was so thrilled that they had made a sequel to one of the best anime movies in history that I completely ignored the threat of CG animation that loomed on the front of the DVD. I mean, it couldn’t be that bad could it? As I watched the story unfold, it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. While it seemed like an excuse to release a third movie (the first being a poorly done obscure movie from ’88), the storyline did manage to capture the main elements, but as with most translated movies, there is a severe difference and most of the complex bits have been lost in translation.

For many years I had written Boston Legal off as a fun, light hearted goofy romp that occasionally touched on real issues that mattered. In the mid 2000s it seemed hopelessly out of place with so many serious dramas around it – The Sopranos, The Wire et al and even comedy had progressed within the confines of the major network yoke with 30 Rock, The Office and so on slaying the multicamera, fast edit, jump cut shows that David E. Kelly (Ally McBeal, The Practice) excelled in. On top of it all was the odd bromance between William Shatner as senior partner Denny Crane mincing every scene to a pulp and James Spader as the rambunctious Alan Shore. It was typical Monday night fodder, easy on the brain and rounded out with a seemingly endless supply of quirky and by-the-book zany characters. Then something happened. I watched this all the way through in a couple of days. It’s fair to say I had severely misjudged Boston Legal. What Kelly has done with this show is apply the Trojan Horse to pretty much every cause on the socio-political map and dissect it with a simple brilliant conceit – the pro/con of the court room. Themes are vivid and broad, the Iraq war and abortion are common touchstones, yet one episode in particular is starkly prescient in that it encapsulates, nay predicts, the sub prime meltdown that has gone on to infect the world economy. It’s practically a Wall Street Journal op ed piece through the prism of screwball comedy. And it works. The instrument may seem blunt, but in the hands of actors like Shatner and the ever expanding Spader it’s positively infectious. But singling this episode out would do a disservice to pretty much everything else about the show, especially the addition of John Larroquette as the stern new partner bought in to tame the motley crew of alleged lawyers down. This addition alone displays such confident self awareness that few other shows rarely exhibit. I finished Season 4 eager to explore this show and shamelessly perusing for other available seasons. An immense, happy victory.

Towards the end of its run, the TV series that spawned this utterly unnecessary feature was farcical. A once moody, smart conspiracy nut’s daydream devolved to a sodden by-thenumbers FBI procedural show with a weirdo bent. A concept that relied so heavily on both pre-millennial and sexual tension between its two lead actors could only go so far once the former turned out to be a non-event fizzer and the latter manifested itself as an ill-advised “between the sheets” photo shoot for Rolling Stone magazine. An odious franchise of crime scene shows eventually filled the insatiable gap for the public’s thirst for twisted cop shows, but nothing in David Caruso’s resume goes any length to explaining why series creator Chris Carter pulled this corpse out of retirement for one last tour. From the opening strains of the once eerie theme music to the overblown and trite finale that finds our protagonists – Agent Mulder and Ex-Agent Scully – lip locking in a manner normally reserved for Mills & Boon serialisations, this is a glorified, movie length episode circa 1997. And that’s where it belongs. Now, I fully understand the pull of fandom (as a Freaks and Geeks extremist I was orgasmically overjoyed when the series was rescued from oblivion and released a few years back) and I also recognise that old concepts can be built upon with great success (Battlestar Galactaca) but neither explains this instalment. It says nothing about the world in 2008 whatsoever; the more prominent threat of terror isn’t disseminated nor climate change attacked. Instead we get a psychic kiddie fiddling priest (Billy Conolly in splendid dramatic mode, hamming but not baking) who may or may not know the whereabouts of a missing FBI agent. Ho hum.

Of course she turns out to be the victim of a rancid Mengel-esque cloning experiment run

by Russians (natch) but that’s pretty much it. Action, running and Google searching ensues (bam!) and I was left wondering when Dolly the Sheep became such an important topic for 2008. On the upside Amanda Peet is extraordinary as usual, as the lead FBI person and the cinematography is gorgeous – frigid, white and brittle. A bit like a girl I once dated.

Hi Beth! Otherwise it’s a confusing mess best left for fans of the show or the mid 1990s.

The storyline consists of a mobile technology device that looks oddly like a Bluetooth headset, being used to take over people’s bodies in order to overthrow the uniting Olympus and allow the creators to create a united ‘perfect’ world, where everyone is a brainwashed, hive-minded, drooling husk. So as is normal, the heroes of the day, Briareos and Deunan slowly become aware of the plot and struggle to end the threat to mankind.

This has them running all over town, blurting out blatantly obvious plot placements and fighting baddies for most of the movie. The main sub plot is the love between Briareos and Deunan. The problems begin when a clone is made from Briareos’ tissue and happens to have everything, right down to his mind, duplicated. This causes Deunan to become confused, mostly due to the fact that the replica of Briareos doesn’t have 75% of his body made of robotic parts and has a face that doesn’t look like a rabbit with five eyes. In general, this movie managed to pack in a full storyline, fight scene after fight scene and the classic conspiracy that is involved in anime and still manage to create a fairly decent film.

BRAD PYNN

e next issu

JUSTIN HOOK SANTA MAY BE DEAD, BUT BMA LIVES!! JOIN US NEXT YEAR, AS WE LOOK BACK AT WHAT MADE 2008 SPECIAL, AS WELL AS COVERING ALL THINGS FRINGE FESTIVAL, AND BRINGING YOU ALL THE NEWS ON WHAT'S GOIN' DOWN IN THE 'BERRA IN 2009. SEE YOU JANUARY 22!

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JUSTIN HOOK

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