Beat Magazine #1439

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in this issue

14

hOt tALK

18

tOuRinG

20

MeGAn WAshinGtOn

22

WhAt’s On, MeLBOuRne FRinGe FestiVAL

24

ARt OF the City, the COMiC stRiP

25

MeLBOuRne unDeRGROunD FiLM FestiVAL

26

niGht MOVes, DOnneLLe RAWLinGs, stARt.OPtiOns.exit.

27

the WeDnesDAy exPeRiMent, sPOD

32

COuRtney BARnett, BALL PARK MusiC

33

MeLBOuRne FOLK CLuB, VAnCe JOy

the WeDnesDAy exPeRiMent page 27

34

COuRtney BARnett page 32

LeOn henDRix, JOe BOnAMAssA

35

ZePteMBeR

36

the LOVe JunKies, DuMB Punts, steVe sMyth

37

steP

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MOnuMents, AReA-7

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CORe/CRunCh!

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MusiC neWs

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LiVe

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ALBuM OF the WeeK, sinGLes, ChARts

LeOn henDRix page 34

VAnCe JOy page 33

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HOT TALK

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BRIGGS

Briggs will be hitting the road this October/November for a national run of dates in support of his brand new album Sheplife.

Featuring the incredible first single The Hunt with vocals and instrumentation from ARIA-winning legend Gurrumul, and the raw and powerful single Bad Apples the critically acclaimed album has received widespread airplay across the country and cemented Briggs’ place as a powerful force in Australian hip hop. Catch Briggs in Melbourne at The Espy Front Bar Saturday November 1 or at Workers Club Monday November 3. Tickets on sale now.

ORPHANS ORPHANS

Brisbane indie darlings Orphans Orphans will play a run of dates this October in support of their debut EP What’s A Boy S’posed To Do. The five-track EP will be available digitally on Friday September 19 and will feature their breakthrough single Orphan. The quintet will hit Shebeen on Friday October 10 alongside The Furrs and Hollow Everdaze.

ROLLING GREEN

A Day On The Green’s long-standing success with crowds 50+ has given birth to a variant summer festival, Rolling Green, which will debut next April. The festival is geared toward younger punters and will feature The Black Keys, Spiderbait and Band Of Skulls. It plays Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley on Sunday April 5, followed by a show in the Hunter Valley the weekend after.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

Join Hiatus Kaiyote and Oscar Key Sung at Federation Square for a free concert to celebrate peace in the lead up to United Nations International Day of Peace.

Grammy nominated Melbourne soul babies Hiatus Kaiyote will bring their collaborative mix of genre defying songs and electric performance to the party for peace in a rare appearance in Australia after a big year of touring the universe and picking up a swag of national and international awards.

They will be joined by ridiculously talented producer/vocalist/songwriter Oscar Key Sung. Renowned for his honeyed R&B vocals and buoyant performances, Oscar has been touring non-stop since releasing his debut EP Holograms, selling out Australian venues and touring Japan, the US and Europe to critical acclaim. You can catch the performance at Federation Square on Friday September 19 at midday.

FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

THE O’DOWDS (12th SEPT) RHYTHM KITCHEN (13th SEPT)

The Falls Music & Arts Festival’s line-up is reaching dizzying heights with extra delights. The fest has gone and dropped another batch of 24-karat artists playing across Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron this summer. Last weeks’ Ballot sales were met with unprecedented demand and have concluded with Lorne tickets selling out in record time. Joining the top-drawer 2014 line-up will be Ásgeir and Dan Sultan, while Cloud Control, Megan Washington, Kingswood, Art Of Sleeping, Fishing, Northeast Party House, Thelma Plum and Charlotte OC will be joining the bill for the Lorne and Marion Bay events. For more information, visit www.fallsfestival.com.au.

STRUMARAMA

Mental Health Week 2014 will rock to the sounds of a special night of all-original music as bands, songwriters, comedians and poets from Wild@heART Community Arts take to the stage for Strumarama on Wednesday October 8 at the Prince of Wales. The Public Bar will be rocking and rolling in the aisles with a showcase of performers including the Bipolar Bears band, singer songwriter Heidi Everett, well known St Kilda poet Michael Crane, comedians from the Stand Up For Mental Health group and much more. Strumarama will be happening on Wednesday October 8 at the Prince of Wales Public Bar from 7pm. For more info visit www.facebook.com/wildatheartcommunityarts.

HARRY MANX

Canadian blues oddity Harry Manx will be bringing his 20-stringed Mohan Veena back to Melbourne for three shows this September. The master of exotic blues trips will be plugging his 11th album, Om Suite Ohm, which was released in February. Adventurous punters can catch him strumming at the Melbourne Folk Club at Bella Union on Wednesday September 10, Sooki Lounge in Belgrave on September 11 and The Spotted Mallard on September 12.

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TEX PERKINS AND THE DARK HORSES

The iconic Aussie singer-songwriter Tex Perkins will be performing for one night only with his band The Dark Horses at The Yarraville Club on Saturday November 8. Tex, whose career also includes fronting hard edged rock band Beasts of Bourbon and more recently The Ape, is back once again to the mysterious moody groove of The Dark Horses. Tickets to Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses will sell out quick, so book early to avoid missing out.

THE BLURST OF TIMES SAM SMITH

Sam Smith is set to bring his highly anticipated In The Lonely Hour tour to Australia next year. Since first bursting upon the scene as the guest-vocalist on Disclosure’s breakthrough track Latch, and then featuring on Naughty Boy’s hit single La La La, last year Smith released his Nirvana EP and followed it up this May with his debut album In The Lonely Hour, which went Platinum in the UK and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. Catch him Thursday April 30 at Margaret Court Arena. Tickets go on sale on Monday September 15 through Ticketek.

After releasing a first round lineup of local talent last week, Brisbane’s The Blurst of Times festival has revealed the full list of bands that they will be showcasing on their inaugural expansion to Melbourne. The festival have added Veliciraptor, Mighty Boys, Heads of Charm, Steve Miller Band, Apes, The Creases and more to their blursting lineup. They join acts DZ Deathrays, Hard-Ons, Jeremy Neale, Harmony, Beaches, Drunk Mums, Blank Realm, The UV Race, TV Colours, Major Leagues, Spod, Donny Benet, Super Best Friends, Scotdrakula, Miss Destiny, Sunbeam Sound Machine, Chores, The Good Sports, Rolls Bayce and Babaganouj. The Blurst of Times will take place in Melbourne on Sunday October 19 at Seaworks.

VANCE JOY

Vance Joy is touring Australia in March to promote his release Dream Your Life Away. Joining him on the March tour dates will be #1 Dads and Airling. Opener Airling, has quickly made a name for herself on the local scene, winning triple j Unearthed and scoring a slot at Splendour In The Grass this year. The Brisbane songstress is the first signing to Big Scary’s Pieater label. The creation of Tom Iansek, #1 Dads will take to the stage just before Vance Joy. #1 Dads recently released the stunning LP About Face. These shows mark his first ever Australian tour. You can catch Vance Joy at The Palais Theatre on Friday March 13. Tickets for Vance Joy’s March tour are on sale Friday September 12. A special fan pre-sale will be available on September 11. Head to vancejoy.com for ticketing details.

SEPT FRI

12

SEPT SAT

13

SEPT SUN

14

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DONNELL RAWLINGS: UNCHAINED

If you’re anything like me (poor you) and you spend too much time with your TV and a bag of chicken Twisties, then Donnell Rawlings may well be familiar to you. Having owned the catchphrase “I’m rich, biii-atch,” on Chappelle’s Show, had a turn as an ex-con on The Wire, and even made guest appearances as a challenge judge on The Ricki Lake Show, Rawlings is now bringing his unchained brand of comedy to the amazing Thornbury Theatre. Head to beat.com.au/freeshit to claim one of five double passes to his show on Thursday 18 September. It’s free, biii-atch!

THE VELVETS

Bands call it quits for many reasons: creative differences, heroin, ego, boredom etc. For The Velvets it’s an entirely new reason. Jim has been called in to NASA to be consulted on extra-terrestrial politics, Joel is migrating to the hills of Wahucca to live with the native folk, Jack has a doctors’ appointment he can’t miss and Dan snapped a bass string (we all know how hard they are to replace). Friday September 12 at Yah Yah’s will be your last chance to catch the lads in their current rock’n’roll formation. Supported by the Naysayers and a solo performance from Kashmere Club’s Billy O’Connell, the night is promising to be one to drink to forget. Join the party for one last hurrah before you’re whisked away on life’s tumultuous breeze into an uncertain, Velvet-less future.

The voice and heartbeat of defunct underground heroes Full Scale, Mammal, The Nerve, and the still firing OverReactor has had a massive 2014 since announcing his solo ambitions in January. This year has seen him support Boots Riley (The Coup, Street Sweeper Social Club), King Of The North, Sietta and Tim McMillan live, as well as appearing on stage and street with fellow buskers/headliners The Pierce Brothers. Forever relentless, he also found the time to write, record, mix and collate his debut EP Raw Styles, which has had tracks spun on triple j and community radio around the country, and features B-side production from hip-hop bass guru James Mangohig (Briggs, Damn Moroda). You can catch Ezekiel Ox at The Grace Darling on Friday November 14. For more information visit www.facebook.com/ ezekieloxmusic.

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JUST ANNOUNCED Fri 19 Sep

Bohemia THIS WEEK

AWME

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El Gran Combo

COMING SOON Fri 26 Sep

Rebel Souljahz Sat 27 Sep

PHD Free Hoodie Party Sat 4 Oct

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FRIDAY NIGHTS AT JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

The National Gallery of Victoria have announced the lineup for the next instalment of their popular Friday Nights series.

Friday Nights at Jean Paul Gaultier will allow visitors to enjoy after-hours access to the The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition and hear from a lineup of Australian and international performers, including electronic artists, solo performers and bands.Artists performing in the series include HTRK, JD Samson, Cibo Matto, Saskwatch, The Bombay Royale, Touch Sensitive, Elizabeth Rose, Kate Miller-Heidke, Frikstailers and Chicks on Speed.

The Friday Nights series will also present pop-up fashion talks and offer food and dining opportunities within the heart of the Gallery. Friday Nights at Jean Paul Gaultier will open on Friday October 24 and continue until early February.

Thu 09 Oct 18+ Fri 10 Oct 18+ Sat 11 Oct U18

Jagwar Ma

Bluejuice

Sat 11 Oct

The seventh instalment of internationally renowned and forward-thinking conference and showcase AWME has announced more acts joining this years already world-class lineup. New additions include Byron Bay local and multiplatinum selling singer/songwriter Pete Murray and Sydney-based artist Declan Kelly presenting his Diesel ‘n’ Dub project, paying homage to the classic Midnight Oil album by giving it his reggae-dub treatment. Other homegrown acts making their debut appearances will be Melbourne-based lasses and soul sistas Chelsea Wilson and Rita Satch as well musical explorers Oh Pep! Representing the Northern Territory are three very diverse artists on the CAAMA Music label including singer Cassandra Williams; Stewart Gaykamangu and the Tjintu Desert Band. From abroad and covering the Scottish region is Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson, Canada’s Kim Wepme and from just across the shores, New Zealand’s Batacuda Sound Machine.

AWME 2014 will take place from November 13-16 at the Arts Centre Melbourne, The Hi-Fi, Ding Dong Lounge, Shebeen, The Toff in Town and Lounge. Tickets on sale now.

Nina Las Vegas

Sat 18 Oct

The Selecter (2-Tone) Fri 24 Oct

The Meanies

MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Fri 31 Oct

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Katchafire Thu 13 Nov

AWME: Ash Grunwald Fri 14 Nov

AWME: Nahko & Medicine For The People

PALOMA FAITH

UK pop diva Paloma Faith will be bringing her throaty wails to Australia for the first time next May. The tour follows the release of her third album A Perfect Contradiction, which features collaborations from the likes of John Legend and Pharrell Williams. The album’s leading single howl-fest Only Love Can Hurt Like This topped the ARIA charts back in July. She’ll be playing The Palais Theatre on Tuesday May 5. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday September 12 through Live Nation.

After unveiling her already stellar line up earlier this year, Auntie M has dropped a few more gems into the mix. Sneaky cat. Jagwar Ma, Jen Cloher, Sun God Replica, The Harpoons, Krakatau, City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Brand, The Town Bikes and the somewhat elusive Silence Wedge complete the line up for 2014. The acts already announced include The War on Drugs, Ty Segall, Mark Lanegan and many more.

Meredith Music Festival 2014 takes place in paradise aka The Supernatural Amphitheatre from Friday December 12 to Sunday December 14. Tickets are now sold out.

Sat 15 Nov

AWME: Hiatus Kaiyote Sun 16 Nov

AWME: Melbourne Ska Orchestra Prong

Sat 22 Nov

Kimbra

Husky

Thu 04 Dec

Pantha Du Prince

Wed 10 Dec

James Holden

SOLD OUT

Sat 13 Dec

Thy Art Is Murder

TIX + INFO THEHIFI.COM.AU 125 SWANSTON ST, MELBOURNE

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

BROODS

Thu 11 Dec

The War On Drugs

Thelma Plum is bringing her Monsters to cities and towns across Australia. Having created a beautifully delicate yet densely layered EP under the guiding hand of M-Phazes, Thelma has assembled a misfit cast of seasoned musicians to recreate the soundscape on stage and bring her Monsters to life. With the hypnotic lead single How Much Does Your Love Cost? still dancing around our head from a steady battering from triple j, Thelma is ready for you to meet the rest of her creations from the Monsters EP in the flesh. You can catch her perform at The Corner Hotel on Saturday November 8.

Tickets are available through the venue.

CARLTON DRY INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Fri 21 Nov

Sat 29 Nov

THELMA PLUM

DELTA RIGGS

Following a national Australian tour supporting Kasabian, The Delta Riggs have dropped yet another psychedelic feast of a clip for current single The Record’s Flawed. Shot around the streets of London during their breakout European tour earlier this year, the clip follows weeks of high rotation for The Record’s Flawed, which Rolling Stone hailed as “a bold, new, refined sound." The clip further builds anticipation for the release of their second album Dipz Zebazios, out on Friday October 10 via Inertia Recordings.

One of the most celebrated young bands to emerge out of New Zealand’s thriving contemporary musical landscape, brother and sister duo Broods are coming back to Australia this November. Off the back of countless sold-out national and international tour dates and a stellar set at this year’s Splendour in the Grass, the über-talented siblings Caleb and Georgia Nott will bring their ARIA top five debut album Evergreen to Australia for a set of national headline shows. Joining Broods on their national headline tour will be special guests Mansionair. Don’t miss two of music’s most significant new talents together in one bill at The Forum in Melbourne on November 25. Tickets go on sale midday on Thursday September 11.

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Chet Faker and Courtney Barnett lead Melbourne’s charge in the nominations for the ninth Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards. In the list, Faker was up for three, and Barnett up for two. Faker is vying for Best Independent Artist, Best Independent Album and Best Independent Dance, Electronica Album for his self-produced debut Built On Glass. Barnett could take home the trophy for Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Single or EP for Avant Gardener on the night. Brisbane band Violent Soho got the most amount of nominations with four. Adelaide-born SIA also got three. Other Melbourne acts on the list included Paul Kelly, Dan Sultan, Remi, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard D.D. Dumbo, Allday, LUCIANBLOMKAMP, Davidson Brothers, Meg Mac, High Tension and Paul Grabowsky Sextet among others. The AIR Awards will be held on Wednesday October 8 at the Meat Market in North Melbourne.

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MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK

BOX HILL INSTITUTE PRESENTS

Melbourne Music Week will return this November for its fifth incarnation with their biggest ever program, and today they have revealed their first announcement. Featuring 250 local and international artists, 110 events and 40 locations, the 2014 program will also showcase an impressive new flagship venue.

Among the many highlights announced today, it's been revealed that German electronic music pioneers Tangerine Dream will perform on Melbourne Town Hall’s Grand Organ in their first Australian performance since 1975.

A Winged Victory For The Sullen, which is the ambient project of Dustin O’Halloran and Adam Wiltzie who and are signed to the illustrious record label Kranky, will perform their original score for Atomos, a dance piece by contemporary choreographer Wayne McGregor, at the Melbourne Recital Central.

Each day of MMW 2014 will see their new hub - the Queen Victoria Market - transformed into a dynamic space of cutting-edge installations and programming. Opening night (Friday November 14) will see performances from Architecture In Helsinki, Total Giovanni and Rainbow Connection DJs, and throughout the week will see a host of local and international talent perform including Cut Copy, Andras & Oscar, Roland Tings, No Zu, World’s End Press, Sleep D, Speed Painters, Nile Delta, Allday, L-Fresh The Lion, Baro, The DYE, Dusky and Ten Walls.

Fusing together music and film, together with ACMI MMW will present this year’s Cinemix with The Church, performing a live score specially curated by the band to Jean Cocteau’s avant-garde film Blood of a Poet.

Melbourne Music Week will take place from Friday November 14 – Sunday November 23. Visit melbourne.vic. gov.au/mmw for tickets and more information. The full program will be revealed on Wednesday October 8.

THE BLACK KEYS

Blues-rock giants The Black Keys are proving to be a couple of overachievers, announcing more shows on top of their Bluesfest appearance next year. The tour follows the release of their eighth album, Turn Blue, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts earlier this year. They’ll play their bluesy trade in Rochford Wines on April 5 as part of Rolling Green festival and Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday April 7.

THE MEANIES

Punk icons The Meanies will toast nostalgia-seekers this October, announcing a Silver Jubilee Tour celebrating 25 years of on-and-off bruising. Since forming in the early ‘90s the quartet have toured with the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and have four albums under their belt. A reissue of their Never/Steve Sex God/Sorry ‘Bout The Violence 7” will be available on coloured vinyl in November.

SUNSET ARMS BOARDING HOUSE MONDEGREEN LISA NEEDS BRACES CHRIS ISAAC 8.00pm / FREE

THU 11 SEP

THE BRAVES FEVER SEEDS GREY MANTIS RABBLE ROUSER 8.30pm

FRI 12 SEP

AYE CANDY

RAH RAHS THE LONG STAND 9.00pm

SAT 13 SEP

TIME OUT with LUNATICS ON POGOSTICKS

MANNY FOX SWEETS 10.00pm

SUN 14 SEP

WACO SOCIAL CLUB JOHN DANYI ROSS EVANS 7.00pm

MON 15 SEP FILM CLUB Who are you and what do you do in the band?

My name is James Whitfield and I’m the drummer for Lunatics On Pogosticks. I also sing sometimes.

What was the inspiration behind the name of your new EP, Slug Cat And Snail Dog? We were hanging out at a friend’s house when we tried to put a slug on our friend’s cat’s head but the cat wasn’t having a bar of it, and their dog was trying to eat a snail. It just kind of stuck.

Using three words, how would you describe Lunatics On Pogosticks’ music to new listeners?

Cool, garage, fun.

If you had to give listeners one reason to come to your show at Revolver on September 19, what would it be?

My nipples.

Would you rather receive a public review of your music that was negative but honest, or a positive one that wasn’t truthful?

A negative but honest one. Honest feedback is definitely the most important thing and the more of it the better. Reviews don’t make or break an album as much as they used to. Back in the day, reviews were all you had to go on when you forked out your money for a new release. Now, you can just go online and stream the album for free so people can make up their own mind.

Can fans expect a similar sound on your new EP, Slug Cat And Snail Dog, to that of your previous releases?

It’s a little more polished both in production and song writing because we’re learning all the time and getting more experienced. This is also the first EP where we ended up using drums that were recorded and tracked professionally in a studio. It’s a lot of smiles all round.

SCREEN SECT

LUNATICS ON POGOSTICKS launch Slug Cat And Snail Dog at the Revolver Bandroom Friday September 19.

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TOURING For all the latest tour dates check out beat.com.au

INTERNATIONAL ANBERLIN 170 Russell September 10 YOU ME AT SIX Hi-Fi September 10 KANYE WEST Rod Laver Arena September 10 CANNIBAL CORPSE 170 Russel September 12 JOE HENRY Melbourne Recital Centre September 12 JULY TALK Gasometer Hotel September 12, Corner Hotel September 13 ANTHONY FANTANO Toff In Town September 14 ROBBIE WILLIAMS Rod Laver Arena September 16 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Etihad Stadium September 18 DAMIEN JURADO Northcote Social Club September 19 JOE BONAMASSA Palais Theatre September 19 SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS The Corner Hotel September 18, Melbourne Town Hall September 19 RISE OF BROTALITY 170 Russell September 19, Phoenix Youth Centre September 20 AMERICAN AUTHORS Prince Bandroom September 20 INGRID MICHAELSON Corner Hotel September 20 VERUCA SALT Corner Hotel September 26, 30, October 1 JUANA MOLINA Thornbury Theatre September 26 SEPULTURA 170 Russell October 1 LISTEN OUT FESTIVAL Royal Botanical Gardens October 4 DOOMSDAY FESTIVAL Yah Yah’s October 4, The Tote October 5 DIRE STRAITS EXPERIENCE Palais Theatre October 5 ALT J The Forum October 6 LEON HENDRIX Corner Hotel October 8 MILEY CYRUS Rod Laver Arena October 10 JEFF MILLS AND THE MSO Hamer Hall October 10 KING SALAMI LuWow October 11 THE TEA PARTY Palais Theatre October 12 REGGIE WATTS The Forum October 13 DWARVES Barwon Club October 16, The Evelyn October 17 JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Corner Hotel October 16, Out On the Weekend October 18

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

SAY ANYTHING Corner Hotel October 17 COMEBACK KID Central Bar October 18, Phoenix Youth Centre (AA) October 19 RYAN BINGHAM Out On the Weekend October 18, Northcote Social Club October 21 TORCHE Corner Hotel October 18 THE SELECTER Hi-FI October 18 A MOVING SOUND Foxtel Festival Hub October 21 NIKKI LANE Out On the Weekend October 18, The Toff In Town October 22, Northcote Social Club October 23 RODRIGUEZ Palais Theatre October 25 ELBOW The Forum October 28 DREAM THEATER Palais Theatre October 29 MINNESOTA VOODOO MEN LuWow October 31 WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Various Venues October 31 – November 3 AQUA Palais Theatre November 3 SOULS OF MISCHIEF The Espy November 3 BEN OTTEWELL Northcote Social Club November 5 ROLLING STONES Rod Laver Arena November 5, Hanging Rock Macedon November 8 JOE SATRIANI Palais Theatre November 8 MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA Corner Hotel November 13, 14 SEAN PAUL Festival Hall November 14 KATY PERRY Rod Laver Arena November 14, 15 ACCEPT Corner Hotel November 15 TORI AMOS Palais Theatre November 15 JIMMY EAT WORLD The Forum November 17 YES Palais Theatre November 18 PRONG Hi-Fi November 21 KIMBRA Hi-Fi November 22 MAX RICHTER Melbourne Recital Centre November 24 BROODS The Forum November 25 JAKOB Ding Dong Lounge November 27 SLEEP Corner Hotel December 6 JOAN ARMATRADING Melbourne Recital Centre December 8 ICE CUBE The Forum December 9 THE LEMONHEADS Corner Hotel December 9 JAMES HOLDEN Hi-Fi December 10

HARRY MANX Bella Union September 10, Sooki Lounge September 11, The Spotted Mallard September 12 UB40 Palais Theatre December 11 FACTORY FLOOR Howler December 11 CLOUD NOTHINGS Corner Hotel December 11 DAMON ALBARN Palais Theatre December 12 PHOSPHORESCENT Corner Hotel December 12 MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre December 12 – 14 THE WAR ON DRUGS Meredith Music Festival December 12 –14 TY SEGALL Corner Hotel December 14 THE SKATALITES Corner Hotel December 18 BEN FOLDS Hamer Hall December 20 FALLS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL Various locations December 28 – January 2 BEYOND THE VALLEY Phillip Island Circuit December 30 – January 1 SUGAR MOUNTAIN January 24 SUZI QUATRO Melbourne Arts Centre February 6 STING AND PAUL SIMON A Day on the Green February 7, Rod Laver Arena February 10 THE 1975 Festival Hall January 15 EVERYTIME I DIE Corner Hotel January 16 CHIODOS Corner Hotel January 31 ROXETTE Rod Laver Arena February 20, Rochford Wines Yarra Valley February 21 SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL Flemington Racecourse February 21, 22 THE EAGLES Rod Laver Arena February 22, Hanging Rock Macedon February 28 SAM SMITH Margaret Court Arena April 30 PALOMA FAITH Palais Theatre May 5

NATIONAL BIGSOUND Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Precinct September 10-11 HOWLING BELLS Howler September 11 360 Festival Hall September 12 NIGHT BEATS The Curtin September 12 THE LOVE JUNKIES Ding Dong Lounge September 12 RON S. PENO The Shadow Electric September 12, Flying Saucer Club September 13 CASTLECOMER Shebeen September 12, 20 TIJUANA CARTEL Howler September 12 THE VELVETS Yah Yah’s September 12 THE NINJAS Yah Yah’s September 12, Workers Club September 13 CAPTIVES Old Bar September 13 DAN KELLY Howler September 13 RITA SATCH The Toff In Town September 16, 23, 30 ROCKACABANA FESTIVAL Copacabana September 14 TINA ARENA Palais Theatre September 17 KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD Various Venues September 17-20.

NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE Various venues, September 18-21 AREA 7 Corner Hotel September 19 HIATUS KAIYOTE AND OSCAR KEY SUNG Federation Square September 19 FIRELIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL Beaconhills Performing Arts Centre September 20 THE DECLINE Reverence Hotel September 20 MAGIC HANDS Gasometer Hotel September 20 STEP The Toff In Town September 24 KYLIE AULDIST AND THE GLENROY ALLSTARS Ding Dong Lounge September 24 THE BENNIES Barwon Club September 24, Karova Lounge September 25, The Evelyn September 26 SAFIA Northcote Social Club September 25 THE GRISWOLDS Corner Hotel September 25 ANGUS & JULIA STONE Palais Theatre September 25, 26 MESA COSA The Curtain September 26 SLUMBERJACK Anyway, The Bottom End September 27 ANDY BULL Corner Hotel September 27, 28 HORSELL COMMON Bendigo Hotel September 27 THE SWEET APES Wrangler Studios September 27 (AA) SHEPPARD Ormond Hall October 2 COURTNEY BARNETT Corner Hotel October 2,3, 4, 5 BAD//DREEMS Shebeen October 3 TIMBERWOLF Gasometer Hotel October 3 THE PEEP TEMPEL The Tote October 3, Reverence Hotel October 31 THE CAT EMPIRE Festival Hall October 4 BONJAH Hi-Fi October 4 CHOPPED FESTIVAL Newstead Racecourse October 3–5 DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST Various Venues October 8 – 19 CARLTON DRY INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS Meat Market October 8 STRUMARAMA Prince Of Wales October 8 DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST Various Venues October 8 – 19

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PROUDLY PRESENTS NOV

14-23

MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK Various venues

OCT

8-19

DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST Various Venues

THIRSTY MERC Melbourne Public October 9 MIA DYSON Howler October 10 ORPHANS ORPHANS Shebeen October 10 BLUEJUICE Hi-Fi October 10, 11 (AA) MELBOURNE FESTIVAL Various Venues October 10 – 28 SINCE I LEFT YOU - A CELEBRATION OF THE AVALANCHES Foxtel Festival Hub October 10,11 DMA’S Northcote Social Club October 11 ANTISKEPTIC The Evelyn October 11 MIKELANGO Foxtel Festival Hub October 14-16 BASENJI Liberty Social October 17 OUT ON THE WEEKEND Seaworks, Williamstown October 18 THE BLURST OF TIMES FESTIVAL Seaworks, Williamstown October 19 JIMMY BARNES Palais Theatre October 18 SCREAMFEEDER The Curtin October 18 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS Spirit Bar October 23, 170 Russell October 24 POP CRIMES Foxtel Festival Hub October 23, 24 JOELISTICS Northcote Social Club October 24 THE MEANIES Hi-Fi October 24 MISSY HIGGINS Regent Theatre October 29 DON WALKER Bella Union October 29 AUGIE MARCH Howler October 29, 30, 31, November 1, 2 THE MARK OF CAIN 170 Russell October 31 AMAYA LAUCIRICA Worker’s Club October 31 BRIGGS The Espy November 1, Workers Club November 3 RADIO BIRDMAN Corner Hotel November 2, 3 GOSSLING Corner Hotel November 6 TEX PERKINS AND THE DARK HORSES Yarraville Club November 8 THELMA PLUM Corner Hotel November 8 ONE ELECTRIC DAY Werribee Park November 9 AWME FESTIVAL Various venues, Melbourne November 13 – 16 MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK Various venues, Melbourne November 14 November 23 HILLTOP HOODS Margaret Court Arena November 14 EZEKIEL OX Grace Darling November 14 RIVER ROCKS Barwon Club Hotel November 15 C.W STONEKING The Forum November 15 JIMMY BARNES A Day on the Green November 15, December 13, 20 YACHT CLUB DJS Corner Hotel November 22 DOWN ON THE FARM Emu Plains Racecourse Reserve November 22 LULUC Northcote Social Club November 28 THE SMITH STREET BAND Corner Hotel November 28 PARADISE MUSIC FESTIVAL November 28 – 30 QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL Queenscliff November 28 – 30 HUSKY Hi-Fi November 29 NICK CAVE The Plenary December 16, 17,18 SCOTT RUSSO AND PHIL JAMIESON Corner Hotel December 19 GROUNDSWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Lake Tyers Beach, East Gippsland January 10 BEECHWORTH MUSIC FESTIVAL Madman’s Gully Amphitheatre, Beechworth January 24 BALLARAT BEER FESTIVAL City Oval, Ballarat January 24 VANCE JOY Palais Theatre March 13 KYLIE MINOGUE Rod Laver Arena March 18 ROLLING GREEN FESTIVAL Rochford Wines Yarra Valley April 5 THE BLACK KEYS Rolling Green April 5, Margaret Court Arena April 7 THE VINES, TOM PETT Y, SMASHMOUTH = NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 19

MEGAN WASHINGTON BARING HER SOUL

By Kriss Weiss

She has a note-perfect vocal ability that equals the best jazz maestros dominating the New York club scene of both past and present curiously coupled with the uncanny ability to write a pop song that can melt the heart of the most cynical hipster.

She’s currently the undefeated champion on QuizUp for the topic The Office (US), and was dying to know that Comic Book Guy’s real name was Jeff Albertson. While she refers to herself as “Tina Belcher at school, I’m not actually kidding,” she’s managed to win over a legion of fans with her combination of musical skill, effortless cool (well, we see it even if she doesn’t) and brutal honesty (cemented by her appearance recently on Australian Story). She’s Megan Washington, a delightful contradiction, back with her strongest album to date, There There.

“Last night I dreamt that I was paid to be an ambassador at a party that I didn’t want to go to,” Washington begins, an anecdote explaining how she’s feeling about the release of her latest album. “It was at this sprawling place and there were too few people and the party was depressing but I was paid to be there so I went. While I was there my A&R from my record label walked in pushing a trolley and I was like ‘What’s on the trolley? What are you doing here?’ and he said ‘Oh well this is how I supplement my career in the record industry since your record came out. Now I have to sell cleaning products at parties’.” She pauses for a moment, I laugh perhaps prematurely but she finally joins in. “So that’s how my subconscious is dealing with my record coming out; it thinks that my record company has to sell cleaning products in order to deal with it. I’m not panicking, but I obviously must be because that shit’s crazy.”

And that’s how the chat with Washington begins, her earnest, honest nature seeping through the phone from the very beginning. There’s something immediately captivating about her, something warm and yet brutally straight-up, like you know the bullshit of the industry is never going to blind her. To her fans she came out of nowhere – like all hard-working, seasoned performers seem to – with her EP How to Tame Lions. It was an instant favourite on triple j and Washington followed protocol, producing for her new devoted audience a brilliant debut album. So how does the preparation for the release of There There compare to the heady days of 2010’s I Believe You Liar?

“It’s hard to say because you only know what you know and you don’t know what you don’t know. With the first record I was extremely positive and I was completely self-assured that that record was going to be successful.

I had absolute faith in it, in the way that only a 23-yearold can when you feel like you know everything. I mean, that’s what everyone thinks when they’re 23 and, it turns out that’s really not the case,” she laughs. “Now, weirdly, I feel like I’ve worked harder on this album. They’re very different, the first was written over two years, this one was written over two months – so that, in and of itself, is going to make for a different relationship to the music.

This album is very much an historic record about that chapter of my life, whereas the first was very much a ‘best of ’ of everything in my life.”

It’s often only when an album begins to be dissected by media and fans that an artist has the time to step back and look objectively at what they’ve created.

Washington is beginning that process now. “People BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20

keep saying about this record, ‘It’s so honest, are you nervous about it being so honest?’ and the thing I’ve realised is that the place I was in with Sam [Dixon – Sia, Adele] and the culture that we’d made for ourselves was such that it did not seem like honesty was unusual,” she says. “It’s only since journalists started saying that, I’ve come to realise that it is unusual to be honest, but at the time I didn’t think that was remarkable. At the time I just thought I’d write real songs about real things.”

‘Honest’ is also generally just code for ‘literal’. People are surprised when they don’t have to wade through

“THEY’RE VERY DIFFERENT, THE FIRST WAS WRITTEN OVER TWO YEARS, THIS ONE WAS WRITTEN OVER TWO MONTHS – SO THAT, IN AND OF ITSELF, IS GOING TO MAKE FOR A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP TO THE MUSIC” metaphor to find the meaning of a song. “Definitely, and I would argue that is the difference between pop music and alternative music,” she says. “A pop song doesn’t make you work for the point. Like, I Kissed a Girl is pretty straight up. I hate it when people call me a pop singer because when I listen to what’s on the radio I’m not Rita Ora, I’m not Rhianna, you know what I’m saying? It fucks me off when people call me a pop star because I’m clearly not, but if you are gonna use me and pop in the same sentence it would be because of the literal nature of this record. I was at this Ryan Adams gig at the Opera House a few years ago and I had this fucking revelation; I realised that each of his songs are about something. Up until that point I came from the Daniel Johns school of songwriting – associative, impressionistic, words that sound right, poetry rather than prose. I can hand on heart say that How to Tame Lions is about nothing and that’s OK because a song like that is an inkblot for the listener to project their own insight.”

Can songs rich in metaphor be just about a mood?

“Yeah maybe about a mood; that’s a good point,” she says. “But Elvis Presley never sang a song about a mood.

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Thom Yorke does, but Elvis didn’t. That decision, to make the lyrics about something, was a next step in evolution as writer for me. I’m still figuring out how to do music. The cool thing about music is that it’s like a video game with infinity levels that you’ll never finish and this was the next level for me.”

Washington has been up front about the honesty on this album. It’s an apology album, confessional to a degree, and while it’s one thing to sing a song to faceless masses and have a stranger ask you questions over the phone, it’s another to know the subject of your song may actually hear it. With topics so personal and so raw, how has she prepared herself for the stories to be recognised by those involved? “Most people wouldn’t know I’d written about them, up until this record,” she says with a wry laugh, continuing with slight resignation. “Most of the songs are about people who don’t speak to me anymore. If I Believe You Liar was about falling in love with a big love and then Insomnia was about falling out of love with a big love, then this record is very much an apology for all the stupid shit I did along the way. The title itself is a consolation, the point of the album is a giant ‘I’m sorry’. But it would be extremely arrogant of me to write an apology album to all the humans I’ve been bad to and then force them to hear it by telling them I wrote about it.”

People are inherently narcissistic though; will there be some who go looking for themselves? “Then they can listen to the record and realise that it’s about them because that’s all our in-jokes and that’s all our stuff that we used to talk about. Maybe they’ll hate me for writing about them, maybe they’ll love me for writing about them, or maybe they’ll feel no different at all… It’s the only way I have to be heard, I suppose. I don’t know if you’ve ever done something wrong but there are just a lot of people in my life that deserved better and I was a crazy, maniac, chain-smoking lunatic. People can handle bad news but once they think they’ve been lied to, it’s really hard to get them back on board. I don’t mind, really, and probably, none of them are going to listen to it. Secondly, and most importantly, even if that was the process by which I came to write this music, it’s not the only function of these songs. This music is for everybody, not just me and not just the people I wrote about.”

MEGAN WASHINGTON’s new album There There is out on September 12 through Mercury Records. She also joins the Falls Festival lineup alongside Dan Sultan and Asgeir.

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21

THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN The Melbourne Underground Film Festival is back for 2014. Entering its 15th year, MUFF is an independent film festival that supports indie, guerrilla, micro-budget, underground and avant garde cinema. This year’s program will open with Start.Options.Exit. and wrap with Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla, with seven other full-lengths and a slew of shorts screening along the way. The Melbourne Underground Film Festival will run from Friday September 12 to Friday September 19 at Backlot Cinemas.

With Tyson Wray. Got thoughts, news, gossip, complaints or cat photos? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by carrier pigeon before Friday 12pm. do quite well by partnering with organisations which we really feel have a similar ethos to us.

“We’re really lucky that we get a lot of support from state and local government and also have a really fabulous principal partner in bankmecu. They really get what we’re about and understand the festival. We’re in a good position because it’s really clear that what we do can be left of centre and is sometimes controversial.

It’s political so I think that necessarily means that people who want to engage in Fringe want to engage in conversations about social responsibility and what that means. Our whole premise is really that we don’t control the work of artists, we support them to say what they want to say and what they need to say, so I think any partner that comes along for that ride is prepared to do that with us.”

ON STAGE

Award-winning play Waking Up Dead has hit Melbourne. Recipient of the 2013 R E Ross Trust Playwrights’ Script Development Award, Waking Up Dead follows a woman who lost her husband in shocking circumstances that simultaneously expose her double life on the swingers scene. Throughout the intimate performance, writer and actress Trudy Hellier uses a giant drawing board to recreate key memories in their lost relationship. Waking Up Dead was inspired by a number of true stories.

The play is currently running until Sunday September 14 at fortyfivedownstairs.

ON DISPL AY To celebrate 100 gallery openings at Off The Kerb they’ve put on a show about cats. They put out the call for cat narrations, cat encounters or cat fixations and were met with their biggest submission response to date. Of the 97 cat lovers, 52 artists were selected to be in the show, now all they need is you. 100 Cats is also raising money for charity Ingrid’s Haven - a non-profit cat shelter in Victoria. 100 Cats is currently on display at Off The Kerb.

PICK OF THE WEEK

The Australian Ballet will bring back an enchanting festive favourite to Melbourne this week. Returning to the stage for the first time since sell-out seasons in 2010, The Nutcracker tells the classical story of Clara and her magical friends in a wintery fairytale land, with dancing rats, toy soldiers and whirling snowflakes seen through the eyes of a little girl at Christmas.

It will take over the State Theatre from Friday September 12.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL

By Josh Fergeus

“The really great thing about Melbourne Fringe is that the content is artist driven,” Jayne Lovelock tells me. “So thematically it’s everywhere and everything.” Lovelock is the Creative Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, leading both the creative and operational aspects of the Melbourne institution. “It’s pretty huge but really satisfying,” she says of the undertaking. “We’ve got a great team here, myself and five others. We all work together to contribute to the festival, and then it jumps up to around 25 staff during the festival.

It’s definitely not a lonely role, there’s lots of opportunities to collaborate.”

With over 5,000 artists from Victoria and Australia’s funny, people ask me ‘what do you do when the festival diverse arts scene, the 2014 incarnation will feature over finishes’ but we’re still working, we’re still going. There’s 400 individual shows over 19 days in 100s of venues the team of six of us all year round and we’re flat out across the city. “I think most of the year.” people underestimate how Despite a consistently “I THINK PEOPLE much time it takes to plan tough fiscal climate over a festival with over 400 UNDERESTIMATE HOW MUCH the last five years, the events,” she notes. “It’s festival has remained quite an epic undertaking. strong.

TIME IT TAKES TO PLAN A That’s a good thing in “I spent a year working FESTIVAL WITH OVER 400 some ways though because in commercial art and people don’t think about visual art sales in Paris, EVENTS. IT’S qUITE AN EPIC the hard work, they just and I learnt a lot about think about how much fun UNDERTAKING. THAT’S A GOOD bottom lines and a lot they’re going to have at the about pragmatism,” says THING IN SOME WAYS THOUGH Lovelock. “Working in the festival.

“It’s a fun thing working not-for-profit art sector is towards one big goal. I’m BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T THINK a mix of both those things. starting to plan for 2015 understanding that ABOUT THE HARD WORK, THEY It’s and 2016 so I’m sort of you’ve got an obligation living one year ahead of jUST THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH to artists to respect the the festival in a lot of integrity of the festival and FUN THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE making sure that you’re ways which is exciting too. The first half of the not compromising on AT THE FESTIVAL.” year is all about planning values, while at the same the festival and getting time recognising that you it on its feet, and then there’s obviously festival time, are running a big festival and you’ve got artists to then it’s straight into planning for the next year. It’s support. It’s about finding a balance which I think we

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The 2014 program will see the return of Fringe Festival favourites such as Arj Barker, Rod Quantock, Finucane & Smith and Die Roten Punkte, alongside a slew of emerging and established artists spanning a range of artforms, including comedy, music, theatre, circus, dance, design and visual art. Some other highlights of the 2014 festival will include the Fringe Hub and Fringe Club in North Melbourne, the return of Fringe Film: Digital Creatures and the beloved Fringe Furniture program that each year showcases the latest in furniture, object and interior design.

While the artist-driven nature of the festival means there is no common theme, the festival has produced a series of works this year which follow certain lines of thought. This year, Melbourne Fringe presents Uncommon Places, exploring the concept of the “Third Place”, a place where people gather, converse, catch up and hang out. Third Places are informal sites that foster civic engagement, political thought, multicultural vibrancy and a sense of belonging. “Uncommon Places focuses on the idea of Third Places,” Lovelock explains.

“The home being the first place where you spend the most time, the workplace being the second place where you still spend a lot of time, and these third places being places of relaxation and engagement in other aspects of life. The local pub, the tram stop, the dog park - we’ve engaged artists to create works looking at how people engage with those third places. Thematically it looks at the way people interact with the city and how we use public spaces.”

The 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival will take place from Wednesday September 17 - Sunday October 5. Check out melbournefringe.com.au for more information and make sure to grab Beat next week and pick up our guide to the festival.

15TH ANNUAL

The Backlot Studios

PRESENTS

65 Haig St, Southbank MELBOURNE

SEPTEMBER 12-19

2014

MUFF’s wild, wonderful and woolly winter selection of Indy and guerrilla cinema treats is here in 2014 to delight, enlight, charm and surprise the cinematically adventurous.

openING NIGHT

12th - 7pm

START OPTIONS EXIT

CLOSING NIGHT

ALSO SHOWING DURING THE FESTIVAL ANOTHER

THE DEAD SPEAK BACK

THE NAKED ROSE

19th - 5pm

14th - 7pm

19th - 7pm

THE SUICIDE THEORY

HOW TO TIME TRAVEL

AN EVENING WITH CHOPPER READ

17th - 7pm

17th - 9pm

18th - 9pm

19th - 7pm

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA

MORE INFO

WWW.MUFF.com.au

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 23

THE COMIC STRIP PUBLIC BAR COMEDY

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

Justin Hamilton

Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

What Rhymes with Cars and Girls

MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY

The Melbourne Theatre Company has unveiled a huge season for 2015. The 2015 season features 11 mainstage plays, a family show, an education production, an independent theatre festival, a series of play readings and productions touring regionally, interstate and internationally. Some highlights include a transformation of Tim Rogers’ seminal solo record What Rhymes with Cars and Girls, Samuel Beckett’s great modernist masterpiece Endgame, Ariel Dorfman’s stunning world-wide hit Death and the Maiden alongside Betrayal, The Waiting Room, The Last Man Standing and much more. The 2015 season will open with the West End hit Jumpy on Saturday January 31. Visit mtc.com.au for more information.

JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS

Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre have revealed that their final production for 2014 will be the Australian premiere of Tom Wells’ Jumpers For Goalposts. Meet team Barely Athletic. They’re part of the gay, lesbian and transexual football league in Hull. Luke wants Danny, but Danny has a secret. Joe is happy in goal but Geoff wants a headline gig. Viv just wants to beat the lesbians to the league title. Game on. The play is a blissfully funny romantic comedy about friendship and finding your way, and will open at Red Stitch on Wednesday November 19.

MONDO MERMAID

STAR TREK LIVE

This weekend Eureka Rebellion Trading and Vesper White are joining forces to present Mondo Mermaid - a tropical adventure party of monster babes, calypso tunes and cheap booze to raise money for the upcoming short film The Man Who Caught A Mermaid.

The film is a psychosexual creature feature about an old man who captures a mermaid in a world that tells him they don’t exist. The night will feature DJs Frankie Alibi and Pachuco Juje, burlesque, circus and gogo dancers, a mystery band, live and silent auctions and more. It goes down on Friday September 12 from 8pm – 11pm at Eureka Rebellion Trading, visit facebook. com/mermaidfilmaus for more information.

Rippled

COMMONWEALTH CONNECTIONS ANIMATION SHOWCASE

ACMI will present an assortment of shorts from filmmakers across the Commonwealth nations when it hosts the Commonwealth Connections Animation Showcase this summer. Originally assembled for the Edinburgh International Film Festival in celebration of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the program features nine films nominated by participating countries. The showcase is free to view in the Australian Mediatheque at the ACMI as part of the international network of events taking place in each participating country. Melbourne’s Darcy Prendegast will represent Australia with his 2011 music video for All India Radio’s Rippled. The showcase will take place from October to January, visit acmi.net.au for more information.

melbournefringe.com.au or call 9660 9666 #mfringe

Principal Partner

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 24

On tonight (and every Wednesday for that matter) right in the heart of the city, Crab Lab brings you ten of Australia’s best stand ups for a measly $5. Tonight catch Sydney legend Ray Badran plus David Quirk, Tommy Dassalo, Dilruk Jayasinha and much more. Also, you get free popcorn. It kicks off at 8.30pm at 16 Corrs Lane, CBD.

FIVE BOROUGHS COMEDY

Bob Franklin

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BILL NYE

You’ll get a chance to check out Bill Nye’s infamous bowtie up close and personal (and learn a thing or two about science) when he tours Australia for the first time this February. Thanks to Nye and his awardwinning television show, Bill Nye The Science Guy, frustrated kids around the world have had an easier time understanding those hairy science problems like the difference between all of those nasty subatomic particles. Most recently, he’s made headlines for locking horns with creationists and global warming deniers. Hear what he has to say on Friday February 27 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Following the recent rebooting of the legendary Star Trek film franchise, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced that they will perform two very special concerts early next year. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform Michael Giacchino’s evocative score whilst J. J. Abrams’ Academy Awardwinning Star Trek film is shown simultaneously in high definition on the big screen. It will be performed at The Plenary on Saturday January 31 and Sunday February 1. Visit mso.com.au for more details.

The Jewish International Film Festival has revealed two of the films that will be appearing at their 2014 incarnation. The first cab off the rank is The Farewell Party, which was directed by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit and was nominated for the most Ophir Awards (Israel’s Oscars) in 2014 including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. The other film that has been revealed is Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem.

Directed by Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz, the film was the winner of Best Film at the 2014 Jerusalem Film Festival and was nominated for 12 Ophir Awards. JIFF 2014 will boast 43 feature length Australian premieres including a string of films coming to Australian shores hot off the back of premiere screenings, awards and nominations and critical acclaim at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Tribeca. The festival will take place in Melbourne from Wednesday November 5 - Sunday November 23.

The full program will be revealed soon, visit jiff.com.au for more information.

One of Melbourne’s favourite comics Justin Hamilton is back in the country and heading up a top shelf lineup tonight at The Public Bar. Backed up with Nick Cody hosting along with Daniel Connell, Tom Ward, James Masters and Doug Gordon, this will be a ripper. Plus you just never know who might pop in for a spot, in just the last few weeks they’ve had unadvertised visits from Tom Gleeson, Ronny Chieng, Tommy Little and Lawrence Mooney. Grab $5 and we’ll see you at 8.30pm.

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Bob Franklin headlines Five Boroughs Comedy this Thursday night. He’s been on everything from Jimeoin to The Librarians to The Micallef Program.

Plus there’s an awesome lineup including Danny McGinlay, Asher Treleaven, Oliver Clark and a special surprise guest. Five Boroughs has been so packed for months, so you’d better get down early.

It’s all happening this Thursday September 11 at 8.30pm, at Five Boroughs Comedy, 68 Hardware Lane (upstairs), CBD, all for only $12.

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Another massive lineup at Comedy At Spleen this Monday. It’s always completely packed, and you can see why with another awesome bunch of comics this week. This week, Ben Lomas hosts the show plus there’s Anne Edmonds, Mat Dyktynski, Jason English, Xander Allan, Nellie Wight and more. It’s on this Monday September 15 at 41 Bourke Street, CBD, at 8.30pm. It’s free to get in, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

MELBOURNE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL

By Avrille Bylok-Collard

This Friday, Melbourne Underground Film Festival, affectionately known as MUFF to cinephiles, will open for its 15th annual appearance, this year taking place at Backlot Studios in Southbank.

Boasting an eclectic range of feature-length and short films, including a short about killer koalas called Marsupial and the newest feature from Australian cinematographer Stuart Simpson (The Dark Psychosis, The Demons Among Us), MUFF has become known as the to-go-to film festival for independent and underground Australian cinema. Over the years it’s operated as a platform for fledging Australian directors to propel their careers to greater and brighter futures, a fact that Festival Director Richard Wolstencroft is immensely proud of.

“I think we’ve discovered some of the most important filmmakers that have come out of this country in the last 15 years. James Wan, who went on to do the Saw movies in Hollywood, Greg McLean, who did Wolf Creek [2005], the Sheffield brothers who did that film about time travel [How To Time Travel] out at the moment, Patrick Hughes, who recently directed The Expendables 3 [2014] and is doing The Raid next…and many other people, who are less wellknown,” explains Wolstencroft enthusiastically over his fruit juice.

It’s apparent from his avid chatter that Wolstencroft is a reservoir of cinematographic knowledge, consolidated by years of extensive movie watching and critiquing. His catalogue of influences include the classic works of Hitchcock to drama aficionado Lindsay Anderson (The Sporting Life, The Whales of August) to Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining) and John Ford (The Searchers, The Grapes of Wrath) — “I’ve got a pretty large film vocabulary. I could

probably talk to you all day about the filmmakers I like,” confesses the Festival Director, before he crafts a considered answer about what draws people towards cinema. “I have reasonably complex ideas about cinema. I mean, cinema is what [German composer] Wagner was aiming for with his last cycle of operas that he called Gesamtkunstwerk, which means ‘total artwork’. I think cinema is a total artwork because it involves sculpture, photography, theatre, literature, [musical] composition [and] just about every art-form there is. It’s all there in cinema. So, to me, [film] is the supreme art-form [and immersion].”

Despite being the avant-garde of the arts, cinema still needs to evolve; hence, spurring MUFF’s theme this year: Evolve or Die. The past 15 years has seen every filmmaker, including Wolstencroft, face the gradual transition of physical film to digital film. Though digital film has revolutionised the manipulation, projection and technique of film, Wolstencroft believes it’s dissolved an inherent quality of cinema: to tell

ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS

exciting, gritty and original stories. It’s something he believes that Australian cinema is slowly regaining since MUFF’s genesis.

“They’re trying to imitate the cinema of Ken Loach (Catchy Come Home, Route Irish) and Mike Leigh (Naked, TopsyTurvy), who are two English left-wing filmmakers that make films about the working class,” explains the film enthusiast, illustrating that Australian cinema has turned into a playground of amateur doppelgängers who are simply appeasing their funders desires, whom happen to be big Loach and Leigh fans. “I’m not so sure about the wisdom of that.

“There’s something unique about Australian culture and I think it’s great to see it expressed through cinema, but I don’t think you need an Aborigine playing a didgeridoo and kangaroos bouncing around in the yard [to capture that],” stresses the Festival Director vehemently. “There’s lists of different ethnic communities [in Australia]. There’s a lot of different lifestyles and lots of different stories to tell and I think we should reflect that. [Not] a whole cinema [culture] dedicated to cultural Marxism. I always liked the kind of films that were not-by-Hollywood, which were Australian action, horror, science-fiction, Mad Max — that kind of thing. That was the kind of film-making that I admired and with MUFF we attempt to foster the low-budget version of that.”

Wolstencroft also emphasises that we should focus on multi-

layered stories reflective of our identity and culture as a nation, and that this identity should not be secluded to social activism films. Whether this identity is explored through anarchist crime in opening night film Start.Options.Exit., through How To Time Travel, a romantic imaginative science-fiction from the Melbourne-based Sheffield brothers, or through Australians’ inherent affinity for a criminal redeemed in An Evening With Chopper Read. To the filmmaker and MUFF founder what matters most is that we support our local film industry with as much vigour as we do internationally.

“I think we’re in the middle of a revolution right now. It’s just really beginning to change,” propositions Wolstencroft, iterating how our cinematic voice is fiercer than 15 years ago.

“It’s a very important time [for us] to make a really aggressive, relevant, internationally-respected local cinema that goes to a lot of the overseas festivals. That’s what we want: to see a lot of these local films getting into major film Festivals, like the Cannes, and being played. [Until then] we must keep plugging away and spreading the good word [while] we embrace the new and keep the old. That’s what we mean by Evolve or Die basically.”

Melbourne Underground Film Festival will run from Friday September 12 – Friday September 19 at The Backlot Studios, Southbank. Tickets, more information and a full timetable are available through muff.com.au.

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 25

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

START.OPTIONS.EXIT.

By Josh Fergeus “If it’s anything defamatory just push it towards Yoav,” says Chris Mitchell. I’m speaking to Mitchell and his collaborator Yoav Lester about their debut feature film Start.

Options.Exit. and I’m sensing I might struggle to properly attribute quotes given the pair’s tendency to speak over each other. They’re amped, and they should be ± their film is opening the Melbourne Underground Film Festival this week.

“In as few words as possible, the story is an exploration of two Gen-Y self-entitled hipsters who are navigating the Melbourne landscape,” Lester explains. “Pursuing their own desires and wants and needs and egos without any thought about repercussions. That entails everything...drugs, sex, partying, ego, all those elements are employed and that’s really what the story explores.”

“It’s a very dark comedy,” adds Mitchell. “It’s very culturally Melbourne-centric. It’s got some pretty dark themes, so we’re eager to see how it’s critically received because it could be perceived as being politically incorrect or misogynistic, which is not our intention.”

He’s not wrong. Start.Options.Exit. certainly challenges the mainstream. The two lead characters, pretty unlikeable hipsters Neville and Yolis, roam around in a world which they seem to believe exists purely for their own personal gratification.

“Nothing is glorified in this world,” asserts Lester.

“Nothing is made to look shiny or really good, it really is a dark exploration of humanity in general, particularly with a spin on the male perspective and

ego. For three male writers it was really an opportunity to explore the places our minds would go and where our egos would take us. It’s exciting for us because we don’t really feel in Australian film that this generation really gets an honest mouthpiece. Nine times out of ten it’s kind of watered-down or skated around, and this is really just a no-holds-barred honest portrayal of a generation that, despite all the opportunities for there to be people talking out, Australia just keeps side-lining as a part of our culture. Our underground arts culture doesn’t have a representation in Australian media and film. The last thing that would have come close to it would be a film called Dogs In Space back in the ‘80s. Even since then, we’re talking nearly 30 years ago now, a couple of generations have passed. The landscape has changed and attitudes have changed.”

Mitchell and Lester, along with star and co-writer Ari Neville, wrapped up a successful crowd-funding campaign last year with a little help from Melbourne icon Franco Cozzo and the star-power of their supporting cast ± Totti Goldsmith, Ron Jeremy, Rhys

Mitchell and the last ever film appearance of Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. “We were looking for someone to play a post-traumatic stress disorder psychotherapist,” Mitchell recounts. “And we thought ‘hey, Ron Jeremy would be a really good candidate’. He fell in love with the script, and asked us to write some new material which he loved and the next day we were filming with him in the Prince Bandroom.”

“What was most important to us was to make something that we wanted to make and see, without any restrictions,” says Lester. “That’s why we went the route of crowd-funding and self-funding this project because it was important for us to hold complete creative control and make decisions without judgement. We had over 500 people collaborating on this project ± extras, crew, cast, post-production team ± we were producing this ourselves and to start off on that first feature length with full creative freedom and no boundaries. I think that’s why it came off so well.”

“We didn’t consciously go into it thinking anything but what we weren’t happy with were any constraints or worrying about censorship,” states Mitchell. “As a result it really reflects our humour and some of the dialogue we have among our friends. It’s probably true to what a lot of guys in their late 20’s or early 30’s joke about with their mates, y’know? But often you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying it in public. As far as when you catch yourself saying something that’s politically incorrect in front of a room of people and censoring yourself, we didn’t do that in this process.”

Grass and the follow-up, Old Joy, her answer highlights the fallacy of the Tarantino heyday being a boon for all stripes of independent cinema.

“During that time, what happened? Reservoir Dogs happened, Pulp Fiction happened ± there weren’t many women making films then anyway, so it was a really hard time in that respect, but then it was triply hard once those films came out. It kinda’ sealed the deal for a while, as far as trying to make films that had different shapes, or stories, or different methodologies.” Or, more succinctly, “If you were trying to do something without a tonne of popular music and blood.”

Reichardt also displays a healthy sense of cynicism regarding the reason behind her recently increased

productivity. “I think in some ways age has finally trumped being a woman, like I’m old enough now ± ‘She’s the oldest person on the set, we’ll listen to her’”, she laughs. “I’m not that social a person, and when I have a film, that makes me be social, and I like the idea of every couple of years just going somewhere where the elements are hard, and getting as far off the grid as you can, and just trying to make something with a bunch of people that you’re into, and everybody’s putting all their creative juices together. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to do in life, to have those experiences.”

that’s really relevant, something that’s excited me about politics or something that upsets me about race, I’ll try and put my spin on it. I think that comics are the best people to take you to a place that you wouldn’t normally go, or you’d be afraid to go to. One of the beauties of working on Chappelle’s Show was that we talked about racial issues, but we did it in a funny way.

You can laugh people into anything. I don’t consider myself to be a preacher, but with my style of comedy I want people to leave with some kind of message.”

This idea is certainly relevant for his latest title, which was inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

“The movie is about a guy that’s breaking away from the norm, breaking tradition and going to avenge something because he wants to prove a point. For me, that title just resonated with what I do. I’m an outspoken person, I want to take chances and I want to break away from what you think is normal. How do you do that? You gotta break the chains.”

Start.Options.Exit. will screen at the opening night of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival on Friday September 12 at Backlot Studios. Tickets and more information are available from muff.com.au.

Visit facebook.com/soepilot for more information on the film.

NIGHT MOVES

By Ian Barr “I’m not focused on big plans, I’m focused on small plans,” says an activist in an early scene from Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, Night Moves. It’s probably a stretch to suggest that because this minor character is a filmmaker, she’s also a stand-in for Reichardt herself; nonetheless, her words nicely encapsulate the modest essence of Reichardt’s filmography. Night Moves might be the ‘biggest’ of her five features to date, but it’s still a film whose story pivots on an explosion that’s heard only as a faint, off-screen rumble.

While the film ± concerning three Oregonian amateur eco-terrorists (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard) and their scheme to detonate a hydroelectric dam ± is politically charged by default, it’s less a polemic than a methodical, low-key framing of the ‘is terrorism ever justified?’ argument. “I can almost argue the side of everybody in the film to some degree”, Reichardt suggests. “For me, it’s completely a character film, and [co-writer Jon Raymond] and I tried to put our own politics aside for this, and tried to follow the path of these three characters that we had in mind…we tried to really focus on the characters and what their politics would be, and not our own.”

Of all Reichardt’s films (which include 2005’s Old Joy,

2008’s Wendy And Lucy and 2011’s Meek’s Cutoff), Night Moves has the heftiest plot, though that’s a by-product of it being a film about a plot. As ever, mood and atmosphere are key, with the evocative rural Oregon locations and perpetually overcast skies playing a large role in abetting the temperament of Eisenberg’s guilt-ridden, paranoid antihero. The film’s ending ± as audaciously ambiguous as that of Meek’s Cutoff ± confirms that Reichardt is as interested in leaving her audience suspended in that mood, even if it comes at the expense of conventional narrative satisfaction.

It’s this quality, among others, that distinguish her as a truly independent filmmaker, in an era when the term has been increasingly devalued. When I ask about the 11-year gap between her 1994 debut feature River Of

Night Moves will be in cinemas from Thursday September 11.

DONNELL RAWLINGS

By Tegan Jones As a massive comedy nerd, I was nervous about interviewing Donnell Rawlings for his latest show, Unchained, which he’s bringing to Melbourne this month. I’d been following the veteran comedian’s work since his days as Ashy Larry on Chappelle’s Show, and was fully prepared to make an arse out of myself. Despite my trepidations, what ensued was one of the funniest conversations of my life, including everything from the “Great Barrier Reef getting shit on” to his unique and hilarious comedic beginnings.

“I used to go to comedy clubs with my co-workers and I started as a heckler. I was the guy who was trying to take the piss out of you,” Rawlings laughs. “I started to build an audience and a following and people would be like, ‘Is that asshole guy going to show up, because he was funny last week?’ Eventually, I was challenged to go onstage and what they thought was going to be a horrible show turned out to be a good one.”

I take a gamble with Rawlings by stating how much I love that he got his break by being a jerk to people. He laughs and replies, “You don’t know the level of jerk I was. Before I’d even told a joke I tried to work a door deal with the club. I was like, ‘Listen, there has to be a fee for somebody being a jerk at the level that I am.’”

Rawlings continued to take chances in order to BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 26

establish his career as a comedian. “The first television show that I did was Def Comedy Jam. A friend gave me this business card for the talent executive of the show.

So as the cocky person that I am, when the receptionist answered the phone I acted like I’d known the dude for 20 years,” he laughs. “When she answered I was like, ‘Where’s Bob? Put Bob on the phone. Is Bob there?’

She was so nervous and scared that I was somebody she was like, ‘Oh I’m sorry, one second!’ Two weeks later I was performing in New Jersey and my friend told me that I’d booked Def Comedy Jam.” Besides scaring the shit out of administrative staff, Rawlings says he doesn’t have a specific brand when it comes to his comedy.

“If there’s something that happens in pop culture

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Donnell Rawlings will perform at The Thornbury Theatre on Thursday September 18.

THE WEDNESDAY EXPERIMENT

By Meg Crawford

There’s a lot of serendipity in The Wednesday Experiment story. Emily Juniper and Peter O’Leary, the core of the Melbourne-based trip-hop outfit, met by chance one Wednesday arvo (hence the name), and even though it was a few years back you can still hear the delight in O’Leary’s voice when he recalls how it came to pass.

“That was a crazy Wednesday,” he laughs. “I had a recording studio in Brunswick and I was in there making some beats. This mad French guy I knew, Baptiste Polyglock, just happened to wander by a warehouse where he overheard Emily singing. He grabbed her and said ‘man you’ve gotta come to this studio and meet my friend’ and dragged her over to meet me, even though she didn’t even know who he was. So, I stuck a mic in front of her – she’d never sung on a recording before that. She thought about it for 20 minutes or so and then just started singing and we were like ‘Whoa, where has this chick come from?’”

The next stroke of luck was that O’Leary had just caught Juniper on her way to Tasmania, so making the most of the limited time they had available before she split, they laid down a handful of tracks and put them on Sound Cloud. In a short space of time, the tracks generated a Sound Cloud frenzy. However, Juniper was off the grid during her absence and was unaware until she got back that they had sparked so much interest.

“Yeah, she got back to about 500 million voice messages and emails from me saying ‘You’ve got to look at Sound Cloud’,” O’Leary recalls, somewhat sheepishly.

O’Leary’s had an extensive musical background. He reckons he’s played just about every genre going, which included doing a stint in a heavy metal band at highschool. He then worked as a sound engineer for a number of years but got sick of being stuck behind a mixing desk at gigs when he knew there was more fun to be had on stage.

Bearing this in mind, he started playing again, focusing mostly of electronic-based production.

However, O’Leary also started to collaborate with folk as needed and the practice continued with The Wednesday Experiment. For instance, they’ve just made a track with a dude in Romania and the band has a standing request for tunes and sounds to tinker with, the response to which has been both kooky and fun – one guy sent them a sample of his grandma’s washing

machine, which O’Leary describes as “dubstep on spin cycle.” Despite the band’s good fortune, it’s not all beer and skittles – The Wednesday Experiment work bloody hard. For instance, although they had intended to launch their debut album, The Verse of You and I, earlier this year, perfectionism took hold and pushed them to plug away at it further. “It’s taken us longer than the universe has been in existence to finish the album,” jokes O’Leary, somewhat wearily. “The album’s basically a collection of tracks that we’ve made over quite some period, so they were all made at different times with different people and on different programs. It’s been quite a mission. To master it was basically a non-stop job, so I’m happy to have it finalised.”

“It’s funny because we’re not perfectionists in any other area of our lives – it’s just in relation to music. I mean, I’d be quite happy sleeping on a couch in a corner of a studio without all of the elaborate 21st century comforts, but when it came to the album, we just had to keep going over and over it. Every time I listened to it in a car or on a different speaker system, I’d hear something else. I’m glad I set a release date, otherwise it could have all kept spinning forever.”

In terms of sound, think Bjork, Massive Attack and Portishead. O’Leary’s not averse to those comparisons either. “If anyone was to compare us to any of those three acts, I’d consider it an honour. There have been some of those comparisons and I’m not unhappy about it. Take Portishead – they’re one of those acts that everyone can love – even metal guys love it late at night.”

Having said that, there’s some heavier industrial sounding stuff on The Verse of You and I – take Play with Something, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Bauhaus or Peter Murphy album and O’Leary and Polyglock weren’t overreacting – Juniper’s voice is heaven-sent.

While they’re clearly geared towards electronica, there’s always an instrument thrown into the mix or another

vocalist or MC, which again opens opportunities for collaboration. Further, although it’s easiest to peg them as trip-hop, they’re not penning themselves in: in fact the band’s credo specifically says that they’re “without genre.” So, in light of that, it’s not unknown for Juniper to do an acoustic number on stage with her guitar, they’re right into their glitch-hop and it’s not too big a stretch to say that some of their songs are in a bluesier vein – it’s all part of the broader experiment. “There doesn’t have to be any rules,” O’Leary explains. “I think too many people are trapped by ‘this is your music’ or

‘this is your genre’, often because they’re too scared that people won’t like it. We’re not as bothered – if we want to do it, we’re just going to do it and if people like it, that’s awesome.”

your own artistic reasons; you have to chase what you think you need to be saying. People are coming to my shows now not knowing about my history, but they’re younger people and I guess I’m bringing a bit more honesty to it, rather than being that guy who’s all, ‘Hey, I’m still just like you guys, let’s party!’ That is the true sadness.”

Perhaps at the end of the day the real fear is relevance.

Not being concerned with what you have achieved (or fucked up) in the past, but with the value of what you are doing in the here and now. It’s likely a concern that sits at the core of most of us, to some degree: the enduring terror of purpose.

“I don’t really see the point in doing something unless you have something to say, and also I’m pretty slow at cultivating ideas. I like to be sure of what I’m doing, but I always wanted to make a kind of ‘adult’ record. I think

it’s kind of hilarious, the idea you have of being an adult when you’re a kid. You think it’s such a bad thing, but it’s so much easier than being in your earlier twenties.

There’s so much more to say and do. When I was in my twenties and I’d hear someone in their thirties talking about how great it is to be an adult, I thought they were just trying to make themselves feel better for being old. At the end of it, I just like to challenge the people who have liked me; I try not to do the same thing. But I think it all falls into the same world. I think I just tried to make ten points at once. Am I rambling about nothing? I really am Old Man Spod.”

THE WEDNESDAY EXPERIMENT launch their new album The Verse of You and I at Horse Bazaar on Saturday September 13. Check out some album sneak previews and their new video for Slithering Beast at thewednesdayexperiment.com.

SPOD

By Adam Norris

First things first: Spod is a damned funny guy. Self-deprecating and insightful in equal measure, the Sydneysider has been in the music game for over a decade now, and with the release of his new record, Taste the Sadness, he has rather unexpectedly come full circle. Written as a direct response to 2003’s debut album Taste the Radness, the release is a graver collection than most would be anticipating. The electroclash is largely absent, replaced with piano-sad ballads ruminating on aging friends and abandoned aspirations.

Upbeat stuff, in other words.

Despite the bittersweet tone that infuses his recent material, when we speak Spod turns out to be a pretty chipper guy. He has been sick for a while lately – “The first survivor of ebola,” he wryly observes – but jumps into each question with enthusiasm. Juxtaposed with his rather sombre voice, it makes a strange impression; he somehow manages to sound both delighted and depressed at the same time.

“Spod was actually started with me and my friend,” he recalls. “It seemed like a cool name for a band when you’re just two drunk young guys. But the other guy left, and I figured, ‘Well, I might as well just become the whole band’. Since then there have been all these other meanings for Spod emerge. If you Googled ‘spod’ now, the latest are these disgusting photos of what looks like a missile with holes all through it, and you fill it up with gunk and use it to lure fish. That’s the latest Spod sensation, but I was there first! You see it at my shows now. Everybody just puts fish in missiles and swings them around my head.”

Which is exactly the kind of audience interaction that has been missing from Sydney gigs (though sneaking salmon past security could prove problematic). Though he does have tongue firmly in cheek (we assume), Spod’s gigs have certainly developed a reputation as strange and energetic affairs – if somewhat toned down from his early days. As a result, his onstage persona, though not totally removed from his real-world self, has almost taken on a life of its own.

“I think it’s a nice way to allow yourself the liberty to

perform how you honestly feel. Especially in the older days, I wouldn’t get up there and just give a straight performance. It was all really intense and I’d lose my mind a bit. It allows you that separation from yourself to disappear into what you want to be doing. That’s kind of the way I always planned it. You slip into it and become this hyper-realised version of yourself or what you’re trying to project. I would always do these intense party sets, and you know, often you can get up and [perform], then come offstage and find yourself thinking, ‘What in the hell did I just do up there?

Should I feel bad about it?’ But it’s really all just one nugget of your personality that you chose to amplify.

And then you go and hide and try not to look anyone in the eye for a while. Change back into civilian attire and try not to get bashed.”

Recently Spod recorded a video message lamenting the aging of his friends and the incumbent responsibilities of raising a family, holding down a job, and all of those other hallmarks of ‘grown-up’ life. These concerns are at the very heart of Taste the Sadness, and while he’s not quite ready for the grave, Spod is acutely aware of the impact that age has on his music.

“Everything I was doing when I was young was about being youthful, you know? Not that I’m a complete old man now – Old Man Spod with his walking stick. But I love the idea of being the party guy back when he started, and now ten years down the track wondering, ‘What do you do?’ Especially if you’re not a huge commercial success, if you’re just doing something for

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV

SPOD’s Taste the Sadness album is out now through Rice Is Nice/Inertia. See the old man at The Old Bar on Friday September 26 with Justin Heazlewood + Alex Cameron.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 27

UPCOMING

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

on tour ROBERT BABICZ [GER], TOMMY FOUR SEVEN [GER] Friday September 5, Brown Alley COM TRUISE [USA] Wednesday September 10, Corner Hotel JOHN ‘00’ FLEMING [UK] Friday September 12, RMH The Venue &ME [GER], ADAM PORT [GER] Sunday September 14, Revolver Upstairs DJ DODGER STADIUM [USA] Thursday September 18, New Guernica BUTCH [GER] Friday September 19, Prince Bandroom MAK & PASTEMAN [UK] Saturday September 20, Revolver Upstairs NICK CURLY [GER] Saturday September 20, Prince Bandroom TCHAMI [FRA] Saturday September 20, The Bottom End RODRIGUEZ JR [FRA] Saturday September 20, New Guernica DJ MITSU THE BEATS [JPN] Friday September 26, Boney HARDWELL [NED] Friday October 3, Sidney Myer Music Bowl LISTEN OUT: FOUR TET [UK], BONDAX [UK], SCHOOLBOY Q [USA] + MORE Saturday October 4, Royal Botanic Garden’s Observatory Precinct STACEY PULLEN [USA] Saturday October 4, New Guernica SHLOHMO [USA] Saturday October 4, Howler FUR COAT [VNZ] Sunday October 5, Revolver Upstairs JEFF MILLS [USA] WITH THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Friday October 10, Hamer Hall JEFF MILLS [USA] Friday October 10, RMH The Venue FOURCOLOURS: SUDUAYA [FRA], IRINA MIKHAILOVA [UK], BE SVENDSEN [DEN] + MORE Saturday October 11, Revolt Artspace SOULFEST: D’ANGELO, [USA], MAXWELL [USA], MOS DEF [USA] + MORE Sunday October 19, Kings Domain Gardens and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl LIL JON [USA] Friday October 24, Trak SIDNEY CHARLES [GER] Sunday November 2, Revolver Upstairs SOULS OF MISCHIEF [USA] Monday November 3, The Espy JOHN DIGWEED [UK] Friday November 14, Brown Alley SEAN PAUL [JAM] Friday November 14, Festival Hall LAURA JONES [UK], GAVIN HERLIHY [IRE] Sunday November 16, Revolver Upstairs TEN WALLS [LIT], DUSKY [UK] Sunday November 16, Queen Victoria Market STRAWBERRY FIELDS: ÂME [GER], TRUS’ME [UK], PACHANGA BOYS [GER] + MORE Friday November 21 - Sunday November 23, TBA EARTHCORE: RAJA RAM [UK], JOHN ‘00’ FLEMING [UK] + MORE Thursday November 27 - Monday December 1, Pyalong, Victoria GIRAFFAGE [USA] Thursday November 27, Howler PANTHA DU PRINCE [GER] Thursday December 4, The Hi-Fi STEREOSONIC: CALVIN HARRIS [UK], TIESTO [NED], DIPLO [USA] + MORE Saturday December 6 - Sunday December 7, TBA ICE CUBE [USA] Tuesday December 9, The Forum JAMES HOLDEN [UK] Wednesday December 10,. The Hi-Fi FALLS FESTIVAL: TODD TERJE [NOR], TENSNAKE [GER], TYCHO [USA] + MORE Monday December 29 - Thursday January 1, Byron Bay BEYOND THE VALLEY: ACTION BRONSON [USA], CLAPTONE [GER], ALUNAGEORGE [UK] + MORE Tuesday December 30 - Thursday January 1, Phillip Island Circuit RAINBOW SERPENT: MARCEL DETTMANN [GER], LEE BURRIDGE [UK], PETAR DUNDOV [CRO] + MORE Friday January 23 - Monday January 26, Lexton FINNEBASSEN [NOR] Sunday February 1, Revolver Upstairs DETROIT SWINDLE [NED] Sunday February 22, Revolver Upstairs

tour rumours

Miguel Campbell, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Eli Verveine, Mister Saturday Night, KiNK, Midland, Addison Groove, Netsky, London Elektricity, DC Breaks, State of Mind, Carl Craig, Ben Pearce, Moodymann

1

news tours club snaps + more

electronic + urban + club life

john ‘00’ fleming wo rd s / d e nve r m a xx

John ‘00’ Fleming is a certified legend of the global trance scene.

Growing up in the UK Fleming was at the forefront of the development of trance from an underground dance abstraction to a full blown mainstream dance genre. Having established his own trance label in 1998, J00F Recordings, he grew with the genre and now in 2014 he’s still a powerhouse of the scene.

Being an elder statesman of the scene Fleming has a strong opinion on the seeming gentrification of electronic dance music through the proliferation of music via the Internet. He begins by grappling with the fact that Australia traditionally was behind in the dance scene. “There have been various changes since the early days of dance music. I think there were multiple reasons why Australia and other territories were behind,” he notes. “[As a releasing artist] you could only hit certain territories at certain times because you only

news

had certain stock and you could only handle the press and media [of a specific territory] at one time. So you would focus on Europe, North America, then South America then Australia...when running a label that’s how you would target it.

“I think the music magazines worked in the same way,” contends Fleming. He believes that due to our geography and small market size pre-Internet Australia was often the last to get the good beats.

“They’d hit where they would sell the most first [Europe and America] and they’d dedicate the exports three to four months down the track so that’s when you guys would get it.

“I felt years ago that Australia definitely mirrored the UK scene, but if you fast forward to today I think that you have a more generic scene,” he notes. “I really miss that Melbourne used to have its own scene completely different to Sydney. In the UK you had differ-

ent scenes in the north and the south. Spain had its own great club culture. Belgium had its own scene. The east coast of the States was different to the west coast of the States. But now this generic EDM sound is huge – not that I am a fan of it. It’s just this big mainstream sound that is [all] around the world. All those independent small scenes that are the places that fuel underground and new sounds to those specific cities are gone – it’s really sad to see that. I can be in Melbourne one week, go to Houston the next and the be Toronto the following week and it’s all the same.”

It seemed only appropriate at this juncture to ask Fleming if he was disregarding the much lauded ‘Melbourne Sound’ – a phrasing of hard dance that has seen Melbournian’s such as Will Sparks become international superstars. “That hard dance sound? I don’t think that it’s unique to Melbourne. I can name you loads of cities where it is. I am aware of him [Sparks] and it’s not unique to him and it’s not unique to Melbourne, and that’s unfortunately where it’s gone wrong,” establishes Fleming.

However, Fleming is doing his bit to keep it real. John ‘00’ Fleming is famous for his weekly show Global Trance Grooves. The latest mix Fleming did was with legendary Israeli DJ Guy J and aurally the mix is very deep. Fleming grapples with where this deepness came from. “I have always played pretty deep so if anything I’m getting back to my roots and I’m allowing myself to do that on the J00F edition tours that I’m taking around the world where I do extended sets,” he details.

To close the interview Fleming reveals his eight hour J00F sets contain the best parts of his 25-year career as a DJ and then when he comes back at the end of November for Earthcore it will be something different all over again. “Now that I am doing open to close sets it allows me to go back into that deep world where my heart is,” he notes. “At Earthcore I will be feeding off the crowd and playing all the good music I’ve found – maybe even as recently as that day.”

John ‘00’ Fleming is returning to Melbourne to play in a start to finish epic eight hour set traversing the world of trance and beyond at RMH The Venue on Friday September 12. He’ll also be returning to play at Earthcore which goes down from Thursday November 27 to Monday December 1 in Pyalong. soundcloud.com/john00fleming

- head to beat .com.au for more

off the record w i t h

t yson

w ray

Just spent $100 on groceries and none of it was alcohol.

What’s happened to me.

slumberjack Perth duo Slumberjack have announced a run of tour dates on the back of their latest single Felon. The release comes ahead of the pair’s debut EP, which cites influences from the likes of Skrillex and Timbaland. They’ll play Anyway at The Bottom End on Saturday September 27.

sean paul Twelve years after the release of summer anthem monster Dutty Rock, you’ll get your chance to get busy with Sean Paul when he hits our shores this November. The tour will give fans a chance to relive the magic of dancehall hits like Gimme The Light, Like Glue, We Be Burnin’ and Temperature, while simultaneously giving Paul an opportunity to show off tracks from his latest release Full Frequency. Shake it with Sean Paul at Festival Hall on Friday November 14.

stacey pullen In what’s got to be some sort of record, Detroit techno legend Stacey Pullen will return to our shores for the 15th time in 16 years this October. An innovator from the second wave of Detroit techno, Pullen is known for his signature atmospheric electronic sound and his lengthy experimental DJ sets. He’ll play at New Guernica on Saturday October 4.

Ten Walls

melbourne music week

the juke joint From now on you can consider every third Thursday of the month locked down - Howler, The Operatives and more are teaming up to throw one hell of a soirée each and every month. The Juke Joint is a throwback to the glory days of dusty Mississippi, and will see Howler team up with local cutting-edge collectives, the clandestine The Operatives, audio-frequency engineers Whomp! and Opiuo’s record label Slurp Music to showcase local artists, secret guests, visuals artists and art installation in a newly decorated space each month. The lineup for each event will be secreted - and will be revealed exclusively via beat.com.au each previous Monday.

The Juke Joint kicks off at Howler on Thursday September 18.

Melbourne Music Week have announced their first round of artists for 2014, and it includes one of the most exciting emerging artists in the contemporary deep house scene, Ten Walls. Having first rose to prominence in 2013 after dropping his Gotham EP on Berlin’s seminal Innervisions label (of which the title track was one of the most ubiquitous tracks of the year), the Lithuanian’s two following EPs Requiem and Walking With Elephants have seen him go from strength to strength. Also on the bill are electronic delights Dusky, Cut Copy and Architecture In Helsinki. Melbourne Music Week will take place from Friday November 14 – Sunday November 23.

The full program with 240+ more artists will be revealed on Wednesday October 8.

electronic - urban - club life

jeff mills After he performs at Hamer Hall with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, legendary Detroit techno producer Jeff Mills will descend on the city for an extensive late-night DJ set. Last on our shores in June 2013, Mills is returning to Australia for a Melbourne-exclusive performance of Light From the Outside World with the MSO as part of the 2014 Melbourne Festival.

Jeff Mills will DJ at RMH The Venue on Friday October 10.

1

club guide snaps anyway

wednesday sep 10

COM TRUISE + MILDLIFE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $35.00.

CURIOUS TALES - FEAT: DJ WHO + TIGERFUNK + TOM SHOWTIME + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

REVOLVER WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: DAN SAN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

thursday sep 11

3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + MAFIA + FOR YOUR EARS DJS + FAKE FORWARD + RIFFE + DOM DOLLA VS BOOT ACTION + JACK LOVE + BENSON VS MIKE METRO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm.

CQ SESSIONS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

D.N.A THURSDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Boutique, Prahran.

9:00pm.

FLANAGANS THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ONTIME + DJ COLONEL Pier Live, Frankston.

8:00pm.

GOOD EVENING Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

LOVE STORY - FEAT: TRANTER + SLEEVES + MEGAWUOTI + SUPREMES + MICKEY P Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:30pm.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm.

RARE CANDY Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

THE RITZ - FEAT: KEN WALKER + ANDO + JOSHUA GILLILAND Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak.

10:00pm. $20.00.

VARSITY - FEAT: KITI + FOOFARAW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy.

6:00pm.

XS DISCO - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Onesixone, Prahran.

8:00pm.

friday sep 12

circus sundays

OMG FRIDAYS Seven Nightclub, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $20.00. #EATDRINKPLAY - FEAT: ANDY MURPHY + MGMC + DJ JORJ + CAM WOODARD The Emerson, South Yarra. 10:00pm. $20.00. #MASHTAG - FEAT: MALPRACTICE + AGENT 86 + BENZO + ANDRE LE VOGUE + SILVERFOX + AHAB + OLLIE Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. #TRENDYFRIENDS - FEAT: FRESH HEX + GLASS MIRRORS + J.D. MAR + TRANTER Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $10.00.

BLACK NIGHT CRASH Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:30pm.

BREAD & BUTTER FRIDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

CQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

DJ JACKSON MILES + DJ SEYMOUR POPE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

DJ KEZBOT Victoria Hotel (brunswick), Brunswick. 9:00pm.

FABULOUS FRIDAYS Co.,

Southbank. 8:00pm.

FAKE TITS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + SUNSHINE + SAMMY LA MARCA + BUTTERS + ADAM BARTAS + JUNGLE JIM Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00.

FLASH FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Boutique, Prahran.

9:00pm.

FREQUENCY FRIDAYS Fusion, Southbank. 10:00pm. $20.00.

FRIDAYS @ ONESIXONE FEAT: JEN TUTTY + LUKE MCD + LEWIE DAY + PREQUEL + KATIE DROVER + MITCH KURZ + MIC NEWMAN + TOM EVANS + JOEL ALPHA + LIAM WALLER + AARON TROTTMAN + NICK JONES + JESSE YOUNG + ANDRAS FOX + JAC OSCAR WILKINS Onesixone, Prahran.

8:00pm.

ILL RESPONSE + MATT RAD + HIJACK Penny Black, Brunswick.

7:00pm.

LA DANSE MACABRE Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

LUCK TRUCK FRIDAYS DOWNSTAIRS Lucky Coq, Windsor.

9:00pm.

LUSH FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Hush Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

OLD SCHOOL ANTHEMS FEAT: JEFF TYLER + JAYSE KNIPE + SCOTTY SPINAMORE + ADRIAN VAN RAAY + BRAD RUSSELL + SETH TAYLOR + LUKE MCD + SPECIAL K + NIMMO La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + MR.GEORGE + MATT RADD + ASH-LEE Lucky Coq, Windsor.

9:00pm.

POPROCKS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

RETIREE & EDD FISHER Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

REVOLVER FRIDAYS - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + LEWIE DAY + KATIE DROVER + WHO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

7:00pm.

ROOSEVELT - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Boutique, Prahran. 9:00pm.

THE FRIDAY CLUB - FEAT: DJ OBLIVEUS Big Mouth, St Kilda.

10:00pm.

TUNES BY DAVE GRAY - FEAT: DJ DAVE GREY Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

VOID MUSIC - FEAT: KATIE DROVER + ROSS HORKINGS + PENSKE + LUCILLE CROFT + BIANCA WHITE + MARK SCHOTT New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

VOID MUSIC - FEAT: KATIE DROVER + ROSS HORKINGS + PENSKE + LUCILLE CROFT + BIANCA WHITE + MARK SCHOTT New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

saturday sep 13

SUCK MUSIC - FEAT: DOAKES + NICK COLEMAN + SOPHIA SIN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

1:00am.

ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

AUDIOPORN SATURDAYS FEAT: DR. ZOK + JAMES WARE + GREG SARA + JACOB MALMO + TOM EVANS + ROWIE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $15.00.

BIG MOUTH SATURDAYS FEAT: DJ ROWIE + ANDYCAN + NACKERS Big Mouth, St Kilda.

9:00pm.

CRITICAL SOUNDS - FEAT: KASRA + ENEI + MEFJUS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

CUSHION SATURDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

DJ LOBB + OBLIVEUS + NAM Penny Black, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

D’FRO Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

FAMILIAR STRANGERS The Emerson, South Yarra. 10:00pm. $20.00.

HOT STEP - FEAT: ADAM ASKEW + GRAYSKULL + KELTEC + MYLES MAC + PETER BAKER + REV. THORN + SAM MCEWIN + SHANE COPAL + TOM EVANS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.

JAMIE STEVENS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

MIDNIGHT RUN Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:30pm. $7.00.

PICTURE THIS - FEAT: PRINZ MYSHKIN + KANZO Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

RAZZMATAZZ INDIE DISCOTHEQUE - FEAT: CAITY K + TED C Exford Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $5.00.

RESPECT Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $20.00.

SATURDAY MORNING - FEAT: SUNSHINE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am.

SUPERCLUB SATURDAYS! - FEAT: DJ ONTIME + DJ COLONEL Pier Live, Frankston.

8:00pm.

TECHNO INVASION 3 (THE FINAL ACT) Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

TEXTILE SATURDAYS - FEAT: KODIAK KID + D’FRO + JENS BEAMIN Lucky Coq, Windsor.

9:00pm.

THE HOUSE DEFROST (CELEBRATES THE FABULOUS SYLVESTER) - FEAT: ANDY FROST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm.

THE LATE SHOW - FEAT: RANSOM + MAT CANT + PAZ + LEWIS CANCUT + BOOSHANK Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

7:00pm.

THERAPY SATURDAYS FEAT: BOMBS AWAY + TATE STRAUSS + ED COLMAN + MATTY G Fusion, Southbank.

10:00pm. $20.00.

TRAMP SATURDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

VAULT SATURDAYS Platform One, Melbourne. 9:00pm.

VIRTUE & JASPER’S DILEMMA + DJ SEYMOUR POPE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

WAREHAUS - FEAT: OTOLOGIC + CC:DISCO! + DAWN AGAIN +

THIS IS DISCO First Floor, Fitzroy.

10:00pm. $10.00.

sunday sep 14

NEIGHBOUR HOOD WATCH - FEAT: BILLY FLIPPER + PACKPRESS + JAMES BARROS + DANIEL FABRIS Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

BOP ART - FEAT: HAWAII + WHO + TIGERFUNK + MATT RADOVICH + LEWIS CANCUT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.

EARLY MORNING CREW - FEAT: HOOPS + BRAD SASSMAN + JOSH PAOLA + JESSE YOUNG + OLLIE HOLMES + DEAN SPANOS Onesixone, Prahran. 1:00am.

EASY NOW - FEAT: AGENT 86 + TOM SHOWTIME + DJ MAARS Penny Black, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS + JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00.

REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + T-REK + RADIATOR & DAMON WALSH + SILVERSIX Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE SUNDAYS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm.

SPITROAST SUNDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm.

STRIPPED BACK SUNDAYS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12:00pm. $15.00.

SUMMER SERIES LAUNCH - FEAT: &ME & ADAM PORT Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

8:00pm.

THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJ ANDYBLACK & HAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm.

MELLOW-DIAS THUMP - FEAT: CAZEAUX O.S.L.O + GEEZY Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

MVP - FEAT: ROB STEEZY + THADDEUS DOE + STEPHELLES + LOW-KEY Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

thursday sep 11

CRATE INVADERS - FEAT: GIO GARCIA + EDDIE MAC + MZ RIZK Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

JELLO DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: SILENTJAY + VERSAJ Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

NORTHSIDE SPACE FUNKERS - FEAT: HYPERFOKUS + KODIAK KID Penny Black, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

friday sep 12

360 (UTOPIA TOUR) + HOPSIN + PEZ + MIRACLE + LUNAR C Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. $55.00.

BUMP FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ KAHLUA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

PARTY & BULLSHIT - FEAT: JUZZY B + KAYZ Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

saturday sep 13

BEATMAKER Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

BIG DANCING Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE +

electronic - urban - club life

khokolat koated

be. at co.

monday sep 15

CALL IT IN - FEAT: JAMES TOM + DYLAN MICHEL Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

MONDAY STRUGGLE - FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor.

6:00pm.

STIFF DRINK - FEAT: DJ ROMAN WAFERS + DJ MICHAEL OZONE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

tuesday sep 16

CUSHION TUESDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

GIGGLE TUESDAY - FEAT: WHO + JAKE JUDD Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:30pm.

REVOLUTION BULLSHIT - FEAT: J’NETT + & JIMMY JAMES Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

TRAMP TUESDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

urban club guide wednesday sep 10

snaps

faktory DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

OFF THE HEAZY Laundry Bar, Fitzroy.

9:00pm. $10.00.

RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ BIG SAAD + DJ KAHLUA & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

sunday sep 14

BE. SUNDAYS Co., Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.00.

monday sep 15

HABITS + NUN OF THE TONGUE + KOUKATSUNA ONANI Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. $6.00.

2

COURTNEY BARNETT

By Paul McBride

Musician interviews are often challenging affairs, ranging from something like getting blood out of a stone to verbally wrestling a Herculean ego.

Chatting with Courtney Barnett, however, is a laid-back joy from start to finish, such is the singer/ songwriter’s honest and down-to-earth nature. This is especially refreshing given the Melburnian has had two massive years since her debut EP was released in 2012, including a North American tour and an appearance on The Tonight Show.

“I have a little moment every now and then, and think how far from this time two years ago my life has changed,” she says. “I try to go away a lot as well, to be myself and collect my thoughts. Playing huge festivals like Glastonbury has been pretty surreal, as has doing TV shows and shit like that – it’s kind of weird and out of my normal world. Even travelling overseas is a big deal for me. I’d never travelled before, I could never afford it; not even for a holiday. But it’s fun; it doesn’t feel like work. Obviously it is part work, part fun, but it’s pretty cool. We get to experience a bit of the local stuff – I try to go to galleries and go to parks and stuff like that.”

Being labelled a saviour of Australian indie music by certain sections of the music press isn’t something Barnett is keen to take seriously.

“I think there are plenty of great Australian musicians,” she says. “It’s nice when people say stuff like that about me, but there are so many other great bands and great songwriters. I don’t at any point think I’m some weird saviour for Australian music. I’ve got great friends and people who help me and don’t treat me any different and shit like that. I feel like that my feet are on the ground; I don’t feel like I’m some sort of amazing superhero or anything; that’s kind of ridiculous. Coming from here, where everything is smaller, I’ve realised how much I’ve loved being home since I’ve been here.”

An upcoming national tour starting at the tail end of September will mark the first headline shows for Barnett and her band in Australia, but don’t expect her to be getting complacent just because it’s home turf.

“We’ve always been supporting someone else or doing festivals or something, so it’s kind of exciting to finally be able to do that,” she says. “But I treat every show exactly the same – it’s about the music, not who you’re playing to. I feel lucky to go onto any stage and have people listen to my music. It’s actually kind of more nerve-wracking playing to a home crowd or playing to friends and people who know you – I find that way more nerve-wracking than playing to complete strangers.

It’ll probably be a really stressful tour [laughs].”

A recent crowd-funding experiment in support of Barnett’s own Milk! Records label led to the target being reached in double-quick time.

“I was so blown away by that,” she says. “I’ve never done one of those Pozible things, so wasn’t sure if it would work or what, but I was blown away by the support.

I never thought that Milk! records would grow into this real community-driven project, and I’ve witnessed so many of the same people buying stuff when we release stuff and coming to the shows and supporting each band that we pick up along the way. It’s become this beautiful little community family thing, so I was pretty moved when it happened straight away, so it was very cool. We were in a position where we had already recorded our songs as we had money from a Christmas show we did last year, but then we needed the money to do the pressing. We had already created the actual thing, so there was less pressure with creation, and it was more like a pre-order – we just didn’t have enough money to print vinyl.”

A record company that existed for a long time only on paper, Milk! has become one of the hottest names in Australian indie music right now.

“I started it just for my own release,” Barnett says. “Just so my CD looked more professional, so more people would listen to it and more people would review it.

Nobody took much notice at first and it took a while, then we started helping other musicians and friends

and other people started joining in. When we had the Christmas party last year and sold out the Tote, I realised we’d opened up a little door for a community of people who liked the same bands – it was a very special moment.”

With two critically-acclaimed EPs under her belt, now is the time for the long-awaited debut album.

“It’s all recorded and pretty much finished,” she says.

“We’re going to release it early next year. I’m just drawing a whole bunch of pictures for the artwork and stuff. I’m really proud of it; I really challenged myself,

tried different things and pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone songwriting and lyric-wise. I’m really happy with it; I feel that it’s the next logical step from the last bunch of songs I wrote. We’ve been playing a bunch of the songs on tour, but we want to save a bunch for the actual release.”

control (at least in the live format) so that their passion for the stage remains. “Don’t get me wrong, I still love performing live and even with the songs I’m sick of, I’m not fussed about having to perform them live,” he says. “Having the audience sing them back at you kind of gives you a sense of worth. I think a lot of artists have that crisis that you’re not contributing to society in the most meaningful way so it’s good to see people just blatantly enjoying something.

“I think for a long time we saw ourselves as just a band for the people who play sing-a-longs and we kept

ourselves out of it, but we’re now allowing ourselves to play things that we actually enjoy and we’re trying to indulge our own artistic desires.”

COURTNEY BARNETT comes home to three nights at The Corner, Thursday October 2, Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4.

BALL PARK MUSIC

By Krissi Weiss

It’s a truth, universally acknowledge, that no band would be capable/game/stupid enough to cover the greatest and most revered rock song of all time – Bohemian Rhapsody. But it would seem Ball Park Music didn’t get the memo. What’s worse is they did one of the best versions of it ever performed, let’s be honest, because the talented punks pulled off not only every intricate detail of the ballad, hard rock and solo sections, they freakin’ nailed the opera section – a part of the song even Freddie and Co. refused to touch live. While lead singer Sam Cromack insists it’s not going to be their party trick forever, it’s the tip of what this band can do live and if you missed their mind-blowing set at Splendour, the Brisbane five-piece have well and truly established themselves as one the country’s greatest live acts – no bullshit, no hyperbole.

“We’d joked for years about doing [Bohemian Rhapsody], return to a more organic recording environment. “The latest recording process reminded me that the strength we put it in the same category as everyone else that it was untouchable and no one could ever go near it,” of this band is to play live together,” he says while Cromack says. “We just laughed at the prospect of discussing their upcoming tour. “When we have these puzzle-piece recordings where it’s all constructed in playing it at a show because we knew if people did hear the studio and then we have to it they’d be like ‘Holy shit, this is terrible and I have six-and- “it’s a beautiful thing and relearn the songs before we go out on the road to play them a-half minutes of judging to do’. When we got booked for a weird thing as an artist isn’t perhaps the best way for Splendour we thought we’d when you lose ownership us. It’s sacrificing some vibe just start to see if we could do of what you’ve created. that we have when we all play it and, not to blow our own You always end up in this them together. But they do get appropriated by the audience trumpet, but luckily our band state of self-loathing, and they will all become as just has the perfect assets to play the song. Paul [Furness] hating everything you’ve meaningless as anything else. ever done, because you It’s a beautiful thing and a weird got the sheet music, he’s such thing as an artist when you a wunderkind, and he basically can’t relate to those directed us in rehearsals and happy moments you had lose ownership of what you’ve created. You always end up in we navigated through the when you first created this state of self-loathing, hating crazy fucking composition that.” everything you’ve ever done, that it is.” because you can’t relate to those While he does make it clear happy moments you had when you first created that.” that it may never appear in the set again, the whole process is a testament to the band’s technical skill. For a band who’s had such anthemic pop hits, audience appropriation has been a struggle for Cromack, and They released their third album, Puddinghead, earlier this year – a self-produced affair that saw the band he and the band are working hard to reign in creative BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32

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Ball Park Music go major league at The Forum Saturday October 4 and The Karova Lounge, Ballarat, on Wednesday October 8 with Millions and Pluto Jonze.

MELBOURNE FOLK CLUB

By Julian Douglas

Despite only being around since April this year, the Melbourne Folk Club already has the aura of a Melbourne institution. The regular Wednesday at Bella Union has seen a revolving door of songsmiths grace the small stage, with the eclectic lineups and unique atmosphere being carefully cultivated to create something different from the standard pub music fare. Series curator Alastair Burns took time out to talk to Beat about life, music, and free cookies.

“I wanted to do something that was focused on sitting and listening and taking in the music,” Burns says. A long-time fan of folk clubs, he always had the idea of starting a Melbourne incarnation since moving here from his native New Zealand five years ago. “I really like listening to music where there’s not a lot of separation between the performer and the audience. I’ve always enjoyed a campfire or a loungeroom-type concert. That kind of feeling in the room is really important.”

It’s that campfire feel that sets the Melbourne Folk Club apart from most other gigs, but it’s not like everyone is sitting around singing protest songs, playing djembes and fire-twirling. Instead, there’s a strong focus on the performer and their storytelling, even if many of them don’t fit the typical mould of folk artists. “I guess I’m putting a slightly different spin on folk music,” Burns explains. “My view is that it’s songs about people and places, and that it can come from lots of different genre influences. If you strip it back and present it quite organically, different genres of music can come together and feel like they work.”

And work together they do. So far lineups have included artists from all kinds of backgrounds, from trad jazz to pop to country (often all on the same night), and yet the gig still retains a familiar feel week to week. “There’s a few things we try to do a bit differently, which make [the Folk Club] its own kind of environment. As far as the artists go, whether or not they’d be considered as

folk, sometimes putting a bill together we think, ‘Let’s try it’. The artists on the bill won’t always know each other, but we put them together because we know it will work. It’s a bit of fun.”

A sense of trust is central to Burns’ philosophy too, both from the audience and the artist. “The audiences are really respectful; they’re there for the music and they want to listen. It tends to lead the artists to say things they wouldn’t normally say onstage. I think they feel like they’ve got the time and the space and everyone’s listening to them. They just open up, and there’s so many interesting stories being told.”

Beat also caught up with Charles Jenkins, a recent performer on the Folk Club stage. He was effusive in his praise, with clearly fond memories of the night he shared there with Ben Salter, Lisa Miller and Shane O’Mara. “Just that understanding that if the performer, the audience and the production all work together, it becomes more than the sum of the parts. It’s just this beautiful experience for everyone involved. If I could play a gig like that once a week I’d be pretty happy.”

The connection between audience and performer is key to the Folk Club experience, and something that sets it apart from your typical gig. Burns normally plays MC on the night (“I talk some smack and crack a few jokes and people kind of semi-giggle sometimes”), and hands out free cookies to give the night an extra-homely feel.

“I’ve been starting to realise there’s more regulars than I

thought. That was the challenge; to get people coming week-in week-out. It’d be magic to sell out every week in advance, whatever the lineup. That’s the ultimate goal I guess; to put on a night where the bill isn’t even announced, but people just turn up because they trust it will be good.”

THE MELBOURNE FOLK CLUB happens every Wednesday at Carlton’s Bella Union. Sign up for a free membership at themelbournefolkclub.com to get yourself a pot of Mountain Goat on entry and cheap tix to the best folking show in town.

VANCE JOY

By Meg Crawford

Singer/songwriter james Keogh, better known as vance joy, is a whip-smart, measured and thoroughly pleasant dude. Keogh’s had a wild flurry of success with his beautiful brand of folk pop – Riptide off his debut EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing headlined triple j’s Hottest 100 for one. Couple that with the fact that chicks are mad for him and you might expect some ego, but there’s absolutely none. He’s also quite physically imposing and his hair makes him seem even bigger, but he’s got that air of gentleness about him that big fellas sometimes emanate. Basically, he’s the sort of bloke you’d want as a mate and you could totally take him home to visit your Mum. The moniker Vance Joy is an amalgam of names from one of his favourite books, Bliss by Peter Carey. Keogh likes the freedom that comes with operating behind it and, although he’s committed to it for the foreseeable future, he doesn’t necessarily intend for it to be his identity for all eternity. “Vance Joy’s a musical project,” he explains. “If you have an alias then you can float into something else one day. Idols of mine are like Damon Albarn who’s done all of this solo stuff, but his also done Gorillaz and Blur amongst other projects – sometimes doesn’t even remember what the collaboration was.

Gotye as well. It’s almost like a self-effacing approach that they have. I really admire that. They let the music do the talking.”

Given that he’s taken his name from a book, it’s safe to say that Keogh is a little bookish and it shapes his music. “I really do enjoy reading, it’s like a vacation, but I’m not a super voracious reader,” he reflects. “I don’t chow down books really easily, but I feel like what I read stays read. You can get a lot of good lines or ideas or a general feeling or atmosphere from a book and you can channel that into a song. I feel like it’s good mental exercise. I read something really beautiful recently. I was reading the new Tim Winton book, Eyrie, and he says ‘it’s easier to fill a void than contemplate it’ and I was like, that’s awesome. I feel like there are those little nuggets of gold that you can get from a book. Whether or not I ever try and build on the concept or use it for a song, they all go on the scrap-heap, those kind of nice ideas and thoughts.”

It’s like Keogh’s already had a couple of different lifetimes already. He used to play footy for Coburg and was well on the path to being a lawyer. Luckily for us, he’s given those careers a swerve and he says he feels more relaxed as a consequence. “It’s a work in progress, but I’m doing something I really love and I feel like I’m expressing myself,” he says happily. “The goal eventually is to becoming a fully realised person. I know it comes

with maturity: you grow into your skin and you also accept what you are and your limitations and you work with what you’ve got. At the point in my life where I was playing footy and at uni, I was still trying to find my path, but I had an instinct that it wasn’t for me.

I had a dream in my heart about playing music. So, settling into myself and being able to follow my dream has allowed me to be more relaxed.” Nice huh?

He’s said that he’s inspired by a love of Jeff Buckley, Paul Kelly and The Pogues. Jeff Buckley and Paul Kelly you can see, but aren’t The Pogues kind of a curious influence for him? “You know how you have that catalogue of songs that you always go back to?”

Keogh puts rhetorically. “There are these songs that I smashed and loved, that cut me to the core or that I had a really powerful experience listening to. That list includes songs like Rainy Night in Soho where he says that line about ‘all your funny little ways’. I really love that intimacy. There’s something about the way he’s describing his relationship and the person that he loves.

You see a window into their world with that line and there’s something humble and melancholy about it.

They’re the kind of lines that tug at my heart and I feel like I want to emulate that kind of thing.”

Keogh can rest easy because that’s something he does very well – his songs turn the minutiae of relationships into something beautiful. While he’s not preoccupied with them, they definitely provide grist for his creative mill. Take the song Emmy Lou where he affectionately talks about a partner wearing socks to bed. However, Keogh’s songs are not strictly autobiographical either.

He describes it as a careful balance and you also get the impression that he’s a bit private. In a world where social media makes it too easy to over-share, Keogh’s got a quiet word for us on the beauty of circumspection.

“Woody Allen would say that we create these little relationship pickles to entertain ourselves,” he laughs.

“But if you’re writing entirely from your own personal

experience, you’re not going to appeal to everyone – some things are not going to be universal. I do want to have that personal thing, but there’s a fine line between saying something that’s completely specific to you and something that can be shared with people.”

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vANCE jOy’s debut album, Dream Your Life Away is available now through Liberation Music. If you missed him at his recent concert, don’t fret – he’s just announced a show at the Palais Theatre, Friday March 13.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 33

LEON HENDRIX

By Peter Hodgson Most musicians share a little musical DNA with Jimi Hendrix. Those licks, melodies, chords, rhythms, sounds and overall vibe he gave to the world are all part of the musical language with which musicians communicate. You could say that every guitarist has a little Jimi Hendrix in their blood. One guy who has a little more than the rest of us is Leon Hendrix, Jimi’s brother. Leon has had, at times, a rough life, spending time in jail and working through problems with drugs – but also working as an expert draftsman at Boeing and putting his skills to work as an expressive, psychedelically-inspired artist. Leon found his song later in life but quickly developed impressive blues-rock guitar skills, which he will bring to Australian audiences in October. Far from being a Jimi Hendrix tribute show, Leon’s concerts tap into our shared Hendrix language with covers of several Jimi classics, but that’s not all: you’ll also hear Leon’s own material as well as that of Grammy-winning guitarist Micki Free.

“I’ve been doing this all over Europe and every country except Australia and I’m very happy to come there,” Hendrix says. “I’ve always wanted to go there. We’ll have some bush tucker and do a walkabout! I’m gonna play my stuff, some Jimi stuff, some Micki Free stuff and we’re going to combine it all together. We’re not a Jimi Hendrix tribute band. We’re an awesome rock band that plays some Jimi. It’s like, when people first come to Seattle they play some Jimi Hendrix music out of respect.”

“I couldn’t be happier that we hooked up,” Free says.

“I’m a Grammy winner, I was discovered by Gene Simmons of KISS and I’ve toured the world but the reason I’m coming on tour with Leon is I am not a Jimi Hendrix impersonating guitar player. I’m just a regular guy that has dug Jimi all my life that happens to be a mixed-blood Native American like Leon and Jimi, and we’re going to come to Australia to evoke the spirituality of Jimi and the songs with Leon’s song and mine, and have a fucking good time with rock‘n’roll.

That’s what we do. Leon is just fortunate enough to be a Hendrix and he’s got it in his blood! When we first met we laughed and said ‘We’ve gotta play together’.

And we call it ‘The Hendrix Free Experience’ and we’re gonna lay it down for ya. The last interview asked us ‘What inspires you as a musician, and when do you know you’re done?’ We just laughed – right Leon? – and said ‘You’re never done’.” Hendrix agrees; “Right.

The stuff that I’ve written, it’s a compulsion and an obsession at the same fucking time. We don’t even like to play our own older music. We want to make new music. If you’ve got somebody over there to play the digeridoo, tell them to call me! That’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking to experience other cultures and play some music for you guys,” Hendrix enthuses.

“And have some fun, man,” Free adds.

“Sometimes I feel like a really stupid musician to get on guitar and play the songs of the greatest guitar player in the world,” Hendrix says. “Actually I write all my music on keyboards and I transport it to the guitar. But the guitar is the greatest instrument in the world and I can’t help it; I’m obsessed with it. I’m not trying to follow Jimi’s footsteps because that’s his music. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be in a rock‘n’roll band. It came in the genes, the DNA, from there. So I got married, had a bunch of kids, they all grew up and it was time to

start on my journey.” Then Leon says – with an audible smirk and maybe a little nod to the first line of Jimi’s Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - “I’m a Capricorn; I see a mountain that’s not climbable and I make it. I shit on the ground and plants grow!”

LEON HENDRIX & BAND play three Victorian shows through October. Catch them at The Corner Wednesday 8 with The Ugly Kings, The Gateway Corio on Friday 10, and The Chelsea Heights Hotel Thursday 16.

JOE BONAMASSA

By Adam Norris Who doesn’t enjoy a serenade? When Beat speaks with Joe Bonamassa he is kicking back on his patio, answering scores of questions with the amused patience of someone who has long grown accustomed to the inevitable media dredge that accompanies a new album. While his focus is chiefly on the interview, every now and again his attention wavers to the Gibson he consistently plays and conversation will pause while a particular run of notes is teased out.

When one thinks of the blues, the prevailing image seems to be of a dimly-lit figure sitting on a fire escape in some New York City back alley, wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night and smoking crumpled cigarettes while a lonesome melody drifts from the street below. Their heart is broken, their coat is torn, instrument in hock; the tried and true ingredients.

For Bonamassa, however, the reality is not quite so despairing.

“Well, I can only speak for myself, and I don’t really get out much,” he happily admits. “But I’m a guitar nerd. Right now I’m wearing a Fender shirt, playing a Gibson Les Paul, and on the computer screen in front of me I’m on a guitar site looking to buy something.

That’s basically me in a nutshell. It’s not exactly Hollywood. Though I am meeting my keyboardist later and the drummer from KISS, my guitar tech, and we’re all going to the Rainbow. We’re going to sit there with other pretend rock stars, and we’re going to pretend that we’re pretend rock stars. It’s kind of a third-tier thing. There’s actual rock stars, then the pretend rock stars who hang out at the Rainbow, and then there’s us.

But that’s it! After that we’ll all come back to the house and geek out. No fire escape.”

As guitar geeks go, Bonamassa would have to be sitting pretty close to the top. Counting live releases he now has 22 albums under his belt, and owns 125 guitars.

Of those, there are some which are played once and then never venture out from their case again. Others are played every day. Like many guitarists, the impression you have of their relationship with their instrument is that it’s an extension of themselves, like a detachable limb.

“Most people want to romanticise performing, make it deeper than it really is,” says Bonamassa. “I’m often asked what I’m thinking when I’m onstage playing, and half the time I’m thinking about where I want to go to lunch the next day, and the other half I’m thinking about what guitar shops I’m going to hit if we have time off. I mean, there’s a deep music meaning to a lot of this stuff, but a lot of it is ingrained into your DNA, so your focus when you’re up onstage, or writing

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34

or recording, well, your mind can wander, just like in anything else. It’s amazing what muscle memory can do, you know,” he laughs.

While he has been chalking up the accolades for years now (including 12 number one Billboard Blues albums, more than anybody else – Clapton, Vaughan and B.B. King included), Bonamassa only found himself with his first Grammy nomination last year for his second album recorded with Beth Hart, Seesaw.

“Well, the whole thing was a real honour. We lost to Charlie Musselwhite and Ben Harper, and both of those guys are just legends at what they do so that wasn’t a problem at all. The winner gets the Grammy, but everyone who is nominated is sent this really nice Tiffany medal of honour that says, ‘Congratulations, you’ve lost to somebody who is better and whose star shines brighter than yours!’” he laughs. “It’s really cool, but the thing that I was mostly thrilled about was the fact it was great for Beth Hart, who has been criminally underrated her entire career, and it’s her first Grammy nomination too. We didn’t win, but we didn’t go down without a fight. Though I also knew that Ben and Charlie were going to be playing on the night, so I thought, ‘Nope, not moving anything off the mantelpiece just yet. Keep that little Fender catalogue right where it is’.”

He breaks off to play another riff, and I’m content just to listen; several times throughout this interview I feel like a fly on the wall. There is never the sense of Bonamassa being guarded about his music, or cagey about his inspirations and processes behind whatever magic makes it all work. In the end, he just seems like a guy who has found a way to keep doing what he loves.

“I don’t have any fears about what I do because I’m really just a musical nomad,” he says, then thinks for a moment. “I don’t fear that whatever reputation I have now will be tarnished if I decide to throw a curveball, because I’ve already been throwing curveballs my whole career. It only ever matters to me, to what I think. The fans, you know, the fans basically will tell you very quickly if they like your work or not. I mean, you’re always going to get the token asshole who’s going to

dislike everything you do, and always be that constant contradiction to anything you have to say. If the sun is shining, it’s actually raining. That kind of thing. But you’ll always get an immediate reaction from the fans whether they like something or not.

“You always have to please yourself, but I have to think about them as well. You never want to be that artist who’s up there lamenting, ‘Oh, if only they knew the

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real me’. Well, this is the real me. Fender shirt, playing a nice guitar. I’m a nerd who plays blues. And that’s OK.” JOE BONAMASSA’s new album Different Shades of Blue is out Tuesday September 23 through J&R Adventures. You might even be able to snag one from the merch desk when he hits The Palais on Friday September 19.

ZEPTEMBER

By Augustus Welby Spring is here. The daylight hours are lasting longer, flowers are starting to bloom and thongs and singlets will soon swarm the streets. But, if there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now. For it simply means that Zeptember is upon us. This Friday evening at the Corner Hotel, guitarist Ashley Naylor leads an ensemble of supremely talented local musicians in a celebration of the holy legacy of Led Zeppelin.

“It’s such a great thrill to play that music in a live setting,” Naylor says, “because normally you just hear it at home.

To get to play it loud and intimate with no inhibitions is quite exhilarating.”

Joining Naylor on stage will be drummer Danny Leo, bass player Stephen Hadley, keyboardist Bruce Haymes and a rotating cast of vocalists, including Vika Bull, Dallas Frasca and Pat Carmody. Naylor and Leo have participated in a series of Led Zeppelin tribute shows over the last few years, but they sure ain’t tiring of the songs.

“It’s like a steam train and once you’re on you can’t get off,” Naylor says. “Certain songs are immortal. You do feel like you’re on a freight train. You’ve just got to make sure that you keep an eye on where the stations are so you don’t get off at the wrong stop. There’s lots of bits to these songs – you can’t coast.”

This weekend’s gig will take specific direction from Led Zeppelin’s 1973 appearance at Madison Square Garden.

That performance was captured on tape and released as a feature length movie and live album, The Song Remains the Same. Naylor wasn’t old enough to know much about anything in 1973, but he’s had a relationship with Led Zeppelin since an early age.

“I was a big KISS fan when I was a youngster and they’d always refer to Led Zeppelin. Then I finally heard [Zeppelin] and there was no turning back.

“Once I’d done a little bit of back-tracking as I got older, I realised there’s a lot of bands that could have turned into Zeppelin, but it’s just lucky that those four guys managed to do it. The blueprint was laid with other groups, but the thing with Zeppelin that sets them apart from a lot of other bands at that time, it was four virtuosos. Each member was a master of their craft.”

Indeed, prior to banding together in 1968, the unique ability of each of Led Zeppelin’s four members – guitarist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, keys/bass player John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham – was already well-known within the talent-packed London music scene. So, it’s no surprise that soon after uniting as Led Zeppelin, they became a global phenomenon.

“It could have been too many cooks spoiling the broth,” says Naylor. “They got lucky, but they grew into their own skin once they started writing their own material.”

Led Zeppelin didn’t just passively impress the young Ashley Naylor. In fact, Jimmy Page’s guitar work played a huge role in the development of his own fret board personality.

“After KISS I started trying to learn Led Zeppelin songs and even to this day it’s like trying to master a second language. You know some words, you know some sentences, but there’s certain parts of his phrasing and his dialect that I’ll never be able to approximate.

That’s OK because I’m not really in the business of imitation. You’ve got to tread that fine line between copying and acknowledging.”

This ethos is key when it comes to one’s own art – and Naylor’s band Even can hardly be deemed ‘Zeppelin rip-offs’ – but that’s not what this Friday’s gig is about.

The Zeptember super-band promises a most authentic Led Zeppelin experience, which goes beyond learning the songs note-for-note.

“We want to deliver it in the spirit that it was intended,” Naylor says. “It’s not meant to be like a master class. It’s more of a representation. If you know it well enough you can play it as accurately as humanly possible, but with a bit of fire in there as well, hopefully.”

Something that makes the live recordings on The Song Remains the Same so damn enthralling is Led Zeppelin’s improvised instrumental departures. There’s no doubt that the band was an arresting force on record, but on stage they could really showcase the extent of their unsurpassed chemistry. Rather than trying to mimic someone else’s spontaneity, Naylor and company plan to conduct their own unrehearsed instrumentals.

“Freedom is the key to great music and Zeppelin had it in bucket loads,” he says. “Obviously, you don’t want to copy their improvisations. You want to play something in the spirit of what they have achieved in the past.

That’s part of the excitement of it – having the chance to do that as well.”

Yes, beyond straight-up reprisal, what’s set to make Zeptember a particularly worthwhile occasion is the band’s endeavour to tap into a genuine expressive energy. That said, Naylor acknowledges it won’t be a walk in the park.

“There’s many different people who appreciate shows like this. A lot of people want note-for-note execution, a lot of people want an interpretation. To find a balance is the key – to find some kind of balance within the realms of your own skill. There’s certain things I’ll never be able to play of Page’s but other things I can, relatively, play quite comfortably.”

Party like it’s 1973 as ZEPTEMBER rocks The Corner this Friday September 12.

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 35

THE LOVE JUNKIES

By Edgar Ivan The Love Junkies may be one of many acts peppering bills on this side of the country but their hustle is unique. Since 2013 the Perth grunge rockers have wrapped up two albums and one EP and, come the start of October, they will have toured them all. Usually reserved for the likes of Prince or Lil B, this frequency and fervour of releasing has steeled the band as a touring force that has reached as far as Singapore. On the day they got the hard copies of their new album, Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet, (and had a celebratory bottle of champagne), Beat spoke with singer Mitch McDonald about playing shows and how the album almost got lost in the matrix.

“It’s like a Shakespearean term for whore,” McDonald explains when I enquire about the album title. “So you think it’s about a trumpet, but it’s not… There’s a song on the EP that’s called Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet and the theme to that song is inspired by the name. I initially didn’t mean it to be dirty, but I guess the more you think about it the dirtier it gets.”

This marks a main way the new album is set to differ from 2013’s Maybelene – with the flourishes of R-rated subtexts that come from ageing. “Lyrically it touches on some pretty confronting issues. It’s hard to say but it’s definitely darker than Maybelene. Those songs were written [when we were] 19 or 20 and a lot’s happened since then. It sounds like everything that I’ve absorbed over the last couple of years.” Those last couple of years have taken The Love Junkies on tour with British India and to every venue in Australia worth playing. It’s even

taken them to Singapore where they played to K-pop thirsty crowds on 20-watt amps and tried to get their buzz on with $20 pints. “It was interesting,” understates McDonald.

Unlike Singaporean gigs, their bouts at home are usually friendlier on the kitty. “The only free thing you get being a musician is piss,” McDonald half laments as he realises they should’ve been asking for sandwiches on their rider instead of making requests to mess with organisers. Those requests were for things like batteries and a beer ensemble in tune with his, Robbie’s (Rumble, bass), and Lewis’ (Walsh, drums) differing tastes in ales. They do however try to moderate unsustainable consumption with their 3:2 beer ratio: “three beers to chill the nerves, two beers while you’re playing: happy days.”

Of all the touring and various shows, their Big Day Out

DUMB PUNTS

set the year before last still stands at the forefront. “It was pretty boss to see so many people get down there early to see us.” While it’s impressive, the proudest moment these Perth natives hold aloft is when they first sold out their hometown’s Mojo’s for the Maybelene album launch. “It sold out in eight minutes,” he reflects on the door sales. “That was sick. It was mind-blowing.”

Though they’ve come far from there, Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet mightn’t have ever had an album launch. The computer that held their magnum opus had a technical difficulty the opposite of J-Law’s or Kate Upton’s. Instead of leaking their work it was holding onto it with a firm grip – probably not unlike the grips of those who found Kate Upton’s images.

“I probably just would’ve given up,” says McDonald of the contingency plan, but after wrestling with the computer in the small amount of time that they weren’t

on the road, they came away with their prize. “We took the hard-drive out and we got it back, thank Christ.”

The Love Junkies have mantained their unrelenting release and tour schedule due to their ability to stay one album ahead. “We’d already demo-ed [Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet] before the Maybelene release,” he confides. “But heaps of songs have been written since then.” Does that mean another release will come off the heels of BOTDT? You bet. But after they almost lost their baby to the matrix in the rush of touring, they might chill before they do it again, “At least for a couple of months.”

In contrast to the band’s more rambunctious songs in their set, the song literally is a Chiller.

“Yeah Chiller was the working title because it is a ‘chiller’. That song just came so easy – you have to understand that we had a week from our first jam to our first show with WOD and Charging Stallion (Gallagher is in both these bands). For the show we already had six or seven songs – they just came that easy,” laughs Gallagher. “When we first had a bash as Dumb Punts we wrote that song. The songs we write now as a three-piece seem to have a lot more drive and form. The stuff I was first writing as Dumb Punts and recording on Garage Band in The Jungle Den was a lot more psychedelic – like Ty Segall.”

Looking forward to Dumb Punts’ gig at Boney this

Saturday September 13, Gallagher talks about the performance. For those who have followed Dumb Punts since their inception, this show is special for them because it’s a headline show without the support of related acts Drunk Mums, WOD or Charging Stallion.

“We are playing with Contrast and Zig Zag and they are really awesome bands who we only really discovered this year. We’re stoked with the lineup.”

memories. It’s like being in the subconscious and a lot of experiences that you’ve gone through, whether that be relationships or family or travel or dreams, [come out]. I find that whenever you try to push something it doesn’t flow.”

Yes, you could even posit that eschewing conscious thought and yielding to creative energies is what allows writers to access substantial and communicable ideas.

Smyth believes that an egoless approach to composition is integral for attaining longevity.

“You’ve got to do your time as a musician. It’s a craft.

It’s not textbook and you just find these experiences that you learn and they just give you the biggest kick. If you were doing it for a pat on the back, you’ll be a flash in the pan and you might do well for five seconds, but I’m wanting to do this when I should be retired.”

He’s certainly a hard worker. Along with a bass player

and drummer, Smyth’s currently in the midst of a massive 45-date Australian tour. He might have some lofty thoughts about the creative process, but rest assured the Steve Smyth live experience is an occasion of unhinged physicality.

“A lot of people think I’m drunk or out of it,” he laughs. “You close your eyes and you’re pushing the tune and you do get a bit disorientated. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of things flying about and lights and communication with the band. It’s all a pretty wild experience. It’s just about holding onto the reins and letting it lead you.”

THE LOVE JUNKIES blow the Devil’s Strumpet when they launch their new album at Ding Dong this Friday September 12.

By Dan Watt Dumb Punts are a new Melbourne band that create digestable garage rock that is so slack that even the term ‘slacker’ doesn’t do it justice. Their music reeks of ease in execution with the collaboration between drums, guitar, bass and vocals so in tune that even when they’re out of tune, Dumb Punts still make sense.

This cosy collusion belies the fact the band is made up of brother and sister duo James and Ciarn Gallagher ( Jimmy and Seattle to their mates) and schoolyard mate Brent Lockhart.

“We’re from a town of about 2,000 people near Port Macquarie [NSW] called Bonny Hills,” establishes James Gallagher. Like the natural relationship of all three band members, so are the origins of the band.

Gallagher, 25, had moved to Melbourne four years ago and, as a budding guitarist and garage rock fan, had become friends with a group of people that included members of bands Drunk Mums and Mighty Boys.

Gallagher started WOD with Drunk Mums’ guitarist Jake Doyle and vocalist Christopher Breeze. The share-house that Gallagher lives at in Windsor has a (barely) renovated garage out the back that has become an unofficial rehearsal space for all the aforementioned bands, known as the ‘Jungle Den’.

Enter: sister Seattle Gallagher and old mate Brent Lockhart.

“I didn’t think we’d start a band. They moved down here and they saw a WOD gig and were just frothing to play

in a band,” states Gallagher.

“So we started bashing about [on instruments] in the Jungle Den. They both were living at my house because they didn’t have anywhere else.”

Gallagher had written and recorded some songs on Garage Band that were the basis for the first Dumb Punts songs. Both Seattle and Lockhart picked up these songs very quickly – this was not surprising for Lockhart as he was in bands back in Bonny Hills.

“Seattle said that she had never played drums but I am bit suss on that because she’s pretty good,” states Gallagher with a suspect chuckle.

Gallagher’s guitar sound and vocal style lends itself to the 1960s Detroit rock sound of Iggy Pop and MC5, but there’s also a depth and space in the sound that softens the impact of Dumb Punts’ music. The catchiness and quality of the Dumb Punts sound has seen them pick up the coming Dune Rats’ support.

The band’s debut single Chiller embraces the spacious facets of Dumb Punts’ sound, swinging the song in the direction of Dinosaur Jr,. and also classic Australian bands like Goanna, Cosmic Psychos and Fuck Fucks.

DUMB PUNTS are playing Boney this Saturday September 13 with Contrast and Zig Zag. Tickets are $5. Head to tickets.boney.net.au for more info.

STEVE SMYTH

By Augustus Welby For music fanatics, playing ‘pick-the-influence’ often makes the listening experience additionally rewarding. While it’s usually a fun activity, there are times when the lucidity of someone’s influences precludes any in-depth interaction with the music. NSW-born travelling minstrel Steve Smyth regularly incites comparisons to the likes of Tom Waits and Jim Morrison. He doesn’t shy away from such appraisals, but being recognised as a master of imitation isn’t the objective.

“I always get nice compliments from people who are seeing the show for the first time or hearing the music for the first time,” he says. “It’s always funny hearing what people hear. I’m actually blessed that they usually say I’ve got my own sound. That’s probably the nicest compliment.”

Of course, discerning a work’s major influences doesn’t mean that the artist consciously borrowed from these stylistic forebears. The extent to which influences are actively incorporated varies from one songwriter to the next. Smyth readily admits that he “always liked Howlin’ Wolf or Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – all of those boys,” but he doesn’t use them as a creative crutch.

“I’m not looking to copy or plagiarise. It’s just what the song needed to be expressed properly. I don’t think I would be comfortable putting a song out if I actually was referring back to a favourite artist or something like that.

“When you’re songwriting,” he adds, “to be honest, you BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 36

don’t want to be thinking about anything. It’s about pushing yourself into a meditative state. That’s usually where tunes come. There’s all those wanker analogies, but it’s like, things come through when you’re an open window or you’ve got an open door.”

Smyth’s second LP Exits came out last weekend and there’s much more to it than the wolf-voiced barnstompers that he’s become renowned for. Granted, lead single Shake It feeds the Tom Waits impression.

However, on follow-up single, Written or Spoken, Smyth adopts a sullen croon, which recalls Augie March’s Glenn Richards. Either way, Smyth emphasises that such instances of familiarity aren’t the result of premeditation.

“A lot of the time you’re just a vessel that these different things move through. I know there’s a lot of songwriting classes and there’s some pointers that you can get, but at the end of the day you’ve got to be open for things to move through you and different energies and

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

STEVE SMYTH plays a string of Victorian dates through early October, and rounds out his massive Aussie tour at the Queenscliff Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday 29-30 November.

JOE HENRY Four-time Grammy Award-winning singersongwriter, guitarist and producer Joe Henry performs ‘Invisible Hour’ live and acoustic.

STEP

By Lachlan Kanoniuk

June, 2014. A fresh beacon, emblazoned with a tongue-in-cheek label, emerges from within the Melbourne music community. Born from a simple premise, Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People (STEP) presents a fresh take on industry panels, focusing on the current, predominantly digital climate, bringing together relatively new movers and shakers for a relaxed discussion, followed by a showcase of nascent, red-hot musical talent. Already with two successful iterations, focusing on labels and critics respectively, STEP looks set to become a constant on the Melburnian musical calendar. Speaking ahead of their tour of The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano and upcoming manager panel, STEP progenitors Ashley Sambrooks and Zac Abroms bring us back to the original brainwave.

“It was a slow process, initially,” recalls Abroms. “It was something Ash and I had been discussing in an offhand way for probably more than a year. It stemmed from the conversation we were having as publicists where we were constantly meeting and interacting with new crews and operators in Melbourne – be it artists, managers or labels – and being really impressed and fascinated with what these particularly young, innovative people were doing. I was always going back and forth, thinking these people should be more connected. Just fanboying over these young music dudes. That’s when we started to feel that there was a gap in the market for a networking get-together event where we could put them in the same room. We just needed that clubhouse environment to get everyone together.”

“Just making a place where we’d wanna hang out,” adds Sambrooks. “We can connect with people, network, listen to interesting topics, and just hang out, drink, and watch good music.”

“We’re absolutely spoiled in Melbourne with the number of young artists, young managers, young labels who are doing it on their own,” Abroms proclaims.

“But we’re also surprised at the lack of awareness of each other between the various crews – people doing stuff in Northcote, then others in Fitzroy, it was a case of ‘Let’s push them together and see what happens’.”

“I think the people that had been coming along, certainly with the first one, had never really been on a panel before,” Sambrooks says.

While the focus has been on the new crop of industry figures, there’s still plenty to be gained by the old guard from STEP. “The first panel we did – record labels – was a classic example,” Abroms says. “I always felt that for an audience who want to break into the world of record labels, the gap is too big to hear from the head of a major label. You can’t get anything practical from hearing them talk, even though it’s interesting.

I want to hear from the dudes who are three or four years ahead of the dude who just finished their music industry course, or just started signing their mates’ bands. I want to get them in a room to hear from people who are just starting to quit their day job because it’s working for them. It’s still fresh in their memory. The industry was so different five years ago, let alone 20 years ago.”

“Even though we’re getting more of these younger people, we are reaching out to the more senior parts of the industry as well,” Sambrooks says. “Even if they aren’t all coming to the events, some of them are. They certainly know about it and are talking about it.”

“It’s mutually beneficial, these young crews are figuring out new ways to do things, technologically or with marketing. They’ve got a lot to offer the old guard who are trying to reinvent themselves,” Abroms adds. “There’s definitely an interest in the upper echelons of the industry coming along to see what the new generation are doing and help them out, either financially or through networking.”

As anyone who has attended one of the STEP panels so far can attest, the events are far from standard conference fare. “They’ve been going great. I think the last one – The Critic – I haven’t seen a panel where people have spoken out of school like that before. There was some negative feedback, pretty much all directed at Jakey boy,” Sambrooks states, referring to outspoken The Vine assistant editor Jake Cleland. “But that’s the whole fuckin’ reason we got him up there. I responded to the people who were negative towards him, saying ‘He’s our boy, we stand by that shit’,” he laughs.

“I was definitely applauding all of them for speaking out of school and telling it like it is,” adds Abroms.

“If you put them in the classroom environment or the traditional conference format, it can turn into a bit of a snoozefest. If you take them to a pub and put a beer in their hand, they relax and tell you what it’s really like.”

For the musical side of things, STEP has been consistently hitting it for six by providing a platform for burgeoning acts worthy of attention. “The dude who closed the last event, Planete, he’d only played a handful of shows, and hadn’t released the double A-side yet. Then he’s been booked for all these shows through that,” Sambrooks states. “People really discovered him, and fair enough, he’s sick, man!

“Rat & Co were perhaps a little more well-known than the others, but Milwaukee Banks played one of their first shows at STEP. Then there was a ridiculous amount of people talking about Lower Spectrum after their set. It’s a rare opportunity for bands to play in front of 200 people from the media who aren’t gonna do word of mouth just to their friends, but they’ll tell other people in the industry and those opportunities will materialise.”

STEP present Anthony Fantano for two events on Sunday September 2014 – an all-ages afternoon show at the Northcote Town Hall, and an 18+ gig that night at The Toff, and will host The Managers, featuring Nick O’Byrne, Jen Cloher, Si Gould and Tom Fraser. It all happens at The Toff on September 24.

For over 24 years, Joe Henry has left a unique imprint on American music with his poetic songs that incorporate a broad swathe of American musical styles – rock, jazz, soul, folk-imbued blues and alt-country stylings.

He performs new acoustic songs and rarely-performed music from his back catalogue in one unforgettable concert.

FRI 12 SEP 7.30PM TICKETS FROM $55 MORE INFO & TICKETS: MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU BOX OFFICE 03 9699 3333 PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT PARTNER PR

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 37

MONUMENTS

By Peter Hodgson

UK progressive metal masters Monuments stood alongside Coldrain, Patent Pending, Butcher Babies and The Interrupters as one of the first five bands to be announced for the Soundwave 2015 festival – part of Soundwave’s ultra-cool strategy of highlighting a few of the slightly-lesser-known-but-soon-to-kick-your-ass bands prior to the main announcement.

If you haven’t heard Monuments yet you soon will; their music is from the same general region of metal as folks like Periphery, Animals as Leaders and Circles, but with an enhanced focus on groove. Call it djent you can shake your ass to if you must put a label on it, but the point is that in a genre with a few inspired standouts and a whole lot of soundalikes, Monuments have that extra something to set themselves apart. Now with Chris Barretto (ex-Periphery, Ever Forthright) on vocals, they’ve pushed their sound to further levels of originality and power on new album The Amanunensis, a sprawling concept album inspired by David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas.

“It’s gonna be amazing,” guitarist John Browne – he prefers to be simply referred to as Browne – says of the band’s inaugural Soundwave run. “It’s crazy! It’s one of the most iconic festivals, and to come over to Australia for the first time to play such a prestigious festival is going to be amazing. D’know what’s crazy? All my favourite bands are Australian! I’m a really big fan of Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Birds of Tokyo… the list goes on!”

Before Soundwave kicks off though, Monuments have an epic US trek to warm up with, playing alongside fellow progressive metal merchants Animals as Leaders

and the Devin Townsend Project. “It’s pretty crazy,” Browne says. “Devin is one of the leaders of the metal scene; Strapping Young Lad back in the day and all the albums he’s done with The Project… He’s probably one of the biggest inspirations in metal so it’s crazy that we’ve got the opportunity to open that tour.”

The word ‘crazy’ seems to pop up a lot in Browne’s vocabulary. It’s tempting to read into it something about his band’s eclectic musicality: it’s probably a good word to describe what it’s like living with this kind of diverse, highly ethnic musical narrative churning through your head at all times. So where does Monuments’ palpable sense of rhythm and groove come from? “Michael Jackson,” Browne says without missing a beat. “When you listen to Off The Wall and especially songs like Working Day and Night, if you listen to everything going on it’s actually a really complicated song. There are some crazy jazz chords in there with some crazy inversions and if someone can write music that’s that accessible but that complicated at the same time, it’s genius. And it grooves as well.” In fact, if you check out videos of Browne shredding on guitar – and there are plenty out there – you’ll notice that he keeps time by bobbing his head in a manner not altogether unJackson-like, right, Browne? “Exactly, yeah! That’s it!

Since I was a kid, I think I was about three years old, maybe two when I remember first listening to Michael Jackson. Mum used to play all that stuff when I was a kid and ever since then it’s been in the back of my mind, that groove thing. So I have to thank my mother for introducing me to all that great music when I was a child.”

A virtuoso-level eight-string guitarist (who recently signed with Mayones Guitars from Poland), Browne’s approach to guitar tone is as rhythmically-inspired as the notes that he plays. “I see it like a drum kit,” he explains. “I do quite a lot of scratching on the guitar and I associate those with ghost notes on a snaredrum, so I like a really full guitar tone that can still get quite tight. You have to get quite tight to get that kind of range, so a drum kit is probably the thing I most closely associate with the guitar sound I go for.” But despite the list of great guitarists to have played with Michael Jackson – Jennifer Batten, Steve Lukather, Slash, Eddie Van Halen – it was Bon Jovi that first drew Browne

to the guitar. “I heard Living on a Prayer when I was very, very young, maybe eight years old, and I thought ‘That’s what I want to do’. I listened to a lot of Meatloaf when I was a kid too but I didn’t really associate that with the guitar. I think Bon Jovi was what fuelled it. I started on acoustic guitar and doing a lot of stuff like Bob Dylan but then I got my first electric guitar when I was 13, which is 15 years ago now, and ever since then I’ve been introduced to more and more music. I went through a stage of looking for a lot of lead guitar players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Andy Timmons and guys like that and then I heard Meshuggah, and then everything changed! I heard a lot of similarities between Meshuggah and Michael Jackson in all the bouncy rhythms so I kinda just try to incorporate both aspects when I play guitar.”

To My Face perpetuated this success, with its sardonic anthem Nobody Likes a Bogan making the ARIA top 30. However, scanning across the Area-7 timeline, it’s hard to ignore that they haven’t released anything since 2005’s Torn Apart. Unfortunately, even a band powered by the spirit of rebellion couldn’t avoid the music industry’s ugly side.

“We were tied to an American record label that closed up shop in Australia,” Stevo explains. “We had a single in the Top 40, we had a new single ready to drop, we were headlining on the Vans Warped Tour at that time in 2002. We were ready to go on our next step and our record company closed their operation here in Melbourne in one day. So we were left languishing for a couple of years, not really knowing who to talk to.”

Of course, bands don’t have to keep releasing music to qualify as a band. Performing in front of adoring audiences is equally as important and Area-7 never stopped playing live. Meanwhile, there is a chance that they’ll provide their fans with a parting gift.

“We wrote new songs that we actually played live but aren’t on any records,” Stevo reveals. “So there’s still an

opportunity for us to record something as an EP or a digital release that we might do just before we call it quits.”

As exciting as this prospect is, Area-7’s always been in their element on stage. So, why have they chosen to close the shutters now? In an act of maturity – all too rare in the music industry – Stevo reasons that this way they’ll go out firing on all cylinders.

“There’s a great line in a Rancid song: “The secret to a good life is knowing when you’re through”. I’ve actually gotten to a point where I won’t go to see some bands anymore because I remember how amazing they were and I just want to keep that memory as it was. I have seen a couple of bands and gone, ‘Hmm, they’re not as good as they used to be.’ I don’t want people to say that about Area-7, ever.”

MONUMENTS play Soundwave 2015 in support of recent album The Amanunensis.

AREA-7

By Augustus Welby

Could you imagine living in a time where the sound of brass wasn’t welcome on the airwaves? Whimper not at this dystopian vision and instead bow down to a band that helped repeal this former injustice. That band is Area-7 and their corrective weaponry, a stack of damn catchy ska/punk tunes.

“Triple j refused to play our first record,” says Area-7 frontman John ‘Stevo’ Stevens. “They flatly refused to play Road Rage when it first came out because it had horns in it. Then all of a sudden, within 12-18 months, they had all of our records on high rotation.”

Area-7 rose up through the ever-fruitful Melbourne rock ranks in the mid-‘90s. While the seven-piece got together in 1994, it wasn’t until the 1999 single Second Class Citizen – and the subsequent album Bitter & Twisted – that their impact was felt nationwide. The tremors of this breakthrough still haven’t subsided.

“We can play something like Second Class Citizen to a bunch of 15-year-olds now and they get it,” Stevo says.

“And they know the words, which spins me out actually.

Then we can play it to an older crowd and they get it as well.

“Area-7 always prided itself on not really making political comment but we certainly made social comment. The difficulties with youth and growing up, they don’t really change from generation to generation.

So in some ways, the anthem-y kind of songs are a little bit timeless, which is great.”

Yes, your arithmetic is correct, it’s now 20 years since Area-7’s inception. In the spirit of all things loud and sweaty, right now they’re in the middle of an Australiawide anniversary tour. Following this run of dates, the

band’s locked in for Soundwave 2015, which is likely be the last chance to see them.

“I think this will be it for us.” says Stevo. “We’re really honoured that AJ and Chris O’Brien sought us out to play on this [Soundwave] tour. We can quite happily walk away from it and say ‘That was a great time for the last 20-odd years, thank you very much, but time to give some of the new guys a crack’.”

No matter how much time has passed, looking back on one’s earlier activities is often a cringe-worthy experience. Area-7’s 20th birthday incited plenty of reflection in Stevo. And believe it or not, he’s largely pleased by what he’s found.

“We were lucky enough to have a moment in the sun and a lot of bands don’t get to do that. I can quite easily hold my head up high and think Area-7’s done some fantastic things. We put ska into the mainstream. We put it actually into a wider audience. We’re really proud of that and we’re still proud of the records.

“I had a listen to Say It To My Face the other day and I hadn’t listened to it in probably about four or five years,” he adds. “I listened to it and I said, ‘You know, that’s not a bad record actually’. It’s pretty cool if you can do that.”

This moment in the sun Stevo mentions involved Bitter & Twisted hitting number three on the ARIA charts and reaching Gold sales status. 2001’s Say It

AREA-7 will ska you for life at their last ever pub show on Friday September 19 at The Corner. Or catch them when they wind up 20 years of madness at Soundwave on Sunday February 22.

The Velvets vs. The Naysayers You guys have had one helluva ride. What’s been the best and worst experience of The Velvets?

The worst part has always been the purgatory between sound check and set times. I tend to drink too much out of boredom/nerves. The best part has always been the look of pity you get when you tell people you play in a band. Even more so when you tell ‘em it’s a rock ’n’ roll band.

The Naysayers on The Velvets: How do The Velvets intend to fill the massive velvety hole left in all our hearts now that you’re gracefully bowing out?

With Gatorade and candy. And other projects. Six Shooter, Marianne Digs, Twisted Pistol and The Black Alleys should fill the void. We get a little incestuous with our band members.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38

What film/song/quote best sums up the illustrious career of The Velvets?

“Songs, uh, are really just interesting things to be doing with the air.” – Tom Waits How long ‘til the reunion tour?

Next year with John Farnham, actually.

What’s happening in the rest of 2014 for The Naysayers?

Excellent question. We’re in the middle of a threesingle release thing for the rest of 2014. The first one came out mid-July and the second single will be out within a month or so. The last one will be out late this year. Keep watching the skies.

The Velvets on The Naysayers: Is it true The Naysayers refer to their loyal fans as ‘Nay Nays’?

True. Though we also refer to her as ‘Mum’.

You guys recorded your last record Dee Eye Why all on your own. I don’t really have a question about it; I just think that’s rad. Can I have a copy?

We did. And yes of course you can. Everyone can. It’s available for free download through our Bandcamp.

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Given the choice between smoking the pubic hair of a sweaty athlete post-marathon and touring as support for Nickelback, what kind of papers would you roll your cigarette with?

Liquorice papers. Definitely liquorice.

THE VELVETS say adios amigos in their last show ever with support from THE NAYSAYERS on Friday September 12 at Yah Yah’s.

CORE

PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP

By Emily Kelly: ek1984@gmail.com Dead Letter Circus

With Peter Hodgson: crunchcolumn@gmail.com

CORE GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10: Smoke Stack Rhino, Dead City Ruins, Low Fly Incline at Cherry Bar You me At Six, Tonight Alive, Masketta Fall at The Hi-Fi Bar Anberlin, The Getaway Plan at 170 Russell THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11: I Brighter at Night, One Day Maybe, Chambers at Next

Dead Letter Circus dropped a bit of a surprise acoustic tour that sold out a solid month in advance, so they’ve made the right call by announced a big ol’ national tour for December with seven shows hitting all capital cities. This will be their last lap before returning to the studio to record their third album.

See ‘em with Sleepmakeswaves and Voyager at The Hi-Fi in Melbourne on December 20. Tickets on sale Thursday.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12: Wil Wagner, Georgia Maq, Valerie Avenue at Evs Croydon Cannibal Corpse, Hour Of Penance at 170 Russell John Garcia at Gershwin Room, Espy Cause In Affect, Conjurer, Black Mayday, Audemia at Star Bar Aquilus, Adamus Exul, Voidchrist, Wood Of Suicides at Bendigo

Iron Mind are one of Melbourne’s best and they’ve just announced some tour dates for December. It’s their first jaunt since returning from the USA. Suss out their self-titled release on Resist (it’s good) and then get down to The Bendigo on December 13 to see them with The Others, Mood Swing and Downside.

There’s a Phoenix Youth Center show on December 14 as well if you feel like getting your all ages on.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13: Hands Like Houses, Forever Ends Here, Breakaway at Ding Dong Captives at Old Bar Animal Hands, Long Holiday, 3/4 Beast at Yah Yah’s The Murder Rats, Evil Ways, The Transitions, The Interceptors at The Reverence Devilskin at The Espy Deez Nuts, Decimate, Bear Witness at Bang Hollow World, The Arbiter, Prosthesis Of Mind, Of The Earth at The Bendigo

The Meanies

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14: Hands Like Houses, Forever Ends Here, Breakaway at Wrangler Studios (AA) Devilskin at YahYah’s Fear Like Us, Tom Lyngcoln, Eaten By Dogs at The Reverence

The Meanies know how hard it is to keep a band together for 25 years so they’re damn well celebrating this milestone by hitting the road for their Silver Jubilee tour this October. Catch them at The Hi-Fi with some of the best in the biz. Batpiss, Flour and Clowns will play alongside them on October 24.

CRUNCH

METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD SHIT

AQUILUS AT THE BENDIGO

This Friday September 12, get your arse to The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood for a huge night.

Devalsne presents Aquilus, Adamus Exul, Voidchrist and Wood of Suicides. After the success of the Blood Music/ATMF release of the album Griseus, the oneman neo-classical atmospheric black metal project Aquilus forged on to become a successful live act in early 2014, playing to and impressing audiences with their beautiful, melancholic and trance-inducing music. And you can experience the splendour yourself, kicking off at 8pm. 18+.

NEW ALBUM FROM THE CONTORTIONIST

Holy shit. Right now I’m listening to an advance of Language, the new album by The Contortionist. It’s out next week and it’s utterly stunning. The previous album was good but this is just seriously next-level stuff, like Porcupine Tree meets Devin Townsend’s Accelerated Evolution meets Periphery or something.

BARBARIÖN AT THE BRIDGE HOTEL

Like a robotic samurai riding a flaming tiger, Barbariön are a metal force to be reckoned with and they are headed to The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine to unfurl their fury. Formed in 2007 with the sole ambition of ‘making party’, Barbariön have bludgeoned their way through pubs and clubs to become a Melbourne favourite. Scantily clad in all manner of leather, fur, studs and armour they have blasted festival audiences at Boogie, Cherry Rock, Meredith and the Big Day Out with their powerful metal riffs and megaexplosive stage antics. Now, with egos supercharged thanks to a highly successful European tour, Barbariön are set to unleash their new album upon Australian audiences around the country. Catch Barbariön on Friday September 19. Support is from Pterodactyl and Orsome Welles. $10 Entry. Doors 8.30pm.

NEW ORDER OF CHAOS VIDEO

Order of Chaos (featuring former members of King Parrot, Damaged, Blood Duster and Earth) proudly presents the live video clip for Fail Me Not, a track taken from the just-released new album Deadweight Undertow. Evan (guitar) Mat Rizzo (drums) and Terry V (bass/vocals) are captured performing the song live at their album launch at The Reverence Hotel in Melbourne, with live sound and mixing/ mastering courtesy of Dav Byrne at Iridium Audio.

BALLARAT BEER FESTIVAL

The Ballarat Beer Festival, Victoria’s original and favourite craft beer festival, is set to raise the bar as the organisers busily brew up a bunch of enticing new attractions for their fourth annual event. Featuring a massive day of world class brews, ciders, wines and gourmet food alongside some of Australia’s finest bands performing on the main stage all to be showcased at the fun-packed event on Australia Day weekend ( January 24) 2015 at Ballarat City Oval.

Ash Grunwald has been confirmed but keep an eye out for more! Tickets (and drink tokens) available now via Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849, or Ticketek outlets now.

MORE DEVIN TOWNSEND CLINIC INFO

If you missed it last week, the ever-amazing Devin Townsend is heading to Australia for guitar masterclasses in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Catch Devin on Wednesday October 22 at St Kilda Town Hall, kicking off at 7.30pm. The VIP tickets have already sold out but there’s a chance more may be added so keep your eye on thumpmusic.com to see if that’s happening. There are still some regular general admission tickets available though. And Devin promises that this isn’t just for guitar-nerds. There’ll be something for everyone.

NOFX

NOFX are certainly not short of fans in Melbourne.

All their Melbs shows are selling out so they’ve announced a third headlining gig at 170 Russell on November 17. Don’t miss out. Their Barwon Heads club show just hoisted up the ‘sold out’ sign and this one will probably sell out as well. Get moving.

Full Of Hell Hardcore punx Full of Hell are embarking on their first ever Australian tour this November. Over ten shows, they’ll be joined by Idylls and Machina Genova. Lock in either December 12 or December 14 at The Bendigo but be warned that Idylls will not be playing any Melbourne dates. Tickets are available now.

There’s a big ol’ punk rock festival going on up in Sydney that you might be interested in travelling north for. Not a lot would get me to recommend a visit to Sydney but Gingerfest is a huge all day event that’s raising money for Vision Australia, and is in memory of Canberra dude Nicholas Dofer-Schreiber who was murdered late last year. You’ll remember he was a fixture in the local punk rock scene, so his mates have gathered 28 Days, Bagster, Totally Unicorn, Born Lion, Clowns, Super Best Friends, Hightime, The Punk Rock Hillbilly, Revellers, Lincoln Le Fevre and Lindsay The Doctor McDougall to play some tunes in his honour. AND there’s more bands yet to be announced. Saturday December 6 at The Factory Theatre.

Confession are bringing stacks of quality locals with them on their upcoming tour with Prepared Like a Bride and Graves. The Melbourne Central Club gig will also feature Trainwreck and Griever and the Phoenix Youth Centre show will open with Valiance, Hunt The Haunted and Alpha Wolf. They’re promoting their new album Life and Death.

RVIVR are one of the greatest new bands to find themselves on my playlist and the band are going to release a new five-track EP this month. Bicker and Breathe is being released on September 15 through Bandcamp. Give it a listen and sink your teeth into some lovely folk punk rock vibes in the same vein as Iron Chic.

Mariachi El Bronx

Bluesfest have dropped their 2015 lineup and it’s boasting some decent rock/punk dudes as per usual.

For one, Frank Turner will be returning with The Sleeping Souls and The Black Keys are the year’s big headlining drawcard. Mariachi El Bronx are also on the bill and there are heaps more to be announced.

Consider me tempted. Bluesfest takes place on Easter Weekend, April 2015.

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 39

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

WED SEPTEMBER 10

UNDERGROUND HOUND

Underground Hound are shoving their love of meatand-potatoes garage rock’n’roll down the salad-choked throats of this spinach-leaf infested town. Four men, one stage. They will be joined by The National Evening Express and Siren Black to round off a dirty night at The Bendigo this Wednesday September 10. Entry is $6, doors from 7.30pm.

his muse and love of rhythm & blues and jazz before finding his breakthrough moment. Catch him playing at The Toff In Town this Wednesday September 10 with special guest Lauren Dawes. Tickets are $39 presale or $50 on the door. Doors at 7.30pm.

Rapids and Howl at the Moon. Tickets are $6. Doors from 7.30pm.

SMOKE STACK RHINO

Hot on the heels of a whirlwind first year, blues-rockers Smoke Stack Rhino are poised to drop a brand new single this September. Taste, is a catchy, blues-inspired beat that meanders dynamically through subtle and imposing southern rock. To celebrate its release, the band has been booked for a weekly residency at the legendary Cherry Bar starting this Wednesday. $5 entry from 8pm.

NUSSY

After a sold-out EP launch at Workers Club, Revolver has managed to lock in the ridiculously talented Nussy for a month-long residency as part of an acoustic dining experience, Colonel Tans Acoustic Sessions.

Doors open at 6.30pm and entry is free.

MO' SOUL KITCHEN

Mo’ Soul Kitchen invites you to enjoy the sounds, smells, and tastes of the swamp with a bite to eat before you hit the dance floor at the newly opened Girl with the Gris Gris Cajun/Creole restaurant located in Ding Dong’s front bar. Mo’ Soul’s Kitchen every Wednesday in September will be serving up a $15 beer and gumbo special. Doors open at 6pm, entry is free.

STEVE CLISBY

A novice to fame, but not to music, Steve Clisby spent over sixty years as a musician, living an inspirational life in the US, Europe and finally in Australia. following

HOWLING BELLS

HALT EVER

KATE ANASTASIOU

Singer songwriter Kate Anastasiou delivers songs of life and love, puts her twist on your favourite tunes, then jazzes it up a bit. Kate has an eclectic background in jazz, blues and popular music. Accompanying herself on guitar she has been playing a wide range of Christchurch and Melbourne venues drawing on her versatile style and repertoire to entertain a wide variety of audiences. Influenced by Ani Dafranco, PJ Harvey and other great female songwriters, Kate’s songwriting blends rock sensibilities with folk ballads. See her at The Drunken Poet this Wednesday September 10 from 8pm with special guest Rachel Clark.

THU SEPTEMBER 11 LITTLE DESERT

Little Desert’s last gig was described as something akin to a David Lynch film. Perhaps if Lynch was a fan of Black Sabbath or The Savage Rose. After a sold-out launch of their premiere single, Little Desert are performing every Thursday in September at The Gasometer Hotel before bunkering down to work on the imminent release of their LP. The band have accumulated supports from an eclectic mix of some of Melbourne’s finest radicals. This week is The Grand

Five bands walk into a bar ± five bands from Collingwood, into a bar in Brunswick, it’s bound to be trouble. Halt Ever, Claws & Organs, Worm Crown, Sooky La La and Fraudband join forces for a night of epic proportions at The Retreat this Thursday from 8.30pm.

THE AMBIENCE OF RAIN

Hailing from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, The Ambience of Rain are a five-piece progressive pop rock outfit that will be hitting the stage at The Reverence Hotel front bar this Thursday September 11. Since releasing their debut self titled EP, The band have been busy writing new material and experimenting with more sounds. Entry is $7 from 8pm.

THE JC LITTLE BIG BAND

Jason Chalmers, Tenor Saxophone, along with his ten-piece band, will be playing an intimate collection of tunes at The Spotted Mallard. In his own unique way, he draws on elements of character, personality and style very much associated with the vintage big band experience. The JC Little big band plays a large repertoire of big band classic instrumentals from Count Basie Duke Ellington through to Louis Prima and Dizzy Gillespie. Check them out this Thursday September 11 performing two sets from 8.30pm.

COMING UP WED 17TH SEPT

TUESDAY 16TH, 23rd, 30th SEPT TWISTER TUESDAYS 7:30PM, FREE ENTRY. THUNDER JUGS $15

thursday 11th sept

JC LITTLE BIG BAND 8.30PM (2 SETS), FREE ENTRY.

HARRY MANX (CA) WITH CLAYTON DOLEY

doors/dinner: 6pm - showtime: 8:30pm TIX AVAIL AT SPOTTEDMALLARD.COM

BULLHORN

**ALBUM LAUNCH** W/ PURPLE TUSKS 8:30pm, $5 ENTRY

THE TIGER AND ME SHOWTIME 4.30PM, FREE ENTRY

FOLLOWED BY...

THE SCRIMSHAW FOUR SHOWTIME 7PM, FREE ENTRY

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40

tHURS 18TH sept

COTTON CLUB

HAPPY HOUR

SATURDAY 13TH SEPT

SUNDAY 14TH SEPT

LAKYN HEPERI

FREE ENTRY SWING DANCING LESSONS FROM 7:30PM ($15)

FRIDAY 12TH SEPT

Sydney’s Howling Bells hit Howler to celebrate the release of their latest album, Heartstrings. It was recorded in London’s Assault & Battery Studios almost immediately after its creation by Catherine J. Marks (Foals’ Holy Fire, PJ Harvey’s White Chalk) and under the watchful eye of legendary producer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, The Killers, Depeche Mode).

Joining them will be Ali Barter and Glassmaps. Thursday September 11 at Howler. Tickets are $30.80+BF.

$8 Pints Of Craft Beer 4pm-6pm Daily

KITCHEN HOURS

Tues-Thurs: 4:00pm-till late Fri: 4:00pm-till late Sat:h 2:00pm-till late Sun: 2:00pm-till late

TICKETS

For ticket sales visit www.spottedmallard.com

314 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

SEX ON TOAST

Sex on Toast hit Melbourne’s infamous Cherry Soul Night to bring their signature brand of synth-blast ‘80s funk/soul to AC/DC lane. With their self-titled debut album, sell-out launches and subsequent tours under their belt they have steadily perfected a live show consisting of white hot charisma, slammin’ grooves and delicate sensuality. This Thursday September 11 at Cherry Bar. $10 entry.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

SPECTRAL FIRES

This Thursday September 11 catch a killer night of live music at The Tote. Featuring Spectral Fires with support from The Approach, The Evercold and Mythh.

It all kicks off from 7.30pm.

THE VACANT SMILES

The Vacant Smiles are a four-piece garage/psych band from the suburbs of Melbourne. Currently working towards the release of their second album, they thought The Brunswick Hotel would be the perfect place to try out some new songs and drink a few beers. Joining them are local sweethearts Chop Squad, The Bangs, Girl Crazy and S.Mack Daddy. Music kicks off at 8pm.

YOURS TRULY

Sydney’s Ken Stewart and Adelaide’s David Robinson, who have a rich pedigree in the Australian music scene, have created a vibrant Mod-tinges acoustic power pop sound to share with you at The Drunken Poet this Thursday September 11 from 8pm.

CELIA PAVEY

Celestial Australian folk artist Celia Pavey debuts her pure and otherworldly vocal ability on the longawaited EP Bodies. Heading out on an east coast tour in support of the EP, out August 29, audiences can expect an intimate performance reflecting Celia’s earliest experiences singing in the church hall of her small hometown, Forbes NSW. This studio introduction to Celia’s honest and adventurous folk songwriting sweeps through that flat, ghostly landscape and into sonically lush territory. See Celia launch her Bodies EP at The Toff in Town on Thursday September 11.

To celebrate, the band also launch the vinyl edition of last year’s Pretty with guests: Repairs & Caroline No (Caroline Kennedy, ex-Deadstar & the Plums) delivering another dose of unique proto- and postpunk inspired sounds with more focused and feverish abandon. This Friday September 12 from 8.30pm at The Tote. Tickets available through the venue.

SOUL SAFARI

TIJUANA CARTEL

Taking their unique beat back on the road again for an extensive Australian tour in support of their latest album 24 Bit Guitar Orchestra, Tijuana Cartel offers aficionados and converts a journey that goes way back into the band’s roots and points to what the future holds. They play Howler with Stax Osset & Kallidad this Friday night. Tickets are $20+BF.

HARRY MANX

Harry Manx has spent decades fusing eastern musical traditions with the blues, switching fluidly between conventional acoustic and electric guitars, and banjo and the Mohan veena, created by Harry’s Indian mentor Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. His original music blends east and west ‘creating musical short stories that wed the blues with the depth of classical Indian ragas’.

He plays The Spotted Mallard this Friday September 12 from 8.30pm. Tickets available through the venue.

FRI SEPTEMBER 12 HARRY HOWARD & THE NDE

Harry Howard and the NDE featuring Edwina Preston, Dave Graney and Clare Moore bid farewell before they embark on their first ever European tour.

at Whole Lotta Love. They’ve gathered together a handful of mega-awesome bands to join them for this ritual of celebratory proportions including Dickfinger, Coffin Wolf, and Dirty Harriet and the Hangmen. The $10 entry will also score you copy of Manifesto with bonus b-side action on CD. This Friday at Whole Lotta Love from 7pm.

These neo-soul funksters have been locked away in the studio over winter working on their debut album, but don’t think these guys have forgotten about their fans. They will battle it out in the SoulFest Soulsearch Grandfinal vying for a spot on this killer international line-up and need all their fans to get down to The Order of Melbourne to cheer them on. As a gift to you, everyone who comes to see them gets a free copy of their brand new single, The Programme. Show your support for Soul Safari this Friday September 12 from 10pm.

MORGAN EVANS

The hottest act in modern country music just recently rocked the Revolver Bandroom and smashed the attendance record for country music shows at the venue, so we just couldn’t resist getting him back for another show. This time he will be performing one show, only in Melbourne. If last time was anything to go by, these tickets will move fast. Doors open at 8.30pm and presale tickets are available for $15 through the venue.

THE CHERRY DOLLS

THE JACKS

Friday night Melbourne rockers The Jacks will be celebrating the release of their brand spanking new single Manifesto with a launch party extravaganza

With black boots and a leather jacket to match, The Cherry Dolls are a five-piece star-studded rock band in their own right. They possess charm, charisma and looks to kill which keep fans coming back for more. The Dolls very own riff will guarantee to get The Retreat Hotel

moving and the show promises to be sole destroying.

Come along this Friday September 12. Free entry.

SHANTY TOWN

It’s a-ska-a-GoGO show with two of the top Melbourne ska bands live in the Forbidden Temple Room at LuWow this Friday night. Shanty Town combine irresistibly danceable beats with the luscious, gorgeous and versatile vocal abilities of Jessy Turner and Mpaphi Matthews Nfandizo. Joining them from 8pm are The Ska Vendors who need almost no introduction as prominent members of the ska scene. Catch all the action this Friday September 12 at LuWow. $5 entry.

VANITY RIOTS

This Sydney-based rock outfit Vanity Riots, who combine stadium-worthy riffs and catchy melodies with the heavy undertones of modern metalcore, will be joined by an explosive bill at Melbourne’s Reverence Hotel this Friday September 12, including dirty rock'n'rollers Kill Schott, Melbourne aggressors Aviar and metalcore five-piece Evolution of Self. It all goes down at The Rev Bandroom from 8pm. $12 entry.

THE BAUDELAIRES

The Baudelaires have been described as the Psych Wunderkind of Melbourne’s ever growing music community. They mash together influences from ‘60s French pop-star Jacques Dutronc to the old blues-men of the ‘30s and soak it all in reverb and hooky guitar lines. Their debut EP Be A Baudelaire! was released June 12 recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Maybury (known for his work with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Murlocs, Graveyard Train and Baptism of Uzi). Friday 12 Sept sees the band launch their EP at The Grace Darling with help from The New Pollution & Sunbeam Sound Machine. $10 on the door.

SLOW GALO 8PM

BUTTERED LOAF 9.30PM

SPOONFUL 9.30PM

JP SHILO & FRIENDS 4.30PM SEPT 18TH - SIMON BAILEY SEPT 19TH - BENNY WALKER SEPT 20TH - SPOONFUL SEPT 21ST - ALEX WATTS thepostofficehotel.com.au CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 41

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

AQUILUS

Devalsne Presents: Aquilus, Adamus Exul, Voidchrist and Wood of Suicides. After the success of the Blood Music/ATMF release of the album Griseus, the oneman neo-classical atmospheric black metal project Aquilus was forged to become a successful live act in early 2014, playing to and impressing audiences with their beautiful, melancholic and trance-inducing music. Aquilus will headline The Bendigo Hotel from 8pm this Friday September 12.

THE TARANTINOS

The Tarantinos bring the soundtracks of Quentin Tarantino films to The Reverence Hotel as part of a month long of free shows every Friday at The Rev. It kicks off from 9pm in the front bar. Of course entry is free.

and reputation for themselves over the last year through a decent touring schedule and captivating live show.

Riffs are massive. Technique is sweet. Groove is solid.

Catch TRA teaming up with Party Vibez, Peeling Sun and Low Fly Incline this Friday September 12 from 9pm at The Brunswick Hotel.

DOJO COLLECTORS

The Taste of Indie Collective will be rocking into Mr. Boogie Man Bar in Abbotsford with a serving of original made in Melbourne music from 7pm til late. The night will feature the very cool Australian indie folk of Waterline as well as Ashbury Medicine Show and indie grunge trio Dojo Collectors. Presented by the Taste of Indie Collective ± bringing you the best of Melbourne’s original indie music ± live and made in Melbourne.

JOHN GARCIA

KINDER

Melbourne’s Kinder are launching the release of their debut single Fall Back Down from their forthcoming LP, Dorigo Rise out October (Independent), as a limited edition 7" vinyl with an accompanying bonus B-side and digital download.

Since the band’s very recent formation and the instantaneous realisation that this was the place they all fitted in, the group have been writing and recording with ease, but also with purpose ± forming the fundamentals of a band that has years ahead of them. With support from great friends Dreamin’ Wild and Backyard! the single will be launched in The Grace Darling Basement on Friday September 12.

THE ROYAL ARTILLERY

Saddled up with a new single and associated clip, Brisbane’s The Royal Artillery are all set to destroy earlobes and inhibitions this Friday at The Brunny. The stoner blues merchants have established a solid name

John Garcia is instantly recognisable as the voice of a genre. Single-handedly bringing the California Desert Rock sound to the world via his works with Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano and Vista Chino. His deep baritone and soulful delivery take you on a hypnotic journey that coupled with huge riffs and driving bass is hard to escape. John will be bringing his solo material to Australian fans as part of a Desert Rock Showcase that see’s Palm Springs USA natives Waxy and Melbourne’s ‘good time murder fuzz‘ exponents Mammoth Mammoth rounding things out. They take to the stage at The Espy Gershwin. Tickets are $50+BF available through Oztix.

SAT SEPTEMBER 13 RETIREE

It was a chilly winter. The cold weather provides impetus to get things done and to celebrate the oncoming seasonal freshness. Retiree and Harvey Sutherland are kicking off spring by hopping in the van for a two-date tour of their respective hometowns.

They’ll be popping up at The Gasometer alongside Sui Zhen, Edd Fisher, Deep Roy and Lizard Promise this Saturday September 13. Tickets are 15 bucks.

DAN KELLY’S DREAM BAND

Reigniting an age-old rivalry, Dan Kelly’s Dream band take on Howler as part of his Melbourne Versus Sydney Tour in anticipation for his fourth album, which is due for release early next year. Accompanying him are The

Harpoons and Totally Mild. Don’t miss what is sure to be a killer show. Saturday September 13 at Howler.

Tickets are $20+BF.

HOLLOW WORLD

Local melodic death metal band Hollow World will be headlining a massive show at The Bendigo this Saturday September 13. They have shown no signs of slowing down after a huge first half of 2014. The lineup features prominent up and coming bands including The Arbiter and Prosthesis Of Mind with Flesh Of The Earth and Eritherium rounding off the lineup.

Doors from 8pm.

METAL IS THE LAW

Metal Is The Law bring their classic metal to the Whole Lotta Love Bar this weekend. They’ll tell you right now, they’re not responsible for your neck hurting the next day after you spend the whole night bangin’ your head. This Saturday September 13 is going to get stupid. Doors open at 7pm at Whole Lotta Love bar.

VAUDEVILLE SMASH

Vaudeville Smash return to the Toff in Town for their first Melbourne show in over three months since releasing their worldwide smash, Zinedine Zidane. The single, featuring the voice of Les Murray achieved over one million Youtube views in just five weeks, and was featured in some of the biggest publications on the planet. With support on the night from Melbourne powerhouse Mosé + The FMLY, Vaudeville Smash’s anticipated home-town return promises to be big.

Saturday September 13 at The Toff in Town. Tickets are $16 available through the venue.

THE MURDER RATS

Come down to one of Melbourne’s best venues, picking up where The Arthouse left off with a night of post-punk, psychobilly and rock‘n’roll. Featuring The Murder Rats, Evil Ways, The Transitions and The Interceptors. It all goes down at The Retreat Front Bar, Saturday 13 September from 8pm.

DEVILSKIN

To support the release of their critically acclaimed album, NZ’s Devilskin are currently touring the country on a massive 20-date tour. Devilskin write

Q & A with APART FROM THIS SEPTEMBER 10

the classicS series with...

Harry manx (canada)

SEPTEMBER 17 FRANK YAMMA (SINGLE LAUNCH) + CASEY DRIESSEN (US)

SEPTEMBER 24 SE STARBOARD CANNONS (ALBUM LAUNCH) + THE TIGER & ME + ARCHER

OCTOBER 1 ROB SNARSKI + ALDOUS HARDING (NZ)

OCTOBER 8 STRAY HENS + ANDY WHITE + CAT & CLINT

OCTOBER 15 THE GRAPES + MISS EILEEN & KING LEAR + CHARM OF FINCHES ALSO COMING UP IN OCTOBER:

DON WALKER, WOMEN IN DOCS

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42

Hey! We are Beat. Who are you?

We are Apart From This, the greatest band that ever lived Tell us about your latest record Spinning.

It was recorded live over two days at Three Phase Studios with sound guru Sam Johnson. Go pick that shit up at Poison City Records!

In a few words, how would you describe your music style to new listeners? Loud, fuzzed-out alternative rock reminiscent of the early 90s What are three typical occurrences at your live shows?

A lot of sweaty hair, guitar solos and ringing ears.

melodic songs layered with soul, passion and power and have quickly gained a reputation for delivering high-energy performances with blistering sets, which are sonically exciting and compelling. They play The Gershwin Room at The Espy with special guests this Saturday September 13. Tickets available through Oztix.

What kind of night are gig-goers in for at your headlining show at Wrangler Studios on September 12?

A fun-filled night full of beer and a great mixed bill. Head over to Public Bar at 2am for the afterparty!

How is the recording of your second album coming along? Any surprises in store?

We are currently in the process of writing the album. Expect a lot more dissonance and heaviness in all aspects.

APART FROM THIS headline the launch of The Wrangler Sessions at Wrangler Studios this Friday September 12.

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

IVAN ZAR

Ivan Zar is a local legend in the west coast blues scene.

He has been playing blues music longer than most in Australia. He has released vinyls, cassettes and CDs too numerous to mention. Primarily noted for his raw and passionate, rhythmic country blues, thrashing his trademark Dobro, Ivan brings his harp and vocals to The Retreat Hotel from 5pm this Saturday September 13.

VIRTUE

Virtue are popping out two sets at the GB Hotel, this Saturday September 13. They’ve got their mates Jasper’s Dilemma on first, so it’s gonna be a night of mutual love, new material, and rock. It’s free. There’s booze. There’s music. And maybe nudity… Don’t miss out.

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CONAN

This week – The gargantuan three-piece, skull thieving warlords Conan from the United Kingdom reach Australia for the first time ever – despoiling Melbourne’s The Tote Hotel. After close to a decade of liquefying ear drums, Conan have delivered their sophomore effort Blood Eagle, featuring six definitive parables of grief proclamation. Antipodean sludge doomers Yanomamo will be hitchhiking along for the ride with their trademark brand of violence and distortion. Joining these two heavyweights will be bands hued in every shade of dark blues. It’s an ear pounding aural collision from both sides of the Nullabor – with a unique line up for each show. Doors from 7.30pm. Tickets available through the venue.

MESSED UP

Come along to The Brunny this Saturday September 13 to see some trashy bands play some trashy face melting tunes. At the fine time of 5pm Motel Love will be kicking the evening off with a bang. Then Sheek Stain and the Creep will be tantalizing your ear holes to no end and Messed Up are back from the dead with some seriously sick tunes. Get amongst it from 5pm at The Brunswick Hotel.

SUN SEPTEMBER 14

RUBY ROGERS EXPERIENCE

Bloody Sundays presents eight hours of live music with Ruby Rogers Experience, Slim Dime, the Prairie Kings and special guests all day, this Sunday at Whole Lotta Love. The chill-out session includes $10 pints of Bloody Mary’s, or Bloody Maria’s with tequila, all day every Sunday with music all day for free. $5 pizzas sweeten the deal. What else can you ask for? Sunday September 14 at Whole Lotta Love bar.

TOM LYNGCOLN

Tom Lyngcoln solo has the fierceness that you’d expect from the frontman of Harmony and The Nation Blue.

Guttural and intense, whilst melodic and crafted, with just a dash of survival knife. Catch him at The Reverence from 3pm and the Victoria Hotel in Brunswick from 6.30pm this Sunday September 14.

MON SEPTEMBER 15

ROCK & POP CULTURE TRIVIA AT THE GASOMETER

Do you love rock'n'roll? Fancy yourself as quite the film buff ? Find yourself constantly accused of watching too much television by judgmental friends and family?

Well, why not turn your obsession with pop culture into an adorably boozy (and thoroughly educational) night out with mates. There's three rounds of trivia the first is film and TV related, the second is all about music, and the third is a mixed bag of the first two plus anything else we feel like throwing in. Kick off is around 8pm, Entry is free. Hosted by Jess McGuire (RRR, Defamer Australia) and George H (Shock Records). Every Monday at The Gaso.

TUE SEPTEMBER 16

DEL BOCA VISTA

BUDDY KNOX

Buddy Knox caused a sensation when he sat in at the Elwood Blues Club Jam in February. Now he’s been invited back to be their featured guest artist this Sunday. Buddy has won the Sydney Blues Performer of the Year and two Chain Blues Awards. Buddy Knox plays dynamite blues guitar: he’s the real deal. If you like Freddie King and BB King, you’ll love Buddy Knox. Sunday September 14. Buddy Knox will play two sets with the Elwood Blues Club House Band. Entry is free and it kicks off at around 5.30pm. You’ll find it happening at the GH (formerly the Greyhound Hotel) comer of Brighton Road and Carlisle Street, St Kilda.

RAISED BY EAGLES

Raised By Eagles have fast established themselves at the forefront of Melbourne’s alt country/Americana scene, consistently charming audiences with their impressive blend of country, pop, folk and rock. Performing at The Retreat Hotel this Sunday from 7.30pm, their songs remain unaffected by the smoke and mirrors of music in the post-modern era, and encapsulate the art of storytelling at its heartfelt finest. Free entry.

RAMBUTAN JAM BAND

This Sunday September 14 is set to be a fantastic night, full of reggae and hip hop. Come down and groove to the soul-soothing Jaju Choir, full of one-drops and skanks to get you in the mood. Emcee Sinks provides insightful lyrics over classic dub beats crossed with boom-bap production, resulting in an emerging act not to be missed. Likened to the monsoonal storms that sweep across northern Australia, Rambutan Jam Band is a group of Darwin musicians who bring a fresh sound. Don’t miss out this Sunday at The Evelyn.

Tickets are just $7.15 through Oztix.

Get your soul fix with Kylie Auldist & The Glenroy Allstars dinner & show at Ding Dong Lounge on Wednesday September 24. Ding Dong Lounge’s newly opened Cajun and Creole restaurant, Girl with the Gris Gris, is set to welcome Australian soul sensation and leading lady of The Bamboos, Kylie Auldist and her five-piece funk soul orchestra The Glenroy Allstars, for a very special night of music and soul food. Doors from 7pm. Tickets available through the venue.

HIGHASAKITE

LUCA BRASI

Hard-hitting punk rockers Luca Brasi are coming to Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday September 20 as part of their nation-wide Get Sad, See Mates tour to celebrate the release of their 7" By A Thread album. Known for their youthful abandon, infectious enthusiasm and undeniable dedication to good times, Luca Brasi’s performances are memorable to say the least. Luca Brasi will be joined by special guests Initials and Tigers. Tickets available through Oztix.

Norwegian indie rock five-piece Highasakite play Howler on Saturday September 20 in their debut tour of Australia. Highasakite’s latest album Silent Treatment has been garnering irrefutably favourable reviews across the Norwegian press, and the positivity has well and truly gone international. Intertwining fresh, soaring vocals around synths, guitars and percussion, the result is a delightfully folk-inflected, expansive sound layered with lush instrumentation.

Don’t miss your chance to see them. Tickets available through the venue.

ROB SNARSKI

SEPTEMBER

Dave Graney and Clare Moore have racked up some serious kilometres since June. All the way up the east coast, on to Darwin and, just last week, New Zealand, in support of Daves’ 2014 album Fearful Wiggings. This show will be the last Fearful Wiggings ‘in concert’ show before Graney and Moore head to Europe as part of Harry Howard and the NDE for a tour. Sunday September 14 at The Northcote Social Club.

KYLIE AULDIST & THE GLENROY ALLSTARS

After 25 years as the honey-voiced singer of the Blackeyed Susans, Rob Snarski steps out on his own to play the songs from his heralded solo album Wounded Bird at Ding Dong Lounge Tuesday September 16.

Join Rob Snarski and his band, as they perform at Ding Dong Lounge’s newly opened restaurant for a midweek dinner and show experience. For Rob Snarski fans that don’t wish to dine with us, general admission tickets are available through the venue. Doors from 7pm.

LOOKING FORWARD:

DAVE GRANEY AND CLARE MOORE

pop hooks and a rock backbone. Touring in September and October this year, they’ll be bringing the party back to a sold-out night Ding Dong Lounge on Friday September 19 with Brooklyn-based Wax Witches.

Wednesday September 17 at The John Curtin Bandroom promises a potent mix of noisepop, dreampop and good ol’ fashioned jangle when Del Boca Vista team up with Glaciers and Monnone Alone. Featuring members of Milkshake, Del Boca Vista are a new Melbourne band who you probably want to meet, since they’re related to Death Cab for Cutie and Yuck (musically speaking, that is) and are in possession of some serious class-A’s (songs, that is). Reverb up and eyes gazing shoe-ward, Glaciers are fresh outta hibernation with a profusion of new tunes and the dreamiest jangle this side of Flying Nun. Having recently returned from a US tour, Monnone Alone continue to blur the line between pure bliss and total catastrophe; brimming with classic pop hooks and lyrical smarts, the band have their sights set on a follow-up to the Together At Last album of last year.

Entry is $5.

THE KIN

Australians for Peace (A4P) invite you to join a sizzling cast of musicians for one performance only at The Toff in Town for ‘Red Hot Peace’ - a musical celebration in recognition of the United Nations designated International Day of Peace, Sunday September 21 from 3pm. Joining The Kin are Joe Creighton, Kutcha Edwards, Lindsay Field, Nat Bartsch Trio, Ross Hannaford, Geoff Bridgford, Kim O’Leary and MC Tracy Harvey.

SANDI THOM

Scottish troubadour and multi-instrumentalist, Sandi Thom is overjoyed to announce an east coast tour, bringing her blues-rock flair back to Australian audiences in intimate solo mode at The Gershwin Room at The Espy on Friday September 26. Tickets are available through Oztix.

60 seconds with shadowqueen

THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA

The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra have emerged from their winter hibernation and are here to deliver you a slice of the tropics at Howler on September 27.

Boogaloo-funk heroes The Let Your Hair Down Girls will get the dancers warmed up and young buck hip hop tyro Remi will be rocking with Sensible J and Dutch. DJ Manchild on the decks and MC 1/6 on mic duties rounds out one hell of a party. Get down people.

SPRING FLING STREET FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER

Currently in its 37th year, the Spring Fling Street Festival is a free public event that celebrates the communities of North and West Melbourne. On Sunday October 19, over 16,000 people will see the transformation of Errol Street and the surrounding laneways with an action packed day from 11am – 6pm of live music, shopping, activities and delicious cuisines.

Join in for a teaser before the festival on Thursday September 18 at The Public Bar, North Melbourne, featuring three local bands who are currently smashing it in the Melbourne music scene – The Dead Heir, The Velvet Lips and Old Violet. $8 from 8.30pm.

NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE

Northeast Party House have built a cult following thanks to their electrifying live shows and catchy songs, which combine the exhilaration of dance music,

Define your genre in five words or less: Slamming rock ‘n’ roll with soul.

Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like?

Fuckin’ loud!

Describe the best gig you have ever played.

Supporting The Butterfly Effect at the Village Green a couple of years back was pretty awesome.

We played to a packed room of music lovers who were cheering after every song. That was such a great feeling.

Tell us about the last song you wrote.

The last song we wrote is an up-tempo throttling riff that breaks down into a sublime verse before crashing into a huge chorus. I think it’s one of our best songs so far. It’s about the injustice of everyday life and trying to fight that.

Where would you like to be in five years?

In a place where we’re able to record and release quality music without restriction and to be able

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to travel the globe sharing it with like-minded people.

Do you have a pre-gig ritual? If so, what is it?

Yes we do, it’s called tuning up!

Name an interview question you wish someone would ask you, and answer it.

Question: Why aren’t there any rockin’ femalefronted three-piece bands in the current Billboards Top 100?

Answer: Because they haven’t discovered us yet!

If your music was a chocolate bar, which one would it be, and why?

I’d say a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, because it’s tasty and sweet on the outside and delightfully not what you’d expect on the inside.

SHADOWQUEEN are tearing it up at Rocacabana on Sunday September 14, at the Brunswick Hotel on Friday September 26, at Star Bar on Saturday September 27, at Cherry Bar on Tuesday September 30, and Lucky 13 on Friday October 10.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 43

MUSIC NEWS

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GEOFFREY O’CONNOR

Suave synth-pop songsmith Geoffrey O’Connor launches his second solo album Fan Fiction on Chapter Music at Howler Friday September 26. The self-produced album on which he plays almost every instrument, sees him refine his late-night vision further, exploring obsession, desire and submission in a way that few song-writers dare. Tickets are $15 through the venue.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD

Pysche-rock legends King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are hitting the road to play a massive 12 shows as part of their Oddments tour. They’ll be stopping by Ding Dong Lounge on Thursday September 18 to tear up the stage, with help from special guests The Murlocs. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see this incredible and slightly surreal seven-piece outfit.

Tickets available through the venue.

BUDDY KNOX BLUES BAND

The Buddy Knox Blues Band wraps up their run of Melbourne shows on Sunday afternoon at the Way Out West Roots Music Club on Sunday September 21. You’ll find them at the Williamstown RSL starting promptly at 2.00pm. Buddy Knox sings and plays dynamite blues guitar, he’s won the Sydney Blues Performer of the Year and two Chain Blues Awards.

Buddy will be playing with young gun drummer Hank Green (son of Blues Cowboy Johnny Green) and veteran blues bass player Pete Howell (who credits work with the who’s who of blues including lengthy stints with Margret Roadknight, Phil Manning and the late Dutch Tilders). Great players spanning three generations will bring you the best blues around.

THE PRETTY LITTLES

Unabashedly rough around the edges and never ones to take themselves too seriously, The Pretty Littles are returning to Ding Dong Lounge on Friday September 26 to launch their latest single Dangerman along with

a bunch of new material. Joining The Pretty Littles are Sydney’s Doc Holliday Takes the Shotgun and local rock‘n’rollers The Mary Goldsmiths. Catch this killer lineup for just $10.

THE JUKE JOINT

Every third Thursday of the month your friends at The Operatives, Slurp Music & Whomp are taking over the Howler Theatre with a party. $15 on the door with new lineups announced each month and some very special guests.

grey-area between youth and fully fledged adulthood, Idyllwild follows on from Dyson’s acclaimed album The Moment which led to an ARIA nomination and complete reinvention of her career. She plays Howler on Friday October 11.

NOVEMBER

SHLOHMO

Shlohmo has sold-out the performance space at Howler for Saturday October 4 after his appearance at Listen Out Festival along with some special guests.

If you’re lucky enough to have scored a ticket, catch Shlohmo on Saturday October 4 at Howler.

WOODLOCK

Following their sold-out national tour in June, Melbourne’s favourite boys from Woodlock are packing up and hitting the road again this September and October. The indie-rock threesome will be playing 17 shows, over six states and three regional festivals.

The five week tour celebrates the release of their new single The Garden, which represents a shift in sound for the band. The Garden is the second single from their recently released EP Labour of Love, which debuted in the overall ARIA charts top 100. Woodlock will be supported by Brisbane’s six-piece alternate pop collective Fieu. Catch them at Northcote Social Club in Melbourne Saturday 27 and Sunday September 28.

OCTOBER

GIRAFFAGE

GREY GHOST

Grey Ghost has been in the lab recording his debut album and has decided to bring out his Sophomore Mixtape in the meantime. A more personal, direct sound than his often space age esoteric style, the tape will be launched at Howler on Friday October 17 and free physical copies will be given out on entry.

With a robust early following and organic online buzz, Giraffage offers a fresh, sample-rich sound of dreamy pop beats, sensual synths and lush experimental electronica. 23 year-old Charlie Yin of San Francisco as Giraffage is an exciting new producer with an intuitive grasp of modern music manipulation. He hits Howler Thursday November 27.

THE PRIMARY

Melbourne’s rock underground The Primary along with Hideous Town, Ninetynine and a special performance

by Quang Dinh of Little Red and Naked Bodies fame are throwing on a night in support of Socialist State Candidate Stephen Jolly at the aptly titled venue The Workers Club. The event will be held on Saturday October 18 with proceeds of the night being thrown into the campaign bucket ahead of November’s state election. Entry is $6.

MEG MAC

MIA DYSON

Mia Dyson is hitting the road throughout October in support of her album and second single from the album, Idyllwild. Focusing its attention prominently on the

The singer’s prolific song-writing abilities will be on display once more with the release of her first body of work, MEGMAC. To coincide, Meg Mac will be performing an intimate show at Howler on Friday October 24 despite the enormous radio love, the stage is where this voice is truly at home. In fact, it’s already sold out.

q & A with BRITTLE SUN

AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR

Electro Swing Club at 170 have one of the genre’s hottest live acts, Electric Swing Circus. Following the total sell out of their Melbourne Launch, the next chapter is set to be a positively international affair on Friday November 14. This six-piece fusion of saucy ‘20s swing and stomping electro beats will be joined by France’s electro swing pioneer Incontrol. Back on these shores, after their all concurring European tour, are the Woohoo Revue, alongside Mortisville & Friends.

Catch this stellar lineup Friday November 14 at 170 Russell. Tickets available now through the venue.

DECEMBER JACK CARTY

Following three solid years of travel, tours and no fixed address, Jack Carty has finished a new album, grounded in ideas of process and time while sounding like an artist who knows exactly what he wants. He launches Esk at Howler on Thursday December 4.

ANDY KENTLER

No Love Lost, the highly anticipated new album by former Glide guitarist Andy Kentler, will be officially released at Yah Yah’s on Saturday October 11. Here on his second LP he ropes in a heap of old friends, liquors them up and produces a bunch of well-crafted, memorable songs of varying styles.

Define your genre in five words or less: Stripped back garage soul.

Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like?

Janis Joplin.

Describe the best gig you have ever played.

It was at the Dancing Dog a few months back.

We managed to lure a crowd of people away from the bar to sing along with us. It was great.

Tell us about the last song you wrote.

We wrote it on the kitchen bench amid barking dogs, screaming children, dishes and food preparation. It’s called Just Living and we’ll record it soon.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 44

Where would you like to be in five years?

Making music and not running at a loss.

Do you have a pre-gig ritual? If so, what is it?

Pre-gig ritual is mad rush and near panic. I always do a vocal warm up regardless.

Name an interview question you wish someone would ask you, and answer it.

When did you start singing? Have sung for most of my life, but it took me well over 20 years to learn to do it right. I’m still learning. I didn’t give up. I’m stubborn.

BRITTLE SUN play the Drunken Poet on Wednesday September 17.

FACTORY FLOOR

AUGIE MARCH

Playing a number of dates across late October and November, Augie March will take to the stage after a five-year-hiatus. See them play a special show drawing on songs from their fabled back catalogue as well as some songs from their forthcoming new album. Augie March are playing a string of shows at Howler. Catch them October 29, 30 and November 1 and 2.

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Factory Floor hit Australian shores for the very first time for Meredith Music Festival and their sideshow at Howler on Thursday December 11.

LIVE

REPORTS FROM THE FRONT ROW

For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews THE KITE STRING TANGLE The Corner Hotel, Sunday September 7 Photo by Laura May Grogan

Photo by Charles Newbury

The Kite String Tangle (aka Danny Harley) is now at the halfway mark of his massive national tour, celebrating the launch of his new EP, Vessel. With sold out shows across Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, it’s easy to see from his live shows what all the hype is about.

After the party atmosphere he created on the Saturday night at the same venue, the vibe was much more intimate the following day. Opening with a couple of tracks not featured on the EP, the presumably hungover Sunday crowd took a bit longer to warm.

Harley displayed a lot of talent from behind his decks, switching between synth-percussion, keys and various effects, all the while harmonising with near-perfect vocals ± these came into full bloom during the soulful track Words.

Things got a lot more intense with the techno-inspired intro of What If, lifted by lighting effects and some serious head-banging/fist-pumping for the fans.

The biggest cheer came for his cover of Flight Facilities’ Clair De Lune, originally performed on triple j’s Like a Version, and sounded even better live.

Brisbane singer Tiana Khasi provided the highlight of the night, joinLOVED: The drunken old guy who ing The Kite String Tangle on stage for their collaborative effort on must have stumbled into the gig after Stone Cold. Her presence was much-needed as there’s only so much the footy. He had no idea what he was one man can do to stimulate the crowd from behind a desk. It’s just doing there and neither did anyone a shame there weren’t more artists joining in to help work the room. else, but he stuck it out until the end.

The set finished with his two big-selling singles Arcadia and One Step HATED: That singer Tiana Khasi at a Time, which both had the crowd chanting along and climaxing at wasn’t on stage for longer. just the right time.

DRANK: To celebrate with my new fiancé. (Glad she said ‘yes’ - Ed.)

CHRIS BRIGHT

VANCE JOY The Athenaeum, Friday September 5 “Play Riptide!”

“Nah I don’t think I’m gonna play that one tonight… LOL.” From the opening minutes of his show at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre last night it was clear that Vance Joy, real name James Keogh, was in good spirits ± cracking jokes with the audience, sharing the secrets of his songwriting process and exclaiming how excited he was to be able to play the historic venue. And he had every reason to be excited ± the one-off show was scheduled in his hometown on the release day of his debut album Dream Your Life Away.

Joy opened the show with slow burner Emmylou from his 2013 EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing. Both this track and Snaggletooth really take on a new dimension when played live, with the latter’s moody guitar riff in the bridge and explosive outro providing a nice break from the surplus of cheery acoustic tracks in the set. That said there were many standouts from the new album. The soaring chorus of Red Eye is infectiously catchy as is the delicate Georgia. The raw, folk-inspired My Kind of Man is a change of pace from the rest of the album and works well live.

Keeping with the focus on Dream Your Life Away, we were given an insight into many of the songs off the new album ± Georgia was written on New Year’s Day in “a random moment of inspiration,” and the line “I’m a dog lying down on a warm bit of pavement,” in Red Eye was inspired by an Al Pacino rant in the film Scent of a Woman. He intended to replace LOVED: That Vance Joy is an Essenthe “dadadada da da dadada” in All I Ever Wanted with something very don supporter. Go the mighty Bombpoetic and meaningful yet never did, and no matter how many times ers (next year ± E d.)

Joy rehearses Winds of Change he can never remember the first note.

HATED: The guy who repeatedly felt Riptide and new single Mess Is Mine were both crowd favourites, with the need to inappropriately whoop both causing the crowd jump to their feet for a sing-along. For the in the middle of soft acoustic songs. encore, he performed a cover of K-Ci & JoJo’s All My Life, claiming Shut up and let the man sing. “the extended intro is because I’ve forgotten the first line.” The cover DRANK: Vodka Cruisers, ‘cause I’m was a perfect finish to what was a relaxed and enjoyable night as he actually a 15-year-old girl (but serimoves into the next chapter of his music career. ously I forgot how good those things KELSEY BERRY

BOY & BEAR Palais Theatre, Friday September 5

Looking like impeccably-dressed bushrangers, Holy Holy started off the night with a solid show of cutting, dramatic and occasionally dark folk rock. Opening tune Wanderer was pretty typical of their performance: a slow building song with some excellent guitar fills from Oscar Dawson. This unreleased song was one of many that will hopefully find themselves on Holy Holy’s debut album. Judging by the amount of impressive new material in this set, their album will be one to look out for.

The standout song included Impossible Like You, which sounds similar to other Brisbane folk rockers Art Of Sleeping, but more refined. Recently released single History is one of their best songs to date. Pretty much the only disappointment of their set was that standout track House of Cards ± the best song of the year in this writer’s opinion ± w as ruined by technical difficulties.

After a huge roar as Boy & Bear entered the stage, lead singer Dave Hosking‘s first vocals pierced through the crowd and resonated long after they were sung: “Get up and dance girl/I’m in a rock’n’roll band.” Ironically, in our litigious society, standing is prohibited in places like the Palais Theatre, because… well, standing is dangerous.

Thankfully, when Boy & Bear manage to perform such an excellent show, who really cares? Boy & Bear were simply wonderful: they played great song after great song, and managed to be constantly tight, jovial and just have an infectiously good time.

Boy & Bear are a band without a weak link. All members are excellent musicians, and after playing with each other for over five years are very well drilled. Frontman Dave Hosking manages to impress the most: his vocals simply make the band. His style is original, versatile, and reminiscent of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and Powderfinger’s Bernard Fanning. Indeed, Boy & Bear have managed to fill the hefty shoes Powderfinger left following their 2010 break-up: simply looking at the vast array of ages in the audience, Boy & Bear have the same widespread appeal as Powderfinger.

This is more than understandable. Boy & Bear have made a stellar reputation from playing accessible folk-rock with country and blues influences. Their adaption of the classic, Fall at Your Feet demonstrates this skill: it is simply beautiful. The crowd was more than happy that the band brought this cover back from “retirement”.

To pick a favourite song for the night is quite a challenge, but it would have to be their modern classic Feeding Line.

There were so many others that were excellent, but didn’t manage to stand out simply due to the consistently high standard. I could go through all of these songs individually, but would end up running out of synonyms for “great,” so I’ll just list them all here: Lordy May, Milk and Sticks, Three Headed Woman, Harlequiem Dream, My Only One, Part Time Believer, Southern Sun. They were all sublime.

Refusing to do an encore, because “shit can get awkward,” Boy & Bear LOVED: The collective under-thefinished with Big Man, which featured the whole band harmonising breath singing to I Got a Woman in the vocally. Deservingly, this final song was met with a standing ovation. intermission.

HATED: Not being brave enough to JOSH THORBURN dance.

DRANK: Water.

taste).

MISSY HIGGINS National Gallery of Victoria, Sunday September 7 Over the past two months, NGV’s Unplugged Live: Portrait of an Artist series has showcased some incredible Australian artists, and this afternoon’s show featuring Missy Higgins was no exception. This unique series has given us a fascinating insight into how music and visual arts combine.

Today’s show started with NGV’s Susan van Wyk and The Panics’ Jae Laffer exploring the wilderness theme. They discussed 19th century landscape photography, focusing on the work of Australian photographer Charles Bayliss.

In front of a large crowd, Higgins spoke about her new covers album, Oz, and played a couple of tracks from it; Don Walker’s The Way You Are Tonight and Shark Fin Blues by The Drones. Her interpretation of these songs was beautiful. Higgins then performed Going North, which was inspired by her time living in Broome. She closed out her set with crowd favourite Everyone’s Waiting.

Unfortunately this was the last show in Unplugged Live: Portrait of LOVED: Everyone’s Waiting an Artist. Let’s hope NGV produce a similar series in the future.

HATED: That this was the final show ALI BIRNIE

of the series DRANK: Water

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 45

ALBUM OF THE WEEK RYAN ADAMS

SINGLES

2. Foundations of Burden CD PALLBEARER 3. Abject Flesh TAPE SCAB EATER 4. Public Disgrace 7” PATHETIC HUMAN 5. Issue #13 with HARD-ONS flexi 7” UNBELIEVABLY BAD ZINE 6. Float Along Fill Your Lungs/Oddments 2LP KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 7. Metal Downunder DVD METAL DOWNUNDER 8. Shotgun Wedding LP LYDIA LUNCH AND ROWLAND S. HOWARD 9. Degenerate LP EXTORTION My Wrecking Ball, is the only time the tag ‘alt-country’ seems apt. Otherwise, Adams conveys his grievances with help from the heartland soft-rock stylings of Mr Petty and Mr Mellancamp, as well as the 1980s output of sires Dylan and Springsteen.

Ryan Adams mightn’t possess Heartbreaker’s ‘15 tracks fit for a mixtape’ quality. But verily, that record isn’t an appropriate frame of reference. Sure, at first glance this album smacks of somewhat daggy familiarity. But nothing is served up in black and white, which leaves plenty of room for listener interaction.

AUGUSTUS WELBY

QT

Hey QT (XL/Remote Control) I think the worst thing I’ve seen in music this year of 2k14 was during SOPHIE’s recent Boiler Room set when heapsa bros started chanting out the words to Lemonade. It’s a weird thing, people either hate PC Music in the wild, or shit on it in an attempt to assert “OH FUCK I KNOW THIS SHIT CHECK ME OUT”. But weird is good. The latest concept to spring from the overarching PC Music concept is QT, a hybrid of fictional energy elixir and and a fictional budding pop star. Hey QT has an earworm of a hook, a sugar dipped gummy worm, “Hey QT / Yeaaaaah? / There’s something I want to say / I feel your hands on my body / Every time you think of me.” Purest pop sentiment.

A deconstruction, full circle in the underground while organic Pharrell-pop reigns the charts.

DUMB PUNTS

Chiller (Independent) Fuck, this is good. An initial burst of guitar hints at Royal Headache’s self-titled LP, but what follows is a brand of garage that holds its own, launching into a triumphant belter of a chorus. There’s an underhanded emotiveness, squeezing the heart as well as pumping it up. Repeat listens go down a treat.

TKAY MAIDZA

Finish Them (Dew Process) Rewind back to Tkay Maidza’s debut single Brontosaurus, I made mention that the Adelaide MC was a bright talent in need of a decent producer. Here, hot on the heels of festival anthem in the making Uh Huh, Tkay teams up with Night Slugs honcho Bok Bok for the artillery fire of Finish Them. It’s a strange teamup, but it works, undeniable rawness compensating for an aversion to anything resembling a hook. It’s an interesting turn for Tkay, being a track that doesn’t make for a festival anthem, but works instead as a mighty club jam.

APHEX TWIN

minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix] (Warp) In the hands of a lesser producer, minipops would come across as mere incidental muzak unworthy of BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46

10. Zingers LP THE ZINGERS

RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN VINYL

1. Float Along Fill Your Lungs/Oddments KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 2. Loopholes THE MURLOCS 3. Underlay TWERPS 4. For the Recently Found Innocent WHITE FENCE 5. Manipulator TY SEGALL 6. Lost in the Dream THE WAR ON DRUGS

BEST TRACK: Tired of Giving Up IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE THESE: Slave Ambient THE WAR ON DRUGS, Infidels BOB DYLAN, Everything Is True PAUL DEMPSEY IN A WORD: Aviators

BY LACHLAN

7. About Face #1 DADS 8. Donker Mag DIE ANTWOORD 9. Brill Bruisers THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS 10. Lion PETER MURPHY

SYN SWEET TEN

1. Client Liaison CLIENT LIAISON 2. Goddess BANKS

For all the latest singles check out beat.com.au Has anyone mentioned that ol’ mate Eso looked more waxlike than the wax figurines he was desecrating?

Bloke’s got a head like a busted fucking sav.

COLLECTORS CORNER MISSING LINK TOP TEN 1. Primitive and Deadly LP/CD EARTH

Ryan Adams (PAX-AM/Sony) Back in 2000, Ryan Adams made the detrimental mistake of appearing fully-formed on his debut album, Heartbreaker. As a result, his records continue to be weighed up against that admittedly untouchable breakthrough release. Thankfully, it’s never halted the songwriter’s progress and Adams returns this week with his self-titled, 14th LP. While 2011’s Ashes & Fire dealt in acoustic instrumentation and Scott Walker-esque string arrangements, Ryan Adams finds the prolific songwriter in front of a hardier and more changeable backdrop. Electric guitars dominate, which makes it akin to Adams’ fivealbum streak playing with The Cardinals.

The radio-friendly broad strokes of 2006’s Easy Tiger provide the closest analogue. Yet, while that album suffered from a middling lack of purpose, here Adams invokes some of his less fashionable influences to great effect. No, there’s no straight-up country tunes, nor does it showcase his love of punk and metal. Rather, plenty of airtime goes to the nostalgic, sing-along quality of 1980s AM gold.

Adams was born and raised in North Carolina and spent a good chunk of his professional life hard at it in New York City. These days he calls LA home, which perhaps explains why he’s sounding more laidback than ever. Thematically, Ryan Adams isn’t all picnic rugs and Prosecco. In fact, it’s a largely tense affair, detailing vanquished love and unanswered desires (albeit without breaking any boundaries lyrically). Nevertheless, Adams finds a way to soften the blow of even the most telling sentiments.

For instance, Gimme Something Good’s stabbing minor key verses grow to considerable weight. Then all of a sudden, thanks to the Polaroid light saturation of the choruses, those concerns fly off the back of a shiny red convertible. The record’s most intimate track,

TOP TENS:

3. A Curse in Disguise ANGUS DAWSON your time. Richard D. James, in the first sample of surprise LP Syro, instead crafts a composition rich with personality, history, transcending time and trend. It’s quite lovely, really.

TV ON THE RADIO

Happy Idiot (EMI) I think Dave Sitek’s overloaded production is the weakest link here, the speeding hi-hat percussion not really feeling like a worthy addition. A mix with just vox and the brooding guitar would be a superior composition. It’s new TV On The Radio, nothing more, nothing less, nothing revelatory.

THE STEVENS

Thirsty Eye (Chapter) The Stevens are probably the most underrated band in the country right now. The breezy Thirsty Eye is flawless, liquidity in the guitars, a spacious middle eight, a catchy “buh-da-buh-dadah” refrain comes and goes, all reminiscent of Velvet Underground at their Loaded sweetest. A densely rich, beautifully constructed rock ‘n’ roll song. Relish it.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD

Cellophane (Flightless/Remote Control) A no-bullshit rock ‘n’ rollicking jam that feels truncated at three minutes (can see it fleshing out for twice the length live), the first taste of King Gizz’s LP number five is the type of groove that they nailed on Float Along – Fill Your Lungs, but diverged away from on Oddments. Does the trick on record, will be an outright belter in the live setting. I guarantee it.

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS

Come on back this Way (Self Portrait) Playful, Jack Ladder croons gingerly, punctuated forcefully by a cheesy fanfare of synth guitar, almost comically. The humour is complementary to the instrumentation, a more suitable fit than the pathos of Hurtsville, replete with backing vocal cameo from Sharon Van Etten. Then, a wash of resplendent slide guitar. A real beauty, the kind of track that transports you to another place, a happy place.

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4. Revered Daughter AERIAE 5. War of One BERTIE BLACKMAN 6. Nothing So Great ENVY JANE 7. Breathing Life BILLY FOX 8. Never Catch Me FLYING LOTUS FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR 9. Cellophane KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD 10. Talk Talk GEORGE MAPLE

HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN 1. Severed Survival LP AUTOPSY

2. Sun Baked Snow Cave LP BORIS/ MERZBOW 3. Primitive & Deadly LP/CD EARTH 4. High Life LP ENO & HYDE 5. The Flight Reaction LP THE FLIGHT REACTION 6. LP1 LP FKA TWIGS 7. El Pintor LP INTERPOL 8. Live In Ravenna LP MOON DUO 9. Arktika LP PELICAN 10. Manipulator LP TY SEGALL

BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT WASHING

1. I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right out of my Hair OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN 2. Wash in the Rain THE BEES 3. Wash Me Clean K.D. LANG 4. Bone (Washing) Machine THE PIXIES 5. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed DAVID BOWIE 6. Handwasher YOU AM I 7. All Washed Up THE URGE 8. When You Wash Upon a Star PINOCCHIO 9. Washing Machine SONIC YOUTH 10. Wash your Face in Orange Juice PETER COMBE

ALBUMS

NEW MUSIC IN REVIEW THIS WEEK

For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews

BEN KHAN

THE KITE STRING TANGLE

1992 EP (Dirty Hit)

A slow synth knitting in and out of a sombre-timbred voice make way for the opening scene of Ben Khan’s 1992 EP. Like an ‘80s Swayze walking onto a wooden gymnasium floor, the opening track Youth starts sparse and ominous until you realise it’s ok to dance. In fact, the whole EP plays like Footloose if it was directed by David Lynch. When I first came upon the video for Youth I re-watched it three times and I’m not even into flying hipsters, Ben Khan just makes that type of music that captivates you into a woozy head-nod. Essentially a nobody (unless you rate fame on millions of Soundcloud plays), Ben Khan’s relative anonymity is what’s so exciting about him, not having an IRL origin-story or distinct genre to pin him to allows you to become immersed in his music instead. He sings over his tracks in equal parts lyric and expelled vowel sounds, but his strength is from his production. On Savage you’re drawn into a hip-hop style beat with what sounds like brass inside a bubble, on Eden that same brass sounds like it’s shrieking in fright. These are the Lynchian subtexts that make his happy-sounding songs so much more interesting than the usual. While the guitar isn’t the weapon of choice for most producers, bluesy git licks can be found throughout 1992 like in Drive, Pt. 1 where they fill the blanks of Khan trying to get lucky in the back seat. Comparisons are easy to draw here, but it’s best BEST TRACK: Youth you approach 1992 with a mind open enough to be IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: JAI PAUL, blown.

SUNNI COLON, KILO KUSH IN A WORD: Flyinghipster$

EDGAR IVAN

Benjamin Booker

Vessel (Independent)

It’s no surprise to anyone The Kite String Tangle is getting bigger than Ben Hur, which is funny because most of his fans will probably be too young to understand that reference.

The Kite String Tangle is the alias of Brisbanite singer/songwriter/producer, Danny Harley. Combining synth-heavy beats with deeply soulful vocals, Vessel promises big things from this very talented artist. It’s infectious to the point you’ll find your hips gyrating instinctively no matter where you are.

After the overwhelming success of his first single, Given the Chance, fans will be chomping at the bit for this debut EP. And it definitely lives up to the hype.

Opening track and newly-released single, Arcadia, is more of a grower than an instant groover and settles you into a deep calming state before the party storm that follows.

Second track What If combines the infectious backing of wooden percussion and a subtle church organ. It feels quite spiritual and invigorating.

The vocals of Tiana Khasi lift the track Stone Cold to new heights. Hopefully he’ll continue to collaborate with vocalists in the future, as it mixes up the format quite well. Words creeps up slowly and is the most humble track on the album. It’s an emotional ballad that gradually builds towards an instrumental explosion.

Given the Chance is the song most listeners will identify with the artist but it’s still very addictive after repeated listening. What’s the Point is a driven synth-wave epic, BEST TRACK: Arcadia which ties the entire project up in a very neat little IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: SBTRKT, package.

RUDIMENTAL IN A WORD: Layered CHRIS BRIGHT

Benjamin Booker (Rough Trade)

Benjamin Booker. Remember his name, because this kid is gonna be bigger than huge. Few albums have been released with such a heavy weight of expectation. It’s clear from the opening track of his self-titled debut that this guitarist and vocalist is something seriously special. Booker’s voice is soaked in the best of gravelly, prickly, butterscotch blues and soul and he sings with a passion far beyond his years, but with a believable authenticity.

The most astonishing thing about this album is not just the nods to the old greats (Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry), but the seamless incorporation of the sounds of the more contemporary music he’s grown up listening to, including garage and punk. Violent Shiver has undertones of punk and rock, but Slow Coming really showcases his blues credentials with deep, mournful crooning. Happy Homes is more of a country jaunt, while Wicked Waters is a rocking garage tune and the drum solo in Have You Seen My will have you sliding off your chair.

Spoon Out My Eyeballs starts out practically a capella with just Booker’s voice and a guitar strumming about 20 feet behind him, but as it ramps up and his voice hits its stride there’s no mistaking that this dude has pipes and he’s channelling the best of the blues and soul greats.

This kid is already on the path to musical greatness and I’ve already bought my ticket and I’m coming along for the ride. Benjamin Booker. Remember that name.

BEST TRACK: Happy Homes Though once you’ve heard the album, it’ll be pretty IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: JGARY dang hard to forget.

CLARK JR, BLACK KEYS, ROBERT JOHNSON, BB KING, JACK WHITE ISABELLE ODERBERG IN A WORD: Un-mother-fucking-believable

WOMAN’S HOUR

Conversations (Inertia)

Woman’s Hour are named after a topical radio show, pay tribute to a 1973 performance piece to promote their album’s lead single, and use visuals in collaboration with TATE and MOMA. With these arty pretensions, you’d expect this UK four-piece might crank out some pretty experimental art-rock. But, if anything, Conversations could be criticised for playing it a little too safe.

The group’s phlegmatic fusion of yacht rock and dream pop sits comfortably between The XX and Beach House, and is likely to appeal to both camps. Its eleven tracks form an intimate journey, with singer Fiona Burgess’ lyrics speaking of “awkward moments of strange affection,” and offering shared secrets at close quarters. Her vocals and lyrics expose a sighing submissiveness, offering up stories of innocence and forgiveness, with just a hint of heartbreak.

At times it lacks bite – as on the one-note Our Love Has No Rhythm – and its smooth production only adds to the feeling that the potential for something darker and deeper has been glossed over. But, for the album’s tantalising first half at least, Woman’s Hour command attention with this soulful, immediate exercise in minimalism.

BEST TRACK: Darkest Place IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: XX THE XX, Woman RHYE, Stronger than Pride SADE IN A WORD: Soul-soothing

CHRIS GIRDLER

THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM

Beyond Calculation (Controlled Burn Records)

With roots sunk deep in the gritty sounds of ‘90s-era noise rock, The Austerity Program’s Beyond Calculation works as a successful revival of an underrepresented style, taking noticeable influences from pivotal noise rock acts such as Shellac, yet still standing strong in its own right. With savage, brooding compositions, Beyond Calculation treats the listener to growling bass tones, cutting lyrics, and guitar riffs with the viciousness of a swarm of angry locusts over the course of its eight tracks.

Opening with a thumping instrumental, the first ‘proper’ song of the album starts with Song 30, telling the incredibly relatable story of that one despicable fauxfriend who nobody wants to deal with. Another stand-out track and the album’s grand finale, Song 37, strikes hard with a gradual build-up and a harmony between bass and guitar resulting in a booming, emotional sound akin to thunder rolling over an open plain.

Although the album certainly has a lot to offer, there is a noticeable lull from the fourth to the sixth tracks with a lack of the fluid and fire that the rest of the album bears. These tracks seem plagued by dull progressions and questionable structuring choices that do little to benefit the rest of the album, and whether or not this can be forgiven on an album that took four years to create is up for debate. However, despite its flaws, the strong songs on Beyond Calculation far outweigh the weak. The punchy noise rock portrayed on the album is of high BEST TRACK: Song 30 quality, doing justice to the scene it arose from and IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: SHELLAC, justice to songwriting in general.

FUTURE OF THE LEFT IN A WORD: Fanged

THOMAS BRAND

IN FLAMES

Siren Charms (Sony)

In music, there are always two schools of thought regarding the way a band should go about their songwriting over time. Should they grow, expand and experiment musically with every new release, or should they just give their fans what they want, album after album?

In In Flames’ case, they definitely come from the latter school of thought. That is to say, it is an excellent modern melodic metal album, with great songs, excellent musicianship, a strong sense of dynamics and beautiful, crystal-clear production values. And iconic, long time vocalist Anders Friden is in typically fine form here, taking the cleans, dirties, and screams in his stride with great passion and precision. That is not to say, however, that Siren Charms is a complete carbon copy of previous releases. They’ve done a few different things here, such as experiment with operatic female vocals on When the World Explodes, which is quite emotional and quite spectacular.

If you love In Flames, this album will do nothing to dissuade you from your fandom. If you don’t, it will BEST TRACK: When the World Explodes do little to win you over. Siren Charms is yet another, IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: SOILWORK, very strong In Flames album, it really is that simple.

DARK TRANQUILITY, CHRONOLYTH IN A WORD: Characteristic ROD WHITFIELD

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 47

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au

WEDNESDAY SEP 10 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS alone with tiger + mya wallace + annie & bern Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $5.00. anberlin + the getaway plan 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $54.00. coq roq wednesdays - feat: various djs Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. cosa nostra + devil’s prawn Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. kanye west Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $149.00. national campus band competition Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $5.00. open decks vinyl party Tago Mago, Thornbury.

8:00pm. pretty city + tinsmoke + the girl fridas Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7.00. smoke stack rhino + dead city ruins + low fly incline Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $5.00. spiral arm + reika + dear thieves Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $5.00. the national evening express + siren black + underground hound Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. you me at six & tonight alive The Hi-fi, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $62.00. yum yum cult + yes/no/maybe + figurehead Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC bopstretch Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. fight club 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. frostfall Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00. mo’ soul - feat: fulton street Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. natalie carolan trio Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15.00. peter hearne & celeste coulson with dizzy’s big band Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14.00. ruby’s live jazz after dark - feat: the wednesday quartet Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00. secret tones + lightly toasted + tom noonan trio Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. $10.00. the here here’s Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK acoustic sessions - feat: nussy Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. brad martin project Penny Black, Brunswick.

8:00pm. driving south - feat: zevon & the werewolves Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm. jack elias + emma russack + matt maclean Longplay, Fitzroy North. 8:00pm. mark snarski Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. melbourne folk club classic series feat: harry manx Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 8:00pm. $45.00. nigel wearne + mandy connell Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. open mic Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm. open mic/jam Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm. sammy owen blues band Laundry Bar, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. $5.00. steve clisby (walking these streets tour) Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $39.00. the brunswick hotel’s open mic Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm. the hammond organ nights Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm. wine whiskey women - feat: rachel clark + kate anastasiou Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

8:00pm.

THURSDAY SEP 11 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS a bunch of fives - feat: halt ever + claws & organs + worm crown + sooky la la + fraudband Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. adam brand Hallam Hotel, Hallam. 8:00pm. centre & the south + t-rythm Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. dead city ruins + the deep end + tequila mockingbyrd Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. forester’s hall grand opening - feat: the rechords Forester’s Beer & Music Hall, Collingwood.

9:00pm. green thief + royal artillery + red eagle Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 48

harry manx Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $40.00. howling bells + ali barter + glassmaps Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $22.00. kilter Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $15.00. liam’s birthday mosh - feat: the arbiter + disasters + to the airship + arkive + epimetheus Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. little desert + the grand rapids + howl at the moon Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $6.00. man from the meteor + the ambience of rain + the rollercanes + the lifelike project Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $7.00. nextmania - feat: brighter at night + one day maybe + chambers Colonial Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. old violet + dreamcoat + emma slatyer Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $7.00. paper cult + bear the mammoth + the marlenes Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $7.00. right! Tago Mago, Thornbury. 8:00pm. spectral fires + myyth + the evercold + the approach Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. the braves + fever seeds + grey mantis + rabble rouser Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. the sand dollars Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $9.00. the vacant smiles + chop squad + the bangs + girl crazy + s.mack daddy Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. triumph over logic + maurice rodriguez band + lizard punch Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

8:00pm. whole lotta blues - feat: chris wilson + brendan forward Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 7:00pm. young hysteria + sugarcanes + michael badger Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $8.00.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC double bill (mooncalf & luke howard solo) - feat: mooncalf & luke howard Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00. free range funk - feat: jake judd + tigerfunk + lewis cancut Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. jazz thursdays - feat: samantha morley & the john montesante quintet The Commune, East Melbourne. 6:00pm. $20.00. mel searle & the craig smith quintet Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14.00. mietta Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $20.00. n a f a s i + 30/70 + mondegreen Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $7.00. pugsley buzzard Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. ruby’s live jazz after dark - feat: the thursday trio Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00. soul in the basement - feat: sex on toast + dj pierre baroni + dj vince peach Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00. the jc little big band Spotted Mallard, Brunswick.

9:30pm. the melbourne improvisers collective Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK acoustic thursday Vinyl Bar, Moonee Ponds.

8:00pm. ants (in the shadows of giants) + colouring cats + gold gull Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm. boots Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. celia pavey (bodies tour) + al parkinson Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.00. dan krochmal Great Britain Hotel, Richmond.

8:00pm. josh forner + nenna + merry web Highlander, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. melbourne apheda benefit for gaza feat: casey bennetto & the half-arsed three + dj brunswick massive featuring miss petty cash & lambchop Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 7:00pm. $40.00. open mic Bar Of Bengal, Yarraville. 8:00pm. parlour of lala - feat: lot 56 Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm. prince thursdays - feat: various artists Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm. slow galo Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8:00pm. small town romance Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford.

8:30pm. tafanduhi (ukuleles for west africa) feat: black orchid string band + joe geia + muk + helen begley 303, Northcote. 7:30pm. $15.00. the astros Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm.

GIG OF THE WEEK!

YOU ME AT SIX & TONIGHT ALIVE

When British reality TV series Geordie Shore first aired in Australia, I was openly sceptical of its quality as a program and the intelligence of anyone who watched it. Months later, I found myself home alone with a million things to do so naturally I flicked it on. It was the episode where two of the participants Gaz and Scott define themselves as the ‘dream team’. I won’t embarrass myself any further with my knowledge of the show but if you want to catch the real dream team, check out You Me At Six and Tonight Alive, who have joined forces for their tour of Australia this month. They are playing at The Hi-Fi on Wednesday September 10.

$10.00. wilding + brett marshall The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. yours truly Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY SEP 12 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS ska-au-go-go - feat: ska vendors + shanty town + dj fez puskas + gogo goddesses The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00. aquilus + adamus exul + voidchrist + wood of suicides Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

8:00pm. aye candy + rah rahs + the long stand Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. bullhorn + the bean project Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. cannibal corpse + hour of penance 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $58.00. cause in affect + conjurer + black mayday + audemia Star Hotel, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. $12.00. cherry bomb European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. chris wilson Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 5:30pm. conan + yanomamo + broozer + bodies Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $25.00. einstein toyboys + legends of aussie rock Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00. electric mary + massive + destroy she said + jarrod natoli Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. feed my frankenstein + claws & organs + all we need Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13.00. flanagan’s friday nights - feat: recrudescence + witness to treason + prosthesis of mind Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 8:00pm. florelie escano (the soul of aretha franklin) Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $23.00. gridhouse + the johnz Tago Mago, Thornbury.

8:00pm. harry howard & the nde + repairs + caroline no Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. into the mystic (the songs of van morrisson) - feat: joe creighton Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $25.00. joe henry Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. john garcia + mammoth mammoth + waxy Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $50.00. kill shott + vanity riots + aviar + evolution of self Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $12.00. kinder + dreamin wild + backyard Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10.00. led zeppelin live celebration (the song remains the same) - feat: ashley naylor + stephen hadley + bruce haymes + danny leo + vika bull + pat carmody + chappy + dallas frasca Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $30.00. mf jones + neighbourhood youth + the corsairs + the laughing leaves + bnash Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. moon holiday + cassius select + turkish prison + david space Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.00. night beats + the laurels + krakatau John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:30pm. $20.00. okera Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $10.00. pitt the elder + joe guiton & the suicide tuesdays + team reasonable + brodown 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $8.00. ron s peno singing pretty + the hired guns. The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 7:30pm. $25.00.

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soe & muff premier after party - feat: sex on toast + ed fisher + esese + jps + prequel + fugitive + matt nico Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.00. spookyland (rock & roll weakling launch) + ainslie wills + lanks Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00. swhat + space junk + kids of zoo + blue stratos Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10.00. the ancients + lehmann b smith + inevitable orbit Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. the baudelaires + sunbeam sound machine + the new pollution Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10.00. the cherry dolls + grasshole + dj fee fee Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. the jacks + dirty harriet & the hangmen + dickfinger + coffin wolf Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 7:00pm. the love junkies Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $12.25. the mcqueens + july talk Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10.00. the mercians + i know the chief + jp flipspringer + residual Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $5.00. the royal artillery + party vibez + peeling sun + low fly incline Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick.

9:00pm. the tarantinos Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 9:00pm. the velvets + the ninjas Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. $13.00. tijuana cartel + stax osset + kallidad Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $20.00. watt’s on - feat: various artists Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:30pm. whitley + tom cooney + sleep decade Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $25.00.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC cannonball Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $25.00. bossa brunswick Bar Oussou, Brunswick. 7:00pm. moroccan nights Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. reflejos Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. ruby’s classic blue note series - feat: sam appapoulay Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $20.00. ruby’s search for jazz cats 3 Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $10.00. steven grant quintet Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. the craig schneider trio Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.00. the pacific belles Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $15.00. yvette johannson - feat: yvette johansson + the joe ruberto trio Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK taste of indie collective - feat: waterline + ashbury medicine show + dojo collectors Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm. $10.00. andy mcgarvie band Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. baron von choice Bella Union Bar, Carlton.

9:00pm. buttered loaf Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm. cherrywood + the scouts + alison ferrier band Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:30pm. flying engine stringband Railway Hotel, South Melbourne. 9:30pm. harry manx + clayton doley + yeshe reimers Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $45.00. joe henry + heath cullen Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:30pm. $55.00.

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au louis king & the liars club Forester’s Beer & Music Hall, Collingwood. 9:30pm. melissa main band Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

8:00pm. morgan evans Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $15.00. spencer p jones Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm. sub rosa + kill tv + moonshifter Vinyl Bar, Moonee Ponds. 8:00pm. the o’dowds Irish Times Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. traditional irish music session - feat: dan bourke Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:00pm. vanguards Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. zikora + emily soon Wesley Anne, Northcote.

8:00pm. $10.00.

SATURDAY SEP 13 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS i confess + once were lost + the just us league & boy wonder Star Hotel, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. $6.00. animal hands (single launch) + long holiday + 3/4 beast Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $13.00. bang - feat: deez nuts + bear witness + decimate Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. bodies + the coves + fourteen nights at sea + claire birchall & the phantom hitchhikers Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10.00. captives + super best friends + release the hounds + the quarters Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. colombian party Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. conan + yanomamo + clagg + horsehunter + watchtower + agonhymn Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 6:00pm. dan kelly + the harpoons + totally mild Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $20.00. deaf wish + power + tol + drug sweat + psychedelic coven dj’s John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:30pm. $10.00. defryme + three time thrill + aimee francis Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.00. devilskin + the eternal + logic defies logic Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. dj love hertz Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. fats wah wah Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. grim rhythm Public Bar, North Melbourne. 2:00am. hands like houses Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00. hollow world + the arbiter + prosthesis of mind + flesh of the earth + eritherium Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. hot rod horror - feat: little mac & the monster men + gogo goddesses + dj barbara blaze The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00. low speed bus chase + beautiful beasts + the dark ales + angus legg Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. $10.00. manny fox + sweets Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. meg mac + rainy day women Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. messed up + motel love + sheek stain & the creep Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. metal is the law + rob wog Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 7:00pm. miyakazi! + georgia maq + del lago + the beggars’ way + shut up jackson Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $5.00. pioneers of good science + shit sex + nun of the tongue + kakariko Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. plague doctor + richie 1250 & the brides of christ + the big small + sean mollov Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. power Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. ray beadle Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $25.00. retiree + harvey sutherland + sui zhen + ed fisher & lizard promise + deep roy Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $12.00. sagopa kajmer + dj junior + dj b.two Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. $80.00. spencer p jones + the escape committee Tago Mago, Thornbury. 8:00pm. spiderbait + apes Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $36.90. stevie & the sleepers + the ivory elephant Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. swhat + spacejunk Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine.

8:30pm. $10.00. the murder rats + evil ways + the transitions + the interceptors Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $8.00. the ninjas + the naysayers + six shooter

Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. tiny little houses Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $10.00. vaudeville smash + mose & the fmly Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $16.00. vintage kiss the ultimate experience + no exit Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $15.00.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC alone with tiger + slowjaxx & the kozmik love orkestra + toby robinson 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. alturas Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.00. connie lansberg quartet Regent Club Spa, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $20.00. dean’s martini with david cotter Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.00. el gran combo de puerto rico The Hi-fi, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $105.00. fem belling quintet Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $25.00. funk downstairs - feat: dj manchild Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm. michelle nicolle sings duke ellington Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 8:00pm. $45.00. michelle nicolle sings duke ellington Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 4:00pm. $45.00. more fire - feat: chant down sound + dj sam + dj yuki + solomon + ras ato The Mercat, Melbourne. 10:00pm. $10.00. mozart’s jupiter - feat: australian brandenburg orchestra Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:00pm. $30.00. performance workshop with steve sedergreen Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. $15.00. ruby’s live jazz after dark - feat: the deep listening project Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $20.00. ruby’s search for jazz cats 3 Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $15.00. scott tinkler quartet Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. the briana cowlishaw quintet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

DAN KELLY

Dan Kelly was the youngest brother of infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly born in 1861. He robbed banks and took over whole towns before dying in the siege at Glenrowan in one of those clunky metal suits. Luckily in 2014 we have a new and improved man who goes by the name of Dan Kelly. He hasn’t robbed any banks or killed anyone (that we know of ) and he is a lot more into rock than metal armour but those are just a few of the reasons why we love him. The new and improved Dan Kelly is playing at Howler this Saturday September 13 as part of his Melbourne Vs Sydney tour. Join the siege.

SUNDAY SEP 14 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS band wars - feat: cat pie + the bleeding rose + red door + jumpbox + a lesser ego + horizons edge Musicland, Fawkner. 1:00pm. $10.00. birds with thumbs + maggot men + angry seas + shiny coin Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood.

6:00pm. cold irons bound + james mccann & the new vindictives + ten gallon head Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 4:30pm. $5.00. damien samuel + the anecdote + laura clarke Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 2:30pm. $5.00. fear like us + tom lyngcoln + eaten by dogs Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK action sam European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 10:30pm. afternoon delights - feat: ben whiting + culliver Old Bar, Fitzroy. 2:00pm. boozy blues shuffle - feat: sammy owen blues band + zevon & the werewolves of melbourne The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. bullhorn (players sounds launch) + purple tusks Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $5.00. chelsea drugstore Labour In Vain, Fitzroy.

5:00pm. claymore Bar Of Bengal, Yarraville. 7:00pm. dixon cider + the murderballs + where’s grover + muscle mary Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm. geoff achison Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

9:00pm. harry hookey - feat: the publican band Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. ivan zar Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. johnny cash the concert - feat: daniel thompson + stuie french Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston. 8:00pm. mcalpine’s fusiliers + dj adalita Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. mystery train Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. rattlin bones blackwood Forester’s Beer & Music Hall, Collingwood. 9:30pm. rhythm kitchen Irish Times Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. ron s peno (songs from died pretty) + the hired guns Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $35.00. shockwaves + wrong turn + stompbox Vinyl Bar, Moonee Ponds. 8:00pm. spoonful Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm. sweet felicia & the honeytones Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. the lucilles Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. the royal artillery Catfish, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. the tipplers Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. the wild comforts + millar jukes & the bandits Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:30pm. tinsley waterhouses’ blues & western + chris molnar Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

9:30pm. vic old time jam session - feat: craig woodward + warren rough Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 49

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

THE PUSH

+ BEAT PRESENT... whatson@thepush.com.au

For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au HERA + BOYEUR John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 4:00pm. $5.00.

I AM MINE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

INFINITE VOID + WIVES + SEESAW Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

LAURA PALMER + TAKE YOUR OWN + RELEASE THE HOUNDS + GLADSTONE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm.

RAISED BY EAGLES Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

ROCK FOR CATCHMENT 2014 - FEAT: DEAD CITY RUINS + LOVEBOMBS + CHILD + UGLY KINGS + PLASTIC SPACEMAN + POISON FISH + HYPERDRONES + SORDID ORDEAL Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

2:30pm. $12.00.

ROWENA WISE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

SLIM DIME & THE PRAIRIE KINGS Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 6:00pm.

SPENCER P JONES + WHITT Tago Mago, Thornbury.

8:00pm.

SUNDAY MATINEE (AVS ACADEMY PRESENTATION) Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm.

SUNDAY SCHOOL - FEAT: CUNTz + VACUUM + GOLD CLASS + ORLANDO FURIOUS + SHORT FUTURE + BIG YAWN + TOMB HANx + LANGLO PANIFLAx + LOOBS + MOLLUSC + DJ MILES BROWN Old Bar, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. $8.00.

THE ESCAPADES + WAITING FOR PAT + LITTLE SECRETS + STATIC STATE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

5:00pm.

THE LAGERPHONES + THE BARRELHOUSE MONKEYS Public Bar, North Melbourne. 7:00pm.

WACO SOCIAL CLUB + JOHN DANYI + ROSS EVANS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC BRAzILIAN JAzz - FEAT: TAMIL ROGEON + DOUG DE VRIES + AL KERR The Everleigh, Fitzroy. 9:30pm.

DOUG JAzz NIGHT Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

KALLIDAD Penny Black, Brunswick. 4:00pm.

MOzART’S JUPITER - FEAT: AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 5:00pm. $30.00.

ROCKACABANA FESTIVAL Copacabana, Fitzroy.

8:00pm.

RUBY’S PASSIONATE PIANISTS - FEAT: ANATOLY DOKUMENTOV Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd.

MUSICIANS WANTED MANAGER WANTED. Durk is a Melbourne band who have been playing the local scene for a number of years now. We are looking for a manager to help us find more gigs, and on a more regular basis, to help build the “Durk” brand. With a full album just completed, and ready to be pushed, this is an opportunity to welcome a 5th member into the fold.

Check us out on reverbnation.com/durk, triple J unearthed, and facebook.com/durkband. Contact us on durklive@live.com PSYCHEDELIC ROCK BAND seeking creative male singer. Influences: Black Angels, White Denim, Tame Impala. Contact Paul 0400 194 782 * SERVICES SOUNDPARK REHEARSALS NORTHCOTE. From $50. Great rooms/p.a’s. Parking/Storage/Hire.

Phone Andrew 0425 706 382. Soundparkstudios. com.au TUITION STAR DRUM TEACHING SCHOOL PTY LTD. Drum students who wish to learn telephone Paul Hender: 03 8786 3421.

SALES FOR SALE: 1994 ATARI 1040 STE MIDI COMPUTER upgraded to 4mb, original monitor, mouse, cracked 1989 Steinberg floppy and Steinberg manual. Perfect working order, will demonstrate. $275 neg. Call Mark 0421 103020 in Monbulk, VIC. FOR SALE a bunch of my old housemates junk in lieu of rent. Junk includes: an old packet of strawberry junket (use-by Aug 1992), bug spray, one half used tube of toothpaste, questionable used tissues, three gender confused onions, a stackhat, one red sock and some dignity. Available all day Thursday or until it becomes ridiculous. Enquire at the post office about stamps and envelopes.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50

ACCESS ALL AGES

2:00pm. $25.00.

SUN-DAzED - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

TRIODEGRADABLE Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRy/BLUES/FOLK PATRICK WILSON + TAYLA HAY + IKE RUCKMAN Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $7.00.

ADRIEN WHYTE Catfish, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

ANTHONY FANTANO + FATTI FRANCES Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.00.

BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB Labour In Vain, Fitzroy.

5:00pm.

BANJO-B-qUE - FEAT: CRAIG WOODWARD The Mercat, Melbourne. 1:00pm.

BEN SALTER Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 4:00pm.

BUDDY KNOx Gh Hotel, St Kilda. 5:30pm.

CHRIS WILSON Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm.

CLIVE MANN + GREG STEPS 303, Northcote. 7:30pm.

DAVE GRANEY + ANNA SMYRK Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 1:30pm. $20.00.

ETIENNE & THE SANKAYI 303, Northcote. 3:30pm.

EzRA LEE Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

FRANKIE ET AL Big Mouth, St Kilda. 6:30pm.

HARRY MANx + CLAYTON DOLEY Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 3:00pm. $45.00.

HOGBELLY MORTON’S COUNRTY REVUE Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm.

IVAN zAR + NIGEL WEARNE & THE CAST IRON PROMISES Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm.

JAM SUNDAYS Musicland, Fawkner. 6:00pm.

JP SHILO & ROSIE WESTBROOK Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm.

LARGE NUMBER 12S Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

LAYLA FIBBINS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 3:30pm.

LIVE PAWN ACOUSTIC SUNDAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Pawn & Co, South Yarra. 8:00pm.

MARTY KELLY & THE WEEKENDERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

PEAR TONGUE + SLACqUER + THE PHOSPHENES Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.

SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.

SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: SWEET FELICIA Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne. 4:00pm.

SUzANNAH ESPIE & THE LAST WORD Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

THE DARJEELINGS + URBAN PROBLEMS + DUOUx Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $10.00.

THE LOVELIES + THE WEARY Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

THE MONTHLY BLUES STOMP - FEAT: ROD PAINE & THE FULLTIME LOVERS Clare Castle Hotel, Port Melbourne. 3:00pm.

THE PHEASANT PLUCKERS Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. 4:00pm.

THE TIGER & ME + THE SCRIMSHAW FOUR Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm.

TOM LYNGCOLN Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm.

ULTRAFOx Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.

WAYFARE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 5:00pm.

MONDAy SEP 15 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS CHERRY JAM Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

I DO LIKE MONDAYS - FEAT: THE SHABBAB + FRAUD BAND + GO GENRE EVERYTHING Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6.00.

JAzz PARTY Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

THE LIMBS + ALEx PIJPERS Public Bar, North Melbourne. 7:00pm.

THE MUTUAL APPRECIATION SOCIETY - FEAT: PETE FIDLER + LACHLAN DAVIDSON Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC RUBY’S LIVE JAzz AFTER DARK - FEAT: PIANO Té Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00.

THE ALLAN BROWNE qUINTET (THE ODYSSEY PROJECT) + STELLA BROWNE Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRy/BLUES/FOLK 303 JAM NIGHT 303, Northcote. 8:00pm.

CAJUN DANCE PARTY - FEAT: THE ‘JOHNNY CAN’T DANCE’ CAJUN BAND Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

KRAKATAU Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

TUESDAy SEP 16 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/PUNK/COVERS CHEAP KRAKEN RUM NIGHT - FEAT: OSCAR

Wednesday September 10 With Ruth Mihelcic

HOWLING BELLS

When I was in primary school I took a lot of sick days. My parents, both being teachers, didn’t have much sympathy so if they thought I was faking it, they’d send me to my grandmas as punishment. She coincidentally lived next door to a primary school so I was kept awake all day by kids playing and the sound of bells howling in between every class. In 2004 when I finished primary school, Sydney-bred rockers Howling Bells formed. Luckily they sound less like neglect and more like indie rock. They take to the stage at Howler this Thursday September 11.

ANTHONy FANTANO

Anthony Fantano is a musician, vegan, troublemaker, health nut, radio host, and blogger from the land of Stars and Stripes. He has built his passion for music into a YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers and a weekly radio show. Laura Buyers is an intern here at Beat Mag. She is none of these things but she does have a particularly embarrassing video on YouTube of her re-enacting Total Eclipse of the Heart, which has an impressive 675 views and can found by searching ‘ALO Total Eclipse of the Heart’. Catch the much more talented Anthony Fantano when he gives a live presentation of his music knowledge and criticism at The Toff in Town this Sunday September 14.

BUBLE & THE BUTTER BOYS + WAKE UP DEAD + HUNTED CROWS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6.00.

GREENTHIEF Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

PLYMOUTH Public Bar, North Melbourne. 7:00pm.

ROB SNARSKI Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS (THE SWING TOUR) Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $109.00.

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT FEAT: RUSE BAzAAR + NEW MODEL AGENCY + TIM BURTON + AMBER ISLES Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

TOM LYNGCOLN Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood.

8:30pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/WORLD MUSIC AUSTRALIAN GUITAR MUSIC - FEAT: AUSTRALIAN GUITAR qUARTET Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00.

DONTAE WINSLOW Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $28.00.

LAzERCATz 2000 Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $18.00.

ROGER SCHMIDLI WITH SCOTCH COLLEGE Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 7:00pm. $14.00.

RUBY’S LIVE JAzz AFTER DARK - FEAT: DExTER’S ASIAN CONNECTION Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00.

THE DINNER CLUB - FEAT: THE LAGERPHONES Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRy/BLUES/FOLK BENNY WALKER + LEISHA J Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

7:30pm.

CAROLINE NO + LIz MITCHELL Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

IRISH SESSIONS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

8:00pm.

NMIT SHOWCASE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm.

OPEN MIC Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

RITA SATCH + BOYEUR + PREqUEL Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00.

WAx LYRICAL Murmur Bar, 7:45pm.

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

There’s about to be some more exciting news released about this year’s Face the Music conference. In case you missed it, this year’s event hits the Arts Centre in Melbourne on November 14 and 15, and if you’ve got an interest in all things music industry related, then you have to check it out.

This year’s first international keynote speaker is none other than independent and uncompromising music legend Steve Albini, a renowned artist, music journalist, industry commentator, recording engineer, and champion of independent business models for releasing music outside of the corporate music industry structure. He’s regularly quoted by music media for his views on topics ranging from piracy to crowd funding to royalties and recording.

Joining him at the two-day conference in this first speaker announcement will be Dave Batty (Custom Made/Artist Voice), Johann Ponniah (I OH YOU), Harley Evans (Moshtix), Briese Abbott (Spark & Opus), Ben Thompson (Corner Presents), James Young (Cherry Bar, Yah Yahs), Antonia Sellbach (Love of Diagrams, Beaches), Millie Millgate and Glenn Dickie (Sounds Australia), Chris Hatzis (3RRR), Cara Williams (Beat), Chris Johnson (AMRAP), Emma Telfer (The Office Of Good Design), Sophia Brous (Artist/Curator), Caleb Williams (Unified), Kirsty Rivers (APRA AMCOS), Yvette Myhill (AAM), Patrick Donovan (Music Victoria), Leigh Treweek (themusic.com.au) and Music Victoria Hall of Fame inductees Daddy Cool and music journalist Ed Nimmervoll. There will be many, many more speakers to be announced in the coming couple of months.

With tickets now on sale (one-day and two-day passes are available), you can rub shoulders with the industry and join hundreds of people from Australia’s contemporary music community to exchange ideas, make new connections and support each other’s creative and professional development. For all the details and to get tickets, go to www.facethemusic.com.au Here’s one for the musos among us – St Kilda Festival are on the lookout for local musicians to feature on the New Music and Live ‘N Local stages in February 2015. If you live, work or study in the City of Port Phillip you have the added chance of having your entry fee paid by The Vineyard. To grab an application form and guidelines, head over to www. stkildafestival.com.au by September 29.

Another great opportunity that’s recently come up is volunteering at Inca Roads Music Festival, kicking off in Ballarat from November 29 – December 1. It’s one stage and three days of camping and loads of great music. They’re looking for music and festival lovers who would like to help out with jobs like ticketing, production and technical support, assisting front of house, customer service and directing punters. It’s the fourth year for this rather exclusive festival, which has been listed first on the Top 25 Boutique Music Festivals in Australia by Tone Deaf magazine. If you’d like to get involved, send an email to bridgette@incaroads.com.au before applications close on October 31.

You can find all of these opportunities and plenty more on our website at www.thepush.com.au or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to have the best ones delivered straight to your inbox!

ALL AGES TIMETABLE FRIDAy SEPTEMBER 12 Will Wagner w/ Georgia Maq, and Valerie Avenue EV’s, 212 Mt Dandenong Rd, Croydon, 6:30pm-11pm, $10, www.maroondahyouthservices.com, AA SATURDAy SEPTEMBER 13 Amped Up Goes Acoustic, w/ William Jarrat (of Storm The Sky), Phil Wolfendale (of Acrasia), After The Curfew, Skyways Are Highways, Scott Boyd, and Bianca Mallouk, St. Ambrose Hall, 3 Dawson Street, Brunswick, 4:30pm9pm, $15, contact Vito Lucarelli on 9389 8640, AA SUNDAy SEPTEMBER 14 An Intimate Afternoon with Anthony Fantano Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street, Northcote,2-4pm, $20, www.facebook.com/darebinfreeza, AA Youth Fest 2014, w/ Ella’s High, Transit Gloria, MC ForEveryone, Road Train, DEX, Freak & The Fat Cats, R.E.A.L. Music, The Sinister Kids, Kid Sidney, Deadfall, Anti-Violet, Centralia, Decaying Matriarch, Lost In Moments, Apex, Alias Arise, Sunday Heist, Beneath The Waters, Charlotte Gunn, Barely Supervised, Brittany Leo, AMIKO, Nathan Gunn, Lipstuck, Lords Of The Lake, Sam Edwards, Scream Of Society, Sam Di Nucci, Subliminal, Alex Merrifield, DJJC, iNsomnia DJs, dj remix, DJ DYNAMITE, MNRS DJs, Macleod Park, (opposite Macleod Train Station), Birdwood Avenue, Macleod, 125pm, Free, www.banyuleyouth.com/festival, AA

Thurs 11th @ 8.30 pm

PARLOUR OF LALA (Eclectic gypsy jive)

Friday 12th @ 9.30pm

VANGUARDS (Sultry R&B)

Saturday 13th @ 9.30 pm

TINSLEY WATERHOUSES’ BLUES & WESTERN + CHRIS MOLNAR (Whoopin’ & wailin’)

Sunday 14th @ 5.30 pm

ULTRAFOX (& GUEST ANDY BAYLOR) (Foxy swing thing)

@ 9.00 pm

MARTY KELLY & THE WEEKENDERS (Acoustic roots)

Tuesday 15th @ 8.00pm

IRISH SESSION (Fancy fiddlin’)

ALL GIGS ARE FREE! EXCELLENT RESTAURANT AND BAR MEALS

LOMOND HOTEL 225 NICHOLSON STREET BRUNSWICK EAST, VIC 3057 9380 1752

TRIVIA NIGHT

WEDNESDAY 10TH 7PM

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BACKSTAGE

THE PLACE FOR MUSICIANS

For more information or ad bookings call Aleksei on 9428 3600 or email mixdown@beat.com.au

VENUE PROFILE:

RUBY’S MUSIC ROOM

History?

The history of the building is actually a pretty good one. Heritage listed, it used to be an ex-plumbers shop, and prior to that it a Chinese carpenter’s workshop.

The building made the transition to music room last year.

How long have you been operating?

We initially opened this time last year so we’re a pretty new joint in terms of the jazz market. Rob owned the Guilford Lane Gallery for ages and decided he wanted to open up a jazz club as a change of direction. We all think it’s because Rob and Ruby (his kelpie) wanted to be jazz musos and neither of them could play an instrument.

What do you feel is your major attraction?

Our good looking staff, our good looking Steinway piano and our good looking crowd… right?! We’re one of a few genuine engineered live music venues who specialise in high performance music in an acoustic environment. That’s not to even mention the fresh food that our French chef Ed Demanouef fixes up for us in the licenced kitchen we have upstairs, a pretty decent beer and wine list, and the beautiful Steinway piano and Gretsch drum kit on stage.

What was your favorite show in the last six months and why?

Favourite show would have had to be Steve Sedergreen’s birthday gig earlier in the year. Packed house in an intimate venue with some premier jazz musos. We even had Kate Ceberano pop in and perform a few numbers with Steve and the gang. Unfortunately we didn’t get any selfies with her but we’ve heard she might be back…

A close second to that show was the Deep Listening Project with Ron Murray (didgeridoo), Steve Sedergreen (piano), and Michael Jordan (drums).

Basically, it explored the Indigenous aspect of deep listening through storytelling and improvisation… and by some opportunistic timing they’re back this Saturday at 9pm.

Could you nominate a bartender of the month?

Now we don’t wish to slight any of our bar staff ! The casual bartender at Ruby’s, Mirko Bonmassar, makes a mean Ruby’s cocktail. Though chances are we’d probably recommend Rob for that gong since he’s there more often than not. Safe to say we run a lean and keen operation.

How many nights of live music & entertainment are running at your venue?

We’re open seven days a week, with Monday to

Saturday being from 6-11pm and Sunday being relatively variable so be sure to check out the website at www.rubysmusicroom.com. All our acts are live performances, it just feels a bit cooler that way.

How do I get there?

To spare everyone from having to buy teleportation devices, we are located in the heart of the CBD (just a bit before Bennetts Lane) making it super easy to get to. If you’d like to send us a postcard or search us up on Google Maps our formal address is 132 Little Lonsdale St. Available for functions?

Sure, we do functions. We can do formal stuff, business meetings (we have a pretty sweet projector set up with the PA), or just an informal sort of gathering. Just drop us a line at rubysinfo@rubysmusicroom.com and we’ll look after you!

Crowd?

We have a jazz crowd, so it’s a pretty laid back sort of mob that are up for a few drinks. Being in Chinatown we have a pretty diverse cultural mix, with our musos coming from around the globe. Some of our favourites are Sam the Piano Man from sunny Mauritius, Dana Czarski from Poland and Dexter Pradi from Jakarta.

Opening hours?

We’re open Monday to Friday from 6-11pm, Saturday is 2-11pm, and then Sundays are a bit more variable so just check the website for further details.

Cover Charge?

Monday to Thursday is $15 with a free glass of house wine. Fridays to Sunday is generally $20 per gig.

Food specials/Your pick?

The homemade pies we have, like the chicken cacciatore.

Website and contact details Our website is www.rubysmusicroom.com, our email is rubysinfo@rubysmusicroom.com.au, or alternatively if you’re feeling sociable online feel free to drop us a message on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com. au/rubysmusicroom.

Get jazzed at RUBY’S MUSIC ROOM, 132 Lt. Lonsdale St, CBD. Fine food, fine wine, fine music, fine times.

.COM.AU

EVE BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 52

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MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP With Christie Eliezer * Stuff for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm MORE BEHIND AGENT OF CHANGE PRINCIPLE

With Victoria last week possibly the first state in the world to introduce the Agent of Change principle (although some overseas cities have it), it doesn’t apply only to venues. People moving into areas where a registered rehearsal studio exists cannot complain about its noise either. Non-traditional venues like community halls, record stores and radio performance spaces will also be covered by local councils adding them to a schedule in the clause. The new law is the result of tireless lobbying by Music Victoria, SLAM and Fair Go 4 Live Music. The Victorian Government is also committed to reforming the Building Code to reduce red tape for small- and medium-sized venues, and a $500,000 Live Music Noise Attenuation fund.

IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS

A few rock names are in the new additions to the Guinness Book of World Records. They include Metallica for being the only band to perform on all seven continents in a year including Antarctica last December. One Direction for being the first to debut at #1 in America with their first three albums. Miley Cyrus for Most Searched-For Pop Star on the Internet.

Shakira for Most 'Liked' Person on Facebook (100 million fans) and first to reach 100 million ‘Likes’ on Facebook. Katy Perry for most Twitter followers (52,463,838). Eminem for most words in a hit: ‘Rap God’ had 1,560 in 6 minutes, 4 seconds.

AWME LANDS STATE GOVERNMENT FUNDING

The 2014 Australasian Worldwide Music Expo (AWME) gets $20,000 from the Victorian State Government to market itself interstate and around the world. “Now in its seventh year, the AMWE is recognised as a globally significant music industry event, attracting artists from all over Australia and the world,” said Tourism and Major Events Minister Louise Asher. Held in Melbourne from November 13 to 16, AWME will showcase over 60 artists from countries including Australia, the UK, Jamaica, Israel and Nigeria.

O/S DEALS FOR KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD

While King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard release their fifth album I’m In Your Mind Fuzz in Australia on October 31 on Flightless/Remote Control, they stitched up overseas deals as well. The album is out in America on Castle Face Records (run by Thee Oh Sees’ frontman John Dwyer) and in the UK & Europe on Heavenly Recordings. After shows in China and Australia, the Melbourne band returns to the USA for an east coast tour with White Fence, shows at the CMJ Music Conference and a one-off with Mac De Marco & Connan Mockasin at Terminal 5 in NYC. They then head over to Europe for festival and headline performances in Iceland, Netherlands, UK and Portugal.

BIRD’S ROBE SIGNS SOLO DEAL FOR EZEKIEL OX

Ezekiel Ox, frontman of past Melbourne acts Full Scale, Mammal, The Nerve and currently of OverReactor, will be launching a solo career in January.

Aside from countless gigs, his EP Raw Styles is out through Sydney art rock label Bird's Robe Records to coincide with a tour with The Twoks. BRR’s Mike Solo was involved in The Nerve. Oz said, “Having Bird's Robe on board gives me the support of a label that do it for the right reasons, and in the right way."

USA’S WINDISH AGENCY SIGNS MELBOURNE’S FRACTURES

USA’s Windish Agency signed Melbourne singersongwriter Fractures aka Mark Zito. He joins a roster that includes Lorde, Chet Faker, Jagwar Ma and Courtney Barnett. Having notched up 500,000 streams for two singles and praise for his debut EP, Fractures is set to play dates in Los Angeles, New York, London and Amsterdam. Last year, Fractures fractured his neck just before his live debut at The Toff in Town and was out of action for three months.

WASTELAND JOIN 360 AGENCY

Perth prodigy Wasteland joined 360 Agency. His debut single was released on Cr2 Records with support from MYNC, W&W and Morgan Page.

THINGS WE HEAR

• Why is Telstra keeping mum about the launch date of Beats streaming even though Beats CEO Ian Rogers has been meeting with labels and media?

• Which PR company took it upon itself to hold BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 54

its own awards of its fave media people (the most approachable … the one who did most stories on our clients … you get the picture). There was a social media backlash, including from media people itself, and the company decided not to do it again.

• So what did Courtney Barnett do when she set a target of $5,000 in a crowd-funding campaign to put together a compilation CD of acts from her Milk Records – and ended with $22,000 instead? She’ll donate 10% of the proceeds to the Wilderness Society, she told The West Australian.

• Jimmy Barnes scored his tenth solo #1 album on the ARIA chart with 30:30 Hindsight debuting at #1 this week, and going gold. The Beatles have the most #1 albums in Australia with 14, U2 with 11 and Madonna also with 10.

• Applications for the Carlton Dry Global Music Grant were a record 130 entries.

• Gene Simmons confirmed KISS will return to Oz as part of their 40th anniversary tour.

• After Sheppard’s European tour in July, the Geronimo single (quadruple platinum in Australia) went Top 10 in Ireland, Italy and Poland; was the third most played video in Spain; and got airplay on national radio in Denmark and Germany. It also hit the iTunes top 10 in NZ, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Last week it jumped from #107 to #62 in the Mediabase National Alternative charts in the US where they’re playing in September and November.

• Meantime, The Griswolds’ Beware The Dog’ joined Vance Joy’s Riptide in the Top 10 of the American Alternative Songs chart.

• WA police are investigating an alleged incident at an Amity Affliction gig at Red Hill Auditorium where a bouncer told a girl to flash her chest if she wanted to go in, according to eyewitnesses. The security company, Ace Security & Event Services, said the girl (whom police are asking to contact them) had gone to her car to get a jumper and had lifted her jumper to show her T-shirt, which the bouncer recognized and allowed in.

The Amity Affliction were “shocked and appalled” and have written to the gig promoter. The bouncer could lose his license if found guilty of inappropriate behavior.

• US guitarist Ted Nugent says he tried to warn Bon Scott, Jimi Hendrix and Keith Moon off drugs. “They all thought I was an idiot. They called me an asshole and a loser because I wouldn't drink and puke and drool. I didn't take it personally – I knew drugs had destroyed their sense of logic and their sense of decency. 'No, I don't want any of that, Bon, and why you're killing yourself, I'll never understand. If I had your voice, I'd rule the planet’.”

THE VOTE THAT ROCKED

Rose Tattoo’s Angry Anderson was unanimously elected as Nationals candidate for the NSW seat of Cessnock. “The Nationals Party has the right morals, the right work ethic and a strong focus on regional and rural areas,’’ he said. Meantime, Melbourne band The Basics formed a political party called Basics Rock'n'Roll Party for bassist Kris Schroeder (not drummer Gotye as reported elsewhere) to run for the Legislative Council in Victoria’s elections in November to offer an alternative to “life-long politicians.”

Live music activist Stephen Jolly, who as City of Yarra councillor advised and supported music venues, is standing as Socialist Alliance state candidate for the seat of Richmond. A campaign fundraiser will be held at the Workers Club in Fitzroy on October 18 with The Primary, Hideous Towns, Ninety Nine and Quang Dinh of Little Red and Naked Bodies fame.

TECH GIANTS REJECT AUSSIE ANTI-PIRACY PROPOSALS

Tech giants such as Pandora, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Samsung turned a cold shoulder to calls by the entertainment industry for the Aussie government to introduce a system to slow or cut off internet access of those who keep downloading illegally despite warnings. The protest came via the Computer & Communications Industry Association. It sniffed there is no proof that a graduated response system to online piracy works. Instead, it suggests that music, movie and TV companies look at why consumers turn to illegal downloading. These include high prices and lack of the availability of lawful content in Australia.

Communications Alliance head John Stanton said this was “Hollywood again trying to play Australia as a pawn.”

ALBERTS GETS BUTLER’S SYNC RIGHTS

Sydney publishing company Alberts has landed the sync licensing rights in Australia to John Butler songs, through his publishing company Family Music Pty Ltd to sell for film, TV and jingles. His music certainly has appeal: two years ago, music used on a US yoghurt ad seemed to rip off his tune Zebra.

LIFELINES

CHOIRBOYS DO AC/DC ALBUMS

Choirboys’ Mark Gable quips, “I love being in Choirboys, but I’ve always wanted to be in AC/DC, this is my chance.” To celebrate the 40th year of Bon Scott joining AC/DC, Choirboys perform High Voltage and Highway to Hell cover to cover. They’re doing two shows each at the Cherry Bar (Mel), Basement (Syd) and New Globe Theatre (Bris) through November.

UNIVERSAL GENERATES €2 BILLION IN 2014

Universal Music generated €2 billion in the first six months of 2014, of which recorded music constituted €1.6 billion. Both were down 10-11% from the same period last year. Digital music revenues grew 3%, with “significant growth in subscription and streaming” offseting a decline in download sales. Universal Music Publishing Group’s revenue was up 1.3% to €307 million.

PEKING DUK SIGNED TO SONY MUSIC

Canberra electronic duo Peking Duk signed a global record deal with Sony Music Entertainment Australia and its U.S. affiliate RCA Records. Peking Duk had a cross-over hit with the double platinum High. Aside from playing US festivals this year, their Australian and NZ tours were sold out. As part of the deal the next two singles come out in Australia on their previous label Vicious.

WANNA WORK AT MUSHROOM MUSIC?

Major independent music publisher Mushroom Music is looking for a Melbourne-based International Coordinator to work alongside its International Manager to liaise with its overseas partners. You need a broad knowledge, understanding and appreciation of contemporary music, to be creatively minded, and also engaged with administrative procedures and details.

You must have excellent communication skills and strong initiative and happy to regularly attend shows after hours. Apply to info@mushroommusic.com by Fri Sept 19.

WANT THE GETAWAY PLAN TO PLAY YOUR WEDDING?

Want to join The Getaway Plan in a recording studio, buy one their signed guitars or get them to play at your wedding? These are some offers as they crowd-fund their third album Dark Horses at www.pledgemusic. com/projects/thegetawayplan.

WJO OPENS PUBLISHING, SYNC LICENSING ARM

WJO launched a music publishing and synchronization licensing arm as part of the expansion of its label services model. WJO began offering budget radio and media servicing options and global royalty collection amongst other services in the past twelve months.

It has, as a result, dropped the ‘Distribution’ from its name. Co-owner Will Osland said, “Drew (Doran) and I started WJO Distribution just under six years ago with $100 and have grown the label with nothing but love and hard work… No loans, no debt. We have achieved consistent growth, a healthy roster and a solid business structure.”

EVENTBRITE EXPANDS AUSSIE TEAM

Following strong growth in Australia, US-based self-service ticketing platform Eventbrite announced Rachael Neumann as Australian MD, Laura Huddle as Head of Marketing and Damien Munro as Senior Business Development Manager.

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Hospitalised: Jimmy Barnes for emergency back surgery after complications for a recent back procedure.

Hospitalised: Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx for a double hernia operation.

In Court: CeeLo Green pleaded no contest to one felony count of furnishing ecstasy to a woman during a 2012 dinner in Los Angeles.

He was up on a rape charge, and caused outrage with the reprehensible comment “it’s not rape if she’s not conscious” while trying to explain sex was consensual. He lost his TV show and a headline slot at a US festival as a result.

Sued: KISS, by an Indiana security guard who says he slipped on the stage and injured himself after they “foolishly” sprayed water and confetti on it.

Sued: Kendrick Lamar by US jazz players Eric Reed and Willie Jones III formerly with Black Note, who claim his 2011 hit Rigamortis took from their 2010 track The Thorn.

Jailed: former Geelong nightclub operator Mark Currie, 37, (Vinyl Bar, Rumours) for six months after pleading guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court to charges of possessing cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, dealing in the proceeds of crime and possessing prohibited weapons.

Jailed: a 31-year old Kentucky fan of thrash band Exodus, for eight days, for making “terrorist threats” simply for posting online the lyrics of their song Class Dismissed about a school massacre.

Died: Victorian country music singer and songwriter and disability advocate Colin James, 76. Wheelchair-bound at the age of five after contracting Stills disease, a debilitating form of rheumatoid arthritis, he got an Order of Australia and was inducted in South Australia’s Country Music Hall of Fame.

Died: Jimi Jamison, 63, former singer for Survivor and Cobra, of a heart attack. He sang Survivor hits The Moment of Truth and Is This Love.

Died: New Orleans bounce act Nicky Da B, (Nickesse Toney) 24, after a brief illness. He had hits with Hot Potato Style and on Diplo’s Express Yourself and was in Australia in 2012 for Vivid’s Goodgod Danceteria party.

Died: US record producer David Anderle, 77, of lung cancer. He worked with Beach Boys (he ran their Brother Records label and helped Brian Wilson set up his studio around the time of Pet Sounds), Rita Coolidge, Aaron Neville and Kris Kristofferson and managed Van Dyke Parks.

Died: Australian jazz drummer Alan Turnbull, 71, from a heart attack. Born in Melbourne, he turned pro at 14 before moving to Sydney in the late 1960s to work with Don Burrows and play with virtually every international jazz act that toured. He mentored and taught many generations of players.

Died: EunB of internationally acclaimed K-pop act Ladies' Code, 21. Their van crashed when its wheel fell off. The other members escaped injury.

Died: Australian jazz singer Kerrie Biddell, 67, after a severe stroke. Starting out in pop band The Affair in the late ‘60s, she turned to jazz, performing with the Daly Wilson Big Band, cutting solo records, hosting her own ABC radio show Kerrie Biddell and Friends and teaching at the Conservatorium of Music.

Died: Australian band and event lighting engineer Rob “Robbie” Oswald of Phase Shift Productions, after a battle with cancer.

A fund is set up for his two young children at the ‘Rob Oswald Fund’, email Graeme McHugh at graz@phaseshiftproductions. com Died: Sydney celebrity agent Mark Byrne, 45, of a heart attack after a stroke. Among his clients were Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Timomatic.

Died: Simone Battle of US girl group GRL, 25, found in her LA home a month after an Aussie visit behind their double platinum single Ugly Heart.