Brag#594

ISSUE NO. 594 DECEMBER 24, 2014

FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2015 FEATURING:

JAMES THIERRÉE’S

GL A S S A NIM A L S

The Oxfordshire buzz band returns with a vibrant live show.

V IOL E N T F EMME S

Still at the vanguard of the alternative after 30 years and counting.

NIKO S CH W IND

The Berlin-based DJ is bringing his beats to a New Year’s boat party.

F L ICK E R F E S T

The 2015 program is here, now bring on the films.

Plus

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Photography: Mark Rogers

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rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Lauren Gill and Tori Bedingfield

speed date WITH

Keeping Busy I did a lot of international 2. touring this year, including some

Your Profile A unique feminine blend 1. of reggae, soul, acoustic and

Factory Floor Friday January 23

awesome festivals in the USA such as California Roots Festival, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival and Joshua Tree Music Festival. I also toured California opening solo for J-Boog. I was invited to collaborate with Playing For Change on their latest Songs Around The World project, which will be released in January. I also performed at Reggae Sun Ska Festival in France – it was epic. Right now I’m touring WA, and looking forward to a

week of chilling with my family around Christmas. In the New Year I have various releases and collaborations planned.

Best Gig Ever Wow, it’s hard to pick just 3. one. BaliSpirit Festival comes to mind, as the stage was just so beautiful – think an ancient carved stone wall framed by the oldest, most beautiful frangipani trees I’ve ever seen.

The audience had pretty much been doing yoga all day so they were high on life before we even started. Summer Arts Festival in Humboldt, California this year was really beautiful as the stage was cradled in amongst redwoods and a river. I really love playing open-air shows, there’s nothing quite like it.

4.

Current Playlist Manu Chao’s Clandestino was on high rotation in the car

stereo on last week’s drive to Denmark, WA. D’Angelo’s new album Black Messiah. Jah9, Kabaka Pyramid and Raging Fyah are all awesome new artists out of Jamaica. I saw Hiatus Kaiyote’s recent show at AWME in Melbourne and it really was incredible.

Your Ultimate Rider A raw vegan chocolate 5. cake. Coconut water. Fresh ginger, lemon and honey tea. Red papaya with lime. Plantain and tamales. And maybe a mojito, but a good one.

What: Amazonia’s Conscious New Year’s Eve With: Deya Dova, Murray Kyle, Chris Deckker, Jocelyn Gordon and more Where: Paddington Chapel When: Wednesday December 31

AWESOME INTERNS: Tori Bedingfield, Lachlan Mackenzie, Spencer Scott, Nicholas Hartman REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Prudence Clark, Keiron Costello, Meg Crawford, Marissa Demetriou, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Mina Kitsos, Emily Meller, Adam Norris, Kate Robertson, Erin Rooney, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227

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THE BRAG

10 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

Enmore Theatre Tuesday March 31

THE NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL Exhibition Park, Canberra Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6

THE OCEAN Factory Floor Friday April 10

off in Brisbane and making their way down the coast before wrapping up in Perth. Catch ’em on Sunday April 5 at Newtown Social Club.

GOT TO GETAWAY THE OCEAN IS CALLING

German post-metal group The Ocean are making their way across the seas to Australia in the New Year. 2013 saw the release of Pelagial, a single 53-minute piece of music written specially to be performed live. Conceptually, it begins at the surface of the ocean and plunges through all five pelagic depth zones – epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic and hadopelagic – which makes five new words we’ve learnt this week.

Immerse yourself in the soundscapes at the Factory Floor on Friday April 10. Tickets go on sale 10am Monday December 29.

Melbourne alt-rock quartet The Getaway Plan have announced a string of dates for next autumn. The announcement come ahead of their forthcoming LP, Dark Horse, which is expected to be released independently in mid-2015. In the meantime, they’ll play on Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16 at Newtown Social Club.

SWITCHFOOT

BLUESFEST GETS BIGGER

Bluesfest has given music lovers another reason to be merry this holiday season, revealing even more artists for its 2015 edition. Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, Augie March, Donavon Frankenreiter, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Justin Townes Earle, Declan Kelly Presents Diesel N’ Dub (featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son and Tony Hughes), Ash Grunwald, Blue King Brown, The Beautiful Girls, Steve Smyth and Karl S Williams are all set to play the festival next year. They’ll join the likes of The Black Keys, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Keb Mo, Lenny Kravitz and many more. Bluesfest will take place from Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm.

NORMA JEAN ON TOUR

Atlanta metalcore pioneers Norma Jean will return to Sydney over Easter. Since their last trip to our shores, Norma Jean released their widely praised sixth album, Wrongdoers. This time around, they’ll take their high-intensity live show to Australia’s capital cities, kicking

Californian rockers Switchfoot will play two intimate Australian shows next year, in Sydney and Melbourne. They’re certainly no strangers to touring, having played five different continents in the past year alone.

Switchfoot’s ninth studio album, Fading West, was released in January. Catch them on Wednesday April 1 at The Hi-Fi.

Steel Panther

BIG SKY GETS THE BLUES

Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts Entertainment Edge have announced the cancellation of the Big Sky Blues and Roots Festival, planned for the 2015 Easter long weekend. Following several headline artists pulling out of the festival, organisers were unable to secure replacement acts. Rather than push ahead with “anything less than an amazing lineup”, organiser Michael Chugg has made the decision to not proceed with the festival in 2015. Thanking organisers and artists for their efforts in putting together the festival, Chugg has promised that the event will return in 2016. Refunds are now available for all ticket purchasers. Earlybird and local ticketholders will be able to access refunds from their place of purchase or from the Deni Play On The Plains office (03 5881 8259). Online ticket sales will automatically be refunded to the credit card used in the original transaction.

SOUNDWAVE THIRD LINEUP

The 2015 edition of Australia’s favourite rock festival has grown with the third announcement of acts for Soundwave. The Billy Corgan-led Smashing Pumpkins lead the new round of artists, coming our way on the back of their new record Monuments To An Elegy. Corgan’s new-look lineup features Jeff Schroeder, former Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk and The Killers bassist Mark Stoermer. The rest of the third round announcement includes Steel Panther, Millencolin, Falling In Reverse, Exodus, The Vandals, King Parrot, Rival Songs and Raglans. Soundwave 2015 is on Saturday February 28 and Sunday March 1 at Sydney Olympic Park.

thebrag.com

Steel Panther photo by Ken Leanfore

DEADLINES: Editorial: Friday 12pm (no extensions) Ad bookings: Friday 5pm (no extensions) Fishished Art: No later than 2pm Monday Ad cancellations: Friday 4pm Deadlines are strictly adhered to.

Published by Furst Media P/L ACN 1112480045 All content copyrighted to Cartrage P/L / Furst Media P/L 2003-2014

PAOLO NUTINI

Xxx

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.

Oxford Art Factory Wednesday March 11

Three-piece rock outfit Truckfighters have locked in an Australian tour for early next year. Known for their fuzzy Californiainfluenced desert rock, the Swedes released their fourth album, Universe, earlier this year, marking a shift to a more melodic approach to songwriting. Their eight-date tour will see them hit regional areas of Australia and capital cities. See Truckfighters at Studio Six on Thursday January 15, The Roller Den on Friday January 16, Baker St in Gosford on Saturday January 17 and Newcastle’s Small Ballroom on Sunday January 18.

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Wikispectacle

GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Tori Bedingfield, Emily Meller - gigguide@thebrag. com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)

BALKAN BEAT BOX

TRUCKFIGHTERS

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray ONLINE COORDINATOR: Jacob Mills SUB-EDITOR: Jacob Mills STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Tori Bedingfield, Gloria Brancatisano, Lauren Gill, Nicholas Hartman, Spencer Scott

ADVERTISING: Georgina Pengelly - 0416 972 081 / (02) 9212 4322 georgina@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600

Oxford Art Factory Thursday January 29

The Ocean photo by David Robinson

The Ocean

SOHN

xxxx

dancehall flavours. Has a relentless passion for inspiring

CALIGULA’S HORSE

SARITAH

people to live their purpose and to follow their dreams. On a worldwide musical mission to uplift, inspire and heal. Vegan lover of life. Into yoga, the beach, long walks in nature. Speaks English, French, Spanish. Dreams of a house in the country with a studio and a veggie garden.

the hottest artists on tour...

DAVID M. HAWKINS PRESENTS GRAMMY WINNING SOUL SENSATION

MACY GRAY THE WAY TOUR 2015

‘SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BILLIE HOLIDAY'S WOUNDED CRY & BOB DYLAN'S FEISTY RASP’ ROLLING STONE

SINGING ALL HER HITS INCLUDING I TRY, SEXUAL REVOLUTION, WHEN I SEE YOU, SWEET BABY AND SONGS FROM HER NEW ALBUM THE WAY

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BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 11

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Gloria Brancatisano and Spencer Scott

five things WITH

Alison Wonderland

MURRAY KYLE Bobby McFerrin and Zap Mama are also favourites, because they give us all permission to delve deeper into how and why we sing.

I released my fourth album on 12/12/12 entitled Mountain Song, and it was self-recorded and produced here in the creative epicentre of Uki.

Your Band I am presently collaborating 3.

Music, Right Here, Right with some accomplished Now 5. musicians here in the Byron It is a unique time for musicians

Growing Up My first instrument was 1. piano, and I remember getting

the inside, and it soon burst out again, in a different way.

up early so I could finish my practice before it was time for Tarzan on the TV. I also played some guitar in primary, followed by years of bassoon in the Sydney Schools Wind Ensemble. Ironically I then dropped all of my instruments for years while travelling, but the music was still playing on

2.

Inspirations I am a lover of lyric, and as such have always been drawn to musicians that bring forth a story or a timeline in their creative flow.

Sting, Nitin Sawhney, Amos Lee, Paul Simon and Tracy Chapman have been prominent for me, but I love a wide range of genres.

Strong vocal expressionists like

Bay region, particularly vocalist Rebekah Ray, who has sung on all of my albums through the years. We are fortunate here in the Northern Rivers to have a good pool of musicians who are also friends, so we are usually on the same channel and are also in it for the joy. I am now producing and audio engineering as a side career, which is great as it brings more music and creation into my life.

The Music You Make A Murray Kyle performance 4. is a breath of fresh air for people who are saturated by the usual media machine. My songs are a heart-centred journey, bringing some nourishment and strength to the spirit in these astounding times we are witnessing aboard our planet. Conscious roots shamanic soul music is born!

Jerome Fandor

FRANKIE’S HEAVY HOLIDAYS

Where: Amazonia’s Conscious New Year’s Eve With: Deya Dova, Saritah, Chris Deckker, Jocelyn Gordon and more Where: Paddington Chapel When: Wednesday December 31

MOUNTAIN SOUNDS FESTIVAL

Mountain Sounds Festival is one of the newer Australian festivals around, and boy, is it brimming with Australian talent. The Kite String Tangle, Safia, D.D Dumbo, The Jungle Giants and Tkay Maidza are all appearing, but the just-announced cherry on top of that mouth-watering ice-cream cake of a lineup is Alison Wonderland. The festival is at Mount Penang Parklands, near Kariong, approximately halfway between Sydney and Newcastle. Not only are the surrounds and the attendees beautiful, but the organisers also keep the event environmentally sustainable, which means fewer baby whales caught in plastic can holders for everyone.

We’ve got two double passes to give away to Mountain Sounds 2015, being held on Saturday February 21. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us what your favourite sea creature is and why.

While all the good little boys and girls are unwrapping their presents from Santa this year, the bad boys and girls will be rocking out at Frankie’s Pizza. Sydney’s favourite home for underground live music shenanigans will be hosting its Heavy Holidays night on Sunday December 28, so you can headbang those Christmas hangovers away. Flaming Wrekage, To The Grave, Hadal Maw, Before Ciada, Recoil V.O.R and Death In Prague will bring the holiday vibes. You bring the ’tude.

James Bay has announced he will be heading to Australia for the first time in February to play shows in Melbourne and Sydney. The UK troubadour made his name on Brighton’s open mic scene, continuing to impress on London stages before one of his performances was filmed and uploaded to YouTube by an audience member. It caught the attention of Republic Records, who flew him out to New York the next week and signed him. Since then he has released three EPs, had his BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge performance trend on Twitter, seen his second EP enter the iTunes top ten and had his most recent EP debut at the top of the UK iTunes chart last month. Bay has supported the likes of The Rolling Stones, Kodaline, John Newman and Tom Odell. He’ll take over The Basement on Monday February 2.

disco-rockers Two Headed Man. The show is on Friday January 16.

THAT’S A FUNNY PLACE FOR A BUDDHA

Southern-stomp roots outfit Buddha In A Chocolate Box have announced their East Coast Cooler tour and have hinted at a debut album to be released in the the New Year. Hitting a long list of locations over the

next few months, the small-town Victorian five-piece will be keeping busy before the anticipated release of their record. With toetapping beats and an infectious energy, the group has earned a loyal grassroots following and shared stages with the likes of British India, Ash Grunwald, James Reyne and Kingswood. Buddha In A Chocolate Box will be playing in Sydney on Friday January 16 at the Coogee Diggers and on Saturday January 17 at the Annandale Hotel.

OUCH, THAT HURST

Sydney’s own Hurst are returning to the stage in January, hand-curating a lineup of local talent for a show at Brighton Up Bar. Hurst have had a short but impressive career: their live debut in early 2014 was followed by support slots for Glass Towers, The Love Junkies and Kingswood, as well as the release of their EP IV. Joining them at this show will be alt-rock band Wolves In Fashion, ’60s-influenced indie kids Electric Vogues, alt-blues act Octavian and

xx

Local soul/R&B singer-songwriter Jerome Fandor has put together an eight-piece live band to help launch his EP at Lazybones Lounge in January.

After working with artists such as Good Buddha, Papertoy and Mailer Daemon, Fandor has stepped forward and released his own debut EP. Produced

by Gary Dryza (AKA Ishu), Utopia is pitched as a “soulful exploration of lost dreams, loved ones, and voices”. Fandor launches his EP on Friday January 30.

of my genre pool, and we are writing the soundtrack for a new paradigm as we move into a clearer connection in our lives.

I believe this will be reflected in the venues and events that we see emerging more in the coming years. I love being a part of cultural/lifestyle events where body, mind and spirit are all engaged and entertained, and lifted into a place of awareness that can be brought into our everyday lives.

JAMES BAY

James Bay

FANCY SOME FANDOR

head to: thebrag.com

Emery

The Vanns

BACK INTO THE VANNS

EMERY TOUR

Seattle’s Emery will embark on their first Australian headline tour in four years next March.

The post-hardcore outfit will tour in support of forthcoming LP, You Were Never Alone. Fans can expect to hear a mix of tracks from the new album and heavier tracks from Emery’s recent back catalogue. They’ll play Newtown Social Club on Tuesday March 31.

Having released their new single ‘Operator’ and off the back of an east coast tour, The Vanns have announced they will be heading around the country for a string of shows this February and March. The 18-date tour will see the trio play shows in major cities as well as many regional stops in between. Over the last few months The Vanns have toured Australia with the likes of Sticky Fingers, Kingswood, The Griswolds, Jinja Safari, Dappled Cities, Northeast Party House, Steve Smyth and Hey Geronimo. This time they’ll play in support of their forthcoming EP, Scattered By Sundown. The Vanns will be at the Marlborough Hotel on Thursday March 5, Tattersalls Hotel on Friday March 6 and Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Wednesday March 11. xxxx xx

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thebrag.com

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Which regional festival might be facing a fine from authorities for allowing drug use and keeping the lights dim so cops couldn’t nab the tokers? * Which muso slept in, rushed to his cousin’s wedding and had his car impounded as a result? * AC/DC took all of 60 minutes to sell out all 72,500 tickets for their July 4 show at London’s Wembley Stadium. * The Amity Affliction sold out all shows on their

UK tour, repeating the performance of their last British run. In August, the Australian tour sold out all five dates, while their first headlining run of North America in mid-September sold out 12 of 30 shows and seven of 17 dates in Europe did likewise. * The dude who AC/DC’s Phil Rudd was accused of hiring to kill two people says he was offered $250,000 and the pick of any car from Rudd’s $9 million collection to become his bodyguard, not his hitman. * Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour joined Bombay Bicycle Club to perform

APRA AWARDS MOVED TO A NEW DATE

Next year’s APRA Awards have been moved to Tuesday March 24 at Carriageworks. They were previously held in June but too many past winners were touring the northern hemisphere summer festival circuit. In 2015, Robert Conley takes over as APRA musical director.

Conley has worked with the likes of Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera, Carlos Santana, Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion and Darren Hayes. Another change for 2015 is the addition of two new sponsors: NXTGIG and The X Studio, where the after party will be held. Voting for Song of the Year closes on Monday January 12.

MINISTRY OF SOUND GETS TV SHOW

Ministry Of Sound is set to kick off its own branded TV show on MTV Dance, hosted

by EDM artist Timmy Trumpet. Ministry Of Sound broadcasts every Saturday at 7:30pm from Saturday January 10. There’ll be a oneoff show on New Year’s Eve looking back at 2014’s biggest toe-tappers.

‘Wish You Were Here’ at the last-ever gig at London’s Earls Court Arena. * For her 25th birthday, Taylor Swift got the best gift – her musical hero, the legendary Aretha Franklin serenading her at the Billboard Women In Music Awards in New York. * Four of KISS’ original road crew (1974-76) have written a tell-all book on their early years, titled Out On The Streets: The True Tales Of Life On The Road With The Hottest Band In The Land…

KISS. It covers wrestling with thieves, bullet-ridden vehicles, arrests and sexual encounters.

KATY’S ‘PRISM’ HITS FIVE TIMES PLATINUM

Following her tour, Katy Perry’s Prism album has gone five times platinum in Oz, outselling Teenage Dream. The single ‘Roar’ is now 11 times platinum, beating ‘Firework’ at nine times platinum. ‘Dark Horse’ is five times platinum. New single ‘This Is How We Do’ has also gone platinum with the video netting 190 million views on YouTube. During the 23-date Australian tour, which sold 350,000 tickets (promoter Paul Dainty told Billboard), Perry broke the record at Allphones Arena for biggest ticket sales (89,500) on a concert run – previously set by One Direction in October 2013.

VANCE JOY ALBUM GOES GOLD Vance Joy’s Dream Your Life Away has gone gold, while in America ‘Riptide’ is in the Top 40. Among the singles, G.R.L.’s ‘Ugly Heart’ is four times platinum and George Ezra’s ‘Budapest’ three times platinum, while Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ and Calvin Harris’ ‘Outside’ picked up their first platinum credits. AronChupa’s ‘I’m An Albatraoz’ is gold.

GRINSPOON’S PAT DAVERN OPENS MUSIC STORE

During Grinspoon’s indefinite hiatus, guitarist Pat Davern and his book-loving partner Katya Shiel have opened a shop, Bangalow Music and Books, in Bangalow’s Station Street. It stocks stringed instruments, accessories, vinyl and books. “It’s always been a dream of mine to own a guitar shop,” said Davern, who’ll also give guitar lessons on the premises.

SAM SMITH HITS ONE MILLION SALES IN US, UK

Sam Smith, all but unknown last year, saw his debut album In The Lonely Hour hit one million sales in America. 24 hours later, it hit that mark in the UK as well. Tracks from the album have been downloaded a total of 2.48 million times and streamed 97 million times, with the videos viewed 48 million times. Smith is the only artist to have a million-selling album on both sides of the Atlantic in 2014.

Ed Sheeran did it in the UK while Taylor Swift and Frozen sold one million each in the US.

LIVE NATION TAKES OWNERSHIP OF BIG DAY OUT

America’s Live Nation Entertainment is now an owner of Big Day Out after it took a major stake in the Texas-based C3 Presents, reigniting rumours of the festival’s future revival. See thebrag.com for the full story.

ANZ STADIUM TO STAY

Plans to knock down the 85,000-capacity ANZ Stadium and expand the capacity of Allianz Stadium to 32,000 have been abandoned. The Daily Telegraph reported that Premier Mike Baird is planning to allocate about $200 million towards upgrading its facilities, and $100 million to Allianz Stadium.

WORK AT ELEFANT TRAKS

Elefant Traks has a part-time (three days a week) job going as communications coordinator. You’ll need at least a year’s experience in PR (label and tour publicity experience desirable), contacts in the music media and ability to manage multiple deadlines. Email your CV and a cover letter to info@elefanttraks.com by Monday January 5 with ‘Communications Coordinator Position’ as the subject line.

HAPPY AS LARRY LAUNCHES FACEBOOK/THEHIFI TWITTER.COM/HIFI_SYD

E HIFI 1300 THO M.AU

INSTAGRAM.COM/THEHIFI

THEHIFI.C

JUST ANNOUNCED

SAT 14 FEB

INFECTED MUSHROOM

COMING SOON

THU 30 APR

TUE 6 JAN

B-BOY WORLD COLD WAR KIDS CHAMPIONS TOUR

Happy as Larry Music Publishing is the new name for Larrikin Music Publishing, with Music Sales Group covering it for Australia and New Zealand. The company was launched at Oxford Art Factory with sets from Eric Bogle, William Barton and Jasia.

Happy As Larry is looking to invest in writers from Australia, NZ and other APRA territories, especially those engaged in writing a genre suitable for film, TV and ads.

GRAMMY HONOURS

WED 7 JAN

JOEY BADA$$ & RUN THE JEWELS

George Harrison, Buddy Guy, the Bee Gees, country duo The Louvin Brothers, hard bop saxophonist Wayne Shorter, French composer Pierre Boulez and Texas Tejano musician Flaco Jiménez are all set to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday February 7 in Los Angeles.

AUSSIE RADIO IS ADDICTED TO ‘HAPPY’

FRI 9 JAN

GLASS ANIMALS

WED 4 FEB

VIC MENSA

SAT 10 JAN

TYCHO LIVE

FRI 13 FEB

MODESELEKTOR

SAT 17 JAN

MARDUK & INQUISITION

SAT 28 FEB

DELTRON 3030

KERSER

Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ was the mostplayed track on Australian radio this year with 18,872 spins, while Sheppard’s ‘Geronimo’ came in second place with 18,015 plays.

Airplay monitoring firm AirCheck announced that the others in the top ten were Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ (16,739), Nico & Vinz’s ‘Am I Wrong’ (16,545), Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’ (15,618), 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘She Looks So Perfect’ (15,441), Milky Chance’s ‘Stolen Dance’ (14,779), Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ (14,689), American Authors’ ‘Best Day Of My Life’ (14,602) and Sara Bareilles’ ‘Brave’ (14,498).

THU 12 MAR

SUPPORT ACT XMAS APPEAL

SUN 25 JAN ALL AGES

DJ SHADOW & CUT CHEMIST

Donations to Support Act’s Christmas Appeal will ensure those who’ve used its services get a supermarket gift card for food, essentials and even a present. Individuals get a $50 voucher, families $100. Give at supportact. org.au/donate or post a cheque to Support Act, PO Box 805, Potts Point NSW, 1335.

50,000 FOR FUTURE IN ASIA? WED 01 APR

SWITCHFOOT

SAT 18 APR

BLACKSTREET

SUN 28 JUN

BRIBRY

ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, BUILDING 220, 122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK, SYDNEY

14 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

Future Music Festival Asia expects its move from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore (on March 13 and 14) will see the audience rise to 50,000 The bill includes Avicii, The Prodigy, Nero, Afrojack, Fatboy Slim and Example.

Lifelines Born: son Byron Jax to Australian guitarist Nathan Cavaleri and wife Amy. Born: son Sebastian, born last month to The Audreys’ Taasha Coates and graphic designer and Dirty York bassist Todd Bennett.

Born: son Evander to rapper Example and Aussie model Erin McNaught.

Injured: a 28-year-old employee needed surgery after being hit in the arm with a machete during an armed robbery at a NSW Mid North Coast club.

In Court: Byron Bay nightclub La La Land lost a Supreme Court bid to be allowed to operate past midnight on Sundays. A licence to open until 3am was granted in April 2009, but overturned in July last year.

In Court: R&B singer Chris Brown and his bodyguard, who in September pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in Washington this year when he tried to get a photo, were given suspended jail sentences.

Arrested: at Port Macquarie’s Festival Of The Sun, nine were pinged for jumping the fence, 14 for drugs, 13 for underage drinking and 13 for bad behaviour.

In Court: US rapper Young Jeezy was cleared of gun charges following his arrest after his set with Wiz Khalifa in Atlanta. It turned out that his security team had legally purchased the AK-47 assault rifle he was caught with.

Suing: Hungarian folk singer Mitsou claims her 1994 recording of traditional Roma folk song ‘Bajba, Bajba Pelem’ was “digitally manipulated without her permission” and used by Beyoncé for her ‘Drunk In Love’ hit.

Died: Sydney community radio presenter Bob Spence (founder of Good Morning Country in 2000), passed away at 86.

Died: US country singer Dawn Sears, of Vince Gill’s band and The Time Jumpers, 53, from lung cancer.

Died: Neil Reshen, 75, ex-manager to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, from complications related to Alzheimer’s. He helped create the ‘outlaw’ sound.

Died: Rock Scully, legendary manager of the Grateful Dead (1965 to 1985), from lung cancer.

He co-wrote a book on his time with them.

Died: US country songwriter Larry Henley, 77, best known for co-writing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’.

Died: John Fry, who ran Memphis’ Ardent Studio, where Isaac Hayes, Led Zeppelin and more recorded.

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Each January for the past 40-odd years, Sydney has lit up for the summer with its sprawling festival of arts, music, circus and performance. From the Festival Village in Hyde Park out to Carriageworks, Parramatta and beyond, our city is getting festive once again this season.

There’s plenty to see for all the family, brought together by some of the world’s brightest creative minds – and we caught up with some of them to look forward to the festival ahead.

TABAC ROUGE

He doesn’t disappoint, and the lyricism of Thierrée’s responses is entirely in line with the remarkable imagery and invention of his stage career. Men becoming beasts, sets and props gaining human characteristics, dance, acrobatics and slapstick – anticipating what to find in one of his shows is a task not even Thierrée himself can contemplate.

“The good thing with my work,” Thierrée chuckles, “is that the subject of the show is always cryptic. This is absolutely obligatory in what I do. I always need to further the work, to

refine the language, to understand what it is all about. I start a show without knowing exactly what the whole thing is, and the logic comes out as we work, as the artists and I interpret it onstage. This show was interesting since when we started touring it I wasn’t onstage, which was a first for me. It was harder for me to be on the outside looking in than to be onstage and understand what was being drawn out. But the work is always continuing, and becomes more and more interesting. It started as a very dark and choreographic show, with this palette of extremely toxic atmospheres about power and tyranny, a kind of almost fascistic society that leads to some sort of revolution. But as we toured the show, the humour began to turn up, other subjects emerged. The search for beauty, the capacity to realise transformation. It’s an interesting subject. I like simple themes that can deepen, that can expand.”

enterprises of entertainment and logistics, absolutely mad scenes of trucks putting up the tent, the beasts, the smells, the sounds of metal as the seatings were assembled. My first impressions are almost more about the buildings, the house – the tent or the theatre – as a physical, pulsing place. The beauty of that simple building, with its simple rules: people sit on one side, and on the other is this space where you are constantly reinventing. That was my first theatre experience.”

Watching footage of Thierrée’s past performances is an exercise in astonishment (and if you don’t believe me, be sure to check online for his performance with Symphonie du Hanneton). The strange physicality of his movements and the otherworldly sets combine to create a surreal landscape laden with meaning and potential.

Thierrée’s latest creation, Tabac Rouge, draws on a history of circus and theatre that he has been almost divinely placed to absorb. His earliest memory is of watching from the wings as his parents took to the spotlight, performing in the kind of sprawling, chaotic circus that has faded today.

Many touring troupes today utilise elaborate sets to dazzle audiences (occasionally at the distracting expense of the performer’s actual talents), but to Thierrée, the presence of props and the development of the set is as fundamental to the show as having an audience to actually witness the story unfold.

“My first memories are literally being onstage, waiting for my mother and father. That was more of a circus, but when theatre came it had a very big impact on me. The sounds, the use of light and body together. I was very young, and we were always on tour, making friends with these huge circuses that don’t exist anymore.

Proper three-ring circuses. Just huge

“I enjoy sets that are interactive. The set is the first thing I will think about, before I even know what will happen in it and what the show will be about.

There is so much meaningfulness in the set, in the fabrics, in the construction. I’m very affectionate with props and sets. I feel like the attention and the time you have given to that will come out to the audience, and

that’s where we are different from cinema. Cinema, they construct and they destroy, it is for one purpose only and then it is gone. In theatre you live with that set, and the strength of it is only going to grow as you feed it with more performances. When we put the props back in the warehouse in Burgundy, I look at all these costumes and cases, all of these pieces of metal – it’s like they’re part of the family. You still don’t know what to do with them.

After the show, there’s no grave for sets. Where do they go, what do we do with them? Like elephants, they must go off and die in some secret place,” he laughs.

It is a wonderful notion, and leads you to hope that somewhere out there is some quiet cardboard forest in a disused theatre where restless sets heave and transform, every seat occupied by empty costumes of empresses and pharaohs, spearcarriers and shepherds.

“I think it’s all about movement,” Thierrée continues. “You need to create movement in the audience.

I’m talking about internal movement, emotional movement or even cerebral movement. It’s like missing part of the puzzle. If things are not clear in the beginning and you must take the audience on a journey, you might not want them to be completely reassured.

I’m not talking about trying to make them feel uneasy, but just to let them have a part in the interpretation of what they see. I think that’s very interesting. I think that’s why I never indulge in over-explaining the meaning of what I do. It’s theatre about theatre, about the power of the imagination; the power of moving your perceptions,

your instinct and impressions. It’s a way of creating movement in thoughts, to look twice and think differently.

It’s interesting, but I wouldn’t try to pinpoint what they must understand, or what they must do to be part of our show. It’s a mystery, and you should never know exactly what part everyone is going to play.”

James Thierrée photo by Wikispectacle

T

he sputtering elegance of longdistance phone connections threatens to turn this interview into a farce before our conversation has even found its feet. This would not be entirely inappropriate, given James Thierrée’s unique family lineage; with circus performers for parents, one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, Eugene O’Neill, his great-grandfather and – were that not enough – one of the most celebrated performers of all time, Charlie Chaplin, his grandfather, you can’t help but anticipate chatting with Thierrée will be an animated experience.

Following his Sydney Festival appearance, Thierrée is already looking ahead to his next projects, of which one is an opera about Orpheus and Eurydice. Such a classic myth falling under his direction is an intriguing notion, although his ambition may soon branch out away from the stage.

“Well, it’s something that is often very dangerous, but I feel I could try and make a movie. Writing and directing.

That’s a slow process, so we will see where it goes. Trying to see what I can take from my theatre experience and take it to the screen. There are not that many things, except the energy and the will to accomplish an idea. Maybe I can take this. People don’t dream the same way in front of a screen as they do in front of a stage. But then, anything that is a bit dangerous, I will probably be coming along.”

What: Tabac Rouge Where: Sydney Theatre When: Thursday January 8 – Friday January 23

Tabac Rouge photo by Richard Haughton

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Tex Perkins

FESTIVAL VILLAGE HYDE PARK 7–25 JAN

Parramatta Opening Party Centenary Square, Friday January 9 There’s a lot happening on opening night at Sydney Festival’s Parramatta hub. Paul Kelly will present his new Merri Soul Sessions project with the help of Dan Sultan, Clairy Browne and more.

Radical Son, Christine Salem, American DJ $mall ¢hange, ‘Uptown’ Brown! and the Waratah Drumcorps will also be there. Stiff Gins will be gigging on a rooftop, and the funkalicious funklords from Soul Of Sydney will be block partying around the way as well. There’ll also be a few foodie bits and bobs going on in Civic Place, which you can grab while watching artist Mike Roberts’ visual feast, Fire Garden. And yes, it’s family-friendly.

Sydney Buddha Carriageworks, Thursday January 8 – Sunday March 15 Zhang Huan, hailed by The New York Times as “one of China’s most daring artists”, is bringing two giant sculptures of Buddha to Sydney. To create the work, Huan constructed a five-metrehigh aluminium cast of the sculpture and then used incense ash to replicate it. The ashen Buddha will be destroyed by the elements as time passes, in an impressive meditation on the impermanency of life.

Beat The Drum: Celebrating 40 Years of triple j The Domain, Friday January 16 No matter what you think of triple j’s playlist on any given day, you can’t deny that the station has been a force for good on Australian radio. To celebrate 40 years of good work, triple j has organised a massive summer shindig in The Domain, featuring acts like Vance Joy, The Preatures, Tkay Maidza and You Am I as well as headliners Hilltop Hoods, The Presets and The Cat Empire, alongside some special guests including Daniel Johns and Gotye. Really, we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Limbo The Aurora Spiegeltent, Thursday January 8 – Sunday January 25 Did you know Canadian band Alexisonfire named themselves after a lactating, fire-breathing stripper? Yeah, us

neither. Anyway, there’ll be more of that weird stuff (no nudity, mind you) at Limbo, a cabaret/ circus event. Apart from fire-breathing, check out body-popping contortion, aerial acrobatics and jaw-dropping illusions. At the same time, there’ll be some hip-hopping boombox electronica beats coming from Sxip Shirey.

Oh, and there’ll be loads of greasy, grimey, sweaty and oily bodies, too.

“AN IRRESISTIBLE COCKTAIL OF CIRCUS SKILLS, LIVE MUSIC AND SEXY HUMOUR ” TIME OUT (UK)

Far From Folsom Parramatta Gaol, Friday January 16 – Sunday January 18 Tex Perkins, frontman of ye olde Australian bande The Cruel Sea, is set to recreate Johnny Cash’s legendary At Folsom Prison live album by performing it at Parramatta Gaol. Tex will be joined by his backing band The Tennessee Four (wow, he must idolise Cash) and Rachael Tidd, who will be reprising the role of June Carter on backing vocals. The Gaol itself was in commission from 1798 until 2011.

Limbo

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< INSTALLATION

HIGHER GROUND INSIDE MASER’S MAZE BY ANNIE MURNEY

CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN

<MUSIC

CHANGELING BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

E

very year, The Famous Spiegeltent is a key feature of Sydney Festival. The lavishly decorated entertainment venue was constructed in Belgium in 1920 and continues to show up at festivals around the globe. Not only does the tent’s presence allow punters to watch some excellent contemporary artists in a completely novel setting, but it also possesses the rare capacity to lure in audiences, no matter who’s performing.

A

s you might have heard, the elusive street artist behind Sydney Festival 2015’s colourful centrepiece is Maser. Well-practiced in spreading funky patterns and good vibes, the Irishman’s newest and most ambitious work is Higher Ground. This photogenic playground will be set up amongst the sensory delights of Festival Village in Hyde Park during the month of January. The multi-level structure is imagined as a kind of three-dimensional M.C. Escher drawing with a healthy dose of colour, and snap-happy viewers will be free to wander throughout.

While Higher Ground is his largest project to date, Maser also pours his energy into revitalising eyesores and disused spaces. Earlier this year he coated a Los Angeles gas station in layers of bright paint and diagonal patterns – cars and all. It seems as if geometry and a guerrilla-style proliferation of optimism are at the heart of his work. This is partly fuelled by the problems Ireland has experienced as a result of the global financial crisis. On the whole, Maser thinks of his social mission as “promot[ing] hope in any way I can”. Many of his works, he says, have developed as a result of “seeing good people in bad situations”.

In the past, text has formed a big part of Maser’s practice. He tends to borrow the typography used by Irish

signwriters, lending his work a retro aesthetic. In thinking about Ireland’s formidable literary legacy, Maser might be considered the friendlier and more accessible counterpoint to those modernist gods of prose and stage. In 2009 he collaborated on a project with Damien Dempsey, pairing the songwriter’s lyrics with his chirpy stripes and eye-catching colour palette.

Simmering with political subtext, these uplifting and incisive messages were stamped all over Dublin.

“That was a very poignant and rewarding collaboration,” says Maser.

“I think it was also quite timely, given Ireland was hit hard by recession. A sense of community was coming back into play and I wanted to participate by giving more to the environment and encouraging people to engage with each other.”

However, Maser has since moved away from text and is pushing towards new artistic frontiers. He is concerned with a more abstract means of communication and, in his words, “creating spaces for social interaction”. For instance, the bold lines and labyrinthine shape of Higher Ground will impact the viewer’s sense of space. Ultimately, it will be an architectural sanctuary, a place to explore and get lost in. And at two storeys tall, it has been no easy task bringing this large-scale interactive

artwork to life.

“It’s being built right now – the bones have been put together,” says Maser.

“It’s been tricky to project-manage from overseas – getting the design out of my imagination and off Google Maps. One challenge will be deconstructing it and relocating it. It’ll look pretty wild travelling through the city.”

No-one would deny the contemporary appeal of street art. Initially grouped under the umbrella of ‘outsider art’, it has flowered into a genre that is everpresent and provocative.

“It’s such a broad discipline,” says Maser. “I think galleries are realising how much scope and diversity there is to it … I get more satisfaction from working on a larger scale where I can fine-tune aspects. So I’m definitely gravitating more towards that. Having seen my portfolio, people have been really open to what I want to do. For Sydney Festival, it’s been a back-andforth process, building a relationship with the curator. I’m really looking forward to it.”

What: Higher Ground Where: Festival Village, Hyde Park When: Thursday January 8 – Sunday January 25

ORGAN DONOR

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

O

ver in the Northern Hemisphere, January tends to be a bit of a bummer. Of course, it’s the opposite here in Oz. Thanks largely to Sydney Festival, there’s perhaps no better place to spend the year’s opening month than the Harbour City.

In addition to a cracking lineup of international and local performers, each year the festival encourages Sydneysiders to check out local sites they mightn’t ordinarily visit. A chief example is Sydney Town Hall, where you can catch Sweden’s Anna von Hausswolff on Sunday January 11.

Converse to the other artists performing in the Town Hall during festival season, Von Hausswolff will make use of the venue’s Grand Organ. When it was built in 1890, the Grand Organ was the biggest pipe organ in the world, and it remains a stunning artefact.

“When I got the offer I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Von Hausswolff says. “It’s a dream. I can’t explain how excited I am to do that and how honoured I feel to have been asked to play on it.”

Since releasing her second LP Ceremony in 2013, the Swedish

songwriter has familiarised herself with a number of beautiful pipe organs around the world. The record itself made use of the pipe organ in Gothenburg’s Annedal Church.

Interestingly, pipe organs are entirely absent from her debut album, 2010’s Singing From The Grave. “When I finished touring with my first record, I was really tired of that record and I was also very tired of the music that I was listening to,” she explains. “So I wanted to find new music that I could be inspired by. I started to discover all these amazing bands, like more drone-metal-oriented bands. Earth was the most important discovery for me. They are my heroes, even now, so I changed my way of playing and I changed my way of approaching music and [learned] how I can let one long note be music, just as much as five different chords in a pop song.

<MUSIC 18 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

By virtue of being permanently attached to the buildings they’re in, pipe organs are unlike basically every other instrument. As Von Hausswolff has discovered, this means each organ comes with its own individual personality.

Thanks to her theatrical stage show and compelling recorded output, O’Sullivan has since become a respected performer in her own right. In recent years, she’s appeared on BBC’s Later…

With Jools Holland, as well as taking the stage at the Sydney Opera House. Still, she couldn’t turn down an offer to return to the Spiegeltent.

Songs by Nick Cave, Gillian Welch and David Bowie also show up in her repertoire, but the Camille O’Sullivan live show isn’t about simple reenactment.

Rather, it’s an exceptionally active undertaking, which can be theatrically dazzling and brutally emotional.

“You need variety in the show,” she says. “If I had the chance I’d probably be doing all melancholy, dark songs like Nick Cave. But I make sure there’s variety, like things like ‘In These Shoes?’ [by Kirsty MacColl]. The idea is, you can change quickly from being quite light to quite dark or quite funny.”

Though O’Sullivan clearly enjoys adopting material written by her favourite contemporary artists, she promises to dip into her back catalogue for the upcoming Spiegeltent shows. “There’s some people who get irked that you’ve done some more rockier stuff,” she says. “I started doing a mixture of Changeling and then kind of the ‘best of’. It’s just been really nice.

It spans maybe 50 years of different songwriters.”

“It’s so stunning,” she says.

“To perform in it is a really emotional, lovely thing.

Usually you travel to a country and play in the venue, and you know it for that. But when you’re in the tent you’re going, ‘Where am I?’ After your show you don’t know if you’re stepping out into New York, Edinburgh or whatever. It has this lovely thing that it’s always home to you.”

During a tennight run at the Sydney Festival, O’Sullivan will focus on her latest release,

“On Ceremony, the room was so important,” she says. “The pipe organ itself was quite small, but in that room in the church it sounded huge, because there were stone walls. There was a very long, natural reverb that also increased the intensity of the notes being played on the organ.”

Von Hausswolff’s increasing allegiance to the pipe organ has had an impact on the way she writes songs. “I have the foundation of the composition, but then I always adapt the composition off the organ and the sounds that the organ contains and the effects that the organ has. Everything always turns out different, depending on what organ I use.”

Where: The Famous Spiegeltent When: Thursday January 8 – Sunday January 18

Understandably, Von Hausswolff can’t secure a pipe organ in every city she visits. She otherwise makes do with an organ-emulating synthesiser, but we’re lucky enough to get the comprehensive live experience.

“I really enjoy playing at rock clubs and festivals, but the few opportunities that I’ve gotten to play on a pipe organ have been something totally different. The live project becomes something else.”

What: Ceremony out now through Fat Possum With: Aldous Harding Where: Sydney Town Hall When: Sunday January 11

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Anna von Hausswolff photo by Anders Nydam

“That’s where the organ has been really important for me, because it can fulfil my music needs. It can play long, extended notes and layers of sound. You can make a composition through sound, because there are so many sound alternatives in an organ.”

This was back in 2004, and before long O’Sullivan was travelling around the UK with The Famous Spiegeltent. “At Edinburgh that year [Bates] decided to create a show called La Clique,” she says. “It was amazing; we travelled all over the world and it’s what really brought me to Australia too.”

“Stuff like Radiohead and Tom Waits and Arcade Fire, it’s stuff I’ve been doing over the years,” she says. “I suppose I looked more at what was in my own record collection [and] I thought, ‘Look, enjoy yourself.’ As a performer you’ve just got to keep on evolving.”

Camille O’Sullivan photo by Sean Breithaupt + Yvette Monahan

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF

Then there are the likes of Camille O’Sullivan, who was practically born to perform in The Famous Spiegeltent. Roughly ten years ago, the Irish singer found images of the tent online and immediately knew she had to find a way to get within its walls. “David Bates, who owns The Famous Spiegeltent now, he says he gets about 200 emails a day from performers who are desperate to perform there,” O’Sullivan says. “I did send him a little card and he said, ‘It was formal but it did the trick,’ in the sense of him listening to the CD.”

2012’s Changeling. While her earlier work focused on songs written by the likes of Jacques Brel and Tom Lehrer, with Changeling she referred to some more contemporary artists.

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WHY NOT? BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

B

altimore future folk outfit Wye Oak are made up of just two people; vocalist Jenn Wasner and drummer Andy Stack. But you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise. On Wye Oak’s last two records, Civilian from 2011 and this year’s Shriek, the band’s limited personnel didn’t prevent the incorporation of deft guitar and basslines, striking lead vocals, prancing synths and wily drumbeats.

It’s true, the studio setting allows the pair to do some overdubbing, but when it comes to performance, Wye Oak go to extreme lengths to reproduce all the sounds live onstage.

Wye Oak photo by Shervin Lainez

WYE OAK

MUSIC >

“We don’t using backing tracks,” says Wasner. “However, we do use pre-recorded material, but it’s all chopped up into parts and samples that we ourselves are triggering. It’s sort of like we’re playing the song like an instrument, which is really difficult to do.

People may assume, ‘You’re playing along to tracks,’ but if we were to drop dead onstage, the song would not be going [laughs].”

With four celebrated albums under their belts, and a continually expanding global following, Wasner and Stack will finally make the trip to Australia in January. Throughout Wye Oak’s eight-year existence, the band has never been far away from a stage. The obligation to tour incessantly is actually what motivated the duo to make live performance so demanding.

“I wanted to develop something that was challenging enough that it wouldn’t get boring,” Wasner says. “Or it would take a lot longer for it to get boring, but not so challenging that we couldn’t do it.

Andy and I are both triggering things on samplers; he arranges his keyboard stuff so that he’s playing multiple parts with his five different fingers of his left hand … while also playing drums.

There’s a high potential for complete and total meltdown, which is the downside to performing music this way. No matter how many times we do it, it’s still very, very difficult.”

Wye Oak’s disinclination to take the easy way out is reflected by the evolutionary progression of their four studio LPs. After the pleasing atmospheres of 2009’s The Knot, Civilian was an assertive showcase of Wasner’s exceptional guitar abilities. For the creation of Shriek, Wasner put her guitar aside and picked up an electric bass. The result is a comparatively stripped-back record, heavy on angular rhythms and icy synths.

HOW TO DRESS WELL

< MUSIC

SONGS FROM THE HEART BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

“I

f I had to say which record I thought was the best of this year, it would be mine,” says Tom Krell, AKA How To Dress Well. “I wouldn’t put anything out unless I had 10,000 per cent conviction.”

These are bold words, but there’s no doubting the American songwriter’s sincerity. The record he refers to is What Is This Heart?, which came out in June. Similar to the previous two How To Dress Well outings, What Is This Heart? can loosely be classed as a work of neo-R&B. But contrary to sanitised mainstream fodder, Krell’s compositions tackle topics such as mental illness and the politics of desire with affecting accessibility.

“The construction, the emotion, the details, the performances, the sequencing – everything about it, I worked very, very hard to make it perfect,” he says.

“The idea is, do that afterwards. If I write fi ve songs that I really like and then I’m like, ‘Shit, these are weird songs,’ then I ask myself if I really, really like them and I say, ‘OK, well I’ve got to fi gure out how to tell everybody that these are special, because it feels special to me.’ It’s [about] trying to fi gure out why it’s compelling to me – seeing

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In comparison to its predecessor, What Is This Heart? covers considerable dynamic range.

The record begins with the acoustic torch song ‘2 Years On (Shame Dream)’, and goes on to encompass club-ready R&B (‘Repeat Pleasure’), sweeping ambience (‘Pour Cyril’) and emotional crescendos (‘Childhood Faith In Love’).

those two records in a different light. On this record there’s minimal folk songs and really weird pop songs and then maximal emo songs. If I did an entire record of folk songs next it’d cast this record in a very different light. Or if I write an entire record of dance music it’d cast this record in a different light.”

What: What Is This Heart? out now through Domino/EMI Where: The Aurora Spiegeltent When: Friday January 23

“I don’t think we fully achieved that in the way I envisioned,” she adds, “but that’s the fun of a lot of these ideas. Conceptually, you go in with a certain thing in mind and then you get to find out what it’s actually going to turn into. And I like what it turned into.”

Over the last decade, Wye Oak’s hometown of Baltimore has bred a stack of similarly unique innovators. The likes of Animal Collective, Dan Deacon, Beach House, Lower Dens and Future Islands are just some that spring to mind. The calibre of artists that continue to emerge from Baltimore suggests the city is a musician’s paradise. Wasner makes no attempt to correct this impression.

“It’s a really close-knit community each other. It’s a really inspiring place to be making music, because you’re just surrounded by all these brilliant, hardworking people who are really excited about making things happen.”

of people and we all support What: Shriek out now through Merge/Inertia Where: The Aurora Spiegeltent When: Friday January 9

“If something is feeling a certain way,” Krell explains, “I will always have an impulse to push it back the other way. If something becomes too pop, I push it back.

If something becomes too weird, I push it back. If I’ve written one song that’s really maximal, then I write a song that’s really minimal.”

What Is This Heart? appears to be a culmination of the artistic progression that began with Krell’s debut record, 2010’s Love Remains. It’s as if this latest release harnesses How To Dress Well’s multifarious identities and presents them in high-defi nition colour. In spite of this perceived climax, Krell isn’t facing an artistic impasse.

How To Dress Well photo by Zackery Michael

In 2012, Krell released his second LP, Total Loss, which balanced familiar melodic refrains and glaring sensuality with minimalist production. Somewhat unexpectedly, Total Loss introduced How To Dress Well to hoards of new listeners around the globe. However, Krell says the expanded listenership didn’t infl uence his creative decisions when working on What Is This Heart?.

if that’s something I can make sense of. If it is, then I should be able to make it compelling to other people.”

“I knew I wanted to create this more minimal style of pop music,” she says. “Instead of just throwing the kitchen sink at the recording, take time and try to create something where every part had its place and there was no more than needed to be there.

“There’s so many different kinds of songs across the three records, and so many different sounds, that I don’t think that there’s a unifi ed aesthetic, other than it being me and what I do.

“Many of the songs are open in a way that there are lots of different kinds of infl ections. For instance, based on what I wrote on Total Loss, that cast Love Remains in a different light. And based on what I’ve written for this record, it casts

thebrag.com

BRAG SPECIAL

SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2015 < MUSIC

BEN FROST DECONSTRUCTION THEORY BY JODY MACGREGOR

A

ustralian-born composer Ben Frost has just returned to his home in Iceland after a show in Moscow, part of a piecemeal world tour for his latest album Aurora. Frost’s plan for today is something we don’t have to worry about so much in Australia: changing his Jeep over to winter tyres. “I’ve been away so much since the summer, it’s still on the summer tyres,” he says. “Now it’s definitely not summer. There’s fuckin’ snow and ice everywhere and I’m sliding around town.”

I like this image of Frost, hooning across Iceland with dangerously inappropriate tyres. It fits my impression of his music, which is uncontrolled and wild – his album By The Throat made excellent use of samples of howling wolves, while Aurora alternates between squalls of noise and quietude like a storm at sea. It makes me wonder how he’ll go about performing at the Sydney Opera House.

Frost will be playing there as part of Sydney Festival, in the kind of performance space that brings expectations of elegance and tasteful calm.

and I should be able to jam out onstage and it will all work and it will be the sum of its parts – but actually, when you get into it, when you dissect his music and approach to it, and the way I work as well, they’re quite at odds with one another in many ways. On a technical level that’s also true. The best way I can describe it is he’s pulling forms out of the fog, he’s sculpting some amorphous gas into recognisable forms, whereas my approach is probably almost the opposite of that. It’s like a deconstruction of hard physical shapes. We’re both climbing the same mountain but coming at it from different sides.”

What: Aurora out now through Mute / Create/Control With: Tim Hecker Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House When: Sunday January 11

“I’m quite curious about playing that venue,” he says. “It’s austere. It’s a venue that I think imposes itself, a sense of grandeur, on whatever occurs in there. I definitely want to cut against that as much as possible.”

That said, it’s also where Rob Schneider performed, so it’s certainly not mandatory that the place always be associated with classical music, black-tie dress codes, or taste. And Frost has experience taking his music to all kinds of places. “I play everywhere from 2,000-person stages to indie music festivals to tiny basement clubs in Croatia. You can’t be fixed; if I want to get into the ears of people outside of London and New York you have to be flexible. I have no problem with making the thing malleable and working within parameters that suit the space and the time and the place.

As long as it sounds right, I don’t give a fuck about anything else.”

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One place he doesn’t play is in Iceland, oddly.

“It’s very rare that happens. This is where I live, not where I work. Nobody gives a fuck who I am here. I’m just another guy with a beard.”

On the subject of keeping his music malleable for the sake of live performance, Frost is adamant that the live show be a vital, living part of his music rather than a dry recreation of it. “The process of playing this music live is more of a continuation of where I finished with the record, which is to say it’s homing in on those ideas and extrapolating further, abstracting further. In a way, the making of a record like Aurora, the actual physical album – it’s not a finishing point to that period, it’s more of a halfway point and then the touring is where the thing really finds itself.”

In the past Frost has performed in various configurations, which memorably included improvising guitar flourishes to the accompaniment of a string section and a piano filled with nuts and bolts when he re-scored the Andrei Tarkovsky science-fiction film Solaris with Daniel Bjarnason. Aurora is free of guitar and piano, however. There is a strong emphasis on percussion, with various drummers – including Thor Harris from Swans – roped in to help. Sometimes Frost has live drummers fill those parts onstage, but at other times he performs alone. He says it’s not as hard to pull off as it sounds.

At Sydney Festival, Frost will be sharing the stage with Tim Hecker, a composer he’s worked with and been compared to in the past.

All instrumental music that isn’t dance or postrock is going to get tagged ‘ambient’ at some point, but it’s a label that comes closer to fitting Hecker than Frost, whose music tends towards hazy electronic drones.

“Tim and I have a habit of getting involved in each other’s music, but generally speaking that’s not a live thing. We’ve tried that before, just because on paper it makes a lot of sense – on paper it makes perfect sense that him thebrag.com

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Ben Frost photo by Borkur Sigthorsson

“Technically, there’s tonnes of amplifiers onstage and all manner of synths and it’s a pretty traditional set-up in many ways. I just work with a big mixing desk and push everything back in on itself – a lot of compression relationships that I play with. The thing is quite volatile, it’s not entirely within my control, which is ultimately what makes it interesting for me to do it every night. Because otherwise I’d probably fucking shoot myself, to be perfectly honest.”

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Glass Animals Spontaneous Combustion By Augustus Welby

B

uzz bands are a dime a dozen. There are enough active journalists, bloggers, radio DJs, festival promoters and playlisters to push new acts into the spotlight every day of the week.

But hype means nothing if it’s not backed up by quality output. The problem is, an intoxicating whiff of success threatens to interfere with crucial moments in an artist’s development.

Since forming in 2012, UK fourpiece Glass Animals have endured hefty amounts of hype. Led by songwriter and vocalist Dave Bayley, the Oxfordshire natives have done a remarkable job at ignoring any overblown promises of glory and success.

First of all, before the band was a fully-fledged project, Bayley uploaded a couple of bedroom demos to the internet, which had soon garnered interest from several labels. Instead of immediately signing on the dotted line, Bayley took the songs down so the band members could peacefully complete their respective university degrees.

After securing those bachelor’s certificates, the quartet got stuck into cultivating a sound. Not long after they’d got the ball rolling, UK production maestro Paul Epworth showed up at one of their shows.

Glass Animals did end up signing to Epworth’s Wolf Tone label, but they chose not to enlist his help in the studio. Instead, Bayley retained his position in the producer’s chair.

Still, Glass Animals hadn’t dodged the hype monster just yet. Released in late 2013, the band’s self-titled EP caught the gaze of media personnel and keen Googlers the world over. In fact, so forceful was the surge of fascination that Glass

Animals managed to sell out their April Australian tour before even releasing an album. That album wasn’t far off, however. Released in June, Zaba not only traverses the terrain of trip hop, downtempo R&B and indie-pop, but it’s clear the band had no interest in cashing in on the mountains of hype.

“We never really had any goals, in terms of if it would succeed commercially,” Bayley says. “We wanted to have fun in the studio, that was our only goal. It’s really nice that it’s been keeping us busy and taking us overseas. For us, it’s an added bonus, but it was never the intention. We just wanted to make a record that was interesting to ourselves musically – just music that we’d enjoy playing.

“It means we really enjoy playing it live,” he continues. “We have a really good time onstage and I think that’s really important. If you stop having fun making your music then you should probably stop altogether.”

Playing live is exactly what the band has been doing for the majority of 2014. Now, Zaba isn’t the product of four guys jamming with a couple of mics switched on – rather, it’s an intricately layered studio undertaking. But instead of trying to precisely reenact the recordings onstage, Glass Animals prefer to reinterpret the songs, depending on what the atmosphere recommends.

“If the crowd seem really up for dancing and it’s a late-night show, and everyone’s taken some ecstasy or something, we’ll extend sections of the songs, like all the groove sections,” Bayley says. “[We] bring up the bass and bring up the drums and have a big dance party.

“Whereas if it’s an early show and the crowd just want to sit back and watch something, then we can make a kind of downtempo, relaxed, ambient set. We keep it all very malleable and we change it up from night to night. It can be a pretty different show one night from the next.”

Most of the time, gig-goers prefer it when a live performance closely resembles a band’s recorded work. This is understandable, as it’s the recordings that grabbed their interest in the first place.

But it’s important to remember that performing and recording are fundamentally different pursuits.

“I’m really happy distinguishing the studio from the stage,” Bayley says. “There are a lot of bands who just go out and play the same

exact thing to a backing track and a click track every single night. They might as well be pushing ‘play’ on a record. That’s not what a live show is about for us. [We like] to pick and choose different things every night that we think are important and will react well with the crowd that night.

“You have to be careful. You have to make sure it’s recognisable and you have to make sure the sonics are similar and people can still have the basic things to latch onto. It’s a tricky game sometimes, but it’s fun.”

Following up April’s two-show jaunt Down Under, Glass Animals will head back next week for the Falls Festivals and sideshows. After spending the last eight months on the road, Bayley is confident the live show has advanced in leaps and bounds.

“They were early shows – we had to present the songs to people in a very digestible format,” he recalls.

“Whereas now, people who come to the shows tend to know the record and we know the songs really well and we can read crowds a bit better.

The best live shows happen when everyone in the room is on the same level and interacting together. You need that spontaneity for a good show to be able to happen.”

What: Zaba out now through Caroline/Universal Where: The Hi-Fi When: Friday January 9 And: Also appearing alongside AltJ, Jamie xx, SBTRKT, Joey Bada$$ and many more at Falls Festival, Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron Bay, Sunday December 28 – Saturday January 3

Violent Femmes Freak Magnets By Augustus Welby

L

ast year marked 30 years since the release of Violent Femmes’ debut LP. Listening to the self-titled record today, it remains an exceptionally lively affair that’s distinguished by irreverent acoustic punk rock compositions and Gordon Gano’s unhinged lead vocals. Violent Femmes was written when the trio – completed by bass player Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo – were still aspirational teenagers living in Milwaukee. 2013’s 30th anniversary tour proved the band hasn’t lost touch with the classic material.

“I don’t feel disconnected at all from the early songs,” says Gano. “It might be a sign of lack of growth as a person.”

Even though Violent Femmes contained such timeless compositions as ‘Blister In The Sun’ and ‘Gone Daddy Gone’, it was the work of a band with a total disregard for pop salability.

This characteristic remained on the Femmes’ next release, 1984’s Hallowed Ground. The way Gano remembers it, though, they weren’t trying to be overly aberrant.

“We always hoped and believed that our music would have an impact, and it did,” he says. “We also hoped that we would have a hit song or album on the charts, and we never did. But between the two, I am grateful that we have the first one. We – or at least I – never thought about if what we were doing was musically daring or not. We’ve always tried to do what sounded good to us and excited us musically.”

Album number three, 1986’s The Blind Leading The Naked, indicated the band was in fact interested in broadening its commercial appeal. Produced by Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison, it was a relatively clean and densely textured affair. “A lot of thought went into every record beforehand,” Gano says. “Sometimes we decided to be very focused on the trio, stripped down and acoustic, live or mostly live recording.

And other times we wanted to expand arrangements and make use of the recording studio.”

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The Blind Leading The Naked was the Femmes’ first entry into the US charts, but instead of pouncing on the heightened interest, Gano and Ritchie went off to pursue separate side projects. The wait for another Violent Femmes record didn’t last too long, however. Their fourth record, the curiously titled 3, landed in 1989 and announced a return to the stripped-back aesthetic of their earliest releases.

Following 1991’s fifth LP Why Do Birds Sing?, DeLorenzo left the group. Ritchie and Gano chose to persevere, birthing three more Femmes records with new drummer Guy Hoffman behind the kit. “I am more pleased than not with the history of the band,” Gano says. “I was 15 years old when I knew that I was going to do what I’ve been doing now ever since. And I knew I was going to do whatever I needed in order to do it.”

While there’s been no new material since 2000’s Freak Magnet, Violent Femmes continued to play live throughout the first decade of the 21st century. Then, in 2009, things came to an ugly standstill. In response to an ostensibly unscrupulous licensing deal, Ritchie took legal action against Gano in order to gain greater control over the band’s catalogue. Suffice to say, the likelihood of Violent Femmes ever performing again was seriously dim.

However, last year’s anniversary proved significant enough to incite a reunion. And the group remains intact nearly 24 months down the track. “Brian Ritchie and I continue to play music together because, despite our publicly documented and undocumented differences, I think we both know it sounds good,” says Gano.

“Playing music is always a joy. My love of music only increases, and [so does] my awareness and appreciation of the privilege and honour of being able to create and share in it with others.”

Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House When: Monday December 29 And: Also appearing alongside Nahko and Medicine For The People, Kate MillerHeidke, Sticky Fingers and many more at Woodford Folk Festival, Saturday December 27 – Thursday January 1 thebrag.com

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BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town

arts in focus

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arts frontline

free stuff

arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Chris Martin, Lachlan Mackenzie and Spencer Scott

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five minutes WITH NIKKI

SHIELS FROM THE UNSPOKEN WORD IS ‘JOE’ For me the expectation is always to be able to engage with the work, creative risk and the artist’s investigation into form and content, regardless of whether it has been made by a male or female.

Nikki Shiels

Have you ever experienced a painfully cliché break-up?

Of course. The first boy I ever loved broke up with me by a river.

Do you think there are certain expectations we have of female artists and female modes of storytelling?

Tell us why Sydney should avoid seeing this show.

Zoey Dawson is a tyrant who will hunt you down in the foyer afterwards, sleep with you and then cast you in her next play.

If you weren’t a famous actor, a darling of the independent and main stages of Melbourne, what would you be?

I’m not this. I don’t pretend to be this. I am currently working in retail to pay my rent. But if I wasn’t, I would like to be a talented visual artist with a beautiful garden to paint in.

What: The Unspoken Word Is ‘Joe’ Where: SBW Stables Theatre When: Wednesday January 21 – Saturday February 7

BAILA BRAZIL

The Daily Telegraph called Bale de Rua’s last Sydney production “innovative, captivating and enthralling … a show that makes audiences want to move”. The Daily Telegraph said that! About a cultural event that wasn’t sport! Wowee. If you don’t know already (and how could you not, loyal readers; it had a big front page story last week) the new show Baila Brazil is a big Lusophonic spectacular – a writhing mix of African dance with South American hip hop, samba and capoeira. As artistic director Fernando Narduchi told us, “The Brazilian people know joy. We don’t dance just for entertainment ... We want you to have a feeling that it’s true.”

The sweaty and colourful festivity will take residence in the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House from Friday January 9 – Sunday January 18. We’ve got five double passes to give away to Baila Brazil’s opening night. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us your favourite thing about Brazilian culture.

This January will see a new celebration of surf cinema and culture hit Manly and Bondi. The inaugural O’Neill Sydney Surf Film Festival will bring out the artistic side of the surfing industry this summer. Billed as a showcase of the best Australian and international surf films, the festival will include both documentaries and features, showcasing unique surfing experiences both in and out of the water. The films were selected by a panel of surf industry personalities including Joel Coleman, Stuart Nettle and Paul Witzig, and are sure to prove an interesting niche for Australian film-goers. Out In The Line-Up, an Australian-made documentary about the taboo of homosexuality in surfing, is just one indication of the developing culture organisers hope to showcase during the festival. The Sydney Surf Film Festival will run from Tuesday January 20 – Sunday February 1 at Bondi Pavilion and ICMS in Manly.

For the full program and tickets, visit ssff.com.au.

Pablo Francisco

VOTE FOR PABLO

Comedian Pablo Francisco has announced that he’ll return to Australia for the fourth time next April. Francisco is known for his pop-culture-centred stand-up show, including spot-on impressions of celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Jerry Springer and many more.

His upcoming tour will see him hit Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Francisco will be bringing the laughs to the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday April 22.

Out In The Line-Up

The Projects Short Film Festival

THE PROJECTS 2015

After a successful debut in February, The Projects Short Film Festival has announced it will be returning in 2015 at The Projects Enmore. The festival’s mission is to create a supporting and exciting arena for filmmakers without prejudice. Submissions are open to the public from Monday January 5, and there are no thematic, genre or stylistic limitations to the projects. The winning films will be screened under the stars on Tuesday February 24 at The Projects Enmore (behind the Vic On The Park) and will be judged by a panel of professionals from the film industry.

FLICKERFEST PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

March 22 at select Palace cinemas. Visit affrenchfi lmfestival.org for full details.

The 24th edition of the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival will feature 95 fi lms in competition under the stars on Bondi Beach. After receiving over 2,300 entries, festival organisers have confirmed the full list of fi lms to show at the ten-day Sydney event. They include 56 fi lms in the Australian competition including 20 world premieres, and 39 fi lms in the international program including one world premiere. Prizes up for grabs include the Flickerfest Award (Best International Film), the Yoram Gross Award (Best Animation) and the Virgin Australia Award (Best Australian Film). Flickerfest is Australia’s only Academyaccredited and BAFTA-recognised short fi lm festival. Flickerfest 2015 takes over the Bondi Pavilion from Friday January 9 – Sunday January 18.

IT’S A DOGFIGHT

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

The Pop To Popism exhibit of pop art at the Art Gallery of NSW is spreading its wings through the city this summer, with the announcement of the World Square Goes Pop feature running through January.

24 oversized banners will hang in World Square from Monday January 5 – Saturday January 31, displaying works including Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyn Monroe and Roy Lichtenstein’s In The Car. ‘Marilyn’ herself will roam the square on various days throughout the month, and visitors can win prize packs including entry to the exhibit proper and World Square gift cards.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival will return in 2015 for its 26th year. The festival will screen in eight cities across Australia throughout March and April, beginning in Sydney and ending in Hobart. It will feature 49 features and documentaries, including the latest fi lms from Anne Fontaine, Benoît Jacquot, François Ozon, Bertrand Bonello and more. Other highlights include Beauty And The Beast, The Blue Room, Breathe, Chance Encounter, The Connection and Grand Illusion. The festival plays in Sydney from Tuesday March 3 – Sunday

Hayes Theatre Co and Neil Gooding Productions have announced they will present the award-winning musical Dogfi ght at the theatre throughout May. Based on the 1991 movie starring River Phoenix, Dogfi ght premiered off-Broadway in 2012, where it was nominated for fi ve Outer Critics Circle awards and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical. The story takes place in 1963, when on the night before their deployment to Vietnam, three young marines set out for one fi nal boys’ night of debauchery. Dogfi ght will play at Hayes Theatre Co from Friday May 1 – Sunday May 31.

WORLD SQUARE GOES POP

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O’NEILL SURF FILM FESTIVAL

Nikki Shiels photo by Sarah Walker

T

he Unspoken Word Is ‘Joe’, by Zoey Dawson, is a semi-autobiographical play about a young woman searching for approval from society. It started as a break-up play, but as actor Nikki Shiels explains, it’s become so much more.

Give us an insight into working with director Declan Greene and Zoey Dawson.

Well, it’s a mad romp really. I find them both very open and playful as people and theatremakers, so it’s a lot of fun trying things out, failing, trying again. Failing.

Failing. Crying. And then somehow making something.

Declan is a very freeing director, a fantastic dramaturge and a master of post-dramatic form.

He has a great sense of humour and never directs without mischievousness or a strong sense of meaning. Zoey is very open to all offers the actors make in the room and extremely patient when we don’t remember her words exactly as they are written.

She’s also got a wicked sense of humour, and so together she

and Declan are a powerhouse of creativity, filth, emotional truth and irreverence – my favourite kind of theatre.

Club Swizzle

Masterclass [THEATRE] Into The Dream Forge By Tegan Jones Masterclass

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Club Swizzle [CABARET] All In Good Fun By Adam Norris

“H

ey hey, what’s cookin’!”

Talking with Murray Hill is exactly the experience you hope it to be. Rapid gags, casual asides about the neon-lit burlesque boulevards Hill has called home for the better part of his career, and reigning above it all, an enthusiasm for performance that harks back to the golden age of entertainment.

The celebrated MC and shtick-slinger will be ad-libbing his way throughout Club Swizzle in January, and it’s the kind of gig that is a far cry from the Opera House’s usual fare.

“I can’t wait!” Hill cries. “I’ve definitely found different energies in different audiences. For example, there’s a huge difference between a Los Angeles audience, and then travelling north to San Francisco. It’s night and day. I can walk onstage and tell a joke like, ‘The more you applaud the more you get to hear about my childhood!’ and in San Francisco they go bananas! ‘Yow! Whooo!’ While in LA, they go, ‘What? What are you talking about?’ And that’s a very short plane ride. New York is always a tough audience. They come there and want you to prove something to them. But everyone has been telling me about how great Sydney audiences are as well, so I’m looking forward to that. In Australia people are excited that you’re performing, and they’re wanting to have a good time. It seems you guys have quite a love for live theatre.”

With elements of burlesque, stand-up comedy and bartending acrobatics, Club Swizzle is likely to provide something for every taste, and Hill’s passion for audience interaction is set to ensure an evening like no other. He is, however, unlikely to face the kind of demanding crowd that hallmarked the beginning of his MC career.

“I came out of the nightclub scene in New York.

Every single night, 11pm to 3am, working it.

“When you’re working in nightclubs, gay clubs at that hour, you really have to learn to keep an audience’s attention, because they’re all drunk and there to have a good time. I didn’t develop in a stand-up club where everyone’s sitting there watching you, giving you their attention, where if you bomb you’re in big trouble. I came from a scene where you had to earn their attention; you had to earn laughs in a very different way. So from day one there was a lot of audience interaction, and that’s partly because they were so close to me.” He laughs.

“I mean, sometimes they were maybe a foot away and there wasn’t anything you could do.

People would be calling out your name, spilling drinks on you. All that stuff.”

Not that audiences here are entirely unfamiliar to Hill. Having previously entertained in Melbourne, he has a sense of what kind of antics make us tick. Plus, he’s already a big fan of our most esteemed cultural ambassador; we should probably just go ahead and offer him an ambassadorship as well.

“I’m a huge fan of Dame Edna. Our humour is kind of similar, and a lot of people have said to me I’m another version of the Dame, just a different gender. So I definitely want to do a one-man show in that vein. Just the main character, a couple of dancers, a piano, and a lot of audience work. That’s kind of like my act; it’s all about entertainment. It’s not heavily political, it’s not hugely serious. It’s all about getting together and having a flash of a time.

And Club Swizzle is going to be just like that, that’s the kind of energy we’re going to be bringing.”

What: Club Swizzle Where: Studio, Sydney Opera House When: Friday January 9 – Sunday February 15

“W

e thought it was funny for us to do a masterclass because it was a terrible idea,” laughs Gareth Davies. He and comedic partner Charlie Garber will be bringing back their two-man show, Masterclass, to the Old Fitz in January, and judging by our conversation, it’s going to be hilarious. How could it not, considering the inspiration behind the piece?

“We would hear that some guy from Home And Away or Neighbours was doing a masterclass and found it to be a hilarious idea,” says Davies.

“Often when you go to see little comedy shows, they don’t follow through on the grand concept, and we wondered what it would be like to do it, despite having a ridiculous premise: I am a genius and Charlie is a character I’ve created.

What happens if we take it as seriously as possible?”

It seems Davies’ partner has the answer to that question, particularly in regards to revisiting the hit show that debuted in 2011. “We definitely haven’t given the world the full-throttle experience of our combined genius, especially Gareth’s. He really has a special gift that needs to be blasted onto the world,” says Garber.

Davies elaborates, “It will help people with the ‘third eye’ stuff. If you’re not religious, you probably will be at the end. Or if you are religious you probably won’t be at the end.”

“Masterclass is about the power of creativity and acting,” continues Garber. “It’s about a man, Gareth Davies, who is the greatest actor in the world. His power is so great that it’s actually been lethal in the past. He is able to bring a character to life, literally. That character is named Charlie Garber. It falls to him to help convince Gareth that even though he’s killed some audience members because their minds literally blew, he has to get back on the horse and act again.”

Flickerfest

There will, of course, be extra bits and pieces for those who were lucky enough to see the show the first time around. “We might take an explosive sneak peak into some of the TV guest work I did that really changed the game for television,” Davies reveals. “You can often divide moments of life and human history in terms of ‘before this moment’ and ‘after this moment’ and we’ll probably put a few of those onstage. Can you have two Ages of Enlightenment? I think this will probably be the second one.”

I wonder aloud whether Davies’ greatness has been passed onto his creation, Garber. “I guess you could say that I’m genius incarnate in that sense – the embodiment of all Gareth’s greatest toil and work in the Dream Forge, which is the space in his mind where he does his creating,” says the self-professed fictional character. “I’ll tell you why I’m a better created being than Frankenstein or Pinocchio and why our story is far superior – they didn’t have the ability to look at their imperfections and I do.”

One can’t help but wonder if one day Garber will rise up and destroy Davies in a Vaderversus-Obi-Wan fashion. The creator thinks not.

“The extent of my imagination and will contains Charlie’s. A 375ml can of Coke will always be smaller than a two-litre bottle. I will always be able to out-think him because the limit of his thoughts are inside me.”

Garber suggests otherwise. “The world is full of stories of the son rising up and destroying the father. I think we’d all be kidding ourselves if we didn’t admit that somewhere Gareth fears that I will rise up and slay him.”

What: Masterclass Where: Old Fitz Theatre When: Tuesday January 13 – Saturday January 31

Flickerfest

[FILM FESTIVAL] Short ‘N’ Sweet By Julian Ramundi lickerfest rolls into Bondi this January for another year of world-class short films. Now in its 24th year, and one of the longestrunning short film festivals in Australia, the festival is showcasing a diverse range of films across several different programs. With over 2,300 entries this year, festival director Bronwyn Kidd had her work cut out culling the entries to 95.

F

books a pair of Elvis impersonators.

“It takes us many, many months,” she says.

“Basically, we open the entries in June and we start watching films in September. We have a selection committee of around 30 people, who are all film industry professionals, and who volunteer to very diligently put together what is a massive program. So it’s many, many hours of watching.”

With short content on the rise, particularly on the web, short films are now on the public radar as a legitimate form of entertainment, as opposed to an aspiring director’s visual calling card.

Rather than short film festivals being seen as a means to an end, many aspiring filmmakers and seasoned professionals are turning to it as an art form.

Entries for 2015 have come from all over the globe, with films from Mozambique to Iceland and Mexico. “They seem to make an incredible amount of short films in France,” adds Kidd. “[We are] increasingly seeing more short films from Singapore, from Japan, from China. We’re seeing a lot more diverse voices, which is great.”

“It’s no longer seen as some niche,” says Kidd.

“Feature films are so homogenised; there’s so many voices telling someone how to make the film in order to make the most money. Short films for me stand so separately from that because they are about making wonderful cinema because you’re passionate about telling a story.

Highlights on the program include Japanese film Oh Lucy!, about a middle-aged office worker beginning English lessons with an unconventional teacher, and the Australian film Florence Has Left The Building (starring Jacki Weaver), about a nursing home that double-

“At Flickerfest we see an incredible amount of stories that talk about what’s happening in the world, what’s happening in the Middle East, what’s happening with freedom in China, what are the contemporary concerns of younger filmmakers.

“It’s an average seven years in Australia to get a feature film up, so by the time you’ve gotten to the end of it, the story that you’re telling may no longer be contemporary or relevant.”

Once again the festival will tour following the Bondi season, with regional areas a huge focus for the organisers. The tour will hit 50 locations, from Gunnedah to Kempsey to Narrabri, as well as capital cities. With the internet so ingrained in society’s media consumption, how does a travelling film festival stay relevant?

“Filmmakers who are serious about their careers won’t necessarily upload films to the internet,” Kidd says. “We’re all drowning in content in everyday life, but what we’re looking for is worthy

and valuable content, and that’s the place of a festival like Flickerfest.

“It’s all about discovering that next generation of emerging talent and supporting them and giving them an audience for their work on the big screen with a packed group of people. Watching a short film on the internet is a very lonely experience. You can’t see this stuff anywhere else.”

What: Flickerfest 2015 Where: Bondi Pavilion When: Friday January 9 – Sunday January 18 Xxx

thebrag.com

The ten-day schedule also includes a number of themed screenings, including GreenFlicks, showcasing films that tackle environmental issues; children’s program FlickerKids; and the reintroduction of Love Bites, a showcase featuring films all about relationships.

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Film Reviews

Music Giveaway What's been on our TV screens this week Head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

NEW ALBUM + LAUNCH GIG TIX!

S AY W EA IV G

BLUE KING BROWN!

Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town ■ Film

In cinemas Thursday January 15 Based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken tells the true story of Olympian and prisoner of war Louis Zamperini. This is a film with a promising set of ingredients: Angelina Jolie at the helm, rising star Jack O’Connell in the lead role and Joel and Ethan Coen credited as screenwriters. Although it is tantalisingly positioned as Oscar-bait, this epic war picture falls far short of expectations.

A bomber pilot in World War II, Louis and his crew were conducting a search mission when their plane suffered mechanical difficulties and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. He and a crewmate survived 47 days on a raft in shark-infested waters. They were eventually captured by the Japanese Navy and held in prisoner-of-war camps for the next twoand-a-half years, enduring cruelty and backbreaking labour.

WIN!

oots/reggae stars and regular festival favourites Blue King Brown have released their new album, Born Free, after two years of work – and it’s a return to the top of their game. Pursuing their patented socially conscious lyricism, frontwoman Nattali Rize and co. move in new musical directions on the record. Born Free features collaborations with Jamaican legends The Congos and Jesse Royal as well as Katchafire’s Logan Bell, and was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer James ‘Bonzai’ Caruso.

R

Blue King Brown will bring their live show to the Metro Theatre on Friday January 16, and we’ve got three prize packs to give away, including a double pass to the show and two copies of Born Free – one for you and one for a friend. To be in the running, head to thebrag. com/freeshit and tell us why you like your music to have a message.

Unbroken

UNBROKEN

Aside from the relationship between Louis and surviving crewmate Russell ‘Phil’ Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson), there are few moments of genuine connection and camaraderie between characters. The Zamperini family

borders on stereotype, painted as churchattending and gnocchi-making Italian immigrants. Much of the film is devoted to portraying the physical hardships of the prison camps, focusing on a particularly sadistic guard (Takamasa Ishihara). This unrelenting depiction of brutality becomes quite gruelling. While redemption is a big theme in Hillenbrand’s book, it’s more of an afterthought in Jolie’s film.

To be fair, there is an exhilarating opening sequence and O’Connell, who impressed critics in ’71 and Starred Up, is solid as Zamperini. But this is a film that tries too hard to be emotive and indulges too heavily in ‘good’ and ‘bad’. In spite of an amazing true story, it is more fatiguing than inspiring.

Annie Murney

■ Film

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS In cinemas now

Raised in the royal household of Egypt by Pharaoh Seti (John Turturro, and that’s pretty funny), Moses (Christian Bale) doesn’t suspect that he hails from the enslaved Hebrew people until a chance encounter with Hebrew elder Nun (Ben Kingsley) reveals the truth. Exiled by his adopted brother, Ramses (Joel Edgerton), Moses builds a new life for himself beyond the Red Sea, until a mystical vision sends him on a mission to make Ramses let his people go. Violence, plagues and a lot of careful hedging of bets around the subject of miracles ensues.

Exodus feels like half a movie. It’s stultifyingly long, yet still feels rushed, as though much of the thematic and theological material central to the story is hewn away, leaving only a skeleton of a story. It’s also far too coy about the religious – or mythological, if you prefer – underpinnings of the story it’s trying to tell; Scott and his writers (four are credited) are careful to give just about everything a plausible explanation, whether it be Moses’ mystical experiences being the result of

Exodus: Gods And Kings head trauma, or the biblical plagues logically progressing one from the other (only the tenth is presented as inexplicable).

The performances are solid, by and large.

Bale brings gravitas to his role, ensuring there is a solid core to a character we see move from badass general to simple shepherd to guerrilla insurgent to spiritual leader. In contrast, Edgerton chooses to position Ramses as an ineffectual and truculent fop, raised in luxury and privilege and utterly unsuited to leadership. It’s a performance that skirts the edge of pantomime, only occasionally crossing into complete farce.

The problem is that this version of the Exodus story doesn’t appear to be about anything. It’s a damn shame, as it’s such a rich cultural vein just waiting be tapped, and a filmmaker who actually wanted to grapple with the meaty material could have given us something that does more than just look good. Exodus: Gods And Kings could have been about one man’s spiritual awakening, the birth of monotheism, the self-determination of a people and the price they’re willing to pay. Instead, it’s about two-and-a-half hours long, which is a little too much time to invest in a story that goes nowhere.

Travis Johnson

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney 2015 New Theatre and Factory Theatre, Wednesday January 7 – Sunday March 15 Having received thousands of scripts for its 2015 event, Short+Sweet has managed to whittle everything down to 160 plays, to be performed over three months. The concept is simple: plays are handed out to trusted directors and actors, who then realise the scripts, with the best ones being showcased in the Gala Finals. The Wildcard plays open in January at the New Theatre, with the best of the lot being selected to enter the top 80 in the Gala Finals running through February and March at the Factory Theatre.

For more info and tickets, visit shortandsweet.org.

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XX

Visually gifted but narratively shaky filmmaker Ridley Scott has always had an affinity for historical epics. The big canvas suits his strengths, and the tendency for complex issues to get boiled down into simple good-versus-evil narratives tends to compensate for his shortcomings. Well, they don’t come much bigger or more black-andwhite than the Old Testament, the source for this latest retelling of the mytho-historical exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt.

bread&thread Food & Fashion News...with Spencer Scott and Nicholas Hartman

extensive list of probably very fancy alcohols – cider, beer, wine, spirits and cocktails; you name it. As you down these delectable nourishments, you will be able to revel in the glorious view, whilst noshing in the botanical surroundings of The Butler.

ROOFTOP BAR AT COOGEE PAVILION

Merivale is set to open its much-anticipated rooftop bar at Coogee Pavilion, offering sensational food, great company and one of the best vantage points in Sydney. The rooftop location will be host to four indoor and outdoor bars and a sweeping balcony that overlooks the Coogee shoreline. Jordan Toft leads the rooftop’s kitchen, introducing an Eastern Mediterranean style to the menu. The venue has been meticulously designed by Akin Creative with input from Amanda Talbot and Justin and Bettina Hemmes. Each of the bars aims to provide a different aesthetic, but still feel united and friendly. The venue will open over the Christmas/New Year period.

KEG & BREW RELEASES SUMMER MENU

Everyone’s favourite pub-onthe-way-to-Moore-Park has just brought out a summer menu that might make you miss the game. Every day the Keg & Brew hosts $9 specials including KB Burger day (Mondays) Philadelphia cheese steak day (Thursdays) and one-kilogram bucket o’ chicken wings day (Saturday). There’s also a lobster roll on the menu for $15 (lobster tails with shaved radish, Japanese mayo and poppy seeds) as well as the Homer Simpson-riffic bourbon and honey glazed ham. As always, there’s a wide range of beverages, including ciders, craft beers and beer beers on tap, including for these Yuletide times a Four Pines Christmas Saison.

SUMMER AT THE DOVE & OLIVE

Surry Hills favourite The Dove & Olive has announced a tasty summer lineup of food and drink to carry you through the festive season and into the New Year. Along with the regular daily specials, Dove & Olive has introduced the new Po’boy

specials, which are available every Tuesday and feature lobster, peri peri chicken and fried Cajun shrimp. For those who’ve caught the Christmas spirit, the kitchen will also be serving a Christmas honey glazed ham – a triple-smoked honey glazed ham served with Dutch carrots, mixed beans, sugar snaps, chat potatoes,

gravy and apple butter. Follow it up with Santa’s Little Helper – a cocktail featuring Aperol, Pimm’s, apricot liquor and lemon juice – to send you on your merry way.

TASTE OF SYDNEY 2015

Bringing together some of Sydney’s

LIGHTEN UP

The Enlighten Festival is returning to Canberra in 2015, with a unique celebration of culture and creativity. The national capital’s Parliamentary Triangle will be transformed into a vibrant performance precinct featuring a variety of free entertainment including street artists, musical performances and stunning architectural projections. This year’s event also sees the introduction of the Enlighten Night Noodle Markets, bringing an array of authentic Asian food, themed bars and live music. Enlighten runs in Canberra from Friday February 27 – Saturday March 7.

GORO’S

best chefs, restaurateurs, artisan producers and oenophiles, Taste Of Sydney pretty much looks like a foodie’s dream set in the heavenly surrounds of Centennial Park.

There’ll also be the opportunity to partake in cooking classes, winetasting sessions, as well as food demonstrations. This is a worldwide, travelling event, appearing in other global cities like London (where it started) and Paris. It also goes to Perth. The ‘taste festival’, as it were, will be sure to shoot your taste buds off to space, whence they’ll be shot down by a bacon-flavoured Patriot Missile in a glorious fantasm of overwhelming ecstasy. For more information and tickets, go to tasteofsydney.com.au.

NYE AT THE BUTLER

This New Year’s, why not trundle down to The Butler in Potts Point? Not only will you have a wicked view of the fireworks, you will also be treated to a sevencourse Franco-Carribean-inspired degusation overseen by the awardwinning James Privett (executive chef, Applejack Hospitality Group).

To complement, there will be an

A WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE

The Inner West’s love affair with craft beer is set to continue this summer with the opening of the Newtown Growler Depot. Located within the Newtown Wine Shop, the depot proudly displays a machine called ‘Rosie’, which is capable of cleaning, sanitising, and filling craft beer growler bottles. No other machine is currently capable of sanitising and pressure-filling growlers, which allow beer to stay fresh for weeks, and also enable punters to enjoy a ‘swap and go’ service. The Depot also boasts a range of beers by Young Henrys, Batch Brewing, Shenanigans, Dennis, Grifter and Little Creatures. The Newtown Growler Depot is open seven days a week from 10am-10pm at 145 King Street, Newtown.

restaurant/bar profile

84-86 MARY STREET, SURRY HILLS MON-WED 11:30AM-12AM; THU 11:30AM-1AM; FRI 11:30AM-3AM; SAT 4PM3AM; SUN CLOSED It’s called: Goro’s Who’s the cook/bartender?

Our sake and cocktail menu was designed by group bars manager Jeremy Shipley and the food menu designed by Cameron Campbell.

Goro’s photo by Alana Dimou

Eye candy: The interior of Goro’s is filled with items collected from exotic world travels – family photos, souvenirs and a mish-mash of Japanese paraphernalia. The vibe is casual, busy, fun and eccentric. Television screens with Iron Chef, baseball and the incredible game show that brought Goro to Sydney are on repeat – there’s always something to watch.

Flavours: At Goro’s, booze and good times are the priorities. From Japanese sake to cocktails with a twist, Goro’s offers drinks that won’t be found anywhere else. When it comes to food, Goro does not design his food to be shared.

The menu features traditional Japanese street food such as yakitori, karaage, gyoza and two-minute Ramen, all delivered in small,

thebrag.com

ready-to-eat servings – no cutting or sharing involved. Goro calls it “selfish food”. For lunchtime visitors, bento boxes, hand rolls and donburi of the day are also available.

Something to start with: Choose one of our five yakitori options – fish cakes, chicken thigh, pork belly, ox fillet and chicken ball.

The main course: Fried ‘crab’ sandwich, wakame, tobiko.

Room for dessert?

Mango mochi.

Care for a drink?

Besides the obvious choice of one of our 12 types of sake, our Unusual Negroni and Sake-tini are crowd favourite cocktails.

Sounds?

Vinyl DJs on Friday and Saturday from 7pm.

Make us drool: This is the place to let your hair down and is a much-needed injection of all things

wacky and wonderful. Have some Japanese street food, wash it down with a shot of sake and enjoy one of the many spaces and experiences that make up Goro’s.

The bill comes to: Nothing on the menu is over $20.

Website: goros.com.au

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live reviews

up all night out all week . . .

What we've been out to see...

TY SEGALL, DEAD FARMERS, RUINED FORTUNE Oxford Art Factory Wednesday December 17

Prolific songwriter Ty Segall has spent seven years churning out frenetic, lo-fi rock that sounds like an audible smoothie.

It’s thick and there are flavours that you can’t always distinguish, but the end result is a satisfying blend of garage rock and whatever genre Segall is fixated on at the moment. This musical mixture is on full display as Segall pours his concoctions through a Death By Audio Fuzz War pedal into the Oxford Art Factory main room.

Opening band Ruined Fortune perform their set with all the enthusiasm of teenagers at a recital. The strains of noiserock echo from the speakers as the group slinks offstage as innocuously as it arrived.

Next up, Dead Farmers shout a grimy repertoire of barely audible lyrics over fuzzy guitar riffs. Occasionally a wailing guitar solo will ride the wave of sound and they crash their way through to an impressively vigorous finale.

21:12:14 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney 30 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

dag

Shifting between songs and genres, Segall’s charisma is captivating in a lowkey sort of way. We journey through the full range of his albums with seemingly little curation, experiencing a fusion of sounds that are held together by the ubiquitous fuzz of the band. It is music to get lost in.

As the concert builds to a climax and the music becomes faster and heavier, the psychedelia is infused with surf rock riffs and the grunge is augmented with ’70s metal. Segall incites his audience to carry a crowd-surfer to high-five the sound guy, take a shot from the bar and return to the stage. Security is powerless to stop it.

When the band plays ‘Caesar’ for its finale the crowd starts leaping from the barriers and the set is brought to a whirling, tumultuous close.

James Ross

PICS :: AM

raggamuffin meltdown

PICS :: AM

Ty Segall walks on to check his gear and before anyone realises what’s happening he starts shredding his guitar while his

group pounds away beside him. The crowd erupts in a frenzy and beers are hurled into the air as those at the front abandon their beverages in favour of the mosh pit.

The chaos dies down and Segall seems genuinely appreciative. “It’s an honour to be here,” he says, and begins the languid psychedelic jam of ‘Finger’, a distorted tune from his 2010 album Melted.

20:12:14 :: The Lansdowne Hotel :: 2-6 City Rd Chippendale 8218 2333 thebrag.com

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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

DAMON ALBARN Sydney Opera House Tuesday December 16

As an artist and songwriter, Damon Albarn stands alone – and in more ways than one.

Nothing about the former Blur singer’s latter-day career feels like the typical ‘frontman goes solo to cash in’ pattern followed by so many of his contemporaries.

Largely, it’s down to the range of genrebending projects he’s launched since Blur’s Think Tank finale in 2003, from The Good, The Bad & The Queen to Gorillaz and this year’s debut solo record, Everyday Robots.

By the time Albarn welcomes hip hop legends De La Soul onstage for tonight’s ‘Feel Good Inc.’ encore, the setlist is fair evidence Albarn was never going to get his kicks from playing shitty, soulless guitar ballads.

In the aftermath of the siege at Martin Place, this evening’s rescheduled show has become the first of a double header for Albarn and his band, The Heavy Seas. “We had a game plan that we were going to pace ourselves for this one,” he announces, “but we can’t do that.” Instead, the songs alternate between the fauxCockney shoutiness that won Albarn so many friends (and enemies) in the early ’90s – even before his first verse, he insists

up all night out all week . . .

the entire Concert Hall audience rises to its feet – and the morose thoughtfulness that characterises his new album. One moment he’s hurling water from a bottle at everyone in the front rows, the next he’s patiently ignoring the irony of the two dozen fans inexplicably watching ‘Everyday Robots’ (“We are everyday robots on our phones…”) through their mobile screens.

His four-piece Heavy Seas aside, Albarn also gets help from an in-house string quartet and the Southern Gospel Choir (all the way from Tasmania), who together contribute stunning passages to ‘Mr Tembo’ and ‘Heavy Seas Of Love’. Australia’s own Remi is up for ‘Clint Eastwood’, before the De La Soul cameo becomes the highlight of the show.

But all the while, there’s no forgetting Albarn’s roots. He plays solo piano versions of Blur’s ‘Out Of Time’ and ‘End Of A Century’, and even Gorillaz hit ‘Kids With Guns’ sounds like it’s lifted straight from Parklife. Occasionally, the enormous Opera House lights catch the shiny gold tooth in the middle of Albarn’s grin, and he looks just like the shy middle-class boy who made Britpop cool – only now it’s 2014, and he’s front and centre on one of the world’s famous stages.

Chris Martin

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO

FEEL LIKE CRAP JUST FOR

dead letter circus

PICS :: AM

BEING

LEFT

H A N D E D.

Okay, that’s hard to imagine? But being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or intersex is no different to being born left handed, it’s just who you are. So stop and think because the things we say are likely to cause depression and anxiety. And that really is pretty crap.

GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

19:12:14 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 thebrag.com

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 31

SUMMER HOLIDAY GIG GUIDE send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington.

8pm. free.

Clayton Vetter Duo Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

1pm. free.

Red Alert Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

Rick Fensom Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

8pm. free.

Winston Surfshirt Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

THURSDAY DECEMBER 25

Dave White Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 4pm. free.

Jamie Lindsay Duo Emu Sports Club, Leonay.

7:30pm. free.

Luke Dixon Duo Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 7:30pm. free.

Luke Dolahenty PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield, Enfield. 9pm. free.

Matt Price Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 8pm. free.

Noel Macdonald Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

6:30pm. free.

Rachel Fahim Parramatta RSL, Parramatta.

5pm. free.

Raoul Graf South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 8pm. free.

Rob Henry Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

9:30pm. free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

SATURDAY DECEMBER 27

Glenn Esmond Greystanes Inn, Greystanes Inn. 7pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Blake Tailor The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 4pm. free.

Clay Vetter Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 4pm. free.

Fat Bubba’s Chicken Wednesdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Spookyland Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8:30pm. free.

Emille Theebook Chatswood RSL, Chatswood.

12pm. free.

Raoul Graf Stamford Grand, Ryde North.

12pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Matchbox Band Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Zoltan Cronulla Leagues Club Sharkies, Woolooware. 12pm. free.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 26 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Jazz Hip Hop Freestyle Sessions Foundry616, Ultimo. 11:30pm. $5.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

DJ Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

7:30pm. free.

Glenn Esmond Duo Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 4pm. free.

High Rollers Big Band Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Krishna Jones + Cambo Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

4pm. free.

Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt.

9:30pm. free.

Mandi Jarry + Dave White +

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JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Yuki Kumagai + John Mackie Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. free.

Hitseekers Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free.

Hogan Heroes Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Jalapeno Deluxe Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

Jeff Duff Orchestra Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Jess Dunbar Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich. 2pm. free.

Joe Echo PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park.

9pm. free.

Jordan Roach Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 8pm. free.

Matt Lyon Kelly’s On King, Newtown.

9:30pm. free.

Matt Price Buena Vista Hotel, Mosman.

2pm. free.

Matt Price Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

9pm. free.

Melody Rhymes Duo Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9am. free.

Melody Rhymes Duo St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek. 9:30pm. free.

Olympic Ayres Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. free.

Planet Groove Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Pop Fiction Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9:30pm. free.

Punk For Paws 2 - feat: Skinpin + Strawberry Fistcake + Cult Killers + Brown Paper Bag + Shady Nook + Payroll + Speedball + That’s The Last Straw Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 6pm. $10.

Reckless South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 9pm. free.

Simon Day + Azaria & KJ

(The Art) + Lepers And Crooks Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Spank Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

10:30pm. free.

The Daily Vibe Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 9pm. free.

The White Brothers Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill.

7pm. free.

They Call Me Bruce PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield, Enfield. 9pm. free.

Tim Shaw Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 7:30pm. free.

Victoria Avenue Canterbury League Club, Belmore. 8:30pm. free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 28 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Ziggy & The Wild Drums Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Chris Stretton St Marys Rugby Leagues Club, St Marys. 1pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alex Hopkins St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek. 1pm. free.

Andy Mammers Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 4pm. free.

Benn Gunn Ingleburn Hotel, Ingleburn.

2pm. free.

Dave White Trio Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 2pm. free.

Felicity Robinson Cronulla Leagues Club - Sharkies, Woolooware.

2:30pm. free.

Frankie’s Heavy Holidays - feat: Flaming Wrekage + Hadal Maw + Before Ciada + Hed + To The Grave + Death In Prague! + Prick Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Glenn Esmond Moorebank Sports Club, Sydney. 1:30pm. free.

Glenn Keighran Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm. free.

Hit Machine Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free.

Ian Blakeney Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

2pm. free.

Jess Dunbar Pritchards Hotel, Mount Pritchard. 1pm. free.

Joe Echo Duo Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 4pm. free.

Mark Travers Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill.

1pm. free.

Matt Price Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich. 2pm. free.

Penny Lane Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

10pm. free.

Pink Chevy’s Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Reckless Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 6pm. free.

Sydney Invasion - feat: Half Eaten Apple + Angry Little Gods + Kill Your Heroes + The Hyenas + Chaos + Mangrove Jack Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10.

Three Wise Men + Krishna Jones Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Andy Clockwise Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8:30pm. free.

Andy Mammers Le Pub, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Angie Dean Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

6:30pm. free.

Antonie Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

5:30pm. free.

Black Diamond Hearts The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 9:30pm. free.

Blake Tailor Henry Lawson Club, Werrington. 7:30pm. free.

Bounce Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free.

Brad Johns Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

4pm. free.

Cara Kavanagh & Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt.

10pm. free.

DJ Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

8pm. free.

Gerard Masters New Brighton Hotel, Manly.

10pm. free.

Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

3pm. free.

MONDAY DECEMBER 29 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Latin & Jazz Jam Open Mic Night World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Gemma Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

7:30pm. free.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 30 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Live & Originals - feat: Katherine Vavahea + Adrian Heath + Amy Freeman + Iron Horses Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. free.

Steve Tonge Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

7:30pm. free.

Triumphant Tuesdays - feat: Dave Eastgate Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

8:30pm. free.

Saritah

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Claude Hay And The Gentle Enemies Commercial Hotel, Parramatta.

8pm. free.

4pm. free.

Tom And Dave Show Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill.

3pm. free.

White Blanks + The Moving Stills + Western Lines + Fresh From The Glassy Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Claude Hay Stag And Hunter, Newcastle.

8pm. free.

Stormcellar + DJ Nothing Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 4pm. $40.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Amazonia’s Conscious NYE - feat: Murray Kyle + Saritah + Dey A Dova + Abbalanche

Chris Deckker + Chris Kyle + Simon Borg Olivier + Mark Breadner + Jocelyn Gordon + Trillion + The Divine Circus Paddington Uniting Church, Paddington. 6:30pm. $90.

Goldfish NYE 2014 - feat: The Rehab Brass Band Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm. $15.

Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington.

8pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Abbalanche - The Australian ABBA Tribute Show Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

8:30pm. $39.

Alex Hopkins Emu Sports Club, Leonay.

8:30pm. free.

Blake Tailor Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9:15pm. free.

Cara Kavanagh & Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt.

9pm. free.

Darren Johnstone Kingsgrove RSL Club, Kingsgrove. 8:30pm. free.

David Aguis Band Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free.

DJ Mounties, Mount Pritchard.

8pm. free.

Groovology Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

9pm. free.

High Rollers Big Band Cronulla Leagues Club Sharkies, Woolooware. 8pm. $25.

Jed Zarb Henry Lawson Club, Werrington. 9pm. free.

John Field Band Mounties, Mount Pritchard.

8pm. free.

Kick - INXS Show South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 8pm. free.

Live Music + DJ Observer Hotel, The Rocks.

5pm. $22.45.

Luke Dixon + Joe Echo Duo Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point.

4pm. free.

Nic Dalton The Gasoline Pony, Sydney.

8pm. free.

NYE 2014 @ Fortune Of War - feat: Alex Kuusik + Glen Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

9pm. $10.

Rachel Fahim Le Pub, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Rob Henry PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield. 9pm. free.

Spank Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 9pm. free.

Spookyland Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8:30pm. free.

The Bandits Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

8:30pm. free.

The Smooth Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

They Call Me Bruce St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek. 8:30pm. free.

thebrag.com

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

NEW YEAR’S DAY THURSDAY JANUARY 1 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Bondi NYD Jam - feat: John Morales Bondi Diggers, Sydney.

12pm. $15.

Soul Of Sydney NYD Funk Block Party Special - feat: All Souled Out + Stephen Ferris & Graham Mandoules + Soul Of Sydney DJs And Friends + Simon Caldwell + Mike Who + Meem + James Locksmith + Phil Toke + DJ Cman Secret Funk Oasis, Sydney.

2pm. $5.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS 10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Steve Smyth Vic On The Park, Enmore.

Xxx

Big Freedia & Her Divas Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8:30pm. $45.

Jazz Hip Hop Freestyle Sessions Foundry616, Ultimo.

11:30pm. $5.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Half Nelson South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 8pm. free.

AJ Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. free.

All You Need Is Love feat: Jack Jones + Ciaran Gribbin + Darren Percival + Jackson Thomas + The Strawberry Fields Orchestra Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $100.

Best Kept Secret Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

DJ .S Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson.

8pm. free.

Freshly Squeezed - feat: DJ Raine Supreme + DJ Katch + Thavy Ear + Izzy & DJ Maniak + P. Smurf & Rivals + Ill Theory + Miz Lush Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 7pm. $5.

Goan Brothers Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

Hits & Pieces Cronulla Leagues Club Sharkies, Woolooware. 8pm. free. thebrag.com

Co Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM Closed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• $5 ENTRY • FREE BEFORE 10PM •

Fri 26 Dec

Sat 27 Dec Sun 28 Dec Mon 29 Dec

John Morales

Darren Percival

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Wed 24 Dec Thu 25 Dec

Marty Stewart . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Reckless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM • $5 ENTRY • FREE BEFORE 10PM •

Big Freedia

FRIDAY JANUARY 2

8pm. free.

The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Zoltan Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 2:30pm. free.

Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt.

9:30pm. free.

Melody Rhymes The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. free.

Penny Lane Henry Lawson Club, Werrington. 7:30pm. free.

Pop Fiction Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Rob Henry Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9:30pm. free.

Sylvan Esso + Joy + DJ Adam Lewis Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8:30pm. $42.

You & Yr So-Called Friends + Mindy Sotiri The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. free.

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Vanity Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 9pm. free.

All You Need Is Love feat: Jack Jones + Ciaran Gribbin + Darren Percival + Jackson Thomas + The Strawberry Fields Orchestra Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $100.

Crazy Minian South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 9pm. free.

Everyday People Band Cronulla Leagues Club Sharkies, Woolooware. 8pm. free.

Evie Dean Panthers, Penrith. 5:30pm. free.

Fowler + Hamann + Mcateer Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

7:30pm. $56.60.

Justin Frew’s Loose Intentions The Gasoline Pony, Sydney.

7pm. $5.

Kallidad + Betty Oswald Spectrum, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

Lara & Jack Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

9:30pm. free.

Maree Montgomery Quartett Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Matchbox Band Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

Melody Rhymes Le Pub, Sydney. 8:30pm. free.

Mesa Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Paper Lions Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15.

Planet Groove South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club, Kingsford.

7:30pm. free.

Pretty Trick Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free.

Soulganic Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Steve Smyth Opera Bar, Sydney. 8pm. free.

SUNDAY JANUARY 4 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Paper Lions Brass Monkey, Cronulla.

7pm. $14.30.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Mary Cowell Duo Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

3pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS All You Need Is Love feat: Jack Jones + Ciaran Gribbin + Darren Percival + Jackson Thomas + The Strawberry Fields Orchestra Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $100.

Ian Blakeney Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

Melody Rhymes St Marys Rugby Leagues Club, St Marys. 1pm. free.

Midnight Drifters Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Tues 30 Dec

Jimmy Bear . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Party Central . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM Blarney Boys. . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM White Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.05PM - 1.00AM Rob Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Kye Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM Anton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30AM Chris Cooke Trio . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM

Wed 31 Dec

6.00PM - 2.00AM

New Years Eve Party

DJ Switching On 2015 Thu 1 Jan

Jay Parrino Duo . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Dave White Duo . . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM • $5 ENTRY • FREE BEFORE 10PM •

Fri 2 Jan

AJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Reckless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30PM - 1.30AM • $5 ENTRY • FREE BEFORE 10PM •

Sat 3 Jan Sun 4 Jan Mon 5 Jan Tue 6 Jan Wed 7 Jan Thu 8 Jan Fri 9 Jan Sat 10 Jan Sun 11 Jan Mon 12 Jan Tue 13 Jan

Jimmy Bear . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Panorama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30PM - 1.15AM Lonesome Train . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Spencer Ray Duo . 8.30PM - 12.00AM Anton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM Co Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM Daniel Romeo . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM Ben Fox Trio . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 1.00AM Matt Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Vip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30PM - 1.30AM Ryan Thomas . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Wild Catz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.30PM - 1.15AM White Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.30PM - 7.30PM Gary Johns Trio . . . 8.30PM - 12.00AM AJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM Co Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00PM - 12.00AM

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 33

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Penny Lane Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

10pm. free.

Phil Moriarty The Gasoline Pony, Sydney.

5pm. $5.

Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. free.

MONDAY JANUARY 5 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Latin & Jazz Jam Open Mic Night World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. free.

TUESDAY JANUARY 6 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Juliet Ward + Nature Strip Duo The Gasoline Pony, Sydney.

7pm. free.

The Temper Trap Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $54.70.

Triumphant Tuesdays - feat: Dave Eastgate Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

8:30pm. free.

Xxx

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington.

8pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Asgeir Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. $49.

Black Lips Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $50.20.

Fat Bubba’s Chicken Wednesdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Milky Chance Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $49.90.

Sugar Fed Leopards + Jack Colwell + Sweet Jelly Rolls The Vanguard, Newtown.

6pm. free.

The Double Shadows Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm.

free.

THURSDAY JANUARY 8 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC 45 Sessions - feat: Toon + Makoto + Frenzie + Graham Mandroules + Benny Hinn + Trevor Parkee + Josie Styles + Funkafied DJs Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

10 O’Clock Rock Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Afenginn Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $18.

Alela Diane + Olivia Chaney + Jessica Pratt City Recital Hall, Sydney.

8pm. $35.

Camille O’Sullivan The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.

Christine Salem Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

7:30pm. $39.

Dick And Christa Hughes Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. $35.

Emma Swift + Oh Willy Dear + Loene Carmen The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Endings Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 8pm. $44.

George Ezra Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $49.90.

Hold Tight - feat: Hudson Mohawke + Mr Carmack Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $44.

Led Kaapana & Mike Kawaa The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:45pm. $39.

Matt Andersen + Frank Sultana The Vanguard, Newtown.

6pm. $23.80.

Royal Chant + Service Bells + Wasters Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst.

8pm. $5.

The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

FRIDAY JANUARY 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Joel Barker Oxford Art Factory,

Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Jazz Hip Hop Freestyle Sessions Foundry616, Ultimo. 11:30pm. $5.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

50 Million Beers The Gasoline Pony, Sydney.

7pm. $5.

Bootleg Rascal Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $13.

Bored Nothing + Bored Nothing + Deep Space Supergroup + Bare Grillz Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. free.

Cambo The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. free.

Camille O’Sullivan The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.

Clay Vetter South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 8pm. free.

Courtyard Sessions feat: Caitlin Park + Lady Sings It Better + Okenyo + Flowertruck + Dr. Goddard + The Liberators + Emma Swift Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. free.

Drew Colonial Hotel, Werrington.

8:30pm. free.

Endings Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 8pm. $44.

Hit Machine Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Hits & Pieces Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

8:30pm. free.

Karol Conka Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

11:45pm. $30.

Led Kaapana & Mike Kawaa The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:45pm. $39.

Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt.

9:30pm. free.

Matt Lyon Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill.

8pm. free.

Melody Rhymes Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

5pm. free.

Penny Lane Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 8pm. free.

Ross Mchenry Future Ensemble Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

7:30pm. $39.

The Double Shadows Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10.

The Growlers The Roller Den, Sydney.

7:30pm. $40.30.

The Kamis

Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

The Nice Folk The Vanguard, Newtown.

7pm. $18.80.

Time Machine Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

7:30pm. free.

V.I.P Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. free.

Wye Oak Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

5:15pm. $39.

SATURDAY JANUARY 10 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Archie Roach Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

7:30pm. $49.

Myele Manzanza The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:55pm. $25.

Seu Jorge Royal Botanic Garden & The Domain, Sydney. 8pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Surprise Party Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free.

AJ Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. free.

Big Swing Band Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free.

Camille O’Sullivan The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.

Cath & Him Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 10:30pm. free.

Drew Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 8pm. free.

Elevate South Hurstville RSL Club, South Hurstville. 9pm. free.

Endings Carriageworks, Eveleigh. 8pm. $44.

Felicity Robinson Duo Henry Lawson Club, Werrington. 7:30pm. free.

Georgia White Novotel, Darling Harbour.

6:30pm. free.

Hardcore V Ska Weekend - feat: Totally Unicorn + Serious Break + Deadtown Nothings + Sorcery Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $15.75.

Jellybean Jam Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Lara & Jack Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

9:30pm. free.

Lets Groove Tonight Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. free.

Matt Lyon Kelly’s On King, Newtown.

8pm. free.

Rod Mitchell Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson.

8pm. free.

Stephanie Jansen Plough & Harrow, Camden.

8pm. free.

Summer Sounds Afterparty Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

11:45pm. $25.

The Music Of Townes Van Zandt The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 6pm. $5.

SUNDAY JANUARY 11 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK La Experiment Hotel Steyne, Manly. 3pm. free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Archie Roach Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney.

7:30pm. $49.

Seu Jorge The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont. 8pm. $45.

Small Change Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Anna Von Hausswolff Sydney Town Hall, Sydney.

8pm. $44.

Ben Frost & Tim Hecker Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9:30pm. $49.

Camille O’Sullivan The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.

Chris Connelly Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci.

2pm. free.

Curbside Twisters Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.

Evie Dean Plough & Harrow, Camden.

3pm. free.

Hardcore V Ska Weekend feat: Kujo Kings + Bagster + Chris Duke + Handball Deathmatch Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6pm. $15.75.

Olivia Chaney The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:45pm. $39.

Penny Lane Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

4:30pm. free.

Raoul Graf Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson.

4pm. free.

The Double Shadows

G SINGIN ERS H C A E T EeDtro IR m y e REQSU n yd Must have own studio/space & Wwc cert, Experience essential

Call Hayley 0422963373 + Twin Caverns + Hein Cooper The Robin Hood Hotel, Waverley. 8:30pm. free.

The Gadflys The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $15.

Trophy Eyes + Worthwhile Metro Theatre, Sydney.

4:45pm. $18.

MONDAY JANUARY 12 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Shit Knees Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 7pm. free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Aldous Harding Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

AJ Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free.

TUESDAY JANUARY 13 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Camille O’Sullivan The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.

Purple Tusks The Vanguard, Newtown.

7pm. $13.80.

Triumphant Tuesdays - feat: Dave Eastgate Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney.

8:30pm. free.

Have you heard?

thebrag.com Extra bits and moving bits without the papercuts 34 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24 :12:14

thebrag.com

BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

brag beats

niko schwind inside:

the world in his hands

plus: + club guide + club snaps + weekly column

the kite string tangle thebrag.com

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 35

brag beats dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin, Emily Meller and Nicholas Hartman

five things WITH

OLIVER KOLETZKI Your Crew My crew is the Stil vor Talent label; 3. we often collaborate with or remix each other. Luckily I’ve been able to live off music for quite a few years now. That’s a huge gift.

The Music You Make And Play For the past few months I’ve been 4. producing heaps of tracks together with Niko

John Morales

Schwind in the studio. They are tech-house leaning and dancefloor-focused – people can expect a real live act, with ass-kickin’ beats.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

Here in Berlin we still have a very healthy club and music scene. I think it’s one of the best cities for advanced electronic music.

HVOB and Joachim Pastor are really talented newcomers from Europe who should get the chance to play Down Under.

Growing Up I grew up with good old ’90s hip hop, 1. which definitely has had a big effect on my

Inspirations Chilly Gonzales is a huge inspiration.

2.

I have all of his albums and can play quite

productions. Moreover, ’80s synthpop bands have heavily influenced me. I got so into it that I started taking keyboard lessons at the age of 13.

a few of his tracks on the piano. Of course, gigs, wild parties and the music of my friends are inspiring, too.

What: Spice Afloat New Year Sunrise Cruise 2015 With: Space Dimension Controller, Trus’me, Niko Schwind, Fantastic Man, Murat Kilic and more Where: The Bella Vista When: Thursday January 1

JANUARY GARDEN PARTY

Chinese Laundry has announced that the Saturday January 24 edition of its popular Garden Party series will be headlined by Andy C and State Of Mind. It’s all about the bass for this instalment, with international drum and bass stalwart Andy C taking over. He’s known for collecting unique sounds from the bottom of crates around the world to create exciting and unexpected sets. Meanwhile, Kiwi crew State Of Mind are domestic drum and bass heroes, former hosts of their own radio show and now the leaders of label SOM Music. Joining Andy C and State Of Mind are Royalston, Open-Eye, Daschwood & Kyphosis, Typhonic and Andrew Wowk.

DARUDE JOINS FUTURE Simon Caldwell

SOUL OF SYDNEY NYD

Soul Of Sydney is running another funktacular block party this New Year’s Day, full of errything good from B-boy breaks and classic hip hop jams to house and soul vibes. Take a deep breath, cause here’s who’ll be DJing: Stephen Ferris, Simon Caldwell, Mike Who, Meem, James Locksmith, Phil Toke, DJ Cman, Superbreak, Edseven, DJ Naiki and DJ Saywhut?!

There’ll also be street art by Billy Kid and his friends, and live hair braiding

by Eden Stylez, yo. It’s on Thursday January 1 at a Secret Funk Oasis in the Sydney CBD, which you’ll be privy to when you buy a ticket.

A Sandstorm is coming. Darude, producer of the unquestionable greatest track of all time, has been announced as a new addition to the 2015 Future Music Festival bill. He’ll join the likes of Drake, Avicii, The Prodigy, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Knife Party, Nero, Example, Die Antwoord, Sigma, 2 Chainz, Kiesza, Tchami, Blasterjaxx, Robin Schulz, Klingande and many more at the dance festival to end all dance festivals. Future 2015 goes down on Saturday February 28 at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

SYDNEY DEF JAM

The one and only Coolhand Luke is closing out the year of Def Jam parties at Play Bar on Saturday December 27. The Kiwi-born DJ has been spinning in Sydney for most of the last 20 years and claims a collection of 25,000 records

from which he’ll select only the best to drop on unsuspecting ears and round out 2014. Luke is bringing with him fellow New Zealand spinner Normski, who’s all about the hip hop and the funk, plus Sydney Def Jam founder Russell Cole, DJ Lambam and Benny Hinn.

NYE WITH GRANDMASTER FLASH

It seems Grandmaster Flash has made The Soda Factory his Sydney home base, and we’re all the better off for it. The hip hop and turntablism pioneer will be back at the Surry Hills venue for New Year’s Eve, Wednesday December 31, promising a heavy dose of old-school hip hop beats. Sure, Sydney feels like a jungle sometimes, but this is how you keep from goin’ under.

Sky Terrace

GET SKY HIGH

The Sky Terrace bar at The Star has announced a gabberin’ January music program in cooperation with Sydney Festival. From Thursday January 8 – Monday January 26, Sky Terrace will host a sleek DJ or two lighting up the DF basically every day. The program includes luminaries such as DJ Total Eclipse, Shit Knees, Mr Doris, Jack Shit and Norman Jay. It all culminates on Australia Day with DJ Klevakutz and DJ Alan T. For more information, including the full list of acts, visit sydneyfestival.org.au/2015/skyterrace.

36 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

HOW TO DO MUSHROOMS

Psytrance giants Infected Mushroom are coming to town early next year. The Israeli duo will make the trip Down Under on the heels of the Friends On Mushrooms Vol. 3 EP, which was released in June. Known for their huge live show, they’ll perform nine dates on their Australian tour, hitting venues from Perth to Cairns. They’ll be in Sydney to take over The Hi-Fi on Saturday February 14.

Oliver Koletzki photo by Andrej Dallmann

Infected Mushroom

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

free stuff off the record head to: thebrag.com/freeshit Darius Syrossian

SANKEYS ANNIVERSARY TOUR

There’s some quality dance action going down at the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney on Sunday January 25. It’s Sankeys’ 20th Anniversary Tour, presented by the party crew at Code, with three big headliners – Darius Syrossian, Yousef and Dillan Joseph – and more.

The event is on a Sunday, but don’t fret – it’s a long weekend, because Australia Day falls on the Monday, so you can get loose to your heart’s content. Sound good? Well, it’ll only sound better when we tell you we can get you in the door for free.

Andy C

F

eel like an after-after-party? After he slays the Spice Afloat NYD boat party, UK luminary and Prime Numbers head honcho Trus’me will go all night long at The Spice Cellar.

His 2007 full-length Working Nights still holds up as one of the best albums of the past decade, so make sure you head down to start the year with a debaucherous evening of the best house, disco and techno around.

Motherfucking Steffi is returning to Sydney. The undisputed queen of techno has practically done it all over her illustrious career. Since she was last in Australia in 2012 she’s continued her residency at the famed Panorama Bar, continued running her two labels Klakson and Dolly and released her second full-length album The Power Of Anonymity. She’ll be joined by fellow Ostgut Ton/Panorama Bar colleague Virginia, who is making her debut visit to our shores. Saturday February 14 at the Marrickville Bowling Club. Do. Not. Miss. This.

FUNKDAFIED NYD JAM

All the party people will be out and about in Sydney this New Year’s, and plenty of those will be making their way to Bondi on Thursday January 1 for Funkdafied’s Bondi NYD Jam. The bumper lineup announcement certainly hit the mark, with tickets nearly gone, so get on them quickly to catch NYC legend John Morales and two separate areas for local DJs: the Funkdafied Room and the Tropical Terrace. Bondi Diggers is the venue, overlooking North Bondi and the Bondi Golf Club.

Dance And Electronica With Tyson Wray

We’ve got two VIP passes to Sankeys’ 20th Anniversary party to give away, and you don’t even have to get off your arse to enter. Just go to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us your favourite EDM track of 2014.

y a d n u S y r e Ev

One of the most exciting new artists from the latest wave of Hamburg house producers, Oliver Schories, will begin 2015 Down Under. He’s released on the likes of Kollektiv Turmstrasse’s Musik Gewinnt Freunde, Parquet Recordings and his own imprint Der Turnbeutel, and worked alongside the likes of Joris Delacroix, Dan Caster, Einmusik, Wankelmut and Rampue. Saturday January 10 at Burdekin Hotel.

Recommended.

One of the most killer (and secretive) live acts in contemporary techno, Headless Horseman, has locked in a Sydney date. The enigmatic producer creates raw and dark soundscapes tinged with IDM that command a dancefloor like no others in the game – check out his recent hardware-only Boiler Room set if you need any further convincing. He’ll be joined by Belgium’s Kr!z on Saturday January 17 at The Imperial Hotel. Oof.

Kettenkarussell

Top Ten Albums Of The Year

1. Kettenkarussell – Easy Listening 2. Mura Oka – Auftakt 3. Moodymann – Moodymann 4. Theo Parrish – American Intelligence 5. Vril – Torus 6. Millie & Andrea – Drop The Vowels 7. Achterbahn D’amour – Odd Movements 8. Reagenz – The Periodic Table 9. Leon Vynehall – Music For The Uninvited 10. Andy Stott – Faith In Strangers Honourable Mentions Vermont – Vermont, Efdemin – Decay, Vessel – Punish, Honey, Joey Anderson – After Forever, Torn Hawk – Let’s Cry And Do Pushups At The Same Time.

Top Five Singles Of The Year

1. Vril – ‘Torus XXXII’ 2. Kettenkarussell – ‘Of Course’ 3. Austin Cesear – ‘1 Year’ 4. Floating Points – ‘Nuits Sonores’ 5. Objekt – ‘Ganzfeld’ Honourable Mentions Moodymann – ‘Lyk You Use 2’, DJ Dodger Stadium – ‘Love Songs’, Leon Vynehall – ‘Butterflies’ Vril

The wonky rave kings Pleasurekraft are returning to Australia early next month.

With productions that span from techno to minimal to house, the chameleonic duo have continued to go from strength to strength since they were last in Sydney in January. They’re playing an open-air party on Saturday January 3 at the Vic On The Park. Oh, and it’s free.

Tour rumours: I’m hearing word of a German invasion next month. Keep an eye out for visits from heavy-hitting house names Nico Stojan and Sasse.

Now, let’s have some self-indulgent endof-the-year listery, hey?

RECOMMENDED THURSDAY JANUARY 1

Spice Afloat: Space Dimension Controller, Trus’me, Oliver Koletzki, Niko Schwind Sydney Harbour Trus’me The Spice Cellar

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 Pleasurekraft Vic On The Park

THURSDAY JANUARY 8

Hudson Mohawke, Mr. Carmack Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY JANUARY 10 Tycho The Hi-Fi

2PM – 3AM HOME TERRACE 101/1-5 WHEAT ROAD, DARLING HARBOUR WWW.SASH.NET.AU

Daniel Avery Manning Bar Oliver Schories Burdekin Hotel

SUNDAY JANUARY 11 Omar-S National Art School

Tim Hecker, Ben Frost Sydney Opera House

FRIDAY JANUARY 16

Omar Souleyman The Aurora Spiegeltent

SATURDAY JANUARY 17

Oneman The Famous Spiegeltent

FRIDAY JANUARY 23

Om Unit Goodgod Small Club

SATURDAY JANUARY 24 Marcel Dettmann The Imperial Hotel

SUNDAY JANUARY 25

Mister Saturday Night National Art School Darius Syrossian The Greenwood Hotel Soul Clap, Nick Monaco, Funkineven Oxford Art Factory Leon Vynehall The Famous Spiegeltent

Headless Horseman, Kr!z The Imperial Hotel

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos?

Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon.

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 37

Niko Schwind Sailing Into The Schwind By Augustus Welby

N

ew Year’s Eve in Sydney tends to be a mighty decadent romp. Once the adrenaline (and whatever else) kicks in, there’s no telling how long one’s good-time appetite might last. That said, it’s wise to get out of the throbbing CBD before the break of day, or else be exposed to the mess you’ve made. Luckily, this New Year’s morning Spice Afloat returns for its ninth year. Simply put, the venerable folks at The Spice Cellar will host a sunrise cruise through Sydney Harbour, which is certain to assure you life is indeed beautiful.

However, it’s not a sleepy boat ride designed to let you re-identify your own reflection.

Rather, Spice have thrown together a wicked lineup of underground European and local DJs. At the top of the bill are UK funksters Space Dimension Controller and Trus’me, alongside German house titans Niko Schwind and Oliver Koletzki. This will be Schwind’s third visit to the country, so he’s already familiar with Sydney’s leading electronic music enterprise.

selection of Grippin’ World tracks feature hooky vocal melodies, contributed by Heartbeat and Lil Magdalene.

“There were a little bit more poppy songs,” he says, “but I don’t want to produce just poppy songs, because it’s not my main intention. I tried on the album to show different sides. Other tracks are more house-y, another track is a little bit more garage-y.”

Since the early ’90s, Schwind’s home city of Berlin has been regarded as the techno capital of the world. But just like Sydney doesn’t merely specialise in opera, the German capital is rife with music of all sorts.

“I think you get nearly every style in Berlin,” Schwind says. “You have a lot of different crews in Berlin who make a different sound. For example, there’s people more focused on disco and house and there’s the Berghain and Panorama Bar if you want more techno.

“Every tour I play at Spice Cellar,” he says.

“I think it’s one of the best clubs in Australia.

It’s a nice atmosphere, the people are nice and the club’s nice.”

“For a DJ you can nearly play everything,” he adds, “because it’s really influenced from different styles of music at the moment. You have still a little bit [of] minimal influence, you have still the deep house touch and now it’s getting more tech-y again.”

Schwind and Koletzki are longtime affiliates; Schwind is signed to Koletzki’s Stil vor Talent label and they occasionally contribute to each other’s studio work. But this upcoming Australian visit marks the first time they’ll explore their collaborative synergy in a live setting.

With such a broad palette to dip into, Schwind and Koletzki’s Spice Afloat appearance is sure to allay any worries about the burning reality of a brand new year.

“We started to produce tracks in September and we’ll play our first gig in Australia,” Schwind says. “We will play live – a live act.

Oliver will play all of the harmonies live and I have to do the arrangement stuff in Ableton.”

A few months prior to kick-starting the project with Koletzki, Schwind dropped his third solo LP, Grippin’ World. Over the last decade, the young Berliner has demonstrated a thorough grasp of deep house music. He’s clearly picked up a thing or two from the Chicago house masters, but he’s not afraid to integrate sounds from various other disciplines. For instance, a

“I’m really looking forward to being in Australia in summer and of course to play on the boat will be fun,” Schwind says. “It will be a groovy, danceable set.”

What: Spice Afloat New Year Sunrise Cruise 2015 With: Space Dimension Controller, Trus’me, Oliver Koletzki, Fantastic Man, Murat Kilic and more Where: The Bella Vista When: Thursday January 1 And: Grippin’ World out now through Stil vor Talent

The Kite String Tangle Taking The Chance By Annie Murney

I

t’s been a big year for Danny Harley, or The Kite String Tangle as he is more commonly known. Regarded as one of the best breakthrough artists of the year (with an ARIA nomination to prove it), this Brisbane-based producer is becoming a firm fixture in Australia’s burgeoning electronic music scene.

“It was a surreal experience,” says Harley of rubbing shoulders with pop royalty at the ARIA Awards. “I feel quite flattered to be in the same category as those other artists.

It was one of those crazy things I never thought I’d do.”

Spreading his wings as a live performer, 2014 has seen an intensive period of touring for Harley. Venturing into the American limelight, he made appearances at massive festivals like SXSW and Coachella. “I didn’t play as The Kite String Tangle at Coachella but I featured as a vocalist for another act called Adventure Club,” he says. “It was kind of an insane moment. We played at 9pm at the Sahara Stage, which is a big dance tent, and there were probably 20-30,000 people there. It was crazy walking onstage and comprehending the fact that I was supposed to be there.”

As the summer festival season enters full swing, The Kite String Tangle will be one of the hotly anticipated acts performing at Field Day and Falls Festival. The latter event holds particular significance, as it is where a relatively unknown Harley performed last year and subsequently skyrocketed to prominence.

“It was cool to play that early slot,” he says.

“That was when ‘Given The Chance’ was really kicking off. It was a really special moment for me, especially because I had won the triple j Unearthed competition. That and Falls were two of the big contributing factors that made the national tour possible.”

There’s also a scattering of small festivals scheduled for 2015, including the second incarnation of Mountain Sounds Festival on the Central Coast, which features a collection of local and up-and-coming artists. “It’s a different beast, I guess,” says Harley. “I find the smaller festivals are more about the music than the party. That will change from festival to festival but it’s a really refreshing sense of community.”

While Australia has quickly latched onto Harley’s ethereal brand of electropop, he says it’s been a slow process compiling the new EP, Vessel. “There wasn’t much of a plan in place. I released one track and it was received quite well, so I thought I should do more. I’d been writing random things for ages and then I started writing new stuff, so it ended up being a mix and match of my favourite bits.”

There is a contemplative quality to Harley’s music; a dreaminess that steadily creeps

38 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

into something more danceable. It’s a soulful kind of melancholy laid over handcrafted beats. Shedding light on his production process, he says, “I actually do the beats first – the percussion and the drums – and then the melodies, and finally the lyrics. It used to be that the lyrics were almost an afterthought but they’ve become more important. I guess I just never envisioned people singing my songs.”

On that note, Harley has released a number of killer covers, including a smooth rendition of indie queen Lorde’s ‘Tennis Court’. His Like A Version cover of Flight Facilities’ ‘Clair De Lune’ also won praise, hoisted to new heights with a string quartet. While admittedly hooked on these songs, Harley is also attracted to covering female vocalists. “It’s harder to draw a direct comparison to the original song,” he explains. “The focus shifts to the song and what you’re doing with it rather than how well you cover the vocals.”

Fans might be forgiven for assuming The Kite String Tangle is an ensemble rather than a solo act. However, collaboration is becoming a bigger part of Harley’s practice.

“I come from a band background – that’s what I’m most comfortable with. I’m even toying with the idea of expanding The Kite String Tangle, but it’s very economic for me not to do that at the moment as I’m travelling overseas. I have a feeling there will come a time when it’s obvious to make that decision.”

As the year draws to a close, Harley has writing new material on the agenda for 2015. “I’d like to delve a bit deeper into what I’ve already been doing, to focus and refine my music,” he says.

In thinking about how Harley’s intricate and emotive sound fits into the wider spectrum of Australian music, it seems we’re witnessing something of an electronic music renaissance. With the success of artists such as Flume and Chet Faker, the world has an eye on Australia for emerging talent.

“There’s this whole wave of producers who are carving out their own types of future house and future electronica,” says Harley.

“I mean, Chet Faker is first and foremost a songwriter – he writes songs and then puts production on it – whereas Flume is the opposite. There’s a lot of interesting stuff happening at the moment.”

What: Field Day 2015 With: Alt-J, SBTRKT, Dillon Francis, Jamie xx and more Where: The Domain When: Thursday January 1 And: Also appearing at Falls Festival, Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron Bay, Sunday December 28 – Saturday January 3; and Mountain Sounds Festival, Mount Penang Parklands, Saturday February 21 More: Vessel out now through Warner

thebrag.com

SUMMER HOLIDAY CLUB GUIDE send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24 CLUB NIGHTS

DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

The Wall - feat: Various Local And International Acts World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5.

Whip It Wednesdays - feat: Various DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

International Guests World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm.

Dubfire $10.

El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

Frat Saturdays - feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25.

Nari & Milani Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.

NYE Warm Up Party - feat: Royaal + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + DJ Iko + DJ Seiz + J Reyes + Nick Arbor + Simon Lovell Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. free.

Pacha Sydney December (Ministry Of Sound Annual 2015 Tour) - feat: Tigerlily + Kronic & Ember + Glover + Baby Gee + Spenda C + Mo’Funk + Chris Arnott + Fingers + Hobophonics + A-Game + Just 1 + Matt Nugent + Danny Lang + Nad + Pro/Gram + Skoob Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $35.

Riva Starr + Discovery + Acaddamy + Natnoiz + Samrai + Fingers + U-Khan + King Lee + Nine Lives + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $20.

Spice 27.12 - feat: Mike Witcombe + Robbie Lowe The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. $25.

Undr Ctrl Summer Rooftop Series - feat: Slow Blow + Playmode + Adi Toohey Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. free.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 27

CLUB NIGHTS

HIP HOP & R&BHotel Greenwood Sydney Def Jam feat.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 26

Code Coolhand Luke + DJ Rus + Lambam & Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Vent@Valve One Year Anniversary Edition - feat: Mickey Deville + Juxta + T.G.D. & Kovacs + Versatile Excell + Cornerstore Superheroes Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Dubfire + Space Junk + B_A + AboutJack + Micky CLUB NIGHTS CLUB NIGHTS Price + Ed Wells HIP HOP & R&B

Hustler Fridays - feat: MC Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. free.

Ben Finn

SlowBlow

Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And

1pm. $66.50.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 28 HIP HOP & R&B

thebrag.com

One Day Sundays Christmas Edition Vic On The Park, Enmore.

12pm. free.

CLUB NIGHTS

La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney.

8pm. free.

Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. free.

S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

Sunday Sessions - feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky Goldfish, Kings Cross. 4pm. free.

Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.

MONDAY DECEMBER 29 CLUB NIGHTS

Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. free.

MCW005 - feat: Space Junk + Aboutjack + Antoine Vice + Hedon + Ollie Stokes Secret Location, Sydney. 9pm. $30.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 30 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 20

THURSDAY DECEMBER 25 Kirk Ivory The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 6:30pm. free.

PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt.

10pm. free.

Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. free.

Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Soul Control 26.12 - feat: Ben Fester & Preacha The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

10pm. $15.

Thank Funk It’s Friday The Ranch, Eastwood.

9:30pm. free.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31 HIP HOP & R&B

Mutilate, Hard Envy, Nightvisions And Elements Of Tech And Bass Present NYE Block Party - feat: Art Of Fighters + Lee Uhf + Christian Nardelli Vs Hugh Lock + Dirtbox + Splinter Cell + Mack Da Ripper + Raw Machine & Convict + Toon & Raziel + Oz Industrial Militia Vs Omerta + Hawk Napz Vs Vegas + Heretic + Jenova Vs Catseyez + Meccano Twins + AOF + Mistotion + JTS + The Saint Vs Phoenix + Lihan + Fuentes Brothers + Duplex Vs Clive Warren + Instag8ta + Thierry D + Polar + Del + Double Dragon + Repercussion + Foul Play + Lockjaw And Many More Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. free.

Yolanda Be Cool + Van She DJs + Cassian Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi. 9pm. $29.50.

CLUB NIGHTS

25 Years Of NYE Hits At The Paragon - feat: Blaq + Guests Paragon Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. $25.

Wave Racer Above & Beyond Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 8pm. $99.95.

End Of Prohibition New Year’s Eve Party Victoria Room, Darlinghurst.

6pm. $110.

Fact New Year’s Eve 2015 Rooftop Session + Fact + Crazy P + Cue DJs + More Museum Of Contemporary Art, The Rocks. 6pm. $361.10.

Harbour Party NYE 2014 - feat: Stafford Brothers + The Potbelleez + Wax Motif + Mr. Wilson + Laprats + Wave Racer + Ganz + Cosmo’s Midnight + Basenji + Sinjin Hawke + Dugong Jr. + Laxe + More Big Top Sydney, Milsons Point. 8pm. $135.

Home NYE 14 - feat: Destroy The Machines + I

Am Wolfpack + Royaal + Social Hooliganz + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + Iko + Seiz + J-Reyes + MC Bone$ + MC Suga Shane Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $60.

La Boheme On New Year’s Eve Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7:45pm. $279.

Levins & Shantan’s Jiggy NYE Ball - feat: DJ Levins + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Nacho Pop + DJ Leon Smith + Laprats Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. $20.

Mad Racket NYE - feat: Ken Cloud + Jimmi James + Zootie + Simon Caldwell Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 10pm. $55.

Marquee Sydney NYE Party - feat: Will Sparks + Havana

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 39

club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com Brown Marquee, Pyrmont. 9pm. $150.

Moet NYE Gold Party feat: Glover + Dave Winnel + Jesabel + Chris Arnott + Chris Fraser + DJ Just 1 Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

7pm. $70.

Motorik X Bang Gang NYE - feat: Bang Gang Deejays + Motorik Vibe Council + Wordlife + The Finger Prince + Gus Da Hoodrat + Dangerous Dan + Beni + DJ Damage + More Secret Location, Sydney.

7pm. $35.

New Year’s Eve At Coogee Bay Hotel Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee.

9pm. free.

New Year’s Eve At The Orient Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

6pm. $20.

New Year’s Eve House Party Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. free.

New Year’s Even Wonderlust - feat: KLP + Nicky Night Time + Dolso + Phlby + Jack Kennedy Watsons Bay Hotel, Watsons Bay. 7pm. $79.

NYE 2014 At The Rocks feat: Alex Mac + Tass + DJ Cadell + Nacho Pop + More Bar100, The Rocks. 6pm. $50.

NYE @ Hard Rock Hard Rock Cafe, Darling Harbour. 10pm. $150.

NYE At Bennelong - feat: Alice Terry Big Band + DJ

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 HIP HOP & R&B Fantastic Man Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $695.

NYE At Bradley’s Head Bradley’s Head, Mosman.

5:30pm. $30.

NYE At Clark Island - feat: Ooba Music Clark Island, Sydney.

5:30pm. $490.

NYE Cruise Aboard Matilda 3 Darling Harbour, Darling Harbour. 7:45pm. $790.

NYE Fireworks Extravaganza & Beer Garden Party Newport Arms Hotel, Sydney.

7pm. free.

NYE House Party - feat: Grandmaster Flash Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

7pm. $79.

NYE On The Harbour - feat: Hermitude (Live) + Yolanda Be Cool + Crooked

SBTRKT

THURSDAY JANUARY 1 CLUB NIGHTS

Field Day 2015 - feat: Sbtrkt + Alt-J + Dillon Francis + RüFüS + Bastille + Jamie xx + Danny Brown + Joey Bada$$ + Milky Chance + Salt-N-Pepa + Peking Duk + Todd Terje + Kaytranada + Tensnake + Cashmere Cat + Tycho + The Kite String Tangle + Glass Animals + Action Bronson + Just Blaze + Thundamentals + Golden features + Touch Sensitive + Friend Within + Mø +

FRIDAY JANUARY 2 HIP HOP & R&B

Illy + Mind Over Matter + Elemont Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi. 8pm. $35.

40 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Marten Horger + Lady Waks + Neon Steve + Samrai + Adam Zae + Sippy + Whyse + Ramske Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. free.

Thank Funk It’s Friday The Ranch, Eastwood. 9:30pm. free.

Grandmaster Flash

Colours (Live) + Hayden James + More Cargo Lounge, Sydney. 7pm. $109.

NYE Summer Festival The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. $80.

Opera Bar NYE 2014 Tropicana Opera Bar, Sydney. 6pm. $390.

The Ship Inn’s NYE 2014 The Ship Inn, Sydney. 6pm. $20.

Tonight We Party - feat: Tass + Jolyon Petch & Esther Sparkes + Cadell + Danny P + Liam Sampras + Phil Hudson The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. $70.

Tropicana NYE - feat: DJ Argie + Sasa + Fear Of Dawn + More Bungalow 8, King St Wharf.

6pm. $50.

Bag Raiders

Kilter + Charlotte OC + Oisima + Moon Holiday + More Royal Botanic Garden & The Domain, Sydney. 12pm. $118.

I Remember House Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

4pm. $43.25.

Icebergs New Year’s Day - feat: Bag Raiders + Poolside + Sneaky Sound System + Nicky Night Time Surprise + Murat Kilic + Miss Annie + Slowblow + Marc Jarvin & Pink Lloyd + Valerie Yum & San Francisco Icebergs, Bondi Beach. 1pm. $400.

New Year’s Day Night feat: Trus’Me The Spice Cellar, Sydney.

CLUB NIGHTS

Champain Lyf - feat: Steve Spacek + Low Motion + The Lyfstyle Coaches Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

10pm. $10.

DJ Toby Neal Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. free.

Factory Fridays - feat:

9pm. $15.

Space Ibiza On Tour NYD15 - feat: Carl Cox + Steve Lawler + Seth Troxler + Kerri Chandler + Carl Craig + Francois K + Yousef + Radioslave + Nick Curly Greenwood Hotel, Sydney North. 12pm. $89.

Spice Afloat New Year Sunrise Cruise 2015 feat: Space Dimension Controller + Trus’Me + Oliver Koletzki + Niko Schwind + Fantastic Man The Bella Vista Luxury Cruiser, Pyrmont. 4am. $125.

The World Bar Thursdays World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free.

I Am Sam Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.40.

Loco Friday - feat: Various

Halfway Crooks Phoenix Bar, Darlinghurst.

10pm. $10.

CLUB NIGHTS

Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

Chardy & Benibee Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.

Chinese Laundry Garden Party - feat: Netsky + Goldie + Grandtheft + Spendac + A-Tonez + Nemo + Beats Lingerz Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 1pm. $65.

Defected In The House feat: Oliver Dollar + Sonny Fodera + Franky Rizardo + Acaddamy + Matt Meler + Rodskeez + Mars Monero + Reno + Fingers + DJ Just 1 + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

7:30pm. $22.60.

DJ Nad + Toby Neal Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. free.

El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

Frat Saturdays - feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25.

Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $20.

Undr Ctrl Summer Rooftop Series - feat: Tornado Wallace + Adi Toohey Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. free.

SUNDAY JANUARY 4 CLUB NIGHTS

Alex Mac + DJ Somatik Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 5pm. free.

Cashmere Cat Museum Of Contemporary Art, The Rocks. 5pm. $47.45.

La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney.

8pm. free.

Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. free.

S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

Sunday Sessions - feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky Goldfish, Kings Cross. 4pm. free.

Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.

MONDAY JANUARY 5 CLUB NIGHTS

Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. free.

TUESDAY JANUARY 6 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7 HIP HOP & R&B

Joey Bada$$ + Run The Jewels The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $69.90.

CLUB NIGHTS

DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

The Wall - feat: Various Local And International Acts World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5.

Whip It Wednesdays - feat: Various DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

THURSDAY JANUARY 8

SATURDAY JANUARY 10 CLUB NIGHTS

Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10.

DJ Total Eclipse Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 8pm. free.

El’ Circo - feat: Resident Circus Act Performers Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst.

7pm. $109.

Frat Saturdays - feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 6pm. free.

Johnny Rad + Tim Boffa Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. free.

Lndry - feat: Surprise International + Gt + Lo’99 Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

7:30pm. $22.60.

Mark De Clive-Lowe Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.

Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25.

Sgt. Slick & Brooklyn Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.

Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Soda Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $20.

Undr Ctrl Summer Rooftop Series - feat: Parkside DJs + Set Mo + Adi Toohey Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Pool Club Thursdays - feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm. free.

SBTRKT Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

7pm. $79.

The World Bar Thursdays World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Nelly + Lupe Fiasco + B.O.B Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7:30pm. $99.

FRIDAY JANUARY 9 CLUB NIGHTS

Brenny B Side Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. free.

Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free.

Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free.

Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Generik Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.40.

Grmm + Hatch (DJ Set) + Terace + A-Tonez + Daschwood + Robustt + Julez + Rack-A-Mack Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free.

Mad Professor + Inner West Reggae Disco Machine + Crucial D + Prince Vince Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

9pm. $25.

Nick Toth Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 8pm. free.

Thank Funk It’s Friday The Ranch, Eastwood. 9:30pm. free.

SUNDAY JANUARY 11 CLUB NIGHTS

James Locksmith + Husky Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 5pm. free.

La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney.

8pm. free.

Omar-S National Art School, Darlinghurst. 2pm. $48.95.

Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. free.

S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

Sunday Sessions - feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky Goldfish, Kings Cross. 4pm. free.

Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.

MONDAY JANUARY 12 CLUB NIGHTS

Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. free.

TUESDAY JANUARY 13 CLUB NIGHTS

Jack Shit Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.

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s.a.s.h sundays

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up all night out all week . . .

21:12:14 :: Home :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600

PRESENTS

FIRST RELEASE SOLD OUT! SECOND RELEASE NOW SELLING!

20th Anniversary Tour DARIUS SYROSSIAN

+ VERY SPECIAL GUEST

YOUSEF

DILLAN JOSEPH / SPACE JUNK TRISTAN CASE / ED WELLS / PLUS MANY MORE

Sun 25 Jan www.t1000.com.au

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1:00PM - 10:00PM THE GREENWOOD NORTH SYDNEY

t1000events

t1000events

BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 41

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the chop 1st birthday

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up all night out all week . . .

20:12:14 :: Play Bar :: 72 Campbell St Surry Hills 9280 0885

code ft. dubfire

It’s called: Northern Beaches House Party It sounds like: Chilled-out summer paradise meets a band orgy in your mum’s garage.

Acts: Bag Raiders, Fear Of Dawn, Glass Ocea n, Bin Juice, Mo’funk, Husky (DJ), Stoney Roads DJs, Nat Conway, Coffin , Gypsys Of Pangea, Space Monk, Voodoo Sons and loads more.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: NOFX – ‘Don’t Call Me White’, Bag Raiders – ‘Shooting Stars’, Kygo – ‘Firestone (ft. Conrad)’.

And one you definitely won’t: Anything by Pitbull or Nickelback.

Sell it to us: All the elements of a crazy house party thrown into a venue.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Bag Raide rs playing an outdoor ‘backyard’ set in the summer sun on top of a water feature.

Wallet damage: $25 Where: Mona Vale Hotel When: Friday December 26, midday till past midnight

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party profile

northern beaches house party

soul of sydney nyd special

It’s called: Soul Of Sydney NYD Special It sounds like: Soul, funk, disco, boogie, ’90s hip hop and early house vibes.

Acts: Soul Of Sydney DJs and friends and a host of Sydney local legends – All Souled Out DJs, Stephen Ferris, Simon Caldwell, Superbreak, Meem, Phil Toke, DJ CMan, Edseven, DJ Naiki, Sydney Street Art Project and more.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Jame s Brown – ‘Sex Machine’, Sugarhill Gang – ‘Rappers’ Delight’, Aretha Franklin – ‘Respect’.

And one you definitely won’t: Anything by Spice Girls.

Sell it to us: An afternoon of positive party vibes jams, live street art, soul train dance and B-boy featuring feel-good party showcases, live hair braiding and more.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Dancing in the key of life.

Crowd specs: 18+ Wallet damage: $5-10 presale or more on the door if available Where: Secret Indoor/Outdoor Funk Oasis (five minutes from the CBD – venue emailed to all ticketholders) When: Thursday January 1, 2pm-late

klparty xmas party

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party profile

20:12:14 :: The Spice Cellar :: 58 Elizabeth St Sydney 9223 5585

19:12:14 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St Sydney 8295 9999 42 :: BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14

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c i s u m f o e t u t i t s n i N A I L A AUSTR aim.edu.au @ 5 1 0 2 r o f w o n enrol

For more information visit aim.edu.au or call Sydney: 02 9219 5444, Melbourne: 03 8610 4222