BMA Mag 382 Oct 26 2011

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CANBERRA’S PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE #38 2O C T 2 6

STRAIGHT

TO YOU A Nick Cave Tribute

INSIDE:

Guineafowl >> Tim Finn >> The Aston Shuffle Josh Thomas >> Canberra Punk >> Cordelia

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Yet another of BMA’s Proudest Moments on page 15! # 3 8 2 O C T 2 6 Fax: 02 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com Advertising Manager Paul Foley T: 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com

Editor Julia Winterflood T: 02 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com Accounts Manager Yu Xie T: 02 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com Super Sub-Editor Josh Brown Graphic Design Cole Bennetts Exhibitionist Editor Julia Winterflood E: editorial@bmamag.com Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 382 OUT NOV 09 EDITORIAL DEADLINE OCT 31 ADVERTISING DEADLINE NOV 03 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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Women of Notes comes dancing into the warm weather with its third instalment. BMA, in conjunction with Transit Bar, are showcasing Canberra’s finest sirens and goddesses of the stage with a continual series of shows, with previous nights featuring the likes of Simon Penkethman, Alice Cottee, Beth Monzo and Julia Johnson, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what Canberra’s been hiding. Featured this time around is Natalie Magee, Nichola Weatherly, Caroline Wallace and Cherie Kotek. It’s all happening Thursday October 27 at Transit Bar from 8pm.

Free entry.

Woden Alive Canberra’s first whole of region week long celebration, Woden Alive, will see the Woden Valley community and everything it has to offer on display from Sunday Oct 30 to Saturday November 5. The highlight of the week will be the Woden Valley Festival in Eddison Park on Saturday Nov 5, which will feature local and interstate acts. Woden Alive is an exciting new initiative that takes the community festival concept to the next level. For a full listing of events head to wodenalive. org.au .

Frocktober Fundraiser A fashion parade that includes dresses from the 1920s to the present day will be held at Old Parliament House on Saturday October 29 to raise funds for Frocktober, which raises money for and awareness of ovarian cancer research.

According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation in 2011 more than 1,200 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 800 will die from the disease. Frocktober aims to help improve the outlook for women with ovarian cancer by supporting the quest for a suitable early detection test through fundraising for

Tristen Bird at The Front Melbourne based singersongwriter Tristen Bird deals in subtle, intimate, mood-driven storytelling. He turned to his craft early, developing a method that utilises textured finger style guitar and stringed soundscapes. Armed with his debut album Horse To Water, Tristen is preparing to embark on criss-crossing the country to promote it. Horse To Water was recorded with ARIA Award winning producer Shane O’Mara in Melbourne’s Yikesville studios. O’Mara has previously produced records for The Audreys, Lisa Miller and Tim Rogers, all of whom are inspiration for Tristen. He plays The Front on Sat Nov 5.

8pm, $10.

Jericco at The Maram Fresh from destroying stages all over Australia with Dead Letter Circus, Mudd Promotions are excited to bring you Melbourne based alternative rock outfit Jericco.

They possess a sound and wisdom that is both ancient and eclectic in its origins, whilst highly modern in its outlook.

Stylistically Jericco stands out from similar acts of its genre with great pride and power.

The prominent Middle Eastern influence throughout the band’s thundering live performances is completely authentic, and resonates at the core with their rapidly expanding fan base.

Catch them at The Maram on Fri Oct 28. $15 at the door.

Corinbank 2012 Corinbank Music and Arts Festival announced its 2012 program at a marvellous Garden Party on Sat Oct 15, attended by a huge crowd of live music, arts and picnic lovers. The festival is taking some of the best artists the nation’s capital has to offer and is showcasing them alongside carefully selected interstate acts (and even the odd international). In fact, as Musical Director Mark Bradley announced at the Garden Party, the line-up is 54% local, which is a remarkably admirable figure indeed. Corinbank’s renowned visual and performing arts programs will be bigger than ever in 2012, further strengthening Corinbank’s identity as much more than a music festival. Here’re a few names to whet your quality music appetite: Josh Pyke, Bonjah, Busby Marou, The Bamboos, The Barons of Tang, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Ganga Giri, Jen Cloher, Tinpan Orange and so many more.

There’ll also be Creative Camps, roving performers, myriad art installations and, you guessed it, so much more! Corinbank will run from March 2-4 in the Brindabella Mountains. Tix are available from corinbank.com and start from $129.00 + BF, U16 $5 + BF. See you there!

Busby Marou are playing at Corinbank

Women of Notes

the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. All dresses and hats in the parade will be available for purchase through a silent auction. For more information or to purchase tickets contact annika. hutchins@gmail.com or 0407 458 882.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN In keeping with the theme of the month we turn this column’s attention to ol’ Spare a Thought – the section where we lend an oft-maligned industry peep a sympathetic ear – with the focus this ish on Festival Organisers (or FOs, for the sake of brevity).

“Why should I feel sorry for FOs?” you may bellow, fetid chicken chunks flying from your mouth in the process. “Those cashed up bastards take me for every ha’penny I have!” Well, I’ll tell you for why but first, for heaven’s sake, stop talking with your mouth full and lose the silly British accent. You’re not fooling anyone.

When your festival is going swimmingly there’s hardly a more thrilling job in the industry. You get to cozy up to some of the world’s biggest acts on both a professional and often personal front.* There’s the sense of life fulfillment upon staring out at a sea of smiling people knowing you’re responsible. There’s having the best seat of the fest (ie anywhere). And yes, there’s the kind of returns that would make Scrooge McDuck blush.

But all this is only possible thanks to the kind of hard work that conjures ‘International Luggage’ bags under the eyes. Think 80 hour weeks in the early stages; try not to think about the kind of hours in the late stages. You need to keep artists happy, venue owners happy, agents happy (and they’re hard people to please), site managers, graphic designers, media, security, staff, on and on. It’s like spinning plates, except these plates get pissed when they think you’re looking after the others more than you. Which is all the time. Finally after months of ears glued to phones and fingers glued to keyboards, you’ve completed the first phase.

You may look like Tom Hanks in his more desperate moments in Cast Away, but it’s done. Then your headliner pulls out…

And let’s not forget the financial stress. Even when a festival is going well the outlay for putting them on is astronomical, more so as time goes on, and one bad festival can ruin you. The Sword of Damocles hangs heavy every year. In our disconnection to festivals and how they’re run, we hear unreal figures like one, five, 20 million to put them on and consider it Monopoly money.

But we forget… That’s actually a real human person’s cash. If I stick a fifty down on the Melbourne Cup I break out in hives.

And as we have seen this year, there is not the guarantee of success there once was. If a festival fails yes, you lose a shedtonne of money. You often lose your livelihood. But what’s worse, much like politicians at election time, you lose very publicly and often receive scorn, hatred and even death threats (no kidding) at a time when you are at your most vulnerable; financially, physically, and emotionally.

So yes we might baulk at FOs when they’re doing well because they’re rich and get to hang out with famous people, and we might sneer when they’re doing badly from some kind of holierthan-thou ‘how did you screw that up?’ attitude. But remember – all FOs stump up a terrifying amount of money, put in a staggering amount of hours, and have delivered some of our best gig memories in the process. ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com *Shameless name drop section – I know Wally De Backer (Gotye) very well; he played at my wedding as part of The Basics. I have his moby number and everything. I text him, like, all the time… “Hey Walz baby! Drop me a line soon, lest you turn into Somebody That I Used to Know! LOLZ” and occasionally he writes back with high-larious banter such as “Please leave me alone” and “We’ve talked about this before”. Such a kidder.

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WHO: The Phoenix WHAT: Celebrates turning 18!

WHEN: Nov 21 – 27 WHERE: Where else?

In November The Phoenix comes of age, celebrating 18 years of serving pints in Civic and supporting live original music. Over the years Phoenix has been one of the few venues in town where young bands can get their first gig, but also where established local and touring acts keep coming back. To celebrate The Phoenix is putting on a week of birthday celebrations from November 21 – 27. There’ll be a night of Canberra bands from days past (including The Way Hip Antelopes, Pete and Fiete and The Fuelers on the 24th), a night of Phoenix Trivia (22nd) and a full day of local and touring bands (26th). More details to come.

WHO: Scissors Paper Pen WHAT: Opening Party WHEN: Thu Nov 10 WHERE: The Phoenix Pub

Scissors Paper Pen is a quarterly event dedicated to storytelling, music, discussion and tasty beverages, held in pubs, cafes, libraries and elsewheres. It’s also a zine, a gathering of all sorts of creative folk and several other things. But first, it’s emerging, bawling and squirming into the world, and helping to get things happening will be the delightfully dulcet tunes of Drew Walky and Gemma Nourse and the wonderful wordage of Ashley Orr. If you’ve got a story, they’d love you to take hold of their open mic. Head to scissorspaperpen.com, follow ‘em on Twitter @scissorpaperpen, search for ‘em on Facebook or simply head along and get involved.

WHO: Fun Machine, Crash the Curb, Nigel Wearne, Drew Walky WHAT: BMA Presents The Halloween Bootlegs WHEN: Mon Oct 31 WHERE: The Phoenix Pub

It’s been a long time coming but Fun Machine and Crash the Curb are finally teaming up to play the second ever BMA Bootlegs. Ably supplying the support is local gem Drew Walky and Melbourne man Nigel Wearne. This’ll be a rather special gig for Fun Machine as it’ll be bassist Ramsay Nuthall’s first show after a three month jaunt in Berlin. Welcome home Ram! The inimitable James Fahy (centre left) has been filling his shoes and has done a damn fine job of it too. The date just so happens to be Halloween, so if you’re into that kind of thing slap on the fake blood and fangs. It all kicks off at 8pm and as per ushe is free.

WHO: Gold Fields WHAT: Rising Ballarat boys WHEN: Thurs Nov 10 WHERE: Transit Bar

With a debut, self-titled EP under their belts and fresh off the back of their Parklife dates, Gold Fields will be taking to the road to spread their “frantic dance-pop ‘n’ anthemic jams”. It’s been a hectic 12 months since the quintet seemingly burst out of nowhere at the tail-end of 2010. Gold Fields hit the ground running when their debut song Treehouse was plucked off triple j Unearthed and instantly added to high rotation. Their accompanying live shows quickly gained them a word-of-mouth reputation for being a high-energy combo of pounding drums, rhythmic basslines and herky-jerky dance moves. Tix thorugh Moshtix.

WHO: Henry Wagons and Joe Pugg WHAT: One off Canberra show WHEN: Thurs Nov 10 WHERE: The Front

Melbourne’s Henry Wagons and Chicago’s Joe Pug will perform at The Front, alongside previously announced Melbourne and Sydney dates. The tour follows the North American and Canadian release of Wagons’ celebrated fifth album Rumble, Shake and Tumble, recently nominated for Best Independent Country Album in Australia’s 2011 Jagermeister Independent Music Awards. Joe Pug’s soulful, stream of consciousness songwriting and rich guitar work saw his debut album Messenger nominated for Best New & Emerging Artist at the Americana Music Awards. Tix through Oztix.

WHO: The April Maze WHAT: Playing at Woden Valley Festival WHEN: Sat Nov 5 (sideshow on Fri Nov 4 at The Front supported by James Fahy) WHERE: Eddison Park

Living on the open road in a 1976 Kombi, alt folk duo The April Maze have been touring Australia and New Zealand non-stop since April 2010. Having narrowly escaped fires, floods and earthquakes on their recent touring adventures, this newly wedded couple are hitting the road again to share their songs and stories in true folk style at the Woden Valley Festival. They’ll be joined by locals the Bridge Between and Minh Ha. There’ll also be a variety of music, dance and cultural performers plus interactive activities, circus acts, rides, roving performers, multicultural food and more. It all kicks off at 10. For more info head to wodenvalleyfestival.org.au .

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GOD IS IN THE HOUSE Ben Hermann There could perhaps be few other people in contemporary Australian music history so difficult to write an introduction for than NICK CAVE. Musician, rebel, poet, author, vanguard, visual artist, screenwriter, actor, legend; such an intimidating and overwhelming list of achievements, influences and attributes led ARIA Award committee chairman Ed St John, on Cave’s induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, to describe him as “…an Australian artist like Sidney Nolan is an Australian artist – beyond comparison, beyond genre, beyond dispute.”

It’s no surprise then that triple j chose Cave as the subject of their newest – and biggest thus far – tribute show series. The national broadcaster’s institutional radio [Cave’s] always station has previously held tribute in your sphere of shows for Australian music icons influence, whether such as The Go-Betweens and AC/ you like it or not; DC and in 2009, triple j’s Paul Kelly his presence as – Before Too Long tribute CD/DVD a performer is received the ARIA for Best Original incomparable Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album.

According to the station, they received relentless requests from listeners and fans to tour these lauded shows. And so became Straight To You: triple j’s Tribute to Nick Cave, which will tour eight cities this November (including a stop by the Royal Theatre) and host an impressive line-up including Abbe May, Adalita, Sparkadia’s Alex Burnett, Bertie Blackman, Dan Sultan, Bluejuice’s Jake Stone, Kram, Lisa Mitchell, Muscles, Urthboy, Johnny Mackay and Lanie Lane.

The diverse list of musicians lining up to honour Cave is a testament to the influence not only of his music, but his personality and presence. “I remember my cousin buying Let Love In and seeing the intense cover art,” says Jake Stone of his first encounter with Cave and his music. “I still think Do You Love Me? is one of his best songs. At the time I was listening to a lot of alternative rock and metal. Cave was more melodic, and more goth. He definitely hasn’t influenced Bluejuice musically, not in the slightest. But he’s just there in your life, as an iconic Australian performer. He’s always in your sphere of influence, whether you like it or not; his presence as a performer is incomparable.”

Bertie Blackman’s first memory of Cave is a little more nostalgic.

“I was about seven. I was with my niece’s mother, who is my halfbrother’s ex-wife. I was in the car with her and we were driving to the coast at Bundeena from Sydney,” Blackman says. “Kimberly was a huge Nick Cave fan and she was blaring his music really loud.

I remember hearing The Ship Song. It was a rainy day, and I was gazing out into the wilderness as it played. It was one of my first feelings of nostalgia as a child. It’s one of those great moments

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that you never forget about as an adult.” Blackman goes on to speak of her influence by Cave. As with Stone, she struggles to identify a direct musical influence. “His personality is astounding, it comes through in everything he does,” she says. “His lyrics are a massive part of his music. I really love words and really labour over them and love stories. Because of that, his words in particular are really important to me. The moral endings, the tales of the soul and other evils, they have really affected me.”

Of the endless number of Australian and international musicians that cite Cave as an influence, a considerable proportion refer in particular to Cave’s work during the late ‘70s and ‘80s – the years of The Birthday Party and the early incarnation of The Bad Seeds.

It was these years, when the rebellious, transient Cave and his group moved to London and then West Berlin – long before they were accepted by the music establishment and entertained the thought of collaborations with ex-soapie stars – that their strident exploration of musical horizons had perhaps the most profound effect on Australian music.

“That period was very important because of their complete rejection of important Australian cultural landmarks,” says Stone, of Cave’s legacy in general and in particular on Bluejuice. “They seemed to be saying to the mainstream ‘this is what you see as the pinnacle of cultural achievement, but we see it as shit, and we’re rejecting it to make our own way forward.’ That type of mentality is very important for Bluejuice, because rejecting common perceptions of cultural sophistication is very important for us.”

As would be expected, there was some hard bargaining involved in attributing Cave’s songs to the performers involved in the show.

The show’s musical director Cameron Bruce (band member for Paul Kelly and Washington) took on the role of diplomat and negotiator when deciding who would perform what. “I was going to do Do You Love Me?, but for certain reasons I can’t. It was going to be a bossa nova version, with some musical theatre. The song I’m doing won’t be quite so amazing, but it’s still pretty good.” Similarly, Blackman’s preferences changed during the creative process. “When I accepted the invitation to be part of the tour, I said I’d only do it if I could do certain songs. One of those was The Ship Song, but that was before the Opera House launched their tourism project version of it, so I decided not to do it. I wanted to do something individual and surprising.”

Straight To You: triple j’s Tribute to Nick Cave stops by the Royal Theatre on Wednesday November 16. Tickets cost $61.15 + bf and can be purchased through Ticketek.

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SAINT NICK JOSH BROWN A few months ago I stumbled upon a video on YouTube that I didn’t know much about other than the title, which, for reasons you’ll soon discover, immediately caught my eye. It was called The Ship Song Project; a video promoting the Sydney Opera House. Once I clicked play it took exactly 14 seconds for the goosebumps to set in. The reason? None other than Neil Finn himself emerged from the shadows and began to caress those memorable piano chords which kick off one of NICK CAVE’s most beautiful tracks, The Ship Song. The video then goes on to feature cameos from some huge names in music and the arts – Sarah Blasko, Paul Kelly, Katie Noonan and Daniel Johns, to name just a few. All joined together in their love for the iconic venue and all paying tribute to one of Australia’s most treasured songwriters.

The stars must have recently aligned for the seasoned singer; people from all corners are suddenly rushing to recognise and pay tribute to his inimitable musical genius. triple j has also hopped on board, organising a series of concerts in November which will feature some high class local talent reinterpretingt Cave’s extensive catalogue of work.

It would be fair to say that I am a devotee of Mr Cave. He is currently and will undoubtedly remain my most played Australian artist. I’ve elbowed and pushed my way to the front of moshpits just to get the chance to reach for his skinny, outstretched arm live in concert. I attended the same exhibition featuring Cave keepsakes in two different states. His striking visage adorns the wall of my apartment. I even once went as far as donning a cheap suit and slicking my then-shoulder length hair back in classic Cave style to attend a rock star-themed party. But what is it about the Warracknabeal, Victoria native that inspires such fervent adulation and loyalty from his followers? “Yeah, and why all the tributes?” I hear you chip in. Well, dear reader, to begin with, the contribution he has made to Australian culture at large (and I’m not just talking rock ‘n’ roll – he’s an acclaimed film score composer and published novelist as well) over the better part of the last four decades is unparalleled and invaluable. Let me explain.

Cave has played in a number of bands over the years. Rather than impart a tidbit about each, I’d like to focus mainly on the band that led me to him and that I hold closest to my heart: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Born from the ashes of Cave’s high school post-punk band The Birthday Party in 1983, the Seeds are still going strong to this day – a whopping 28 years and 14 studio albums later.

The Bad Seeds have never really flirted with commercial success; they’ve never needed to. The closest they’ve come was on 1996’s Murder Ballads, which included a bewitching duet with pop princess Kylie Minogue entitled Where The Wild Roses Grow.

It was around this time that Cave coincidentally also received a nomination from the MTV Awards for Best Male Artist. He famously wrote to thank them for but politely refuse the nomination. Here is an excerpt from that letter: “[My muse] comes to me with the gift of song and in return I treat her with the respect I feel she deserves – in this case this means not subjecting her to the indignities of judgement and competition. My muse is not a horse and I am in no horse race and if indeed she was, still I would not harness her to this tumbrel – this bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes. My muse may spook! May bolt! May abandon me completely!”

He also stated “I am in competition with no one” which, taken out of context, could be interpreted as pretentious – but it’s true.

Who else can do what Nick Cave does? Show me a man who in one song can embody a rabid and rampaging priest spitting fire over his cowering congregation while in the next sings a low-key and mournful ballad about love and loss. There is a Bad Seeds song for every mood, ranging in style from big band to gospel, clattering rock ‘n’ roll to sweet piano lullabies. The one thread that binds them all together is Cave’s wonderfully expressive and deep voice and his always highly intelligent and vividly descriptive lyrics.

There is something about Nick Cave that drew me in, an elusive spark that I’ve found difficult to clearly pinpoint for the purposes of this article. Everything about him I am drawn to. He exudes charisma and confidence in spades and his opinions are for the most part cheeky and anti-establishment. He has a wicked sense of humour that only seems to grow more crude and inappropriate with each passing year (his latest novel The Death of Bunny Munro features countless references to female genitalia and Worm Tamer, the second track of his latest album with Bad Seeds offshoot act Grinderman, features the charming line “My baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster / Two great big humps and then I’m gone”).

But perhaps the thing I appreciate most about Nick is that he is an Australian who has built and maintained a long and internationally successful career in music whilst never deviating from his steadfast commitment to artistic integrity. His accomplishments rightly deserve to be celebrated. And with middle age showing no signs of wearying him, his best work may still be yet to come.

Straight To You: triple j’s tribute to Nick Cave features artists such as Bertie Blackman, Adalita and Tim Rogers and will take place at the Royal Theatre on Wednesday November 16. Tickets are available through Ticketek.

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Ha. You can also enjoy cultural performances and activities, circus acts, delightful food, rides and loads more.

ALL AGES The finalists of the Liftoff Festival will be decided at the heats on Friday-Saturday October 28-29 at the Woden Youth Centre.

On Sunday November 5 the Liftoff Festival finalists will battle it out to be named 2011’s winner. Headlining the night will be special guests Confession, one of the country’s most prized hardcore acts. The action will all take place on the main stage at Eddison Park, a spectacular close to the increasingly successful Woden Valley Festival taking place over the weekend. This is a free event, starting at 4pm and going late into the night. But if you feel like coming earlier in the day you can enjoy a performance by April Maze along with local acts The Bridge Between and Minh

On Thursday November 10 the fifth annual CIT School Stars Band Competition is on, showcasing over ten bands with members between years 7 and 12 battling for prizes and bragging rights.

Each band will play a ten minute set, the first starting at 6pm, and will be judged against three categories; Best Performance, Best Individual Performance and Crowd Pleaser. The action will take place at the Music Industry Centre’s Main Concert Hall at CIT’s Southside Campus in Phillip. So come along and show your support for Canberra’s budding musicians. For more info jump onto www. facebook.com/CIT.School.Stars.Band.Competition .

New Empire’s highly anticipated Symmetry tour will hit the capital on Friday October 28 to shake down the walls of the Woden Basketball Stadium. The pop-punk Sydney boys will be joined by Melbourne band For Our Hero and Canberra’s own Drawing North, Love and Satellites and London Town Fire. Tix from Moshtix, Landspeed Records or The Co-op Bookshop for just $20 + bf.

Coming to The National Film and Sound Archive on Tuesday November 29 will be the Radical Reels Film Festival. A must see for the mass of adrenaline seekers scattered across the capital. The 35th annual Bannif Mountain Film Festival is bound to get your heart pumping and your stomach dropping, as well as potentially inspire your next adventure by showing a number of mountain sport films. Tickets cost $30 + bf from Moshtix or from the venue. The show starts at 7pm.

The full line-up for the New Year’s Eve party that everybody is talking about has finally been released. Mission To Launch will feature a mind-blowing line-up to usher you into 2012, including The Living End, Sneaky Sound System, Cloud Control, The Beautiful Girls, The Herd, The Potbelleez, British India, Yacht Club DJs, Bag Raiders, Grafton Primary and more. This is a 16+ event. Tickets cost $130 + bf through Moshtix or Ticketek.

On Friday November 25 the Emmaus Christian School is holding what they have called the Family Fundraiser Concert. This surprising event will feature 2009 Australian Idol runner up Hayley Warner, local talent Amber Nichols and hip-hop act BRB. Tickets cost $35 + bf or $100 + bf for a family pass. Funds will go towards supporting the Emmaus Christian School Secondary Outreach trips to Japan and China.

Show starts at 6pm.

NAOMI FROST allagescolumn@gmail.com

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LOCALITY

On the afternoon of Saturday October 15 I cycled through the balmy spring air to the National Botanic Gardens for the Corinbank Garden Party, thrilled the forecasted thunderstorms were nowhere in sight.

Normally I would’ve had a bike basket teeming with yummy things but the Corinbank team had kindly offered me a ticket to the sold out Slow Food Banquet. Massive win.

6pm gates opened for the Garden Party and by the time I arrived at 6.20ish a sea of picnic blankets was strewn across the lawns.

Glowing lanterns garlanded the eucalypts, the queue for the bar and organic barbecue snaked up the hill, and a stretch of elegantly decorated tables laid out with compostable crockery wound its way along the back of the amphitheatre. Expressions of “isn’t this wonderful!?” and “what a perfect place for live music!” and “there are so many people here!” could be heard everywhere. The crowd was huge.

I’d first heard about the Slow Food movement at Corinbank 2010 but had never had the pleasure of tasting some ‘til this night. The movement’s manifesto is “good, clean and fair”; the three course dinner prepared by local chefs using local produce certainly ticked the first box, and I trust it did the others.

Three local bands performed at the Garden Party; James Fahy Trio, Beth n Ben and Fun Machine, all of whom are on the Corinbank 2012 line-up. Dining on marinated vegetables topped with goat’s cheese and mozzarella, followed by succulent beef with lashings of scrumptious viennoise sauce and a collection of prosciutto wrapped baby beets and carrots, and finally Grenadine-soaked strawberries and sorbet while listening to my favourite local acts in glorious natural surrounds was certainly my idea of a brilliant night out.

Just imagine three days of it in the Brindabellas…

The Corinbank Garden Party really was a little slice of Corinbank heaven; the family oriented celebration of local music, arts and food in the breathtakingly beautiful Botanic Gardens was a luscious taste of what’s to come in 2012. I will definitely be buying a ticket to the Slow Food banquet at next year’s fest.

Performing Arts Manager Elena Kirschbaum announced next year’s diverse arts program and Music Director Mark Bradley announced the line-up. A figure Mark mentioned made my eyes widen. “54% of the Corinbank 2012 line-up is local,” he beamed. We beamed right back. More than half of a major festival bill being made up of local acts is an astoundingly admirable achievement. But Corinbank is not the only festival tipping its cap to the enormous amount of talent we have in the ACT. Summer Rhythm Festival, running from December 9 – 11 this year at Goolabri Resort, is doing the same. Of the 80 acts on its bill main man Dan Luton tells me over 60% are local. I can’t commend Mark and Dan’s support for our local industry enough. For all the info on Corinbank head to corinbank.com and for Summer Rhythm, strangehours.com.au .

JULIA WINTERFLOOD - julia@bmamag.com

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DANCE THE DROP

There is a distinct difference between hip-hop and dance music DJ competitions. Hip-hop comps are all about performing the wildest tricks, cutting up crazy samples and scratching harder than Charlie Sheen after a seven day crack binge. Dance music DJ comps are more focussed on actually getting people to dance by playing the right records well, keeping your mixes tight and jumping around like Tom Cruise on a sofa. Friday November 4 plays host to Canberra’s premier DJ competition, the Foreshore Sound Search finals, where Pedro, The Surge, Tom & James and Less Than Three will battle it out on the main stage at Academy for a coveted slot at the festival in November. One of the most important aspects the judges will be looking for is crowd reaction, so if you want to support local talent, get on down and get loud!

Most of you triple j listeners will have already heard the new Aston Shuffle single Won’t Get Lost, a massive new indie dance release for the Canberra duo. It’s been a long wait for fresh Shuffle material but this new track signals the start of a wave of new Aston releases soon to hit your eardrums as the guys finally get back in the studio after almost a year on the road. Stay tuned.

The boys will also be back in the capital to headline the scaled back Stonefest Rock On event this Saturday October 29 at the UC Refectory. Much has been said about the last minute changes to the event, with most of the main acts being cancelled due to poor ticket sales. This statement is a sad reality in an age of festival overkill where there are simply too many expensive events and not enough punters to go around. Personally, I think there are positives in reverting back to the old format, mainly that party goers get a more intimate show with The Aston Shuffle, Illy, Tonite Only, Flight Facilities, Sampology (AV/DJ set), Diafrix, The Hump Day Project and Dept. of Defiance all appearing up close and personal. Why not gather a measly $31 and get along and revive the old beast so that next year can be even better!

Academy is fist pumping all the way through November with another strong list of slick muscley events designed to get the Patron flowing through your veiny forearms. At the top of the pile is an epic Jersey Shore-themed foam party on Friday November 18, so if you have been waiting your whole life to unleash your inner Guido or Guidette, now is your chance to strap on your sweatband, slick back your spiky hair and pump your way through a wall of bubbles… like a champ.

It’s new release time! Album-wise, Wolfgang Gartner has finally released Weekend in America, a massive electro monster that’s been worth the wait. Alesso has just dropped my pick for tune of the year with his remix of Devolution – Good Love and Eric Prydz is back with another classic progressive track 2Night. Enjoy!

TIM GALVIN tim.galvin@live.com.au

facebook.com/ trinitybarcanberra

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Canberrans have always been some of the more openminded crowds we’ve played

number two, they are also not the type to dick about self-indulgently. Among the usual band-y things, they hint at coproduction opportunities and continue to put together an impelling weekly radio show (The Friday Night Shuffle) on triple j, perfect for any clubber preparing for a night out. The rewarding experience for listeners is clearly a result of The Aston Shuffle’s considered approach.

MASTERS OF THE HOUSE PETER ROSEWARNE After years of deejaying (live and on radio), remixing, making mixes and releasing a debut album, THE ASTON SHUFFLE have timed their recent independent status well. With a strong following and a solid reputation it makes sense that the local duo would experience a surge of motivation to write. This is perhaps why, only months after the release of their debut album Seventeen Past Midnight, a new single, Won’t Get Lost, has already been released. “The new single is a way of doing our own thing, independently,” says a self-assured Vance Musgrove. “We’re just putting things in the water and living the life of an independent artist. That was the motivation behind it.

“But we aren’t focussed on another album,” he insists. “We’ve been working on new material but one of the lessons we learnt from the last round was that once you say you’re working on a new album, suddenly there’s a giant ticking clock on your shoulders; we’re actively avoiding that.” It is reasonable for The Aston Shuffle to avoid that high-pressured anticipation from listeners, particularly because even if they are not immediately working on album

Musgrove explains, “Deejaying at its most ideal for me is people going crazy to music they’ve never heard before. And there’s always a fine line between playing something that everyone will know and pushing them a little bit. It’s a matter of context, and time and place. When you’re in a club you need to be able to stand in front of the crowd and gauge their reaction as the set is happening. You’re supposed to take risks because you can’t always predict how people are going to respond to a track… But on the radio, sometimes we’re undecided and we want to know what listeners think. You can cast a wider net, and that’s something we’ve always enjoyed. It’s way more fun than we ever expected it to be!”

Despite the nation-wide weekly audience, The Aston Shuffle frequently tours their hometown, Canberra, with Musgrove asserting “Canberrans have always been some of the more openminded crowds we’ve played. Growing up in Canberra, I found it was always pushing boundaries.” If this is the case, one might wonder why there’s an apparent lack of enthusiasm for Stonefest, which has been downsized this year. “I think music festivals in Australia are evolving,” Musgrove speculates. “Older festivals like Splendour and Big Day Out have perceptively lost numbers. But your Laneways and Weekend Playgrounders are entering a golden age.”

The Aston Shuffle are headlining Stonefest Rock On on Saturday October 29. Tickets are $31.00 through Ticketek.

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Sounds easy right? Unfortunately not so for Cordelia; her pride and integrity stop her from playing the game and, for her insolence, the King disinherits and banishes her. Gonerill and Regan don’t share Cordelia’s scruples – they tell their father they love him more than anything else in the world. This seems good enough for the King who rewards each of them with half of his kingdom. But not surprisingly, a decision made on vanity and insincerity doesn’t turn out to be a good one. Once Gonerill and Regan inherit their father’s kingdom they tire of him pretty quickly and even find having him to stay with them too much effort. It turns out they love themselves more than anything else. And being a Shakespearian tragedy, things don’t end well for anyone.

WHAT SHALL CORDELIA SPEAK? Zoe Pleasants When Chenoeh Miller met Noa Rotem she knew she’d met her CORDELIA. And this idea she’d had for a show, a prequel to Shakespeare’s iconic King Lear started to take form. Three years later, Cordelia will premiere at The Street Theatre over three nights between Thursday-Saturday November 3-5 and although inspired by characters hundreds of years old, the show promises to be contemporary theatre at its best: bold, visual and experiential.

Chenoeh is the Artistic Director of Little Dove Theatre Art, a company that puts on physical theatre or live art shows that would be equally at home in a gallery space or a theatre. Chenoeh explains that these shows “use ideas from philosophy, emotional intelligence and biology, and include both rehearsed and live elements” to make, what Cheoneh hopes will be, performances that truly connect with audiences. Chenoeh’s show, Six Women Standing in front of a White Wall, which won numerous awards, is a great example of how these concepts work together. The audience was invited to come up and touch the performers who, as the name suggests, were six women in front of a wall, but rather than just standing they were moving in ways inspired by the Japanese dance form butoh. Through this Chenoeh was exploring “the idea that we need touch in order to survive” and as testament to its success, both the performers and the audience were often moved to tears by the end of the show.

So how do Shakespeare and King Lear fit with all this? For a start, the success of Six Women got Chenoeh excited about the “possibilities of theatre and, in particular, using theatre to reach new audiences.” But before we go on, a quick refresh on the pertinent bits of King Lear is probably a good idea.

Cordelia and her sisters, Gonerill and Regan, are the King’s three daughters. Their troubles start when an old and tired King Lear asks

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Cordelia plots the histories of these characters, imagining what happened to them in the period leading up to the King asking for their declaration of love. I ask Chenoeh what inspired her. She talks about the character of Cordelia. “She represents goodness,” explains Chenoeh, “but she is also strong and proud, she’s not afraid to stand up for something. Usually being a good person isn’t interesting, we’re much more interested in evil! But Cordelia is a complex, real character.” Then there were the themes of love and family, central to King Lear, which resonate so intensely with Chenoeh. “Our lives revolve around the complexities of love,” she explains, “and there are so many things going on in a family.” There was also the need to account for Gonerill and Regan’s evilness. People aren’t simply evil; it comes from somewhere, something happens which forms and shapes it. “Where did [Gonerill and Regan’s evilness] come from?” asks Chenoeh. But mostly Chenoeh was inspired by the performers she met – “the people in it inspired the show.” To the point where, when the actor playing King Lear had to drop out, Chenoeh cut the character completely rather than find another actor because she couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role.

Some aspects of Cordelia have seen Chenoeh chart new waters.

“It’s the first time I’ve written a script,” she tells me, and taking three years to develop, Cordelia has had the longest gestation period of any of her shows (by comparison Six Women was created in a single day workshop). Staging the show in a large theatre space is also something new. But other aspects of Cordelia carry the hallmarks of her previous work. Chenoeh is passionate about making accessible, high quality theatre for a community (and luckily for us, the Canberra community) she says is keen for it. To do this, Chenoeh explains, “I can’t just create a play, rehearse it and put it on. It needs something extra, an element that depends on the connection with the audience.”

So Cordelia will include unrehearsed, live elements. Another hallmark is her love of all things ‘80s: Cordelia is set to an ‘80s soundtrack and “[production designer] Imogen Keen has created beautiful period costumes with an ‘80s flair,” enthuses Chenoeh.

You won’t need an academic knowledge of Shakespeare to enjoy this show. But having enjoyed Bell Shakespeare’s production of King Lear last year, I completely get why Chenoeh is drawn to these characters. Watching King Lear I was struck by how timeless the complexities of human relationships are. In 400 years we’re still no closer to understanding why families and love can make us act so crazy!

Cordelia runs at The Street Theatre between Thursday-Saturday November 3-5. Tickets cost $29/$22 concession and are available via thestreet.org.au or calling 6247 1223.

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and shards of light to reinforce the transience of memory and complexity of sight. Boynes explains, in reference to all art, that “it’s the mad material with no surface logic that persists in the nicest way.” Boynes cites Goya, Manet, El Greco and the practice of seminal figures within modernism as influences. As they skillfully drew together and contrasted the “message” and the “delivery” of a work of art. He is also captivated by less literal depictions of the world, like colour field painting, minimalism or even the soundscapes of John Cage and Philip Glass. He explains: “I make paintings by transiting through photography and screen-printing. I would call it a multi-media mode of delivery. There is a reason that I have formed a unique language. It is the only way to express and reflect on my particular history of the day.”

STREET WISE BEN HERMANN Beaver Galleries has just opened a show of paintings by Canberra artist ROBERT BOYNES entitled In the light of day. Formerly Head of Painting at the Canberra School of Art for 27 years, Boynes is highly regarded and is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, all Australian State Galleries, Parliament House, Artbank and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In the light of day could refer to one of many aspects of his practice – the light essential to photography, the public and exposed locations where he takes his imagery or the act of seeing itself. The attitude that there is something persistent and common to the human experience resonates in this show. Acrylic, velvet and wood splice canvasses are utilised to explore the sounds, sensations and movement found in our urban spaces and streetscapes. He uses fractured images

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In 1959, alongside the like-minded Barbara Hanrahan, Alun LeachJones, Udo Sellbach and Peter Haynes, Boynes juggled teaching and his scholarship at the South Australian School of Art. It was an extremely intense but formative period. As any student knows living and creating at once is a precarious balance. The nights he didn’t work were spent in Kym Bonython’s jazz cellar, a tiny place for coffee and cigarettes in Union Street, Adelaide.

Early on in Boynes’ career, Robert Lindsay advised that to find out what you do best and decide to keep doing it will be your greatest move. He has found this space yet concedes that there are peaks and troughs. A duality that also applies to conceiving the work itself, he says: “What do I plan to do in the future? It’s always the same, to make better artworks. The next picture is always the most exciting, and the last picture is always your best. In there lies an untruth and self-deception. Then again, unless you have an art-ego you don’t go on to make more.”

In the light of day is currently on show at Beaver Galleries ‘til Sun Nov 13.

You can view the works online at beavergalleries.com.au .

and waits for an image to come to him. Although featuring works taken in several cities, including Canberra, Moffatt doesn’t see his work tied to a specific area. Rather, his photographs have a timeless quality that reinforces his desire to “foster an increased appreciation of the spaces we live in”. These include spaces that are representative of the places we all co-exist with.

SUBURBAN SUBLIME Grace Carroll Most people are so caught up in their fast-paced lives that they rarely pay attention to their surroundings. In his first solo exhibition Forever and a Day, at CCAS Manuka, photographer ALEXANDER BELL MOFFATT showcases a number of poignant images that challenge this tendency. Exploring forgotten suburban spaces and nameless faces, Moffatt creates rich street tableaux that offer viewers an opportunity to take time out from their lives and engage with everyday scenes. Forever and a Day includes photographs produced since completing his honours degree at the ANU School of Art last year. Describing his photography as a contemporary take on street photography, the artist is concerned with “capturing a particular moment”.

Not driven by any one concept, he explores overlooked places

Moffatt’s interest in “the ambiguous beauty in the landscape” underscores each work. This concern distinguishes his photographs from merely documenting places, to engaging with them. The transformative power of light, a strong influence on Moffatt, contributes to the poignancy of his work. Intrigued by “the way light can change things”, Moffatt combines this with an interest in the sense of history possessed by the places he captures. The photographer leaves the interpretation of this history up to the viewer, allowing for the multiple meanings each person associates with a place.

Those familiar with Moffatt’s work may be surprised to see the inclusion of portraiture. As with his other photographs, these works were created organically. When creating portraits, Moffatt asks his sitters to find places they respond to and leaves them to engage with the space without his intrusion. This enables the photographer’s interest in “finding the point at which people intersect with place” to emerge. A look at some of his portrait photography, which features in the show, confirms the success of this approach. Depicting ordinary people Moffatt has met on his travels, the images have a compelling raw quality and offer a window into the subjects’ lives. These, like each of the captivating photographs featured in Forever and a Day, invites viewers to look closer at the world around them and, in the process, see the beauty that abounds within it.

Forever and a Day opens at 6pm on Thurs Nov 10 at CCAS Manuka and continues until Sunday November 20.

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HE REALLY DOESN’T KNOW JAMES FAHY When you read the title of super-cute comedian JOSH THOMAS’ latest show, it seems like a lot to cover: Everything That’s Ever Happened, Ever. “What happens is when you do your show for the first time, literally, it’s for the Comedy Festival, and they ask you in like, October? Like now, if I was doing one next year – which I’m not – it’d be like, what’s your show named? – now. I had no idea what my show was going to be about, so, I just wrote back something that would sound like stuff would be happening.” So it’s a bit misleading?

“It’s just all sod-all pointless bullshit that’s there in place of any better ideas.”

Thomas has been winning awards for seven years now, and he’s covered high school, family life, living at home, coming out, and his break up with another award-winning comedian, Tom Ballard. Now he’s struggling with a title that has been forced upon him by the mainstream media (and his chair on Shaun Micallef’s Talkin’ ‘bout Your Generation) – Gen Y spokesperson. “I get asked all the time… almost ‘Gen Y questions’. ‘Hey Josh, what does Gen Y think about the Carbon Tax?’ I don’t know. I don’t know anything about the fucking carbon tax.” He’s even been on the wrong end of News Limited: “I looked at news.com one time and they had this article that was like ‘Gen Y Slackers’ and it was about Gen Ys living at home for so long, and for no reason they just put a picture of me. Just for no reason. I haven’t lived at home since I was 18.”

He’s also been named one of Australia’s 25 most influential Australians by national gay and lesbian website SameSame, alongside Bob Brown and former Justice Michael Kirby – but he didn’t campaign for it. “I got mine because I’m on television, not because I have some skill or I’m doing any good or anything. I didn’t give myself the award. Do you know what I mean? I didn’t take that on. I wouldn’t put myself on the list. It’s not my fault.”

So don’t expect answers from the new show – just Thomas’ trademark nervous delivery. He’s been working non-stop on Everything That’s Ever Happened, Ever since last year; and as for the future? Don’t ask.

“It’s not that simple. I don’t know what I should be doing. It’s the hardest part of my job, people keep asking me all the time things about ‘what’s been happening’. I have ideas, but I don’t want people to think I have the right idea. That’s all I ever answer to any question that people ask me, I don’t know. I just have to try and make up things in the interview, but I really don’t… I really don’t know.”

You can check out Josh’s stand up live at the Canberra Theatre on Saturday October 29 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased from canberratheatrecentre.com.au or by calling 6275 2700.

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IN REVIEW: WORKING WORDS ALLAN SKO Many of us believe we have a firm grasp of the English language and can wield the written word with clarity and aplomb. But if put on the spot, could we name the difference between a noun, verb, adverb and adjective? What about a pronoun or conjunction? Do you know exactly when and where to use an en dash over an em dash? And what about the placement of that pesky ’postrophe?

when compiled into a singular book read in one sitting, it becomes repetitious. Of course in instructional manuals repetition is a useful tool for committing information to memory, and with Working Words designed for dipping into this is an observation rather than a fault.

Breaking the chapters are whimsical sections called ‘itchypencils’ concerning observations on grammar in the wider world, such as that found on road signs. These lighthearted pieces provide an entertaining pause, but the first two accompanying images are slightly blurry which is somewhat distracting.

With a career spanning decades, it is clear Murphy is confident with her craft. As you would expect from an advocate of plain English – one of her numerous other books is titled Effective writing: plain English at work – Working Words is written in a clear yet uncondescending style. Some passages on tense, participle and voice may spin the head of the uninitiated but are worth wading through in order to grasp the basics.

But this does not detract from the overall quality of this excellent companion. With the proliferation of the veritable Orwellian newspeak of texting and internet chat – where abbreviations and numerical substitution increasingly breed and slap in a clumsy, ugly fashion like cane toads – it’s important to remember the basic mechanics and ideas of the English language. That was quite a long sentence; would you break it into smaller sentences?

Did ‘cane toad’ seem a clumsy metaphor? Why? And would you recommend starting a sentence with a conjunction, as this very one has done? These are the sort of questions Working Words will pose and solve, and thus improve your writing and editing as you go.

On occasion, lessons and their examples are repeated verbatim, sometimes in consecutive chapters. As separate articles one can see the need to retread previous material for the sake of clarity, but

Working Words is out now through editorscanberra.org/ working-words .

There are many books dealing with English grammar and language.

Elizabeth Manning Murphy’s WORKING WORDS, the first book to be published by the Canberra Society of Editors, claims not to compete with them but to provide a complementary companion to books on grammar, style, punctuation, plain English, editing and the world of freelance writing/editing. In this ethos, it succeeds admirably. The 224-page book is presented as a collection of articles written by Murphy for The Canberra editor over a period of ten years, and is a thorough resource for both the beginner and the more experienced lover of language.

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ARTISTPROFILE: Mathew Abbott

What do you do? The things that (don’t) need doing: poetry, philosophy, music, etc.

When did you get into it? I remember studying Coleridge in Year 7 and hearing something click.

Who or what influences you as an artist? I don’t know, but these are some of the people I’ve been reading recently: Prynne, Marx, Guest, O’Hara, Ammons, Sebald, Hegel, Creeley, Santner, Nancy, Dickinson, Hopkins, Bernstein, Adorno, Hejinian, Palmer and Duncan.

This week my brain has been rewired repeatedly by a book called Better than Language (Ganzfeld Press).

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? I taught my dog a trick where she falls from a run and does a flip/ barrel roll.

What are your plans for the future? I like to think John Forbes was right: if you take care of the art your sister, Life takes care of the human part.

If there’s a plan, that’s it.

What makes you laugh? My wife Emilie. Mark Carmody. Kafka.

What pisses you off? Cynical reason. The art/life distinction. Hard work considered as a virtue.

What’s your opinion of the local scene? The poetry world is small, so I’ll take local to mean ‘Australian’ and say that I have a high opinion of it: poetry here is stronger now than ever. If you don’t believe me, read Robert Adamson, Peter Minter, LK Holt, Jaya Savige, MTC Cronin, Jordie Albiston, John Kinsella, Paul Magee, Lionel Fogarty and Ania Walwicz (though you really need to see her perform!).

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? My first book – wild inaudible – will be published soon by Australian Poetry.

My band Life and Limb has a show coming up: Saturday November 5 at The Phoenix. We’ll be putting out a new record soon. We play punkish music.

Contact info: mathewabbott@gmail.com, beetleinabox.tumblr. com, www.australianpoetry.org, lifeandlimbmusic.tumblr.com

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Rig ANU Arts Centre Drama Lab Wednesday-Sunday October 12-22 Before I begin this review of Rig, I feel I must give a disclaimer. It’s not the normal “I know the writer, some of the cast and the director” kind of – in this case, true – disclaimer because let’s face it, are those necessary in Canberra? It’s a, “the one solid thing my performing arts degree taught me was to think incredibly critically and analytically about theatre at all times” kind of disclaimer... let me put it into layman’s terms: I’m a pretentious wanker who doesn’t like anything.

Has the expectation bar been lowered enough? THEN LET ME ROCK YOUR WORLD. The writing of Rig was, for the most part, juicy and delicious – not unlike its author. Though it veered dangerously close to cliché at times, it only got lost in that forbidden territory in the second act.

Act two didn’t feel as well put together as some of the striking moments of the first, where there were some really lovely monologues and short interchanges which managed to carefully blend poetry and prose. In the second act, however, it felt like there was a rush to the finish line story-wise which meant things felt a bit messy. However, for the most part the story was unique and yet trod enough familiar paths – post-apocalypse, personal relationships, wealth, greed, love – to keep it engaging.

I found that what ultimately let this show down was the line between comedy and drama was constantly being blurred at inappropriate moments. Rig is both hilarious and dramatic and yet there were times where it was hard to tell which one was being presented. This was due, in part, to the acting, which wasn’t as a whole problematic.

For an ‘amateur’ – what does that word even mean these days? – show you’d expect much more cringing. However, the actors seemed to be stuck in a “SHOUTING MEANS ACTING” mode and it meant there weren’t enough levels for some of the subtler moments to shine through and create a balance which reduced the impact of the production. The show was solid, but its range seemed limited to a simple pallet of emotions and actions meaning after a while the force started to fall short as the play went on. As I said, the acting was only a part of it and, at times, it felt as though the actors were rushing through scenes because they didn’t seem to know quite what to do, which was unfortunate because those were often the scenes that I felt had the most potential.

All and all though, this was a relatively satisfying piece of theatre; speaking of relatives (word play!), my aunt who is a self-professed “theatre novice” bloody loved it. Proving that one opinion isn’t always gospel. I’m personally excited to see the next work of this promising young playwright and the development of the director’s creative practice.

Holly Orkin

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bit PARTS WHO: serious theatre WHAT: Void without Void WHERE: The Street Theatre WHEN: Wed Nov 9 – Sun Nov 3 Launched into space through a portal you encounter a lone figure floating in the void. An immersive soundscape guides you on a personal voyage of pure discovery as you navigate the far reaches of space. Isolated from your fellow travellers by the infinite darkness, you begin to identify with the floating figure – your only reference point within your new environment.

Invited through a series of shifts in time, scale and perspective to construct your own narrative, the external and internal begin to merge, resulting in a singular perspective of self. Part puppetry, aerial and physical performance, Void without Void is a new and innovative performance installation from serious theatre. Using sound, lighting, and sensory deprivation to create an enthralling immersive experience, serious creates a world that links observation with introspection. Cooooool. thestreet.org.au .

WHO: Canberra International Film Festival WHAT: Mama Africa WHEN: Thurs Oct 27 and Sat Nov 5 WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archives An extensive assemblage of interviews, archival footage and clips of her greatest songs creates a detailed portrait of one of the world’s legendary voices – the queen of South African music, Miriam Makeba. The multi-lingual Makeba grew up in South Africa but was exiled after taking part in a 1959 documentary Come Back, Africa.

Living in Europe, America and then Guinea with outspoken activist husband Stokely Carmichael, she was a tireless advocate for Africa – at much personal cost – finally returning to her homeland at the request of Nelson Mandela – with this emotional reunion captured on film. Special ticket prices apply.

WHO: Local storytellers WHAT: Now Hear This WHEN: Wed Dec 7 WHERE: The Street Theatre Do you have a great story? That story you tell at the dinner table, at barbecues and parties? The story you know people will laugh, cry and be spellbound at? Now Hear This is a night of people telling those stories; people from all around the region come together and tell their true story to a packed audience at The Street Theatre. ABC 666 record it, play it on the radio and get it on the web. Storytellers aren’t auditioned then thrown to the wolves – a pretty intensive workshop is held to get the stories ready for the night. The theme for the next instalment is ‘friendship’. Register your interest and catch some of the stories they’ve recorded at abc.net.au/canberra .

WHO: Fash’n’Treasure WHAT: Everything second hand you could possibly want WHEN: Sat Nov 5 WHERE: Old Bus Depot Markets, 10am – 4pm Saturday November 5 will be the last Fash’n’Treasure market for 2011. More than 70 individual stalls including great local and national designers, vintage clothes, jewellery and accessories as well as more than 40,00 vintage records, books, CDs and DVDs will be on sale. There’ll be local milliners with the latest headwear just in time for the spring racing season and Canberra’s trendiest guys and gals doing the recycling thing and selling off their fabulous wardrobes.

Add coffee and international food as well as live music all day long and you’ve got yourself a grand day out. fashntreasure.com .

WHO: Free Rain Theatre Company WHAT: The Dark Side of Midnight WHEN: Fri Oct 28 – Sun Nov 13 WHERE: Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre The Dark Side of Midnight takes place in late 1946 to early 1947 on the eve of Partition in India, somewhere on the Northwest Frontier. No one knows what will happen as the migration of people is beginning, with panic and violence a daily event. Inside a typical British Raj home, Geraldine, a young wife, is afraid of the danger from within. She feels safer with the Indians in the bazaar than at home. Her life as she has known it is being destroyed. Running parallel are the conflicts, stoic humour, and the consequences of political events of the time. For more information head to canberratheatrecentre.com.au .

WHO: Families and squiglets WHAT: Moon Festival 2011 - Divercity WHEN: Sat Oct 29 WHERE: Tuggeranong Arts Centre This year the Tuggeranong Arts Centre will put on a great show for the 13th edition of the Moon Festival, an event that celebrates diversity in our wonderfully diverse city. With artistic, educational and recreational activities aimed at children and families, this edition will focus on traditional cultural elements of a number of different ethnic and community groups in and around Canberra.

Live music, modern and traditional dances, arts and craft activities, puppets, games and great multiethnic food will be the core elements of the celebration. The action starts at noon with the official opening, then from Filipino music to Mexican folk dance, African drumming and traditional Indian rhythms, the audience will enjoy a variety of free activities until 8pm. tuggeranongarts.com .

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STILL CLIMBING

Mel Cerato

Stevie Easton

triple j are on a roll. In the spirit of the amazing tribute concert to Aussie musician Paul Kelly, the youth broadcaster has announced Straight To You: a tribute tour to the one and only Nick Cave. A bunch of the country’s musicians will be taking to the road in November and will reinterpret some of Cave’s song collection from his expansive career.

“It’s been a very long journey,” says TIM FINN, looking back from where he is now compared to the early ‘70s when he was kicking around New Zealand in a little band called Split Enz. Along the way he’s scaled the international charts and had more than a taste of success, in bands and as a solo artist, including with his brother Neil during a brief stint in Crowded House that produced the group’s definitive album, Woodface, featuring Tim on vocals in one of the group’s classic tunes Weather With You. But according to Finn, after all these years, he’s never been happier.

Enjoying a well-received career for nearly 35 years, Nick Cave’s music has become synonymous with quality and depth. His early days with The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party led to The Bad Seeds and now, his latest band, Grinderman. In fact, he is set to party with the rest of Grinderman at the reinvigorated Homebake festival in December.

It’s very humbling and a bit of an honour to get to pay tribute to Nick Cave

Musician/actor DAN SULTAN is amongst the hoard of talent who have jumped on board for the tribute. Sultan already has two albums and a bunch of tours to his name, as well as a starring role in Australian musical Bran Nue Dai.

Speaking to Sultan in the middle of his rehearsal, he is relaxed and excited about taking the tribute around the country. “A mate mentioned it [to me]. I thought I’d jump at the opportunity to not only be able to work on such great Australian rock and roll, but to be able to go on the road and hang with your mates and have fun.”

Bertie Blackman, Jake Stone from Bluejuice, Johnny Mackay from Children Collide, Lisa Mitchell and Tim Rogers from You Am I are amongst the amazing number of musicians on the star studded line-up.

“I know a lot of them [the other musicians] and it’s a nice little group,” says Dan. “But not too much partying for me! I’ve done it before when I’ve gone on tours where I’ve partied just as hard as I have been working with the band… [This time] I gotta take it easy,” he laughs.

“I’m enjoying my life better than ever now,” he says. “I’ve got much more balance.

I’ve got a family, got some kids. Everything I had was in Split Enz for so many years and in the end it just wasn’t healthy. I’m very lucky that I’ve developed a deeper sort of life now; something that’s just more real, more solid.” And he attributes that new stability to love – something he says he had always been looking for, but didn’t truly find until 15 years ago.

Everything I had was in Split Enz for so many years and in the end it just wasn’t healthy

In his younger days, he says, he was always drawn to the dramatic side of life, having grown up in the small New Zealand town of Te Awamutu. One way of experiencing that for the young performer was through a serious of “crazed relationships” with women which eventually left him feeling empty, and he withdrew from writing songs. “I was down in the dumps,” he explains. “I just wasn’t inspired and I thought ‘maybe this is it, maybe this is how it all ends.’ And then I met my current wife and we clicked straight away; I knew that she was the one. She inspires me, she’s a great editor of my work and she’s a great mother to our kids. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be going through hell to write good songs.”

Sultan’s music can only be described as big. Big sound, big numbers, big voice. He mixes jazz, country, classic rock ‘n’ roll, swing and balladry, and ties it all together with his gorgeous, strong voice.

What he does with tunes by Australia’s dark one is anybody’s guess, but chances are they are going to be good.

From this more stable, content place comes Finn’s new album, The View Is Worth The Climb, with a track co-written by Megan Washington, who he met on tour. “I just liked her straight away, invited her up on stage with us to play a bit of piano, and we had a good laugh in the van coming back from gigs and stuff; she’s pretty funny,” he says. “I’d had this song that I’d made a start on – I had the chorus but I couldn’t finish it to my satisfaction. She had a piece that she was starting on, that fitted in really well and all of a sudden we had an exciting song.”

Leaving his band behind for the tribute, Sultan won’t reveal which songs he will be covering, but promises he is hard at work to make sure he adds something special to the tour. “I’m really excited about it,” he says. “It’s very humbling and a bit of an honour to get to pay tribute to Nick Cave, so we’ll see how we go.”

He’s touring the old classics many of us grew up with, or came to later through recent cover compilations He Will Have His Way and She Will Have Her Way. At his upcoming show, Finn says he will just be doing what he’s always done – “trying to create a great feeling in the room”.

Straight To You will be rolling into town at the Royal Theatre on Wednesday November 16. Tickets cost $61.15 + bf and are available through Ticketek.

Tim Finn’s The View Is Worth The Climb tour comes to The Playhouse Theatre on Thursday November 3. Tickets are available from canberratheatrecentre.com.au .

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It pisses me off

that Canberra gets out about the wealth and variety of omitted from the music that has come out of Canberra,” wider picture of Australian music Shakallis says. “It pisses me off that Canberra gets omitted from the wider picture of Australian music, and Canberra was actually part of our uniqueness. We created our own scene with deep roots. The overseas punk scene had filtered through and teenagers in the suburbs heard the murmurings of this new music. It was a real do-ityourself ethos.”

CRANKING CAPITAL PUNK Dan Bigna I grew up in leafy Weston Creek and still live there as I’m alright with birds chirping in the trees on a quiet weekday morning. But sometimes I prefer noisier environs once upon a time inhabited by classic punk rock bands like The Saints and Radio Birdman, and for that fix I will head elsewhere. It turns out had I been of reasonable age in the late 1970s, a short walk to a local hall would have scratched that nagging itch for loud and fast sonics. This I learnt during an illuminating chat with former Canberran Chris Shakallis from punk rock pioneers Young Docteurs, a band which formed in late 1970s suburban Canberra to express an innovative and exciting musical expression well removed from mainstream banality.

This ongoing aim underpins a forthcoming gig with the banner heading CANBERRA PUNK AND BEYOND featuring four key bands with local origins – Young Docteurs, Hellyes, YMGP and Bladderspasms – showing the kids how it should be done. “This gig is the first in a series of things to give people the chance to find

Bands with names like Myxo, Cough Cough (featuring Cathy Green who would go on to play with seminal Sydney punk rockers X) and Guthugga Pipeline sparked life into a nascent alternative music scene that thrives to this day. The Young Docteurs were a driving force and Shakallis’ knowledge of the little documented Canberra punk rock scene which matched the excitement, freshness and energy of its interstate brethren is impressive. “We were just trying to deal with being young people in a city like Canberra and at the fringe of the mainstream,” he says.

Local bands from the suburbs immersed themselves in new and exciting sounds which included healthy and necessary urges to experiment and shake things up. The ongoing fulfilment of such desires has motivated Shakallis to make Canberra Punk and Beyond happen so that music fans can taste a key period of the Australian music underground that hit hard in the nation’s capital. “Punk music used to be a pretty broad style and everyone had their own unique sound which forms the Beyond part of Canberra Punk and Beyond,” he says. “People are going to hear four good rock bands that all have their roots in the Canberra scene. And people can come along, get amongst it and hear some cranking good music.”

Canberra Punk and Beyond will take place at the ANU Bar on Saturday November 5. Tickets cost $20 + bf and can be purchased through Ticketek.

35

to arrest the Chinese dissident he was harbouring. “I don’t know if it’s true,” Martin qualifies, “but what a fucking legend.” Most of all, I learned Waterford lack pretension.

SOMETHING IN THE WATERFORD

For better or worse, [it’s] four douche bags having some fun between beer and darts

Talking about Waterford’s last single London, England, Martin sets the self-deprecation in motion. “London comma England. It’s a really fuckin’ annoying pop song. A lot of people speak to me about how the song gets stuck in their head, and not in a good way.” With such pride in his legacy, I wonder aloud what was ahead. Martin describes their upcoming album thus: “For better or worse, [it’s] four douche bags having some fun between beer and darts.”

Canberra rock outfit WATERFORD have made a name for themselves with a brand of rock described as too big for small venues. They’ve been called underappreciated and linked to Britain’s vibrant pop rock scene but self-describe as “literate rock”. When asked what illiterate rock would be, frontman Glen Martin didn’t miss a beat: “Oasis”. I found out a lot about Waterford. They’re against griping about surroundings you can’t change, and what Martin describes as “that whole... ‘Margaret and David adding an extra star if it’s an Australian film’” thing, preferring a “strong culture of critique”. Incidentally, Martin also espouses a reciprocated mistrust of Cadel Evans’ genetic makeup (“he’s a freak”). Waterford are also dubious about “triple j careerist bands”, preferring the road less travelled. “You’ve gotta make it look accidental... maintain your indie cred by making sure it looks like you don’t care.”

Nevertheless, this project represents the next step for a band that has become a fixture at Canberra venues. Martin was dryly happy with new album Say OK, created with the aid of Bruce Callaway (The Triffids). “Bruce’s thing is, ‘I’ve got a good microphone, I know how to work the desk, I’ll put the microphone in front of your instruments and if it sounds shit, it’s your fault.’” That Waterford will soon have two album launches indicates that whatever came of this process was worth it. Waterford will also play Corinbank 2012, though Martin hesitates to look forward to the honour. “We’re more used to playing at rock venues in front of hipster crowds where people show their appreciation by slowly nodding and occasionally uncrossing their arms.” That said, you get the feeling Waterford could handle themselves in Canberran counterculture. “One of the critical things is not to be too much of a petulant prick,” Martin observes. Armed with this wisdom, acidic dislike for Eskimo Joe and what Martin classes as “generic, by-the-numbers, white boy indie rock,” you wouldn’t deny them the bright future they envisage.

Their eponym is Canberra Times editor-at-large Jack Waterford.

Martin recalls him fondly. Apparently Waterford hurled tiles from his roof at a car he believed to be owned by federal agents come

Waterford’s new album launches at 1pm on Monday October 31 at Landspeed Records (free) and again on Friday November 18 at the Polish Club ($5 on the door) with Voss and The Ellis Collective supporting.

Ashley Thomson

36

37

FOWL PLAY

READY, AIM, FIRE

Marie-Stella McKinney

Ben Hermann

Passing out shirtless on Jimi Hendrix’s star on Hollywood Boulevard, befriending out of work actors and adopting fauxCalifornian accents have been just a few shenanigans Sydney band GUINEAFOWL have gotten up to this October after a string of shows in the USA including Culture Collide in LA and CMJ in New York. Since signing a record deal with the well-respected US indie label Dangerbird Records after the band’s Hello Anxiety EP caught the attention of the right people, the US has opened its arms to Guineafowl’s unique brand of indie rock.

Luke Yeoward likes to keep things in perspective. During our obligatory pre-interview small talk, he mentions that he has a swathe of interviews ahead of him. I offer my sympathies.

“Yeah, well it’s better than laying bricks,” he says. An unsurprising sentiment from the frontman of Melbourne’s street punk/rock sextet KING CANNONS, whose music, in both substance and form, takes significant inspiration from the working class affiliations of Springsteen, The Clash and late ‘70s 2 Tone.

“LA people just wanna see When we played us playing, yeah?” frontman Sam Yeldham teasingly says in Canberra, with a weird inflection in his it was one voice. “Sorry, I’m practicing my st of the mo terrible Californian accent.” outrageous gigs Talking on the phone from his Los Angeles room a few days after playing at Culture Collide festival alongside Aussies Sparkadia and The Morning After Girls, Sam played the keyboard while chatting.

“The festival has been really good, we played our first shows [in the US] and in terms of our first shows they were great,” he says. “I can remember our first time when we played in Melbourne, the audience was very like ‘what is this?’ and then at the first show here [LA] everyone was dancing. They were a bit more open to the experience we were offering, but it’s always different state to state.”

While Guineafowl have so far been well received in the US, luckily we haven’t lost the band to the West Coast forever. The band will be returning to our shores in November for The Lie Is tour, stopping

by Canberra’s ANU Bar for a gig on Saturday November 12 and for those who remember the last time the band stopped in, this will be one not to miss. “When we played in Canberra the first time, it was one of the most outrageous gigs we played,” Yeldham explains. “Our EP launch night at Transit was ridiculously fun – it was one of the best shows on the EP tour. Everyone was so willing to put down their walls and dance and enjoy music, it was like just a great vibe.”

The band really wanted to do their own tour at the end of the year alongside releasing the new single The Lie Is, inspiring the title for the tour. “We wanted to release a song because I’m still kind of writing the album and I wanted to release a bit of music in-between, and The Lie Is is a song that I didn’t get time to do on the EP because I don’t think we were ready to record it, really.

“We haven’t done like a proper tour not supporting a band… we went around with The Grates and Foster The People on tour shows, but not our own tour and we wanted to go and show our country this song, so we’re pretty excited to.”

Guineafowl are set to play the ANU Bar on Saturday November 12. Tickets are $15.20 + bf and are available via Ticketek.

38

The group have recently returned from

People are their national tour supporting The Living realising they need something End – “such a professional unit, their skill and level of musicianship is just more from music fantastic,” says Yeoward – and are in the

process of recording and mixing the last few tracks for their debut LP, due out early 2012. The group’s debut EP granted them modest exposure, with its tracks Take the Rock and Teenage Dreams receiving appreciable airplay on triple j.

“I think the album is much more mature than anything on the EP,” Yeoward says. “To me it speaks volumes to the EP. The EP is like kindergarten, at least in terms of recording quality and quality of the songs. The album is less politics and more storytelling, more honesty. You have to let those natural progressions happen. As a creative person, you can’t switch directions easily; you just have to write what you feel.” The group engaged Shihad drummer Tom Larkin to produce the album, who helped the band strengthen their songwriting, rather than trying to change its direction. This was an important quality, especially when working with a group recording their first album – a process which Yeoward admits was “exhausting” but again, almost feeling guilty for attributing any negative tone to the experience, quickly qualifies that it’s “a walk in the park compared to some lines of work.

“Tom gets our vibe, and that’s more important than anyone’s track record. If it feels good, and the producer understands the passion and integrity in our music, then they’re the right choice.” Coming back to the group’s influences I suggest to Yeoward that there seems to be a small but noticeable, and slowly growing, number of groups taking inspiration from Springsteen, and more particularly his Darkness on the Edge of Town period. Yeoward draws out a contemplated “hmmm”, before refuting. “I don’t know of too many that come close to The Boss at all. To be honest, I feel like there are few bands at all, let alone now,” he says, before acknowledging the likelihood of a Springsteen resurgence. “There’s so much arty, indie electro stuff around that’s weird for the sake of being weird. It has a high turnover rate and poor quality of songs. I guess there’s maybe a resurgence of people who want something real and that they can emotionally connect to. People are realising they need something more from music, and it’s something a lot of music can’t give them.”

King Cannons play at Transit Bar on Saturday November 5, supported

by Jackson Firebird and The Strums. Tickets cost $10 + bf and can be purchased via Moshtix.

39

THE REALNESS First up this month, that local legendary beatbox phenomenon Kodak has just dropped his debut Beatbox EP. Six tracks deep, it showcases some crazy routines alongside collaborations with vocalists None Like Joshua, Lesson, Omar Musa, Mighty Joe, L-Fresh The Lion, Hau and myself. A mind-bending introduction to Kodak’s other-planetary talents, make sure you grab a copy to show your support. Hit Kodak up at his website (and online dating service) facebook.com/kodakbeatboxer and tell him you love him.

On Friday November 4, Australian hip-hop legend Reason follows in the footsteps of his good mate Bias B and hangs up his mic, heading into well earned retirement. Released through Obese, Window Of Time will be his final album, marking the end of a truly magnificent career. Reason’s first solo album Solid was one of my first local hiphop albums and remains a classic to this day. For Window Of Time, Reason has enlisted some of the country’s finest to aid his swan song; featuring the likes of Suffa, Lazy Grey, Bias B, Hau, Dialectrix, Hunter, Lotek, Iron Bradz, AJ, Kye, Mdusu and Rapaport. Production comes from Suffa, Debris, Debate, Seanie B, Mdusu, Simplex, Geko and Wizdm. Make sure to pick up Window Of Time to say your thank you to Reason for his contribution to a scene he has helped create, build and nurture over the years. Reason, The Realness salutes you!!

Melbourne native Saki is set to drop his new EP The Silent Son on Friday November 11 with Obese distro. Saki initially made his name in the scene as a DJ and as a producer before joining forces with fellow artists Pato and Arkiv and further nurturing his urge to write.

With a famed live show and appearances on the triple j Hip-Hop Show, the six tracker looks set to imprint his name as one to watch.

Statik Selektah is one of hip-hop’s most consistently dope producers, building up a solid resume of dope albums and collaborations with a barrage of brilliant artists. His fourth album Population Control is due this month on Duck Down and looks set to continue his dream run. The collab list is too heavy to list here; suffice to say highlights come in the form of Sean Price, Termanology, Big Krit, Freddie Gibbs, Action Bronson, Bun B, Talib Kweli, Joell Ortiz, Brother Ali, Styles P, Saigon and many, many more. It’s a big one!

Also due this month on Duck Down is the third album from The Away Team. Produced entirely by Khrysis, Scars & Stripes should give this underrated duo more exposure with guest appearances from Evidence, Talib Kweli, Jay Rush, Phonte and Blue Raspberry.

Murs is back with his latest album Love & Rockets through Dame Dash’s DD172 imprint. This time Murs has given 9th Wonder a well deserved rest and teamed up with Ski Beatz who is experiencing a renaissance at the moment following killer work with Currensy.

Murs is always worth your time and he’ll certainly tell you so!

Finally this month, do yourself a favour and grab the new album How Do You Do from Mayer Hawthorne coz it’s soulful, smooth as butter and perfect for this ol’ spring weather and may well aid your quests between the sheets.

To hear music from all these releases and much more, tune to The Antidote on 2XX 98.3FM every Tuesday night from 9.30pm (stream at 2xxfm.org.au).

Roshambo aka Ced Nada roshambizzle@yahoo.com.au

40

FULLY SICK MEL CERATO With every man and his dog putting on a music festival this year, it was only a matter of time before some of the older ones suffered the consequences. Unfortunately, due of poor ticket sales, Canberra’s well-loved festival Stonefest has had to downsize and become the Stonefest Rock On Party.

Melbourne-based hip-hop artist ILLY is still on the bill, and he is pretty excited for the entire festival season. “I’m not sure exactly how many [festivals] I’m playing, but including Splendour in the Grass and the few since, I’d say by the end of summer I’ll have played about ten festivals… something like that,” he laughs.

The line-up is still sweet as in my opinion and I know we’re going to smack it

Extremely sick with tonsillitis, it was hard to get a hold of Illy. With all his recent festival dates as well as working on a new album, it was only a matter of time before he succumbed to the elements.

“It has been a crazy few weeks and I haven’t really given myself a break in the downtime so it was always coming,” he says. “But man, I haven’t been this sick in at least a few years, it’s been hell!”

Speaking about the changes to the Stonefest festival, Illy is diplomatic and understanding. “It’s tricky because obviously you will have people unhappy about [the changes], but at the same time it shows the importance of getting your tickets early,” he says.

“It’s especially lame because Stonefest is one of Canberra’s main festivals; if it were in a Melbourne or a Sydney it’s not as big a loss as festivals come and go yearly, but in smaller spots it sucks. But whatever, I’m still looking forward to it,” he continues cheerfully.

“The line-up is still sweet as in my opinion and I know we’re going to smack it.”

Aussie festivals are in a league of their own, according to Illy. He says that the Australian climate is perfect for outdoor festivals and that most Aussies just have that vibe. “We [Aussies] like to be outdoors and we also like to make a day of it,” he says. “A lot of the time it’s more about you and your mates running around than it is about catching sets. I mean it’s the same elsewhere, but we definitely seem to have our shit sorted. Also, Aussies have that stamina that others just can’t match!”

After his hectic number of festival dates, Illy plans to drop a new album sometime next year. “I’m about four tracks into the next album and once the next few weekend shows are done we will be going hard in the studio, so yes, there will definitely be a new album released next year – probably somewhere at the end of the first half of 2012,” he says excitedly. “So far it is sounding amazing, if I do say so myself!”

You can catch Illy live at the Stonefest Rock On party at the University of Canberra Refectory on Saturday October 29. Tickets cost $31 + bf and can be purchased via Ticketek.

METALISE Cough tested the structural integrity of The Basement like no other show in recent times. Wow. It’s a good thing too, given all the action coming up at Belconnen’s home of brutality as we progress into the warmer climes.

The Frankenbok national tour in support of their new album hits town on Saturday November 19 with the bill including House of Thumbs, Witchgrinder, Hatchet Dawn, Darker Half, Nobody Knew They Were Robots, Strict Vincent, Neanderthug and The Devilzwork. That is a big night of brutality no matter how you slice it.

The Soundwave juggernaut rolls on with a second announcement adding to the… look, I gotta be honest here… I respect the Soundwave guys and those of you who may have come of age in the late ‘90s… but it’s just too soon for “nu” metal to have any kind of nostalgic revival for me. Hole dropped out because they supposedly wouldn’t open for main act Limp Bizkit and as much as I detest Courtney Love, I couldn’t argue with her logic. Okay, so here is the full line-up to date: System Of A Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, A Day To Remember, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Trivium, Alter Bridge, Lostprophets, Angels & Airwaves, Cobra Starship, The Used, You Me At Six, Devin Townsend Project, Unwritten Law, Coal Chamber,

Dashboard Confessional, Thursday, Forever The Sickest Kids, Raised Fist, Dillinger Escape Plan, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, Mastodon, Underoath, Saves The Day (playing Weezer’s Pinkerton), Circa Survive, Steel Panther, Jack’s Mannequin, Meshuggah, The Sisters Of Mercy, Enter Shikari, Four Year Strong, Black Veil Brides, Madina Lake, Zebrahead, Hatebreed, Biohazard, Times Of Grace, CKY, Street Dogs, Dragonforce, Gojira, Kvelertak, Letlive, Hellyeah, Cro-Mags, The Cab, Relient K, Versa Emerge, Heroes For Hire, Kill Hannah, The Dangerous Summer, Chimaira, Framing Hanley, Watain, Royal Republic, I Am The Avalanche, Turisas and River City Extension.

Last week the second line-up was announced: Bad Religion, Strung Out, Staind, Wednesday 13, Unearth, The Pretty Reckless, Cathedral, Shadows Fall, Tonight Alive, Motionless In White, Break Even, Heaven Shall Burn, Your Demise, A Rocket To The Moon, The Ready Set, The Menzingers, Dream On Dreamer, Kittie, Dredg, Attack! Attack!, The Smoking Hearts and The Summer Set. Cathedral are playing their last ever tour, I pray the doom gods grant me a sideshow… with Kvelertak and Watain. Maybe Cro-mags too…

Indianapolis prog metallers The Contortionist will embark on a national tour in Australia in November with two Sydney shows on Saturday November 12 – an all ages show in the day at Blacktown Masonic Hall and an over 18s one at night at Venom. The band will be supported nationally by Newcastle outfit The Storm Picturesque.

Unkle Kronoz’s band of the week: Canberra solo project of 4 Dead’s guitarist Shane – Black Bong – facebook.com/pages/BlackBong/232690213411935 .

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

41

the word

on albums

album of the issue eddie current suppression ring SO MANY THINGS [FUSE]

After working hard to develop a loyal and exponentially growing fan base, Eddy Current Suppression Ring pulled the punkest move possible and put the band on hiatus last year to let the band members focus on side projects. To sate their fans during this break, Fuse have released an anthology of singles and rarities that comprehensively collects the mass of non album recordings ECSR laid to tape over the last six years.

Featuring early singles, contributions to split 7”s, a cover or three and placed in chronological order, So Many Things takes a sharply-focused snapshot of a talented band.

Always paying homage to a collection of ‘70s blues and punk, ECSR are honest in their compilation – kicking off with the fuzz-drunk title track and Get Up Morning, progressing through tour releases and contributions to splits to hitting the middle of the disc with the sprawling jam I’m Guilty, and ending strongly with a cover of The Go-Go’s We Got The Beat and recent single T.A.L.O.I.G.A. So Many Things is a fantastic anthology, comprehensive and inclusive, and a must for any fans of bluesy garagey punky awesomeness.

ALISTAIR ERSKINE

42

JANE’S ADDICTION the great escape artist [capitol]

VArious artists Late Night Tales: MGMT [Balance / EMI]

Jane’s Addiction’s unhinged bowerbird approach to songwriting walks on a wire.

Steel drums, hard punk riffage, ‘70s cock-rock posturing, dream-pop, prog-rock, frantic jazz-chords… you name it and the LA-based band threw it in the mix. When it works, it kills.

Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual are cornerstones of alt-rock. When it doesn’t you get The Great Escape Artist – an inchoate mess devoid of memorable tracks, spark and purpose of being. It’s the sound of a band struggling to grapple with the concept of lapsed relevance.

This latest Late Night Tales volume comes compiled by guests MGMT, and indeed the contents here probably won’t come as a huge surprise to anyone who’s listened to Congratulations. For this 20 track selection the emphasis falls distinctly upon the more melancholic end of the blues/ psych-rock spectrum, with a discernibly Anglo-centric slant present. Particularly welcome here is the emphasis on more obscure selections, ranging from ‘60s Christian folk singer Dave Bixby’s heartbreaking Drug Song, through to the smeared New Romantic/goth atmospheres of The Wake’s Melancholy Man and the elegant orchestral synthscapes of Pauline Anna Strom’s gorgeous instrumental closer Morning Splendor.

Nirvana Nevermind: Deluxe Edition [Geffen] The entry point to this album is its simplicity – simple riffs, simple arrangements and simple production. Things get more complicated when it comes to the expression of feeling that distinguishes it from so many punk records that arrived in the wake of the early ‘80s hardcore scene. There’s an emotional weight to the 12 tracks comprising the original ‘91 release that although communicating the world view of one individual nevertheless found favour with an entire generation of disaffected teens.

Really, you can’t blame them; Jane’s Addiction doesn’t really get much credit for the paths they blazed. For god’s sake Perry Farrell invented Lollapalooza which at the time was quite revolutionary. Maybe they wanted some of that ‘reunion tour/album’ dough. It may not be the worst album of 2011, but The Great Escape Artist is probably the least essential release of the year.

There’s a brief wander into proto-techno with Martin Rev’s pulsating Sparks, while The Velvet Underground’s opulent Ocean bookends a more shoegaze-centred segue that ends with the vintage gospel country-blues of Charlie Feathers’ Mound Of Clay. Elsewhere, MGMT’s own cover of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything sees them recasting the Bauhaus original as a swirling piece of psychtinged dream-pop that’s all feathery guitar chords and reverb-heavy drums. It’s a slight pity though about Paul Morley’s closing spoken word piece Lost For Words Pt. 2, as it’s just as pretentious and impenetrable as I remember his sleeve notes for Art Of Noise being. Worth checking out.

A deal with Geffen and an introduction to Butch Vig provided momentum, and this superb 20th year reissue includes on its bonus disc some early sessions recorded with Vig at Smart Studios in Wisconsin in 1990. This was some 12 months before the Californian sessions that yielded the released version of Nevermind, and those tracks included on this superb deluxe edition reveal a band entirely comfortable with the sonic intensity found on In Bloom and Lithium. Particularly revealing is a somewhat faithful cover of The Velvet Underground’s Here She Comes Now which provides context for the whole grunge thing and accentuates Nirvana’s extraordinary achievement in introducing a vital legacy to mainstream audiences. Bonus material aside, the real treat on this essential reissue is the remastering which brings out a concentrated heaviness that completely transforms the original mix.

JUSTIN HOOK

CHRIS DOWNTON

Dan Bigna

This album marks the band’s third reunion since their initial split in 1991 and with TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek on knobfiddling duties they were clearly looking for re-invention and inspiration. Alas, all he brings are some slightly embarrassing cut/collage jagged electronics that already sounded dated on Dave Navarro’s forgettable debut solo effort Trust No One – ten years earlier! There are some great passages on this album, mostly during the first half, but none hang together in complete songs.

singled out

with Dave Ruby Howe

Wild Flag Wild Flag [Merge/Spunk] When Sleater-Kinney disbanded in ‘06 the alt-rock scene lost one of its true champions. Over 15 years the band had moved on from their scratchy riot grrrl rooting to become a three armed rock behemoth. Their final album The Woods was a dense, reverb soaked headfuck and live shows at the time displayed a band that had gone far beyond the staccato, jagged rock pop heritage. Always culturally engaged, the heat of their righteous indignation would have fuelled small towns.

Co-lead singer Corin Tucker returned last year with 1,000 Years, a largely acoustic album of down-tempo tunes and now Carrie Brownstein (NPR radio star, fledgling cable TV comedy star, erudite pop theorist on Slate) jumps back in with Wild Flag and immediately satiates that discrete demand for intelligent grown up rock. Brownstein is crazy charismatic: her lengthy frame provided some of the best high kicks since ever and on her battered Gibson SG she’d rip out complex and intricate guitar riffs married to boggling tempo shifts. Wild Flag is Brownstein relaxing into a garage groove riffs in hand, less burdened, unbound by expectation – the pop-inflected psych rock attack is still evident but it’s more focused and with vintage organ to boot (Boom). Ex- Sleater drummer Janet Weiss, Rebecca Cole and Mary Timony make Wild Flag a mini-supergroup of sorts. But that’s too glib, because Wild Flag is more than the sum of its parts. Let’s hope they stay.

JUSTIN HOOK

THE DRUMS Portamento [Island/Moshi Moshi] The Drums’ self-titled debut from last year was the very essence of summery indie pop, and their follow up Portamento is no disappointment in this regard. Filled with the same catchy hooks and slight new wave feel, Portamento retains all of the good elements of their first album, but is tighter and more polished at the same time.

Opener Book Of Revelation is swoony and evocative of lazy summer days by the beach. It’s the perfect start to what is a well-rounded album that flows seamlessly from one song to the next.

Portamento is rife with lilting guitar melodies and frontman Jonathan Pierce’s vocals are as unique and catchy as always.

Although there aren’t any standout singles like 2010’s Let’s Go Surfing, Portamento has many a strong hit amongst its tracklist, including the emotive ballad Hard to Love and the incredibly fun How It Ended.

One of the most enjoyable things about The Drums is their ability to deliver particularly depressing or unhappy lyrics with a backdrop of pure, happy pop in a way that juxtaposes brilliantly. Lyrically, the album is essentially a continuation of the tumultuous relationshiprelated woes of their debut, but is more elegantly crafted this time around.

Portamento might not be making any leaps or bounds in terms of originality, but it is a delightful listen that will most likely become my soundtrack for the summer.

ZOYA PATEL

The Orphanage Till Death [Bayonet Records] Lock your doors before listening! This record contains some seriously dark material, created by people who revel in sad music. Melbournebased The Orphanage is the project of ex-Canberran Tom Woodward. He formed the six-piece in 2008, following a solo career and some time in a duo with fellow band member Tiana Morrison. Described alternatively as death folk or swamp rock, Till Death is laden with menace in this collection of stories that seek out the murky side of life. The style evokes that of fellow doom-roots band The Graveyard Sons, whose similarly wild music also spins tales of murder and mayhem.

Tom’s tortured voice alternates between singing and screaming in the opener Till Death Us Do Part and he employs a western drawl in the Texanthemed murder song Vernon.

His harsh singing is softened by the backing vocals of Tiana in several tracks, including Josephine, a CD highlight. The music matches the lyrics well, overtly raucous and loaded with drama that builds tension as songs progress. Rumbling guitars create an aura of doom in a tale about alcoholism and poverty. Simon Despoja’s violin is particularly effective, alternatively producing a spooky atmosphere, or creating a wild vibe as in the insane bush dance melody of Local Hero.

There is some great songwriting here, but you sometimes need to read the CD booklet to make out the words in tracks such as Anzac Blues.

RORY MCCARTNEY

Big Scary - Gladiator [Pieater] Big Scary’s newie Gladiator is perfectly titled considering how tough, muscular and roaring the track gets. Searing guitars swell together with un-doctored drum crashes for a sublimely heaving tune that demands repeated spins.

Bluejuice - Act Yr Age [Dew Process] These are the same dudes that brought us Vitriol? Don’t get me wrong, that’s no disrespect to that tune and it’s goofy of-themoment appeal but Act Yr Age is light years more advanced than it and any other Bluejuice hit. Listen to the crispness of the production which brings out every sparkling harmony and bit of hooky instrumentation – it’s dangerously good. And the best part is Bluejuice haven’t sacrificed their fun-ness as everyone’s beaming wildly with each piano pump here. Power pop doesn’t get better than this.

Rihanna - We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) [UMA] (Not so) fun fact here: We Found Love is Rihanna’s 12th single since 2009. And that’s not even counting her turns on feature duties. That’s not just flogging a dead horse, it’s savagely executing the horse’s extended family. By now we all know the formula with Rihanna’s forced tones moaning on about something to do with l.o.v.e. while the producer, Calvin Harris in this instance, has naught to do but mine some club euphoria and collect a paycheck. Seriously girl, take a break, read a book, swim in your pool of money; I don’t care what, just go away for five minutes.

43

the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

Why are many rom coms so offensive to women? What’s Your Number? starring Anna Faris, posits the moral principle that women shouldn’t sleep with over 20 men before finding ‘The One’. And if you do, well, then you just have to accept that men won’t want to marry you, and your female friends will judge you. Equally, most other rom coms feature alarmingly neurotic female leads, who are at some stage forced to compromise or forgive where they probably shouldn’t. So why do women – why do I – enjoy watching them? Let’s put it down to my female neuroses, ey?

quote of the issue

Jake Adams (Dave Annable): “Well if I wasn’t your first, at least I can be your last.”

Ally Darling (Anna Faris): “Why...? Are you going to rape and kill me later?”

- What’s Your Number?

Footloose

Real Steel

WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?

For those who haven’t seen the original Footloose staring Kevin Bacon, the plot is as follows: Ren (Kenny Wormald) moves to mid-west American town along the Bible belt, where the community has outlawed late nights, drinking and dancing to protect their young people.

Ren takes umbrage at the illegality of dancing, and begins campaigning to change the law, putting him into conflict with community-leader Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) – who just so happens to be the father of his high-school love interest Ariel (Julianne Hough).

Set in the near future – where boxing is done not by men, but by eight-foot-tall steel robots – Charlie (Hugh Jackman) is a down-on-his-luck promoter, trying to piece together robots out of scrap metal while avoiding his debtors. After finding out he has an estranged son Max (Dakota Gouo), Charlie first tries to sell the young boy, but then takes him on the road as the two start working as a robot training team.

Firstly, one could say that this film’s premise is offensive... nay, highly offensive. Horrified that she has reached a whopping 20 lovers (20! What a prostitute!), Ally (Anna Faris) decides to track down all of her old beaus to see if maybe one of them has magically transformed into ‘The One’. (Because a decent guy couldn’t possibly want a woman who’s slept with more than 20 people, as it becomes clear from everyone’s judgemental reactions to Ally’s number).

There are many things I don’t understand about this remake of Footloose. Why is the main character such a mediocre dancer – surely there were many other young men with the right moves in Hollywood, desperate for their big break?

Why make the female love interest so un-likeable? And does Dennis Quaid do anything but these ‘surly father’ roles anymore? But the thing that boggles my mind most of all, is why even bother remaking the film, when so much of it is exactly the same. The same lines of dialogue, the same camera angles, and the same musical numbers.

Despite its similarities to the original, Footloose is fun, but is somewhat lacking the original’s heart. It’s a high-energy, modernised take on the teen classic that is guaranteed to get your toes tapping. Just be ready for some fairly trite dialogue, delivered with the utmost sincerity.

Melissa Wellham

44

For the first half of the film my thoughts were along the lines of, “Please, let a giant steel robot knock me out, this film is so tedious,” as well as, “who knew Hugh Jackman had the chutzpah to act a character who is even more of an asshole than Wolverine,” and, “I know it’s still stupid to be hung up on this, but what a stupid title.”

However, two-thirds of the way through, I was singing a different tune. The tune of the unsuspecting victim who has been successfully indoctrinated into a cult, and finds themselves an alto in the cult choir. Instead of the sensible and measured reaction to the film I had initially held, I had allowed myself to be won over by emotion. I was all, “Go, Adam the robot, go!

You punch that other robot!” and, with a benevolent chuckle, “Oh, that young Max. What a charming young child.”

If you can take all of this with a grain of salt (which I managed to by the end), there’s enough here to enjoy. Chris Evans plays Ally’s womanising neighbour (complete with mad Google skills), and together they revisit the loves of Ally’s past. Kinda like Broken Flowers… except sort of awful.

Overall, this film delivers what it intends to – steady laughs with minimal emotional depth.

It’s fun and frothy, and Chris Evans is shirtless. Even though there’s a cornball message (be yourself!) and nothing blindingly original going on, Faris is oddly charming and Evans puts in a solid ‘hot guy with a heart’ performance. Some surprising actors also briefly crop up: Martin Freeman, Andy Samberg, Zachary Quinto.

It’s a silly premise, but it’ll suck you right in.

Infuriating premise aside, What’s Your Number? is good for a laugh or two. And did I mention shirtless Chris Evans?

Melissa Wellham

MEGAN McKEOUGH

the word on dvds

Babies [Madman]

The Dead [Hopscotch]

Your Highness [Universal]

Each year new parents spend billions in preparation for the day when their lives are turned upside down by small screaming balls of demands, tears, laughs and fun. An entire niche of the book industry is devoted to a forensic rundown of what to expect and how to deal with every eventuality when junior won’t settle, cries in an odd pitch or fails to poo for five days. Or won’t stop for five days. We are one of the most prepared generations of parents in history – yet when you boil it all down, child rearing is one of the few things that remain a relative constant throughout millennia. Feed, clean, rest, play, nurture: rinse, repeat.

Great, another zombie film.

Just what we need, right? Well, let’s just get one thing straight before we start… THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ANOTHER ZOMBIE FILM. Especially a good one.

This is the movie where my man-crush on Danny McBride evaporated. As the walking mullet Kenny Powers on Eastbound and Down, McBride is an arrogant washed up baseball pitcher who trades in extreme meanness but whose excesses are oddly captivating.

As much as I adore that show, it’s best taken in small doses.

Quite why, then, he has decided to take Powers, transport him to medieval times (mullet, attitude, drug problems – everything) and team him up with James Franco and Natalie Portman in a directionless road movie is anybody’s guess.

Babies is a deceptively simple yet meticulous and dazzling documentary that charts the lives of four babies in their first year on earth. The camera lingers on Ponijao (Namibia), Mari (Japan), Bayar (Mongolia) and Hattie (USA) capturing individual moments which codify cultures: Ponijao lives happily near-naked in sparse conditions in ochre expanses of Africa, Bayar co-exists easily with roaming animals in the steppes of North Asia, Mari is dazed by Tokyo’s neon landscapes and Hattie is fussed over in hipster suburbia.

What Babies thankfully refrains from is any overt finger pointing or point scoring; it doesn’t create a narrative that places one version of child rearing above another. The viewer is left with a slow moving narrationfree canvas from which we make our own judgements, but you’d be hard pressed to call it heavy handed. What it does do is remind us that when in doubt it’s usually not the book to run to, it’s your extended family. It’s where our genetic knowledge base resides.

JUSTIN HOOK

The Dead follows American Air Force engineer Lieutenant Brian Murphy, the giddy sole survivor of a plane crash, and his attempt to escape the undead ravaged wilds of Africa. Teaming up with local military Sergeant Daniel Dembele, the two cross relentless desert and relentless zombies in an attempt to reach a communication point in order to find a way back to their respective families.

The Dead’s success is twofold; switching the familiar American city setting for the wide sandy plains of Africa, and doing away with the trend of running zombies/infected to favour the slow, shuffling kind. The flat sunny setting and slow moving foe forces the filmmaking Ford Brothers to be clever with creating tension, relying more on an effective slow creeping dread (which AMC series The Walking Dead lacks compared to its comic counterpart) and less on cheap shock moments where the soundtrack is clumsily ratcheted to 11. We are also blessed with intelligent and sympathetic characters, thus delivering us from many frustrating moments the genre often delivers, as well as allowing us to genuinely fear for their well-being.

The film isn’t flawless. The acting in parts is a tad wooden and the strongest moment – a brutal moral decision involving a baby – is quickly resolved in a disappointingly limp manner.

But overall this is a solid zombie think piece with an apt ending that lingers in the mind afterwards. And yes vouchers for viscera; it’s not without moments of genuine gorey awesomeness. allan sko

Thadeous (McBride) and Fabious (Franco) are warrior brothers of the aristocracy.

The former is a degenerate drunken bum forever living in the shadow of his more handsome, dashing and sober brother – Fabious whose bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil Leezar. After the search party is double-crossed… no, I really can’t go on. McBride and his regular Eastbound collaborator David Gordon Green have fashioned a juvenile film that barely sticks together.

Dialogue is croaky and chortlefree medieval speak. The action scenes are arduous and, fatally, it’s not that funny.

Franco is taking his ‘art’ to strange places here – I’m pretty sure he knew at the time the film wouldn’t work, so he appears to be stoned and hamming it up for friends on the other side of the camera. At least he’s having fun. McBride is just plain insolent – there are no redeeming features. One of the few saving graces is the supporting cast: Justin Theroux as Leezar is good ridiculous and the ubiquitous Toby Jones steals the show. I don’t even think you can say this would have looked good on paper, where it should have stayed. A major disappointment. justin hook

45

the word

BLACKBOX

on games

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Developer: Eidos Montreal Platforms: PS3, 360, PC, Mac Length: 10+ hrs Rating: Worth grabbing

With a blockbuster line-up due this fall, the first major title to hit our shelves is Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Announced as far back as 2007, this prequel to the massively popular Deus Ex is not without high expectations. Whilst I couldn’t tell you how this plays compared to the original, I can certainly say that this third instalment is great fun to play.

The most appealing aspect of this game is how addictive the difficulty it is. Jump out at the wrong time and bam, you’re dead Jim. A quick reload later and you’re raring to go again. This eagerness stems from how well the game balances skill, challenge and capability. With the weapons being so high powered, each encounter feels within your grasp, at least given the right tact. With just a few shots, you can level half your opponents and with a well placed grenade, you turn the remaining foes into a not-so-synchronised gymnastics act. Adam Jessen – lead character and love child of Clint Eastwood and Neo – certainly isn’t invulnerable himself, with a grenade often spelling your demise. When you couple this gun play with some pre-scripted, highly satisfying (if not slightly corny) slow-mo stealth kills, you have yourself some pretty awesome gameplay.

While there’s more to the gameplay than just the combat, the rest of it is more of a mixed bag. The ability to upgrade, for instance, is great. There are many directions in which you can take your player, providing not only a reasonable amount of replay-ability, but a decent incentive to invest in the side missions. The interactive conversations are also handled very well, arguably far better than those in L.A. Noire. The variation between choices is genuinely intriguing and picking a logical line of questioning always seems to be well rewarded. That said, the amount of exposition in the game does become a bit tiresome, especially if you’re not familiar with the franchise.

Whilst such a criticism is pretty minor, the game isn’t without its doozies. For one, I found the cover system hugely frustrating at times, with Jessen occasionally refusing to take aim. The AI also isn’t without its issues. Enemies are very quick to dismiss the disappearance of their colleagues and refrain from giving chase if it involves using a door. Whilst such forgetful and reluctant behaviour allows for a more gung-ho playing style (my personal favourite), it does reduce the believability of the game. Artistically, the game is harder to fault, with its art style drawing inspiration from the likes of Blade Runner. That said, for the most part, everything looks plastic, characters lack detail and the lighting generally looks pretty average. Despite its shortcomings though, overall the game is still good fun to play.

TORBEN SKO

46

OMG. Could the producers of the Australian version of Celebrity Apprentice (WIN, Mon-Fri, 7pm) have chosen a more embarrassing collection of pseudo celebrities? Let’s just hope this disaster waiting to happen never sees the light of day on foreign shores. At the very least someone should pass a law that Pauline Hanson is never allowed to appear on TV again. You could also add Warwick Capper (who should never be described with terms like ‘‘80s icon’) and ‘celebrity agent’ Max Markson (who doesn’t deserve that title if he advises his clients to be involved in this claptrap).

On the back of shows like The Gruen Transfer and Gruen Planet (ABC1, Wed, 9pm) that use the sausage-making in advertising and PR as a comedy vehicle, film and telly have been given the same treatment in The Bazura Project (ABC1, Thu, 9pm) and The Joy of Sets (WIN, Tue, 9pm). And while Bazura is less wooden and more entertaining than the Tony Martin/Myles Barlow effort, they have limited themselves to a series of cheap gags without the insight of Gruen. Blackbox is a huge fan of Martin and a devotee of Working Dog’s champagne comedy and really really wanted to love it but so far Joy of Sets is more sparkling Chardy.

Yes, there is some good news in TV land and it starts with Haven (ABC2, Mon Nov 7, 8.30pm), a new supernatural series set in Maine, complete with an FBI investigator. Based on a Steven King novella, it’s essentially The X-Files in one place without the government conspiracy. Add to that American Horror Story (11, Tue Nov 1, 9.30pm) and you’ve got a decent suspense/mystery line-up at last.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a suspense/horror series that was more about the story and the fright than the pin-up quality of its cast, but American Horror Story with the inimitable Jessica Lange does this well. Also watch out for Psychoville Halloween Special (ABC2, Mon Oct 31, 10.15pm) to put you in the mood.

Not to be missed docos include Sunday Best: Out of the Ashes (ABC2, Sun Nov 6, 8.30pm) which follows the Afghan cricket team, Happy Hookers (SBS1, Fri Nov 4, 10pm) which looks at young women in London turning to escort work to fund their lavish lifestyles, Sunday Best: Born into Brothels (ABC2, Sun Oct 30, 8.30pm) which looks at children who grow up in India’s red light districts while the mothers work in the sex industry.

If you’re looking for a movie escape there’s Bond classics Moonraker (7Mate, Sun Oct 30, 8.30pm) and For Your Eyes Only (7Mate, Sat Nov 5, 8.30pm), early ‘90s spy comedy Sneakers (Prime, Sun Oct 30, 2pm), Borat (11, Sun Oct 30, 9pm) and Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing (ABC2, Sat Nov 5, 8.30pm).

It’s about to become even easier to catch up with your fave shows from Auntie, as long as you’ve got an X-box. Auntie’s catchup site will arrive on the X-box platform over summer.

A musical interludes come from triple j Presents Drapht (ABC2, Tue Nov 8, 10.15pm).

Christmas has arrived at pretty much every Canberra shopping destination and that means time to start Blackbox’s annual Santa Watch. This year 30 Rock (Prime, Mon Oct 31, 11.30pm) kicks off our countdown (probably by accident rather than design) with an ep entitled Secret Santa followed by Die Hard 2 (SCTEN, Sat Nov 5, 9.05pm).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyheffernan@bigpond.com

47

the word

Chris Cornell The Canberra Theatre Friday October 7

on gigs

“You’ve gone soft Chris!” slurred an overzealous bogan from the lefthand side of the theatre. Cornell strummed his pristine acoustic axe, grinned from behind a Jesus-like beard and flicked aside his long wavy rock ‘n’ roll helmet, retorting coolly “Yeah, I guess I have.”

30 minutes earlier…

The rear laneway of the Canberra Theatre was blocked by a large white semi, the first hint that tonight’s show, although billed as a ‘stripped back’ experience, would provide large scale professionalism and production to the nth degree. The lobby was bustling with darkly clothed rock fans; people were jostling for a spot at the bar, sandwiched around small round tables and struggling to hold onto their quota of empty beer bottles. Then the moment finally came: “Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Cornell will be on stage in five minutes.” Within seconds the horde of sauced up fanatics had dispersed into the main room, leaving behind a wake of empty Pringles tins and enough hastily discarded glassware to fill a small in-ground pool.

The drones at ANU Bar, friday october 7

Inside the red belly of the theatre the stage was flanked by six imposing guitars and a single turntable. Soon the murmurs of the crowd erupted into a deafening roar welcoming Cornell on stage.

As fans all know, his recent ascent (or descent, depending on your opinion) into hardcore Christianity has transformed him physically and tonight his classic gothic warrior look has given way to khaki slacks and a humble white t-shirt. Appearances aside, as soon as he unleashed the trademark gravelly monster from the depths of his diaphragm, the entire room sat captivated in awe.

A theatre is a dangerous place for a rock performance, for as everyone knows, as soon as a boozy bogan is placed in some kind of confined public seating arrangement their inner monologue is set to ‘off’ and every small thought they have is vomited out in the most Australian of twangs. “Play Seeewn-gaaarden!” yells one, taking advantage of the very first moment of silence; his pissy plea starting a chain reaction, an almighty Mexican sound-wave of ill-timed requests. “Spoon Meeeen!”, “Black Hole Sun!!!” and so on.

Luckily Cornell was a consummate professional, holding himself on stage like a seasoned stand up, replying to each increasingly embarrassing remark with a smile and a surprisingly witty response.

Cornell moved through a bunch of left field solo tracks, a couple of Audioslave anthems and even a Temple of The Dog classic, but as the loudmouth interactive audience had made clear, it was the Soundgarden back catalogue that everyone was baying for. It was here that Cornell really delivered, belting out hits like Black Hole Sun and Fell On Black Days; his mind-blowing vocal range embraced by unbelievably precise guitar work. The break between songs summoned rapturous applause – sometimes he changed guitar, others he grabbed a vinyl record, slapped it on the lone turntable and played alongside.

photos: andrew mayo

After almost two hours, the man declared that the show was over and disappeared offstage to an emotional thunderclap of hands and voices. Predictably, he returned soon after for a short encore, treating the crowd to a surprising set of re-worked classics including Billy Jean and Imagine. Tonight proved that Chris Cornell is still a rock god. You can take away the drums, you can take away the bass – hell, take the whole damn band if you want to – but the Seattle-bred legend of American grunge loses nothing on his own.

For he is the voice of a genre, a true reminder of the best and most influential generation of modern rock music.

Tim Galvin

48

the word

The Jezabels / Hey Rosetta! / Alpine ANU Bar Wednesday October 19

on gigs

If someone told me that everyone in Canberra went to see The Jezabels I wouldn’t have disagreed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen ANU Bar so packed! I also saw a couple of girls collapse from exhaustion or just too much of something (this was fortunately dealt with pretty quickly by the eagle-eyed security guards and the accommodating and friendly crowd). In any case, it was absolutely worth the sweaty bonding with strangers. Everyone was super eager to see The Jezabels.

Having supported Sparkadia earlier this year, Alpine proved once again that they hold their own on stage, encouraging the already hyped crowd to jive with the best of them. I’m constantly impressed by this band and cannot wait to see more of them in future!

When Hey Rosetta! took to the stage much of the crowd seemed pretty new to the music, but there were obviously a few fans smattered throughout the din, excited to see the Canadians. And I’d say they won a few fans that night. Hey Rosetta!’s music is perfect for building excitement – much of their music starts slow and then rocks out. Unfortunately the cramped space restricted the ability to dance. But I saw a lot of bopping and bubbling enthusiasm.

The sound was a little bit mental… I don’t want to come off as a grandpa, and I’m down with the high decibels, but I found myself nervously throwing back my beers as my friends abandoned ship for a break from the intensity. It can be a bit of a shock to feel your sternum vibrate, especially when you’re immobile. Ultimately, Hey Rosetta!’s unique sound was washed out by the loudness. Lead singer Tim Baker’s voice really shone through it all though. The guy knows how to yell while keeping in tune and how to switch suddenly to singing softly, and that’s hard to pull off. His piercing stare reminded me of The Mona Lisa. The dude knows how to make one weak at the knees.

Just before the main event there was a satisfying momentary pause in the crowd. It was a quiet sort of eagerness, like when a child (or me) waits for their mum to finish mixing cake batter so they can lick the bowl. When The Jezabels appeared on stage, everyone lost their shit and smooshed in.

It would be easy to criticise The Jezabels for not really engaging the crowd and speaking to us, but I don’t think it would have suited the atmosphere. The crowd was eating up each and every song and panting for the next.

As I hadn’t seen The Jezabels live before I was pleased to hear not just recent hit Mace Spray, but also the classic Hurt Me. It’s always nice to hear an audience singing an already nostalgic favourite, especially one as heartfelt as Hurt Me. And of course, The Jezabels gave their debut album its well deserved attention. Endless Summer has already caught on quick, with the crowd singing along and my personal favourite, Long Highway, carried across seamlessly.

Leading lady Hayley Mary popped her hips from left to right, pulling off the rock chick look as well as Karen O. But my eyes were drawn to keyboardist Heather Shannon, who not only timed her vocals and keys to a tee but danced her arse off, despite sitting down! That hair is made to be tossed about!

PHOTOS: james thomson

Disco Biscuit Love was a perfect closer, reminding us of a time when The Jezabels were considered a promising act and who have since delivered ten-fold, and who will continue to satisfy the masses.

Peter Rosewarne

49

GIG GUIDE Oct 26 - Oct 29 wednesday october 26 arts Exhibition – In the light of day Robert Boynes’ works explore the sounds, sensations and movement found in our urban spaces.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Exhibition - Garlands of string

By Kay Lawrence.

CRAFT ACT

Exhibition - Pagan Pop Curated by Yolande Norris.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

Exhibition - Elements: Clay and Fibre Exposing the diverse practice and processes artists employ in exploring clay and fibre respectively.

Live

Exhibition - Space Explorer

New Empire

James Rhodes

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

WODEN BASKETBALL STADIUM

Not your typical classical pianist! Tix through the venue.

THE PLAYHOUSE

BMA Presents Women of Notes Celebrating frontwomen and feat.

Natalie Magee, Cherie Kotek, Nichola Weatherly, Caroline Wallace. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Sal Kimber and the Rollin’ Wheel With Missing Children. 9pm.

By Helen Braund.

Exhibition - Pagan Pop Curated by Yolande Norris.

Joel Harrison (5pm) & Oscar (10pm)

Poetry Slam

Something Different

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Oktoberfest

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

7.30pm, by donation.

Theatre - The Dark Side of Midnight

Jet Market

Presented by Free Rain Theatre Company, set on the eve of Partition in India. From Oct 28-Nov 13.

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

Dance

The Bridge Between and Friends

Wild Summer 2012 CD Launch

THE PHOENIX PUB

With When Giants Sleep, Martha Moxley, Final Lies. 8pm, $12.

COURTYARD STUDIO, CTC

6.30-9.30pm.

Feat. Chris Fraser.

Live

Open Mic Night

Purple Sneakers Presents Bel Air

Hippo Live

POT BELLY BAR

Lucinda Peters

Young, genius musicians casually jamming with an electronic producer.

Noon – 2pm.

CRAFT ACT

HIPPO LOUNGE

Original material plus a mix of jazz standards and bossa novas. 7.30pm, free.

BELGIAN BEER CAFE

9pm, free.

uniJam

UNION COURT, ANU

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Strap on your fly purple Chucks and prepare to make the walls sweat. Free, 8pm.

TRANSIT BAR

A Touch Of Soul HIPPO LOUNGE

Foreplay Fridays

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

uniVibes: Thursday at the Bar

The Vasco Era and Papa vs Pretty

Sun, beer, bands, DJs and fusion on the deck. 2pm – 7pm.

ANU BAR BEER GARDEN

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Chicago Charles

Killing the Sound Acoustic

From 7:30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Something Different Karaoke

She Can DJ runner up, with Cheese, Peking Duk, Shaolin, Offtapia, Skin & Bones. Free before 10pm.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Live

Tix through Ticketek.

From 7.30pm.

Something Different Fame Trivia

Free entry, fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Every Wednesday, from 7.30pm TRANSIT BAR

THURSDAY october 27 Dance Dirtey Rascals

HIPPO LOUNGE

Ashley Feraude

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

9pm ‘til 11pm followed by DJ Pete ‘til 5am. Sing to win cash prizes.

friday october 28

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Faux Real

Alison Wonderland

TRINITY BAR

Jericco

arts Jump!

Charles Chatain

WWW.JUMPMENTORING.COM.AU

Exhibition – In the light of day Robert Boynes’ works explore the sounds, sensations and movement found in our urban spaces.

BEAVER GALLERIES

50

9pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt and Pete.

Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm.

With Perpetual End, Self Is A Seed, Zawmbeez and Martha Moxley. $15 at the door.

Accelerate your career by forming a mentoring relationship with a leading arts professional.

With FourOurHero, Love & Satellites, Drawing North and more. 6pm.

THE MARAM, ERINDALE CENTRE

8.30pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Magic Rob Universe

With Flat Earth Confederacy. 8.30pm, $5 at the door.

POT BELLY BAR

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

8pm, free.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Last Fridays Drinks

Exhibition viewings, entertainment and drinks to kick start the weekend.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

ACT Firefighters 2012 Calendar Launch Meet the men behind the flames. $10 for a calendar, 6.30pm kick off.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

saturday october 29 arts Triptych: Mais Mais Wright Wright

Unique exhibition features the work of one family.

DRILL HALL GALLERY, ANU

Theatre - The Dark Side of Midnight

Presented by Free Rain Theatre Company, set on the eve of Partition in India. From Oct 28-Nov 13.

COURTYARD STUDIO, CTC

Comedy Josh Thomas

Everything Ever tour. One night only. Tix through the venue.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Dance Cube Saturdays

10pm ‘til 5am with DJs Matt and Pete.

Two for one drinks and free entry until 11pm.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Academy Saturdays Feat. Jeff Drake.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

51

GIG GUIDE Oct 29 - Nov 03 saturday october 29 dance

Something Different

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Trivia @ The Phoenix

5-7pm, free.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7:30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm.

Nathan Frost

Something Different

Melbourne Cup

Halloween Black Party

Woden Alive

Faux Real

HIPPO LOUNGE KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

DJs and zombie bar tenders treating you to the scariest night in the capital.

MOOSEHEADS PUB

Sam La More

With Cheese, Celebrity Sex Tape, Dept of Defiance, Dave Norgate, Styles & Hyde. Free before 10pm.

Irish Jam Session From 5pm.

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

monday october 31

TRINITY BAR

Dance

Day Play

Happy Happy Mondays

Moon Festival 2011 - Divercity

Now in its 13th year, featuring dances, arts, puppetry, food, drink ‘n’ more. All day, free entry.

Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar, especiall when there’s two for one pizza.

TRANSIT BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Live

Live

BMA Presents The Halloween Bootleg Sessions

Tijuana Cartel

Sounds on a global scale. Intriguing, energetic and utterly delicious. 8pm.

Fun Machine, Crash the Curb, Nigel Wearne, Drew Walky. 8pm.

Konrad Lenz and the Spirits of the Dead

Something Different

TRANSIT BAR

THE PHOENIX PUB

A wild and jagged sound that pushes the boundaries of folk, blues and rock.

8pm, $10.

Woden Alive

Lavers

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Forgotten Fridays, Cam Mclennan.

9.30pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Stonefest Rock On Party

The Aston Shuffle, Illy, Tonite Only, Flight Facilities and more.

UC

Heuristic

From 7.30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

sunday october 30 arts Wobble Exhibition Opening 6pm.

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

Trivia @ King O’s

Every Monday night. 7pm, free entry, $100 bar tab first prize.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

tuesday november 01 arts Exhibition – In the light of day

Robert Boynes’ works explore the sounds, sensations and movement found in our urban spaces.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Triptych: Mais Mais Wright Wright

THE PHOENIX PUB

Televised coverage from 12pm, drink specials and horses galore.

TRANSIT BAR

Woden Alive

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Karaoke Love

Every Tuesday, from 9pm. Free entry.

TRANSIT BAR

wednesday november 02 Something Different Woden Alive

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm TRANSIT BAR

thursday november 03 arts Cordelia

Presented by Little Dove Theatre Art and Motherboard Productions. Tix through the venue.

THE STREET THEATRE

Theatre - The Dark Side of Midnight

Presented by Free Rain Theatre Company, set on the eve of Partition in India. From Oct 28-Nov 13.

COURTYARD STUDIO, CTC

Live Emdee

“High tech didgeridoo meets drum n bass”. High energy group from remote NT. With The Gaps. 7pm, $10.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Unique exhibition features the work of one family.

Dance

Exhibition - Space Explorer

THE PHOENIX PUB

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE - MANUKA

Hospitality Sundays

10pm ‘til late with DJ TJ. Free entry, free pool and discounted drinks.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB

Hernan Cattaneo (Argentina)

Playing a 3 hour set, with Biggie & Anjay, Jive, Fourthstate, Yohan Strauss and Gabe. $15 Moshtix.

TRINITY BAR

Live Metal/Industrial Night

Nu Maza, Under the Tide. 7.30pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Sunday Best

DRILL HALL GALLERY, ANU

Exhibition - Pagan Pop

Transit Bar presents a night of local bands for your visual and aural enjoyment.

TRANSIT BAR

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE - GORMAN HOUSE

The Bridge Between and Friends

Dance

BELGIAN BEER CAFE

Curated by Yolande Norris.

Trinity Bar - Melbourne Cup Race Day

Big HD screens, $10 ‘tails, music from Mikah Freeman, Peking Duk, Offtapia, Cheese, Shaolin. Free.

TRINITY BAR

Anonymeye (Qld)

From 5pm.

TRANSIT BAR

With Hence the Test Bed.

Local Bands at Transit Bar

Live

Blurring boundaries and creating a truly vibrant, original and mind-bending live experience. Free.

Jimmi Carr Band

By Helen Braund.

Mark Rice. Laidback covers, catchy keyboard. 5-7pm.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

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Sunday Best

Irish Jam Session KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

6.30-9.30pm.

Open Mic Night 9pm, free.

POT BELLY BAR

uniJam

Young, genius musicians casually jamming with an electronic producer.

Noon – 2pm.

UNION COURT, ANU

uniVibes: Thursday at the Bar

Sun, beer, bands, DJs and fusion on the deck. 2pm – 7pm.

ANU BAR BEER GARDEN

GIG GUIDE Nov 03 - Nov 09 Tim Finn

saturday november 05

With special guests. Tix $45.50 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au, 6275 2700.

arts

THE PLAYHOUSE

Cordelia

Special K

Presented by Little Dove Theatre Art and Motherboard Productions. Tix through the venue.

From 7:30pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Something Different

THE STREET THEATRE

Dance

Woden Alive

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

Downtown Brown & Princi KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Day Play

friday november 04

FashnTrasure Market

Books, jewellery, records, accessories, hats, frocks and pretty much everything second hand.

arts

OLD BUS DEPOT MARKETS

Cordelia

Presented by Little Dove Theatre Art and Motherboard Productions. Tix through the venue.

THE STREET THEATRE

Woden Valley Festival

Live music, food, rides, themed villages.

10am. Free!

EDDISON PARK, WODEN

Dance

Live

Soul. Be In It

Tristen Bird

Those gnarly funk freakers lay down more of those mighty jams on four turntables and three mixers.

He deals in subtle, intimate, mooddriven storytelling. With Esther Lamb & Mike Antoniou. 8pm, $10.

TRANSIT BAR

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Jemist

The Shake Up

KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE

With Life and Limb.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Live

King Cannons

The April Maze

This friendly yet fiercely passionate duo combine folk, classical and soul music.

With James Fahy.

THE FRONT CAFE AND GALLERY

Foreshore Sound Search Finals Bands battle it out for a slot on the Foreshore bill.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Exhibition - Pagan Pop

Curated by Yolande Norris.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Dance Happy Happy Mondays

Every Monday is a Happy one at Transit Bar, especiall when there’s two for one pizza.

TRANSIT BAR

Live CMC presents The Bootleg Sessions THE PHOENIX PUB

Something Different Trivia @ King O’s

Every Monday night. 7pm, free entry, $100 bar tab first prize.

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

tuesday november 08 Live

Trivia @ The Phoenix

Enjoy a vague sense of accomplishment. From 7:30pm, with $10 cocktails from 9pm.

THE PHOENIX PUB

Karaoke Love

Every Tuesday, from 9pm. Free entry.

TRANSIT BAR

wednesday november 09 arts Exhibition - Pagan Pop

Curated by Yolande Norris.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE GORMAN HOUSE

Void without Void

Presented by serious theatre. Navigate the far reaches in a multi-arts production.

THE STREET THEATRE

Exhibition – In the light of day Robert Boynes’ works explore the sounds, sensations and movement found in our urban spaces.

BEAVER GALLERIES

Something Different Fame Trivia

Tuck & Patti

Free entry, fantastic prizes, bookings are essential. 6pm.

THE STREET THEATRE

Fame Trivia @ Transit

Two hearts, one guitar, once voice. 8pm.

P J O’REILLY’S, CIVIC

Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm TRANSIT BAR

TRANSIT BAR

Something Different Woden Alive

A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

Landspeed Records - Record Fair

KING O’MALLEY’S, CIVIC

Something Different A diverse, fun and exciting program of events and activities. wodenalive. org.au .

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

arts

Something Different

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Special K (5pm) & Leanne Melmoth (10pm)

Woden Alive

With Jackson Firebird and The Strums.

Tix through Moshtix.

monday november 07

With over 2000 used LPs from rock, pop, indie, jazz, soul, metal, punk, dance & more. 10am, free.

LANDSPEED RECORDS

sunday november 06 Live Sunday Best

The Night Café. Latin gypsy swing.

5-7pm.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

OUT NOV09

FORESHORE EDDIE CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING LADYHAWKE TIM FREEDMAN BRITISH INDIA ...AND MORE!

53

FIRST CONTACT

SIDE A: BMA BAND profile

Goji Berry Jam

Photo: Alex Moffatt

Describe your sound: An eclectic and improvised mix of six instrumentalists and a producer. Everything is completely live; violin, banjo, bass, guitar, keys, djembe, vocals, didgeridoo and a producer, all together in synergy. A fusion of organic and electronic.

What are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Everyone in this band comes from a different background – from rock to techno to jazz. Our inspiration comes from Hendrix to Beats Antique – the fusion masters.

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

From improv gigs at Union Court at ANU to boiling the dance floor at Opiuo in Clubhouse to a full rock out at Dragon Dreaming 2011; it was amazing.

What are your plans for the future?

BE THE GADDAFI OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY (jks).

What makes you laugh? <Anonymous> on three trips at Dragon Dreaming.

What pisses you off?

Mooseheads.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

Canberra is seriously lacking in decent venues. Only with the right environment can the underground surface.

What are your upcoming gigs? uniVibes at the Carillon with one of Australia’s best electronic producers, Sunday session, ridiculous sound system – TBA. Keep an eye out for this not-to-miss party.

54

Aaron Peacey Aaron 0410 381 306 Activate Jetpack activatejetpack@ hotmail.com Adam Hole Adam 0421 023 226 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 Amplif5’d Classic rock covers band Joy 0407 200 428, joybarac-heath@hotmail.com Annie & the Armadillos Annie 6161 1078/0422 076 313 The Ashburys Dan Craddock 0419 626 903 Aria Stone, sax & flute, singer/ songwriter (guitar) Aria 0411 803 343 Australian Songwriters Association (Keiran Roberts) 6231 0433 Arythmia: Ben 0423 408 767/ arythmiamusic@gmail.com Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422 733 974, www.backbeatdrivers.com Big Boss Groove Andrew 0404 455 834, www.bigbossgroove.com.au Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows - bookings@birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438 351 007 Blister Bug Stu 0408 617 791 Bridge Between, The Rachel 0412 598 138, thebridgebetween.com.au Bruce Stage mgr/consultant 6254 9857 Caution Horses Nigel 0417 211 580 Chris Harland Blues Band 0418 490 640 chrisharlandbluesband@yahoo.com.au Clear Vision Films rehearsals/film clips/stunts - 0438 647 281 wcoulton.clearvisionfilms.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415 982 662 /colebennetts.com Cris Clucas Cris 6262 5652 Crooked Dave 0421 508 467 Danny V Danny 6238 1673/0413 502 428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402 845 132 D’Opus & Roshambo hifidelitystyles@yahoo.com DJs Madrid and Gordon 0417 433 971 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 Easy Mode Daz 0404 156 482, easymodeband@gmail.com Entity Chris 0412 027 894 Epic Flagon band@epicflagon.com Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402 055 314 Final Warning Brendan 0422 809 552 Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410 381 306/ Lachlan 0400 038 388 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 Groovalicious Corporate/Weddings/ Private functions 0448 995 158 groovalicious@y7mail.com Guy The Sound Guy live & studio sound engineer, 0400 585 369, guy@ guythesoundguy.com 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 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 Jim Boots 0417 211 580 Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408 287 672, paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Karismakatz DJ Gosper 0411 065 189/ dj@karismakatz.com Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417 025 792 Little Smoke Sam 0411 112 075 Los Chavos Andy 0401 572 150 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 Words for You: writer/publicity/events Megan ph 6154 0927, megan@wordsforyou.com.au Mercury Switch Lab Studios mercuryswitch@internode.on.net Missing Zero Hadrian Brand 0424 721 907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Huck 0419 630 721 MuShu Jack 0414 292 567, mushu_band@hotmail.com MyOnus myonusmusic@hotmail.com/ www.myspace.com/myonus No Retreat Simon 0411 155 680 Ocean Moses Nigel 0417 211 580 OneWayFare Chris 0418 496 448 Painted Hearts, The Peter 6248 6027 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 Rafe Morris 0416 322 763 Redletter Ben 0421 414 472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404 178 996/6162 1527 Rhythm Party, The Ross 0416 010 680 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 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 Super Best Friends Matt 0438 228 748 Surrender Jordan 0439 907 853 Switch 3 Mick 0410 698 479 System Addict Jamie 0418 398 556 The Morning After (covers band) Anthony 0402 500 843/ myspace.com/themorningaftercovers Tiger Bones & The Ferabul-Zers Danny feralbul@aapt.net.au Tim James Lucia 6282 3740, LUCIAMURDOCH@hotmail.com Top Shelf Colin 0408 631 514 Transmission Nowhere Emilie 0421 953 519/myspace.com/ transmissionnowhere 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 Zero Degrees and Falling Louis 0423 918 793 Zwish 0411 022 907

MO SEpresents

Official Facebook Event

Halloween Black Party TRICK OR TREAT!?

From dusk til dawn, mooooseheads brings you a night like no other. With giveaways and prizes for those who dress up. And a balloon drop at the stroke of midnight! + djs and zombie bar tenders treating you to the scariest night in the capital.

CODE

S DRE S

r

T ric ksNT rea ts for everyone

a k we blac

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WIT

new promo c d for t hose an phm mor dressed u p!

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bie Zom

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29

th Saturday O ctober

Step inside Canberras haunted nightclub...

We dare you!

BOOHAHAHA!

MO SEHEADS 55 mooseheads pub&nightclub

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