BMA Magazine 416 April 24 2013

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Local Punk Group Revellers to Launch New EP: Night Time Lunatics

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#416APRIL24 Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Scott Layne Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Advertising Manager Scott Johnston T: (02) 6257 4360 E: sales@bmamag.com

Editor Ashley Thomson

T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Hongyan Ao

T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor & Social Media Manager Greta Kite-Gilmour

With tracks from local bands, singer-songwriters and producers trickling onto Unearthed and Soundcloud every week, the launch of an album or EP has become an event to be treasured. A band that is prepared to create cover art, write liner notes, have its music recorded and mastered, plan and promote a launch gig, and, most importantly, shell out the dosh necessary for the aforementioned tasks – that band deserves credit. This month, that band is Revellers.

Having enlisted local Pete Akhurst and Brisbane indie rock group My Fiction as their supports, Revellers will be launching their new EP, Night Time Lunatics, at Transit Bar on Saturday May 18. The boys recorded Night Time Lunatics towards the end of 2012 with local Wollongong legend Adam Jordan. They then sent the sessions over to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be mixed and mastered by Stephen Egerton from The Descendents. In their own words, ‘Revellers aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, nor are they trying to do something that hasn’t been done before – but they are here to keep playing the music they love and make sure they have an absolute ball at the same time. They’re here to make sure you do too.’ Visit

revellersmusic.com or facebook.com/revellersact to find out more, and visit Landspeed Records to purchase a copy of the new EP.

Inaugural Canberra Comedy Festival a Success, Will Return Over five days and nights in March, the first ever Canberra Comedy Festival proved what many in the local comedy community had suspected: Canberra’s fervent love of live comedy would translate into a diverse and spectacularly patronised comedy festival.

The festival, which ran from Tuesday March 19 to Saturday March 23, posted whopping audience numbers, with local, interstate, and international comedians performing over 28 shows, selling 90% capacity for a total box office of almost 4,000 tickets. Sold out shows were a mainstay rather than an exception, with highlights including the Opening Night Gala hosted by the Stevenson Experience and special guest Akmal, an extra show by Stephen K Amos to cope with demand, and a live marriage proposal mid-show at Tripod on the closing night of the festival.

Local favourites The Stevenson Experience and Dan Connell, as well as Celia Pacquola and Luke Heggie, all played to packed houses. Those responsible for the festival are already planning the next. Said Festival Director Tim Duck, ‘Lock it in your diaries: March 2014. It’s going to be bigger and better.

Next year’s line-up will blow

your mind.’ The festival will be scouting acts and opening for expressions of interest from performers and volunteers later in the year. Keep an eye on the website to stay across future announcements: canberracomedyfestival .com.au.

Dendy Launch ‘Centenary of Film’ Competition In celebration of Canberra’s Centenary, Dendy Cinemas will be hosting a Centenary of Film, which will showcase images from the best films from the last 100 years – as voted by the people. You, the public, will have two weeks from Thursday April 25 to Tuesday May 7 to vote for the top films of all time and by doing so go in the draw to win a prize pack. From Wednesday May 8, the 100 films voted by Canberrans will be revealed.

Each day ten still images from the top 100 films and stacks of prizes will be released through Dendy’s website, Facebook and Twitter, concluding with the release of the top ten on Friday May 17. Consequently the BMA staff have opened a betting pool – for every film we pick that appears in the top ten, we get an extra pull on the trigger of a six-shooter loaded with a single bullet and pointed at a fellow staff member. Huzzah!

If The Shawshank Redemption doesn’t bring death to this office, nothing will. Get involved with the campaign – or buy tickets to a special screening of staff pick Gone With the Wind – at dendy.com.au or via Twitter (@DendyCanberra).

Graphic Design Marley Film Editor Melissa Wellham NEXT ISSUE 417 OUT MAY 8 EDITORIAL DEADLINE APRIL 29 ADVERTISING DEADLINE MAY 2

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Revellers artwork by Glenno Smith.

Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN Greetings campers, I trust this column finds you well (said the vicar to the nun). I write this with a zip of the fingers and a spring in the step as I recently experienced the joy of witnessing my brother-in-law Adam get hitched to his lovely wife Nichola. As an old hand of three years in the marriage game, I wish to take this opportunity to bestow some handy tips...

So you’ve just got hitched... Congratulations! Your life as you know it is now officially over. The woman you have just married has likely taken your last name which is a big deal; a casting aside of the family name. All she expects in return is a teeny tiny little thing, which is EVERYTHING YOU ARE. Woman are put on this planet to mould you into their exact desired shape. The sooner you come to peace with this the better. They will always win they have more resilience and smarts than us, plus they can do two things at once which is just... Just insane - and resisting will merely eek out the whole sordid experience.

You are on the first step to a slow, calculated and methodical character realignment. Before long you will dress differently, eat differently and act differently. The following pointers will help you deal with these inevitable changes: - You are now for all intents and purposes a living clothes-horse, a veritable lifesize Ken doll that your wife will dress according to her taste. You will be completely transformed, but this won’t happen overnight. The integration will be subtle and crafty; a generous birthday gift of smart slacks to replace your favourite moth-ridden tracky-dacks here, a Christmas present of a simplepatterned shirt to replace your swiss cheese Big Lebowski t-shirt there. Before long your beloved stoner facade will be replaced with a sartorial elegance that will allow you to get ‘a real job’.

There is nothing you can do to stop this, so just go with it.

YOU PISSED ME OFF! Care to immortalise your hatred in print? Send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and see your malicious bile circulated to thousands. [All entries contain original spellings.]

To the guy on the #58 bus on Tuesday 9/4 from the city who got off at the stop before Flemington road, MAAAAYTE, you pissed me off. I was snooping, because unlike me you don’t have a privacy screen on your LG phone... Seriously? You went through 3 drafts of telling her you don’t want a relationship ... I’m really glad you didn’t go with the I’m not ready for grandkids and a wink version, or the friends is good version, please don’t tell me your final version was the one you came up with prior to departing my snoopalicious bus... ‘It was good to meet you properly.’ You were my entertainment for the day, and also that of all my Facebook friends. So really you made me happy and sad at the same time...

Please tell me what happened! It’s like watching toddlers and tiaras and getting a Foxtel error message pop up when they’re about to announce queen supreme! Shattered.

- Strange green items will start appearing on your plate. Don’t panic; your wife isn’t trying to poison you (she’ll wait until the seven year mark for that). These are called ‘vegetables’. The way to deal with this is simple - instead of wiping your mouth on your sleeve as usual, ask your wife for a serviette. She will gleefully fetch one as she’ll believe you’re finally learning ‘manners’. While her back is turned, quickly unscrew your prepared mini bottle of bourbon and pour over anything green. Mmmmm... Fortifying!

- As much as you promise to evenly share a space, your wife will slowly take over the entire living area using shoes like little Risk pieces, squeezing out your treasured DVD/CD/comic collections one shelf space at a time. Before long your house will resemble the interior of FSW Shoes and you’ll stare around with a dumb lug look and wonder, ‘When did that happen?’ Rent out a U-StowIt storage place and stash all your stuff in there. Leave for work early (she’ll think you’re being hard-working and studious) and spend half an hour in your man cave each morning to rejuvenate.

- Contrary to popular belief, you should always leave the toilet seat up. Women actually love this as it gives them something to complain about. It also handily distracts them from the litany of your much more serious faults. Like pissing in the pot-plants (Seriously, who can be bothered walking all the way to the toilet, right fellas?)

- If she asks, ‘What are you thinking about?’ DO NOT say, ‘DAMN you’re sister’s hot,’... Instead, say... ‘Football.’

A big congrats to you Adam and Nic. Heed my words and you’ll at least make it to your paper anniversary.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: Dawn Heist, Red Bee, NASJAP and more WHAT: Devastator Fest WHEN: Sat Apr 27 WHERE: The Basement

In this, the second Devastator Fest, Phoenix Red Entertaiment has upped the ante, creating a three-show tour, taking place over three different locations. Along with the three shows, three headliners were chosen to bring you the Triple Threat Tour. Sydney’s Dawn Heist are joined by energetic Blue Mountains three-piece Red Bee, who will be supporting their amazing new album Ictus. Sydney’s Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel will also be backing their debut release, The Trilogy Volume 4. The three headliners will be joined by a host of other acts over the three-show span, with each show offering something different. 7:30pm. Door $15.

WHO: Activate Jetpack WHAT: Album Launch WHEN: Sat Apr 27 WHERE: ANU Bar

After their self-produced, self-titled debut album received widespread praise in March 2010, post-grunge, pop-punk powerhouse Activate Jetpack are preparing to release their second album, The Future You Fear. Featuring heavier guitars, ferocious riffs, and a rejuvenated rhythm section, the new line-up has forged a more aggressive identity. As the title suggests, this record is littered with thoughts about the paths life may take. Whilst darker than the debut, their sophomore is not without quirky moments to remind listeners not to take the journey too seriously. Supported by Fires In July and Two Lead Fish. 8pm. Free.

WHO: Hayward Williams & The Yearlings WHAT: Album Launch WHEN: Thu May 2 WHERE: The Abbey

Wisconsin’s Hayward Williams returns to Australia for the third time to release his fourth album, Haymaker. Joining him on guitars, vocals and drums for this tour will be Adelaide’s The Yearlings. Williams is known here and abroad for his Americana-soaked songwriting, his soaring tenor and warm and expressive musicianship. Whether he’s in the wood-panelled bars of the American mid-west, city and country pubs around Australia, or small clubs across Europe, the result is always the same: the room halts, noises recede and clocks slow. Haymaker is available to purchase at: haywardwilliams.com.

6:30pm. $25 + bf through theabbey.com.au.

WHO: Tobias Moldenhauer WHAT: Album Launch WHEN: Thu May 2 WHERE: The Front

A guitarist and singer-songwriter of European background, Moldenhauer recorded his solo demo in Europe 2005, before hitting the road to play music in both hemispheres. 2013 sees the touring of the latest release Solitary Bones, described as ‘a solid Blues sound with excursions into a jazzy world of unconventional folk music’.

Solo performances feature effect pedal-driven acoustic guitar, bottleneck slide resonator guitar and melodic finger-picking in open tunings. His music strives to add a fresh footprint onto the sands of contemporary guitar music. Have a listen to his unique sound at tobiasmoldenhauer.com. 8pm. $5 student/$8 concession.

WHO: The Cashews, Lavers, The Burley Griffin WHAT: Cotter Restoration Celebration WHEN: Sun May 5 WHERE: Bullock Paddock Rd, Uriarra Forest

The once fire-ravaged Cotter is now flourishing thanks to a massive community replanting effort that has resulted in a whopping 280 hectares being planted with 300,000 trees, shrubs and other species. Three local bands will provide the soundtrack for this event, which celebrates the planters who have helped transformed the Cotter region since the devastating 2003 bushfires. The day will also include guided tours of recovery sites, aboriginal plant use talks, a final tree planting, and the creation of a mural that will depict what the landscape may look like in 100 years. From 9:30am, music from 12:30pm. Free. canberra100.com.au.

WHO: Royal Chant, Hailer, New Brutalists WHAT: Garage Syndicate, Vol. 1 WHEN: Sat May 11 WHERE: The Phoenix

The first edition of Garage Syndicate takes over The Phoenix as a call to arms and a showcase of the perpetual shrug. Featuring bands born from the bedrooms, basements, gutters and garages of Sydney, the stage is set for those who haven’t forgotten their primitive and primal roots. New Brutalists combine soul and sex in a constant drive towards the nether-regions of human existence; Royal Chant bring their poetic incoherence to Canberra for the first time in over three years; Hailer exhibit all the swagger, shuffle, and sharp edges you’d expect from a fledgling band. Different takes on the same theme: leave your guts on stage. 9pm. Free.

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morgan richards Have you ever been out in a club and wondered if anyone is actually listening? Dancing along? Sure. Talking over the top?

Always plenty of that. But really listening to the song being played? In the world of electronic music, it seems to be a luxury reserved for home-listening techno nerds and their audiophileapproved headphones and lavish soundsystems. Even the term IDM, ‘intelligent dance music’, has fallen out of favour and seems to hark back to ‘90s experimental electronica like Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. Replace that ‘I’ with an ‘E’ for ‘electronic’ and you have the homogenised mess that dominates our airwaves.

True appreciators of electronica generally have to tide themselves over with occasional well-curated events. Happily, there’s one around the corner, and what a treat it’s shaping up to be.

Called simply SENSE, it’s an afternoon and evening ‘spanning multiple artforms, from piano to poetry to electronica’, says event manager David Caffery. ‘We’re converting a contemporary gallery with natural light and gardens into a concert venue – the bar, food, surround sound system, projectors and installations are all designed specifically for it.’

‘More than just club music’ is a bit of an understatement. As one of the most versatile producers in electronic music, the Australianborn, UK-based Cooper is known for his deft balance between melody and glitch. He’s equally skilled as a remixer, having applied his singular touch to everything from Hot Chip to Portishead, as well as avant-garde types such as Michael Nyman and Nils Frahm.

Although Cooper is the event headliner, he’ll be playing in the afternoon – giving him the chance to play a less dancefloorfocused set, explains Caffery. Instead, closing the night will be psychedelic sound-sorceror Hypnagog, aka Felix Greenlees.

He’s a well-loved figure in the outdoor electronic festival scene, performing as both Hypnagog and the more psytrance-focused Terrafractyl. ‘I loved goa and psytrance from the moment I heard it,’ remembers Greenlees. ‘But when I tried to write it, I discovered there is a real skill in writing music that propels you to move, and they are quite different skills to the ones required to write music for the head. . . I’ve always wanted to make music that you can sit down, close your eyes and listen to, but then in another time and place maybe it will make you want to jump around and dance.’

Like a child who demands only food they have enjoyed previously, the listener whose hearing has regressed can respond only to a repetition of what they had heard before

Event co-producer Yohan Iddawela says a lot of the inspiration behind the event came from a previous event called Synthesis he helped organise at Transit Bar last year. ‘Most nightclubs are quite sterile and alienating – the music is usually overwhelmingly loud, and people are so loaded on amphetamines that it becomes quite an individualistic and isolating experience.

The main objective of Sense is to subvert and reconfigure traditional dance music events. There appears to be an absence of any underlying logic or thought process in relation to why these events are put on, let alone their aesthetic dimensions or the way they are structured.’

It’s not often that chatting to the event organisers yields insight just as fascinating as that of the artists. But, on the other hand, when said organisers claim ‘a bunch of dead philosophers’ as their inspiration, you know it’s going to be a well thought-out production. Iddawela explains, ‘I’ve been influenced to some extent by Theodor Adorno’s aesthetic philosophy and musicology.

The commercialisation of dance music has encouraged a greater range of homogenous, standardised music geared towards to the masses. Adorno talks about how this may lead to a “regression of listening”; like a child who demands only food they have enjoyed previously, the listener whose hearing has regressed can respond only to a repetition of what they had heard before. And what Sense is really trying to do is reach out and support those artists who are doing something new and different.’

Caffery agrees. Max Cooper hasn’t played here before. Hypnagog’s only played here in the city [in a club environment]. If he’s not playing in a club, he’s generally playing at a festival out in the bush somewhere. . . [Sense] will definitely give a different context.

[Cooper] as well is someone who has proven that he can play much more than just club music.’

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Greenless says a more traditional musical upbringing enabled him to bridge the gap between psytrance and Tchaikovsky. ‘My classical music background gave me a great head start when it came to writing music to tickle the brain. Actually, it’s pretty much integral to the way I write music. . . I spend a lot of time improvising what I would call classical music, as well as jazz, on the piano in my studio. This is where I come up with many of my melodic ideas.’

Aside from the musical side of the event, other artforms such as poetry and visual art will be represented. In addition to various art installations in the gallery, Caffery says, there’s will also be live visual collaboration between a VJ and sculptor/painter. ‘They’ve developed a project using broken instruments, glass and other objects which are moved around on a board and filmed. . . The effect is a moving, pulsing kaleidoscope of these objects.’

In another example of this fusion, Greenlees says he plans to bring his homemade modular analogue synthesiser along. ‘I’ve only ever used a few times in a live set,’ he explains, ‘but it can add some really amazing sounds. Also, I don’t often get a chance to play three-hour sets. This really allows you to do some storytelling with your music, as well as playing more experimental music. At my usual sets and gigs, the focus is nearly entirely on the dancefloor and the reactions that are created there. Of course I love doing this, but I also have plenty of music that I’ve really written to create a headspace of certain feelings and emotions, rather than just propel you to dance. I think this will be a perfect opportunity.’

Sense will take place at Nishi Gallery, Saturday May 4, and features Max Cooper, Hypnagog, and locals Miroslav Trio, CJ Bowerbird, Gabriel Gilmour, Yohan Strauss, Michael Liu, Adam Cook, Finnigan & Brother, Brian O’Biri-Asare and more. For event details visit newacton.com/thinktosense. Tickets are $34 + bf.

@bmamag

LOCALITY

I have meticulously overwrought beefs with Game of Thrones with the best of them, but that doesn’t stop me endorsing pub rock duo King of the North. They’re hitting The Basement on Wednesday April 24 at 8pm and are supported by locals Kid You Not (see this issue’s Band Profile). If their YouTube live footage is a good measure, they put on quite the show. $10 door.

From the same date, local art super-collective Random9 have an exhibition showing at Belconnen Arts Centre: 100. It’s open 10am to 5pm every day but Monday and features a flawless array of Canberra artists.

The Front Gallery and Café plays host to new folk outfit Dash on Thursday April 25. They’re touring their new EP, And Then There Were None, which is a brilliant, atmospheric four-track debut, and will be supported by locals Xav Ier and Cromwell. Things kick off at 7:30pm and it’s $5. Also that night, at The Phoenix Bar, local Bacon Cakes appears with Library Siesta and Paul Macadam from 9pm.

The Polish White Eagle Club’s Friday nights are becoming a brusque, reliable tradition thanks to Canberra Musicians Club.

Friday April 26 sees interstaters Last Leaves being supported by The Ellis Collective, No Stars and Glenroi Heights from 8pm. Door prices are TBA but never unreasonable.

I’m considerably out of my element here, but The Basement will be hosting Devastator Fest on Saturday April 27. Acid Nymph, Spear Brittany, Emersus, In Death, Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel, Johnny Roadkill, Red Bee, Na Maza, Dawn Heist and Beneath The Tides will all be playing and doors open 7pm. $15 door.

Just the facts.

Also that Saturday, Nishi Gallery will host Woven Words. Featuring three writers who contributed to the recent Canberran collection The Invisible Thread, Woven Words sill have them read aloud from their pieces. The night also features musical accompaniment from Adam Cook and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Things start rolling at 7:30pm.

Wednesday May 1 through Saturday May 4 sees me once again out of my element, this time for Canberra’s first ever ‘Fashfest’. There will be a lot of statuesque bony people wearing clothes you don’t see anywhere else and walking in pairs of parallel lines. Music will be provided by DJ Rush, Doppel, SAFIA, Shotgun Cubs and more. To be honest, I’ll probably go simply to stay true to trying anything once.

You can get tickets for all four nights at fashfest.com.au.

And to finish, Joe Oppenheimer will be appearing at The Phoenix on Thursday May 2 with locals Elisha Bones and Cuddlefish. If you haven’t seen Oppenheimer perform, he cannot be recommended highly enough.

And that’s everything local I care about. (Except for what’s on page 14. Go look.)

ASHLEY THOMSON - editorial@bmamag.com

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ALL AGES Hey folks! The weather may be slowly getting colder, but that’s definitely no excuse to stay inside when there’s this much going on for everyone. And I mean everyone. Yes, I’m talking to you, future journalists, guitarists, death growlers and dancers!

So young journalists, how does a journalism internship for a credible and respected online publication sound? The Kids Are All Right is an online community that provides support and advice for the parents of teenagers and they’re looking for an inside opinion. The articles that you write will be aimed at parents, but cover issues that relate to young people. One-off submissions are also welcome. Expressions of interest should email contact@ thekidsareallright.com.au and for more details on the internship, visit thekidsareallright.com.au/journalism-internship.

Festival-goers! Get excited for Groovin’ the Moo which graces The Meadows at University of Canberra on Sunday April 28. Much like this column, this line-up has something for everyone: Alison Wonderland, Alpine, The Amity Affliction, The Bronx (USA), Dz Deathrays, Example (UK), Flume, Frightened Rabbit (UK), Hungry Kids of Hungary, The Kooks (UK), Last Dinosaurs, Matt and Kim (USA), Midnight Juggernauts, Pez, Regurgitator, Seth Sentry, Shockone, Tame Impala, Tegan and Sara (CAN), The Temper Trap, They Might Be Giants (USA), Tuka with Ellesquire, Urthboy, Dj Woody’s Big Phat 90’s Mixtape (UK), Yacht (USA), Yolanda Be Cool.

Don’t forget to add triple j Unearthed winners SAFIA and Canberra’s own Citizen Kay, Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens and Elisha Bones.

Tickets are available from Moshtix for $99.90 + bf.

Yo, Homeslice! Have you heard that the Australian Hip Hop Championships are on Saturday June 1 at Lyneham High Schoolizzle? Come along and watch Canberra’s most talented dance crews battle it out for a spot in the National Finals in Melbourne. It’ll be just like every dance movie you’ve ever seen, but better ‘coz it’s real.

Tickets are available from Moshtix for $20 + bf.

Guitarists rejoice! Ever heard of Tobias Moldenhauer? I hadn’t either, until I took a minute to YouTube some of his stuff, and it is ah-mazing! This little European diamond was tucked away into the depths of the internet, but now needs to get the attention he deserves! With his unique guitar style and relaxed vocals, he is not someone you want to miss. He plays at 7:30pm on Thursday May 2 at The Front Gallery and Café. Tickets will be sold at the door, $8 general sale or $5 for concession/student.

Boris the Blade, a five piece deathcore band hailing from Melbourne, have caused a tidal wave of interest since forming in 2011. They’ve made a name for themselves through a series of successful tours and are now bringing their show to the Lanyon Youth Centre on Thursday May 16. Special bundle tickets are for sale from Oztix for $25+ bf. The bundle ticket includes a Boris the Blade shirt and guitar pick. All shirts and guitar picks are redeemable upon entry at the show.

So, kids, let the cold weather know that you don’t fear it and slap that cold snap in the face by getting out there and amongst something you love, whatever that may be, my friend.

Cheers, ANDIE EGAN allagescolumn@gmail.com

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LEAVE YOUR BAGGAGE BEHIND baz ruddick With a career spanning 19 years, SOMETHING FOR KATE have remained a consistently popular force in Australian music, riding a wave of reinvention and ingenuity that has landed them not only with several ARIA awardwinning singles, but the respect and adoration of musiclovers country wide. After a six-year hiatus, the trio (formerly a fourpiece) return with their sixth studio album. I spoke to a sweltering Melbourne-based Paul Dempsey as he spoke about their new album, starting afresh in New York and getting shit done in Texas.

This record was the quickest and probably the best thing we have done

Something For Kate’s sixth studio album, Leave Your Soul to Science, was recorded and produced by John Congleton (of New Pornographers fame) at his studio in Dallas, Texas. A victim of procrastination and perfectionism, Dempsey admits that with John’s help, the band was able to have ‘more fun’ with the album by limiting their time in the studio. ‘We didn’t spend too much time procrastinating. It’s taken us six albums to learn that. As we gained more success we were able to spend longer hours in the studio, tinkering with things ‘til it got to a point where we did that way too much. This record was the quickest thing we have done and probably the best thing we have done because it was all spur of the moment stuff.’ The result is an organic, loose and edgy sounding record from a band that ‘doesn’t sound like they’re really concentrating too hard.’

This sound is complimented perfectly by the band’s lyrical poignancy, their songs ranging from satirical to heartbreakingly melancholic.

Something For Kate’s return to the US to record comes after Dempsey’s own solo sojourn to New York. Being relatively unknown in the US, Paul has found fresh excitement in presenting his melancholy and thought-provoking songwriting to fresh-faced American audiences. ‘It’s an exciting place to play shows and I guess it kind of just keeps me fresh and stimulated. It’s like starting over. We are extremely lucky and grateful for our career in Australia, but there is something really exciting about being in a room of people and making your first impression on them. You just have to keep putting your best foot forward. There is something energizing about brand new crowds.’

Having written and recorded some of their biggest hits abroad, the band finds being in new places a liberating experience that helps them strip away the bullshit of expectations and preconceptions and focus on the tunes. ‘We have always enjoyed just getting away from familiar things. I guess you feel more like there is less baggage and less things reminding you of yourself. We have been around a long time in Australia and we feel like there is this sort of reputation and expectation. For us, just buggering off overseas is an easy way to escape from that. When you are in another country it’s liberating – you can be another person.’

Something For Kate hits Zierholz @ UC on Friday May 31, 8:30pm with special guest Courtney Barnett. Tickets are $44.90 + bf through Oztix.

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ashley thomson There is nothing left for TAME IMPALA to achieve beyond consolidating their success. They are a critical and commercial commodity, nationally and internationally renowned. This month they are playing Coachella and Groovin’ the Moo both, not to mention another in a string of sold out east coast tours. Where their debut album, Innerspeaker, pricked a million ears, their sophomore, Lonerism, has put them squarely in the path of astronomical success. In the face of this plight, Kevin Parker, the group’s musical godhead, remains lackadaisical and unflapped.

‘I think these are the only times I think about [Tame Impala’s success], when people ask me about it,’ said Parker. ‘I don’t really even know how much press there is about us, exactly what people are saying, because no one talks to me about Tame Impala…

I never hear it, other than what our manager tells us, and even she these days can’t be bothered to tell us everything because we don’t really pay that much attention,’ Parker laughed.

doorstep of perhaps the world’s best opportunity to feel like a big deal. ‘I enjoy it for its proportions,’ Parker observed hesitantly, ‘but we all look at it and go, “Fuckin’ hell”, y’know? We kind of just—not laugh at it, but it’s like visiting Niagara Falls, something you just marvel at. You don’t really feel like you’re a part of it. We’re just players on a stage.

‘I think we stick to ourselves a lot of the time,’ Parker went on, ‘because there are a lot of hilarious characters in that world.

There’s everyone – there’s the clichéd overzealous gig promoters, people that would be a hilarious character in a TV show. You meet them everywhere in the “rock world”,’ he laughed, ‘so we just kinda sit there and laugh at these people from the other side. We generally spend most of our time laughing.’

What many musicians look at as the best chance to find creative counterparts, Parker sees as something too unreal to be taken seriously. Last year, in a sea of people who would kill to collaborate with him, Parker lent his hand solely to one hidden gem

by French songstress Melody Prochet: Melody’s Echo Chamber’s debut self-titled LP. ‘I did want to get into producing and I still do,’ explained Parker. ‘But unless it’s really organic, it’s difficult for me to get excited about that kind of thing, just because—well, I guess for me it’s really important that a) I love the music, and b) that I’m friends with them already and I know them, because music is such a personal thing.’

It makes you realise that the legends of music and history, y’know, they were just guys as well – it wasn’t godlike, it was just what they were doing

When Tame Impala released their debut EP in 2009, the world of music journalism fell over itself to make the obvious comparisons – The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Doors.

In an interview with BMA Magazine in 2009, Tame Impala’s Dom Simper explained, ‘We don’t even pretend to be anywhere near as influential or massive as them, it’s just kind of the music we grew up with.’ But much has changed since then. From being a band whose sound it became a pastime to place, Tame Impala’s scope of influence has become impossible to foresee. The idea is not one Parker likes to mull over.

‘Oh, god no,’ he started. ‘I mean, it’s the most flattering thing in the world to hear a band ripping you off. I know some people get pissed off by it, but if I ever hear an artist and I can tell they’re using a phaser pedal the way I do, it’s a massive compliment. It makes you feel like you’re making an impression, having an impact on people, which is really humbling, flattering… It makes you realise that the legends of music and history, y’know, they were just guys as well – it wasn’t godlike, it was just what they were doing… You get more of a perspective of how this kind of thing happens, how rock gods are made, and how many rock gods are just dudes.’

The tone of Parker’s open musings seemed ill-befitting of a rock god. Home, it seems, provides him a counterbalancing normalcy.

‘In Perth we’re virtually unknown. There’s not one part of the day when I feel like a rock god. The only time I feel like a rock god is when, like, after a show in some American city there’s a horde of people outside waiting to get autographs and photos. In that kind of moment you’re like, “Weehh, we’re a pretty big deal”.’

Mere days from a plane trip to California for the world’s most renowned music festival, Coachella, Tame Impala were on the

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The same goes, it seems, for Tame Impala’s onstage patter.

Organic – and fun for them before the audience. ‘We do so many things now that could barely be called music,’ laughed Parker. ‘Like playing with the oscilloscope during a gig and stuff like that. We spend a lot of time doing weird stuff like that that’s not really— obviously it’s usually musical, but it’s rarely just playing songs on the album. And a lot of songs we’ve changed anyway, made them more satisfying to play live. Because it doesn’t always work like a studio concoction so we’ve gotta mould things the way we want.’

Back before the release of Lonerism, Parker forecast ‘more candy pop’ in their then unreleased album. When asked for a fresh forecast, Parker’s brevity abandoned him: ‘I feel like I’ve got a lot of ideas at the moment, but I haven’t actually had the nerve to sort of like, plot them out physically in the studio. I’m dying to try these new things – they’re gonna be totally crazy. They’re crazy in my head. I don’t know if they’ll end up sounding crazy in physical sound form,’ he demurred, ‘but we’ll see, I guess.’

True to form, Parker remains disconcertingly grounded – not oblivious of his trappings, but unconcerned by them. Strange that from such a level head comes so brilliant an array of creations.

Tame Impala will play Groovin’ the Moo at the University of Canberra, Sunday April 28. Tickets are $99.90 + bf thru Ticketek.

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PRIOR KNOWLEDGE peter krbavac Though patience isn’t a concept that often bothers the fast-livin’ rock ‘n’ roll world, local beat combo WATERFORD have learnt its virtue. After releasing their debut LP Say OK at the end of 2011 and picking up a series of choice gigs in its wake, the band underwent its umpteenth line-up reshuffle last year after losing the latest in a Spinal Tap-esque succession of drummers (which, in the interests of full disclosure, includes your correspondent). But rather than rue a dip in momentum, frontman Glen Martin says it gave them a chance to pause and reflect.

No overdubs except where they’re needed

‘[In the past year] we’ve been playing shows, writing a buttload of material, recording it and then sitting on it and waiting to see what assumes significance over time. The songs we’re currently peddling are the ones that have proven themselves, as opposed to being songs that seemed really good immediately and then may not have the legs.’

To document these new songs and the new line-up – which has drummer Cam Burns and guitarist Andy Heaney joining Martin, bassist Pete Huet and guitarist Ian Wilkinson – Waterford have hatched a plan to record a live album at The Polish Club in Turner. ‘It’s a backwards thing,’ Glen admits. ‘I really like the room and we’ve only ever headlined there to launch our record, so I like the idea of the Polish Club as a place where the band does something different and interesting. I was just trying to think of a reason to justify the venue.’

So how purist, then, will Waterford remain about the idea of a live album? ‘Kiss purist,’ Pete quips, referring to the US rockers’ famously polished live album Alive!. ‘No overdubs except where they’re needed.’

‘I reserve the right to change anything and everything,’ adds Glen. ‘The ideal is we’ll just use this as—’ ‘A gimmick,’ Pete interjects. ‘—as a foundation of something,’ Glen finishes, chuckling.

For a band that doesn’t shy away from referencing their hometown in both lyrics and album art, recording a live album in Canberra seems, in its own small way, like a statement.

Establishing a sense of place in its music is important to Waterford: particularly, Glen says, because not too many Australian bands do it.

‘Maybe it’s the fact that if you acknowledge that your band is kind of personal and therefore has a place and has scale, that’s not the ideal rock narrative,’ he theorises. ‘The ideal rock narrative is this band is a reflective thing. It’s bigger. But bands never are. They get bigger audiences through a combination of luck and chops and whatever else. I think to not speak about your circumstances – in whatever way you feel comfortable – is kind of dishonest and just naff. Our Canberra-ness is an extension of that.’

Waterford record their live album Prior Works at The Polish White Eagle Club, Turner, on Friday May 10, supported by Grand Prismatic, Julia Johnson and Andy Star. $10/7 on the door.

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DANCE THE DROP

As my pen hits paper, the dance music universe is in the vice-like grip of robo-mania. Two cyborg overlords, once abrogated and banished to the grimy backwater of the music universe, have had their digital signature picked up by a deep space probe. ‘Humaaaan… Roboooot’, their undeniable calling card plays on repeat, progressively getting louder and louder until it rattles the very fabric of space and time.

Petrified humans scuttle in anxious circles like troubled insects; have they come back to save us or have they come to finish us? Out of nowhere a blinding beam of light blasts through the atmosphere; shopkeepers slam their doors, children are hurried inside and all are prepared for the worst. The alien laser beam explodes through the clouds, destined to collide with the surface of the planet any second.

Breaths are bated, eyes closed, last prayers softly spoken, as the huge column hits the crust of the Earth in…Wee Waa? Unless you have been hiding in an abandoned coal mine for the last few weeks, you will already have heard the news that Daft Punk have surprised millions of fans by announcing that they will be holding an official launch for their much anticipated new album in the awfully quaint northern NSW town of Wee Waa on Friday May 17. The 4000 tickets made available to punters sold out in just under half an hour – it is still unknown whether the helmeted duo will be touching down on Australian soil or whether the exclusive preview will be broadcast via live feed from elsewhere in the universe.

Harvard Bass (USA) is taking a short break from producing some of the filthiest electronic music this side of a porn soundtrack to visit Trinity Bar on Friday April 26. Supports include local lad Shaolin and a fistful of regulars that will ensure that your V-neck t-shirt looks like a mechanic’s hankie by the time they are finished with you.

Entry is free before 10pm, so get in nice and early then, won’t you?

Yo ho ho and a bottle of horse tranquiliser pills. If getting ship-faced above an ocean of submerged trolleys is your idea of a jovial night on the town, look no further than the next instalment of the aptly named Trash & Bender Boat Cruise! The all local line-up includes Deepcuts, Down Set Go, HartAttack vs. Elecfro, Dave Kirby and NufSed. Ye olde river monster leaves the dock at 8pm on Friday May 31. You can purchase your boarding passes from the usual outlets in advance.

Local progressive monarch Fourthstate has dropped a creamy Top 5 for us this week. Check it out because this boy is good!

Breach – Let’s Get Hot [Dirtybird] – Loving the sub bass in this one.

Has been getting a big reaction in my sets!

Petar Dundov – Distant Shores [Renaissance] – Lush, melodic, dreamy and epic.

Miraculum – Requiem For Two Fading Flowers (David Granha Quasar Remix) [Lowbit] – Head-caving 4am prog techno monster!

Luke Chable & Shiloh – Faun (Chable & Shiloh’s Bak 2 Tha Phuture Remix) [Baroque] – Another monster – I’ve been caning this.

Beta, Karl Sav – Peytons Bassface [Ayra] – Makes me nostalgic of the prog breaks scene back in the day. Pure dopeness.

TIM GALVIN - tim.galvin@live.com.au

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There are no boundaries or restrictions with EDM. You can go anywhere and do anything

of drums. We can record random samples here and there and fuck them up and make different percussive beats. And we can even play it live by assigning those sounds to different triggers.’

IS IT A FLAME? NO, IT’S AFIRE! baz ruddick Once awash with four-piece rock bands and folk groups, Canberra’s music scene has now become a multi-faceted, technicolour musical landscape made up of musicians from all ends of the genre spectrum. One genre in particular that has experienced such growth is electronic music. Nationally recognised three-piece outfit SAFIA (made up of Ben Woolner, Michael Bell and Harry Sayers) are one such band that has sprouted from the fertile soils of Canberra’s music scene. Just over one year old, SAFIA have been working relentlessly and tirelessly both in and out of the studio. Opening gigs for the likes of The Presets, Aston Shuffle and Peking Duck, and being among the line-up for Groovin’ the Moo, the boys are fast gaining a reputation as a premier EDM outfit.

Originally a fan of folk and blues, frontman Ben found appeal in EDM’s freedom and boundless nature. ‘There are no boundaries or restrictions with EDM. You can go anywhere and do anything with it.’

A quick listen to any of SAFIA’s tracks will exemplify this innovation that makes EDM so exciting. ‘We don’t have to make a drumbeat out

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This freeing aspect of EDM extends beyond technical constraints and on to the very path of the traditional musician. ‘If you are in a band and you are lucky enough to be able to find something that makes you unique as a band, it’s hard to move away from this without pissing off too many fans… When you are an electronic artist you can stay under that broad umbrella but song by song you can change it up and people won’t question it as much. Our two tracks Mercury and Stretched & Faded are completely different but they are still SAFIA songs.’

It can be hard being an electronic act and breaking free of the perverted mould that has been created by so many Top 40 artists.

‘A lot of the Top 40 music coming through are not EDM artists per se but are rather opportunistic. They are kind of like “this thing is blowing up now so let’s make our pop song electronic because we think that is cool and we think the kids are going to like that”.’

One way the boys have maintained their distance from has been by staying committed to the ideals of the band in constructing a live show. ‘We had that band background, so when it came to doing a live show, rather than DJing or using an Ableton controller, we sat down and worked out exactly how to do it. It took a while, but now it is pretty much all there. Now we have a live show and a live set-up that we are comfortable with. It feels good and looks good.’

Playing regularly, SAFIA will next appear at Fashfest on Thursday May 2.

See fashfest.com.au for tickets and playing times.

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METALISE

THE REALNESS Over the last few years there have been some interesting trends in the music industry. Many thought the introduction of MP3s and file sharing would spell the end of artists and record labels releasing physical products to the market place.

For a time there, many of these speculations were proving correct.

However, over the last couple of years, physical album sales have increased with the renewed popularity of vinyl and cassette tapes.

Sure, MP3 files are convenient and easy to transport and play via your mobile device, but there is something special about holding the physical product in your hands; being able to admire the cover artwork, dissecting the liner notes to find out who produced the track, who did the cuts, and which crews are affiliated with the project.

Not only are collectors and music lovers in general demanding physical copies, they are lapping up the artist and record labels rewarding them as consumers with download cards or access to bonus material such as posters, comic books, or limited release 7” records. One such company that is excelling in this domain is getondown.com which recently sent the internet into overdrive with their Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge 12 Reasons To Die (12 RTD) project.

Limited to only 100 copies, the 12 Delucas Private Press bundle included both vocal and instrumental versions of 12 RTD, a cassette tape version of 12 RTD, a cassette tape-only Apollo Brown remix version of 12 RTD, plus comic book, prints and posters. At $140 it’s not a cheap purchase, but considering it’s the only way to obtain the Apollo Brown remix cassette tape, many thought the price was acceptable and as a result this bundle is now sold out.

Don’t panic if you missed this bundle of 12 RTD, there are plenty of other cheaper options available either online or hopefully from your local record store. Speaking of, by the time you read this column another Record Store Day (Saturday April 20) would have passed.

Still would be worthwhile stopping by and supporting Canberra’s music institution Landspeed Records when making your next hip hop purchase. You never know – there may even still be some Record Store Day treats left over.

LA native Trek Life returns with his third offering Hometown Foreigner via Mellow Music Group, which dropped on Tuesday April 9. Produced entirely by up-and-coming producer Duke Westlake, the album features Bishop Lamont and label mates Oddisee and yU to name a few. The first 150 people to purchase the CD via the Mellow Music Group website will also receive an exclusive Trek Life cassette mixtape Hometown Heroes, mixed by DJ Rhettmatic of the world famous Beat Junkies.

Former Brisbane resident Bryte has released his sophomore album Bryte Side of Life on TOO SOLID Records. Now residing in Perth, Bryte has teamed up with ARIA award-winning producer Dazastah for this project. Bryte Side of Life was released on Friday April 5 and is now available online and in stores.

Live and direct from the Boogie Down Bronx, be sure to catch DJ extraordinaire and living legend Afrika Bambaataa when he passes through Transit Bar on Wednesday May 15.

BERT POLE - bertpole@hotmail.com

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Soooooo psyched to see the official announcement of the July tour from one of the heavy metal undergrounds all-time greatest doom bands. Saint Vitus are bringing the indomitable Wino line-up out to do four Australian dates with France’s awesome Monarch coming out for their fourth visit to our shores. The shows are in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and have a killer Aussie band supporting in each city.

This is good news for our local doom lords Looking Glass as they have secured the Sydney support happening at The Hi Fi on Friday July 19. The Melbourne show is Saturday July 20 at The Hi Fi down there and Clagg are in the support slot for a show I’m sure both Australian bands would have high on the bucket list for dream tour supports. Thanks Heathen Skulls! Tickets are on sale from oztix.com.au.

Sabbath is this weekend and their new album 13 is due out in June which means there’s leaks popping up all over the place and early listens sound really promising: big quality riffs and vintage Iommi licks. Looking forward to the show at Acer on the weekend, even though Looking Glass should be playing support on that tour too, over Shihad!

While on doom old and new, Cathedral have released their farewell record The Last Spire and I was pleased after the kooky progressive turn on their 2010 record The Guessing Game that they have put out a fittingly doom metal farewell, even though there’s a couple of tracks featuring the keyboards and female vocals to keep things interesting. The band has been a huge influence on my musical tastes over their 22 years, vale’ and thanks for all the riffs!

The Unida tour (John Garcia of Kyuss’s other band) kicks off over the fortnight that this issue is out and about and if you can afford a ticket with everything else that’s on at the moment, you’d be well served to get up to Sydney to the show at the Manning Bar on Friday May 10 as there is a delectable bill also featuring Swedish lords of stoner, Truck Fighters, wonderful New Zealand band Beastwars and our own Looking Glass.

To keep the doom/stoner/psyche vibe of the column going, our exquisite Japanese friends Boris have announced their almost regular Australian tour for June this year with four Aussie shows.

The Manning Bar in Sydney is the closest for Boris fans and that is on the Tuesday May 21.

I’m far too old for this sort of thing, but The East Coast Rampage tour featuring I Killed The Prom Queen (I guess with a new drummer now JJ Peters has left to do Deez Nutz full time), House vs. Hurricane, Buried in Verona and Saviour got announced with no Canberra shows, but a Sydney show for those keen to get up there with an over-18s show at The Manning Bar on the Saturday June 22.

The Phoenix Bar in the city hosts an interesting show on Saturday April 27 if you ain’t hitting Sabbath up, with Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt and The Reverend Jesse Custer fresh off their Obscene Extreme show.

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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We never put too much planning into this band… it has always sort of been knee-jerk reactions

PUNKY FRESH baz ruddick Few artists (bar Rod Stewart) cross genres like LA punk band THE BRONX. With an equally successful mariachi act (under the pseudonym ‘Mariachi El Bronx’), it is little wonder I caught up with lead guitarist Joby J Ford as he shopped for a twelve-string Bajo Sexto at the ‘Casa de Musico’ in east LA. It is also little wonder that I had trouble squeezing more than a few full sentences out of a man who embodies the romanticism of the Mexican desert and the ‘fuck you’ angst of American youth. As a distracted and disinterested Joby subjected me to awkward silences while he haggled with a Mexican guitar salesman over free guitar cases, I learnt a little on why he likes to play festivals, Australia being ‘second California’, how the mariachi band came about and what it’s like to play for ten years as a band.

Having toured Australia two years ago with the Big Day Out, The Bronx is now preparing to return to the country with the Groovin’ The Moo tour as one of the many international names on the bill. Along with the full Groovin’ The Moo tour, a string of sideshows (including three in Sydney) and a wedding (as Mariachi El Bronx), the boys are

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here for a full Oz experience.

‘I’m excited about doing Groovin’ The Moo because it is all places that I have never been to or really even heard of and it’s really awesome you get the chance to stay in one area for more than a day. Australia has always been a really good place to play. If there was a second California it would be Australia. It’s really easy to get used to the weather and the beach and real nice folks down there. Being popular enough to come down to Australia is much better than being popular enough to go to Germany a bunch of times.’

With a five-year gap between The Bronx albums being filled by the sweet sounds of the Mariachi El Bronx, the boys are returning to Australia with a fresh new revival of their original punk outfit, ready to showcase their new album at its fuck-you fullest. ‘We are really looking forward to going back to The Bronx shows after doing the Mariachi for so long. I think we came out a bit fresher. You can get kind of bummed out playing the same thing everyday and I have such a short attention span. I think it’s really healthy for me to be able to switch back and forth.

‘I’m surprised it’s been ten years and we lasted this long,’ Ford went on.

‘I’m also excited. We never put too much planning into this band and it has always sort of been knee-jerk reactions of what feels good. I’m pretty proud that we have managed to go for so long. I still don’t really know what I’m doing. Still trying to figure it out.’

He could have spared me the PR rant on why he loves Australia, but at least he didn’t lie about giving a shit.

The Bronx play Groovin’ The Moo on Sunday April 18 at The Meadows, University of Canberra. Tickets are $99.90 + bf through Moshtix.

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Image credit: Stephanie Alexandra Parker

E X H I B I T I O N I S T

CREATION BY HUNDREDS vanessa wright One of the most interesting things to have come out of the onslaught of events this Centenary year is being able to witness the number of ways in which Canberra has been interpreted and reinterpreted by artists. Artists who are dissecting what it means to live, work and exist in Canberra. And Random9’s exhibition 100 at Belconnen Arts Centre is a great example of this exploration of place in the work of local artists. The concept behind 100 is work that ‘examines in historical, political and cultural contexts, what it means to live in Canberra in 2013, 100 years since the naming of our national capital’.

Random9 is a group of emerging visual artists, working in a range of mediums and mostly based in Canberra. The group began in 2010 out of a collective desire to have a forum in which the members could discuss their work with other artists and bounce ideas off each other. They felt there was a significant lack of opportunities in which to discuss work in a supportive and communal environment after graduating from art school. As founding member Stephanie Alexandra Parker describes, ‘I did my own work for a year or so in 2009 and I really didn’t like it. I like to have a group of people around me; I like to be able to have a discussion with likeminded people.’ And with that, Random9 was born. ‘The nature of the group, really, is people want to get together to do art,’ Parker explains. ‘Putting on an exhibition is just the result of that.’

Beginning with nine members in 2010, the collective has exploded to include around 20, with 16 of those represented in 100. Artists whose work you can expect to see are Sarah Blythe, Julia Boyd, Jeremy Collins, Louise Coxon, Sonja Kalenjuk, Maria Klingner, Naomi Somerville, Kristen Leydon, Travis Heinrich, Frank Maconchie, Stephanie Parker, Merrilyn Sernack, Ingrid Singh, Samita Tatiana and Catherine Winter. With such a large group, there is a diverse selection of work in the exhibition. Ranging from sculpture, photography, jewelry, painting and video, there is a little something for everyone.

Landscape and nature come out as a common theme throughout the exhibition, with a number of artists connecting with Canberra via its landscape. Kristen Leydon’s work takes painting off the canvas and uses a build-up of paint to create a surface with no traditional support. Leydon’s unique approach to using paint without a canvas blurs the line between painting and sculpture. Eucalyptus leaves appear to be both cut out and embedded in the surface and create an overall lacy pattern in white paint that looks almost as if the wall of the gallery has been peeled back.

Sarah Blythe deconstructs Canberra into its plant components, in a highly detailed work which breaks down suburbs and areas of

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the Territory map into a patchwork of flora. It’s interesting to see how Blythe has referenced her recent work, in particular her series Deconstructing Flora, and adapted it to explore the nature and geography of Canberra.

Canberra backyards, parks and streets take a darker turn in Jeremy Collins’ photographic series. He has four works on display out of a larger series, which explore what it means to live in Canberra now. As Collins explains, ‘The aim of the series is to get the viewer to relate to the characters they see in the images, there’s a brooding mood and the dark landscapes play off that as well.’ He is particularly interested in that unique sense of isolation that is created in Canberra. Collins remarks, ‘Canberra to many people is just a very large country town.’

It can be a difficult place to make connections because we are a small and a spaced out city. One photograph in particular, which captures this sense of isolation, shows a lone figure at a distinctive ACTION bus stop, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, endlessly waiting for a bus that definitely won’t arrive on time, or at all.

Ingrid Singh has a very different perspective on the landscape of Canberra, focusing on some of the iconic landmarks of the city and the people who created them in her work Human Capital. In this piece she takes the form of the human body and uses its various elements to create each landmark. Imagine the Parliament House flagpole as four legs stretched into the air. The National Gallery as a mound of eyeballs, or hands and arms covering the War Memorial. Each piece is cast in colourful resin to create a work that is vibrant and playful and certainly you will never see Canberra quite the same again.

Two artists who take a different approach to the theme are Naomi Somerville and Maria Klingner, who have each produced a selection of jewelry pieces from a collective project that explores the history of Canberra. All of their materials have been sourced from the Buggy Shed in Acton, which was built in 1913 and has recently been restored.

They have transformed the raw materials of wood, glass and iron nails into wearable objects, breathing new life into these discarded materials. Somerville and Klinger admitted that the materials were hard to work with at times, given their age, and so the artists allowed the limitations of their materials to guide them in the process.

That’s just a snapshot of the work in 100, so make sure you don’t miss out and head to the Belconnen Arts Centre to see Random9’s interpretations of what it means to live in Canberra in 2013.

100 is on at Belconnen Art Centre from Friday April 19 to Sunday May 5. You can meet the artists on Sunday April 28 at 2pm. For more info see belconnenartscentre.com.au and random-9.com.

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW Shift Hugh Hower [Random House; 2013]

In 2049, ambitious young Congressman Donald Keene is tipped to be part of shady project he barely understands. In 2110, a nameless man awakens from cryogenic sleep to serve his first six-month shift in Silo 1, a closed-off world buried deep below the ground, watching over the last remains of humanity. In 2212, the uprising starts…

Take note: this one’s a prequel to Howey’s popular self-published Wool series, and it shows. Though chronologically it comes before the other books in the series, it relies heavily on them for the sort of invented references that come part and parcel of any speculative fiction, which makes it a difficult and frustrating read if you haven’t read the other books or like to read in chronological order.

It also suffers from that most heinous affliction of prequels: building up to the later stories at the expense of its own narrative arc and imperative. Things happen, but there are no climactic points, no real mystery. The great and horrifying secret Donald discovers is perfectly obvious to the reader from the beginning; what romance exists is dull and unengaging; the main character is a cardboard cut-out of the All-American White Bread Hero who gives me no particular reason to like him.

There are plotlines that don’t go anywhere and others that fizzle out halfway through and the constant sense that you’re waiting for the story to kick into gear.

I’m all for backstory, and perhaps this one would be more effective within the context of the rest of the books, but it just doesn’t go

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anywhere. It seems an awful lot of words to explain how humanity ended up in a bunch of underground bunkers, especially since the interesting bit is over early on. The latter two thirds is psychological horror and I mostly just didn’t care.

Despite all my griping, I’m a sucker for good world-building, and Shift has great potential. The variety of possible societies which develop over hundreds of years in the petri dishes of the silos are inventive and evocative, with a real sense of suffocating oppression and the creeping sense that Big Brother is always somehow watching.

The story of a boy who gets locked in a server room and watches on the cameras as the rest of the silo self-destructs, only to grow up alone, trapped in the ruins, is chilling.

Though it’s competently written and an interesting concept, I couldn’t connect with this one.

I never felt a sense of urgency, didn’t care for the characters, and I’ve seen the post-apocalyptic thing done with more innovation and excitement.

Disappointing. emma grist

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CLASSICS IN REVIEW Hard Times Charles Dickens [First published: 1854]

In a letter dated December 30, 1854, Charles Dickens wrote that the ‘wickedest and most enormous vice of our time’ is represented by those who see the world in ‘figures and averages, and nothing else’.

Those such as his infamous headmaster Thomas Gradgrind, who in Hard Times declares it a fact that ‘facts alone are wanted in life.

Plant nothing else, and root out everything else.’ What Mr Dickens penned in 1845 surely remains as true today as it ever has been.

In Hard Times, Dickens sets this state of intellectual rigidness, as epitomised by the industrialist Josiah Bounderby, a colleague of Gradgrind’s and a regular ‘Bully of Humility’, in stark contrast to the romanticism of the young circus-girl Cecilia ‘Sissy’ Jupe, whose thinking Gradgrind tries to correct through his excessively practical schooling. Sissy Jupe’s deviance, however, infects Gradgrind’s own children, Louisa ‘Loo’ Gradgrind and Tom Gradgrind Junior, who both suffer from an acute claustrophobia of the heart and mind from being detained for so long in their father’s classroom. After having for so long silently accepted this intellectual incarceration, we see young Tom break out by resorting to criminality, while Loo simply breaks down in her father’s arms – a catastrophe in which Gradgrind finds ‘the pride of his heart and the triumph of his system, lying, in an insensible heap, at his feet.’

with all the world’s economic and political gurus united in their stubborn insistence that all can be measured and weighed, that all imagination and emotion is vice, that ‘facts alone are wanted in life’ – and whenever its proponents are asked to reconsider the worth of this system of thought, they swell up ‘like a soap bubble, but without its beauty’; all red and blue from over-excitement and indignation.

Anyone who sees through this faux-philosophy of fact which so permeates our world today would do well to read Hard Times to arm themselves with a confidence in the belief that there exists both ‘wisdom of the head…and wisdom of the heart’ with the latter being equally as worthy as the former. timothy c. ginty

Perhaps the most striking feature of Hard Times is the way in which Dickens managed to write into the novel such dramatic yet smooth transitions from scenes of satire and jest to scenes of great sensitivity and seriousness; from rough sketches of caricatures, such as Mr M’Choakumchild (partner-ineducational-crime to Gradgrind), to fine portraits of deeply human characters, such as Stephen Blackpool; a ‘Hand’ of ‘Coketown’ who finds himself exiled from both labour and capital for his pensive refusal to be part of what he saw as a great ‘muddle’ of conflict. For Blackpool, fate fails to recognise his virtue and we see this noble man receive short shrift from his ignoble world.

Unfortunately for any Sissy Jupes and reformed Gradgrinds of our own day, it seems that the world today has carried on stamping around like the blustering Josiah Bounderby,

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I suppose it had to happen. By consistently frequenting a particular corner of the Earth, one inevitably encounters strange happenings in unusual places. And so it was when I first found myself in Fyshwick.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE MONSTER lauren strickland By this point – 195 years after the novel was first published, 82 years after the most famous film adaption – it is impossible to walk into a production titled FRANKENSTEIN with a completely open mind.

We’ve got neck-bolts and lightning bolts and poorly articulated sentiments (‘friend, good; fire, bad’) rattling around in our collective unconscious. We somehow know the plot without having read Mary Shelley’s novel. We’ve got (gasp!) expectations.

‘Usually in the films,’ says director Mark Kilmurry, ‘the Hammer films or the Universal films, or even the more recent films, we follow Victor Frankenstein.’ Shelley’s novel did the same, tucking narrators inside each other like nesting dolls; the Creature’s story, told inside Frankenstein’s story, being told to an explorer he meets in the prologue. ‘We’re following his progress, the nature and nurture of it: if we treat people badly, this is what they will turn out to be.’

Adapted for the stage by English playwright Nick Dear, this incarnation turns its focus to the anxieties of the newborn, abandoned creature, rather than listening solely to the ‘unsympathetic and selfish’ woes of mad scientist Victor. ‘I’ve described him to Andrew Henry, who’s playing Victor, as a sort of “IT guy” – the sort of guys who are so into IT, there’s nothing else on the horizon for them. [Victor’s] like that: absolutely obsessed with what he’s got to do, and everybody else – family, friends – falls apart behind him, but he has to drive through. He’s created a human being; I mean, that’s a lot to cope with.’

But it’s the Creature, both Dear and Kilmurry believe, who will be of more interest to the audience. ‘We see his journey, from being born into being an adult; born as an adult and grown into being an adult.’

This adaptation, Kilmurry argues, ‘gives the Creature a real voice.’

Shelley’s flowery prose seemed a bit unbelievable on the tongue of what was basically a fully grown two-year-old; Kilmurry and the actors – not just Lee Jones, who plays the lead – worked intensively on getting into the mindset of the Creature at the moment of his birth. ‘It was a lot of intense workshops, with everyone being the Creature and being blindfolded and tied up. For about two weeks we explored the nature of being born an adult, and how you would learn to walk and how you would learn to communicate. It was interesting to focus on all those physical elements.

‘I think people think of the Boris Karloff bolts, of the earlier Frankenstein films and that sort of gore. It has been made into horror films before but it’s not really horror; it’s more of a thriller.

He’s the Creature and we know what he will become, but Nick Dear has given it a fresh perspective.’

Frankenstein is showing at The Street Theatre, Sun-Sat May 7-11 at 7:30pm, with an additional matinee performance on Sunday May 11 at 2pm. Tickets are $35-$45 + bf from thestreet.org.au.

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For those unaware, Fyshwick is a singular suburb in the Australian capital remarkable for its absence of residents, who have been supplanted by endless retailers and choice prostitutes. I am informed it was also once a repository of fireworks, though this practice has been wisely rescinded for fear of igniting the oily gentlemen who frequent the many brothels.

As such, Fyshwick maintains an industrial feel. It is a hub of commercial activity; a place where a man may contract a labourer, a horseless carriage and a venereal disease in one carefree afternoon.

I found myself in this most easterly corner of town having been misled by an unscrupulous public servant, a man who utilised all manner of levers and gears to advance a large rectangular metal cage, or ‘bus’ (a ‘bus’ is something used to transport members of the public to a host of predetermined locations, both upstanding citizens and toothless drug addicts alike).

Things got off to a bad start as I misconstrued my driver’s initial enquiry as an invite to philosophical debate, an earnest discourse on the fundamental nature of existence. What is the rationale behind that most mysterious expedition? The higher purpose and ultimate destination of mankind?

‘Where to, mate?’

‘Where to, indeed!’ I responded excitedly. ‘I believe it was the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle who said, “The tragedy of life is not so much—”’ ‘Where to, mate?’ interposed my brazen bus driver. No invitation to debate the vagaries of life, merely a blunt request for a destination.

Suitably flummoxed, I abandoned myself to his whimsy.

‘I am at your service, driver. Lead on.’

And so it was I found myself in the industrial labyrinth of Fyshwick, set adrift amongst furnishings of varying quality, the mechanisation of carriages of all colours, the contortion of instruments – which I am told result in sexual aids – and wide-ranging illicit practices – which I am told result in sexual AIDS (I am assured the capitalisation here is of critical importance).

This peculiar suburb is an outpost of commerce, an alluring, yet confusing juxtaposition of cutting-edge manufacturing pursuits and the world’s oldest profession. One would think that a respected gentleman from the 19th Century would fit snugly in between, and yet there are some things to which even I will not stoop.

Witnessing the bodily invasion of a mechanic by a chair leg-wielding salesman under the bellowed instruction of a strumpet is almost certainly one of them. Almost certainly. Although to see the working classes engage in mutual corporal punishment is a refreshing example of your country’s egalitarian nature.

Alarming encounters such as these help to acquaint oneself with a new city, to discover the desirable areas and the dens of immorality, to learn where one can acquire the services of a tradesman, or offload a corpse. All invaluable information. gideon foxington-smythe

@bmamag

ARTISTPROFILE: Sally Dunbar

What do you do? Artist/art teacher.

When, how and why did you get into it? I grew up surrounded by art and have loved it as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to go to the ANU and do my bachelor in Visual Arts.

Who or what influences you as an artist? My father is an amazing artist and is very passionate about art so I have grown up watching him paint and make art. Every surface in my parents’ house is painted or has artwork on it (including the ceilings). I also lived in Japan for two years and think that my work was heavily influenced by that.

There is a lot of really great art that I love there.

would love more galleries that support emerging artists. That is what I love about Art, Not Apart; it is all about the artists and it is free!

Upcoming exhibitions? I [was] at This Is Art Market at Yarralumla Woolshed in April. I am exhibiting at The Art Lounge in July (Wagga Wagga) and in November I am sending all my work to be exhibited at a Gallery in Robe, South Australia. I am also hoping to be at the next Art, Not Apart in November.

Contact Info: My website is dunbarsally.com; Twitter: @Dunbar_ sally; Email: sallywallydally@hotmail.com.

Of what are you proudest so far?

My son, Oscar.

What are your plans for the future? To make as much art as I possibly can. I would love to be a full-time artist and not just have it as something I do when I get spare time! I would also like to try and exhibit more locally, interstate and internationally.

What makes you laugh? My friends and family. I don’t hang around people who don’t make me laugh.

What pisses you off? A blank wall.

Get some art on your walls, people!

What about the local scene would you change? I hate the way it is so expensive to exhibit anywhere and there is so much paperwork about it. I

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Richard, Professor of Literature The Street Theatre Thu-Sun April 4-7 That oft-used phrase ‘an hour of my life that I can’t ever get back’ comes to mind in reviewing the hideous coincidence of poor judgements that inflicted this one-man piece upon a paying audience.

What occurred barely merits description. A grown man paraphrased Shakespeare with the words ‘blah blah’, other incomprehensible noises and the odd ejaculation of ‘To be or not to be’; chased a fish finger with a pair of tongs; hid behind improvised masks, including one of raw meat; indulged in inexplicable chases on an invisible motorbike; repeatedly stabbed himself with a trick knife; talked to and kissed the uncooked flesh of a slain animal; pressed upon an audience member, straight from his unwashed hands, a length of unwashed cold sausage, and successfully urged him to place it in his mouth for some minutes; staged a near collision between two donuts; and sprayed entire mouthfuls of food onto the stage to be joined by parts of an animal cut into pieces and tossed over his shoulder. Throughout this litany of meaningless activities, he repeated the same predictable gags – ones that hadn’t been funny to begin with.

Then there was the discomfort of the audience members, seated in a very small theatre – in fact, some were on the edge of the stage – who endured the sight, sounds and smell of an evidently unwashed performer as he pranced about, tossing things and spraying halfchewed food onto the floor, pulling ludicrous faces and emulating idiotic grins, all the while making cringeworthy attempts to involve the audience.

What is there to say? The performance lacked all subtlety. Its player’s major skill was puppet creation from ad hoc bits and pieces, using which he successfully divested Shakespeare’s plays of all meaning. This was an embarrassingly childish pretence at playacting; but then, the piece itself was irrelevant, puerile, boring and utterly pointless. And, as though audience members had not endured enough, at the end – which seemed to take many hours to reach – they had to carefully pick their way through the raw meat and disgorged whipped cream and donuts littering the floor as they made their escape.

It’s certainly possible to give insightful, funny, heart-wrenching one-man performances of Shakespeare. The brilliant, moving performance by Michael Hurst of his (co-authored) work Frequently Asked Questions stands out as one such. But this wretched work is unsalvageable. Ill-conceived, actively tedious, barbarically offensive and utterly gross, its squalid passing will be marked only by the relief of those able to erase it from all memory. john p. harvey

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In Canberra Tonight The Polish White Eagle Club Thursday April 18 Midway through Act II of In Canberra Tonight, CJ Bowerbird stood silently on the thrust stage and proffered an iPod, earphones and cordless mic to a woman sitting on the floor at his feet. She shook her head. He didn’t flinch. She accepted, and while the silent National Poetry Slam Champion sat facing the audience she listened to his poem, The Silent Poem, and solemnly repeated each line. Up until this moment the capacity crowd was raucous, and then still. It was a risk, but it worked. And that was the magic of the night.

standing, waiting, begging to come to life…’ crooned Bec Taylor.

There’s no denying this year has been our most prolific, but now we have a monthly variety show and with it our very own show tune – surely an entertainment pinnacle if ever there was one. ‘Feel the power/ Telstra Tower/ We can make it ours together...’. See you at the second instalment on Thursday May 16. julia winterflood

Image credit: Adam Thomas

IN REVIEW

With his mind-boggling sharpness, zany imagination, commanding figure and exceedingly relaxed manner, Chris Endrey (Fun Machine) was the perfect host, as perfect as the pace. An interview with Johnboy of The RiotACT about local news (the stolen dinosaur statue; the Civic urinal trial) was followed by a meta-sketch in which Producer Meg O’Connell was interviewed by Executive Producer Nick Byrne because her In Canberra Tonight contract had expired requiring her to reapply. The obligatory APS slag off was nuanced and hilarious.

A feminism-themed interview with SBS Chief Political Correspondent Karen Middleton, golden girl of the airwaves Melanie Tait (ABC666/ Radio National) and photographer Adam Thomas sagged slightly but was reined in by Endrey’s ‘time’s up trombone’. Dr Paul Francis, resplendent in planet print vest, had three minutes to wax scientifical on the greatest mysteries of the universe before Endrey auctioned a song that went for $50, the content of which was determined by the purchaser and would later be performed by Endrey, Byrne and the ever-delightful Pablo Latona as the finale. Tait then returned to interview former GetUp! Director and Greens Senate candidate Simon Sheikh, but asked questions Vanity Fair once put to Dolly Parton. What is your biggest regret? Dolly: Not getting to see Elvis perform I Will Always Love You. Simon: Joining the Labor Party.

Variety? You got it in spades, baby, and that was only Act I. In Canberra Tonight works because all the ingredients are there: a host with a gag in his every sentence, a seasoned Producer and Exec Producer, a house band of local luminaries and the ethos that sometimes the best entertainment is unscripted. Throw in some pollies, journos and boffins and you’ve got the quintessential Canberra comedic experience. ‘As the day breaks out my window lies this city/ Capital Hill – oh what a thrill/ I can see it,

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Melbourne isn’t the only Australian city with an underbelly. This cutting edge exhibition features some our best local artists exploring the dark side of life in Canberra. Flipside offers an opportunity to reflect on a Canberra most people turn a blind eye to – the cast off, disenfranchised and side-lined, the unacknowledged and inconvenient. As so aptly phrased by curator Merryn Gates, ‘It is seductive to overemphasise the positive aspects of Canberra and overlook the darker side of life, as it exists in any urban environment.’ This is one event during Canberra’s Centenary year not to be missed. Wed-Sun, 12-5pm. Free.

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WHAT: Film Festival WHEN: Sun-Wed May 5-8 WHERE: Arc Cinema, National Film & Sound Archive

Image credit: Marko Prezelj

Experience some of the most extreme adventure feats of our time.

The film tour follows the largest mountain festival in the world, Banff Mountain Festival, Canada, in which over 300 of the world’s best mountain sport, culture, environment, adventure and exploration films are screened, from which a selection then tours the globe. View life from the top through the lenses of the most accomplished climbers, paddlers, skaters, snowboarders, canyoners, mountain bike riders, explorers and adventure filmmakers alive. Preview: banffaustralia. com.au. 7pm/7:30pm. $30 + bf through nfsa.gov.au.

Image credit: Rhebeka Stanbek

PHRENIC WHAT: Donated Art Exhibition Fundraiser WHEN: Mon-Fri May 6-17 WHERE: gallery@bcs Over the years, gallery@bcs has developed a number of communitydriven exhibition series designed to provide opportunities for disadvantaged or emerging artists to exhibit their work where they may otherwise have been unable to do so. Due to increased costs in running these series, and with a goal to expand the level of support given, gallery@bcs are holding this fundraising exhibition in which local and interstate artists will donate a piece to ensure the continued provision of these opportunities for the whole community to continue to enjoy. Official opening Wednesday May 8, 6pm. Free entry.

Image credit: Barbara van der Linden

FACES OF CANBERRA WHAT: Portrait Exhibition WHEN: Thu-Sun May 9-26 WHERE: M16 Artspace Local artist Barbara van der Linden presents her portraits of the people of Canberra; faces many of us will recognise; faces which make our city an interesting and unique place to live. This three-year Canberra Centenary project culminates in an exhibition of over 25 paintings which is a celebration of these people and the contribution they have made to the Canberra community. This is an opportunity to celebrate the life of the individual portrait subjects. Come along to the opening night on Thursday May 9 and enjoy food, music and fireworks.

Open Wed-Sun, 12-5pm.

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service we received there was very good. Great sound, nice stage, good tech staff.

UNINHIBITED Dear ANU. I’ve been thinking about you, and your Uni Bar. When I first moved to Canberra sometime in the 1930s, the Uni Bar was the place. Not just for long evenings of pool and festiveness, but as a place to go and see bands.

Some of these bands were from overseas and I spent many nights viewing acts with a few thousand other revellers. I spent several other nights seeing smaller bands in one of the other stage configurations amongst hundreds or sometimes tens of revellers.

Then I would hop on my bike and have a post-show glass somewhere in town before wobbling home. These were good nights.

In your confines I saw Sonic Youth and met Thurston Moore outside.

We chatted. Lovely chap. I saw a few Augie March shows, a brilliant Spoon gig. I saw The Drones and many of the local usuals, plus a Yo La Tengo show that was amongst the best gigs of my life.

There were 77 payers there that night, and I suspect all of us still rhapsodise over that show.

So here’s my question: where has it all gone wrong?

The ANU bar is no longer a weekly option. Shows happen now and then. A lot of tours that need a room bigger than Transit miss our town completely. And the campus feels dead after 6pm. No major university campus should feel dead after 6pm.

I know that there’s a bunch of pressures. The problems of the ANU Union, the stripping of funding from student unions generally, the competition UC put up in the mid-2Ks are all factors.

But the loss of the ANU as a weekly option for gigs does great harm for the city and the national reputation as a place where bands can tour and make a dollar.

The catch-22 is that while the ANU suffers because Canberra’s reputation as a place to stage shows has taken a hit, a big part of the reason it took that hit was because the ANU started to lose steam as a venue.

I appreciate that if a rep from the ANU was reading this the first reaction to these thoughts could be something dismissive. Fair enough. But the ANU bar simply has to work, and if the Union can’t get it done, let’s look at other options.

I missed Nirvana and Pavement and The Fall and The Cure and Elvis Costello because I was too young, but I knew that legendary shows happened there. I grew to love the space.

New promoter and funding models, crosstown partnerships, so on.

For the health of the local and national music industry, the ANU has to be offering a few shows a week, big and small. Let’s sort this out.

Later, I joined a band and we got support slots for a couple of medium-to-big Australian acts. From a musical perspective, the

GLEN MARTIN glenpetermartin@gmail.com

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the word

on albums

album of the issue

bonobo the north borders [ninja tune/inertia]

Music of the type created by London producer Simon Green (aka Bonobo) has become an oversaturated commodity.

Chillwave and experimental future bass has been pushed to popular extremes – even Australia finally has its own poster child in Flume.

Ten years ago, Green was a pioneer of this sound. In 2010 he pushed it with brave, eclectic experimentation to an extreme in his fourth LP, Black Sands.

After an album like that –a leap beyond a creative tipping point – it becomes hard to predict an artist’s next move.

When does ‘forging ahead’ become counter-productive?

Whether Green asked himself this may be determined later, but his fifth album, The North Borders, is confident, measured, masterful and seamless. It sounds like an artist so wholly at ease with himself that he is able, unpretentiously and unselfconsciously, to create the best music of his career.

Employing every signature tool – string arrangements, xylophones, harps, wind instruments, intricate

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percussion and syrupy fathomless bass – with the subtlety and understanding of a genre veteran with nothing to prove, Green has created a magnum opus of his genre. Two-step powerhouse Cirrus, glitch soul standout Heaven for the Sinner (featuring a characteristically haunting Erykah Badu), wandering bass-rich Ten Tigers, and the wholly unmissable anthemic opener First Fires are the tallest poppies, but this is a field of overachievers.

Listened to from start to finish, The North Borders becomes the best version of itself – a whole. The tracks between the peaks – Emkay, Sapphire, Jets, Don’t Wait, Antenna and others – tie together an ‘album’. Green steers from beat to beat with palpable intuition, never reaching into discomfiting or boisterous bridges to bring home a track.

Years of experience have lent Green’s fifth album an invaluable quality: it is a grower, rippling deeper and deeper from listen to listen.

Without changing the game, The North Borders calmly and powerfully defines it.

ASHLEY THOMSON

super magic hats super magic hats [independent]

kris menace features [compuphonic/emi]

We all know that annoying sound when a CD is damaged and it repeats the same sound grab over and over. Welcome to track one of Super Magic Hats’ self-titled debut. But more on that later.

Since his emergence back in 2006, German electro-house producer Kris Menace was pretty much set for a high profile career simply through his associations, collaborating early on with the likes of Fred Falke and Stardust’s Alan Braxe. In the wake of last year’s Electric Horizon, this aptly-titled third studio album, Features, sees Menace changing pace, offering up a more mid-tempo synth-pop centred collection that sees him collaborating with a different guest vocalist on each track.

The EP is the work of electronic artist Rob Masterson, who has been making moves in Melbourne town since 2011.

Inventive and adventurous, his work revolves around the desire to express emotion through experimentation with music and noise, aided by such cyber gizmos as the monome and Tenori-On. Sparingly used lyrics serve only as minor window dressing, whether as a broken mosaic in Haruno or when used in a variety of overlapping loops in What You Find.

Daring and difference are the very essence of good music.

However, the material is not made for dancing and some tracks employ repetition without resolution. It is challenging to appreciate.

The list of guests in service here is also an extremely impressive one. Miss Kittin represents the sole female artist here on the curiously Knife-esque Hide, which sees her vocals being pitch-manipulated against an icy backdrop of electrohouse rhythms, before the eerie stripped-down Voodoo Dilate unleashes this album’s most Detroit-centred moment as Chelonis R Jones’ teasing chorus hook rings out over spooky trails of phasing synths.

Elsewhere, Julian Hamilton’s appearance on the gorgeously gliding and melancholic Higher Love manages to better most of The Presets’ recent Pacifica album, while house legends Robert Owens and Romanthony provide all the magic you’d expect on Trusting Me and 2Nite4U respectively. It’s rare for such an ambitious collection of vocal collaborations to have no real awkward or uneven moments, but in this case Features sees Menace delivering consistent quality from start to finish.

rory mccartney

chris downton

Back to track one. The effect was so bizarre that a close inspection of the disk was required to see if it was scratched or cracked. Nope!

Moving on, once you get your head around the concept that this effect was actually intended, it’s kind of appealing.

Lone dance track Charcoal is the CD highlight, sinuously inserting itself into your legs.

It would equally find a home in a club or on a catwalk for strutting models. Hope is classic gamers’ music and it’s easy to visualise Jigglypuff or Clefairy cavorting to it.

@bmamag

coolio desgracias my private jet [we large productions]

they might be giants nanobots [idlewild/breakaway]

bob evans familiar stranger [emi]

wavves afraid of heights [mom & pop/inertia]

Initially, for me, this album blurred the lines between hip hop and ‘comic hop’. Judging a book by its cover, I assumed this release wouldn’t harbour anything greatly mentionable. I was wrong. Listening to Coolio’s remastered, re-released 2012 debut, you can tell he’s more than musically savvy – producing 12 quality hip hop tracks and interludes featuring appearances from a handful of talented MCs and musicians.

With opening lines like, ‘Damn it’s hot outside, ain’t got no fan in my house/ I got ten ladies in g-strings fannin’ mah balls’, one can begin to speculate as to what’s in store. Among others, Big Booty Bitches is a standout.

Kicking off with a James Earl Jones-style Vader impersonator reading Justin Bieber’s Baby lyrics over the Imperial March, a simple ‘70s piano and keys combo then frame catchy lyricism. He even throws in a cheeky Queen Fat Bottom Girl sample, all the while being a nod to Sir Mix-a-lot of decades past. Basural is an awesome Latin American-inspired tune focusing on keys, trumpets and shuffle-worthy rhythms, with Desgracias fluently rapping/ singing in Spanish. It might be assumed it’s his native tongue given the ease of delivery.

They Might Be Giants’ two Johns (Flansburgh and Linnell) seem to have mastered an alternate reality version of fame; one where they can win two Grammys, amass a global cult following and soundtrack Malcolm In The Middle whilst never having to worry about being mobbed in the street.

At 21 years into their lifespan, TMBG have managed to build a niche in pop music that’s pretty much their own, and it’s perhaps for this reason that this 16th album Nanobots offers reassuring familiarity more than real surprises.

Kevin Mitchell made his mark with indie rockers Jebediah, with whom he still occasionally appears. Lately though, he’s been strutting his solo stuff under the pseudonym ‘Bob Evans’, with four previous EPs and three long players to his credit. His fourth album Familiar Stranger adds to his reputation as a songwriter who can connect with the listener at a personal level.

With so much of the media attention surrounding Nathan Williams (for he is Wavves) focusing on weed grinders as merchandise, drug-fuelled onstage wig-outs and celebrity girlfriends, it’s often hard to concentrate on the music itself.

If anything, this fourth album, Afraid Of Heights, arriving on the heels of the longest gap between Wavves records yet, represents his most polished work to date. The fact that string arrangements make appearances on several tracks hints at just how far Williams has moved from his early lo-fi recordings, something partly due to the involvement of pop producer John Hill (Rihanna, Santigold). Longtime Wavves fans needn’t worry that Williams has lost his barbed edge, however, with the 13 tracks collected here seeing his bratty surf-rock aesthetic firmly intact, even if the edges have been buffed. There’s a distinctly Pixies-esque feel to thrash-outs like opener Sail To The Sun and the chugging Demon To Lean On, while elsewhere Mystic and Everything Is My Fault see subtle electronics lurking amidst the rhythms to powerful effect. Perhaps most of all though, it’s the sheer negativity of Williams’ self-loathing lyrics that shines through most of all here, taken to almost Cobainworthy levels amidst the guitars and melancholy cellos of Dog, a track that resembles Nirvana’s Polly to a spooky degree. Even if the chrome on Wavves’ hood is a bit shinier here, fans should be pleased.

The scope of this record is brilliant; it needs more space to evaluate. Coolio Desgracias is funny, but more effort has been put into the music’s production than the humour – something I didn’t think I’d be saying. Largely hip hop. Definitely brilliant.

Check him out. scott johnston

While there’s more of a focus on guitar-centred tracks than the horns and woodwinds of early albums like Lincoln, the electronics that have coloured much of their post-‘90s also exert a fairly big presence here. The 25 songs collected here pack exactly the sort of surreal and occasionally dark humour we’ve come to expect from the two Johns.

There are odes to girls with combustible heads (You’re On Fire), secret service agents on holiday (Black Ops), sick insects (Insect Hospital) and a guy who can’t stop comparing his date to his Mom (Call You Mom). The ten different oneminute ‘nanosongs’ that make up the end of the tracklisting also see TMBG’s penchant for experimentation coming to the fore, and are likely to remind longtime listeners of the classic Fingertips song suite.

While it won’t convert nonfans, Nanobots is a strong TMBG album. chris downton

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The dark messages, painted with the hues of the more difficult times in Mitchell’s personal life, carry enough material to fill a counselor’s casebook. However, the indie pop tunes are far from morbid, verging from a comfy doona cosiness to downright uplifting.

The tracks carry a special signature charm, whether it’s the double-tap percussion in Maps or the keyboards in Bruises. I’ve always had a soft spot for songs with an Australian suburban tang (going way back to Skyhooks’ Lygon Street Limbo) and Footscray Park makes you fall in love with this record from the word ‘go’. Mitchell may have sought a departure from his earlier work, but there’s still a strong neighbourhood ambience to his art, exemplified by this opening song. Don’t Want to Grow Up Anymore, with its wistful allure, and the upbeat Go, featuring San Cisco’s Scarlett Stevens on backing vocals, are other CD highlights. This record will easily find its way into your subconscious, with great catchy melodies and lyrics that are like a conversation with a special friend. rory mccartney

chris downton

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the word

on films

WITH MELISSA WELLHAM

Does anyone else feel a bit awkward when kid actors grow up to be hot? Like Nicholas Hoult in Warm Bodies, who – even though he’s one of the undead – is quite handsome.

But he used to be that kid in About a Boy! That kid with the funny face! Or like Thomas Sangster in Love Actually, who was next acting Paul McCartney – and I imagine will become a babe soon enough.

Similarly, Lindsay Lohan was a cute kid, briefly became a very attractive and buxom young adult – and then veered quickly into trailer trash territory. Yeah. Awkward.

quote of the issue

‘This date isn’t going so well. I want to die all over again.’ R (Nicholas Hoult), Warm Bodies

trance

first position

warm bodies

Trance is like Inception, if Inception were actually a film where you had no idea what was going on, instead of just a film where people told you that you would have no idea what was going on and then you did…

First Position is a refreshing documentary that follows several young ballet dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a prestigious ballet competition that provides exposure for young dancers – and a possible scholarship and job opportunities for older dancers.

The dancers in question include the young, talented Aron; dedicated Miko and her younger brother JJ; passionate Columbian teen Joan Sebastian; Sierra Leone adoptee Michaela; and pink-loving, self-confessed princess Rebecca. A diverse bunch, to be sure – and it is almost more interesting watching the families that support each of these dancers. Like JJ and Miko’s heavily involved mother; Joan Sebastian’s visit with family in Columbia; Michaela’s mother staying up late to dye her tutus a darker skin tone.

‘Zombie romantic comedies’ have become a genre unto themselves. Zom-rom-coms.

Well, you know, there have been three of them, anyway. Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and now Warm Bodies. Three films make a genre, right?

Confused? Yeah. Then you are basically me after watching Trance. Get out of my head, Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception.

A predictably stylish affair from Danny ‘What the fuck will he do next? Direct the Olympics? Oh wait, he already did that’ Boyle, Trance is a trippy psycho-thriller.

Simon (James McAvoy) is a fine art auctioneer who befriends the bad kids on the block and teams up with a criminal gang to steal a Goya painting worth millions of dollars. But things don’t go to plan and he loses the painting.

And then he loses his memory.

And then he goes to a hypnotist, to try and cure his amnesia.

And then everything spins wildly out of control.

Yes, Trance is a meandering journey, weaving messily between memory and reality, fact and fiction. In many ways it is thinly written, and does feature a few plot holes (try and pick ‘em!).

But it’s also much, much more interesting than your stock standard thriller – and told with Boyle’s distinctive visual style: fast-cut, hyper-saturated, a mile a minute.

It’s not Boyle’s best effort by far – but it’s yet another serviceable genre film, in his ever expanding repertoire. melissa wellham

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The premise is straightforward, and the result is a no-frills (except for the tutus!), experience that celebrates ballet and ballet dancers, and shares their passion and dedication. For those wanting a twisted, hard-hitting, Black Swan-esque exposé, you definitely have to look elsewhere. First Position only lightly touches on darker issues (such as body image and eating disorders), and definitely shies away from getting too serious.

But First Position is a delightful reminder that documentaries can celebrate culture and art, and while some might find this solid G-rated offering to be a little light and fluffy, for me it was just pleasant enough. megan mckeough

Warm Bodies sees a zombie called ‘R’ (Nicholas Hoult) feeling a little lonely, even though he’s surrounded by his emotionless compatriots; unable to talk but with an almost constant monologue running through his head.

But when he meets human Julie (Teresa Palmer) it’s love at first sight. Well, first he tries to eat her boyfriend.

But after hunger for human brains, love is his second most motivating emotion.

Let’s be honest, it’s not the strongest script in the world, plot-wise – but it’s plenty of fun, and R’s deadpan narration had this reviewer giggling like a schoolgirl. The film definitely emphasises the ‘rom’ and ‘com’ elements on the zom-rom-com genre, but there’s also some gnarly intestine-eating and limb-wrenching that occurs.

The most surprising thing about Warm Bodies is that the romance is quite touching and believable. You can see why Julie fell for a dude who is literally dead inside. And rotting. And probably smelly.

I’d like to see R and the asskicking Julie take on Bella and Edward from the Twilight franchise. You’ll have a whole lot of fun in this popcorn-munching flick, while watching some brain-munching. melissa wellham

@bmamag

the word on dvds

Delocated: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 [Madman] The Adult Swim brand is gradually becoming one of the few guaranteed markers of quality in its field. From the early days as a scrappy animation studio in the suburbs of Atlanta where it churned out a stream of off-kilter cartoons (Space Ghost, Aqua Teen, Frisky Dingo, et al.), through to its emergence as supplier of equally surreal live action series (Children’s Hospital, Check It Out! with Dr Steve Brule, Tim and Eric), Adult Swim has always been willing to take risks and let creativity run free. Short runtimes and low budgets meant mistakes and the occasional dud episodes weren’t fatal, and ideas could rise and fall. Delocated is another in a long line of shows with a ridiculous premise that pays off by sticking to its target and following the absurdist concept all the way through.

‘Jon’, ‘Susan’ and ‘David’ have been relocated to New York as part of the witness protection program. They all wear black balaclavas and have had voice modification chips implanted, so they don’t run afoul of the Russian mafia whom Jon testified against. But witness protection wasn’t as flashy as the TV shows implied, so Jon negotiates for a New York loft in exchange for appearing on a reality TV show; meaning, the mafia can now track their every move, which kinda defeats the entire purpose of witness protection. Things get infinitely stranger when the Russian hit man sent to assassinate ‘Jon’ and his family is given his own TV show – turns out he’s an assassin and a struggling stand-up comic.

Second City and Late Night with Conan O’Brien alum Jon Glaser (‘Jon’) is the creative force behind the show. His pedigree is pretty much beyond reproach and Delocated, despite a slow start, is up there with Adult Swim’s best. justin hook

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Wallander: Series 3 [Roadshow]

The Thieves [Madman]

The first of this latest set of three BBC-produced Wallander telemovies opens with titular hero Kurt Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) driving down a tranquil road with his new family, a smile on his face as wide as a schnitzel, exuding quiet contentment. It’s a far cry from the Wallander of old – the angry, depressive, whisky-sodden cop forever falling asleep in awkward positions on trendy ‘60s furniture.

The Thieves is the second highest grossing South Korean film of all time but that won’t stop it from being compared to Ocean’s Eleven. Admittedly, there are similarities – a casino heist is involved, multiple larger-than-life characters clash, star studded cast. But where the Danny Ocean series comes off as an excuse for George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Steven Soderbergh to hang out with their mates in exotic locations and jack off, The Thieves is more an actual, you know, movie with plot and narrative structure; a reason to exist.

The family are moving into an isolated house where Detective Wallander can leave all his troubles behind and start afresh. Of course, we all know fate was the unseen passenger on this journey. And honestly, who moves their family to a creepy house in the middle of Nowheresville and expects them not to find a body buried in their garden? And are you really that surprised when the body is connected to a string of prostitute deaths?

It happens all the time. And sure enough, Wallander is back to his epically maudlin stone-faced best, shouldering the weight of the world. It’s what we’ve come to expect from Scandinavian crime and Wallander in particular, so it’s hard to criticise a cinematically immaculate show that delivers exactly what the box promises.

Branagh has invested Henning Mankell’s Wallander character with gruff wrinkled sombreness. The fact that Branagh deliberately avoided the original Swedish version played by Kurt Henrikkson is an indication of how separate and distinct the BBC wanted this version to be. And it is defiantly unique. A visually arresting patina of monochrome dourness is a perfect match to some rather seedy crimes.

But it never feels exploitative or deliberately shocking. With methodical pacing, Wallander ensnares rather than attention grabs, and whilst crimes are solved – as the script demands – resolution seems just out of reach – unsettlingly intangible. justin hook

The film opens as a young man anxiously escorts his bride-tobe and her mother through his house. A wealthy lad, he’s keen to show off his expensive art and sculpture collection. The fix is in. The glamorous bride to be, Yenicall (Jeon Ji-Hyun), is a nimble cat burglar and the mother is a seasoned vet named Chewing Gum (Kim HaeSook), and a priceless vase is replaced with a cheap copy. It’s a classic first act set piece that telegraphs the tone and pace of the next 130 minutes; fast and playful. At the behest of a mysterious head thief, a South Korean crew meets up with a Hong Kong crew to knock off a diamond in Macau. It’s here that an extra layer of Kyser Soze intrigue is introduced, leading to double, triple and possibly quadruple crosses. It was easy to lose count.

Director Choi Dong-Hoon is in safe territory here. His previous films have dealt with gambling (Tazza: The High Rollers) and double -crossing thieves (The Big Swindle) so it makes perfect sense to bring the two together.

It also made sense to throw a host of massive South Korean film stars into the mix, but The Thieves doesn’t feel like an expensive home movie for chums. So really, it’s nothing like Ocean’s Eleven. justin hook

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the word

BLACKBOX

on games

God of War: Ascension Platform: PS3 Developer: SCE Santa Monica Studio Length: 10 hrs+ Verdict: Take or leave There are only a few games I consider to be classics, one of which was God of War III. Among GoW3’s selling points were its stunning visuals, awesome combat system and its Tarantino-ish celebration of the macabre. Like Quentin’s own work, driving the whole game was a compelling storyline that nicely justified the excessive action and kept you engaged.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for God of War: Ascension.

While it still possesses many of the aforementioned qualities, this outing sees Kratos accompanied by a weak storyline. Case in point: Had you randomly asked me what my goal was, where I found myself or whose head it was I beating in, for the most part I wouldn’t have known (or would have pulled a name out of my arse and put ‘-os’ at the end of it). In the absence of a strong story pushing the gameplay along, the experience is reduced to a series of set pieces and eye candy. While it does do these well, again they’re not up to the calibre of the previous title.

Key examples of this are the boss battles. Gone are the almighty and well-known gods of Olympus, instead replaced by a smaller collection of superficial villains. Leading the charge are the Three Sisters, who are tasked with punishing Kratos for breaking his blood oath to a god. It all sounds very formidable; up until Kratos crushes the first with the same proficiency with which you’d kill a cockroach.

Story aside, the combat is as strong as ever, providing hours of enjoyable gameplay. Several improvements have been made to the fighting mechanics, and the difficulty level is spot on (with the exception of the Trials of Archimedes), providing a satisfying challenge in this casual gaming era. That said, it’s all pretty incremental, with it essentially being the same gameplay wheeled out in the first game. While the same criticism could be levelled at GoW3, the lack of a strong story and clear motivations makes the single player feel a little tired this time.

There is, however, some novelty to be had here through the introduction of the multiplayer mode. Players can compete against each other across four game modes and just as many character classes – all derivatives of Kratos. The one-on-one-style combat is a welcome departure from the wave-based fighting offered in the single player game. It also provides a great challenge, with myself, a rather seasoned GoW player, having my arse handed to me for the most part (a skill matching system wouldn’t go astray). While the multiplayer aspect of the game is a nice addition with a reasonable amount of depth, it still feels like an aside.

Though the multiplayer mode helps Ascension float a little closer to the heights of the GoW3, this game ultimately falls short of that upper gaming echelon. torben sko

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The world’s most accomplished hardcore hero cum social commentator/comedian, Henry Rollins, is about to bring his unique perspective to our screens. Last seen on screens here as a white supremacist leader on Sons of Anarchy (Showcase, Sep, TBC), the latest offering is more in line with Hank’s philosophy, if not his appearance. Animal Underworld (SBS2, Tue May 7, 9:30pm) takes Hank on a journey to find out why some people choose to go head to head with the world’s most disturbing and dangerous animals.

Bad news for Auntie (and lovers of British comedy and drama who don’t have cable) – the network’s 50 year deal with the BBC will end mid-next year with almost all new content going to a new Foxtel Channel. Those who get their storytelling fix from literature (instead of endless stock of serialised drama) will be interested to hear the new series of Jennifer Byrne Presents (ABC1, Tue Apr 30, 10pm) will feature chats with authors Ian McEwan, PD James, Ian Rankin and Margaret Atwood.

Also returning is the new, succinctly monikered Adam Hills Tonight (ABC1, Wed May 15, 8:30pm), Celebrity Apprentice (WIN, Tue Apr 30, 8:40pm) and Arrow (WIN, Wed May 1, 8:40pm) finally goes to air after much hoo haa and at least one false start. No doubt most fans Breaking Bad (ABC1, Mon Apr 29, 9:30pm) have already seen season four but in case you haven’t, Auntie’s got you covered Docos to check out include Head First (ABC2, Wed May 1, 9:30pm) where Sabour Bradley immerses himself in the lives of unknown Australians living extraordinary lives, including a nurse searching for her brother in Syria, and carrying out a sting against internet dating scammers, and Murdoch (SBS1, Sun May 5:30pm) a two-parter about the media magnate. Teasers have started running in the US for the second season of The Newsroom (Showtime, Jul, TBC) which will start airing there July.

Filming on the 50th Anniversary Dr Who Special (ABC, TBC) has begun, with David Tennant and Billie Piper reprising their roles and a guest appearance by John Hurt. Planning has begun for a Once Upon a Time (Prime, TBC) spin-off – Once: Wonderland will give the same treatment to Alice and Wonderland in a self-contained 13 episode series (provided it goes to pilot stage of course).

More Aussie shows may be headed to US pilots, including A Moody Christmas and The Straits. A new series of The Moodys (ABC, TBC) which takes the family beyond Christmas will go into production later this year. ABC announced last year that there would only be one season of The Straits. Filming has started on a number of other local projects including a telemovie based on Peter Temple’s crime thriller The Broken Shore (ABC, TBC). The compelling Indigenous drama Redfern Now (ABC, TBC) has been renewed for another six episode season. Dawn French will be one of the judges on the next series of Australia’s Got Talent (WIN, TBC).

This fortnight’s movie picks include Mad Max (Go, Mon Apr 29, 9:30pm), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Mate, Sun Apr 28, 9pm), King Richard and the Crusaders (GEM, Sun Apr 28, 2pm), Kelly’s Heroes (GEM, Sat May 4, 3:30pm) starring a range of ‘70s tough guys including Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland, The Maltese Falcon (GEM, Sun Apr 28, 4:20pm), the Humphrey Bogart detective story made in 1941, not another Star Wars spin-off.

Mark this date – Eurovision Final (SBS1, Sun May 19, 7:30pm).

TRACY HEFFERNAN tracyherrernan@bigpond.com @ChezBlackbox

@bmamag

the word

Heath Cullen, Doctor Stovepipe The Street Theatre Friday April 12

on gigs

There’s no more encouraging a vote of confidence than a sold out show, and Street 2 was full to the brim on Friday night. In a special touch, both bands were introduced by Sam Cutler, former touring manager for Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones.

Now residing in Australia, he’d come along especially for the show.

Local band Doctor Stovepipe started the night, describing themselves as the ‘fluffers’ to get the audience going. They practice a unique brand of medicine which seeks to cure all ills through the revitalising power of music. Dr Jill the phrenologist was on fiddle, able to check out the bumps on your head between sets. She was partnered with Dr Jim the herbologist on guitar and Dr Ed the proctologist on double bass.

Their lively, fun gypsy-swing style was a definite cure for a bad mood. Themes swung between the frivolous (about enjoying a giant reefer) to the poignant (about love and desire in the last days of a long life). They threw in some very fast instrumentals; real foottappers that were some of the highlights of their set. The fiddle and double bass ruled the stage, slowing or revving up to suit the mood. Dr Ed impressed, making his instrument sing, irrespective of whether the strings were plucked or slapped. He also demonstrated that a double bass makes a very effective drum. Full of humour, they raised plenty of giggles from the punters with songs like Beef and Black Bean, a song of romance and Asian food. Their set included a cover of Get Along, a trucking tune, which was the last song ever recorded by Slim Dusty.

Singer-songwriter Heath Cullen from sleepy Candelo, near Bega, came on with his band to launch The Still and the Steep. This, his sophomore album, had been recorded over three months in LA. He was wearing an indescribable tan and brown mottled suit, commenting on it that, ‘You can get some pretty cool things on eBay.’ Dr Stovepipe was a lot of fun, but Heath’s performance was on an entirely different level. The whole tone of the night changed from light and fast to move into darker spaces, with songs that moved at a slower but more intense pace.

The opener and album single, From Father to Son, charged the room with the vibe of the album with lines like, ‘You’re far too young to be this old’. The song typified Heath’s style, with striking lyrics that captured social commentary in domestic vignettes. There was a whole conversation in every line of song as, punctuated with lightning flashes of guitars, the music exuded a gripping pressure.

There were old songs too, like Trying to Stay Afloat, with its words delivered like whispered asides at a public bar.

It was striking the way the band played together to generate the right atmosphere. Contrast a soft ballad with the lightest touches on skin and cymbal from gently wielded mallets, to the full blown interplay between guitars in Kitchen Song, one of the more uptempo numbers in the set. The mid-set solo saw Heath feeling brave enough to play the piano in Small Town Story, after a six-month break from the keyboard. He sounded amazing doing a cover of Springsteen’s Highway 29, with long, long-held chords. The last bracket saw the band really rocking out with an intense delivery of Paper Boy and Heath served up Break My Heart in the encores.

PHOTOS BY DAVID BURKE

It was a very special show, after which Heath would catch some sleep before heading off to the Candelo Music Festival.

RORY McCARTNEY

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39

the word

Pharoahe Monch, Newsense, Words Eye View, Stateovmind, Scotts Transit Bar Monday April 15

on gigs

First things first, let’s give a standing ovation to those in this sleepy little city tough enough to brave the autumn ice, and strong enough to overcome Monday night inertia. It’s been said before: when it comes to supporting live music and big name acts, Canberra ain’t got shit. This statement is only partially true, and becoming less and less relevant with every passing year. Yes, the crowd at Pharoahe Monch may have been smaller than befitted the rap legend’s status.

Nevertheless, every last baseball be-capped one of them was there to party, and every last one of them showed Monch just how good a Canberra gig can be. Small crowd, small space, big love.

One of the best things about having a huge name pass through a small city is the level of exposure their presence affords local artists. A New York star may have been the focus of Monday night, but the Transit stage also spotlighted the brightest up-andcomers on Canberra’s homegrown hip hop scene, including local veteran Newsense, Scotts, Words Eye View and Stateovmind.

Having already supported Sydney wordsmith Dialectrix and New York rap icon Jeru the Damaja, Words Eye View are quickly proving themselves one of the hardest working acts in Canberra. With their broad Aussie accents and bright beats, the four-piece outfit used Monday night to cement their status as ones to watch in 2013. Also of particular note was 2012 triple j Unearthed winner Stateovmind.

Coupling sharp lyrics with intense ideas, the MC was understated, intelligent and engaging. His viewers may have been few, but they definitely paid attention.

By the time Monch took the mic, the crowd was thickly packed around the stage and buzzing with anticipation. The man did not disappoint. After being urged by his roadie to turn the sound up, the rap icon exploded into a high octane whirl of lyricism, banter, pseudo-political urgings and downright dirty beats. Monch was joined on stage by the X-ecutioners’ DJ Boogie Bling, who in all honesty deserves his own show (firstly, because no one scratches like Boogie, and secondly, because his name would look adorable headlining a promo poster). Boogie and Monch obviously enjoyed each others’ company, and each worked seamlessly to showcase the other’s work.

With an impressive back catalogue spanning three critically acclaimed albums, it would have been easy for Monch to rest on his laurels and churn out a set comprised entirely of old hits.

Impressively, Monch kept his troops entertained and engaged by mixing classics with new material from his latest album, P.T.S.D. My personal favourite of the new songs, a rap delivered from the perspective of a bullet as it leaves a gun, was introduced with a plea to his audience’s intelligence. ‘If you’re an intellectually free motherfucker, you’ll feel me. Are you intellectually free motherfuckers?’ From the crowd’s response, they were all Einsteins.

That said, Monch could have asked his audience anything and they would have roared. These kids all looked like they wouldn’t listen to their mums (as my friend said, ‘I’d be scared of these guys if I was standing at a bus stop’), but when Monch told them to raise their arms, their limbs lifted like marionettes and bounced like baseball bats on a car.

PHOTOS BY PAOLO RUIZ

Considering their blind obedience, it was fitting that Monch ended his Canberra show with his biggest hit, Simon Says. As he commanded his audience to ‘get the fuck up’, the sea of tiny badasses went B.A.N.A.N.A.S. It was the perfect end to a solid night.

TEDI BILLS

40

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the word

Ainslie Wills The Front Gallery and Café Wednesday April 17

on gigs

On a balmy Autumn eve, myself and another 100 or so excited patrons packed The Front Gallery and Café to capacity and settled in for the launch of Ainslie Wills’ new album, You Go Your Way I’ll Go Mine. For those who have never been to The Front, it is probably best described as ‘intimate’, so at 100 patrons it could be fairly described as ‘full’, with punters on pillows at the feet of band members. The crowd didn’t faze Ainslie or her band though, who seemed to relish the atmosphere of the venue.

This professionalism is no surprise as Ainslie has been on the music scene ever since she released her first EP and won triple j’s Unearthed competition to support Missy Higgins back in 2007. This was followed up by a second EP in 2010, the release of the current album at the start of this year, and most recently she was on SBS’s RocKwiz performing Johnny Cash’s Ain’t No Grave alongside rapper 360. This gig was part of an east coast album launch tour and, by her own admission, Ainslie’s first time to Canberra.

The night started with a minor hiccough owing to the support, Evan Buckley, apparently getting his dates wrong (though time was easily killed with a few quiet beers in the interlude).

Before too long, Ainslie and her four-piece band took to the stage for an hour of melodic and soulful alt-pop. Ainslie started the gig with songs off the new album, including Mary, a melancholy ode to a relationship past, before diving into the driving chorus of Lemon Japan, apparently named after a synthesizer setting. Some banter about Northbourne Avenue and doing burnouts along main streets and we were straight into This Is What I Write, with the precise guitar being juxtaposed by the airy harmonies of both Ainslie and her entire band (sans bass player – nobody got time for fat bass lines and singing harmonies).

Listening to Satellite was reminiscent of Jeff Buckley’s vocal range and fidelity which, paired with pared-back guitar and keyboard, all combined to provide a richly textured sound to lyrics that speak of sadness and longing. The winner of light-hearted track of the night was Weighing the Promises with its fun keyboards running across the track, and some Outkast-inspired organ (though I am not sure if these were technically present on the night). As an aside, this song was originally written for a short film, Perforation, and subsequently won Ainslie and her co-writer the award for Best Soundtrack.

The most popular song of the night was Liquid Paper. Whether it was the lyrical content describing trying to make a doomed relationship work, or the just the fact that it is a great song, Liquid Paper was played both during the main set and vigorously requested in the encore, which Ainslie was happy to oblige.

There were threats (promises?) to play a cover of The Corrs Forgiven, Not Forgotten, but despite Ainslie singing the first few bars this never materialised (potentially due to the slight look of horror on the drummer’s face).

PHOTOS BY ERICA HURRELL

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A taste of the gig is available through Ainslie’s extensive Soundcloud account, which I thoroughly recommend as a gateway drug to her music. If you get a chance to check out Ainslie’s music, either live or from her newly released album, You Go Your Way I’ll Go Mine, you should jump at it. This is solid songwriting being executed by talented artists, with an entertaining live show to boot.

PETER DAVIS

41

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed Apr 24 - Fri Apr 26

Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue. wednesday April 24

Art Exhibitions Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

CMAG celebrates 21 years of Australian National Capital Artists. 10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Three Exhibitions

Talking Water, Life In Your Hands, and A Legacy of Good Design. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Home

The Photography Room presents photos

by Kater May. Opens Fri Apr 12, 6pm.

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

Vessel as Metaphor

Three ceramicists seek to assert the vital role of ceramics. 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

The Road to the Coast

Eight artists interpret the links of past and present that connect Canberra and the coast. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Supports

Art by Patrick Larmour. 11am-5pm.

Free entry.

Karaoke

Imprint: Growing up Planned

The Road to the Coast

Karaoke Wednesdays

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

9pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Supports

Live Music

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

King of the North

With supports TBA. 8pm. $10.

THE BASEMENT

Chicago Charles & Dave 9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Plump DJs

With Eldred, Naynay, Megan Bones and more. Doors 8pm. $20 before 10pm.

TRINITY BAR

Shaun Kirk

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition

Paintings from 2005-2012. A joyous, extroverted timbre of scarlets, yellows, blues. 12-5pm.

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition

TRANSIT BAR

On The Town

Voices from Canberra’s past. 10am4pm (12-4pm Sat/Sun). Free.

HUW DAVIES GALLERY

Opening – Supports

Art by Patrick Larmour. 6pm. Free entry.

100

11am-5pm. Free.

10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Chained

Supports

BILK GALLERY

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

The Melbourne funk monster and Money For Rope. 8pm. Presale from Moshtix.

Huts, Heritage and Homesteads

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Saskwatch

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

10am-5pm.

Paintings from 2005-2012. 12-5pm.

Live Music Live Jazz

7:30pm. Free.

Bacon Cakes

With Library Siesta, Paul Macadam. 9pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Joel Harrison Duo

11am-5pm. Free entry.

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

100

10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Live Music

9:30pm. Free.

Special K/ Back to the ‘80s

9pm.

Dash

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

RNB Heat Anzac Day Eve

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Latino Wednesdays MONKEYBAR

9pm doors.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

thursday April 25

Huts, Heritage and Homesteads HUW DAVIES GALLERY

Art by Patrick Larmour. 11am-5pm.

Channelling the Delta blues era and with an intense voice, Kirk is a one-man band. 7:30pm. $15.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Voices from Canberra’s past. 10am4pm (12-4pm Sat/Sun). Free.

11am-5pm. Free.

Art Exhibitions Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

With a debut EP to drop. Supported by Xav Ier and Cromwell. 7:30pm. $5.

On The Town 4Some Thursdays 9pm. Free entry.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

friday April 26

5pm/10pm. Free.

Young Blood

9pm. $5 before midnight.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Plump

9:30pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Last Leaves

With The Ellis Collective, No Stars and Glenroi Heights. 8pm. Door price TBA. THE POLISH WHITE EAGLE CLUB

Live Fridays

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

Art Exhibitions

Live acoustic musicians. 5pm onwards. Free.

Home

Chained

Mattersphere

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

100

With Signs And Symbols. Doors 8pm. $10.

Three Exhibitions

BILK GALLERY

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

Nite Society: Instagram Jam

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Vessel as Metaphor

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Chained

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Random9 examine what it means to live in Canberra, 100 years since Canberra’s naming. 10am-5pm.

Thirteen Australian artists’ interpretation of ‘The Chain’. 11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

BILK GALLERY

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

12-5pm.

Home

Win Landspeed vouchers by hashtagging your adventures with #nitesociety on the night. 8pm.

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

On The Town

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

Photos by Kater May. 9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

TRANSIT BAR

The Road to the Coast BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Three Exhibitions

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

10am-5pm.

Huts, Heritage and Homesteads Voices from Canberra’s past. 10am4pm (12-4pm Sat/Sun). Free.

HUW DAVIES GALLERY

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Vessel as Metaphor 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

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THE BASEMENT

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Sat Apr 27 - Tue Apr 30 saturday April 27 Art Exhibitions Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

CMAG celebrates 21 years of Australian National Capital Artists. 10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Home

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

Chained

Thirteen Australian artists’ interpretation of ‘The Chain’. 11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

BILK GALLERY

Huts, Heritage and Homesteads

Live Music

Supports

Heuristic

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Love Saturdays

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

100

TRINITY BAR

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Chained

10am-5pm.

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

With Charlie Horse. 9:30pm.

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

Thirteen Australian artists’ interpretation of ‘The Chain’. 11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

E-Cats

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

With Shaolin. Free before 10pm.

We All Want To THE PHOENIX BAR

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

Supported by Bobby Rush and Daron K. 10pm.

Live Music

Stu Larsen & Natsuki Kurai

Groovin’ the Moo 2013

TONGUE & GROOVE

Devastator Fest

Irish Jam Session

THE BASEMENT

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

The Road to the Coast

On The Town

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Guy Hilson: 12-string acoustic meets electronic effects pedal. Tapas + happy hour 5-7pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Three Exhibitions

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Vessel as Metaphor

Three ceramicists seek to assert the vital role of ceramics. 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

10am-5pm.

11am-5pm. Free.

Supports

11am-5pm. Free entry.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition

Paintings from 2005-2012. A joyous, extroverted timbre of scarlets, yellows, blues. 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

100

Random9 examine what it means to live in Canberra, 100 years since Canberra’s naming. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Dance Celebrating Ten Years of Hilal Dance

Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Hilal Dance in Australia. 6-7:30pm. $15/$10 concession.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Swing Into World War II

With Spectrum Big Band + Moochers Inc. Get into jumptown swing! 7pm12am. Tix $35 at jumptown.org.

ALBERT HALL

Home

Harvard Bass

12-5pm.

With Tame Impala, Flume, They Might Be Giants, The Bronx and more. Tickets $99.90 + bf thru Moshtix.

HUW DAVIES GALLERY

Art Exhibitions The Photography Room presents photos

by Kater May. Opens Fri Apr 12, 6pm.

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

With Ashley Feraude. 9pm. $10.

Singer-songwriter from Queensland and a Japanese harmonica genius. 8pm.

Presale $15 Eventbrite.

10am-4pm (12-4pm Sat/Sun). Free.

tuesday April 30

11am-5pm. Free entry.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

With Acid Nymph, Spear Brittany, Emersus, In Death, Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel and more

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

Something Different Woven Words

Readings by Invisible Thread’s Alex Miller, Alan Gould, Sara Dowse. With Adam Cook + the CSO. 7:30pm NISHI GALLERY

sunday April 28 Art Exhibitions Huts, Heritage and Homesteads

Voices from Canberra’s past. 10am4pm (12-4pm Sat/Sun). Free.

HUW DAVIES GALLERY

Vessel as Metaphor

Three ceramicists seek to assert the vital role of ceramics. 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

The Road to the Coast 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

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THE MEADOWS @ UC

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

Sunday Best @ A Bite to Eat

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

On The Town Free Pool Tables From 2pm.

TRANSIT BAR

monday April 29 Art Exhibitions Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Comedy Anh Do

The Happiest Refugee tour.

8pm. Tickets through canberraticketing.com.au.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

Live Music CIT Presents The Bootleg Sessions

With Astrochem, The Monotremes, The Fuelers, Magic Rob Universe.

8pm. Free.

BILK GALLERY

Three Exhibitions

Talking Water, Life In Your Hands, and A Legacy of Good Design. 10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

The Road to the Coast

Eight artists interpret the links of past and present that connect Canberra and the coast. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

100

Random9 examine what it means to live in Canberra, 100 years since Canberra’s naming. 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

CMAG celebrates 21 years of Australian National Capital Artists. 10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Karaoke Karaoke Love

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Live Music Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Trivia Nerd Time Trivia with Joel and Ali 7:30pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Trivia Tuesdays

First prize $75 cocktail party.

7:30pm. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

THE PHOENIX BAR

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE Wed May 1 - Sat May 4 wednesday may 1 Art Exhibitions Chained

Karaoke

Home

Imprint: Growing up Planned

Karaoke Wednesdays

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

Imprint: Growing up Planned

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

9pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

Live Music

Three Exhibitions

Grandmaster Monk

BILK GALLERY

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Australia’s first progressive roots band.

7pm. Door price TBA.

Vessel as Metaphor

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Something Different

12-5pm.

The Road to the Coast 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Supports

Art by Patrick Larmour. 11am-5pm.

Free entry.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition

Fashfest

Inaugural event. Four nights + shows.

Live music, designer collections. See fashfest.com.au for tix.

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

100

10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Dorkbot

Go figure. Really -- do it. 6pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Supports

11am-5pm. Free entry.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition 12-5pm.

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

100

10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Live Music

100

Ministry of Sound Electro House Sessions

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

BRINDABELLA BUSINESS PARK

Theatre

10am-5pm.

9pm. $10 before midnight.

Live Music

Continental Robert’s Blues Party

When the Rain Stops Falling

National University Theatre Society takes on a king among plays. 7:30pm. $15/10 at shop.anusa.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

thursday may 2

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

11am-5pm. Free.

11am-5pm. Free.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

12-5pm.

Home

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

Art Exhibitions

Hayward Williams & the Yearlings

The Haymaker tour. 6:30pm. $25 + bf through theabbey.com.au.

THE ABBEY

Live Jazz

7:30pm. Free.

The Road to the Coast

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Adding a fresh footprint onto the sands of contemporary guitar music 7:30pm. $8/5 door.

10am-5pm.

Chained

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

BILK GALLERY

Three Exhibitions

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Vessel as Metaphor 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Tobias Moldenhauer

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Joe Oppenheimer

9:30pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Obsessions

Putting the live back into pub rock.

8:30pm.

CALWELL BAR N BISTRO

British India

The Controller tour. 8pm. Tickets through Oztix and Ticketek.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Mitch/51 50

5pm/10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Live Fridays

With Elisha Bones, Cuddlefish. 9pm.

Live acoustic musicians. 5pm onwards. Free.

Chicago Charles & Dave

Wretch

THE PHOENIX BAR

9:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town 4Some Thursdays 9pm. Free entry.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Something Different

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

With Kunvuk, Machina Genova, Canberra Cannons. Doors 8pm. $10.

THE BASEMENT

On The Town Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Fashfest

Inaugural event. Four nights + shows.

Live music, designer collections. See fashfest.com.au for tix.

BRINDABELLA BUSINESS PARK

Theatre When the Rain Stops Falling

National University Theatre Society takes on a king among plays. 7:30pm. $15/10 at shop.anusa.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

friday may 3 Art Exhibitions Chained

Something Different Poetry Slam 7:30pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Fashfest

Inaugural event. Four nights + shows.

Live music, designer collections. See fashfest.com.au for tix.

BRINDABELLA BUSINESS PARK

Theatre When the Rain Stops Falling

National University Theatre Society takes on a king among plays. 7:30pm. $15/10 at shop.anusa.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

saturday may 4

BILK GALLERY

Three Exhibitions

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Home

Chained

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

Vessel as Metaphor

Home

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

CANBERRA CITY FRAMING GALLERY

12-5pm.

BILK GALLERY

9am-5:30pm (9am-1pm Sat).

The Road to the Coast

Three Exhibitions

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

10am-5pm.

44

Art Exhibitions

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

@bmamag

Vessel as Metaphor

On The Town

Live Music

Theatre

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Blame it on the Boogie Weekends

Matt Dent

Frankenstein

12-5pm.

The Road to the Coast 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Supports

11am-5pm. Free entry.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Disco, motown, ‘80s and ‘90s. 10pm onwards. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Something Different Fashfest

Inaugural event. Four nights + shows.

Live music, designer collections. See fashfest.com.au for tix.

BRINDABELLA BUSINESS PARK

When the Rain Stops Falling

National University Theatre Society takes on a king among plays. 7:30pm. $15/10 at shop.anusa.com.au.

ANU ARTS CENTRE

10am-5pm.

sunday may 5

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Dance

Art Exhibitions

Dance on the Edge 2013

100

10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

Live Music

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Love Saturdays

With The Projektz. 9pm.

ACADEMY NIGHTCLUB

Spectrum

9:30pm. Free.

HELLENIC CLUB (WODEN)

Jordan Millar

Pop, folk and bluesy acoustic riffs, mixed with intimate and candid lyrics With Jack Carty. 7:30pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Sense: An Audio Journey

With Max Cooper, a three-hour set from Hypnagog, and an orgasmic slew of locals. From 1pm til late.

NISHI GALLERY

Oscar

10:30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Leadfinger

With The Re-Mains, Gilded Palace of Sin. 9:30pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

URBANFOOD STORE + CAFE

Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music from late afternoon on into the night.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

On The Town

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

The Road to the Coast 10am-5pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Supports

11am-5pm. Free entry.

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ARTS SPACE (MANUKA)

Sally Gabori: A Survey Exhibition 12-5pm.

ANU DRILL HALL GALLERY

Dance Dance on the Edge 2013

Inspiring, imaginative and in-your-face dance works and films of ACT dance artists. 2pm. $20/15.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

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THE STREET THEATRE

Trivia Andrew and Shannon’s Pub Trivia

TRANSIT BAR

THE PHOENIX BAR

From 2pm.

monday may 6 Art Exhibitions Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

7:30pm. Free.

Trivia Tuesdays

First prize $75 cocktail party.

7:30pm. Free.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

wednesday may 8

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

Art Exhibitions

Live Music

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

CMC Presents The Bootleg Sessions

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

With Lavers, Adam Cook, Tobias Moldenhauer, Nyte Mare (The Murder Magician). 8pm. Free.

THE PHOENIX BAR

tuesday may 7

Vessel as Metaphor 12-5pm.

A play by Nick Dear -- the Australian premiere. See thestreet.org.au for sessions and tickets.

Free Pool Tables

Theatre

100

Inspiring, imaginative and in-your-face dance works and films of ACT dance artists. 8pm. $20/15.

10am to 1pm. Free entry.

Chained

BILK GALLERY

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Three Exhibitions

10am-5pm (12-4pm, Sat).

CRAFT ACT CRAFT & DESIGN CENTRE

Imprint: Growing up Planned 11am-5pm. Free.

Art Exhibitions Chained

11am-5pm (11am-4pm, Sat).

BILK GALLERY

Intensity of Purpose: 21 Years of ANCA

10am-5pm (12-5pm, Sat/Sun).

CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE (GORMAN HOUSE)

Karaoke Karaoke Wednesdays 9pm.

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

CANBERRA MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Something Different

Karaoke

Acoustic Soup

Karaoke Love

Croon and wail your heart out on the Transit stage. 9pm. Free.

TRANSIT BAR

Live Music Irish Jam Session

Free traditional Irish music in the pub from late afternoon on into the night. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Organic meals and tunes. Musical accompaniment TBA. $8 members/$10.

Doors at 7pm.

ANU FOOD CO-OP

Theatre Frankenstein

A play by Nick Dear -- the Australian premiere. See thestreet.org.au for sessions and tickets.

THE STREET THEATRE

45

FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306

SIDE A: BMA band profile

Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314 Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288 Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313 Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343 Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433

Kid You Not Where did your band name come from? It’s just one of those things you say. It caught our attention and had a short, sharp three-syllable punch a bit like ‘You Am I’. We like that when the name is thought about separate to the phrase it could have several meanings.

Group members? Cam (vocals, rhythm guitar); Crackers (lead guitar, bad jumpers); Jack (bass); Aaron (drums, syncopation).

Describe your sound: Indie rock values with a beat you can shake yo money-maker to.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Wine, women and song. All night long.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? That time we did a synchronised high kick and tore four sets of skinny jeans in one fell rock-swoop.

Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Bat Country Communion, The Mel 0400405537 Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Capital Dub Style Reggae/dub events Rafa 0406647296

Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au Kayo Marbilus myspace.com/kayomarbilus Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792 Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 Hadrian.brand@live.com.au Moots Huck 0419630721 aspwinch@grapevine.com.au Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 MuShu Jack 0414292567 mushu_band@hotmail.com Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974

Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662

Rafe Morris 0416322763

Of what are you proudest so far? Our songs.

Danny V Danny 0413502428

What are your plans for the future? Get enough gigs under the belt to fund some serious studio time.

Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428

Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527

What makes you laugh? Comedy.

What pisses you off? Trying to think of a witty answer to this question.

Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com

What about the local scene would you change? With a magic wand, force all the punters off their couches and into the venues.

Drumassault Kate 0414236323

What are your upcoming gigs? The Basement, Wednesday April 24, with King of the North. Anything we can get – email us.

Fighting Mongooses, The Adam 0402055314

Contact info: kidyounot1@gmail.com; facebook.com/ kidyounot1; soundcloud.com/kid-you-not.

FeralBlu Danny 0413502428

Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388

Redletter Ben 0421414472

Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884

Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com

Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158

Super Best Friends Sam White sam@imcmusic.net

Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

46

Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630

System Addict Jamie 0418398556 ThrownUp Scott 0415849619 Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

In The Flesh Scott 0410475703

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

@bmamag

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