Beat Magazine #1471

ISSUE NO. 1471 APRIL 29, 2015

FREE Now picked up at 2,240+ places around Melbourne and Geelong. beat.com.au

EVERY THING MELBOURNE

INSIDE This Week PRESENTS

PLASTERED PLASTERED

Over 40 years of Australian rock'n'roll posters on display AUSTRALIAN MUSIC POSTER EXHIBITION A SM A L L SE L ECT ION OF POST E R S S PA N N I NG 40 Y E A R S OF M U SIC Th28TH e Old ON at SHOW APRILBar. - 9TH MAY

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MÖTLEY CRÜE

All bad things must come to an end.

OEDIPUS SCHMOEDIPUS

A theatrical tribute to the greatest death scenes of all-time.

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in this issue

12

Hot Talk

16

touring

18

courtney barnett

20

whats on,

oedipus schmoedipus,

omar musa

23

art of the city,

the comic strip

24

out of the closet,

beat eats

25

BEATS: NEWS,

BUNKER 26 BEATS: CLUB GUIDE,

TOTAL GIOVANNI page 27

SNAPS

27

skipping girl vinegar,

total giovanni,

best coast

28

society of beggars,

clusterfunk,

melbourne for vanuatu -

a party against pam

29

motley crue,

mini mansions,

epicure

30 plastered,

BEST COAST page 27

beastwars,

nick barker

31

core/crunch

32

MUSIC NEWS

37

live

38

ALBUM OF THE WEEK,

SINGLES, CHARTS

NICK BARKER page 30

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HOT TALK THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

SPLENDOUR SIDESHOWS

Still sobbing into your keyboard after missing out on Splendour in the Grass tickets last week? Never fear, intrepid live music fan. The Splendour team have just announced a shit-ton of Splendour sideshow action, which’ll surely dry those tears up faster than you can say, “Coffee and TV.” Get a load of this.

AINSLIE WILLS

ED SHEERAN

To celebrate the release of her sparkly new single, Hawaii, lifted off the forthcoming Oh The Gold EP, Melbourne melodist Ainslie Wills has announced a Tuesday night May residency at Gasometer Hotel. Wills’ residency kicks off on Tuesday May 5, so do yourself a favour and warm yourself up this winter with Ainslie Wills. Tickets available from the venue.

All ‘round nice guy and fiend for Australia, Ed Sheeran, has announced he’ll return to our shores this summer for a history-making stadium tour. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter will be the first ever artist to play Australian stadiums completely solo, accompanied by just his guitar and a series of loop pedals. In what’ll mark his fifth visit in four years, Sheeran will play music from his two albums, including tracks from his chart-topping LP, x. The tour will come at the end of a huge year for Sheeran, who is set to play more than 170 shows, including appearances at Glastonbury Festival and Southside Festival. Catch him on Saturday December 5 at AAMI Park.

Tickets go on sale from Tuesday May 5 through ticketek.com.au.

BRIAN KENNEDY

BLUR It’s been 18 years since Blur have hit Australian shores and the British supergroup are heading back to tour in support of their eighth studio album The Magic Whip. The revolutionary chart topping four-piece are taking some time to head to Melbourne after Splendour as part of their massive arena tour around Australia. Joining them on tour will be British rapscallion and triple j Hottest 100 regular, singer/songwriter Jamie T. Be sure to grab your tickets as soon as possible, because they’re expected to go in a blur. Head to secret-sounds.com.au for tickets and more info on the show, which’ll be held at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday July 28.

YEARS & YEARS

WOLF ALICE

Having initially grabbed the attention of key taste-makers with their debut, Years & Years quickly cemented their status as a sure fire act to watch with follow up singles, Take Shelter, Desire and UK #1 Kings. The tail end of 2014 saw the band gaining even more recognition, including support slots for Clean Bandit and Sam Smith, a performance on Later With Jools, and a shortlisting for the much coveted Brits Critics Choice Award.

Years and Years now join us for a very special show at Howler on Thursday July 30, following their first ever UK headline tour which completely sold out three months in advance.

London’s Wolf Alice enjoyed a breakthrough 2014 after releasing their EP Creature Songs; including the critically acclaimed hit Moaning Lisa Smile. Their grunge revival aesthetic blew the hell out of a surprised crowd at Falls Festival at the end of 2014, and for good reason – the band earning accolades from the BBC Sound of 2015 longlist, the fourth most blogged about artist of 2014 on UK Hype Machine and winning the title of Best Breakthrough Artist at the UK Festival Awards. Get down to this one when they play at The Corner Hotel on Thursday July 23, it’ll be a blast.

Irish balladeer Brian Kennedy will perform an intimate show in support of his latest album, Love Letter To Joni, a tribute dedicated to Joni Mitchell. Born and raised in Belfast, Kennedy rose to fame working with Van Morrison on his Blues & Soul Revue. He has shared the stage with music legends including Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles and sang with the late Jeff Buckley during his early coffee house performances.

His forthcoming tour incorporates a collection of Joni Mitchell classics into the setlist, including A Case of You and River.Brian Kennedy will play at The Spotted Mallard on Thursday June 4.

MONEY FOR ROPE Soul. Garage. Punk. Money For Rope.

The Melbourne natives are heading off to Europe again for a bunch of festival appearances in Germany, Switzerland and a cheeky club tour across the UK and other parts of Europe. They’ll be saying goodbye to their Melbourne fans by playing a going away gig at the John Curtin Bandroom on Saturday May 9, with Sinking Teeth and Mighty Boys rounding out a stellar lineup. Money For Rope’s second album is set to drop mighty soon, so catch a sneak peek at the show.

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

AZEALIA BANKS

MARMOZETS

Fresh from laying waste to the stages of Coachella, Azealia Banks is ready to deliver one of the soon to be most talked about performances of Splendour 2015 alongside some very special official Splendour sideshows. After grabbing grabbed the world’s attention in 2012 with the Splendour favourite 212, her long-awaited debut album Broke with Expensive Taste dropped last year, doing well to live up to her bold persona and her well deserved hype. Come catch her when she plays on Sunday July 26 at the Prince Bandroom.

UK rockers Marmozets dropped their debut album The Weird And Wonderful late last year and have been kicking goals ever since. Backed by rave reviews, a #2 Album Of The Year from Kerrang, #1 Album Of The Year and Best UK Band Of The Year from Big Cheese Magazine UK and having their hookfuelled track Move, Shake, Hide played on high rotation with triple j, there isn’t a lot that these diehards can’t do. They’ll be playing a show down at Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday July 25.

R YA N A DA M S Sunday July 19 The Forum

MS MR Wednesday July 22 170 Russell

THE DISTRICTS Monday July 27 Northcote Social Club

OF MONSTERS AND MEN Tuesday July 21 The Forum

T H E VA C C I N E S Monday July 27 The Corner Hotel

K I T T Y, D A I S Y & LEWIS Sunday August 2 170 Russell

PURITY RING Friday July 24 170 Russell BEST COAST Sunday July 26 The Corner Hotel THE WOMBATS Tuesday July 28 Palais Theatre

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 12

PORTER ROBINSON Thursday July 23 The Forum EVERYTHING EVERYTHING & URBAN CONE Saturday July 25 The Corner Hotel

MØ & ELLIPHANT Tuesday July 28 The Corner Hotel MARK RONSON Wednesday July 29 Margaret Court Arena

Grammy Award winning singer/ songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter will soon be taking to Melbourne on her 2015 Acoustic World tour, featuring special guest Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Tift Merritt. The tour marks Mary Chapin Carpenter’s first tour to Australia in over 10 years, where the five time Grammy award winning artist will bring a unique series of intimate acoustic performances to crowds across the country. With support from Tift Merritt, named by the New Yorker as “the bearer of a proud tradition of distaff country soul that reaches back to artists like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry,” be sure to catch these songbirds when they fly in to Melbourne on Friday September 4 for a show at The Palais Theatre. Tickets available from ticketmaster.com.au.

THE KITE STRING TANGLE & DUSTIN TEBBUTT Two of Australia’s brightest young artists have joined forces to work on a new track, Illuminate – a hotbed for angelic vocals, sparkling production and heartfelt lyrics. The Kite String Tangle, aka Danny Harley, has been enjoying a strong run over the past few years with sold out headline shows, killer festival appearances (including Falls Festival last year) and an ARIA nomination. His team up with blowout producer/singer/ songwriter Dustin Tebbutt comes from a mutual respect from one another - and with the considerable attention each member of the duo has earned in their own sphere, the release is set to make waves in the electro-pop scene. With their EP set to be released on Friday June 5, the pair are heading to 170 Russell on Friday June 26 for a single Melbourne show. Tickets available from 170russell.com.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS F E S T I VA L More than 300 events and 800 artists will take over the City of Yarra when Leaps and Bounds Festival returns this winter. Designed to celebrate local performers, venues and audiences, the 17-day festival will take place across over 50 venues in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Abbotsford, North Carlton, Clifton Hill and North Fitzroy. Entering its third year, Leaps and Bounds will also return with a slew of signature events. The new program includes bus tours with Bruce Milne through iconic Yarra sites, Music Victoria panels, a free showcase of Aboriginal musical talent and traditional dance and a live coverage by PBSFM. It’s all set to go down from Friday July 3 to Sunday July 19. For more information and an outline of some incredible shows already announced, head over to leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com.

FRASER A. GORMAN Fraser A. Gorman is almost ready to release his debut album Slow Gum, rife with funny, heartfelt and infectious tunes. Following on from the gorgeous, sardonic, downbeat witticisms of his last single Book of Love, Fraser A. Gorman is prepping to release a second track from the forthcoming album, returning with another irresistible slice of sun-baked, cracked-heart heaven in the form of Broken Hands, a moving take on the balance between rock music and human vulnerability. Fraser A. Gorman will be touring the album on Friday July 17 with a show at The Gasometer Hotel. Tickets are available from gasometer.oztix.com.au.

F O R A L L T H E L AT E S T, C H E C K O U T B E AT.C O M . A U

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After recently being devastated the record breaking category five Cyclone Pam, Vanuatu is in need of support. Melbournians have a chance to get together on Thursday May 7 and help raise funds for the island nation at an event featuring The Cactus Channel, comedy legends Tripod, The Sugarcanes, Skyscraper Stan, The Sweets, The Ivory Elephant and many more. Feel free to get on down to The Toff in Town and tell that cyclone to bugger off over a few beers, tunes and good vibes.

Tickets can be found at thetoffintown.com.

CLUB CATT Y

monday 4th may

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Old mates at The Catfish are launching a killer weekly event in the form of community gigs that celebrate Melbourne’s bustling music scene.

Collaborating with local musicians, visual artists and music companies, The Catfish will curate a members and guests event upstairs in their newly renovated bandroom every Thursday – the idea being to create a club where punters are able to not only see gigs on the cheap, but also access after-show footage to relive the show, plus ‘members only’ access to unreleased music and special prizes.

The first set of shows will be played by Wilding, Ern Malley, Shark Alarm and Oscar Lush, kicking off Thursday May 28.

To become a member, simply head down to The Catfish on a Thursday and ask at the door. Entrance to the shows is $5, or you can pay $10 and get admission to four gigs for the price of one, happy hour drink prices, free downloads and more.

ROCKNROLLA 2 After the raging and ragged success of the first RocknRolla in April, RocknRolla is back on Friday May 8 with a lineup that captures the best in emerging rock’n’roll from Melbourne and Tasmania. With a filthy lineup that includes Melbourne’s finest Mighty Boys, Newcastle expatriates Kill Dirty Youth, Tassie’s Verticoli and two thirds of Dumb Punts Brent Lockhart and Seattle, get down to The Prince Public Bar on Friday May 8 for a blowout night of hard rock. Oh, and just a rum-inder, there’s free Sailor Jerry’s being flung about from 8pm-9pm which should seal the deal, whet your whistle and float your boat.

JAMAICA JUMP UP ROOGAZE Possibly the tastiest pun for a niche show ever, Roogaze is taking place at The Tote to put on an exhibition of some of the finest acts in Australian shoegaze at the moment, celebrating the scene that celebrates itself. Featuring performances from local and national acts such as Bloodhounds On My Trail, Blush Response, Contrast, Day Ravies, Hideous Towns and many more, be sure to get down to The Tote on Saturday May 9 for static, fuzz, blown eardrums and vocals that sound like cries from the bottom of a well. Head on over to thetotehotel.oztix. com.au for tickets and more info.

HERBERT Matthew Herbert’s music ranges from deep, soulful jazzy house to big band sounds and highly experimental concepts. From his take on house music with the albums 100lbs, Around the House and Bodily Functions, Matthew has covered the gamut of electronic music.

Matthew has taken time out of his BBC Radiophonic Worksop’s creative director role to record his new album The Shakes, scheduled for release in late May. With the album comes the announcement of a Melbourne show, and a fresh live band designed to showcase more house-based material, old and new. Herbert plays live at Prince of Wales on Friday May 22, hit up Oztix for more details.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 14

During 2014, the Australian alt-rock act based themselves in America, taking their music overseas for the first time.

During their trip overseas, the five piece act wrote and recorded four new songs for a standalone EP, Anchor, inspired by their time spent in LA and intended to play the part of a musical postcard to home. Off the back of the release, the ARIA and APRA Award winning Birds of Tokyo are touring their new material across Australia, with a show at 170 Russell on Wednesday June 3. Be sure to get your tickets for this special show from 170russell.com. Supporting will be special guest Ecca Vandal.

It’s been touted as a solid night of Carribean beats and party vibes, which is probably why The Gasometer Hotel managed to sell out the huge first edition of their Jamaica Jump Up night. Fear not however, those who missed out. Round two of the Rocksteady, Reggae and Ska night is back at The Gaso on Saturday May 16, featuring the stylings of Jesse I, Stryka D and Mohair Slim. Richie 1250 and Ms Butt are bringing positive vibrations from 9pm til 3am, and MC Kilmarnock Steve will be taking care of the formalities. Bets are on that this round of Jamaica Jump up will be just as memorable as the first, so get your butt switched into boogie mode and hit thegasometerhotel.com.au for more details.

Celebrating the launch of their new mini festival Harmonic Divisions over at the Grace Darling, synthgazers Togetherapart have put together two amazing prize packs to give away. Each pack contains vinyl, CDs, shirts, badges and zines taken from the stacked mini-fest lineup, including Togetherapart as well as Dear Plastic, Luna Ghost, Kakariko and more. Obviously they both come with a double pass to the inaugural Harmonics Division event, going down Saturday May 30. For a shot at this sick prize, head to beat.com.au/freeshit.

HERBERT

Matthew Herbert’s known for breaking the boundaries of ‘90s electronica, morphing deep house conventions into his own down tempo projects. This year is shaping up as busier than usual, with Herbert having recently taken on the role as creative director of the revamped BBC Radiophonic Workshop as well as preparing a new album The Shakes for release in late May, amongst his other projects. His Melbourne show is set to showcase his new live band and his more house-based material, new and old.

Get set to experience the one and only Herbert, live on Friday May 22 at the Prince Bandroom. We’ve got a double pass for the show to give away, so if you want to be there, go here – beat.com.au/freeshit.

BLACK CAB

BOB FEST

As part of the 2015 Leaps & Bounds festival, Black Cab will launch the vinyl edition of their double album, Games of the XXI Olympiad at the Corner Hotel on Friday July 17 with very special guests Lost Animal & The Infants.

Four years coming, the vinyl edition of Games of the XXI Olympiad caps months of critical acclaim and two sold out Melbourne headline shows. This will be the final show before the band take an extended break to write new material, so be sure to catch the band before they take get working on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2011 LP ExTropical. Head over to cornerhotel.com for more details.

A collection of Melbourne’s finest musicians and singers have united to pay tribute to Bob Dylan. Forever Young: The Songs of Bob Dylan will celebrate Dylan’s 74th birthday in style by bringing together artists including Tex Perkins, Suzannah Espie, Stephen Cummings, Shane Howard, Rebecca Bernard, Chris Wilson and The Dusty Millers. The concert will see performers put their own spin on favourites from Dylan’s discography, which spans over five decades and 36 albums. It all goes down on Friday May 22 and Saturday May 23 at Memo Music Hall. Head to memomusichall.com.au for more details.

ICE CREAM HANDS One of Australia’s most loved pop outfits Ice Cream Hands is reuniting at this year’s Leaps and Bounds Festival.

Formed back in ’92, Ice Cream Hands released six albums and scored two ARIA nominations before calling it a day in 2007. Now, sixteen years after the release of their critically adored Sweeter Than The Radio LP, Charles Jenkins, Derek G Smiley, Douglas Lee Robertson and special guest guitarist Davey Lane are banding together to perform Sweeter Than The Radio in its entirety. Ice Cream Hands play at The Evelyn on Saturday July 11, tickets on sale now through leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com.au.

PEACHES Before she demolishes The Hi-Fi Bar stage at her recently sold out show, Peaches will be hosting a signing for her new book, What Else Is In the Teaches of Peaches. The 160-page hardbound book shows the Canadian pop star in and out of the public eye through never-before-seen photographs captured from 2009 through 2014 by Holder Talinski. Get on down to Readings St Kilda from 6.30pm on Friday May 1.

F O R A L L T H E L AT E S T, C H E C K O U T B E AT.C O M . A U

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TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

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

international YOU ME AT SIX The Hi-Fi April 30 SAM SMITH Margaret Court Arena April 30 PEACE Ding Dong Lounge April 30, May 1 PEACHES The Hi-Fi May 1 A WILHELM SCREAM The Evelyn Hotel May 1 CHARLI XCX Corner Hotel May 1 ACE FREHLEY The Forum May 2 PALOMA FAITH Palais Theatre May 5 OPETH The Forum May 7 ANASTACIA Palais Theatre May 7 EVERCLEAR Corner Hotel May 8 MARY OCHER Dane Certificate’s Magic Tricks, Gags and Theatre May 8 THE BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 8 SILVERSTEIN 170 Russell May 8 BEASTWARS Cherry Bar May 8, Yah Yah’s May 9 SUFFOCATION & DECAPITATED Corner Hotel May 9 CHERRY ROCK AC/DC Lane May 10 ALT-J Rod Laver Arena May 10 MOTLEY CRUE & ALICE COOPER Rod Laver Arena May 12 LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION Playhouse May 13 – 16 BAM MARGERA Corner Hotel May 15 THE HAUNTED & INSOMNIUM The Hi-Fi May 15 NICKELBACK Rod Laver Arena May 15 DANCE GAVIN DANCE Corner Hotel May 17 HERBERT Prince of Wales May 22 BILL CALLAHAN Hamer Hall May 26 HERBIE HANCOCK & CHICK COREA Hamer Hall May 28 BORIS Corner Hotel May 30 BEN HOWARD Margaret Court Arena June 1 BRIAN KENNEDY The Spotted Mallard June 4 BAD MANNERS Corner Hotel June 4 NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL Portarlington June 5 - 6 AGAINST ME! Corner Hotel June 6, June 7 EMAROSA Wrangler June 8 YNGWIE MALMSTEEN 170 Russel June 10 TV ON THE RADIO The Forum June 12, June 13 CROOKERS Prince Bandroom June 13 PALLBEARER Northcote Social Club June 19 MACHINE HEAD 170 Russell June 22 EMMYLOU HARRIS & RODNEY CROWELL Palais Theatre June 25 WAXAHATCHEE The Toff July 4

SEETHER Forum Theatre July 4 CHRIS BOTTI Hamer Hall July 5 YELLOWCARD Margaret Court Arena July 11 RYAN ADAMS Forum Theatre July 19 OF MONSTERS AND MEN The Forum July 20 JOHNNY MARR The Forum July 22 MS MR 170 Russell July 22 WOLF ALICE Corner Hotel July 23 PETER ROBINSON The Forum July 23 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS North Byron Parklands July 24 – 26 PURITY RING 170 Russell July 24 MARMOZETS Ding Dong Lounge July 25 EVERYTHING EVERYTHING & URBAN CONE The Corner July 25 TIGERS JAW Reverence Hotel July 25, July 26 (AA) BEST COAST Corner Hotel July 26 AZEALIA BANKS Prince Bandroom July 26 THE VACCINES Corner Hotel July 27 THE DISTRICTS Northcote Social Club July 27 MØ & ELLIPHANT The Corner July 28 BLUR Rod Laver Arena July 28 THE WOMBATS Palais Theatre July 28 MARK RONSON Margaret Court Arena July 29 YEARS & YEARS Howler July 30 KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS 170 Russell August 2 CHELSEA GRIN Corner Hotel August 14, Wrangler Studios August 15 (AA) MAROON 5 Rod Laver Arena September 26 KISS Rod Laver Arena October 8, October 10 NEIL DIAMOND Rod Laver Arena October 27 ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Palais Theatre October 29 HOZIER Palais Theatre October 30 AT THE GATES Friday October 30 ANATHEMA Corner Hotel October 31 AUDRA MCDONALD Hamer Hall October 31 MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER Palais Theatre September 4 POISON CITY WEEKENDER 170 Russell, Public Bar September 4, Corner Hotel, The Old Bar September 5, Reverence Hotel, Corner Hotel September 6 FLEETWOOD MAC Rod Laver Arena November 2, 4, Mt Dundeed Estate November 7 EARTHCORE Pyalong, Victoria November 26 – 30 ED SHEERAN AAMI Park December 5 TAYLOR SWIFT AAMI Park December 11

national FLOWER DRUMS Shadow Electric April 30 FLYYING COLOURS The Gasometer April 30 ONE DAY Prince Bandroom May 1 SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR Arts Centre Melbourne May 2 EPICURE Northcote Social Club May 2 KAURNA CRONIN Workers Club May 2 SOCIETY OF BEGGARS The Toff May 2 THE BOMBAY ROYALE Gasometer Hotel May 2 GIZZFEST Corner Hotel May 2 (AA), May 3 FOREST FALLS Workers Club May 6, 13, 20, 27, Workers Club Geelong May 10 PARTY AGAINST PAM The Toff May 7 ROCKNROLLA 2 Prince Bandroom May 8 MONTGOMERY Shebeen May 8 CASUAL BAND BLOGGER PARTY Ding Dong Lounge May 8 MONEY FOR ROPE The John Curtin Hotel May 9 ROOGAZE The Tote May 9 LURCH & CHIEF Howler May 9 CHERRYROCK015 featuring Red Fang, Beastwars, Child and more, AC/DC Lane May 10 CHRISTINE ANU Bennett’s Lane Jazz Club May 13 - 15 THE FUNKOARS The Workers Club May 14, 15 JOHNNY CASH IN SOLITARY Flying Saucer Club May 14 MILES AWAY Northcote Social Club May 14 PETER BIBBY Northcote Social Club May 15 COURTNEY BARNETT The Forum May 13,14,15 THE CASANOVAS Ding Dong Lounge May 15 THE JUNGLE GIANTS Howler May 15 IVAN OOZE Can’t Say May 15 JAMAICA JUMP UP The Gasometer May 16 THE GOOD SHIP The Spotted Mallard May 16 KING PARROT Corner Hotel May 16, Wrangler Studios May 17 EMERGE IN THE WEST Nicholson Street, Footscray May 16 THE TWOKS Catani Gardens, St Kilda May 16 ROSS MCLENNAN Post Office Hotel May 17 CRAFT & CULT 2015 Grumpy’s Green May 20 DAN PARSONS AND STEVE GRADY The Workers Club May 21 SAN CISCO 170 Russell May 22, Hi-Fi Bar May 23 (U18) BOB FEST Memo Music Hall May 22 - 23 THE GETAWAY PLAN Corner Hotel May 22 RAISED BY EAGLES Howler May 22 GANG OF YOUTHS Northcote Social Club May 22 CLOWNS Bar 12 May 22, The Tote June 12, Karova Lounge June 13, The Barwon Club June 27 THE PEEP TEMPEL Howler May 23 SHELLEY SEGAL Caravan Music Club May 24, Nortcote Social Club May 30 NEIL FINN Melbourne Recital Centre May 27 SUPERSUCKERS & THE BELLRAYS Corner Hotel May 29 SHE WHO ROCKS TOUR Hi-Fi Bar May 29 COOPERS AFTER DARK Shadow Electric May 29 ( VOYAGER The Evelyn Hotel May 29 JOELISTICS AND ASTRONOMY CLASS Howler May 29 BIRDS OF TOKYO 170 Russell June 3 HOT DUB TIME MACHINE Hi-Fi Bar June 5 IN HEARTS WAKE 170 Russell June 5, Arrows June 6 (U18) BEN LEE Northcote Social Club June 7 MY DISCO The Toff June 7 COSMIC PSYCHOS & DUNE RATS Chelsea Heights Hotel June 12, Max Watts June 13 HENNESSEY’S BEETHOVEN Sacred Heart College Geelong June 12 Deakin Edge June 13, Melbourne Recital Centre June 14, West Gippsland Arts Centre June 16, Peninsula Community Theatre June 20 DAN CRIBB AND THE ISOLATED Public Bar June 12 WALLAPALOOZA The Espy June 12 DEEZ NUTS Arrows June 12, Corner Hotel June 13 OSCAR KEY SUNG Howler June 13

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Beastwars

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THE AUDREYS The Spotted Mallard June 19 DALLAS FRASCA Howler June 19 BAD/DREEMS The Tote June 19 THE GOBLIN BALL Northcote Town Hall June 20 HERMITUDE 170 Russell June 19 TIM ROGERS AND THE BAMBOOS Corner Hotel June 25 THE KITE STRING TANGLE & DUSTIN TEBBUTT 170 Russell June 26 TITLE FIGHT Corner Hotel June 26 EDDIE PERFECT Melbourne Recital Centre June 26 ALPINE The Forum June 27 HARTS Ding Dong Lounge June 27 MOJO JUJU Corner Hotel June 27, Caravan Music Club July 4 DARREN COGGAN The Palms July 3 YOUTH GROUP Northcote Social Club July 3 THE CHURCH 170 Russell July 10 ICE CREAM HANDS The Evelyn Hotel July 11 JARRYD JAMES The Forum July 11 FRASER A. GORMAN Gasometer Hotel July 17 BLACK CAB The Corner July 17 JIMMY BARNES Palais Theatre July 18 MSO BACK TO THE FUTURE LIVE The Plenary November 6, 7 AC/DC Etihad Stadium December 6

Rumours: Andrew Jackson Jihad, HEALTH, The Grates = New Announcements

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

WOLF ALICE Corner Hotel

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T H E m a n y f a c es o f

COURTNEY BARNETT

By Augustus Welby, Photo by Ian Laidlaw

Generally speaking, tall poppy syndrome is an outbreak of criticism directed at one of our own (i.e. an Aussie) for becoming more than moderately successful. With this in mind, Courtney Barnett is currently a prime candidate for such a mean-spirited attack.

The Melbourne based singer/songwriter’s debut LP Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit was released in late March, whereupon it debuted at number four in the ARIA charts, as well entering the UK and US charts at 16 and 20 respectively.

Yet, in spite of Barnett’s unheralded success, the predictable wave of tall poppy syndrome hasn’t transpired. When scrutinising this anomalous exemption, there are a few key factors that can’t be ignored. Namely, not only does Barnett’s songwriting relate playful observations of day-to-day experiences, but she also seems entirely lacking in pretensions.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had much of a strategy,” Barnett says. “I don’t like the idea of trying to make people like the music you are trying to sell. I prefer people to discover the music and want to buy it to support the artist and then want to share it with their friends. Maybe that’s a bit pie in the sky, but that’s how music should be. You shouldn’t buy a record because every newspaper is telling you to buy it. You should buy it if someone shows it to you and you like it.”

Of course, anyone can feign surprise in the face of growing fame, but in Barnett’s case, this modesty appears to be a self-evident truth. For supporting evidence, you only need to look at Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit itself. First there’s the lazy Zen of the album title, which is perfectly complemented by the cover image – a pseudoimpressionist sketch of a wicker chair on a picnic rug.

But the most telling indicator of Barnett’s commercial disregard is her idiosyncratic songwriting. While it’s unnecessary to declare her an outright original, it seems patently clear the record wasn’t tailored to meet the expectations of her growing stature.

In spite of this, Barnett doesn’t approach her music with utter nonchalance. Take for instance the album’s fourth track, Small Poppies. The seven-minute slow burner starts by questioning the point of the tall poppy impulse. In the opening chorus, Barnett guardedly sings, “I don’t know quite who I am, but man I am trying / I’ll make mistakes until I get it right.”

However, as the song progresses, the lyrics shift from a two-way conversation into an internal mantra. By the final chorus, Barnett sounds empowered as she now screams those same lyrics.

This development from uncertainty into decisive selfconfidence mirrors the record’s creative process: “To be honest, I kind of freaked out when I did look at it as an album,” Barnett says. “I thought, ‘These songs aren’t going to fit together very well, I don’t know what I’m doing,’ which is how I live most of my life – not knowing what the hell I’m doing. But I just kept writing and it became clear they’re not the same but they still fit together because they’re of the same mentality.”

Chart success mightn’t be the be-all and end-all, but those aforementioned sales figures are worth a closer look. Considering Sometimes I Sit came out through Barnett’s own Milk! Records label, the ensuing fervour is even more impressive. By now, the label’s roster also includes the likes of Fraser A. Gorman and Jen Cloher.

However, when Barnett created Milk!, she simply BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

wanted something to stamp on the back of her debut EP, 2012’s I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris.

The label remains a homespun operation, and it’s fair to assume the majority of releases that surrounded Sometimes I Sit on the charts were backed by considerably larger promotional budgets. Rather than a strategic marketing plan, Barnett’s rise to international renown has been assisted by glowing critical feedback.

“I definitely have moments of self-doubt. I always have, through my entire life, but that keeps you on your toes and constantly considering who you are and where you are and your place in the world and the lucky position that we’re in. If you don’t keep check of that, I think you can lose where you are in relation to everything else.”

In the last couple of years, she’s received consistent praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Spin, NME and The Guardian. Add to that a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which saw DeGeneres name Barnett as one of her “favourite new artists”, and her unlikely breakthrough makes a little more sense.

However, the songwriter’s influential admirers can’t take all the credit. In fact, for the most part, her journey has been conducted on foot. Over the last 18 months, Barnett and her band – featuring bass player Bones Sloane, drummer Dave Mudie and guitarist/ producer Dan Luscombe of The Drones – have conducted multiple tours of the US, UK and Europe. With each return visit, larger and more rapt audiences have greeted them.

“I’m just grateful people are connecting with my music and coming to shows,” Barnett says. “I don’t know where they’ve come from or where they’ve heard the music, but it’s nice that they’re there. How ever they found out about it, they’ve obviously connected in some way.”

Prior to her inaugural overseas trip in October 2013, Barnett was still playing relatively small local shows,

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so the band’s evolution into a fulltime touring unit has happened fairly quickly. Nevertheless, looking back, Barnett wasn’t daunted about transitioning onto the world stage.

“We were always just playing it by ear and never being completely organised,” she says. “But I’ve always been happy with how we play, and then you just see how you grow as a musician. Even just playing with the same guys for the last year, we all grow in different ways. I’ve loved watching them become these amazing musicians from playing so much, but also from stepping out of the box and trying different ideas and not being scared to fuck up. It’s the point of playing music – not doing the same thing all the time and being bored of it. We always try to chuck in some kind of curve ball.”

Barnett and co. have just kicked off the entirely sold out Australian leg of their global album tour, which features her biggest Australian shows to date. The band’s appearances on the Laneway Festival earlier this year proved how adept they’ve become at commanding a mass audience.

“Big festivals are awesome,” Barnett says. “They’re really surreal to play and you feel like a bit of an imposter, but it’s fun. There is that big barrier, so there could be less of a connection, but I think in those big places, the huge bodies of people create some other kind of energy.

“It’s fun to dick around with the boys and act like an idiot in our own little space,” she adds, “but it’s funny being back stage and walking past some famous person and we just look at each other and giggle, because we’re there as well. It’s this really funny moment of being like ,‘Wow, we’re back stage with all these famous people,’ and it’s because we’re playing as well. It’s still funny and I don’t think it’s something I’ll get used to.”

Barnett’s reluctance to assert ownership over her fame shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of confidence.

Rather, in essence, songwriting and performance exist separately from one’s commercial standing. Barnett understands that sometimes it’s important to sit and think about this distinction.

“It’s art, it’s a flexible thing,” she says, “but it’s the only thing I know how to do and I love doing it and the joys and pains that come with it. I definitely have moments of self-doubt. I always have, through my entire life, but that keeps you on your toes and constantly considering who you are and where you are and your place in the world and the lucky position that we’re in. If you don’t keep check of that, I think you can lose where you are in relation to everything else.”

Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is available now via Milk! Records / Remote Control Records. COURTNEY BARNETT will performe three shows at The Forum on Thursday May 14, Friday May 15 (sold out) and Saturday May 16 (sold out).

NEW ALBUM OUT MAY 1ST

WRAPPED IN SOUL, BLENDING POETRY AND POLYRHYTHMS “Will definitely blow you away.”

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This Week: The National Gallery of Victoria will bring together some of the world’s most creative designers and publishers when it hosts the inaugural Melbourne Art Book Fair this week.

The event will showcase fine art, architecture and design publications as well as limited editions and small-run artist books. In addition to the stalls, the fair will also feature free public talks and discussions, book signings, performances and an international symposium on the future of book design and publishing. This year’s fair will be the first of a series of annual art book events developed by the NGV. 2015’s special guests include New York’s Printed Matter, a Melbourne artist book publisher, bookstore and art space Perimeter Books, independent Melbourne publisher Surpllus, independent Castlemaine publisher 3ply, Rainoff Books and Dawn Press.

A ticketed preview of the fair will take place on Friday May 1, ahead of the Saturday opening.

Those who purchase tickets will have the chance to purchase limited edition publications and engage with publishers and artists while enjoying the event’s live music, food and bars. The Melbourne Art Book Fair will take place from Friday May 1 to Sunday May 3 in the NGV’s Great Hall.

Timeshare takes Fast Forward’s comic icon Marg Downey on a trip to Paradise; a things-are-notwhat-they-seem resort from the hilarious mind of writer Lally Katz (Stories I Want to Tell You in Person). At this curious resort straddling the International Dateline, guests can claim a bonus day for free – just step back in time to the other side of the island. Directed by Oliver Butler of New York’s theatre powerhouse The Debate Society, Timeshare is loaded with Katz’s signature quirky humour and a handful of witty musical numbers, as she creates a place full of exotic temples, late night scuba diving lessons, empty infinity pools and tardy turtles. A place where time and memory effortlessly slip away. It opens tonight at the Malthouse Theatre.

Verve Studios are set to present the Stage Verve Company’s first performance season of the year, Lifepaths. In the show, four talented actors tell their own unique stories, as they explore the nature of self. Utilising the space around them and rejecting limitations of traditional theatre, the performers will both draw and create inspiration from their works. An evening not to be missed. Lifepaths will be performed in Studio 15, Level 3, 37 Swanston St, CBD from Thursday April 30 - Saturday May 2 at 7pm.

Tickets available at the door.

With Tyson Wray. Got thoughts, news, gossip, complaints or cat photos? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by carrier pigeon before Friday 12pm.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

By Augustus Welby It’s commonly thought that all of the great plays in the Western theatrical canon contain universal truths. But just what is it that underpins this reputed universality? Is it an exploration of love? Individual autonomy? Bravery? Social justice? Well, Mish Grigor and Zoë Coombs Marr, of Sydney-based performance ensemble post, believe they’ve found the answer.

“People often say ‘It’s universal,’ and we were like ‘What does that mean?’” says Grigor. “How is it possible that it’s still spoken of in that way? For us the only actual universal thing that exists in this life is death. We will all die.”

Having identified this legitimate universal truth, the pair endeavoured to examine death in a new work of theatre, Oedipus Schmoedipus. And who better to assist them with this task then the revered masters of Western theatre? To put it plainly, Oedipus Schmoedipus extracts the death scenes from several 100 timehonoured classics – appropriating the likes of Ibsen, Chekhov, Shakespeare and Euripides – and throws them together in one messy spectacle. Grigor explains the origins of the immense mash-up.

“Someone at Belvoir [Theatre, Sydney} said to us ‘Would you guys ever do a classic?’” she says. “We thought, ‘If we’re going to do the classics, we wouldn’t just do one, we’d do all of them,’ just because we’re

really big fans of impossible tasks and all of our work has elements of the impossible to it. We had to read hundreds of plays. It was interesting. It was hard work, but art is hard work isn’t it?”

Despite the mass amount of research that went into Oedipus Schmoedipus, the play’s appeal isn’t dependent upon the audience’s familiarity with the original texts: “It’s not like Shakespeare in an Hour and it’s not like a game where you’re watching one scene after the other,” explains Grigor. “We’re actually removing the scenes from context. We’re taking away the storylines, the narratives, the characters and just looking at the words in the death scenes and some of the actions in the death scenes. As long as people understand the idea that there are these great works that keep getting referred to, they’ll get something out of the show.”

Nevertheless, Oedipus Schmoedipus does sounds like it could be a mystifying viewing experience. To further grasp the nature of the play, it’s important to

PICK OF THE WEEK

Omar Musa The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will recreate Beethoven’s legendary four hour 1808 Vienna concert for one night this weekend with Beethoven: The 1808 Vienna Concert.

The musical marathon - a benefit concert for Beethoven - featured premieres of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies as well as his new piece, the Choral Fantasy. Under guest conductor Diego Matheuz, the MSO will present the entirety of the concert, with performances from the likes of Saleem Ashkar, Susan Gritton, Henry Choo and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir.

“The original concert in 1808 was a landmark of western music,” said MSO Managing Director André Gremillet. “Diego, the MSO and guest soloists aim to re-create the remarkable energy and inventiveness of that night. I know that memories of this particular night will linger long in the hearts and minds of Melbourne’s musiclovers.” Beethoven: The 1808 Vienna Concert will take place on Saturday May 2 at Hamer Hall from 5pm. Tickets are available from mso.com.au.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20

By Liza Dezfouli Beat had a chat to Omar Musa, hip hop poet, winner of the Australian Poetry Slam and the Indian Ocean Poetry Slam, TEDx speaker and now published novelist. Musa is about to perform at the Clunes Booktown Festival where, for two days in May, the village of Clunes will become temporary home to the largest collection of rare, out-ofprint, new, small-press publications, second hand and collectable books in Australia. To save things from getting too terribly nice and twee, Musa is going to, as he puts it, “light up the stage and shake people up a bit.” Is the rapper preparing anything special for the event? “I was called in at the last minute,’ he says. “So I’m not really doing anything new, although I might try out a few new verses.”

Musa says he’s noticed how his first novel (Here Come the Dogs) is getting much more attention now it’s being published in the States. “It’s the same book. The reaction has been crazy – it’s the same book – but it’s validated more cos it’s coming out in the USA.” When he talks about poetry, Musa sounds like that inspiring English teacher you had in school, the one that made all the difference. “In order to push things forward you have to read widely. You can feel it in their work if rappers only read rappers or poets limit themselves to only reading poetry, you can hear it on

stage.” He says he’s influenced by too many writers to list. “I try not to discriminate where I find my influences; writers like Cormac McCarthy, Lorca, Master Ace, Tupac, Ann Sexton, Dorothy Porter, Dorothy Hewett, Hemingway – I like that really boiled down writing when it gets to the bare emotions.”

Musa is blessed in life: his father is a well-known poet based in Indonesia who introduced his son to poetry when he was young. “When I was about eight or ten or so he took me to see W.S. Rendra [an Indonesian poet, dramatist, activist, performer and director].

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note that the lineup of borrowed death scenes aren’t woven together into a novel storyline. As is the case with all of post’s theatrical work, Oedipus Schmoedipus eschews narrative structure. Grigor describes it as more like “a big messy TED Talk”, which seeks to interrogate several traditions of Western theatre. The play’s fundamental inquiry concerns the ongoing glorification of the so-called classics.

“The question that we have is ‘Why?’” says Grigor.

“What would happen if we let it all go? Why do we need to keep apologising or putting a new framework around it so that it’s not irrelevant or racist or misogynist? Why do they have such cultural dominance, especially when so many of those texts are inherited and they’re not actually of or from our culture? They’re not speaking to contemporary concerns, which is our interest.

“We do love theatre,” she adds. “There are things that we don’t necessarily agree with in theatre, but at the same time we wanted to deal with that history – our own cultural ancestry.”

Next month Grigor and Coombs Marr will bring the death glut to Arts House. Each night, they’ll be joined onstage by a fresh batch of 25 volunteers. The inclusion of 25 unrehearsed outsiders sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Grigor’s confident things will stay on course.

“It’s absolutely the same each night, but with a cast of 25 new people,” she says. “There is spontaneity, because those people don’t know what they’re doing, but we have structured the show so that the same things happen in the same order every night.

“It’s playing with the idea of theatre and live-ness and performance and training and putting all these things in question,” she continues. “We don’t have to do very much to allow for strangeness. A lot of people come who’ve never been on a stage, so they behave strangely in that context, but they are still following a strict structure. It’s like a game – the game has rules but within that people will be themselves.”

Oedipus Schmoedipus is certainly a novel concept, and Western theatre’s conservative traditions are worth picking apart. But it sounds like a weighty evening’s entertainment.

“It’s a funny show,” Grigor reassures. “It’s not quite as serious as the subject matter might imply. It’s really making fun of some very serious things.”

Oedipus Schmoedipus will run from Wednesday May 6 to Sunday May 10 at Arts House in North Melbourne.

I didn’t know who he was but my father said to me ‘You must see this man’. I loved poetry, anyway, and my father taught me that loving poetry is not something to be ashamed of, poetry is fun, our stories matter, no matter how small, how demonised they are, he taught me never to think that stories don’t matter.” Musa found that hip hop ideal for the sorts of things he wants to say and how he wants to say them. “I was looking for a form of poetry and came across hip hop music. I listened to the hip hop poets, not so much the gangsters but people like Ace, like Tupac.”

As well as establishing himself as a performance poet and publishing two books of poetry, Musa recently published his aforementioned novel, Here Come the Dogs. “It’s a great accomplishment to write a novel,” he says, and we’re not going to argue. How did he come to write his book? “I love storytelling. Before I put pen to paper, I loved hearing stories and telling tales, but I didn’t think I had the persistence or dedication or discipline to write a novel. There were the Canberra bushfires, a cataclysmic event, and I had this image of black snow, I wanted to use that image, use it in a story, a poem, or a hip hop album so I tucked it away and then when I had some quiet time late at night I started scribbling down ideas, and put one sentence in front of another. I knew some novelists, like Christos Tsolkias, and they gave me the advice to read well and write, write, write.”

How was it for Musa moving from poetry to prose? “I had to really focus on plot and structure and propelling the narrative forward – it has a flowing episodic structure, and I got caught up in the imagery; it drove me crazy.” How so? “I had very high expectations of myself, and making the leap from poetry to prose, without any experience of writing prose, I hadn’t experimented with short fiction, I hadn’t written any short stories in-between. I was flying by the seat of my pants – it was difficult. I knew that I didn’t want to write a well-made novel that is so polished that it doesn’t unsettle the reader.”

Catch Omar Musa at Clunes Booktown Festival which takes place on Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3. Visit clunesbooktown.com.au for more details.

Arts House North Melbourne Town Hall

post

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Matthias Schack-Arnott

Fluvial

6 – 10 May Hilariously recreating several hundred of the greatest death scenes ever staged

13 – 17 May An immersive percussion installation of quivering metals, glass, stone and water

Tamara Saulwick

Kate Neal

13 – 17 May Vinyl records, reel-to-reel tape recordings and live performance by Paddy Man (Grand Salvo)

27 – 31 May Musicians and dancers synchronize bodies, music and animation with archival World War II recordings

Endings

Semaphore

Tickets now on sale! $15 – $30 Save up to 20% – visit the website for bookings and details artshouse.com.au  /artshousemelbourne  @artshousemelb  @artshouse

THE COMIC STRIP LEARN TO LIVE COMEDY GALA

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

Orry-Kelly: Dressing Hollywood

Melbourne Art Trams

Melbourne Festival have opened Expressions of Interest for their 2015 Melbourne Art Trams program. The program sees trams transformed into dynamic public artworks that will be travelled on by 1.8 million people.

Over the past few years artists such as Howard Arkley, Mirka Mora, Michael Leunig, Elizabeth Gower and Trevor Nichols have participated in this program. The project is a revival and reimagining of the much loved Transporting Art program which ran from 1978 to 1993 and resulted in 36 painted trams being rolled out across the Melbourne network. Victorian professional artists and current tertiary art and design students are encouraged to submit their artworks to the program. For more information, visit melbournefestival.com.au.

The Book of Mormon

The critically acclaimed Broadway smash has been locked in for a Melbourne opening, which will be its national debut. From the creators of South Park and Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is the most successful musical in the world today. The show has won nine Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards, including best musical. With tunes including All American Prophet, Spooky Morman Hell Dream and Tomorrow Is A Latter Day, the production has generated the highest charting Broadway-cast recording in four decades, climbing to #3 on the Billboard charts. The Book Of Mormon is scheduled for an early 2017 premiere at the Princess Theatre. For more information, head to bookofmormonmusical.com.au.

Red Stitch Actors Theatre

Chunky Move Public Dance Classes

Does the thought of hitting the dance floor send you weak at the knees? Chunky Move, Victoria’s flagship contemporary dance company, are here to help by offering public classes. The four-week beginners course has been designed specifically for adults who have never danced before. At the helm of it all is Chunky Move head honcho Jo Loyd, who has been choreographing for over ten years. For the more seasoned dancers, they will also offer an exclusive program with Chunky Move’s artistic director Anouk van Dijk. The beginner series takes place through May 21 to June 11. For more information, visit chunkymove.com.au.

THE FLICK

BY ANNIE BAKER | DIRECTED BY NADIA TASS

APRIL 28 - MAY 23

ACMI will celebrate the work of Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly with a huge exhibition this August.

Originally from the small coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales, Orry-Kelly went on to become the Chief Costume Designer at Warner Brothers Studios and designed for 285 films, including 42nd Street, Les Girls and Some Like it Hot. The exhibition will feature letters, clippings, paintings, drawings, archival footage and the spectacular costumes themselves when it opens this winter. ACMI will also screen the 2015 documentary, Women He’s Undressed, by filmmaker Gillian Armstrong. Orry-Kelly: Dressing Hollywood is a free exhibition at ACMI from Tuesday August 18 to Sunday January 17, 2016.

Cats The Musical

Cats The Musical is coming to Melbourne for a strictly limited season, opening this December. Following its triumphant season in London’s West End, the acclaimed revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s recordbreaking musical will open in Sydney before touring to Hobart, Melbourne and Brisbane. It’s one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, premiering at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The ground-breaking production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production received seven Tony awards including Best Musical. Since its world premiere, it’s been presented in over 30 countries and has been translated into 15 languages. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album. The 2015 Olivier award nominated revival was reworked for the most recent season in the West End by the original creative team.

Cats The Musical will open at the Regent Theatre on Friday December 18.

Dream Home

Dream Home, the new play by award winning writer Emilie Collyer, is coming to the Northcote Town Hall. Dream Home is a comedy about suburban life and the rude awakenings that come when you’re trying to hold it together. Brian and Wendy have invited the neighbours around for a BBQ to toast to their future. As the old flames and rogue spirits of this prime neighbourhood come snooping around with a bottle of bubbles and yet another potato salad, the night comes completely off its hinges. Brian and Wendy must reconcile their middle class aspirations against war stories, comedic roasts, fallen stars and simmering libidos. Written by Emilie Collyer (The Good Girl, Once Were Pirates) and directed by Luke Kerridge (Eurydice), Dream Home was shortlisted for both the Patrick White Award (2013) and Edward Albee Scholarship (2012). Darebin Arts Speakeasy presents Dream Home at the Northcote Town Hall from Thursday May 21 until Wednesday June 3.

Ronny Chieng

The Learn to Live Comedy Gala has revealed the details of its 2015 incarnation. Back for its third year, the gala boasts a huge lineup of Australian comics, including Adam Hills, Denise Scott, Dave Thornton, Ronny Chieng, Nick Cody, Aunty Donna and Demi Lardner. The night will also feature live music from The Tusken Raiders, plus food, a Learn to Live exhibit and a silent auction. Learn to Live is a humanitarian organisation that provides healthcare, health education, and clean water solutions to communities worldwide through the promotion of self-sustaining practices. It will take place on Friday May 29 at Thornbury Theatre.

PORTLAND HOTEL COMEDY Fiona O’Loughlin headlines Portland Hotel Comedy this Thursday. She’s the queen of Australian comedy, and she’s MCed by the upand-coming threat to the crown, Anne Edmonds, who has sold out festivals all over the place. Plus Ryan Coffey and heaps more. It’s all happening this Thursday April 30 at 8.30pm, at Portland Hotel Comedy, 127 Russell Street (upstairs), CBD, all for only $12.

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Monday nights in the city are chockers full of comedy yet again, thanks to Comedy at Spleen.

Another full house is expected, as Spleen hosts a bunch of surprise acts, including Daniel Connell, Bart Howe, Chris Dewberry and more. It’s this Monday May 4, 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.

Coming Up Oedipus Schmoedipus

Wednesday May 6 - Sunday May 10 Arts House

Metropolis New Music Festival Saturday May 9 - Saturday May 16 Melbourne Recital Centre

Fluvial

Wednesday May 13 - Sunday May 17 Arts House

Endings

Wednesday May 13 - Sunday 17 Arts House

NEON Festival of Independent Theatre Thursday May 14 - Sunday July 25 Southbank Theatre

The Waiting Room We Are The Best!

Lukas Moodysson on Film

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ACMI will celebrate acclaimed cult director Lukas Moodysson with a special spotlight season next month. The season will feature four films from the Swedish director, beginning with his smash-hit, We Are the Best!, which follows a trio of teens as they endure the trials of adolescence in the ‘80s. Other films include dark fable Lilya 4-Ever, comedy Together and 1999’s teen drama Show Me Love. Lukas Moodysson on Film will screen from Friday May 22 to Tuesday May 26.

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Friday May 15 - Saturday June 27 Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio

But Wait... There’s More

Wednesday June 17 - Sunday July 12 Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr

Dylan Moran

Monday July 27 - Thursday July 30 Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre

MSO: Back To The Future Live In Concert

Friday November 6 - Saturday November 7 The Plenary

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

Out Of The Closet

Queer happenings around town with Anna Whitelaw.

Laverne Cox

Conchita Wurst

As I’ve reached the big 3-0, more and more people have begun to ask me if I want children. Being the big 3-0, the conversation topics among my friendship circle have turned inevitably to children. Most of my straight friends are already having babies left, right and centre. Of course, for us gays, the topic of child bearing is rarely simple.

After all, even if you decide to have kids, you can’t just get knocked up the old-fashioned way so there’s so many questions. There’s the completely clueless: who asks if you can still have kids? (Answer: Um… yes). There’s the practical: “Which one of you will carry? Who will be the father or the donor? Do you go anonymous or ask some guy you know?” And then there’s frankly weird: “Why don’t you just go out and have a one night stand with a guy, and not use a condom?”

From where I sit, this lesbian couple from North Carolina in the US have taken a sensible approach.

Melanie and Vanessa Iris Roy each wanted to have children, and made a pact to each have one child, a year apart. Last year, Vanessa gave birth to their son Jax, and this year Melanie had daughter Ero to the family. Last week, they sent Instagram into a viral spin when they posted a picture of their hers-andhers matching baby bumps. When the pair posted their gorgeous photo of each of their respective pregnancies under the tag “Trading places”, it was liked over 14,000 times in just a matter of days.

The biggest LGBT news has of course been the long-awaited relegation that Bruce Jenner - former US Olympian and long-suffering patriarch of the Kardashian clan - is transgender, and undergoing gender transition to become a woman. While the gossip about Jenner’s “feminine” appearance has been swirling for months, it was empowering to see Jenner given the opportunity to have the first word on the subject. The most surprising thing was to hear that it was Kanye West who actually encouraged Kim Kardashian to accept her stepdad, making him suddenly appear ever so slightly less douchey in our eyes.

Meanwhile, in another positive sign that transgender is starting to be accepted in the mainstream, the lovely Laverne Cox appeared naked for Allure Magazine.

This week, we were thrilled to discover that Eurovision’s most interesting song contest winner since ABBA, Conchita Wurst will be heading Down Under to appear at the Logies on Sunday May 3.

Before she launches her self-titled debut album, the bearded lady of Austria will certainly make our annual TV awards fest more interesting, and remind us all of what a missed opportunity it was to give Guy Sebastian the gig as Australia’s first Eurovision contestant.

On Friday May 8, InTheDark’s gay R&B party Swagger is turning five, and celebrating with a bash at The Bottom End. For next Friday’s party, Swagger have upsized to the middle level at The Bottom End. Presales are available online from $10.

This Thursday April 30, So You Think You Can Drag? will host a drag race and face off that would do Ru Paul proud. Aspiring drag queens will have their chance to strut on stage in front of an audience, hosted by Ell Bella, for the chance to win prizes including a $1,000 People’s Choice. The preliminary finals are from 7pm at vaudeville bar Speakeasy HQ, 377 Bourke Street, CBD. Melbourne’s longstanding monthly soiree Sundaylicious will be throwing their final Sunday session of the season

News Bites.

Lazy Lunches At Saigon Sally

Saigon Sally has just launched their Saigon Sally’s Sunday lunches in classic Vietnamese yum cha style.

The sophisticated older sister to Hanoi Hannah and Tokyo Tina is calling them Lazy Susan Sundays.

Lazy Susan Sundays will include a selection of Saigon Sally’s sensational dishes and tables of three or more will be catered for with Lazy Susan’s. Head to 2 Duke Street, Windsor, for a lazy Sunday sesh.

Evening Picnics At Grub Greenhouse Ms Collins’ New World Kitchen

Ms Collins launched their new menu created by top Melbourne chefs this week. The new menu is called ‘New World Kitchen’, and has been curated

by Daniel Wilson (Huxtable), Paul Wilson (Mr Wilson) and Dan Poyner (Ms Collins). These three visionaries are the 2015 super team who have joined forces to bring the New World Kitchen concept to fruition. Each chef has created five fresh dishes in their signature style, Daniel Wilson dishes are pan-Asian, Paul Wilson’s are Latin American and Dan Poyner’s dishes are modern Australian. These worldly meals will be served at Ms Collins from 4pm until 10pm, Tuesday through to Saturday.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 24

Fitzroy’s Grub Food Van is upping its ‘luxury picnic service’ this winter by extending its kitchen hours into the evening. From Friday May 1, cosy winter dinners will be served to greenhouse glampers every Tuesday to Saturday evening. Grub’s new winter menu is made to share picnic style, while enjoying Chefs Damien Wearne (Seven Seeds) and Steve Giblett’s (The European) market-fresh, seasonal fare and a menu that encourages a shared and social dining experience best consumed by the warmth of Grub’s fire. Wash it all down with a beer, cider, coffee or cocktail brought to you by mixologist and barista Yuta Taneka (Auction Rooms). The Grub kitchen opens at 8am and will continue to serve breakfast and lunch until 5pm, when the dinner menu kicks in. Drinks and coffee are always served from 8am until close.

Got a taste for juicy grub goss? Let me know!

Tegan@beat.com.au CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

at The Wharf Hotel on the river this Sunday May 3.

From 1pm - 4pm, there will be acoustic tunes, while Djs Jason Conti, Paul Watson and KDJ kick off from 4pm.

Entry is free, and the event is inclusive.

CLOSET’s spin off CHURCH is back this Sunday for its first monthly service. CHURCH is the Sunday session for the northside. DJs Salvador Darling, CC:DISCO!, Mimi and Tali (making her debut) will grace the decks from 3pm till late. Gospel hour runs till 5pm with cheap cocktails and Bloody Marys to help wash away your sins. For details, visit facebook.com/closetpartyoz.

Got tip offs, praise, complaints or cat photos? Email closetpartymelbourne@gmail.com to be included in this column.

SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR

NOT SO SMOOTH SAILING

By Augustus Welby

Melbourne quintet Skipping Girl Vinegar have just released their third album The Great Wave. The album title foreshadows the prominent use of underwater imagery that lies within. The record was largely conceived and recorded on the Victorian south coast, but the oceanic references are less environmental descriptors than allegorical tools, used to communicate an overwhelming emotional experience.

To clarify, The Great Wave’s not wholly drenched in melancholy. In fact, it starts off with a string of upbeat, single-ready tracks. Half way through, however, there’s a conspicuous shift into more vulnerable territory.

“We’ve always made full bodies of work of songs, and sequencing is really important to me,” says frontman Mark Lang. “There are some songs later in the record that industry people were saying should be further up the record but to me, it’s much more about the flow of listening across a record and the journey you travel on through it.”

The journey encapsulated by The Great Wave specifically relates to what’s transpired in Lang’s life since the release of Skipping Girl Vinegar’s second LP, 2011’s Keep Calm Carry The Monkey. That album gave the band an opportunity to tour overseas, but upon returning home, Lang’s priorities radically shifted.

“[Keep Calm Carry The Monkey] was starting to do pretty well in the US college system,” he explains. “We travelled over there and were doing a bunch of stuff.

Then I came home – my partner and I were living in Melbourne and we’d just had a little guy. We decided we might move down the coast to see how that would feel and I’d keep writing the next record, then follow up on the US and all the things that were going on.

But about a month in from moving down here, my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, so our whole world spun.”

The Great Wave demonstrates how songwriting is an effective means for working through emotional upheaval and subsequently gaining clarity. However, once Lang learned of his wife’s illness, his creative impulse disappeared for a significant period.

“When we were going through the pit of it all, I

couldn’t write at all,” he says. “All my focus and energy was wrapped onto Sheridan and to making things as normal as possible for our little guy. I didn’t do anything for maybe seven months.”

Under regular circumstances, Lang describes himself as a “compulsive songwriter.” Thus, once the floodgates re-opened, ideas came rushing out. “I wandered into the studio one day and the song Lay With Me fell out in literally one complete pass,” he says. “From there, another song, Lost in the Heads, came very quickly. I wasn’t thinking ‘I’ve got to write a record,’ it was just an emotional thing. I think partly why those songs are so strong, and in the few shows we’ve done people have really resonated with them, is because they come from that place.”

Interestingly, Lay With Me is the album’s closing number, while Lost in the Heads sits in the middle of the song sequence. “Lost in the Heads is positioned in the centre of the record because it’s really about how life was travelling along and you make your plans, but

stuff can happen and you drop down to the bottom. We were very fortunate the fog cleared and we found our way back to land, for many people that doesn’t happen.

You scratch the surface and everyone’s struggling with something,” Lang says. “We’re all trying to work our way through things. These aren’t songs about ovarian cancer, these are songs about struggle and life and mortality and all those things.

“I was unsure about whether I wanted to release them,” he adds. “It’s been a really painful record to make on a number of fronts, but I think because the approach to it was as honest as we could – I was just making it as it happened – my hope is that it’ll be helpful for other people that are transitioning through something like this.”

SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR’s The Great Wave is available now via The Best Selling Authors Club/Secret Fox/MGM. Hear it all at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne on Saturday May 2.

total giovanni

R omanticising the dance floor Navarone Farrell Total Giovanni: ‘80s revival, disco, boogie, house, mesmeric, and just good oldfashioned kickarse. This motley crew of five Melbourne lads have been breaking hearts and reinvigorating libidos for the last eighteen months across the country, and show exponential promise. According to synth player Shattered Guru, despite the outfits and the cheese, “It’s clearly not a motherfucking joke.”

“We had this idea early on that we wanted to make [Total Giovanni] about the performance,” says frontman Vinnie D. “Before our first gig we talked about wanting Total Giovanni to happen. It’s got to be a thing that happens. And because of that, we have to be tight. ‘Cause we’re wearing weird outfits and jumping around like dickheads, the music has got to be tight.”

“Those elements – the dancing and the costumes – are part of the performance,” says Spike Punch, tête-à-tête.

“That’s how we initially clicked.”

Total Giovanni’s deep roots, going back to preschool for some members, is reflected in their onstage chemistry.

“From the age of 18 and 19 we all started going out to gigs, getting into records, throwing house parties and exploring the same styles of music at the same time,” explains Vinnie D. “Spike Punch is a flamboyant dresser from way back. We met on the dance floor. So

the rest of that stuff was pretty organic; we just had to make sure the music was up to scratch.”

“We were in a rehearsal room for a year before we played a gig,” Spike Punch confesses. “There’s no way I would have stuck around in a band for a year that didn’t play a gig unless it was for my mates,” Credenza Ford adds.

It seems clear Vinnie D is the apparent instigator and mastermind behind the band’s outlandish outfits. “It’s that idea of using your stage persona as an extension of your musical persona, and have that space to play,” he says. “Plenty of pop acts do it, but in a contemporary context most bands just go jeans and a t-shirt and play their music.”

“One of the things that’s really served us, with being able to sell out shows and play Golden Plains, is that dance music and getting gakked (read: taking copious amounts of illicit substances), is cool again. It hasn’t

been cool for ten years. But it’s actually what the kids want to do now. No one wanted to do that five years ago,” Credenza Ford grins. “I think that’s why the whole thing has snowballed so quickly,” Vinnie D ponders. “We’ve only been gigging for 18 months, but we bring that energy when we perform.

“There’s a fair lot of big personalities in this band,” he continues. “When we go to parties we want to start a dance floor or put our tunes on, and it all comes from the same spot. So we just try to do that same thing with the gigs. I’ve been so surprised at how responsive people are to that. When you start out you’re not necessarily expecting to play big profile gigs.”

When pressed about their gargantuan tour efforts,

there’s some humming and ha-ing, showing that their country-wide efforts have taken a toll. “Look, you’d be the worst fucking idiot ever if you didn’t get a kick out a bunch of people in the crowd singing the words [to your songs], says Credenza Ford. “If you can’t get off on that, then fuck off !”

is particularly enthused about getting back out on the road, affirming that she thinks there’s never been a better time to see Best Coast live.

“There are five of us now,” she says. “Brady [Miller]’s been playing drums and Brett [Mielke]’s been playing bass since we started touring The Only Place. Brady actually played drums on this record – it’s the first time we’ve made music that Bobb hasn’t played drums on. We’ve added another guitar player, Joey, who also plays keys on a couple of things. I also wanted to have a couple of songs where I didn’t play guitar, [and] I could just sing and be a frontwoman. I’m extremely comfortable with the people I’m playing with now.”

Australia will get their chance to see the band in

action this coming July, in which the band will make their debut appearance at Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass. “We love coming [to Australia] – we were just talking the other day about how we basically come once a year,” she says. “It’s been awhile since we’ve been there, and it feels weird. Outside of the U.S., it’s our favourite place to tour.”

They may’ve sold out all four of their shows, but if you get the chance, don’t miss TOTAL GIOVANNI when they hit up The Gasometer Hotel on Friday May 8, Saturday May 9, Thursday May 14 and Friday May 15. Their latest single Paradise is out now via Dot Dash / Remote Control.

BEST COAST

ONE OF THESE NIGHTS

By David James Young

It’s a love affair – mainly between the state of California and two hopeless romantics that call it their home. That’s Best Coast for you. As it was in the beginning, is now and forever shall be. “I’ve always wanted my music to be relatable to other people, even before Best Coast,” says Bethany Cosentino, the singing and guitar-playing half of the band. “When I was a teenager and I was first figuring out how to write songs, I was writing about myself all the time. It’s always been very personal. I just want my music [to be something] that people can hear themselves in.”

California Nights was recorded at Wax Ltd.’s studios in California with producer Wally Gagel at the helm. It’s a record that is as free as it wants to be – as Cosentino explains, it was created in an environment of no limitations, no bad ideas and no wrong answers.

“This is the first record that we’ve made where we were 100% in control of what we were doing,” she says.

“When we were making it, we weren’t on a label. There was nobody telling us when to be finished by or when they needed a single, there was no one coming in and out checking on us. When we were making [previous album, 2012’s] The Only Place, it felt like we were working on someone else’s schedule. It put me under a lot of pressure. This record was a lot more relaxed.

We were just making a record with our friend, taking it day by day.”

The dynamic of Best Coast is one that has remained unshaken since their 2009 formation. Cosentino provides lyrics, lead vocals, harmonies and rhythm guitar, while Bobb Bruno is in charge of arrangement, executive production and basically everything else you hear on the songs. “We would play a song and try out different parts, pedals and guitars for it,” says Cosentino. “Basically, if we liked something, we went with it. It takes a band and an artist – even a singer – a while to come into your own skin and get to the point where you can do whatever you want. This record came really fast and quite organically once we had an idea of what makes us happy.”

Extensive touring is planned in support of California Nights, with the band having already played a slew of dates in order to preview the record. Cosentino herself

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California Nights is out May 5 via Harvest/EMI, and is available for pre-order from iTunes and JB Hi-Fi. You can catch BEST COAST when they perform at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay from Friday July 24 untill Sunday July 26, or at their side show at The Corner Hotel Sunday July 26.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 27

SOCIETY OF BEGGARS

A NOVEL APPROACH TO SONGWRITING

By Rod Whitf ield

For many an artist, literature is a major source of musical inspiration. For Society of Beggars frontman Yianni Michalopoulos, their new single Hyena, and indeed, their soon to be released EP Omega, was heavily influenced by a book he’d recently read. “[Hyena] is the first song off a six track EP called Omega which we’ll be releasing later in the year,” Michalopoulos begins. “Basically, it’s based on this book I read a couple of years ago called The World in Six Songs. It was written by Daniel J. Levitin, and it sums up the ways songs present emotion and present themselves, and one of them was friendship.

“It was based on the idea that, evolutionarily speaking, back in the day tribes would wake up in the morning and start chanting together as a way to unify themselves, and to show their enemies that they were awake. They’d sing together. So [Hyena] is that kind of vibe.”

The band’s name, Society of Beggars, also has a similarly conceptual background. “My brother came up with the name,” Michalopoulos explains. “I think he liked the outlaw sound of it, mixed with the Oxford meaning of it. You can take it in a left wing or right wing way, and I like the ambiguity of that. Some people thought it was aggressive and some thought it was inclusive.”

The band are set to launch Hyena on Saturday May 2 at The Toff in Town, and Michalopoulos guarantees a

show that is will get you movin’, groovin’ and possibly a little messy.

“We’re excited,” he enthuses. “It’s a classy place, The Toff. We’re looking forward to playing with The Elliots and John Citizen – they’re both awesome rock’n’roll bands – we can’t wait. “[Our live show] can get pretty rowdy,” he says.

“There’s a lot of dancing. It can also get emotional, but in a good way. It’s very lively, a lot of energy, and a lot of dancing. That’s the main thing, people dancing and having a good time to some rock’n’roll.”

For Society of Beggars, their launch signals the beginning of a busy time for the band, who’re set to release another single before the full EP is released later in the year. “[We’ve got] more video clips coming out and some cool shows to announce later on in Melbourne, and a few interstate.” he describes.

Longer term, the band have big plans and goals for themselves over the next two to five years, including adapting the way they do things in the constantly

changing and moving industry.

“Well, our plans are to keep building and progressing,” he says. “The way you have to run bands these days is so different to what it used to be. I don’t think cocaine and private jets is going to happen.

“I think anyone under the age of 50 has just had to work harder in a lot of ways. We’ve just had to build our brand while building our band, and make something

that can continuously progress and become self sufficient.”

down at Luna Park, so we’ll be performing on that.”

Inoue feels the future is looking very bright for Clusterfunk. “Right now we’re just in a really good space with writing and enjoying playing live,” he enthuses. “The ball just keeps rolling. It’s a great place to be in with the band at the moment.

“I don’t think we’ve decided we’re going to dominate the world or anything, we just want to play shows to as many people as we can. We just like having good times,

making good music and trying to get as many other people enjoying the music as we can.”

SOCIETY OF BEGGARS launch their debut single Hyena on Saturday May 2 at The Toff in Town, with support from The Elliots and John Citizen.

CLUSTERFUNK

I N YO UR FACE F UNK

By Rod Whitf ield

While Clusterfunk may be five boys playing that funky music, they tend to put a little twist on the funk aesthetic. With multiple members of Clusterfunk formerly in the band One – an alternative rock outfit who made quite a name for themselves in Melbourne’s hard rock circles – Clusterfunk inject some serious energy into their slick grooves.

Bassist Tad Inoue, speaking from the band’s rehearsal room in Preston, fills us in.

“The three of us in the rhythm section were all in a heavy band which was pretty serious,” Inoue says, “but then we decided to go down the funk line. So we started the funk band, we got a horn section in and started playing shows.

“Because we’ve got that rock background, we’re a bit rawer than your average funk band,” he describes. “The music we play ranges, hence the Clusterfunk name. We go from James Brown one minute to Red Hot Chili Peppers the next. We’re trying to keep it more funk than anything else, but there’s no hiding the rock roots.

We get some pretty fat riffs happening. It’s definitely funk, but it’s more raw and in your face.”

Inoue feels the band’s rock’n’roll history is what sets Clusterfunk apart from many other funk outfits doing the Melbourne rounds. “I think there’s a lot more energy in how we execute it than the average funk band,” he suggests. “Most [funk bands] come from a jazz background, so it’s more technical. We’re coming

from that other side of the fence.”

Punters will be able to feel Clusterfunk’s onstage energy when they play on Friday May 1 at The Purple Emerald’s ‘What the Funk Fridays’ series; the High Street venue’s brand new funk night, running every Friday. Clusterfunk are next in line to bring their gutsy grooves to Northside audiences.

“Each week The Purple Emerald have been having different funk bands on,” says Inoue. “They kicked it all off at the start of March, and it’s been successful.

It’s great to see a Northside venue promoting this style of music.”

Although Clusterfunk have been performing for just over a year, the band has big plans for the future. “We’re going to lay down a recording,” Inoue reveals. “We’re going to start promoting for the summer festival circuit next year. We’re also locking in a show for Beyond Blue.

They’ve been travelling around Australia for the last six months, and they’ve got their final party on May 31

What The Funk Fridays, featuring CLUSTERFUNK, returns to The Purple Emerald, in Northcote Friday May 1 with free entry.

MELBOURNE FOR VANUATU – A PARTY AGAINST PAM

On March 6, Tropical Cyclone Pam hit the island nation of Vanuatu. It is regarded as one of the worst national disasters to have hit our island neighbours, with the Vanuatu Government estimating that half the population (166k people) have been severely affected. To put this in perspective, this means 50-90% of homes are either totally destroyed or seriously damaged. We caught up with Andrew Mellody and Nicole Precel, the organisers for local fundraiser event Melbourne For Vanuatu – A Party Against Pam, to be held on Thursday May 7 at The Toff In Town that will send all profits made on the night to help locals rebuild their lives.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 28

What does Category 5 mean exactly and how have current residents been affected?

Nicole: Category 5 is highest classification for cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere and Pam is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. Category 5 cyclones cause widespread destruction, with winds stronger than 280km/h. A major issue is food as most of the island communities are self-sustainable and rely on what they can grow themselves.

Why did you want to get involved in the fundraising and rebuilding process?

Andrew: I think like anyone, when you see a natural

disaster on the news you want to do something to help. In this case, I have a strong personal connection as my family have lived on Epi Island for almost two decades and experienced the cyclone first hand.

Nikki and I knew that after the initial media spotlight on Cyclone Pam died down there would still be an ongoing need to support Vanuatu.

What have you got planned exactly to help with relief efforts and when?

Nicole: We have two events planned and have also just started a crowdfunding campaign that you can visit via chuffed.org/project/melbourneforvanuatu.

The first and main event is Melbourne For Vanuatu – A Party Against Pam - a huge night of music and comedy at The Toff In Town on Thursday May 7.

The second is a Trivia Night in Melbourne CBD on Saturday May 16.

Tell us more about the Melbourne For Vanuatu show at The Toff In Town on Thursday May 7.

Andrew: We have the amazingly talented Kylie Auldist & The Glenroy All Stars, Melbourne tenpiece soul sensations The Cactus Channel, comedy legends Tripod, beloved groovers The Sugarcanes, Skyscraper Stan, Sweets and The Ivory Elephant who are sure to get your toes tapping and make this a fun and meaningful night. Award-winning comedian Tegan Higginbotham is MC and will be hosting the raffle and a live auction of celebrity memorabilia with current donations from Gotye, The Cat Empire, John Butler Trio and Guy Pearce.

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Why should we get down and support?

Andrew: 100 per cent of the money made goes to local relief and rebuilding efforts in remote Vanuatu communities.

Where can we purchase tickets?

Nicole: Head to moshtix.com.au and search “Melbourne For Vanuatu” in the search bar and it will come up or visit the thetoffintown.com/tickets to easily find the event page.

Any opportunities to get involved with helping out Melbourne For Vanuatu show or any other Cyclone Pam relief efforts?

Andrew: We would love your help in spreading the word. Join the FB page and event below and please share it with your friends and family.

MELBOURNE FOR VANUATU – PARTY AGAINST PAM will be held at The Toff In Town from 7pm on Thursday May 7. Tickets are $30 from Moshtix and The Toff in Town website. Visit facebook.com/MelbourneForVanuatu for more information and links to the event page.

MÖTLEY CRÜE

BI DDI NG US A FOND FAREWELL

By Peter Hodgson

The rock world needed Mötley Crüe right when they came along. Led Zeppelin were gone, Van Halen were too fun, Black Sabbath were too dark and punk didn’t have enough sex. So the Crüe stepped in to fill the void. They were loud. They were glitzy. They sang about the devil like Black Sabbath, and getting laid like Van Halen. It felt like Mötley Crüe would beat up all the dudes, bang all the chicks then party til dawn.

There were some hiccups along the way - a fatal car accident involving vocalist Vince Neil, a heroin overdose for bass player/primary songwriter Nikki Sixx, tabloid fame and jail time for drummer Tommy Lee, a debilitating spinal condition for guitarist Mick Mars, a grunge-influenced album with a different singer and unprecedented mega-scale tours.

And now it’s over. Mötley Crüe are putting an end to the madness once and for all. The band is swinging

by Australia one last time to lay waste to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth with Alice Cooper as main support. And then that’s it. No more Crüe for you. Once upon a time, Lee says, the band considered it a huge, huge deal to book a trio of shows at the Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip; now those days seem a million years ago. “It’s so weird, man. It’s weird to even explain. It’s the most bizarre, multi-emotional thing. Shit, man. We came, we saw, we kicked its arse and we’re gonna walk away from this thing with the legacy intact.”

Lee is already planning his life away from Mötley Crüe, and although he’s released his own music in the past

(including his Methods of Mayhem band), in a way, his new creative freedom started last year when he recorded the drums for the latest Smashing Pumpkins album. “That was cool. Billy just said, ‘Man, do your thing.’ He told a funny story where he was sitting there working on the demos and he said to the other guitar player, Jeff Schroeder, ‘I want it to sound like a Tommy Lee groove right here.’ And Jeff goes ‘Well, why don’t you just fuckin’ call him, dude?’ That’s when I got the call from Billy, it was so cool. I’m sitting there tracking the drums and I look into the studio at Bill and I see him jumping up and down so excited. That for me was like, ‘Okay, this is the shit now.’ It was good stuff, man.”

And beyond drums and vocals, Lee is a multiinstrumentalist. “When I was about 12-yearss old I was taking piano lessons and I was playing marching drums in the marching band. I was getting frustrated, pissed off, ‘This isn’t what I wanna do. Basically I wanna rock shit. I’m not feeling this piano business.’ So I got my mum and dad to help me out and buy a little Epiphone or something, some not-so-great guitar and a secondhand amp, and I just remember getting my hands on

that thing and turning the distortion all the way up and going, ‘Fuck yeah’.”

I couldn’t let Lee go without asking about the 1994 Mötley Crüe album with John Corabi on vocals. “It’s huge! Honestly dude, it’s one of my favourite Crüe records. Sonically, the songs and the playing on that record is gnarly. We worked our arses off on that record.

We had so much to prove: Vince was gone, we had a new singer who also plays guitar and writes and he brought a whole new element to this. But once fans are used to a certain thing, they just didn’t want to

know about any other version of Mötley Crüe. That’s understandable but when you break it down, that record still sounds rad today.”

strange and doesn’t make sense to anybody but it really works is, there was this 20” Gretsch concert tom that we stacked on top of this other floor tom, and we use my floor tom as my kick. So when you stack two drums on top of each other and just hit the one, you get this sound that’s super-deep and super-thuddy. And that’s just something weird that we tried and now I’ve been doing it the last three times I recorded.”

There are a couple of notable guests on the album; Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. “I should first say that I didn’t actually sit in a room with Brian Wilson and work with him,” Shuman clarifies. “The process started because Zach was asked to play bass on the new Brian Wilson record. He played on a song and it went really well so he asked Brian to return the favour and sing

on our record.” So the band sent Wilson the song Any Emotions to work with. Wilson, who likes to work alone, sent back his parts. “He gave us a lot of stuff,” Shuman says. “You don’t like cutting Brian Wilson but we had to. He gave us so much stuff and it was all amazing and brilliant. Five-part harmonies everywhere.

Vintage Brian Wilson. So in the end I didn’t sit in the room with him but honestly, it’s still just as crazy to have him on your record and have it forever. It’s wild.”

MÖTLEY CRÜE will bring down Rod Laver Arena for their Final Tour Tuesday May 12 and Wednesday May 13, supported by the one and only Alice Cooper.

Tickets available from Ticketek.

M I N I mansions

AVOI DI NG T H E SOP HOMORE CURSE

By Peter Hodgson You know what they say. “You have all your life to write your first record and six months to write the second.” Los Angeles trio Mini Mansions - Michael Shuman, Zach Dawes and Tyler Parkford - have managed to sidestep the ‘sophomore curse’ pitfall by both choice and fate: all three band members have plenty going on outside the band, including multi-instrumentalist Shuman’s other gig, Queens Of The Stone Age. Their 2010 selftitled debut album was an emotive, eclectic release which wandered around between various genres while tying them together with an overall psychedelic tinge. Five years later and the band has released the follow-up, The Great Pretenders. And while there’s still a sense of ‘60s-ness about the record, there’s more of the new wave pastiche hinted at by the debut. It’s more direct and more pop, yet also more complex and more nuanced.

“This is just how it evolved,” Shuman says. “It just constantly evolves. I don’t know if you heard our first EP we put out but the first record is a world different from that, and this is different from the first record. It’s just naturally becoming more comfortable in our roles in the band - especially for me. I mean, I didn’t even play drums before I started the band, and I have a better idea now about how I want my drums to sound. I think the same goes for Zach and his [guitar effects] pedal board. This is a very dark record lyrically, but musically we wanted to make it more upbeat and more fun to play live than our previous record did,” Shuman says.

One particularly noticeable evolution in the band’s sound is the prominence of the drums. “Most of the records I like to listen to are very rhythm section-centric and heavy, and that’s the way I like a lot of my mixes too. I like Beatles mixes where the rhythm section is not that loud, but I really like to listen to mixes with loud drums.” The album was recorded at Woody Jackson’s Vox Recording Studios in Los Angeles, one of the oldest studios in LA. But it turns out that sonically, one of the most distinctive elements of the band’s sound is one of the simplest. “One thing we did that I’ve done on the last few recordings and which is really

MINI MANSIONS’ latest album The Great Pretenders is out now via Capitol Records / Caroline Australia.

Epicure – TRACK BY TRACK – the goodbye girl

To celebrate the re-release of their hit album, The Goodbye Girl, on vinyl through Heart of Rat records, Epicure’s singer/songwriter Juan Albarn walked us through each track.

1. Goodbye Girl A friend of mine at the time often referred to herself as ‘The Goodbye Girl’ in reference to a string of bad break ups she’d recently gone through, and I loved that title, but I wrote the narrative from the perspective of a character not long for this world, whose idea of happiness was waiting for him on the other side, or at least, elsewhere.

2. Armies Against Me We recorded and released Armies as a single to little fanfare in November of 2002. But a well timed

email from our former manager to one of the music directors of triple j asking him to give it spin, changed everything. I later heard the only other time triple j had had such an overwhelming response to a song by a new Australian band was the first time they played Tomorrow by Silverchair. Within a year we’d toured stadiums supporting American arena-rock bands Live and Train, and played the Falls Festival and Big Day Out. Armies came in at number 21 on the triple j Hottest 100 that year.

3. Firing Squad I remember one reviewer in Beat Magazine saying it sounded like Live (the same Live we’d toured with a year earlier) and I remember being horrified.

Nevertheless it was the lead single when the album was released, debuted at #1 on triple j’s request fest,

and always went down well live even if it did sound like er… Live.

4. Sunlight Oh to be young and feel love’s keen sting. Sigh.

5. So Broken I remember the first time I showed this to the guys and we played it through we were like, ‘Yeah, this is awesome. It sounds a bit like The Dead Salesman.’ It doesn’t.

6. Life Sentence I wrote this around the same time as Armies Against Me. I especially love Dom’s drum fill that comes in a bar too late when the last chorus kicks in. The song was our follow up single to Armies and the EP of the same name spent a few weeks in the ARIA top 100 singles chart. It also made triple j’s Hottest 100 at no.73 in 2003.

7. Twelve Months of Winter One of the last tracks written for the album, and for a long time my favourite. By this stage I’d fallen deeply under the alt-country spell.

8. Clay Pigeons Entering dangerous power ballad territory here. There is some magic in Dan’s guitar work though, and I was writing the lyrics when visiting landmarks in our hometown.

9. Self Destruct in 5 The very last song written for the album, and pretty pop by Epicure standards. Initially it had a distinct reggae feel, but I’ve always considered reggae to be the

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devil’s music so we gave it the Jack Johnson treatment instead. Which is of course still the devil’s music. The song came in at no. 64 on the Hottest 100 that year.

10. Rainy Day One of the earliest songs on the album and almost didn’t make the album. But Dean Shannon’s solo on the keys is incredible and was a feature of our live shows at the time.

11. No-one’s Listening This song lives strongest in my memory because of the way Heath McCurdy played it. Heath joined the band mid-tour as we were launching the album around the country. His first show was sold out at The Corner Hotel, with about a week to learn the songs.

12. Distant Seas A sad song about a very definite goodbye… a bittersweet way to end. Dan’s guitar is beautiful on this. Our best is already behind us but we don’t know it yet.

13. Over Her Shoulder Originally the ‘secret’ track on the album which rightfully takes its place as a proper track on the vinyl re-issue, and on reflection it’s one of the best songs we wrote. It was written by Dan and myself, with healthy nods to Dave Rawlings and co.

EPICURE launch The Goodbye Girl 2LP at Northcote Social Club on Saturday May 2 and Karova Lounge, Ballarat on Saturday May 16.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 29

PL ASTERED

40 YEARS OF ROCK’N’ROLL HISTORY

By Patrick Emery Nick Vukovic has a lot of rock’n’roll posters and ephemera – thousands, in fact, ranging from promotional programs for American expatriate Lee Gordon’s ground-breaking rock’n’roll tours in the 1950s through posters of the modern era. But there is one particular poster that Vukovic is especially fond of: Ian McCausland’s rare and highly sought after poster for The Rolling Stones’ 1973 tour of New Zealand.

“The Australian tour poster is very famous and well known in Australia and internationally, but the tour poster of New Zealand is much less known but extremely valuable on the international market,” Vukovic says. “The poster I have was signed by Mick Jagger – the signature is from 1973, and is different to the signature of the 2000 period. Even Bill Wyman wanted the poster to put in his restaurant in England.”

Vukovic’s interest in music posters came about almost inadvertently. In the late 1970s Vukovic had acquired a large and valuable collection of postcards from a shop in Amsterdam. A number of years later, after selling his postcard collection to pay off some debts, Vukovic caught sight of a rock’n’roll poster underneath a Melbourne railway bridge. As a professional valuer, Vukovic saw financial potential in this oft-neglected art form. “I found the source, who the printer was, and told him that if he wanted to donate some of his posters under a tax incentive scheme, I could do a deal for him,” Vukovic says.

After completing this initial transaction Vukovic was hooked on collecting rock’n’roll posters, gradually accumulating the 4000-odd strong collection over which he now presides. “Even today, I’m 72 and I’m still buying – even this morning a big parcel came from Sydney,” Vukovic laughs. While he’s aware of the significance and financial value of his collection, Vukovic’s principle interest is artistic. “I am very interested in design, and I’m approaching my subject from a colour point of view – I don’t judge the posters because of the bands that are featured,” Vukovic says.

The chronology of Vukovic’s collection coincides with the emergence of rock’n’roll in Australia, with posters featuring the artists brought to Australia by Lee Gordon almost 60 years ago. The collection also provides a journey through the artistic development of the rock’n’roll poster. Vukovic’s collection led him a few years ago to collaborate with his friend Murray Walding on a book, Plastered: The Poster Art of Rock’n’Roll, which featured a wide range of posters from his collection.

Vukovic was also a major source of posters for Michael Gudinski’s Every Poster Tells A Story: 30 Years of Frontier Touring Company.

In addition to Ian McCausland, Vukovic cites Phil Pinder and Graeme Webber amongst his favourite poster artists. “Graeme Webber did the famous poster of Angus Young in the toilets with a joint in one hand, and the other hand holding a can of CocaCola,” Vukovic says. “A friend of mine told me the other day, that poster has been printed in Russia in the thousands.” While Vukovic retains special affection for the rock’n’roll posters of the 1970s – many of which have been re-printed with the original artist’s permission – he also recognises the artistic merit of later designs. “I have a four sheet – 1.5 metres by two metres – featuring Archie Roach. It’s so beautiful, so

Aboriginal rock’n’roll. Incredible.”

This week The Old Bar in Fitzroy will host a select exhibition of Vukovic’s posters. The exhibition stems from Vukovic’s desire to continue to involve his two daughters, one of whom contributed the introduction to Plastered and who sifted through Vukovic’s posters to find a selection that would be appropriate for a local audience. “Milli has chosen the posters because of both their artistic value, and also the period, which is 1970s and 1980s,” Vukovic says. “There are also some posters for sale – Johnny Cash, Meanies, Hard-Ons. They are very interesting, with great colours.”

“We’ve started writing our third album now and it’s very exciting times. I like that we’ve got the first two albums out of the way, so now we can focus on the third - and as a band we’re rising to the challenge and growing together. I promise you will hear new stuff at these shows. As a whole we’re more confident - it’s a confidence we’ve been given by our fans, it’s not something we just have. We’re given it by people who buy our records and come to our shows.”

Anyone who has seen a Beastwars show will know that it’s a full-blown assault on the senses. “Nothing beats going to a gig – people love to watch their favourite

band on YouTube but that never ever translates the emotion and aggression of a live show. It’s like a moving Polaroid of what’s happening. You can’t understand what people are feeling in that room – it’s an intangible entity.”

I started jamming with Justin a lot, who is a really great rock’n’roll guitar player, he’s really minimal like me but is probably more classic ‘70s rock, like early Aerosmith and The ‘Stones, whereas I have got more of that mid’80s post punk thing going on.

“The more I went along with writing this music, I felt like starting a band and dropping my name off completely because everything I have done since I was 23 has had my name on it,” he laughs. “I just didn’t see any advantage in using it anymore, except to have people wanting me to play fucking Make Me Smile.” (Nick Barker and The Reptiles mainstream breakthrough came in 1989 off the back of their cover of the Steve Harley & The Cockney Rebels classic).

The Heartache State’s self-titled debut it’s a seriously accomplished album that belies the fact it is a debut, as it is far from the first time the four members have

recorded an album. The remaining two members of The Heartache State is drummer Steve ‘Venom’ Brown and bass player Michael Hubbard.

Barker reveals that on an innate level, The Heartache State’s self-titled record they’re launching on Saturday May 9 at Cherry Bar was heavily inspired by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. “I am a huge Crazy Horse fan and I have read a lot of [Young’s] books where he talks about recording and about how he makes records and why he makes them and that was what I was on about with this record, a Crazy Horse ethic.”

PLASTERED will run till Saturday May 9 at The Old Bar. Visit the exhibition Facebook page for more information.

B E A S T WA R S

MONST ERS OF H EAVY RO CK

By Natalie Rogers New Zealand’s own Beastwars are heading back across the ditch to wage a battle at AC/DC Lane’s CherryRock015. “There’s no festival in New Zealand like it,” says frontman Matt Hyde. “The characters that the event attracts and the people who put it on make it unmissable. When James [Young, music promotor and Cherry Bar owner] asked us back again there was no way we’d turn him down.”

All bands were reportedly hand-picked by Young - and Hyde couldn’t be happier. “James has great taste - he’s lined up an incredible bunch of bands. Australia’s been really good to us. Being from New Zealand and so far away from the rest of the world and to be embraced

by James and all the people at CherryRock has been immensely beneficial. He’s been our champion in Australia and particularly in Melbourne.

“We had an amazing reaction last time we were there.

It was greatly unexpected, because at our first solo show in Sydney we only played to fifteen people. So when we went to Melbourne and it was packed, it was pretty awesome.”

Beastwars put the capital H in heavy music - but that’s not exactly how Hyde sees it: “For me it’s soul music it’s who we are. Sometimes we get tired of being called metal or sludge. It goes back to when I first heard Led Zeppelin - it’s hard rock. I don’t think we’re that heavy, I think we’re just right.

“It’s right for us and it feels good. I’ve always been a

rock fan, I just love rock music. If people want to call it metal, sludge or whatever - it’s just loud and it’s an expression of who we are.”

Their sophomore album, Blood Becomes Fire, is their latest release and like any self-respecting rock album it’s available on vinyl, and according to Hyde it’s the only way to hear it. “We get them pressed in the States and when they arrive from such a faraway place, there’s nothing like it. A record is a beautiful time capsule.

You put it aside for a while but then you revisit it.

It’s a reminder of peoples’ journeys - it’s that memory of where you were and what you were doing, like a soundtrack to life. To celebrate International Record Day I went out and bought a Nick Cave record. I couldn’t resist.”

Life for Beastwars is pretty bright right now with a new album in the works, more freedom creatively and finally getting recognition in the big smoke. “We’re definitely selling a lot more t-shirts in Australia lately, which is good,” Hyde jokes.

BEASTWARS are taking stage at Cherry Bar on Friday May 8, and at Yah Yahs on Saturday May 9 with Horsehunter supporting both shows, and then finishing off a beast of a weekend at CherryRock015 on Sunday May 10. Blood Becomes Fire is available now.

T he heartache state

AU S T RA LI A N RO CK LEGEND SEEKS REI NVEN T ION

By Dan Watt Melbourne local Nick Barker is on the run. He is trying to get some distance between himself and someone he knows very well… Nick Barker. Throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s as blues-rock outfit Nick Barker and The Reptiles, Barker was widely regarded as the top pick in the new guard of Australian rock’n’rollers alongside names like Tex Perkins and Paul Kelly. In 1994 Barker disbanded The Reptiles and started releasing music as Barker, releasing the commercially successful and critically lauded Happy Man that featured the brooding Australian grunge classic Time Bomb. His rise to prominence had begun in the early 1980s as bass player for post-punk outfit The Wreckery and pinnacled in 1994 with Barker; he then went on to release four more albums as Nick Barker with the last being Back Water Blues (2009).

However, having always been in it for the music, the burden of expectation has weighed heavily on Barker for the best part of the last 15 years. So it is with great gusto and enthusiasm, Barker can talk about his new band that does not reference his first or last name, The Heartache State, that he began with long time collaborator Justin Garner.

“Justin is a guy from Adelaide that I have been playing BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 30

with for a really long time. He was in a really good rock’n’roll band called Southpaw and I produced their album, then he moved over here and was part of my last record [Back Water Blues]. Since then we have been faffing around for the last couple of years,” he explains.

“I just wasn’t that jazzed about anything. I was like, ‘I can do another Nick Barker record and then it’s like another Nick Barker record.’ I was just in doldrums. So

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

The Heartache State is out now through Plus One Records. THE HEARTACHE State play Cherry Bar on Saturday May 9 with Halfway (Brisbane). Tickets available through cherrybar.com.au

Against Me!’s upcoming tour with Joyce Manor has to be my most hotly anticipated tour of 2015 so far. The band haven’t toured since they released their incredible album Transgender Dysphoria Blues and it was probably the best album of last year. Their sold out show at The Corner Hotel has secured Ceres as supports and the Sunday June 7 gig has attracted new Poison City Records ensemble Pale Heads. Tickets still remain for that one, so jump to it. Now. So Ryan Adams is heading here with his new band The Shining, but he also plans on doing a couple of solo shows while he’s in the hemisphere. He’s going to join Jenny Lewis for two shows only, one of which will be at The Forum on July 19. This will be incredible.

Gold Coast’s Prepared Like A Bride will tour down the east coast on a weeeee mini tour next month.

Catch them at Bang! on Saturday May 30, or chuck an afternoon mosh at the all ages Wrangler show on Sunday May 31.

Owen is touring. Yes, he of American Football fame will perform just two shows in Australia, one of which will be at Northcote Social Club on Thursday July 9.

Tickets are available now. Worth seeing. Do it.

New York hardcore kings Agnostic Front have launched a kickstarter to help finish their new documentary, the modestly titled, The Godfathers Of Hardcore. They’ve almost reached their $15,000 goal which will let them create a film about “two of the most respected men in underground music”, Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma. The top pledge of $2500 will buy you the credit of Executive Producer’ on the film… and a poster.

Clowns’ upcoming tour with Summer Blood will be a backbreaker for the road-weary punk rock warriors. They’ve toured relentlessly with American Sharks before running straight to the US for a stack of shows, and now this headlining tour is set to be bigger than their previous ones combined. See them play at CherryRock in May, then at The Loft with Max Goes To Hollywood (Friday May 15), or Bar 12 in Frankston with Cold Ground, Hungry Lungs, Jobstopper and Meat Bikini (Friday May 22), or at The Tote with Scalphunter and Uncle Geezer (Friday June 12), or at Karova Lounge with Wolfpack (Saturday June 13) OR at Musicman Megastore in Bendigo with Oh Pacific, Mudslide, Past Present (Friday June 26). Spoiled. For. Choice.

US band Circa Survive will tour this May with electronic trio PVRIS. The pair have only scheduled four Australian shows, two of which will go down at 170 Russell next month. See them on Thursday May 21 or Friday May 22. Both shows are overage. Sorry kids.

CORE GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY APRIL 29:

• Twinspeak, Lamb Boulevard, Reilly Fitzalan, Dead Arrows, Blood Orange at The Bendigo

THURSDAY APRIL 30:

• A Wilhelm Scream, Anchors at The Evelyn • You Me At Six, Luca Brasi at HiFi Bar • Northlane, Hellions, Storm The Sky at Commercial Hotel • Perspectives, Surrender, Dear Seattle, The Evercold at Next • Sudden State, Black Mayday, Espionage, Requiem, Furious George at The Bendigo

FRIDAY MAY 1: • • • •

A Wilhelm Scream, Anchors at The Evelyn The Shrine at Cherry Bar Twerps, Free time, Terrible Truths at The Tote Apart From This, Outlines, Have/Hold, Oh Pacific at The Bendigo • Northlane, Hellions, Storm The Sky at Chelsea Heights Hotel • Luca Brasi at Barwon Club, Geelong

SATURDAY MAY 2: • • • • • • • • • • •

Luca Brasi at Pelly Bar Georgia Maq, Jess Locke at The Old Bar Ace Frehely at The Forum Have/Hold, Slowly Slowly, Jeffers Limit at The Penny Black Twerps, The UV Race, Heirphants at The Tote Antiskeptic, Alibrandi, Turn South at Bang Turbobelco, The Vee Bees, Grindhouse, Dukes of Deliciousness Renegade Armada, Death By Siz at Wrangler Studios Crowned Kings, Born Free, Southpawhc, Caged Grave, Cold Ground, Vicious Cycle, Rust Proof, Two Faced and More at The Bendigo Groovin The Moo at Prince Of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo Brittle Bones, Daybreak, My Piranha, Crow Bait at The Reverence

SUNDAY MAY 3:

• The Ramshackle Army, Killamedic, The Murderballs, The What Sorrys, Cosmic Kahuna, The Unhinged & The Wash at The Bendigo

NEW FAITH NO MORE KICKS ARSE

As I sit here typing this week’s column, I’m listening to an advance of the new Faith No More album, Sol Invictus.

Look for a review here in Beat around the time of the Friday May 15 release date, but for now I’ll just say this: unless you’re one of those people who finds comfort in familiarity, you’re gonna love it. Faith No More have never made any two albums that sounded alike and this is no different; it sounds like Faith No More but not like any Faith No More you’ve heard before. Just like every other new album. And they’ve very cleverly stacked most of the already-heard tracks near the end of the album, saving us from that, ‘Aww I’ve already heard this’ feeling when a band pre-releases a bunch of tracks from early in the track list.

OH, AND SPEAKING OF FAITH NO MORE…

Rhino Records is celebrating the back-to-back classic albums that helped establish Faith no More’s musical legacy with Deluxe Editions of The Real Thing and Angel Dust. Each album will be offered as a two-disc CD set that includes the original release accompanied by a second disc filled with rarities related to the album. Both will be available on Friday June 12, 2015.

In addition to the CD set there will also be a double LP, 180gm heavyweight black vinyl format of each album, featuring the original album and a selection of the rarities related to each. The release date of the vinyl formats is planned for August. Howzabout a King For A Day …Fool For A Lifetime reissue next featuring the live show the did a couple of years ago with Trey Spruance back on guitar just for that gig?

ACE FREHLEY THIS WEEKEND

Don’t forget: the one, the only, the legendary Ace Frehley is in town this weekend. The KISS axeman plays on Saturday May 2 at The Forum Theatre. Tickets are on sale now. Frehley is supporting his new album Space Invader and will be playing solo tracks as well as KISS klassics.

SATYRICON TAKE YOU TO THE OPERA

Unrestrained pioneers. Avantgardists. K.I.N.G.s – all this and more is the nature of the primal force and the dark beauty that is Satyricon. Front icon Satyr and drummer extraordinaire Frost have broken loose from the shackles of genre restrictions a long time ago and chose to tread their own paths exclusively. On albums such as Volcano,

Now, Diabolical or The Age Of – sometimes even on stage – the Norwegians have collaborated with orchestras and choirs again and again. Now Satyr`s most grandiose dream became flesh with Live at the Opera. On September 8 2013 Satyricon shared the stage with the Norwegian Opera Choir in Oslo – a monumental extravaganza that has been captured on DVD and two bonus- CDs as a whole. It’s out on Friday May 1 via Napalm Records.

LET THERE BE TALK

If you haven’t heard it yet you have to check out comedian (and huge AC/DC fan) Dean Delray’s podcast, Let There Be Talk. Dean’s a rocker from way back and he has plenty of great music guests. Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen, Don Dokken, Duff McKagan, Dweezil Zappa, Brendon Small and dozens more. You can hear it on iTunes and on allthingscomedy.com. I saw him perform at The Comedy Store in LA earlier this year and I laughed my arse off.

GRAVE PLEASURES NAMES NEW DRUMMER, SIGNS WITH SONY

Grave Pleasures - formerly known as Beastmilk - now complete their impressive and illustrious lineup with new drummer Uno Bruniusson (co-founding member of now laid to rest Swedish band In Solitude, drummer for Procession). And the band has just signed a record deal with Sony Music, including Sony Music Australia.

They’re now heading into the studio with Tom Dalgety, and frontman Mat McNerney says we can, “expect a recording of raw, wild, intense and desperate punk that could ignite any dank bunker or collapse a stadium.”

THE SMITH STREET BAND ANNOUNCED ON READING & LEEDS FESTIVALS

Whoa. Awesome news for Melbourne troubadours The Smith Street Band. They’ll return to Europe this August, scoring a slot on the UK’s Reading and Leeds festivals alongside the likes of Metallica, Refused, The Libertines and many more. The quartet will play 16 shows, including several festivals, across mainland Europe, culminating in their appearance at the dual UK festivals in Reading and Leeds. The news comes amidst a flurry of exciting announcements for the band, who early last week were included as part of this year’s huge Splendour in the Grass line-up and will also headline the Poison City Weekender festival in their hometown Melbourne this September, with the 170 Russell show selling out in just four days.

Q&A

THE VEE BEES Define your genre in five words or less: Fair dinkum Aussie grog rock’n’punk’n’roll.

So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say?

I’m buying this beer for the singer. He’s the best looking bloke in show biz and good at everything.

Come and check his band out. They are the best fun you can have with your clothes on, but you should take them off. Bring ya mum along too. Ever since I saw this band I can’t stop bullshitting.

What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date?

It’s a toss between the gig when some bloke set his pubes on fire and the pube smoke set off the fire alarm, the gig at a car festival where burnout smoke was blowing through the bar and mixing with the smoke from the BBQ which we were cooking on stage and we had to drink MORE beer to wash the taste down, or the hippy gig where bong smoke was wafting through the pub and we all got wasted as fuck. Gigs are all about the smoke.

What inspires or has influenced your music the most?

Drinkin’ piss, talkin’ shit, and Motorhead.

Why should everyone come and see your band?

Because we’re shit hot, good fun and you get to watch grown men act like complete dickheads. You can too.

When are you playing live/releasing your album/ EP/single/etc?

We’re releasing our latest album Outta Ammo at The Brunswick Hotel on Friday May 1 with Seedy Jeezus (also releasing their new album), Poppin Mommas and Cuntz.

Party with THE VEE BEES at The Brunswick Hotel on Friday May 1, and at the Reverance Hotel on Saturday May 2.

You can also grab their entire back catalogue from theveebees.bandcamp.com

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31

Q&A

WEDNESDAY APRIL 29

MALCOLM HILL

R E T R E AT H O T E L

Arthur Penn & The Funky Ten

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band?

The name of the band is Arthur Penn & the Funky Ten, and I’m one of three who ‘do’ the voice.

What do you reckon people will say you sound like?

Like a band of 11 people playing their little hearts out.

What do you love about making music?

The smiles on our parents faces.

What do you hate about the music industry?

Mark Holden’s tragic career decline. He was phased out too young.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?

Bruce Willis when he was still cool. I would want to show Bruce Willis my music because he is my musical hero.

If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it be and why?

Igor Stravinsky, because he pushed the boundaries of popular music too far and radicalisation scares me.

What can a punter expect from your live show?

Aero fuelled pilot funk with elements of cabaret.

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise?

We are currently in the studio recording our debut release.

It’s hopefully going to be freaky and awesome.

When’s the gig and with who?

The Gig is on Saturday May 2 at The Workers Club with Jungle Crooks and the Burnt Sausages. It’s going to be wild, get on board.

Anything else to add?

Thanks Miss Beat, it’s been great sitting down with you over lunch. Are you still cool to pay for this?

For a funky time head to The Workers Club on Saturday May 2 to see ARTHUR PENN & THE FUNKY TEN supported by Jungle Crooks and Burnt Sausages.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32

Malcolm Hill’s solo album Voir Nights won the prestigious Narnie award on 3RRR’s BLB program for 2014 Album of the Year, and now deep into 2015, Malcolm Hill returns with his new release Fingers, backed by his band This Is The Show. He brings his alternative blues folk tunes to The Retreat Hotel for a special free entry show on Wednesday April 29, doors open at 7pm.

SUBMARINES THE OLD BAR

Submerge yourself in some wild noises this Wednesday April 29 as Submarines drown out The Old Bar in a night set to be full of rock and or roll. Joining these aquanauts are Rhinosonics, touring all the way from France with a sound that can only be described as hard, fast and loud or dur rapide fort according to internet translators.

Head down to The Old Bar for some submariner sounds this Wednesday April 29. Doors open at 8pm, tickets are $8.

THE DO YO THANGS THE JOHN CURTIN

The Do Yo Thangs will hit The Curtin front bar for the final instalment of three very special evenings this April as part of their mini residency, continuing this Wednesday April 29. Comprising members of Saskwatch, The Cactus Channel and Sex on Toast, The Do Yo Thangs will appeal to lovers of Melbourne’s thriving soul scene.

On the cusp of completing their virgin release, and with an exciting year ahead this is truly the time to see the band at their most raw, intimate and sensual. From 8.30pm, free entry.

KALACOMA

THE WORKERS CLUB

Kalacoma surprised everyone when they announced the band had moved on from playing with a drummer. Considering their music is all about the crazy rhythms, it’ll be interesting to see what the band does without one. Expect beats, live looping and sampling, delivered in true Kalacoma style; intensely. This week marks the last of their Wednesday performances in April at The Workers Club, with supports from Dear Plastic and Jamil Alexandros Zacharia, plus the promise of a special guest. Who could it be? Find out on Wednesday April 29.

Doors open 7pm with $5 entry.

THURSDAY APRIL 30

THE LALIBELAS THE B.EAST

The Lalibelas have been bringing their unique fusion of traditional Ethiopian music, with jazz, Afro-funk, soul and Latin rhythms to The B.East for the past couple Thursdays in April. This week marks an end to their residency, so you better catch the last show while you can. The Lalibelas are bringing in locals Quantum Milkshake to support, who promise to show off a new tune on the night. So come down to Lygon from 9pm, entry is free.

AXE GIRL

R E T R E AT H O T E L

Axe Girl is testament to the great things that can grow from a combination of serendipity, dedication and good oldfashioned irresponsible life choices.

Bassist Vanessa Thornton and drummer Brett Mitchell ( Jebediah) are already firmly entrenched in the lineup. They amazed and delighted themselves – and were very humbled and grateful, once they stopped jumping around and had calmed down a bit - by raising over $10,000 via a Pozible campaign in June 2013 to fund completion of their fulllength debut album. This week will be Axe Girl’s last April residency show at The Retreat, bringing a month of gigs to an end. Music kicks off from 8.30pm, with free entry.

GEE SEAS

BRUNSWICK HOTEL

After a long dry spell for fans, local rifflords Gee Seas are launching their debut EP Make the Bastards Jump at the Brunny this Thursday April 30. The no-nonsense release features four threeminute songs that each cut to the chase with driving grooves, danceable riffs and mean vocals. Supporting the release are unshakeable hard-rockers Fifth Friend, as well as garage-soulsters The Early Openers and psych-rockers Rabble Rouser. Free entry, doors at 8pm.

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REVOMATIX CHERRY BAR

If you are in need of some foot stomping soul, Melbourne’s own neo motown and eight-piece funk band Revomatix are launching their second album, Funky Melbourne on Thursday April 30 at Cherry Bar. Plus if you are one of the first 40 people through the door you can grab yourself a free copy of the album.

GENERAL DISARRAY THE OLD BAR

Structure? Nah stuff that. General Disarray are hitting The Old Bar come Thursday April 30. Expect some chaotic shapes to be thrown about with this eclectic mix of alternative punk and garage, with supports coming from Sheik Stain & The Creep and Beggar’s Way. Get wrecked this Thursday at The Old Bar. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $8.

BLACK MAYDAY

BENDIGO HOTEL

Stoner metal maddogs Black Mayday are farewelling their singer/guitarist in true metalhead style, by throwing a kickass show at an equally kickass venue. Get on board for some top tier Melbourne metal as they fare Eddy off with a slew of other acts, including Sudden State, Espionage, Requiem and Furious George. Doors open from 8pm, tickets are $7.

THE BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB

THE POST OFFICE HOTEL

The Bakersfield Glee Club; musos from all over try their hand at traditional country. A masterful combination of fiddle, pedal steel guitar, telecaster, rich harmonies, bass and drums brings these old sounds back to life. Watch The Bakersfield Glee Club attempt to chicken pick, pluck and slick slide their way through some of country music’s treasure chest from 8pm this Thursday April 30 at The Post Office Hotel. Entry is free.

TRAGIC EARTH

W H O L E L O T TA L O V E B A R

Thursday April 30 at Brunswick’s Whole Lotta Love Bar sees the launch of raucous Melbourne rock act Tragic Earth’s debut self-titled EP, with support from Brockway Lights and Pegbucket.

Since debuting on the live scene in October 2014, Tragic Earth have played regionally and interstate, notching up 30+ shows, and will head overseas midyear for their first taste of international stages. Entry is an extraordinarily cheap price of free, doors open at 7pm.

Q&A

NORTHLANE

THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL

The bookers over at Urban Spread have locked in two big nights with Sydney metalcore outfit Northlane. Northlane will be joined by the hardcore Hellions and Melbourne six piece Storm The Sky on Thursday April 30 at The Commercial Hotel, and then again on Friday May 1 at Chelsea Heights Hotel.

Tickets for both gigs are $34+BF from MoshTix. Don’t miss your chance to catch this unholy trio in action.

Jarek

FRIDAY MAY 1

THE SHRINE CHERRY BAR

MORGAN BAIN YA H YA H ’ S

HELOISE

THE WORKERS CLUB

Recently winning the Melbourne Music Bank, eclectic folk artist Héloise is celebrating the release of new single This is Home with a Workers Club gig locked in for this Thursday April 30. Héloise’s music promises to take listeners on a quirky journey through time and space, travelling through the twisted, tortured passages of the cerebrum as her music takes you to the places you’ve always dreamt about but could never quite reach. Catch her this Thursday April 30 at The Workers Club, with Amber Isles and Julz Evans in support. Doors open 8pm, tickets are $10+BF from the venue.

PEACE

DING DONG LOUNGE

Peace are heading to Ding Dong Lounge for a show on Thursday April 30. The indie four piece exploded onto the scene with their debut album In Love last year and have moved quickly to follow up that success with a new, 10-track, album, Happy People - possibly pre-emptively named after people who make it to this show.

Multi award winning songwriter, performer and vocalist Morgan Bain brings his Why Don’t You Stay tour to Melbourne audiences this week, culminating in a Friday May 1 performance at Yah Yah’s. A youthful brew of alternative soul, blues and rock, Morgan Bain showcases his skills in a fusion of style that is unmistakably his own. All the way from WA, make sure you catch this performance, with The Ivory Elephant, Dear Thieves and Nicholas Symonds all making appearances on the night. Doors open 8pm, tickets are $13.

It’s about to get real nasty down at Cherry Bar, as The Shrine coat the place in a darker shade of red using their psychedelic violence rock as a proverbial paintbrush. Take the punchy hardcore of Black Flag and the Doom metal of Black Sabbath and you’ll get the picture.

Doors open from 8pm, tickets are $25 on the door (if they haven’t sold out already – check cherrybar.com.au just to be safe.)

OUTLINES

BENDIGO HOTEL

It’s been a big three years for alternative punk act Outlines, and after releasing three EPs, garnering thousands of fans and smashing out tons of shows across the country, the guys are calling it quits.

On the plus side, their farewell show at The Bendigo Hotel has a killer lineup of Apart From This, Have/Hold and Oh Pacific. Get on down for some good vibes in bad times. Entry is $5 entry, doors open at 8pm.

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

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band?

Jarek, drums, percussion & acoustic guitar.

What do you reckon people will say you sound like?

Pink Floyd on hallucinogenic meth amphetamines.

What do you love about making music?

Launching a brand new album to the world for the very first time.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?

Roger Waters and David Gilmore. I’d see if they thought my description of our music was accurate.

If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it be and why?

If I started with one assassination I’d find it hard to stop.

There’s too many.

What can a punter expect from your live show?

Expect to be impressed, confused, bemused, amused, aroused, inspired, thirsty, captivated, motivated, contemplative, and stimulated. With bombastic arrangements, ambient lighting and projections, it’s a show for all the senses (smell not included).

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise?

We’ll have CD’s and 12”’s of the new album + Tree of the Seas and a collection of singles.

When’s the gig and with who?

May 2 at the Brunny w/ Bear the Mammoth & Gareth Bowes (Sleeper Thieves) Anything else to add?

Just come to the launch and we’ll take it from there.

JAREK is playing at The Brunswick Hotel on Saturday May 2 with BEAR THE MAMMOTH and GARETH BOWES. Head to jarek.bandcamp.com to buy the latest album, III.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 33

Q&A

THE MIGHTY KINGS It’s a rockin’ roots, blues and rockabilly night down at Prince Public Bar this Friday May 1, as The Mighty Kings hit the stage. The band has a single mission, and that’s to bring the rockabilly sound to the masses and prove that rockabilly as a subculture still holds its place in everyday music. You’ll have to see it to believe it, so get down to Prince Public Bar for a free entry show. Supporting are Diddy Reys and Rumblin Wolf.

IAN COLLARD

Kaurna Cronin

You’re releasing your debut album Glass Fool later this year. Can you tell us a bit about it?

So Glass Fool is really a complete reflection on where my mind has wandered the past five years from leaving Australia to live in Berlin and returning home after hitchhiking north through Scandinavia to living in Adelaide amongst a community of incredible artists.

Some of the tracks are inspired by travel overseas, while others were written in the past few months and delve more into confused or enlightened states of mind, relationships and realisations. The whole record is a culmination of personal thoughts and stories of cities and people craftily soundtracked by a number of brilliant local friends and musicians.

If you could go back in time and create the soundtrack for an existing film, which would it be?

Ace Ventura - When Nature Calls. You could have a lot of fun with that one.

You’ll be playing at The Worker’s club on Saturday May 2. What should we expect from the day?

It’s going to be high energy and incredibly intimate.

Some of Australia’s best singer/songwriters sharing the one stage. It will be the first time I’ve ever toured nationally with the full band so I’m super excited to share the new tunes from the album as they were written for record, plus it’s also truly amazing to be performing alongside such Melbourne folk brilliance with support from Rowena Wise, Ben Whiting and AMISTAT on the day.

Dont miss KAURNA CRONIN this Saturday May 2 at The Workers Club. Pistol Eyes EP is available via www.kaurnacronin.com

Q&A

THE DRUNKEN POET

As part of ARIA award winning blues trio Collard Greens and Gravy, singer and harmonica player Ian Collard has established himself as one of Australia’s leafing blues artists. Last year he released his debut solo album Swamp Stomp and Boogie, featuring his one man band style of old school gut bucket boogie and blues. To catch Ian Collard’s Age Music Victoria Award winning act, head to The Drunken Poet this Friday May 1 from 8.30pm. Entry is free.

You’ve got three chances to see MORGAN BAIN this weekend, Friday May 1 at Yah Yah’s, Saturday May 2 at Sooki Lounge and Sunday May 3 B-East.

Why Don’t You Stay is available for free download from triplejunearthed.com/artist/morgan-bain

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34

TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD CHERRY BAR

Melbourne’s three piece rock n roll party-byrds Tequila Mockingbyrd have just dropped latest single Everyone Down, and they’re giving local audiences at Cherry a chance to see what the fuss is all about before their headline European tour later this year. Joining the byrds at Cherry Bar are The Mercy Kills, The Lockhearts and Lillye. Doors open 8pm, entry is $13.

The bearded Kiwi troubadour is back at The B.East for Blues Assembly, a weekly series promoting everything Blues in Melbourne. This week Aleister James will lead one of Melbourne’s most exciting young blues ensembles through two tasty sets of blues classics and originals. For some twangy blues at The B.East, head down from 9pm. Entry is free.

JUKE BOX RACKET

THE REVERENCE HOTEL

Juke Box Racket are a niche three piece '50s and '60s Rock’n’Roll band, comprising of a bunch of people in their 20’s. Putting their distinctive modern stamp on all the classics, Juke Box Racket aim to create a show with all the energy and enthusiasm from the heydays of the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and so much more. If that doesn’t light your fire, maybe the free entry will – get down to The Reverence Hotel’s front bar from 8.30pm onwards and shake it like there’s no tomorrow.

Grog rockers The VeeBees are turning 15, and have booked a tour to celebrate.

Keep in mind that travelling any further than the bar fridge constitutes a tour for these guys, so you should realize what a big deal this gig is. Friday May 1 sees The VeeBees hitting the Brunny stage alongside Seedy Jeezus, Poppin’ Mommas and Borrachero. The show starts 8pm, with free entry.

WHAT THE FUNK FRIDAYS PURPLE EMERALD

Every Friday, The Purple Emerald becomes all about the funk. Expect a groovy bass riff, too much dancing and a great night out. This week sees DJ Daniel Jones on the decks, with headliners Clusterfunk hitting the stage with two sets from 10pm. Doors open at 9pm so come down to the Emerald, entry is free and open till three.

SATURDAY MAY 2

SHIT SEX

T H E GRACE DARLI NG

Local dunny-punkers Shit Sex and young drone-punk upstarts Cinesex have been slaying house parties and gigs all around Melbourne. While both bands have never had any connection other than having SEX in their name the two have decided to come together for a wild feedback drenched night in the depths The Grace Darling’s basement. It’s all going down this Saturday May 2 and will cost you a measly 5 bones. Kicks off at 8pm.

Crawling out of the primordial sludge that was mid-2000’s post hardcore, Gladstone formed in the wake of the death of the only band ever (*cough* Alexisonfire). Gladstone have done everything in their power to move and shake the Melbourne music scene at its roots, solidifying a reputation for an explosive and moving live show, and with a blowout line-up taking them to Public Bar this Saturday May 2 to celebrate the release of their Cold Bones EP, you can expect they’ll pound the crap out of expectations. Mayweather, Tired Breeds, spacejunk, Bateman, Laser Brains and Deadweight are on support this fine evening – show starts at 7pm, $10 entry fee. Be there or be bored.

THE PHEASANT PLUCKERS THE B.EAST

THE B.EAST

THE VEEBEES

You’ve just released your new single Why Don’t You Stay? Tell us about it.

I’m so excited about it. The song is about anxieties that come with giving your everything to someone and how it can be a battle inside your head to not let those anxious feelings take over. I recorded it at The Wastelands with Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe), which is where I do the majority of my recording, and it was mastered by William Bowden.

You’ve won a crazy amount of awards for a 20-year old, including the 2013 Blues and Roots Act of the Year and you’ve taken out the WAM Song of the Year Award three times. What advice would you give to other young musicians who want to get their stuff out there?

It’s been pretty amazing really, and it’s always great to get feedback from your peers like that. It makes me feel like I’m really on the right track. I would say just work hard at whatever you want to do and try everything. Be yourself as a writer, try writing everything, whether it’s folk, rock, electro, soul, hip hop, pop whatever. Just be yourself in the process.

Tell us why we should come along to one of your shows in Melbourne next week.

So you can hear the new single Why Don’t You Stay live. There’ll also be a whole lotta soul with a bit of rock’n’roll with some light and shade in there too. I’ve got some hugely talented musicians in my band, and let’s be honest, there’s nothing like seeing a live show.

THE PUBLIC BAR

ALEISTER JAMES

BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Morgan Bain

GLADSTONE

PRINCE PUBLIC BAR

THE DEANS

T H E R E T R E AT

The Deans (formerly The Grenadines) are a critically acclaimed original soul band. Winners of The Age Music Victoria Award for Best Indigenous Act 2014? Check. Nominated for Band of the Year in the prestigious Deadly Awards in 2007? Check. The sound of modern, original soul? You betchya. The Deans bring classic sounds and grooves into the gritty modern metropolis of Melbourne’s rock city, combining soul with cool rock influences to create urban songs about a future Australia. The Deans are like a United Nations of Indigenous and immigrant Australians unified in the one soul groove. And they're playing at The Retreat Hotel, for free, this Saturday May 2. It all kicks off at 10pm.

THE HUNTED CROWS YA H YA H ’ S

If you’re still kicking yourself from missing The Hunted Crows’ January residency at Yah Yah’s, kick no longer.

Back again, and on a Saturday this time, The Hunted Crows are taking their heavy sweet riffs, groovin’ beats and catchy vocals back to the Yah Yah stage, and they’re bringing along good mates Greenthief, GODS and A Basket of Mammoths for supports. Four great Melbourne acts for 13 bucks, get down to Yah Yah’s this Saturday May 2 from 8.30 onwards.

CISCO CAESAR

THE DRUNKEN POET

Cisco Caesar are serving up a heaping help of audible delicacies at The Drunken Poet this Saturday May 2, with their delicious mix of Americana goodness.

There’s no place better to be than The Poet when these boys begin to ladle out piping hot blues and soul cradled in a nest of extra crispy country. Be there from 9pm, entry is free as always.

JAREK

BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Jarek, staples of the Melbourne instrumental scene for going on seven years now, have come out of hiding to announce their aptly titled third album III, and a documentary that follows the album from conception to print. The documentary, again aptly titled Behind The Making of III will have its premier screening this Saturday May 2 at The Brunswick Hotel. Jarek will perform a set immediately after the viewing, with local artists Gareth Bowes and Bear The Mammoth playing prior. Music kicks off at 9pm, and as always with the Brunny, entry is free.

If you want to hear passionate original Melbourne country, you simply can’t ignore this band. The Pheasant Pluckers make old time bluegrass-y styles accessible to the younger generations by mashing it up their own way with blues and rock’n’roll. A big vocal harmony, heaps of delicious banjo and guitar solos with smiles all night, they love it.

Catch them from 9pm at The B.East this Saturday May 2.

surfy, swingy, guitar boogie sounds to life. For surf tunes and good vibes all round, head to The Post Office from 9.30pm onwards. Free entry.

TURBOBELCO

THE REVERENCE HOTEL

Alpha Denim Demons TURBOBELCO from the national capital descend upon Melbourne for the first time to lay on a night of Scandinavian Death Punk in the form of a Turbonegro tribute show.

Supported by Grog Rock long stayers the VeeBees (on their 15 years birthday tour), four on the floor sleaze punks Grindhouse (fresh from their Euro tour of the public toilets) and the kings of the riff Dukes of Deliciousness, this will be a killer night of denim clad high vintage rock and roll. Slap on your sailor caps and double denim your self like the '80s never died at The Reverence Hotel this Saturday May 2. Doors open from 8pm, Entry is $5.

SUNDAY MAY 3

SISTERS DOLL CHERRY BAR

Imagine three brothers that aim to possess their audience with the raw power of live performance. Imagine yourself at Cherry Bar this Sunday May 3, shaking yourself to pieces with all the fire and inspiration that a glam rock show can bring. We’re talking drum risers, girls dancing on stage, props, smoke, lasers, lights, flames, confetti and slammin’, glammin’ rock. Get down to Cherry bar from 8.30pm this Sunday for a wild and super free show.

SMALL WORLD EXPERIENCE THE PUBLIC BAR

TIJUANA CARTEL HOWLER

Fresh from weeks of Byron Bay farmhouse solitude and fresh from recording their soon to be released new album, Tijuana Cartel are hitting the road with a new show, some new beats and their tried and tested dance-floor thumping tunes. As the corner stone of Australia’s ‘east meets west’ electronic scene, Tijuana Cartel have a knack for blending layers of rich, intricate atmospheric soundscapes with pounding bass and luscious vocals to form an electronic beats tapestry that will cut through to your very soul. If you’re ready to get funky when they hit Howler on Saturday May 2, score your tickets for $20+BF and get in the doors when they open at 8pm.

4pm on a cruisy Sunday seems as good a time as any to catch some live music, and The Public Bar is letting Small World Experience take over for some relief teaching on this edition of Public Bar’s Sunday School. Have a beer, have a snack, have a good time. Get to Public Bar this Sunday May 3 and enjoy a free show.

RUSSELL MORRIS

T H E F LY I N G S AU C E R C L U B

The Flying Saucer Club are welcoming back the wonderful Russell Morris and his band this Saturday May 2. Boasting the pedigree of being one of the first of Australia’s singer/songwriters after a successful pop career in the late '60s, he will be performing songs from his ARIA award winning album Sharks Mouth, his most recent album Van Diemen’s Land as well as an array of hits throughout his vast musical career, with support coming from Abbey Stone. Get your tickets early for this one folks, it’s sure to be a blowout. Doors open from 6pm, general admission tickets can be purchased for $35 on the door.

HOT WINGS

THE POST OFFICE HOTEL

Hot Wings are the brainchild of stellar guitarist Lizzie Sedman (The Charlies, Telltale) a guitar goddess that has been hot and wingy for years. With influences drawing far and wide from Les Paul, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, to The Break, to The Ventures, Steadman has carefully handpicked a band to bring her new

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THE LARGE NUMBER 12’S T H E R E T R E AT H O T E L

After an extended break, fans will be please to learn The Large Number 12s are returning to The Retreat Hotel this Sunday May 3, delivering their usual blistering set of original kick ass psychedelic roots. A mix of original harmony laden guitar, rock influences and driving rhythms awaits. Catch The Large Number 12's at The Retreat this Sunday May 3 from 7.30pm, with free entry.

KILLAMEDIC

THE BENDIGO HOTEL

This marks the second leg of the Chunder Down Under Tour featuring South Coasters KILLAMEDIC, Jindabyne snow punks The What Sorry’s? and Wollongong’s The Unhinged. Too crazy for just a single show, the bands opened up another night for you chaotic punk enthusiasts to get your mosh on and your chops off.

Hit The Bendigo Hotel on Sunday May 3 for this free entry show. Doors open at 6pm.

Q&A

NEW LEASE

THE JOHN CURTIN

RevOmatiX

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band?

Our Band is called RevOmatiX. I play keyboard do some vocals, but leave most of the heavy lifting to Lyndal and Jarrad for vocals.

What do you reckon people will say you sound like?

A lot of the current soul and funk sounds have gone in one direction, and we decided to go back to the ‘60s with our songs, the lyrics and melody spiral like DNA around each other, so ‘60s soul, funk and pop.

What do you love about making music?

Music transcends geopolitics and hate, someone in Iran can like the same music as someone in Alaska. Also I love to tell stories and music lets me do that.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?

It would be the Funk Brothers who were the session musicians for Motown, they didn’t get much credit for their work, and we wrote a song about them on our first album Disrespect.

What can a punter expect from your live show?

Lots of foot stomping soul, a great time and lots of fun.

We love our audiences.

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise?

The new album is Funky Melbourne and it will be available online on CD Baby for $2.99. If you want a hard copy just head down to Northside Records.

Anything else to add?

Thanks to everyone in Melbourne for supporting local music, there’s no place like it in the world.

REVOMATIX will launch their new album Funky Melbourne on Thursday April 30 at Cherry Bar, with DJs Vince Peach and Pierre Baroni. The first 40 people through the door will get a free copy of the album.

Say hello to Sunday Funday at The Curtin. This May sees The Curtin launching New Lease, a new series showcasing the hottest new bands around in the Curtin front bar. First headliners this week are the ethereal Bedtime for Princess, with experimental rockers Tiprats and straight-from-thegarage Wet Meal supporting. The show starts at 4pm, with $13 jugs and free entry all day long.

ANDREW SWIFT

THE REVERENCE HOTEL

Whilst bearing no relation to certain American pop starlets who may share his last name, Andrew Swift is hitting The Reverence Hotel to celebrate the release of his latest single, Sound The Alarm. This show marks the first Sunday of Andrew Swift’s Sunday residency, so if you’re feeling like a night of alt country with a bit of rock, feel free to get down to The Reverence on any Sunday of May to slake that thirst. The show begins at 3pm, free entry.

MATT WALKER & LOST RAGAS

THE POST OFFICE HOTEL

If you’re looking for some original country, soul and roots tunes, then look no further as Matt Walker & Lost Ragas continue their residency at The Post Office Hotel this Sunday May 3.

This weekend sees them playing two lazy Sunday arvo sets, kicking things off from 4.30pm onwards. Free entry at the Post Office, as always.

MONDAY MAY 4

ANDREW TUTTLE THE OLD BAR

Brisbane’s Andrew Tuttle creates music that explores the relationship between instrumentation, structure and genre within electronic and acoustic processes, toying with his computer, banjo, synthesiser, and a twelve string acoustic guitar. Impressive stuff. This Monday May 4, Tuttle will launch The Slowcation CS on A Guide To Saints/ Room40, which'll feature collaborations with M.C. Schmidt (Matmos) and Christopher Fleeger (Cooling Prongs) at Old Bar's Mundane Mondays.

Carolyn Connors and Brite Fight join.

Entry is $5 and music kicks off at 8pm.

JAZZ PARTY

MEMO MUSIC HALL

Ignite your Monday nights in May with underground phenomenon Jazz Party.

Join Melbourne’s hottest young jazz cats and a rotating roster of Melbourne’s finest singers for spontaneous Jazz Party action, New Orleans style. Entry is free and doors open 8pm. It all goes down on Monday May 4 at MEMO Music Hall, 90 Acland Street, St Kilda.

THE DULL JOYS THE OLD BAR

It’s Tuesday. Some might find it dull, some might find it joyous. Heck, maybe you can convince yourself to enjoy a strange mix of both as The Dulljoys take over Old Bar on Tuesday May 5. With supports coming from Diana Radar, The Gooses and Box Crunch, expect a night of '60s alternative garage inspired psychobilly that will probably make the joy overlap the dull. Tickets are $6 on the doors which open at 7.30.

LOOKING FORWARD MELBOURNE FOR VANUATU - PARTY AGAINST PAM

TUESDAY MAY 5

INDIGO CHILDREN THE PUBLIC BAR

by attracting a huge demographic of followers through radio play and support slots over the years. This Tuesday May 5 will see Indigo Children playing at The Public Bar from 7pm onwards – entry is a cool $5.

Becoming known as one of Melbourne’s hardest working bands, The Indigo Children pride themselves on their completely original music and their melody driven stadium rock sound.

Consistently selling out shows, the boys have proven to be a crowd pleaser

Thursday May 7 The Toff in Town

SOUL SACRIFICE Friday May 8 Flying Saucer Club

JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS

Friday May 8 Howler

MONEY FOR ROPE Saturday May 9 The John Curtin Hotel

CHERRYROCK015

Sunday May 10 AC/DC Lane

KING PARROT

Saturday 16 May The Corner Hotel

THE GETAWAY PLAN

Friday May 22 The Corner Hotel

HERBERT

Friday May 22 Prince of Wales

SAN CISCO Sunday May 24 170 Russell

WALLAPALOOZA

Friday June 12 The Espy Hotel

IMMIGRANT UNION

Saturday June 13 Kelvin Club

THE AUDREYS

Friday June 19 The Spotted Mallard

ROBOT RECORDS PRESENTS

FunkyMelbourne

POSTER BY JIM GRIMWADE DESIGN

ALBUM LAUNCH

CHERRY BAR APRIL 30 AC/DC LANE, MELBOURNE Tel. 03 9639 8122 Web. www.cherrybar.com.au

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 36

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LIVE

REPORTS FROM THE FRONT ROW

For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews HARD-ONS The Tote, Saturday April 25

It’s always a good night to hit The Tote when you can hear fierce bass chugs shaking the pavement outside, not dissimilar to a school bell for rock enthusiasts. Tonight’s lesson was a fiery lecture delivered by Hard-Ons for the launch of their new album Peel Me Like An Egg, with a flawless supporting lineup of Batpiss, Chainsaw Hookers and Flour to keep the class both educated and entertained about the finer points of hard rock, noise and punk.

To kick the show off, Flour started off with a surprisingly tight set for an opening band, treating the venue to some high-octane hard rock and stunningly precise drum fills.

Following them were Chainsaw Hookers from Perth, whose set effectively took a 2x4 covered with nails to the face of rock and beat the shit out of it. The vocals and guitars sounded as gravelly as a harsh shot of whiskey blended with Black Sabbath doom riffs and punk ‘n’ roll hardcore scorchers – it was an eye-peeling set of talent and speed riddled grindhouse rock.

Batpiss played a blinder of a set as well, centralising their music around shrieks, noise-rock riffs and a punishing low-end from the bass and drums. Moments of isolation on single instruments stripped the songs bare, creating an eerie feeling of phantom limb syndrome in their grisly music. Mid set, guitarist Paul lit up a cigarette on stage – and as the smoke poured through the air, one couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t enough blackened filth coursing into the venue already from the amps as dark riffs sliced through the venue.

Finally, the piece de-resistance took the stage in the form of ‘80s formed legendary punk act, Hard-Ons. With

TKAY MAIDZA Northcote Social Club, Friday April 24

a lot to take from their set, Hard-Ons did a stand-out job of elaborating the finer parts of Australian punk by performing with a signature and highly influential sound, throwing flashbacks to the tones and styles that triple j played so frequently in their punk rotation back in the ‘90s. There were a lot of different feelings to the music – vocalist Peter Black had a cadence that flew around like a bird shot in the wing, all the while weaving its way through noise-rock and grindcore intermissions, before landing back in punk inspired power-pop ballads. The new tracks seemed driven by the rubbery howled vocals, backed by some hard blues-rock jams, still tinged with an authentic sound that you could only find in Australia.

Overall, the best part about this amazing album launch was that every shitty aspect of modern rock was replaced – the Americanised accents, pointless ballads and frontman focused band hierarchy were all replaced with authentic, fast and crushingly hard songs. If there was one night that could restore faith in the rock scene, this was it.

THOMAS BRAND

LOVED: The new a-hole that Chainsaw Hookers tore me.

HATED: Breaking my week long no-smoking record.

DRANK: I’m never drinking anything. Please find me a job.

A$AP FERG The Hi-Fi Bar, Friday April 24 A$AP Mob member Ferg attracts a big crowd in Melbourne. The Hi-Fi was as packed as it was hot, and there was a bucket hat for every square metre in the venue. Stepping on stage Ferg received a loud and warm welcome.

He moved through some of his lesser known tracks like Dump Dump and Murda Something before getting to his hits Work and Shabba. During the performance he called out for any aspiring rappers in the crowd.

James came on stage first, sporting a cork hat. He was terrible, but as Ferg kindly pointed out, it takes a lot of guts to get onstage and perform. The second guy was considerably better, even getting props from A$AP. All in all, the show was pretty average. The songs blended together and the energy plateaued. To be fair,

A$AP Mob member A$AP Yams had passed away in January, which had no doubt affected his performance.

He did pay him a special tribute too. It was Ferg’s hypeman Marty Baller, however, who deserves a lot of the credit. He stayed on stage alongside the rapper for most of the show and provided the bulk of the energy through his dancing and stage presence.

TAMARA VOGL

When most of us were 18, our greatest ambition was to get as drunk as possible on a weekend, with high hopes of picking up. At this very age, Tkay Maidza released an impressive debut EP and just finished a sold out national tour – putting us all to shame.

Watching her live, it’s easy to see what all the fuss is about. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious, and within minutes she had the crowd reacting to every syllable. A slow building drumbeat launched into Brontosaurus, her 2013 hit single. It’s hard to say what is more impressive; the relevant subject matter of her work or the extreme pace it’s delivered.

Thanks to some collaborative projects with a number of Australian and international producers, Maidza’s set was filled with not only her own songs, but a few bonus tracks she has sampled on, including Arm Up, Wishes, Forever and Always Been.

M.O.B was a definite highlight, with the entire room chanting along in sync. Similarly, Imprint and Uh Huh had the entire floor bouncing under the weight of a thousand sweaty fans.

After the inevitable encore chant, Maidza was back to deliver two more tracks. Handle My Ego had everyone singing along word for word, with a few overly excited patrons jumping on stage to dance along, and Switch Lanes sealed the perfect end to a huge night. Believe the hype: Tkay Maidza is a force to be reckoned with.

CHRIS BRIGHT

LOVED: The Friday night crowd cutting loose HATED: The hangover that lasted until Monday DRANK: Gin, sweat and tears

OH MERCY The Gasometer Hotel, Saturday April 25 There’s a jokey aspect to the Steve Miller Band – the self-described “ambitious cover band” share their name with a 1960s blues band, and their repertoire is made up of material that would’ve been high-currency in the ‘60s blues scene – but my word, the Steve Miller Band are seriously fun. Handsome Steve’s tramp-like antics were complemented by swoon-worthy contributions from his two female counterparts, which made for a cracking start to the evening.

Pearls arrived to run through a stack of tunes from their new LP, Pretend You’re Mine. The local four-piece put The Gaso’s PA to the test, making the most of their respective digits to send out a multi-dimensional sonic experience. At times they leaned a little too close to their forebears, be it the Cocteau Twins, Beach House or Big Scary. But at other moments – such as the Gary Glitter-aping set-closer Big Shot – the homage was so finely executed that you simply had to release your inner glamour queen.

Alexander Gow is on the cusp of his fourth LP as the leader and only constant member of Oh Mercy. The band’s lineup undergoes a re-jig with each outing, as Gow finds a new stylistic context to frame his lyrical songwriting. We got a bunch of fresh numbers, most of which were heartland belters, chanelling Tom Petty by way of The War On Drugs. It’s perhaps Gow’s most straight-up singer/songwriter maneuver, which makes sense given the lovelorn strain of songs like Without You.

LOVED: Marty Baller.

HATED: The heat.

DRANK: Water

Nevertheless, the new-look Oh Mercy had no trouble replicating the grooved-up styling’s of 2012’s Deep Heat, and also threw in a bunch of quirky indie-pop numbers from the first couple of records.

It all came as a welcome reminder of Gow’s quality songwriting history. Meanwhile, he’s a more than capable singer, but would someone buy the guy a packet of cigarettes already? To be sure, he didn’t miss a note, but he found most of them through his nose, and when the nasal tones were most pronounced, it was like listening to Bob Dylan through a broken headphone jack.

The set included no real fireworks, though the band briefly stepped aside for Paul Dempsey to help Gow through a cover of The Waterboys’ The Whole of the Moon.

Gow’s a likable personality and reliable tunesmith, and amid the heartache of his current stylistic leaning, this remains unchanged.

AUGUSTUS WELBY

LOVED: SMB. HATED: Men, women, you name it.

DRANK: Collingwood.

Die Line

ot Print Does N

DM3 The Tote, Friday 24 April On Friday morning I noticed a headline on the news feed streamed into the lift in our office building: “Listening to music can relieve stress and contribute to a sense of wellbeing, study shows”. While the scientific basis of the research wasn’t apparent, anecdotally the study results rang true, none more so than at tonight’s Monsters of Jangle evening at The Tote.

Melbourne’s legendary mod pop outfit Little Murders – still going strong 35 years after the ‘70s mod revival – and Ash Naylor, a man whose repertoire of songs is larger than Paul Keating’s catalogue of scathing critiques, had already completed their sets by the time we braved the torrential rain and arrived at the Tote.

The last time I’d had the opportunity of seeing Stoneage Hearts was over ten years ago, when the rain also poured down and Dom Mariani and Ian Wettenhall joined drummer Mick Baty in the second version of the band.

This time Baty’s enlisted Tony Dyer, Simon Kay and David Hine; for a recalibrated and rejuvenated Stoneage Hearts according to rumour, the latest incarnation of Stoneage Hearts coagulated around a common interest in Red Kross’s Researching the Blues. The songs from the new Stoneage Hearts album Hung Up (On You) pack a tough melodic punch, and the sun-drenched attitude is at odds with the shitty weather outside.

Dom Mariani hasn’t played a DM3 gig in Melbourne in about 15 years. On the back of renewed local and overseas interest, Mariani has called up his original DM3 colleagues Toni Italiano and Pascal Bartalone,

the latter’s outfit of business shirt, tie and waist coast rendering the best-dressed rock’n’roll drummer since Charlie Watts in 1965.

Mariani has a stranglehold on the powerpop construct.

Foolish, Far From Here, the interminably brilliant 1 Times, 2 Times Devastated and everything else. Mariani is alternately the sun-drenched pop song-smith and the grimacing garage rocker waging war against the insipid forces of corporate rock. There’s the occasional dip into The Someloves catalogue, and there are only satisfied grins to be seen across the largely mature rock’n’roll crowd. There’s a tribute to The Raspberries; the first encore commenced with Badfinger’s No Matter What and concludes with a guest-packed version of Big Star’s When My Baby’s Beside Me. The lights dim but Mariani loiters in the wings, calling Italiano and Bartalone for an impromptu rendition of The Plimsouls’ Zero Hour. As the band departs for the last time, I ponder the headline I saw in the lift earlier in the day. Music is good for the soul, and DM3 is a band of powerpop spiritual beauty.

PATRICK EMERY LOVED: The Big Star cover. Fuck, does it get any better than this?

HATED: A wet bike seat on the way home.

DRANK: Cooper’s Pale.

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 37

ALBUM OF THE WEEK KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD

top tens: PBS TOP TEN 1. Something In The Water POKEY LAFARGE 2. Pop Boomerang Presents PB100

Quarters (Flightless/Remote Control)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

3. In Sickness & In Health DIZZ1 4. Solitude RUBY BOOTS 5. Quarters KING GIZZARD AND THE

It was bound to happen. With fame, fortune and more credibility than Gus Van Sant, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have released a deeply psychedelic, richly toned, and somewhat indulgent album.

Quarters consists of four ten minute and ten second long songs – The River, Infinite Rise, God Is In The Rhythm and Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer.

The first quarter, The River, starts off sounding like six cats jamming at a jazz bar before it lolls into something reminiscent of the music produced by the music elite of the ‘60s. At 2:53 the song descends down the rabbit hole – this is heralded by the taunt, empty sounds of a guitar headstock being picked, after this, the rest of band locks back into the rhythm that is overlaid by a guitar solo that would sit succinctly on a record from The Doors.

Infinite Rise begins as though the song was written in a dream sequence – slightly distorted vocals bouncing along with a sweetly contouring melody. The song builds sonically over its duration with the crescendo / outro driven by Ambrose Kenny-Smith’s harmonica.

God Is In The Rhythm is the most explicit pop song on the album, with undeniable comparisons to MGMT’s Someone’s Missing from their sophomore major label

SINGLES

6. Inati MOMO TRIO 7. Fire/Bangarang ’45 THE TRAFFIC 8. Innovation, Participation, Reward BLACK release Flash Delirium (2010). About a quarter of the way through the track, there is delightful guitar solo that elicits an image of a Tiki beach sunset.

The final quarter is called Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer. This song has all the hallmarks of an epic conclusion to a solid album. Probably the beefiest song on the record, Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer takes elements from the other three songs while adding an extra layer of psych.

As mooted in the opening sentence, this album is indulgent, but have King Gizzard ever pretended to be anything else? If you’re willing to trust them, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are a band like no other, who will take you on a musical journey like no other.

DAN WATT

BY LACHLAN

HOLY HOLY

You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog (Sony) Insipid festival shit-rock that goes on for fucking ever. But that solo is pretty sick. Skip right to the four minute mark and save yourself some strife.

MARIAH CAREY

Infinity (Sony) Hitting a level of big band brilliance that JT failed to hit for the most part on the 20/20 Experience, Mariah is dextrous in her blend of classic class and flashed of modernity, coming up with magic. It’s a track recorded for a new #1s compilation, and as such, could’ve been a touch phoned in, but it’s up there with some of Mariah’s best moments, and that’s saying something.

FOREST FALLS

Hounds (Independent) Sounds like some fucking ad agency sent out a treatment to a bunch of VCA grads saying “Like this but less copyright-infringey” with an mp3 of Grizzly Bear’s Two Weeks attached.

MORGAN BAIN

Why Don’t You Stay (Independent) Good voice, boring song. Pretty much this generation’s Hozier.

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS

Sometimes I Feel So Deserted (EMI) Farken hell, Chemical Brothers return with an absolute belter, feeling like a constant build and release simultaneously, not taking any cheap shots in the huge Sometimes I Feel So Desired. Would go off at the biggest of festivals and the smallest of clubs.

BLANCK MASS

Detritus (Sacred Bones) After the banging, and slightly middling, Dead Format, Blanck Mass gives another taste of his new LP with Detritus, opening with a teeth-shattering wall of noise, sans percussion, sounding like the first Blanck Mass LP being tuned into on a wireless a few planets over.

It’s awesome, building to a triumphant release that sounds more in line with Ben Power’s work with Fuck Buttons. A triumph if that Blade Runner sequel goes ahead (which it fucking shouldn’t). This would be a mad soundtrack.

SLUM SOCIABLE

Anyway (Liberation) A deft pastiche of harp and drum loops, Anyway is a dreamy wash of tonal pleasantries, with faint shades of Since I Left You touching its surface. It’s the debut single from a ~mysterious~ Melbourne duo, and an indication they might be worth your attention.

9. Damogen Furies SQUAREPUSHER 10. Hung Up (On You) STONEAGE HEARTS

3RRR TOP TEN 1. Marlon Williams MARLON WILLIAMS 2. Solitude RUBY BOOTS 3. Magic Whip BLUR 4. +- MEW 5. PB100 VARIOUS 6. Rice Is Nice Mixtape Vol.2 VARIOUS 7. Breathe LURCH & CHIEF

SWEATSHIRT

9. III FOLLAKZOID 10. The Bones Of Us ELIZA HULL

RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN 1. 1. Sound And Colour ALABAMA SHAKES 2. 2. Marry Me Tonight HTRK 3. 3. Carrie and Lowell SUFJAN STEVENS 4. 4. Down Time TOTALLY MILD 5. 5. Table For Two SUPERSTAR 6. 6. Hypnotised PONY FACE 7. 7. Viet Cong VIET CONG 8. 8. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Some

times I Just Sit COURTNEY BARNETT

9. 9. About Time CHOOK RACE 10. 10. Pretend You’re Mine PEARLS

STARWARS TRACKS

New Coke (Caroline) After taking time away from the album release cycle to rake in that sweet, sweet videogame score coin for Max Payne 3, LA noise fuckers Health return with an extension of their exploration into melody, a move that shies away from their carpet bomb live drums.

Atmospheric, yet still abrasive. Good shit.

1. The Saga Begins “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC 2. A New Hope BLINK-182 3. What Do You Get a Wookiee for Christmas

JEREMY NEALE FEAT. PHOEBE IMHOFF

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38

LUNG

BEAT’S TOP TEN

HEALTH

Hold On Together (Dot Dash/Remote Control) When Jeremy Neale keeps it simple, there’s an air of Jonathon Richman Jr about him, emanating an offhand rock-pop affinity with endearing swagger.

Recent efforts exhibit a more impulsive wont, however, resulting in fairly overcooked pop constructions like Hold On Together. It sounds great, but it doesn’t sound interesting, often tripping over itself as it strides towards killer hooks, with the duet dynamic adding very little.

8. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside EARL

For all the latest singles check out beat.com.au SPECCIES: HUMANKIND’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? YES.

LIZZARD WIZZARD

When He Already Owns a Comb? MECO

MONARDO

4. Irresistible Force 2 SKINNEE J’S

SINGLE OF THE WEEK POWER

Slimy’s Chains (Cool Death) Power are one of the sickest live bands in Melbourne right this instant, and Slimy’s Chains is a fucking sick burst of rock ‘n’ roll glory. It starts off at the altar of Bolan boogie and then shifts the gears of the Valiant into some Lemmy-worthy guitar brilliance. Evil shit. I love it. This is the future. New album Electric Glitter Boogie is out later in 2015

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

5. No Rest for the Wicked THE

BLOODHOUND GANG

6. Vibin’ (The New Flava) BOYZ II MEN 7. All N My Grill MISSY ELLIOTT 8. Star Wars Cantina RICHARD CHEESE 9. Chewbacca SUPERNOVA 10. Use The Force JAMIROQAÏ

ALBUMS THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

New music in review this week - For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews

DJANGO DJANGO Born Under Saturn

The Waterfall

(Because Music/ Warner)

Glean

(Idlewild/Lojinx)

MY MORNING JACKET (Capitol/EMI)

Meet the new Dr. Worm, same as the old Dr. Worm. Those that love They Might Be Giants from the days of old will still be enjoying their wry, sardonic and illustriously-absurd brand of indie poprock to this day, even as Johns Linnell and Flansburgh enter their 50s.

Much like the two records that precede it – 2011’s Join Us and 2013’s Nanobots – Glean has a killer opening track (Erase), a bit of dorky fun (Unpronounceable) and its share of diehards-only filler (the title track, Madam, I Challenge You to a Duel). It’s safe to say the Giants have found a method that works for them – and, quite probably, them only – and stuck with it through thick and thin. And why not? After all, it’s not as if the band has anything to prove to a younger generation – ones, perhaps, even too young to recall the band’s last charting hit, Boss of Me. The Johns know their audience, and the audience knows the Johns. To upset the balance so late in proceedings just wouldn’t make sense for either camp. Just adjust your glasses and take it all in for what it is. To over think Glean is to undersell that relationship.

DAVID JAMES YOUNG

The second album from this London fourpiece is a lot like most film sequels: bigger and better in every aspect – but unlike most Hollywood sequels, this follow-up actually exceeds all expectations. Far from their previous DIY attempts, Born Under Saturn was recorded between East London’s Netil House and Banbury’s Angelic Studios – resulting in the much more polished sound. Everything about this album sounds larger, from the multitude of instruments used to the tonal variation of lead singer Vincent Neff.

Giant kicks off with a bassy piano backing, with Neff ’s vocals lifting an octave or two, before breaking out into their signature synth beat. Shake and Tremble brings back the grungy-surf guitar. It’s got the kind of danceinducing melodies that fans will enjoy. Found You uses some inventive percussion to draw on the myth of Faust’s deal with the devil, in which he exchanges his soul for worldly pleasures. With its ‘80s-inspired bass riff, First Light really slaps the listener in the face (in a good way of course), with Reflections doing something fairly similar.

Vibrations sounds almost tribal, featuring jungle sound effects, while Shot Down is a haunting tale of dirty deeds and double crossing.

The synth-heavy beat of High Moon is enchanting, similarly the much slower-sounding Beginning To Fade that will slowly sweep you of your feet.

The album comes to a close with the fuzzy jam 4000 Years, fast-paced Break The Glass and climactic Life We Know.

CHRIS BRIGHT

If My Morning Jacket played junior footy at their team’s awards night they would win the award for best Team Man. As in they’re no game changer but you trust them with the ball and occasional passage of brilliance.

Their seventh studio, The Waterfall, opens with an Animal Collective song.

Well not really, but Believe (Nobody Knows) is bafflingly reminiscent of Animal Collective. This of 4:54 of left of centre indie pop is a good listen and an above average tune, but its distinct likeness to Animal Collective is distracting.

My Morning Jacket have always been regarded for the stylistic shifts throughout their albums and the rich palette of tones the band manages to inject into the songs. For example, track four In Its Infancy (The Waterfall) is essentially a country tinged pop tune that sees vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter flexing his Southern accent to its full extent over wailing guitar to licks. The title and lyrics (“The idea was always there in its infancy”) in this song also make allusions towards the fact that The Waterfall, has a sister album coming out next year that will feature material written in the same session as this album, so maybe there will be a song entitled In Its Maturity (The Waterfall)?

The album that preceded this, Circuital (2011) heralded a dynamic shift in the boldness and the quality of My Morning Jacket’s songwriting and these threads have been picked up again for The Waterfall however the impact is a lot less profound on the listener this time round.

Coming back to my football analogy: Consider Circuital their premiership season, whereas with The Waterfall, they made the finals but got knocked out in the first round.

DAN WATT

BOP ENGLISH

THE LIVING EYES

Constant Bop

(Downtown/Create Control)

Jekyll Island (Popfrenzy)

(Independent)

The last titular bop in pop music was Pat Wilson’s Bop Girl back in the ‘80s. Now a rascal from White Denim, James Petralli resurrects the bop on a debut solo record.

Solo in the broadest sense however, as most of White Denim also feature on Constant Bop. Nevertheless our White Denim boy has opted for some pastel on account of this venture that is somewhere in the Warren Zevon, Turin Brakes universe. Trying is very mild at heart throughout its acoustic strumming. Some perfect harmony is sought and achieved. Petralli is like a dreamer with a VCE poetry sensibility and a wide eyed swagger. An unnatural love of The Kinks and a general mendacity are clearly evident on Struck Matches and show that recycling all the influences he can remember goes a long way with Petralli. Let’s, for a period, forget that Bop English is such a blatantly silly moniker and forgive him for that. Have I Got It Wrong is plainly not correct as the piano flits along. It all sounds extremely familiar and like a crate-diggers reverential dream. Surrounded by sympatico musicians means that Petralli can fully explore his passions and introduce a meditative melodic splendour to his muse as he rummages through his musical antique stall. “Would you worry about your execution if your problems were gone?” he enquires on Sentimental Wilderness. Probably yes is the resounding reply. The innocent do not deserve such a dire fate.

Of course, not everything works. Stand up, Falling At Your Feet. But then the gentle The Hardest Way is a multi-coloured reflection on love as it tries to break your heart. In a perfect world it should not be so difficult. The head nodding tunes and psych-pop grooves are a bold step backwards and explore an exceedingly relaxed, almost sedated mood. Good on ‘yer boy.

BRONIUS ZUMERIS

SURF CITY

Living Large

Hey sports fans, welcome to the late news with Denver Maxx: Melbourne has a thriving garage rock scene and the latest example of its radness is The

Livings Eyes L.P. Living Large.

With a loose, exciting and energising sound this localish act - they call Geelong home - have released an exhilarating garage rock album.

Whether they were an influence or not, this record is reminiscent of US act Wavves who rode the first wave (pun intended) of the garage/surf rock revival circa 2008. That being said, Mikey Young’s lo-fi mixing and mastering on this record and the consistently excellent songwriting puts Living Large streets ahead of anything Wavves has produced.

Dry Spell is a standout song because the band succeeds in writing slowed down pop without losing any of the teeth of their garage rock sound. When listening to this song I couldn’t help but fall into the same super chill trance elicited by Brian Jonestown Massacre on their classic Nevertheless.

Opening track High Standards is the kind of song that if one had it cranking through their headphones while skateboarding you would probably be able to pull off a nollie hard-flip to fakey off that natural berm in the pavement out the front of your house – that’s how sick it is.

And then there’s the super slacker groove of All In Good Time that features the catchy chorus: “Can you figure it out / I can picture it now / Can ya crack the code / and be the first to know.”

This is a high quality album produced with a lo-fi technique – really worth a listen.

By DENVER MAXX

Robert Louis Stevenson used The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to explore nascent ideas of psychiatry; on Jekyll Island, Surf City explore shoegaze and psychedelic pop with typical artistic dexterity.

At first glance, Jekyll Island is as superficially welcoming and law-abiding as Stevenson’s protagonist. It starts with the glimmering Summer Heat, the best surf-stained psychedelic song the Sand Pebbles never got around to composing; next up, you’re driving down the coastal highway in your openroofed convertible in Spec City, beating a hasty escape from the frustrations of urban existence.

But Jekyll Island (And the Psychosphere) gives a hint that there might be something else brewing in Surf City’s artistic mind – it’s soft to the ear, yet there’s a hidden depth in which might be found something far more confronting. Hollow Veins is a laconic late ‘80s indie powerpop trip in the vein of The Hummingbirds and a host of almost-legends, One Too Many Things is the type of folk-inspired rock track that The Byrds used to explore the contradictions of the emotional psyche and beneath the surface of What They Need can be glimpsed the excited discourse of Mark E Smith in one of his more restrained expositions. Everything you need to know about Leave Your Worries is in the title; if it’s not, it’s there in the song’s pop-and-gaze melodies; Indian Summer is so relaxed it’s almost somnolent. Thumbs Up is psychedelic pop in a pinball arcade with a couple of diet pills and some helium balloons, The End is the church in a more secular pop environment and Jesus Elvis Coca Cola is a third year cultural studies essay just waiting to happen. But if Jekyll Island is the psychedelic pop version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Henry Jekyll, then what dangerous musical beast will be found on Hyde Hill? We can only imagine.

BY PATRICK EMERY

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 39

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

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

WEDNESDAY APR 29

••countdown to mayday - feat. sudden state

••bella wolf Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm.

+ black mayday + espionage + requiem + furious george Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm.

••denim owl + victory lap + sissysocks + lux ovarye’s weird time Grace Darling Hotel,

••bopstretch Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••divide & dissolve + first response +

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••aidan chu Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm. $25.00.

••dizzy’s big band - feat. peter hearne +

celeste pouson Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8.00pm.

Collingwood. 8.00pm. $5.00.

mindless drone Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $5.00.

$14.00.

••elizaband + the curse + summer blokes Bar

& david barnard Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

••ezekiel ox Espy, St Kilda. 8.00pm.

••don’t mention the war - feat. brad cooper 4.00pm. $38.00.

••fairy tales & gumboots - feat. paul wright +

elizabeth sellars + christopher cartlidge Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7.00pm. $30.00.

••hugh stuckey Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8.30pm. $10.00.

••julien wilson ‘b for chicken’ quartet 303, Northcote. 8.00pm.

••lsd (love songs dedication) Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8.00pm.

GIG OF THE WEEK!

Open, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••flower drums & milwaukee banks The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 7.00pm. $10.00.

••flyying colours (farewell show) + hollow

everdaze + hideous towns + vhs dreams Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••gee seas + fifth friend + rabble rouser +

the early openers + dj attack jack Brunswick

YOU ME AT SIX

Post-hardcore outfit You Me At Six need no introduction. They don’t even need this blurb. Fuck, I could write about anything here, my 100 words ain’t gonna sell shit compared to that sweet picture and ‘You Me At Six’ bolded. You know them, you love them, catch You Me At Six at The Hi-Fi this Thursday April 30.

Hotel, Brunswick. 8.00pm.

••general disarray + sheik stain & the creep

mattingley Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. ••the good egg thursdays - feat. henry who

••slide night Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7.30pm.

+ beggar’s way Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $8.00.

••hear my eyes Howler, Brunswick. 8.00pm. $15.00.

••heloise + amber isles + julz evans Workers

••starr-schulz & friends - feat. jacq gawler

••housewreckers + the girls Mr Boogie Man Bar,

••the lalibelas The B.east, Brunswick East. 9.00pm.

••merle street jazz band Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $17.50.

$15.00.

+ david haberfield Open Studio, Northcote. 8.00pm.

••sunnyside + the gooses + duoux + water bear Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $5.00.

••the rookies The Rooks Return, Fitzroy. 8.00pm.

••tim willis & the end Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $18.00.

Club, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $10.00.

Abbottsford. 7.00pm. $10.00.

••kids in control + boy wonder + single

summer Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8.30pm. $7.00.

••kutcha edwards & shiralee hood Bridge Hotel,

••gossamer pride Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••kalacoma + dear plastic + jamil

alexandros zacharia Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7.30pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

••backstage blues night - feat. backwood

••neighbourhood threat + men with chips +

Hotel, Collingwood. 8.30pm.

9.00pm. $10.00.

7.30pm. $81.00.

••didirri + king puppy & the carnivore + the

••girl crazy + silver moon + swim team Tote

••timbalero thursdays La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd.

••andrew riggo Customs House Hotel, Williamstown.

••motherslug + dr colossus + wideorne Yah

Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10.00.

+ tigerfunk + lewis cancut Lucky Coq, Windsor.

7.00pm.

Castlemaine. 8.30pm. $12.00.

••meghan trainor Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

hollow drums + the bb splits Evelyn Hotel,

6.00pm. $17.50.

Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

the smellgoods Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8.00pm. $7.00.

••next - feat. perspectives + surrender +

dear seattle + the evercold Colonial Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm. $15.00.

••peace + smile Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9.00pm. $39.60.

8.00pm.

creatures + the shake shack boogie house band + dj barry maxwell Musicland, Fawkner.

7.30pm.

••band wars series 2 heat 2 - feat. the mason

boys + lipstuck + the broken sweethearts + internal bliss + rain factory + shaded grey Musicland, Fawkner. 6.00pm. $10.00.

••broads - feat. broadside push + lisa salvo Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8.30pm.

$8.00.

••silent nightmare + purr + floods Grace Darling

••jms harrison + alanna eileen Drunken Poet, West

woolf + the shabbab + the reprobettes Tote

••super unsigned music festival - feat.

••mick sita Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 8.00pm.

••kit convict & thee terrible two + midnight Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm.

••miss eileen & king lear + atlas + dj mermaid Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm. $5.00.

••pierce brothers 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7.30pm. $22.00.

••sarah belkner Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7.30pm. $10.00.

••submarines + rhinosonics + kill dirty

youth Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $8.00.

••the do yo thangs John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8.00pm.

••the script + tinie tempah Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8.00pm. $86.35.

••twinspeak + lamb boulevard + reilly

fitzalan & dead arrows + blood orange Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 6.30pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••alfi rocker Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 7.30pm.

••helen shanahan + mia wray + angie

mcmahon Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm. $7.00.

••malcolm hill + andrew mccubbin Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7.30pm.

••muddy’s blues roulette - feat. damon smith Catfish, Fitzroy. 8.00pm.

••open mic hosted by mark gardner Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8.00pm.

••open mic night Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8.00pm.

••the brunswick hotel’s open mic Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 7.00pm.

••wine, whiskey, women - feat. justine wahlin

Hotel, Collingwood. 8.30pm. $5.00.

plymouth + for pluto + high nights + birdhouse + gorilla jetpacks + the need + frank dixon + siyõr + twss + the tetsuians Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7.00pm. $17.00.

••the bakersfield glee club Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8.00pm.

••tragic earth + brockway lights +

pegbucket Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 7.00pm.

••twerps + free time + terrible truths Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $15.00.

••you me at six + luca brasi Max Watt’s, Melbourne.

7.30pm. $52.80.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••andrew kimber quartet Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $20.00.

••beethoven’s spring sonata - feat. kristian

chong + sophie rowell Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 2.00pm. $38.00.

••beethoven’s spring sonata - feat. kristian

chong + sophie rowell Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6.00pm. $38.00.

••david bornstein ultimatum unplugged Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne. 7.30pm.

••international day of jazz - feat. tony gould Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $18.00.

••jazz thursdays - feat. samantha morley The Commune, East Melbourne. 6.00pm.

••kickin’ the b at 303 - feat. cookin’ on 3

burners 303, Northcote. 8.00pm. $10.00.

+ freya hanly Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8.00pm.

••market lane Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8.00pm.

THURSDAY APR 30

••piano extravaganza - feat. rose turtle

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••a wilhelm scream + anchors + tigers Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $36.30.

••acolyte + all the animals + black dog +

starr gunn Espy, St Kilda. 8.30pm.

••axe girl + fear of flying + calamity lane Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8.30pm.

••boo seeka Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7.30pm. $15.00.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40

$14.00.

ertler + carolyn connors + dave evans + sofia chapman + oscar france Open Studio, Northcote. 8.00pm.

••sam smith Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne. 8.00pm.

••shaun rammers trio + lachlan kirkbright

Melbourne. 8.00pm.

••nick anderson Carters Bar, Northcote. 8.00pm.

••open mic The Farmer’s Place, 8.00pm.

••open mic Station 59, Richmond. 8.00pm.

••open mic nite Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7.30pm.

••the songwriters’ club - feat. jr reyne + tim

morrison + danny ross Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7.30pm. $10.00.

••tim crossey ft. hank elwood green Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8.30pm.

FRIDAY MAY 1

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••a wilhelm scream + anchors + postscript Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $36.30.

••apart from this + outlines + have/hold + oh

pacific Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm.

••bad news toilet + horris green + the attics + stahsi Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10.00.

••black night crash Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11.30pm.

••boats Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $10.00.

••bon jovi tribute - feat. foovana + american

idiot Espy, St Kilda. 8.00pm.

••chris wilson Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 5.00pm.

••colostomy baguette? - feat. overdoze +

the high drifters + she beast Reverence Hotel,

Footscray. 8.00pm. $5.00.

••dj dave gray Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7.00pm.

••faye soft + the spinning rooms + dj traffic Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9.30pm.

••fortunes + nico ghost + martin king +

emerse Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••friday night live - feat. single income & eastwood revine Pier Live, Frankston. 8.00pm. $5.00.

••frontier + plotz + lauda + bleeding flares Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8.30pm. $10.00.

trio Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••soul in the basement - feat. revomatix Cherry

••gary eastwood Carters Bar, Northcote. 9.00pm.

••steinway piano series - feat. selene

••halcyon drive + five mile town Espy, St Kilda.

Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $10.00.

messinis + konrad olszewski + craig

••gecko theory Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8.00pm. $10.00.

9.00pm.

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••hollow everdaze + tiny little houses +

maars + hijack + hyperfokus Penny Black,

Brunswick. 9.45pm.

••juke box racket Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8.30pm.

••la danse macabre - feat. brunswick massive

resident djs Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9.00pm.

••leave your hat on (100& cocker classics) Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8.00pm. $50.00.

••luca brasi + lunatics on pogo sticks +

crowbait + brittle bones + daybreak Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 8.00pm. $18.00.

••magic mountain band & warpigs + goodbye

enemy airship & bonnie mercer Gasometer

Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••middle street Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8.00pm.

••morgan bain + the ivory elephant + dear

thieves + nicholas symonds Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy.

8.00pm. $13.00.

••one day + briggs + jayteehazzard Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 9.00pm. $39.00.

••peace + smile Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9.00pm. $39.60.

••peaches Max Watt’s, Melbourne. 8.00pm. $50.00.

••rhinosonics + james mccann + tuscaderos

+ russet burbank + dj jack davies Espy, St

Kilda. 8.00pm.

••richie 1250 & the brides of christ Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9.30pm.

••ricky martin + delta Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.

8.00pm. $122.00.

••scotdrakula & empat lima The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••shack shakers carnival edition dance

party - feat. bob log iii + bj morriszonkle + uptown brown + dj knave knixx + dj bruce milne + anna fisher Spotted Mallard, Brunswick.

6.00pm. $20.00.

••shadow makers + pretty city + the

rollercanes + baron von weinsberg + ghostsoul + able8 + face invada + ruffy 24

Moons, Northcote. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••shed zeppelin Black Hatt, Geelong. 9.30pm.

••sleazy listening - feat. arks + richard kelly

+ hysteric + k.hoop Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm.

••suburban prophets + roxy wi-fi + the brain

snaps + coffin’ up Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East.

8.00pm. $10.00.

••tex perkins & the dark horses + zevon and

the werewolves of melbourne Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8.30pm. $27.00.

••the roots of hugo race - feat. hugo race &

true spirit + spencer p jones Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 6.00pm. $18.00.

••the shabbab + mesa cosa Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine.

8.30pm. $10.00.

••the shrine + child + flour + dj max

crawdaddy Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $25.00.

••the veebees + seedy jeezus + poppin’

mommas + borrachero Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick.

8.00pm.

••the western on weston + dogsday + sarge

& the nuked + udder ubductees + dj hoops Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6.00pm.

••twerps + constant mongrel + milk teddy Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9.00pm. $15.00.

••watt’s on - feat. various artists Prince Public Bar, St Kilda 8.30pm.

••wireheads + the shifters + summer flake Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10.00.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••amir farid performs solo piano works of

javad maurofi Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

6.00pm. $38.00.

••andrew nolte & his orchestra Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $25.00.

••einsteins toyboys + bronnie gordon +

bellatrix Musicland, Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10.00.

••eliza hull Howler, Brunswick. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••humdinger blues bar - feat. stibbo &

greenhatch Humdinger, Frankston 8.00pm.

••ian collard Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8.30pm.

••joe guiton + luke seymoup Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7.00pm. $5.00.

••belowdeck voyage #3 - feat. the skewed

••kasey chambers Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd.

dudes + tall k + mark rowan Sooki Lounge,

••leslie avril band Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

Belgrave. 10.00pm.

••bridgette allen & bob sedergreen Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm. $25.00.

••c’est si le bon Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9.00pm.

7.30pm. $64.00.

9.30pm.

••luke austen Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8.00pm. $8.00.

••no dramas Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 9.30pm.

$20.00.

••the final beetroot Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale.

Emerald, Northcote. 9.00pm.

••trad trish session Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm.

••wanda jackson & buddy holly tribute

••clusterfunk - feat. various artists Purple ••dana czarski & nicolai sanadze Ruby’s Music ••dj soul loco Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9.00pm.

••fats wah wah Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8.00pm.

••fem belling quartet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $25.00.

••ism trio Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $17.50.

••james bowers trio w/ ben harrison Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8.30pm.

••la nuit blanche Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9.30pm. $25.00.

••miss jugo & friends Open Studio, Northcote. 8.00pm.

••spencer p jones Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5.30pm.

••steve magnusson trio Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.

8.00pm.

••the approach + the evercold + earthender

+ capital enemy + crooked path 303, Northcote.

8.00pm. $6.00.

••the meltdown Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $25.00.

••top acts (vce season of excellence) Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7.30pm. $32.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••aleister james blues assembly The B.east, Brunswick East. 8.00pm.

••bandaoke Pier Live, Frankston. 9.00pm.

••claude hay Grind N Groove, Healesville. 9.30pm. $5.00.

••d henry fenton Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8.00pm.

8.00pm.

6.00pm.

show Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne. 8.00pm.

PEACE

Peace. Nice and calm. Definitely one of the worst fitting band names to date, except maybe Silence.

Lamb of God don’t play Christian hymns, My Bloody Valentine aren’t violent, and Peace are anything but peaceful. See them play at Ding Dong Lounge this Thursday April 30, and again on Friday May 1.

••zoe k and band Catfish, Fitzroy. 9.00pm.

SATURDAY MAY 2

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

••crabs fitzroy & animal johnson Labour In

••1054 & life lair regret records presents

••diesel Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9.00pm. $40.00.

- feat. crowned kings + born free + southpawhc + caged grave + cold ground vicious cycle + rust proof + two faced + impact zone + to kill or capture + trolley pole + rebirth + overpower Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 3.00pm.

••4tress + never the empress + mr stitcher Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••ace frehley + graveyard rockstars +

witchgrinder Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $91.00.

••bang - feat. antiskeptic + alibrandi + turn

south Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm.

$25.00.

••brittle bones + daybreak + my piranha +

crow bait Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••byo vinyl night Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 7.00pm.

••casper zazz Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8.00pm. $12.00.

••claws & organs, the loveless The Eastern, Ballarat East. 8.30pm. $10.00.

Vain, Fitzroy. 7.00pm.

••epicure + sophie koh + mark with the sea Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8.30pm. $15.00.

••gentlemen + repairs + tol + military

position + tommy t & the classical mishaps John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8.00pm. $13.00.

••gizzfest - feat. king gizzard & the lizard

wizard + the murlocs + babe rainbow + scott & charlene’s wedding + sewerside + contrast + the kremlings + sagamore + the smb + crepes + drunk mums + destrends Corner Hotel, Richmond. 6.00pm. $25.00.

••gizzfest (u18 show) - feat. king gizzard &

the lizard wizard + dreamin’ wild + love migrate + atolls + sleep decade Corner Hotel, Richmond. 1.00pm. $25.00.

••glittergang Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 9.00pm. $10.00.

••good manners - feat. i’lls + cassius select

+ silent jay x jace xl + good morning + big scary djs + dj jnett + wabz + river

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

NORTHLANE

Step one. Get a chain. I don’t know just find one.

Step two. write Northlane on a piece of paper and gently place it on the chain. Step three. whip that motherfucker like you’ve never whipped before.

This is a long winded visual representation of how much Northlane are off the fucking chain. And as you can tell from the paper on your floor, they’re clearly right off. Northlane plays this Thursday April 30 at The Commercial Hotel, and Friday May 1 at Chelsea Heights Hotel.

yarra + asdafr bawd + ennio styles + good manners djs The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 3.00pm.

$15.00.

••guns n roses tribute show Musicland, Fawkner.

8.30pm. $20.00.

••have/hold + slowly slowly + jeffers limit

+ matt rad + mr lobb + tom showtime Penny Black, Brunswick. 9.00pm.

••hot wings Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9.30pm.

••jarek + bear the mammoth + gareth bowes Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9.00pm.

••karaoke with zoe Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 9.00pm.

••kaurna cronin + rowena wise + amistat +

ben whiting Workers Club, Fitzroy. 12.30pm. $12.00.

••kieron mcdonald combo - feat. kieran

mcdonald combo Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9.00pm.

••leave your hat on (100& cocker classics) Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8.00pm. $50.00.

••luca brasi Pier Live, Frankston. 8.00pm. $17.00.

••lucy cliche + nicky crane + daze + jonnine

standish + noise in my head + myles mac Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10.00pm. $15.00.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 41

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

phoebe daicos & the simmerdowns + fenn wilson Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10.00.

••orb + galaxy folk Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5.00pm.

••rock n’ roll roulette - feat. ablaze + black mars + ten thousand & the charge + colour code + steve lucas & the strawberry teardrop + phil phara Espy, St Kilda. 8.00pm. $13.60.

••russell morris & band + abbey stone Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8.00pm. $33.00.

••rust Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8.00pm.

••shewolf + little house godz + savi bomb

+ dan kromchal Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.

7.00pm. $10.00.

••shit sex + mollusc + girl crazy + cinesex

••la tin shed orquesta Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

11.30pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $25.00.

••infants + luna ghost + local group Old Bar,

Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9.30pm. $20.00.

••jam the funk - feat. mayfield +

Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $35.00.

••jeremy hanley & the real time fadouts

••mark elton quintet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $25.00.

••matt dwyer & the magnatones Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne. 4.00pm.

••midnight run Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. ••nichaud fitzgibbon quintet Paris Cat Jazz Club, ••paul williamson’s hammond combo Paris Cat ••sean connolly quartet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, ••the glass moon Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9.00pm. $20.00.

••thomas veleski & band Open Studio, Northcote.

8.00pm.

8.00pm. $30.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

citizen Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $13.00.

••soul a-go-go - feat. miss goldie + dj manchild + richie 1250 + vince peach + dave boots + dj ladysoul + dj jack sparrow Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••spacejunk + the jacks + gladstone +

mayweather + bateman + tired breeds + laser brains + deadweight Public Bar, North

Melbourne. 7.00pm. $10.00.

••tequila mockingbyrd (everyone down

launch) + the mercy kills + the lockhearts + lillye + dj mermaid Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm. $13.00.

Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $10.00.

••brunny blues saturdays - feat. the

screamin’ honkies + dj kit convict Brunswick

Hotel, Brunswick. 5.00pm.

••cisco caesar Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9.00pm.

••claude hay Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $5.00.

••georgia maq + jess locke Old Bar, Fitzroy. 2.00pm.

••john dowler + little murders + rob craw Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8.30pm. $10.00.

••kim salmon Major Tom’s , 8.00pm.

••morgan bain Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 9.00pm.

••paulie bignell & the thornbury two Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9.30pm.

••pheasant phuckers present (the

Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $17.00.

pheasantry) The B.east, Brunswick East. 9.00pm.

••tammy haider + marc deaz Dane Certificate’s Magic

8.00pm.

••the bombadils Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 9.00pm.

••the bombay royale + sex on toast Gasometer ••the deans + wild turkey Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

••the hunted crows Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $13.00.

••thighmaster + stations + pale heads +

chook race + fruit & nut Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

8.00pm.

••tijuana cartel + kallidad + the youngs Howler, Brunswick. 8.00pm. $20.00.

••turbo belco + the vee bees + grindhouse +

dukes of deliciousness Reverence Hotel, Footscray.

8.00pm. $10.00.

••twerps + the uv race + hierophants Tote

Tricks, Gags & Theatre, Brunswick. 9.00pm. $8.00.

••the cartridge family Union Hotel, Brunswick.

5.00pm.

••the danny walsh banned Catfish, Fitzroy. 9.00pm.

••the drunken poachers Union Hotel, Brunswick.

fierce mild Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8.30pm.

••white summer + colour code + steve lucas

& the strawberry teardrop + phil phara Espy, St Kilda. 8.00pm.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••alexander paris & marta Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm.

••baby et lulu Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8.00pm. $30.00.

••beethoven (the 1808 vienna concert) Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 5.00pm. $99.00.

••craig mattingley & christopher gordon Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $17.50.

••dana czarski & nicolai sanadze Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm.

••fado ao largo - feat. alma mater Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6.30pm. $30.00.

••goldner string quartet Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7.00pm. $46.00.

wedding + thigh master + wireheads Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 6.30pm.

••momentum Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7.00pm. $7.00.

••rockabilly sundays - feat. heels on decks

dj Prince Public Bar, St Kilda 4.00pm.

••sisters doll Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm.

••sugar fed leopards + body pageant + habits Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 4.00pm. $10.00.

••sunday school - feat. small world

experience Public Bar, North Melbourne. 4.00pm.

••sunday songwriters - feat. wichita + shimona + jade stevens + nick evangelou + julz evans Carters Bar, Northcote. 5.00pm.

••test pilot molly + dj helmer Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 9.00pm. $5.00.

••the bellwethers Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 4.00pm.

••the brain drain project presents musik

mayhem fundraiser - feat. waking eden + calling utopia + mokoan + caig fraser + ambition road + mark gardner + stephy kenzie Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 4.00pm. $15.00.

••the large number 12’s Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

Hotel (brunswick), Brunswick. 5.00pm.

SUNDAY MAY 3

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••andrea keller quartet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $18.00.

••andrew nolte & his orchestra Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4.30pm.

••easy now - feat. agent 86 + tom showtime +

dj maars Penny Black, Brunswick. 5.00pm.

••morgan bain & ben whiting The B.east, Brunswick East. 9.00pm.

••nadav Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 1.00pm.

••sandile gontsana with fem belling & the

royal swazi spa Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne

Cbd. 8.30pm. $20.00.

••the hired guns Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7.00pm.

••the ishs/allen project + the ishs/allen

project + peppercorn jazz band Open Studio,

Northcote. 5.00pm.

••the perfections Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5.00pm.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS 5.00pm. $10.00.

••battle of the bands - feat. goat fish + tar

& feather + jane sea + the reasons why + capella... + dirty roomers + messed up + infernal bliss + tao Espy, St Kilda. 12.30pm. $12.00.

••bedtime for princess + tiprats + wet meal John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 4.00pm.

••chunder down under tour - feat. the

ramshackle army + killamedic + the murderballs + the what sorry’s + cosmic kahuna + the unhinged + the wash Bendigo

Hotel, Collingwood. 6.00pm.

••crossbone carnival + the nuremberg code Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8.00pm.

PEACHES

It’s been 15 years since we got schooled by The Teaches of Peaches. That’s a long time, so long so that Peaches is coming back to Melbourne to give audiences a refresher course. What else is in the teaches of Peaches? Find out at The Hi-Fi this Friday May 1.

+ heida luckhearst + dear prudence Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7.00pm.

••dana czarski & nicolai sanadze Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6.00pm.

••monday night cajun dance party - feat. the

johnny can’t dance cajun band Victoria Hotel,

Brunswick. 8.00pm.

••speak percussion Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7.30pm. $38.00.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••cherry jam Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm.

••maddawg mondays - feat. t-rek Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10.00pm.

••monday night mass - feat. vacuum +

stations + tol & mollusc Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8.00pm.

7.30pm.

••mundane mondays Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $5.00.

Melbourne Cbd. 3.00pm. $5.00.

••rich davis & mandy connell Retreat Hotel,

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

••charm & hope springs Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8.00pm.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42

Coburg. 4.30pm.

••minimum wage - feat. scott & charlene’s

woodward + warren rough & friends Victoria

••vic old time jam session - feat. craig

••bar wars Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 2.00pm.

BANDS/ACTS WANTED for Espy Shows. Shoot an email through to mark@gunnmusic.com.au for more details MISSING the sun. Have you seen it? I hear you should always look directly at it. Contact. themoon@lonelynotplanet.com

Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5.00pm.

••matt walker & lost ragas Post Office Hotel,

••vicious circle + capital enemy + nma Bar

••jessica carlton quintet with amber

ferraro + the scott tinkler quartet Uptown

supersounds mixtape Espy, St Kilda. 6.00pm.

5.00pm.

••the woodland hunters Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

••backwood creatures Labour In Vain, Fitzroy.

Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 6.00pm.

Fitzroy. 7.00pm.

••three kings + dj max crawdaddy Cherry Bar,

••good music - feat. ethan mclaren Prince Public Bar, St Kilda 8.00pm.

Fitzroy. 4.00pm.

9.00pm.

Hotel, Collingwood. 8.00pm. $15.00.

••twin haus + sunbeam sound machine +

••gizzfest - feat. king gizzard & the lizard

wizard + dave graney & the mistly + harry howard & the nde + the pink tiles + fucking teeth + zig zag + org + the dead heir + tiny giants + white bleaches + mangelwerzel + davey lane Corner Hotel, Richmond. 5.00pm. $35.00.

••greg dodd & the hoodoo men Rainbow Hotel,

Cbd. 7.00pm. $20.00.

••zulu nation 10th anniversary Laundry Bar,

••society of beggars + the elliotts + john

••enemies alike + tommy castles + the rim’s ••ezra lee Clare Castle Hotel, Port Melbourne. 8.00pm.

Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9.00pm. $5.00.

••skipping girl vinegar Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Brunswick. 8.00pm. $15.00.

••dean valentino Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8.00pm.

Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7.00pm. $7.00.

For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au ••murdena + big seal & the slippery few +

••daniel champagne + harrison storm Howler,

Open, Fitzroy. 7.00pm.

••andrew swift + the weeping willows +

adrian whyte + buck jr Reverence Hotel, Footscray.

3.00pm.

••banjo-b-que - feat. craig woodward The Mercat, Melbourne. 12.30pm.

••pretty city Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $3.00.

Brunswick. 7.30pm.

••tv + the ocean party + holy lotus Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $7.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••monday blues - feat. dj pete Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 8.00pm.

••the mutual appreciation society Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7.00pm.

TUESDAY MAY 5

••clive mann Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 7.00pm.

••darebin songwriters guild 303, Northcote.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

••homesick rays mild bunch Drunken Poet, West

••aarti & the cosmic buffalo Open Studio,

••jam sundays Musicland, Fawkner. 6.00pm.

••bebop duo Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm.

3.30pm.

Melbourne. 6.30pm.

••jemma rowlands & the clifton hillbillies Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7.00pm.

••june low Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4.00pm.

••ken maher, al wright, tony hargreaves Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9.00pm.

••malcolm hill & this is the show Lyrebird

Northcote. 8.30pm.

$12.50.

••delicacies of molten horror - feat.

melbourne piano trio Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6.00pm. $38.00.

••ism trio Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8.00pm. $14.00.

••panorama brasil Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $18.00.

Lounge, Ripponlea. 7.00pm.

••peter voglis Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd.

Williamstown. 3.00pm.

••wesley college music festival Hamer Hall (arts

••michelle gardiner Customs House Hotel, ••samassin, bohjass, slipper 303, Northcote.

7.30pm.

••seagull + susie scurry + oliver jack Grace

6.00pm.

Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 7.00pm. $24.00.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 3.30pm. $10.00.

••ainslie wills + private life Gasometer Hotel,

Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4.00pm.

••fitzroyalty - feat. brooke russell + stevii

5.30pm.

••indigo children Public Bar, North Melbourne. 7.00pm.

North. 4.00pm.

••oliver paterson beat project + trick dog

••sunday sessions - feat. various artists ••the cartwheels Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

••the drunken poachers Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy ••the shotgun wedding Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford.

8.00pm.

MONDAY MAY 4

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Collingwood. 8.00pm. $15.00.

hill Little & Olver, Fitzroy. 7.00pm. $5.00.

syndicate Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8.00pm. $5.00.

••paloma faith Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7.00pm. $99.00.

••the dulljoys + diana radar + the gooses +

box crunch Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $6.00.

••bennetts lane big band Bennetts Lane Jazz Club,

••them bruins + smoke stack rhino Cherry Bar,

••christopher gordon, muji & zoupa +

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $18.00.

christopher gordon + muji & zoupa Ruby’s

Melbourne Cbd. 8.00pm.

Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8.30pm. $12.50.

••klub muk 303, Northcote. 7.30pm.

wilson + shannon walton + doris gal + chris inada + richard nguyen + ike ruckman

••the weeping willows w/ greta ziller Yarra

••collarts final performance - feat. pat

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

••nigel wearne + jim green Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

7.30pm.

Hotel, Abbotsford. 8.00pm.

Wed 29nd April

WINE, WHISKEY, WOMEN 8pm - Justine 9pm - Freya

Wahlin Hanly

Thurs 30th April

Alanna Eileen 9pm: JMS Harrison 8pm:

Fri 1st May

6pm: Traditional Irish Session

Ian Collard 9pm: Cisco Caesar 4pm: June Low (QLD) 8:30pm:

Sat 2nd May

Sun 3rd May

Homesick Rays Mild Bunch

6.30pm:

Tues 5th May

W E E K LY T R I V I A The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au

ELLAHOOPER WITH SPECIAL GUESts LaYLA & FRIDA

SATURDAY MAY 9

DOORS OPEN AT 8PM $27 ENTRY (PLus $3.50 BOOKING FEE) UNIT 10, 59-61 HUDSONS RD, SPOTSWOOD 3015 CALL 03 9391 3444 for more info All tickets available through www.soundcitymelbournelive.com or

www.oztix.com.au

PRODUCTION SUITES AVAILABLE FOR LEASE • 1 x 4m x 3 m & 1 x 3m x 3m • New soundproofed suites • 1-year lease • Vocal tracking room access • Free Internet • Kitchen facilities

• Ample evening parking • 24h-monitored security • 24-hour studio access • 6th share of utility costs • Reasonable rent for what the studio has to offer.

24 York Street, South Melbourne Ph (03) 9973 7474 or contact Jake on 0419 893 989 www.yorkststudios.com

PA HIRE

Comprehensive PA systems delivered, set up and operated with crew. Compact, easy, sound systems you can pickup and assemble yourself.Components such as microphones, speakers and effects are also available separately. Lights also available.

For details phone Mark Barry on 03 9889 1999 or 0419 993 966

www.bssound.com.au bssound@bigpond.com

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KINDRED STUDIOS

IN YARRAVILLE

Co-Working & Creative Office Studios Short and long-term leases available Base your digital media, recording or other creative business out of Kindred Studios.

Call 9689 9859 to make an enquiry.

kindredstudios.com.au

03 9687 0233

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

With Christie Eliezer * Stuff for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm

AUSTRALIA REMAINS SIXTH LARGEST MUSIC MARKET

Despite the rise of many newer music markets, Australia retains its position as sixth biggest music market in the word. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industries’ Recording Industry In Numbers, the US remains the most powerful with a trade value of US$4.9 billion. It’s almost double that of Japan, at $2.6 billion. Germany is third ($1.4 billion), UK ($1.3 billion), France ($843 million), Australia ($376 million), Canada ($342 million) and South Korea ($266 million, which overtook Brazil ($247 million) to tenth place.

Digital now represents 46% of total revenue after an increase of 6.9%, almost catching up to CDs for the first time. Downloads remain digital’s biggest earners (52%) but fast replaced by streaming. In fact streaming has overtaken downloads in 37 markets. Subscription revenue is now 23% of the digital market. The overall market in 2014 was flat, with revenues declining by 0.4% to US$14.97 billion, while global digital revenues were up 6.9% to US$6.85 billion. Latin America has the fastest digital growth, with revenues up 7.3%.

Global performance rights revenue increased by 8.3% to $948 million, now accounting for 6% of total record industry revenue. Synchronisation revenues increased 8.4% to US$347 million, now worth 2% of the global market.

King Parrot

FOUR AUSSIE ACTS FOR UK AWARDS

The Australian heavy rock scene got a boost when four acts were nominated for UK hard rock magazine Metal Hammer‘s Golden God Awards next month. The Amity Affliction are contenders in the Breakthrough category (same category they’re nominated for in the APMAs), Parkway Drive for Best Live Act, Northlane’s Riot for Video and King Parrot for Best New Band.

HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN

You thought your problem at festivals was shirtless bogans? A free three-day music festival in Oklahoma tried to ban punters from bringing guns in. The local rambos objected and took it to court. The judge was forced to agree that a ban could only apply to a building but not a festival.

JAMES POWER BOOKING AT MELBOURNE PUB GROUP

Former Hi-Fi Bar group booker James Power has been appointed as Live Booking Director for the Melbourne Pub Group (MPG), which operates the Prince Bandroom, Prince Of Wales Public Bar and Cellar Bar. Power was retained by the administrator to continue his role of Live Content Director when the three Hi-Fi Bars went into strife. When the new owners came in with their own team, Power was offered the MPG gig within three hours.

Power tells Industrial Strength that more information will be announced of MPG’s venues over the next months. The Prince Bandroom and Prince Of Wales Public Bar are of course vital live music hubs in St Kilda. The 250 to 300 capacity The Cellar operates as what Power describes as “a relaxed venue” with a wide music style including jazz and hip hop.

He has also resuscitated his Tiger Live Agency, which he ran from 2002 to 2006 when he first arrived in Melbourne from country Victoria. It will run events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and currently talking to venues.

MEGAN WASHINGTON JOINS PPCA BOARD

Megan Washington was elected to the board of the PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia), which collects broadcast royalties for artists and record labels. She joins Lindy Morrison as Artist Representative, replacing country singer songwrtiter Graeme Connor.

THINGS WE HEAR

• Which minor label executive just had his 12 rejection for his memoirs by a publisher? Maybe if he’d agree to spice it up a bit?

th

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46

• How much do Mumford & Sons charge for festival appearances? Canada’s Calgary Folk Music Festival let slip they wanted Can$700,000 (A$730,000).

• Are Beyoncé and Jay Z plotting a joint album for release via Tidal?

• Sydney-born guitarist Nick Maybury of the band Mink is the new axeman for Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts, replacing the late Jeremy Brown.

Maybury has been based in New York for the last ten years.

• Australia’s six year old DJ competition Your Shot has launched in the US, with DJ superstar Tiësto as its main judge and figurehead. First prize: a gig in Las Vegas with the Dutchman and a slot on Ultra Music Miami.

• In a series of interviews with Australian media, Django Django revealed they’re planning to be here in January 2016. They learned to surf on their last visit in the 2012/3 summer and want to do that again.

• After hitting the $4,000 mark in her crowdfunding campaign for new Marty Brown-produced album Wear It Well, Melbourne singer-songwriter Emily Ulman made good her promise to #underwearitwell. She stripped down and completed a lap of The Toff In Town’s carriage bar in nothing but her undergarments – achieving a personal best time of 8.6 seconds.

• The auction of Palace Theatre memorabilia saw lines outside 1000 Pound Bend and half the stuff – including posters, t shirts and ticket stubs – snapped up. Most popular were Queens of the Stone Age, Jane’s Addiction and Wilco stuff. The rest will be auctioned online in a few weeks, keep an eye on www.palace.com.au. In the meantime, why will the current VCAT hearing have to be retried? Check out beat.com.au for the full story.

• Melbourne soul surf garage punks Money For Rope are the latest to return to Europe, doing festivals in Germany and Switzerland and a club tour of the UK and other European cities. Fans say bon voyage at the Curtin on Saturday May 9 at which they’re joined by Sinking Teeth and Mighty Boys.

• AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd’s lawyer is trying to keep his client out of jail by arguing that the publicity he received before the court case (“more attention than Bon Scott’s death”) gave him an unfair advantage.

• The annual charity music industry football match Reclink Community Cup is due for a format change next year, reported The Age column Sticky Carpet. Starting out in Melbourne and then to Sydney, it will expand to Perth and Adelaide next year as a tour. Details out next month.

• A contestant on TV talent show Britain’s Got Talent doing Parkway Drive’s Dark Days stunned the judges (“my ears are bleeding!”) and saw him get turfed off. But Parkway’s Winston McCall congratulated him for his “bravery.”

• Sia revealed on Australian radio she married filmmaker Erik Anders Lang 18 months ago and introduced him to her folks on her recent visit home.

• The Hillsong Church is among those lobbying for greater anti-piracy measures – because its Christian following keep downloading their music illegally.

• US digital radio platform Pandora lost 2 million of its 79.2 million active users, in the first three months of 2015. It posted a Q1 net loss of US $48.3 million.

• A drunken Ballarat man who kicked in the door of Bluestone nightclub last October 18 when he arrived to find it closed was fined $350 and ordered to pay $350 compensation by the Ballarat Magistrates Court last Friday.

VENUES: MUSIC SPACE FOR GEELONG

Geelong musician Andy Pobjoy and former Geelong Club general manager Jon Metrikas are opening the Blue Note Bistro in June which will feature music.

Pobjoy said the bar, in Little Malop St, was inspired

by New York jazz clubs with theme nights and piano performances.

MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY PANEL DISCUSSION

General Assembly hosts a free panel Tune Into The Future: The Intersection Of Music + Tech on Thursday May 7 and the opportunities growing from its continual merger. Speakers are Colin Blake, Rdio’s Head of Territory Australian & New Zealand, Sydney film/ theatre/ TV composer and producer Patrick Nellestein, Icehouse member and Senior Coordinator of Entertainment & Arts Management at the Australian Institute of Music Paul Gildea and Motion Synth inventor Joshua Young who created the instrument based on his background in neuroscience and Berlin’s electronic scene.

SKY LANTERNS FOR FOREST FALLS

The video for Melbourne folk six piece Forest Falls’ single Hounds uses the metaphor of two lovers falling in and out of love by using airborne sky lanterns as a metaphor. It was shot in Melbourne by An Architect Photographed My Undies (Vance Joy, Pierce Brothers, Oscar Key Sung). Lead singer Jon O’Neill says many viewers think it was done through CGI and special effects. “But the band and film crew actually par took in some guerilla sky lantern launching.” The group was “impossibly stressed out about burning someone’s house down” so they followed the flying liabilities through Melbourne streets - no one was hurt during the filming of the clip. The track is included on the EP of the same name, which was produced by Wayne Connolly, and the band has a Wednesday night residency at the Workers Club through May.

HE AND SHE TICKETS?

Malaysia’s music promoters reacted sharply to the country’s Islamic Development Department’s latest – a proposal that males and females sit in segregated seats at concerts. Among other suggestions were that touring musicians be screened for criminal backgrounds before they arrived, and ensure they dress “according to their gender.” A promoter who brought out a South Korean band who killed Muslims girls onstage is blacklisted.

O/S AIRPLAY FOR MELBOURNE’S DIZZ1

Melbourne hip hop producer Dizz1’s EP Get ‘Em Up and album In Sickness And In Health, both out in May, are issued through the UK’s Tru Thoughts Records which signed him in 2013. It is distributed in Australia through Caroline. The EP, featuring rapper Frank Nitt and rising electro-soul duo Killbot Kindergarten is already getting spins by Flying Lotus on BBC Radio 1 and Dom Alessio on triple j. The album features his dream team of singers as Tame One, Sadat X, Om’Mas Keith, Motley, Aloe Blacc and Frank Nitti.

DAVEY LANE JOINS ICECREAM HANDS REUNION

Guitar slinger Davey Lane joins ‘90s outfit Icecream Hands when the Charles Jenkins-led outfit reunites to play the ARIA nominated Sweeter Than The Radio in entirety over shows mid of the year (including Saturday July 11 at the Evelyn as part of Leaps and Bounds). The reunion, which includes Derek G Smiley and Douglas Lee Robertson, coincides with the vinyl release of the album – one of the first to be produced by Wayne Connolly.

INDEPENDENT MUSIC FESTIVALS GENERATE £1B

50 UK independent music festivals and events generated an estimated £1 billion (A$1.9 billion) for the UK economy in the last four years, according to a new report by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). In 2014 alone, audience spend at these was a record £296 million ($572.9 million) while local businesses near festivals benefitted by £80 million ($154.8 million) in the time.

WJO STRIKES DISTRO DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC

WJO co-owners Will Osland and Andrew Doran struck a distribution partnership for the WJO Label with Universal Music Australia (UMA). WJO started six years ago from the back of a record store putting all their money into it, building up to a large independent country music label handling physical, digital, publishing and licensing, marketing and rights management.

UNIVERSAL, SONY/ATV SUED OVER IGGY DEAL

Iggy Azalea’s label Universal Music and publisher Sony/ATV are being sued in the US by a company called Make Millions Music for breach of contract.

The suit claims that the Mullumbimby-born rapper signed a deal in 2009 with then-boyfriend, rapper Jefe

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

LIFELINES Marrying(?): onstage at Coachella, Drake brought Nicki Minaj onstage and claimed she was tying the knot with b/f singer Meek Mill.

Married: country music singer/songwriter and Golden Guitar winner Ashleigh Dallas invited 80 friends and family to a Tamworth hotel to her 21st – and then stunned them all by getting married to fiancé Chris Wattan.

Split: Ariana Grande and Big Sean after eight months, thanks to “career pressure”.

Divorced: Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow signed the final paperwork.

In Court: a woman who made more than £23,000 from selling non-existent Glastonbury Festival tickets could face prison after admitting fraud.

Charged: two of rap group Migos on drugs and gun charges minutes after they came off stage at a college show in Georgia.

Died: US R&B singer Johnny Kemp (Just Got Paid), 55.

Died: Mingiedi Mawangu, 86, last original member of Congo outfit Konono No 1 whose invention of the electrified likembe drew Beck and Bjork as fans.

Died: three fans of UK crustpunk pioneers Doom during a concert in Chile when the club wall collapsed as the crowd pushed to get in.

Died: Stu McKenzie, 29, frontman of Newcastle bluegrass outfit Good Corn Liquor. McKenzie died in a car crash on the New England Highway which left two other members hospitalised and the 17year old other driver dead.

Wine (Maurice Williams). The ownership of that deal was sold on March 14 2012 to Make Millions Music for US$25,000. The suit contends that Universal and Sony ATV should not have signed Azalea (real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly) when she was signed elsewhere.

AUSTRALIA’S GUVERA HITS 10M USERS

The Guvera streaming service, which began on the Gold Coast in 2010 before going international, has hit 10 million users. Last October, it had 1.5 million.

Over the past 22 weeks it grew by 35,000 users a day (India came in with 3 million after launching there last November). CEO, Darren Herft attributes the 85% growth to its ad-funded brand channel model which matches brands to fans while the music is playing. This way brands know their ads reach the right consumers, and users don’t get unwanted ads. Guvera is available in 20 markets and intends to be in 100 by end of 2015. It is set to take on Spotify and Deezer in the UK and east Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa.

MUSIC BIZ FRIENDS KEEP PLEDGE TO LATE ASH HANSEN

A number of music industry executives spearheaded

by Millie Millgate of Sounds Australia and Mel Lake of Bird Music are keeping a personal pledge to the late Ash Hansen. The former frontman of Sydney’s Rumanastone died of virulent melanoma last October, aged 39. He was working on a record Transmission under the moniker Like Wires with producer Tim Whitten. A PledgeMusic campaign is launched to manufacture and ship the record. Any monies left over go to Support Act Ltd at the request of Hansen’s mum, Karin Lines. Millgate and Lake are keen to highlight during the campaign the essential work that Support Act does, and its importance to Hansen’s family. See http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/likewires

APPLICATIONS FOR MYER FELLOWSHIPS

The Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships return for a fourth year, providing grants of $160,000 over two years to individual artists and arts managers with “outstanding talent and exceptional courage,” and “thought leaders in the humanities”. The grants are unrestricted, which means there is no need for an outcome and range from music to all artforms. Your music career must be in its seventh to 15th year, and you’re expected to remain in Australia during the two years. Nominations close on Sunday May 31.

NEUW DENIM #WHITENOISENEUW