Brag#613

ISSUE NO. 613 MAY 20, 2015

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

A G A IN S T ME!

Laura Jane Grace embraces her former secrets.

DEE DEE BR IDGE WAT ER

The jazz legend shares the moment that brought her to tears.

T HE JUNGL E GI A N T S

Second album syndrome? More like a fresh challenge, they say.

M A D M A X : F URY RO A D

IN HEARTS WAKE SONGS OF EARTH AND SKY

We go inside a villain’s mind as the blockbuster franchise returns.

Plus

THE DRONES SURFER BLOOD WIRE

+ ,-* 1

*

Sydney Opera House

Bill Callahan One of our best lyricists – The New York Times Final tickets on sale now

MA JOR E VENT PAR TNERS

28 - 29 May

SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM/VIVIDLIVE

SY D N E Y O P E R A H O U S E PA R T N E R S P R I N C I PA L PA R T N E R

PA R T N E R

MEDIA PA R T N E R S

MEDIA SUPPORTER

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rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Ayla Dhyani and James Di Fabrizio

Factory Floor Saturday May 23

five things WITH HEATHER

CHEKETRI FROM LOVE LIKE HATE

Inspirations My favourite musicians include Johnette 2.

Napolitano, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Santigold, Amanda Palmer and Leonard Cohen amongst others. I remember I was 15 when I first heard Johnette singing on her Concrete Blonde album and fell in love with her voice, honesty and her lack of giving a shit about conforming to what was expected of women in music at the time and probably to some extent now.

Growing Up Music was a big part of our home 1. when I was a child. My dad played guitar and always sang songs by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and those influential artists from that generation. There may not have been a lot of money to go around but there was always enough money for a big hi-fi system and LPs. I grew up watching my dad and his friends play and remember thinking that’s what I wanted to do – not just sit there and sing harmonies, which was what was encouraged for girls to do, but to actually write the songs and play the guitar –

we released our first EP in 2012, as it’s a combination between dark lyrics and upbeat music. It can be erratic and intense but we tend to think there is a romantically sadistic appeal to the sound. It’s the combination of electric guitar and piano. Live shows are exactly what we are, a combination between piano and electric guitar, keeping true to us and our sound. For some live shows we play with our resident drummer and will have Stephen Birt along for the ride for this upcoming tour.

Your Band 5.

Our band is called Love Like Hate. Sonja 3.

Ter Horst and myself are the band and we write all the music/lyrics as a collaboration.

We very much differ in how and what we write, especially as neither one of us is musically trained, so it always takes that extra bit of effort to make each song work for both of us.

We have worked with Lachlan Mitchell on all our releases and West West Side (New York) mastered our latest Unnoticed release.

4.

The Music You Make We coined our style as dark pop when

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene can be an awesome and inspiring place to be in, though sometimes it’s hard to keep your head above water. For us, the main obstacle we have to overcome is financing as independents. As independent artists that like to tour and record, we often have to work to play but it hasn’t stopped us yet.

What: Unnoticed out now independently Where: Supporting Nova and The Experience at the Captain Cook Hotel on Friday May 29

THE VANGUARD FOR SALE

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Sam Caldwell, Ayla Dhyani, James Di Fabrizio, Meggan Turner ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar 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 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Sarah Basford, Sarah Bryant, Ayla Dhyani, Meggan Turner - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@ thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)

One of Newtown’s leading entertainment venues, The Vanguard, has been put up for sale. The King Street bar and restaurant, which hosts six nights a week of live music, theatre, burlesque and more, has operated since 2003. Over that time, The Vanguard has seen appearances from names like Tim Freedman, Tim Rogers, Megan Washington, Russell Crowe, Elvis Costello and more. While the intentions of any potential new owners will be unclear for now, the future of live music at the venue has already got a boost from the statement announcing the sale, which reads: “The 1920s New Orleans French Quarter inspired bar and restaurant is looking for a buyer who wishes to continue the legacy of this iconic Newtown venue.” Interested buyers can receive an information pack by emailing sale@ thevanguard.com.au.

STRINGER + THORNE

Two of Australia’s most revered songwriters, Liz Stringer and Lucie Thorne, are coming together for one night in Sydney this week.

The two talented performers have a history of

Ryan Adams

Newtown Social Club Saturday June 20

MARMOZETS Newtown Social Club Thursday July 23

AZEALIA BANKS Metro Theatre Friday July 24

WOLF ALICE Oxford Art Factory Friday July 24

YEARS & YEARS Oxford Art Factory Sunday July 26

and Thorne will be playing at Venue 505 on Thursday May 21.

FEEDBACK CONFERENCE LINEUP

RYAN ADAMS AT THE OPERA HOUSE

Ryan Adams has locked in a special Splendour In The Grass sideshow at the Sydney Opera House this July.

The American songwriter’s return to Australia this winter will see him perform a career-spanning solo show, from his breakthrough with 2000’s Heartbreaker to last year’s self-titled release. Adams will play the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday July 21. He’ll also be at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday July 23.

AWESOME INTERNS: Meggan Turner, Ayla Dhyani, Sarah Basford

playing intimate and spellbinding shows individually, so having them both together on one stage is going to be very special. Thorne is set to release a new album, Everything Sings Tonight, in June, and Stringer’s latest record Warm In The Darkness has been pegged as one of the best Aussie albums of the year. Stringer

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Keiron Costello, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, Kate Robertson, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Krissi Weiss, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young

MOJO JUJU

Years & Years photo by Mike Massaro / Wolf Alice photo by Jordan Hughes

so I took his guitar at any chance and taught myself how to play.

VOYAGER

Indent has revealed its lineup for Sydney’s annual music conference, Feedback, aimed at helping young people start out in Australia’s competitive music industry. The conference is tailored towards young people between the ages of 12 and 25, with a day full of interactive sessions, take-home resources and significant networking opportunities. This year’s event will host a strong selection of music industry guest speakers including The Presets as keynote speakers, The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi, Dan Williams from Art vs. Science, Andy Bull, KLP, Dom Alessio from triple j, and Jake Stone from Bluejuice and MusicNSW, among many others. The conference will be taking place at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Monday June 8 as part of Vivid Sydney 2015.

THE WRITING’S ON THE WALLPAPER

Electronic wunderkind Japanese Wallpaper will celebrate his debut EP with a final tour before he hits the books in the lead-up to his last high school exams. After starting Japanese Wallpaper at only 13 years old, Gab Strum has been going from strength to strength. The past few years have seen him land a single in triple j’s Hottest 100 and collaborate with Safia, Airling and Dustin Tebbutt. His brand new solo show will feature guest vocalists and a new collection of visuals.

Japanese Wallpaper will be at Newtown Social Club on Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5.

Jill Scott

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 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121

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THE BRAG

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LET HIM ENTERTAIN YOU

Hell is gone and heaven’s here, there’s nothing left for you to fear. Robbie Williams is making his way back to Australian shores on his Let Me Entertain You Tour, and as the name suggests, it’ll be hit after pop hit at Allphones Arena on Tuesday October 27. It’s the same venue Williams played last year on The Swing Tour, and a far cry from the club shows he performed Down Under in the years after his heyday – proving, like a younger Rod Stewart, that a jazz standard or two will forgive all musical crimes in the fans’ eyes. Now Williams is ready to unleash ‘Rock DJ’, ‘Angels’ and the rest all over again, with tickets on sale 10am Monday May 25.

SOULFEST 2015

Soulfest will return later this year for its sophomore outing. The first artist announcement for the 2015 incarnation is headlined by Mary J. Blige, and also features Jill Scott, Jhené Aiko, Charlie Wilson, De La Soul, Talib Kweli, Dwele, Floetry, Eric Benét, Daniel Merriweather, Kamasi Washington, Remi and BJ The Chicago Kid. The Sydney edition of Soulfest will go down on Saturday October 24 at a new location for the event, The Domain. Tickets go on sale 10am Wednesday May 27.

thebrag.com

RyanAdams photo by Julia Brokaw

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

Robbie Williams

A-LIST ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

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live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Ayla Dhyani, Meggan Turner and James Di Fabrizio

speed date WITH

1.

Keeping Busy This year it’s been about personal growth, development and meeting deadlines. I finished recording my first EP and I chose to record it with my band in the studio, which was a really rewarding process. Until you actually start putting together an EP and getting it ready to launch, you don’t realise how much

work goes into the whole thing, from selecting the material to rehearsing, recording, mixing, album artwork, manufacturing, marketing and getting shows to promote the release. It can be a bit overwhelming at times but I have some really supportive people around me who have guided me along the way.

Best Gig Ever My artist launch a year ago 3. at Ginger’s, Darlinghurst. The energy was explosive, I had an eight-piece band including a horn section and the room was filled to capacity. Everyone was dripping in sweat by the end and the crowd had never heard my songs before so it was special.

Current Playlist So much amazing music is 4. available. I’m loving local Aussie sounds right now – Daniel March and Wallace Gollan, who have

just released new singles. I’m also vibing to Mary Mary; their music is so uplifting and good for my soul.

Your Ultimate Rider In my rider I would ask 5. for a dehumidifier. My body is really sensitive to dust, changing room temperatures, et cetera, so my throat can get sore quickly.

At every location, one of those would be perfect. I would also love to have my guitarist’s sister bake her spectacular banana bread for every show because we love it so much, but in reality, our rider is pretty basic – healthy meals and healthy snacks.

With: Daniel March Where: Foundry616 When: Thursday June 4 And: Also appearing at Rock Lily, The Star on Thursday June 18

Texas eclectic Bill Callahan is heading to Sydney’s choppy shores with his Dream River band to share his sometimes absurd, often disarmingly honest lyricism. With 14 albums and 25 years of musical experience under his belt, Callahan has been lauded as a master of truth observing, gaining a cult following across the globe. Since his departure from lo-fi legends Smog, he’s released five albums under his own name, receiving praise for his peculiar style.

Callahan is playing two shows for Vivid LIVE at the John Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House on Thursday May 28 and Friday May 29. We’ve got a double pass up for grabs to the Thursday show – visit thebrag.com/freeshit to enter.

Bill Callahan photo by Hanly Banks

2.

Your Profile I’m an African-Australian singer-songwriter from Sydney and I’ve been performing my

BILL CALLAHAN

GAZELE

original music for the past year with my fi ve-piece band.

My sound is a mixture of pop/ soul/funk. If you like Bruno Mars, Emeli Sandé or Jill Scott then you’ll defi nitely enjoy my music. I love to dance around, have fun and make people feel good. When you come to one of my shows I want you to leave saying, “That was an experience.” I like to create memories and express myself freely in true African fashion.

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

Bill Callahan

xxx

SPEED KILLS

After 12 months of hard work, Sydney indie outfit Kim Killspeed are about to drop their debut EP, Ultrasound, recorded at Everland Studios with producer and engineer Ben Worsey. The six-piece formed at the end of 2013, and has since showed off its versatile styles in its live act, playing everything from soft folk to blues to upbeat punk. Only a night after a Friday May 29 show at Ruby L’otel, the Ultrasound album launch will be at Lazybones Lounge on Saturday May 30. Joining Kim Killspeed for the launch will be indie rockers Piperlain and punks Lion Calamity.

DAVEY CRADDOCK GOES EAST

Davey Craddock

Acclaimed country songwriter Davey Craddock is venturing out of his home state of Western Australia and heading to New South Wales to do some shows.

Craddock and his band The Spectacles recently won Group of the Year at the WA Country Music Awards and received WAM nominations for Song of the Year and Best Country Act. This year has seen Craddock and his band break onto the national stage. In May and June Craddock will be playing a number of venues around NSW and showcasing his raw songwriting talents. This solo roadshow will highlight Craddock’s setlist of country, folk, soul and ’50s rock’n’roll influences. You can catch him at Petersham Bowling Club on Friday May 29, The Midnight Special on Wednesday June 3, and the Gasoline Pony on Friday June 5.

LIVE AT LIVERPOOL

As part of the Building Our New City project, Liverpool Council is bringing Liverpool Live to the suburb’s city centre with a month of live music and cinema throughout May. Liverpool will be hosting a selection of live musical acts, children’s entertainment, and an openair cinema screening family-friendly films at Macquarie Mall as a means of creating a thriving, attractive and safe area for all ages. Artists on the bill include Sydney-based musicians Gang Of Brothers, Jeremy Gregory Band, and Borneo and Friends. Liverpool Live will be running every Friday and Saturday until Saturday May 30.

LOVE LIKE HATE

Brisbane dark pop duo Love Like Hate are playing in Sydney at the end of May. The girls will be stopping by in town before they head over to do a headline tour in the UK. Their powerful vocals and intricate piano and guitar ensemble are sure to blow audiences away in the intimate settings they will be playing on this tour. You can catch Love Like Hate at the Captain Cook Hotel on Friday May 29.

FROM THE GARAGE TO THE FOOD COURT

Garage rockers Food Court will be heading out on a headline tour next month, following a string of sold-out shows supporting Northeast Party House. With their singles ‘14 Years Young’ and ‘On The River’ recently added to rotation on triple j, Food Court will be headlining at Newtown Social Club on Saturday June 13.

Sydney’s best artists and musicians are coming together for ’90s For Nepal, including Darryl Beaton, Mr Wilson, Amali Ward and Jeremy Gregory. The Soda Factory will be donating a gold coin from every food or drink purchase of the evening, and customers are invited to donate freely to this special cause. They’ll even

be serving up a Nepalese-inspired gourmet hot dog for the occasion. All donations will be given to the Nepal Red Cross Society to help it with its invaluable work during the fallout of this natural disaster, which has left much of Nepal in a state of crisis. Take party at Soda Factory on Wednesday May 20.

Furnace and The Fundamentals

COVERS FOR A CAUSE

Over four hours of live music will be played at the Soda Factory this week to raise funds for victims of the Nepal earthquakes. Over 20 of

Russell Morris

BACK AT THE BEACH ROAD BASEMENT BLUES SOCIETY

The Basement Blues Society was born in February 2015, with the aim to host shows on the last Thursday of every month. So far, the organisers have held true to their word. The gigs are held at The Basement, one of Sydney’s oldest and most beloved music venues.

This month’s edition features The Russell Morris Band, fronted by one of Australia’s iconic songwriters, with Ali Penney and The Money Makers in support. The Blues Society evenings feature some of the country’s finest live musicians performing their own sets before coming together for an All Star Jam. See it all happen on Thursday May 28.

Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel boasts a lineup of free shows this week with Sydney-based artists Furnace and The Fundamentals and Montaigne. Local covers/party band Furnace and The Fundamentals bring an impressive new energy to a diverse wave of legendary hits from Mark Ronson to Elvis, with no limitations. Having previously performed two sellout shows at the Metro Theatre and with residencies in major venues around Sydney, the lads are set to bring a dynamic vibe to Bondi. Meanwhile, following her success in this year’s FBi Next Big Thing prize and consistent plays on triple j and FBi Radio, Montaigne will be performing on a bill alongside house music don Generik. Check out Montaigne on Wednesday May 20, and Furnace and The Fundamentals on Saturday May 23. xxxx xx

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Is a 30-year-old outstanding payment to a tour manager by a major act finally being settled? * Which journo was bagging a rival scribe to a record company publicist, without realising he was her partner? * Tours: Mumford & Sons will be here this year, Ben Lovett told triple j, before the news was confirmed by their label … New York dancehall artist Kranium is heading to Australia, says Atlantic Records … Mike Love says The Beach Boys will return in 2015. * Ed Sheeran leads this week’s certifications with X picking up its sixth platinum in Australia, ‘Thinking Out Loud’ its sixth platinum and ‘Bloodstream’ its first. Taylor Swift’s 1989 is six

times platinum, and Vance Joy’s ‘Georgia’ has also gone platinum. * Venues: Canberra’s Pot Belly will host regular live music when its new owners relaunch it on May 30 … Western Sydney’s Wallacia Hotel is up for sale … Justin Hemmes’ new acquisition, Newport Arms, is undergoing a three-year renovation with only ten of its 100 staffers keeping their jobs for the time being … The Mort Estate Hotel in Toowoomba (ex-Bellevue Hotel) converted its bottle shop driveway into a 800-capacity band room … The Experience Group, the team behind the Soda Factory, the US-style diner and bar which hosts live music and DJs, is opening a Jamaican hangout called Rosie Campbell’s (corner Crown and Campbell Street, Surry Hills), with Jamaican food and drinks. * A listeners’ poll by Triple M to

2015 REVENUES UP FOR UNIVERSAL, WARNER Both Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG) have announced global revenue growth in the first three months of 2015, as improvements in subscription and streaming revenues more than offset sales of CDs and downloads.

What’s more, they expect digital revenues to grow as they put pressure on streaming companies to abandon free tiers or ‘freemium’ services.

UMG saw revenues across recorded music, publishing and merchandise up 11.6% yearon-year in the first quarter to €1.1 billion.

Digital music income alone grew 8% to €459 million. Recorded music revenue was up 2.4% to €874 million thanks to new releases from Drake, Madonna and Kendrick Lamar and carry-on sales from last year by Taylor Swift, Sam Smith and the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack. Music publishing brought in €184 million.

WMG translated its US$59 million loss in the first three months of 2014 to a net income of US$19 million this year. Total revenue was up 13%, with recorded music up 15%. All of its divisions did well except artist services and expanded rights. Notably, streaming overtook downloads for the first time for a major label.

US recorded music digital revenue was US$144 million, now representing 61% of all WMG’s recorded music revenue. Its biggest digital sellers were Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé, Led Zeppelin and David Guetta while Zeppelin and Kid Rock also brought in strong CD sales.

ARIA LAUNCHES STREAMING CHART ARIA this week introduced a weekly Audio & Visual Streaming Chart. It incorporates all official music videos on YouTube, including Vevo on YouTube, and user-generated clips that include audio recordings in addition to the audio streams already collected from Deezer, JB Now, Rdio, Google Play and Spotify. ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said, “We aim to continuously evolve the ARIA Charts

mark its 35th anniversary chose AC/DC’s Back In Black as the best album of the past three decades. The others in the top ten were Metallica’s Metallica, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, INXS’ Kick, Cold Chisel’s East, Midnight Oil’s 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I and II, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik. * After the second of two shows at the Palais Theatre in St. Kilda for Pure Gold, Mi-Sex bassist Don Martin found that his rare red and orange 1962 Fender bass guitar had been stolen from backstage. He’d had it for 40 years. * Hard touring has taken its toll on Sticky Fingers. They cancelled a UK tour, due to start last week, but will still do a

to ensure that they accurately represent the new ways that Australian music fans are consuming their favourite music. There is no denying the impact YouTube has today on music and popular culture.”

ONLY JET FOR AC/DC? A rumour was started on Triple M’s Grill Team by an unnamed industry insider that AC/ DC have thrown a big wad of cash at three defunct Aussie acts to reform for their summer tour. Both Silverchair and Powderfinger have denied plans to the media, saying they’re busy with their solo careers. But Jet responded with a link to the Triple M report with the one-word comment, “Rumours???”

JESSE LUBITZ JOINS AIR Jesse Lubitz will join independent trade association AIR on Monday May 25 as its membership and operations manager. He most recently spent five years at APRA AMCOS in the writer services team. Lubitz has also been band manager and principal member of Melbourne indie-folk band Tinpan Orange.

RDIO LAUNCHES RDIO SELECT With the Apple Music streaming service set to launch here in a month, Rdio has launched Rdio Select, a cheap version at $5.99 a month for ad-free radio and on demand music downloads. Subscribers can keep 25 songs at a time for as long as they want, and replace them with up to 25 new songs every day.

Rdio Select also includes unlimited access to ad-free streaming radio with unlimited skips and high-quality audio at 320kbps.

SONY MUSIC PICKS UP ROSTRUM RECORDS Sony Music Australia has picked up the distribution for US indie Rostrum Records, which launched US chart-topping rappers Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller. It was set up in 2003

by Benjy Grinberg who started as assistant to Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid. The deal covers Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and China. The first album out will be LA-based ‘hippie hop’ purveyor Mod Sun’s debut album Look Up.

London show on May 24. They posted, “This is due to personal reasons within the band. Right now we’ve felt the need to take a step back and look after each other like a proper band should.” * After a U2 fan hacked off a branch of the Joshua tree used on the cover of their album as a keepsake, another fan, George G, worked in the middle of the night, armed with just a flashlight, to fix it with adhesive and liquid screws. * A thief broke into musician Genevieve McGuckin’s home in St. Kilda and made off with 200 records and rare pressings belonging to her late partner, Rowland S. Howard, according to The Age. The collection included first edition records by The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and These Immortal Souls.

GUNNER DENIES OZ CRAWL STEALING ACCUSATION Former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan has denied accusations from Australia that their massive 1987 hit ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ was nicked from Australian Crawl’s 1981 album track ‘Unpublished Critics’. The story surfaced on MAX TV last week, and the videos of both showing some similarity went viral. Oz Crawl’s James Reyne certainly noticed it then, and has been known to play a bit of the Gunners song before his own at concerts. But he admits that he never had the money to “take on the might” of the American band’s lawyers. McKagan told Radio.com that he was only sent the video with the two songs last week. “It is pretty stunning,” he admitted. However, he quickly added, “But we didn’t steal it from them! I swear [put his hand on his heart], I never heard that song until a couple of days ago.”

He was curious why the story emerged after all this time. Probably because of rumours the original Gunners lineup was planning to reunite.

SUZE DEMARCHI SIGNS WITH SOCIAL FAMILY Suze DeMarchi has signed a multi-album solo deal with Social Family Records. Her second solo album Home (coming 15 years after her first) is out on Friday July 24, and sees her duetting with Jimmy Barnes, Russell Morris, Diesel, Tex Perkins, Dallas Frasca and its producer Shane Nicholson.

The album features covers of ‘home’-themed songs by The Clash, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sheryl Crow, Adele and Ryan Adams. She previews it at the Newtown Social Club on Thursday July 9.

ARN AND TWITTER TEAM ON GREEN ROOM The Australian Radio Network has a new green room in its studios, which it co-designed with Twitter Australia. Its VIP guests and on-air talent can use the GIF Booth to create personalised GIFs to be tweeted in real time, and a custombuilt Twitter mirror where they can send autographed selfies to fans.

Lifelines Marrying: Perth drummer James Baker and Catherine Podger. As part of the celebrations, he’s putting on a concert called I’m Flipped Out Over You at the Rosemount Hotel on June 6. It’ll feature members of his past bands such as The Victims, The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts Of Bourbon and The Dubrovniks, including Dave Faulkner, Kim Salmon and Spencer P. Jones. Baker is playing in four bands on that night.

Married: former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell AKA Ginger Spice, and Formula One team boss Christian Horner, head of the Red Bull racing team, in the UK. Ill: screaming at his shows over the past 20 years has led EDM act Steve Aoki to cancel European shows for surgery on his vocal cords.

Ill: Creed’s Scott Stapp has confirmed he has bipolar disorder, which caused his recent erratic behaviour – including accusing his family of being ISIS members who were plotting to assassinate President Obama.

Injured: All That Remains drummer Jason Costa needs dental work after a flying piece of broken drumstick damaged one of his teeth.

In Court: Omar Barri, 43, owner of Fever nightclub in Wollongong, appeared before Port Kembla Local Court charged with raping a staff member at his home when she was drunk and drug-affected in March 2014.

In Court: Joseph Robert Houston, found guilty of murder in the WA Supreme Court after slashing the throat of James Dorloff, 20, at a New Year’s Eve rave at Wedge Island, WA, and severing four fingers of another patron. He will be sentenced in August.

Died: B.B. King, who spearheaded the global popularity of the blues, storming the mainstream charts with ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ and touring Australia numerous times. Just before his death last week at age 89, King’s family unsuccessfully went to court to wrest guardianship of his estate from his manager Laverne Toney, whom they claim abused the guitarist and misplaced more than US$1 million of his US$5 million fortune.

Died: Alex Mcnulty, bassist with Tasmania’s Save The Clock Tower, cause unspecified. They are signed to Fiction in Australia and Bullet Tooth in the US.

ENGLISH SUMMER TOUR SYDNEY FRIDAY 29 MAY

CAPTAIN COOK HOTEL 18+ (Free) Support for Nova & The Experience

TOUR & TICKET DETAILS AT WWW.LOVELIKEHATE.COM.AU UNNOTICED EP AVAILABLE IN STORES, ITUNES AND BANDCAMP

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AND

Ep LaUnCh ShOw

UlTrAsOuNd Ep

30 MaY

Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville wWw.kImKiLlSpEeD.cOm

Ultrasound EP Available on iTunes & Spotify

RUBY BOOTS ‘SOLITUDE’

PRESENTS

RAISED BY EAGLES ‘DIAMONDS IN THE BLOODSTREAM’

J O I N T

H E A D L I N E

ALBUM TOUR THURS

M A Y

21 NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB, SYDNEY FRI

22 HOWLER, MELBOURNE FRI

29 BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRISBANE

RUBYBOOTSMUSIC.COM / RAISEDBYEAGLES.COM

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n January 2014, the BRAG caught up with Jake Taylor, the frontman for Byron Bay metalcore outfi t In Hearts Wake. At that time things were moving along wonderfully well for the band. After releasing their debut LP Divination in August 2012, they’d picked up a massive Australian following and made headway in North America.

Plus, the group’s latest single ‘Skydancer’ was perpetuating Divination’s success, and they were one of the only Australian acts invited to join last year’s Soundwave tour.

And yet, one detail seemed slightly off. When questioned about plans for In Hearts Wake’s second album, Taylor had very little to report. Fair enough, we thought – maybe they hadn’t had a chance to knuckle down on songwriting since Divination came out. But given the band’s prevailing good fortune, it seemed imprudent to delay their second record.

Oh, but what fools we were to take Taylor at his word. A mere four months after our conversation, In Hearts Wake rolled out their second LP, Earthwalker. The album’s press release pointed out that it was recorded in late 2013, which meant that Taylor’s vague nonchalance was in fact a wellexecuted ruse.

“I think any dog with a special bone will bury it in a special spot out in the backyard and when it’s time they’ll share it with everyone,”

And boy, did Earthwalker make a potent impact upon release, landing at number fi ve in the ARIA charts and triumphantly surpassing the success of its predecessor. As a consequence, In Hearts Wake started playing bigger headline shows and their overseas profi le expanded greatly, which suggested their next album would be a long way off. But as it turned out, the full details of the band’s white lie were yet to be exposed. At the start of this month – bang on a year since Earthwalker’s unexpected arrival – In Hearts Wake delivered their third LP and Earthwalker companion effort, Skydancer.

The back-to-back releases weren’t just recorded at the same time, but they come together conceptually as well. “I’ve got a knack for always being very ambitious with things,” Taylor says. “Whether or not I pull them off, it’s up to the world to decide.

But it wouldn’t feel fi t to release a record that was just a collection of songs. It really needed a focus, just an anchor point. You go to so much effort with all of this – from interviews to fi lm clips to photo shoots to touring the world – so the concept provided motivation for us to really want to get this done, not just for ourselves but for the world and for our fans.”

Divination was also a concept album, with each track centred on a separate card in the Major Arcana Tarot deck – giving rise to songs such as ‘Departure (Death)’, ‘The Unknown (Strength)’ and ‘Shapeless (Judgement)’. So while In Hearts Wake were eager to capitalise on the success of their debut, the chief concern was with how they would advance artistically.

“There was a need to not just produce a product, but we had music flowing from us,” says Taylor.

“We really wanted to get that down and get it out there. That was the motivation behind getting [these albums] together without taking time off. We were so dedicated to this cause and to really pushing as far as we could. It was a great achievement and it showed us that if we can do that, then who knows what else is possible?”

Indeed, one-upping an album like Divination was always going to be a tough ask, but Taylor’s ambitious streak encouraged him to tackle an even more elaborate concept.

Put simply, Earthwalker is entirely focused around femininity, while Skydancer takes an in-depth look at masculinity. But wait, there’s more: rather than producing two distinct and separate entities, the albums link together to portray the complementary relationship between Mother Earth and Father Sky. “They’re identified as mother and father because they’re two common energies we can all relate to in our lives,” Taylor says. “Everyone has

been created from a mother and father, and that’s why I think in native cultures there’s Mother Earth and Father Sky. Part of respecting those two energies is that you wouldn’t want to inflict pain upon your mother or your father and you therefore gain respect and love for both.”

With these two records, In Hearts Wake have managed to address an exceptionally comprehensive theme while also presenting it in a cohesive manner. This seemingly hair-tearing task was made a little easier by the fact they didn’t need to divert from their regular method of composition.

“We always write for diversity,” says Taylor. “So Ben [Nairne, guitar] won’t write a very melodic song with lots of clean parts and then follow it up with the next song being almost in the same formula. He’ll always change it up and say, ‘I want to write a really ridiculously heavy song right now.’ Obviously, the really heavy, more downbeat, hard, structurally rigid songs would be a lot less unpredictable. That to me would just go into the male category straight away.

“When it came to dividing the two albums, there were a couple of grey area moments, but for the most part I really felt a masculine vibe or a feminine vibe and so did the other guys.”

Now, describing Skydancer as a sequence of songs rooted in masculinity might suggest that it’s a crude display of macho brutality. But while the record does encompass tough themes and dangerous energies, it’s not a flatout primal splattering. “I was looking at [masculinity] more from a worldly perspective, covering racism, war – much broader topics,” says Taylor.

“With that stuff, it’s hard to talk

about it and bring awareness to it without slandering.

“Certain songs sparked certain topics or things in my life that I was wanting to share or speak about lyrically. I didn’t feel like I was looking down a list of topics and going, ‘I’m going to go with that one.’ The song really spoke to me with what needed to be said.”

Similarly, Earthwalker isn’t a clichéd, vulgar exposition of femininity. Curiously enough, Taylor says writing from a feminine perspective posed fewer difficulties.

“They were much more personal topics, subjective stuff, so I could really home in on the things that were close at hand and right here on Earth. I find the personal stuff is easier to really sink my teeth into.”

On the subject of personal relevance, while In Hearts Wake’s double concept album project might sound rather complex and abstract, when it comes to accessibility, these are near-matchless topics.

“You look at any individual and the basis of any of their issues or problems will, 95 per cent of the time, stem from something that has happened in their upbringing – from their parents,” Taylor says.

“That’s what I really wanted to draw attention to with the different energies, and show how different they are. However, in saying that, it’s important to know that in order to make a whole child or to create anything, it has to have a harmony and a balance of both.”

What: Skydancer out now through UNFD With: We Came As Romans, Beartooth, Storm The Sky Where: UNSW Roundhouse When: Saturday May 30

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says a good-humoured Taylor, 12 months down the track from Earthwalker’s release. “It’s OK to tell a white lie when it’s for the greater good of the potency of a message.”

Every Friday in May we’ve got free live acts playing in Liverpool.

BORNEO

& FRIENDS

Come listen to indie band Borneo as they light up the stage in Liverpool.

Friday May 22 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Macquarie Mall

Saturday May 23 2pm

Macquarie St, Liverpool

X-factor contestant

JESSICA JADE & RED ROY

Brought to you by Liverpool City Council.

For the full program visit www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/liveatthemall SERIOUSLY GOOD LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL JAZZ THIS WINTER

616 HARRIS ST ULTIMO

FOUNDRY616 IS THRILLED TO PRESENT JAMES SMITH

“EVERY WOMAN WITH

THURSDAY 28 MAY FROM 7:30PM

SUPPORT: SAM BOWRING

SUPPORT: KATIE BURCH

HOST: MIKEY ROBINS

Enjoy $5 Tooheys New and Hahn Super Dry, house wines and selected spirits.

5pm – midnight. Food till late.

LEVEL 1, 80 PYRMONT STREET, PYRMONT STAR.COM.AU/ROCKLILY

/ROCKLILY.LIVE

The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be over 18. Think! About your choices.

Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au

VIVIAN

SESSOMS SATURDAY 6 JUNE, 8.30PM Check website for full program.

(New York)”

Get ready to hear a vocal powerhouse in the form of Vivian Sessoms.

A show stopping performer on her first Australian tour as a soloist!

www.foundry616.com.au BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 11

Against Me! The Blues Are Still Blue By David James Young

“C

onfessing childhood secrets of dressing up in women’s clothes / Compulsions you never knew the reasons to”. It was this lyric, in the title track of Against Me!’s seminal 2005 LP Searching For A Former Clarity, that many writers and fans recalled when it was revealed three years ago that the band’s lead singer, then known as Tom Gabel, was to spend the rest of his life as a woman called Laura Jane Grace. To many, it was the first case of Grace’s gender dysphoria being explicitly laid out in an Against Me! song. Ten years on, and Grace has taken a time of confusion and distress and reclaimed it through performing songs from that album.

“It was a particularly dysphoric time in my life,” she reflects while packing for tour at her new home in Chicago.

“It’s certainly not the first time that dysphoria was alluded to on an Against Me! record, but for sure it was a time that it was weighing in heavily on the music. It’s really interesting to reflect back on that record now when we’re playing songs from it live. I feel like they’re finally being received in the proper context – it actually makes it a lot of fun to perform them now. Maybe even more than ever before.”

Only Grace and lead guitarist James Bowman remain in the fold of Against Me! from the Former Clarity days. The last few years have seen the punk rockers reinvent in both a figurative and literal sense, cementing a new rhythm section of bassist Inge Johansson and drummer Atom Willard. They released Transgender Dysphoria

Blues, their sixth LP overall, in January 2014 and have not looked back since. It’s a record that, according to Grace, has really taken on a life of its own through extensive touring.

“It’s pretty amazing to have a new album out that people are excited to hear anything off,” she says. “Every song is always welcomed, and I think you know you’re onto something special when that happens. We still enjoy playing these songs – we look forward to them every single night.

We went full steam ahead when the record came out – we toured pretty much all of last year, we toured a bit already this year and we’ve got a lot of touring yet to come. There’s still special things happening every night when we play these songs.”

Since publicly coming out as transgender through a revealing Rolling Stone interview, Grace has spent more time in the public eye than ever before. It’s led her to her own webseries through AOL, True Trans, in which she explores her dysphoria and her transitioning by speaking with transgender people from all walks of life. “I got so much out of it – I got huge, tremendous feelings,” says Grace. “I remain friends and in touch with all of those people – it meant the world to me to have all those conversations. It put things in a great perspective for me. It was reassuring, to put it all in one word.”

Last November also saw Grace being interviewed by veteran broadcaster Larry King on the topic of being transgender in America. Despite King, in his 80s, being someone that you’d

expect to be of a generation less understanding of LGBTQI people, Grace says he was incredibly open and engaged. She also points out that every individual case is different.

“It can be tricky to do it in the context of TV,” she says of explaining trans issues. “A lot of it can get distilled. If you’ve got someone one-on-one, it’s more of a matter of whether they accept it. It’s their personal deal – you can’t place it on their generation or their background. You can take it or leave it.”

Most recently, Grace has been in the media’s attention for an unlikely pairup with pop sensation Miley Cyrus.

As a part of her Happy Hippie Foundation launch, Cyrus enlisted Grace to perform ‘Androgynous’ by The Replacements alongside Joan Jett, as well as to perform an Against

Me! original, ‘True Trans Soul Rebel’.

“All the proceeds are going to youth poverty and homelessness in America,” explains Grace. “It was pretty surreal, I’m not gonna lie. It was so much fun, though – we were connected through friends of friends, and it all worked out really well.”

This month will see Against Me! return to Australia for the first time since the 2013 Big Day Out festival, which was the band’s maiden voyage to our shores after Grace announced her transition. Expanding to several key cities and capitals, the tour will also see American pop-punk band Joyce Manor warming the stage each night – a band Grace and the Against Me! clan have taken quite a shining to.

“You don’t forget being introduced to a band like that,” she laughs. “We

were both playing FYF Fest. After our set, Barry [Johnson, vocals/ guitar] came bounding into our dressing room. He was all smiles, just introducing himself to everyone.

‘Hey! I’m Barry!’ I was immediately charmed by him – it was like, ‘OK, you’re Barry!’ We got to tour together later, which was so much fun, and now we get to do it all again in Australia – and that’s going to be even more fun!”

What: Transgender Dysphoria Blues out now through Total Treble/Resist With: Joyce Manor Where: Metro Theatre / Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle When: Saturday May 30 / Sunday May 31

Dee Dee Bridgewater A Feather In Her Cap By Adam Norris moved by it. It made me feel like I belong.”

From this acceptance has come Dee Dee’s Feathers, a collection of classic jazz favourites steeped in the history of The Big Easy. As it transpires, we’re actually quite lucky to have this record in the first place.

It developed simply as a small project between Bridgewater and Mayfield that was never intended for commercial release, but as soon as the finished product was before them, sending the album off into the world seemed inevitable.

“Well, it was originally conceived to be a CD that would be sold only at the new New Orleans Jazz Market.

Irvin and I have been collaborating for four years now; he’s such an exciting young man, and this was a great way for us to have a business partnership, if you will. To show our musical collaborative efforts. And after we recorded it and listened to the final product, I thought, ‘This is much better than I had anticipated.’

So then my ‘daughtager’ – who is my daughter who is my manager – got in touch with my Sony, who said, ‘Absolutely!’ So that’s how that happened.

A

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be touring Down Under with Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, promoting an album steeped in the soul of her adoptive city, and honouring a community still left reeling ten years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

“What is happening in New Orleans now,” says Bridgewater, her velvet voice entirely bewitching, “is that it’s a type of renaissance city. The people there are very, very proud that the city has come as far as it has in ten years. There are a lot of people who have not and will not

come back. Irvin himself lost his father in Katrina. Just working with him and knowing that is a kind of humbling experience, to see this young man who himself lost so much in Katrina, and who believes so wholeheartedly in this city and wants to do so much for his community. I am a person who feels very strongly about family, about close friends and community, and this here is the birthplace of jazz.

So to come here and work, to be embraced like I have been – not just by the band, but by the city itself – is quite unusual, and I’m very

“I was in a particular space at the time, having had to move cities, get

With a career spanning four decades, and highlights as varied as leaves in a gale, it must be incredibly difficult for Bridgewater to isolate the musical moments that have truly stood out to her. One which is most certain never to fade, however, is her 1989 duet with the late, remarkable Ray Charles.

“Oh, it was so very surreal. To find myself in an actual studio and to have him standing across from me with headphones on, singing. And when Ray says my name in that song, ‘Oh Dee Dee, take your ring…’

I cried. I couldn’t sing and I just started crying. And then he says, ‘What’s the matter, baby girl?’ And we went into the control room, sat down and listened to it, and I thought I sounded like a little girl next to him. And Ray said, ‘I haven’t been inspired by a voice like yours since Betty Carter. Let’s go back in and do the take.’ So we went back in and did the take. So it was quite something.”

What: Dee Dee’s Feathers out now through Sony With: Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Where: City Recital Hall Angel Place When: Saturday June 6

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fter several wrong connections (culminating in the Hotel Harbour Plaza’s pastry chef assuring me, “Dee Dee? Yeah, he’s not in right now, wanna leave him a message?”), when I finally get through to jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater, she is in cheerful spirits and raring to talk.

You’d expect nothing less from a lady who is not only one of the most esteemed names in the business, but also the eponymous host of NPR’s JazzSet With Dee Dee Bridgewater; reserved and hesitant just ain’t on the cards. She will soon

“Then it was kind of trying to chase our own tail, because they wanted it by such-and-such a date, but we’d never intended it to be released; we didn’t have the machinery in place!

So we had to plan a photo shoot, get the graphic artists involved, all of the things that involve giving a finished product to a label. There are always going to be a few errors that slip by.

We forgot to put my label on the outside of the CD. Little things – we don’t have an album listing of who’s playing what, no word of who is doing which solo.” She laughs, and then suddenly drops back into a more serious, reflective tone.

settled in, touring at the same time.

It was crazy. I said to my daughter, ‘I just can’t do this.’ So I’m very pleased with the result, because usually I’m listening, I’m critiquing. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this album. It has this live element to it, this rawness, so it doesn’t sound too polished. All I said to Irvin was that I wanted it to have that real feeling of New Orleans, and I wanted to make sure everyone involved in the project was from New Orleans. And this is what we ended with! I’m really, really proud of it.”

The Drones Ain’t That Just The Way Things Are By Adam Norris

I

t’s been a busy year for Gareth Liddiard. Currently gearing up for their return to the Sydney Opera House in time for Vivid LIVE, The Drones are also in the midst of recording album number seven, in addition to reissuing their entire back catalogue. It’s an impressive feat, but then The Drones are indisputably a hardworking band. Chatting with Liddiard, you come to suspect their work ethic was formed in his early years in Perth, where he worked as a roadie when festivals rolled into town. The truth is somewhat more sketchy.

“I never set out to really do anything or learn anything from that work,” Liddiard remembers, his voice exactly the kind of rumble you would expect. “But I liked it, so that’s what I gravitated towards. I did lighting, roadie work, lugging stuff around. That was ’92 to 2000, when I threw it in to move to Melbourne and try being a musician. But it did mean that I never got weirded out by stages, because I was already standing on them straight out of high school.

Gigs like Big Day Out, working stages in front of these huge crowds. But I never thought anything would ever come from that, and now I just love it. Plus you got to see some awesome bands from the side of stage.

Rollins Band, Beasts Of Bourbon.

It was a good little period of study.”

The Drones’ career has taken on a rather idiosyncratic trajectory, one which seems marked by elements that would generally seem quite stressful: legal dramas, an impressively exhausting touring schedule, the band itself morphing through different members. It sounds energising on paper, almost frantic, but experiencing it all in the fl esh was a different beast altogether.

“To a degree it’s stressful, but then there are different kinds of stress,” says Liddiard. “There’s good stress, like how you can be stuck with the band in a van for 48 hours.

But then there’s other things – internal tensions, all of the grinding touring. But I don’t think we’re exceptional in that case.

Like, everyone gets screwed over when you’re on the road. It’s a strange business, and there’s just no regulation. You can just totally not get paid for a gig, and nothing will ever come of it. People can get away with murder. And yeah, we’ve been treated like shit.

Unless you’ve got heaps of money behind you to just ignore these other people, you just have to swallow it. It’s fucked. I mean, in that case you can always just vandalise property, get your own back.” He bursts out laughing, clearly (probably) joking.

The band is currently celebrating the tenth anniversary of its

“We have to keep working, meet your responsibilities. It’s not the worst thing in the world. We can still do what we want to, but we’re defi nitely not rich. There was some speculation in the past that we were rich, and that’s fucking hilarious. It started when someone saw us buying a bottle of scotch. I mean, we desperately needed scotch, we were off in the wilderness somewhere near this

country town, and the last bottle of scotch they had there was Chivas Regal. So word got around somehow that that meant we were rich. Really we would have just preferred a bottle of 100 Pipers.”

With the band’s appearance at Vivid, audiences can anticipate a swathe of new material in addition to what Liddiard calls “our retrospective angle”. In light of The Drones’ decision to reissue earlier records, it’s safe to say the old songs have featured rather prominently in Liddiard’s life of late. However, he is clearly not a man to dwell overly on the past.

“When I do hear stuff [from the past], I still like it. I mean, we sound how we sound because we want to, you know? I fi nd it odd when you see musicians listening to things they’ve done and they’re all, ‘Turn it off, turn it off!’ I mean, why the fuck would you bother making something you hate? Isn’t the point to make something that

you actually like? I don’t understand. But there are always things you want to fi x. There wouldn’t be any entire song I’d go back and mute. There are verses I’d rejig, fi x the sound here and there.

“A few years ago I heard Lou Reed talking about, does he ever listen to Transformer or Velvet Underground? And he goes, ‘Well, I tried to once, but all I heard were the mistakes.’ I’m kind of like that, but I can’t imagine I’d ever want to go back and erase anything. The most signifi cant thing for me is that we were lucky to have an album come along that allowed us to make a living from just being a band. I can’t imagine doing any other kind of job in that time. It’s been a good ten years.”

Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE 2015 When: Sunday May 24

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“There was some speculation in the past that we were rich, and that’s fucking hilarious. It started when someone saw us buying a bottle of scotch.”

Australian Music Prize-winning sophomore record, Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By. Its harrowing opening number, ‘Shark Fin Blues’, was recognised as the greatest-ever Australian song by a panel assembled by triple j in 2009. The Drones’ history is one brimming with such industry respect and popular accolades, and while they now enjoy the freedom to pursue whatever project takes their fancy, they fi nd themselves still having to keep on their toes.

Glass Ocean Swimming Freely By Augustus Welby was intent on turning a new leaf.

“I was in London in 2012 and I started writing some music there,” he says. “I was like, ‘I want to figure out what I want to say and go from there,’ because I’d spent years in musical limbo once Maze broke up. So long story short, in London I started it, then I came home in 2013 and said to Nic, ‘We’ve got to write some music together.’ Ever since year ten he’s been my best friend and I wouldn’t want to write music with anybody else.”

Judging by the stylistic variety featured on II, Atkins still hasn’t pinned down exactly what he wants to say. “It’s the weirdest EP,” he agrees. “It’s got a Chili Peppers funk track at the end [‘What Plato Said’]; it’s got ‘Ghost’, which is quieter, almost like a Jeff Buckley kind of thing; and then we’ve got ‘Voice Of Fire’, which should be the A Current Affair theme song – we wanted to do mandolin, sevenstring, acoustic guitar, synth, you name it; it’s all on there.

Y

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are eager to establish themselves on the heavier side of the prog rock spectrum. But just one listen to the band’s second EP, II, throws this image way out of whack.

“Our fan base comes from a prog rock/metal kind of background,” says frontman Tobias Atkins. “The first EP had a production style that matched those styles of music, but with this EP I really wanted to do the opposite thing, that didn’t even sound like the first one. It’s

a real throwback to things like old INXS and Crowded House and a lot of my influences – the real Australiana rock feel. I’m not sure how the old fan base is going to take it, but I feel like we’ll get a new market of people who’ll really like it for what it is.”

Atkins started Glass Ocean roughly three years ago, initially as a solo project. He’d previously played guitar in the math metal band Maze, and with Glass Ocean, he

II is actually the first release under the Glass Ocean banner to feature the band’s fleshed out four-piece lineup. In addition to Pettersen, who’s a non-playing,

co-writing member, Atkins is joined by bass player Joshua HaworthWebb, guitarist Curtis Martin and drummer Patrick Smith. In order to distance themselves from the stylistic connotations of last year’s self-titled EP, II was recorded with producer Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, Something With Numbers).

“Lachlan really knows his shit,” says Atkins. “He really puts things in perspective, and he’s the most unsuperficial engineer/person I’ve ever met, so if you don’t capture it when you play it and it doesn’t sound right, then you shouldn’t be there. He makes you play the guitar track all the way through. He really wants to make you work for it. So the whole thing is very honest.”

With: II out now through MGM With: Plini, The Helix Nebula Where: Factory Floor When: Friday May 29

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ou can learn a lot about someone just by looking at who they surround themselves with. The same goes for bands. Over the last 12 months, Sydney’s Glass Ocean have supported the likes of metalcore outfit Dream On Dreamer and instrumental post-rockers Sleepmakeswaves. Plus, all of the band’s songs are co-written by Nic Pettersen, drummer for burgeoning prog metal act Northlane. These connections indicate Glass Ocean

“Rather than overthinking things and being super precise, we wanted to just go on feel and make it a bit looser. And that’s how it turned out – it’s much more organic. It’s a very real representation of what the band can do. This one’s like a blueprint of maybe where we’re going to go next.”

“Rather than overthinking things and being super precise, we wanted to just go on feel and make it a bit looser. And that’s how it turned out.”

The Jungle Giants The Other Kind By Adam Norris

W

e all recognise the concrete jungle. Roads like so many treacherous rivers, stone and glass buildings towering overhead like ancient trees. Monkeys hurling faeces from the windows of passing buses.

Truly, the city has it all. From the byways of Brisbane – a city large but perplexingly empty, like half the population got lost on the way to work – come The Jungle Giants, one of the most exciting and refreshing acts to emerge from the concrete in an age. As singer Sam Hales explains, though, growing up in a quieter city has its advantages.

“I guess there are just way less people in Brisbane,” he says. “My girlfriend lives in Sydney so I’m there all the time, and the thing is, like in Brisbane there are heaps of circles of musicians, but in Sydney they’re all so much further apart. If you’re not in Group A, then you’re never really going to see anyone in Group A. It’s such a big city that everyone kind of parties in their own bar, their own houses. But in Brisbane there are so many different music groups and collectives of bands, but every weekend they all come together.

Someone from Group C will have a party and all the groups get together.

It’s kind of like school camp, except on the weekend everyone ends up partying at the same place.”

“At high school, all the other guys were in the grade below me. I was hanging with Cesira [Aitken, guitar] a little bit. She’d moved to our school when she was in grade ten and didn’t really have any friends, so she’d be the weirdo sitting there playing guitar. We started talking, hung out a little bit. Andrew [Dooris, bass] I already knew because we sang together in choir. But I didn’t know anyone was really interested in a band until later on, when we were in senior year. Andrew and Keelan [Bijker], our drummer, had a band called Fake Tan. Me and Cesira made a band as well with some stupid name, and we all went into a Battle of the Bands together.

Our band and their band fought to the end, and they won,” laughs Hales.

“After school I tried to go to uni, but I failed my audition to study music so they wouldn’t let me in. So I thought, ‘OK, fuck that.’ I deferred, went and got a job. But I had all these songs sitting around and I wanted to do an EP, so I called up Cesira, called Andrew. By the second EP we had Keelan join, and that’s how it happened. That’s our low-down.”

While The Jungle Giants’ eagerly anticipated second album has now been christened, Hales has been primed against revealing the name to unscrupulous music journos. The lead single, ‘Every Kind Of Way’, is a catchy-as-hell spoken-word song that is almost guaranteed to bring even greater acclaim (eased along

by a memorable music video, described by a chuckling Hales as “super, super sexual”). Yet the anxieties of how to follow early success were a concern the band was determined to face head-on.

“We thought a lot about it. I’d heard a lot of people talk about second album syndrome. It’s so subjective.

If we tried really hard we could maybe do the same sort of thing again, but it just wouldn’t feel right.

It wouldn’t have the soul. I was 17 when I wrote Learn To Exist, and I’m 21 now. I’m a different person. So if we did try and write the same album again, it would just be a lie.

“Rhythm kind of became the main subject of this album. Whenever we could make a melodic part a little

more rhythmic, we’d try. We wanted music you could dance to, but also things we hadn’t done before, things we could keep working on. First album was starting somewhere, the second album is picking that up and building, third album will build that momentum again.” He laughs again.

“Pretty sure this is me rambling now.”

Growing stronger gig by gig, The Jungle Giants already have an impressive number of notches on their belt – not least of which was performing at the 2014 Big Day Out. Not only was the performance itself a band highlight, but hanging back in the artist area presented some rather more idiosyncratic memories.

“Big Day Out was really insane. We were playing ping pong in the green

room when Win Butler from Arcade Fire walked over to play after us.

And then Mac Miller walked over and I guess he must have had a really big night because he was just hawking up phlegm everywhere. He was just standing by the table watching, and would just turn his head and start hawking, spitting on the ground. It was such a weird, surreal moment. Playing ping pong, Win Butler waiting his turn, and Mac Miller pretty much throwing up beside us. Oh, and I shook Snoop Dogg’s hand. So far, it’s all been a pretty cool trip.”

With: Moses Gunn Collective, Foreign/National Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday May 23

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“If we tried really hard we could maybe do the same sort of thing again, but it just wouldn’t feel right. It wouldn’t have the soul.”

It is from exactly this kind of community that The Jungle Giants had their genesis in the first place.

Though their members met in high school, it was this culture of proximity and collaboration that proved crucial in developing their 2011 self-titled EP, culminating two years later in Learn To Exist, an album that brought national attention.

Raised By Eagles Ready To Soar By Natalie Rogers Sinclair. His natural manner and selfdeprecating sense of humour make it easy to see why he’s one of the most popular characters on the local circuit.

“The live music scene in Melbourne is really close-knit – all of our mates are musicians, and they just happen to be incredibly talented, so that makes life a little easier,” Sinclair adds.

Mates of the band who also make guest appearances on Diamonds In The Bloodstream include Liz Stringer, Tracy McNeil, Van Walker and Jacqueline Tonks. “There was a lot of love in the studio within the band and for the people who helped us along the way, including our engineer Roger Bergodaz – he’s a very lovable guy,” says Sinclair.

With goodwill in abundance, the singer says that making the band’s second LP felt like a dream run – a far cry from reports that they felt the stress of living up to the success of their 2013 self-titled debut album.

“You know, it’s funny – I read that we felt pressure but I’m not really sure how that made it into any of the other press. What I’ve said was that it was in the back of my mind that I was writing an album that people were going listen to critically. I never really thought anyone cared that much before!” he laughs.

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Diamonds In The Bloodstream, their latest release, you’ll hear raw and gritty Americana brought to life by soulful lyrics – but on a second listen you’ll begin to notice deeply personal tales of hope and loss, made with a lot of TLC.

“All the people involved in the making of this album were, or have become, really close friends. We’ve never been interested in working with people simply because we’ve heard that they’re a crack shot session musician,” explains affable frontman Luke

“If anything, this record was incredibly easy to make – it was the first one that was a struggle. We had this album in the can in five days because we just did live takes. Every song on the album was recorded live – we wanted them to sound like they would at a show. We just overdubbed some

Another notable change is the restrained use of the harmonica – an instrument that featured heavily on Raised By Eagles’ debut. “It was a conscious decision on my part,” Sinclair says. “I’ve played the harmonica for years, but I’ve never felt comfortable with it. It’s just such a tired way to play acoustic or Americana or folk music … We used it well on the first album, but I’m trying to phase it out of our live shows, because to tell you the truth it drives me crazy having that thing around my neck. I don’t want it anymore – I wanna feel free!”

Diamonds In The Bloodstream will be launched at the Newtown Social Club as part of a joint headline show with Perth’s Americana sweetheart Ruby Boots (AKA Bex Chilcott). “I’ve known Bex for a while,” says Sinclair.

“I’ve always been so impressed with her – not only her songwriting, but her delivery and her voice. It’s just one of those voices that sounds like classic country – think Lucinda Williams.

When I listen to her play I just wanna go home, play my guitar and write. It’s always good to be involved with artists that inspire you. I’m looking forward to having a beer with her and her band, now that all the hard work is done.”

With: Diamonds In The Bloodstream out now through SlipRail/Vitamin With: Ruby Boots, Andy Golledge Where: Newtown Social Club When: Thursday May 21

thebrag.com

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M

elbourne’s Raised By Eagles have come into their own in 2015. Up until now, the four seasoned musicians that make up the band have spent years paying their dues on stages around the country. When you first listen to

extra guitars and the backing vocals and it was done.”

Wire That’s No Entertainment By Shaun Cowe

W

ire, the seminal art rock band of the late ’70s who brooded in monochrome press photos and drawled over dirty, distorted guitar riffs onstage, have spent nearly 40 years evolving and reinventing themselves to meet the maturing attitudes of their members.

Now, with the release of a 14th studio album, Wire, frontman Colin Newman contrasts the band’s musical origins with the eponymous new work.

“Wire has always been, in some ways, the genesis or the reaction to punk, rather than being from punk,” says Newman. “It’s simply not wanting to be part of it. It’s not a genre or form of musical expression that excites me very much. It’s mainly dead. It was dead in about fi ve minutes; that was the problem with it. There’s a lot of people that seem to be liking its corpse, but it never excited me very much.”

Hailed as forebears to both post-punk and art rock, Wire’s constantly evolving sound has inspired countless alternative bands over the years, but for Newman, genre is an empty word.

“I don’t know what either of those [genres] really mean, to be quite honest. I think people who make their music to fi t a genre have already made a decision about what they’re going to do before they’ve done it. Why don’t they do it and worry about what it is

afterwards? Or not worry about it at all, just do the thing that you do.”

So when it comes to describing the self-titled new album, with its dreamy, raincoat melodies and dark riffs – a far call from the band’s 1977 debut, Pink Flag – Newman focuses on the textures and inspiration, rather than the niche it fi ts.

“Its roots are in some kind of psychedelic pop in the ’60s; its idealism has always been in that progressive, slightly unhinged edge. But it meets kind of a darker energy as well, which is something a bit more primal. Wire is kind of a mixture of those two things.”

When asked how the band has managed to orient itself while evolving its sound over so many years, Newman says it’s a mix between challenging each other and fi nding good habits. One of these habits, of course, is the twoyear turnaround for albums that Wire hold themselves to.

“We just have different strategies for doing things – we just fi nd a different way of doing them or just refi ne the methods that we have.

There’s different ways of doing it and one of those is pressure, actually,” says Newman. “If you tour during the album year, it means you don’t have a lot of space to do much else. So that provides a kind of pressure and

Inevitably, being an art-driven band means delving into each member’s creativity to fi nd new inspiration. However, Wire must walk a fi ne line between exploration and familiarity.

Newman admits that focusing on new material occasionally risks alienating fans, but it’s inevitable nonetheless.

“The whole concept of ‘Wire’s Greatest Hits’ is absurd, because we never had any hits. All the ‘hits’ are emotional. If you talked to 50 Wire fans and asked them to give 20 songs of their favourite ones, they’d all come with a different answer. You’d never get any agreement on what the hits were in the first place. Some people are outraged because they think a

particular song, because it’s their personal favourite, that that’s what everyone else thinks, but it doesn’t quite work like that. The most important thing is, when you play a gig, that you play with some kind of conviction and you play stuff you want to play. Otherwise, that’s just entertainment and that’s not what we do.”

The latest album marks the first time guitarist Matthew Simms has contributed signifi cantly to recording. Understandably, it begs the question of whether Simms has altered Wire’s creative process. However, Newman sees Simms’ role as more of an augmentation than a mutation.

“We divide writing up into two types of thing: there’s the song and the melody, and the way the actual song is constructed; and the text, which is how songs are usually constructed. In Wire we have another element to that, which is the music, which is what the band does. That music is made by four

individuals and Matt is very much a contributing person to that. It’s about taking a piece which is, as it were, formed by the lengths but which is still very much a skeleton, and then the band brings that to life. In that way, I think he helps us go in a direction we were going in already.”

Finally, with Wire celebrating their 40th anniversary next year and Newman in his sexagenarian years, he contemplates on the future of the group and whether he can ever foresee a time when Wire might call it a day.

“I don’t think so. I think if it stopped being any good or stopped being able to be done, for whatever reason, then I would just walk away from it. But at the moment everybody seems motivated towards making this work and I think we have a unique little moment to do something.”

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“I think people who make their music to fi t a genre have already made a decision about what they’re going to do before they’ve done it.”

it works you a bit harder. I think that spending fi ve or six years between albums, you’d lose the will to live. If you’re in the fl ow of it, you might as well just keep in the fl ow and allow it to go where it goes.”

What: Wire out now through Popfrenzy/Caroline

Surfer Blood Many Hands By Natalie Rogers “Making a record is not some big secret that only special or elite people know how to do,” says Pitts.

“For us it’s always been a matter of trial and error – figuring out what works by experimenting. The four of us spent a lot of time goofing off or just sitting around riffing on an idea.

The trick is to record everything and always be nice to people, because you never know when you might need to call in a favour.”

Pitts recalls relying on the kindness of friends and family during the making of 1000 Palms. “We recorded most of this album in an attic that was on top of a doctor’s studio and we also took over our drummer Tyler [Schwarz]’s parents’ house while they were out of town.

We felt totally in control, but at the same time we felt really free.”

Lead single ‘I Can’t Explain’ showcases Surfer Blood’s adventurous side and comes coupled with a quirky video clip filmed at a nightclub in their hometown of West Palm Beach on the US East Coast.

thebrag.com

1000 Palms, Surfer Blood’s third LP, dropped earlier this month – and for Pitts it wasn’t a moment too soon. “For me, this is a very personal record. We made it over the course of a few months and have been waiting very patiently for it to come out. I guess we felt like we had something to prove.”

After a disappointing experience with Warner Bros. Records during the making of 2013’s Pythons, it seemed like the only way forward for Surfer Blood was to go back to their roots and lose themselves in the DIY ethos they’d adopted back when they were first starting out.

“Anyway, we were so happy that a lot of our friends showed up and dressed the part. We ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, but it was so much fun and we’re exceedingly grateful to everyone who helped us out with the making of it.”

Conspicuously absent from the clip is lead guitarist Thomas Fekete.

He’s been part of Surfer Blood from the beginning, and while he appears on 1000 Palms, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (sarcoma) a few months ago, in recent weeks he was told that it had spread to his lungs and spine, leaving him unfit to tour or promote the album. Unable to make a living and with medical bills piling up, Fekete and Surfer Blood have turned to crowdfunding website GoFundMe for help.

“Unfortunately Thomas’ condition has become more complicated now, so we had to do something,” Pitts explains. “People have been so generous and super helpful. We put on a benefit show in New York City recently and all the bands played for free – everyone has been unbelievable.”

What: 1000 Palms out now through Joyful Noise/Spunk

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“I

was dripping sweat today,” laughs Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts, or JP for short. “Releasing a new album is always very nerveracking for us. I get butterfl ies and sometimes I forget to breathe, then my voice breaks like a teenager.”

“We shot the clip at a nightclub in Florida that we’ve all been going to since we were kids. Since we were too young to get in there, we were very sneaky – we were bad kids, we should not have been doing that. But all these years later, I think we’re doing OK.

“The trick is to record everything and always be nice to people, because you never know when you might need to call in a favour.”

arts in focus arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Meggan Turner and Ayla Dhyani

five minutes WITH

The Merchant Of Venice

T

Did you grow up on Shakespeare? What are your earliest memories of engaging with his plays?

By a stroke of luck I decided to change schools at 15 and go to

Barker College, where Damien Ryan (SFJ’s artistic director) was a drama teacher at the time.

He directed me in a little piece from Measure For Measure for a Shakespeare competition. I remember being so inspired by the way Shakespeare explored women and the incredible language he gives them. I remember standing on the stage as Isabella and feeling so empowered by his words and feeling like I had something to say.

You’re working with director Richard Cottrell, a huge name in theatremaking. How has the experience been so far?

Richard has a wealth of experience and has been instrumental in the careers of Ian McKellan, Judi Dench and Daniel Day Lewis. He’s a very strong director and doesn’t beat around the bush when he

The Sopranos and Mad Men are quite often considered to be among the greatest television series to grace our screens in recent times. One of the things they have in common is Matthew Weiner, a television veteran and multi-Emmywinning writer. The master storyteller is heading to Vivid Ideas to answer all your burning questions and perhaps even offer some insight into the process behind creating his iconic characters and their dramatic storylines. Sydney playwright and actor Kate Mulvany will lead the talk.

thinks you’re not doing a good job!

But he’s got a big heart and he never gives up on you. We’ve all got a lot out of working with him.

What are the biggest challenges around your role as Portia?

The biggest challenge for me is reconciling who she is in the first half of the play with who she becomes. Why would a woman who has the chutzpah to pretend to be a man, fight in court and win the day, be OK with having the decision of who she marries being taken out of her hands and decided by a ‘lottery’ of three caskets?! Also, she’s a little bit racist. A very unconventional heroine!

What: The Merchant Of Venice Where: Seymour Centre When: Until Saturday May 30

HERE’S AUNTY DONNA

Weiner will be speaking on Sunday May 31 at the Sydney Town Hall. We’ve got two double passes to give away to the event. To be in the hat, click to thebrag. com/freeshit.

Aunty Donna photo by Raphael Recht

Aunty Donna

GAME-CHANGERS: MATTHEW WEINER

Love And Information

Critically acclaimed comedians Aunty Donna are bringing their show to Sydney in June. After selling out their season at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the trio are ready to wow Sydney audiences with their unique brand of absurdist comedy. Mark Samuel Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane make up the Aunty Donnas, and their loud and hilarious show has received enormous praise. Their YouTube channel has racked up over 5.5 million views, so you know these guys are good. Aunty Donna will be performing at Giant Dwarf from Thursday June 25 – Saturday June 27.

ROOM FOR RENT

When Rent opened off Broadway in 1996, it didn’t take long to become a global phenomenon.

Now, Jonathon Larson’s iconic musical is coming to Sydney. The story follows a year in the lives of young aspiring artists living in New York City’s East Village. Their lives and happiness are greatly affected by sex, drugs, and the overriding shadow of HIV/AIDS. Hayes Theatre Co will provide the perfect intimate setting for the performance. Holding only 111 seats, audience members will be drawn in to the complexities of

the relationships portrayed onstage, and will be forced to empathise with the traumatic situations the characters often find themselves in. Rent will play at Hayes Theatre Co from Thursday October 8 – Sunday November 1.

A GAME OF DRONES

Intel Australia is offering visitors to the Sydney CBD a chance to step into the role of the Mother of Dragons for the first time, with the opportunity to take control of the future leaders of the sky in a remote-controlled skyward bumper race. In a

Vivid Sydney first, a specially designed ‘Game Of Drones’ drone enclosure is to be set up in Martin Place, providing a perfect platform to engage the public in the growing advancement of technology. Martin Place will also be hosting Transcendence, a grand structure by UK artist Joe Crossley, that showcases interactive technology at a whole new level with advanced gesture control, augmented reality and immersive chat. The exhibition will be held at Martin Place from Friday May 22 – Monday June 8 as part of Vivid Sydney.

Anh Do

YOLO by Zan Wimberly

YOLO? OH NO

THE HAPPIEST REFUGEE

Beloved comedian Anh Do is bringing his latest show, The Happiest Refugee, to Sydney in June. The show combines humour, real life stories, photos and film to recreate Do’s story onstage. Do arrived in Australia by boat 25 years ago, along with 47 other Vietnamese refugees. His story is touching, inspiring and told with a sense of humour. His struggles as a young refugee paint an incredibly relevant picture of the issues Australia currently faces. Do’s ability to overcome the unthinkable and still smile and make people laugh are a testament to his strength and resilience. You can catch Anh Do at The Star Event Centre on Friday June 19 and again at The Concourse on Saturday June 20.

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Artereal is set to showcase two new exhibitions of local artwork, including a solo project with emerging Sydneybased artist, Sam Holt, and a group collective piece entitled #YOLO. Up-and-coming artist Holt will be presenting an all-new solo exhibition, Present Future, which highlights his personal emotive expression and explores the landscape of the mind.

Along with Holt’s exhibition, Artereal also brings us #YOLO, a group exhibition that explores the complexities of life, death and time, and challenges different interpretations of that ubiquitous phrase, ‘You Only Live Once’. #YOLO features artwork from Ben Ali Ong, Shoufay Derz, Stevie Fieldsend, Hyun-Hee Lee, Anne MacDonald and Zan Wimberley. #YOLO and Present Future will open at Artereal Gallery in Rozelle on Wednesday June 3 and continue until Saturday June 27.

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he Merchant Of Venice opens Sport For Jove’s first season in residence at the Seymour Centre. How exciting is it to be part of a new era?

It certainly is exciting! I’ve been a part of SFJ since the very beginning, six years ago. I remember opening our first-ever show A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Baulkham Hills Rose Garden and worrying that no-one would turn up! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would be a resident company for such a great theatre space like the Seymour Centre.

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

Matthew Weiner

LIZZIE SCHEBESTA FROM THE MERCHANT OF VENICE What makes The Merchant Of Venice such an important Shakespearean text?

I find Merchant a very challenging and controversial play. Its moral centre is ambiguous and there are a few characters (Portia, Shylock, Antonio) competing for the audience’s sympathies. It deals with heavy themes of race, discrimination and the power of money, yet is wrapped up in a comedy. It’s a play that can have a powerfully negative influence when in the wrong hands (it was used by Hitler as a form of propaganda) and an effective one when in the right hands.

free stuff

LOVE AND INFORMATION

Caryl Churchill’s Love And Information features more than 100 characters portrayed by eight actors.

Between them, the characters provide a broad insight on contemporary life, highlighting the diversity of the human existence. Love And Information illustrates the importance of human connection, showing that even a child who cannot feel pain and a scientist who dissects brains for a living can have something in common. Directed

by Kip Williams, the collaborative Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre production of Love And Information will play at STC’s Wharf 1 Theatre from Tuesday July 9 – Saturday August 15.

SMARTFONE FLICK FEST

Australia’s only smartphone film festival, the SmartFone Flick Fest, is set to make its debut this year. It provides a platform for filmmakers of any experience level to have their work showcased and exposed to a global community without having to make a significant dent in their wallets. There aren’t many rules for submissions – your entry just needs to be no longer than six-and-a-half minutes and shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet. The top ten films will be selected to show at a Gala Finals Screening in August and judged by a panel of film industry experts, including Jason van Genderen and Anthony Montes. Entries close on Sunday August 16 and the Finals Screening will take place on Friday August 28 at Palace Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. For more information and to submit your film, head to sf3.com.au. thebrag.com

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Mad Max: Fury Road [FILM] Shiny And Chrome By David Molloy

T

he madness of Max Rockatansky’s world is not unfamiliar to Hugh KeaysByrne; after all, this isn’t his first time facing off against the Road Warrior. It’s been 36 years since Toecutter ate bitumen, and yet Keays-Byrne has returned to the scorched landscape of postapocalyptic Australia in Mad Max: Fury Road. This time he portrays Immortan Joe, the dictatorial yin to Max’s yang.

“He’s not just a dictator, he’s a rebuilder,” Keays-Byrne is quick to assert. “He’s a Renaissance man; he’s trying to bring back a lot of beauty and culture to the world which has disintegrated around him. He’s trying to look after people – he has an outreach program, he goes out into the desert collecting boys and children and ‘blood bags’, and Mad Max [Tom Hardy] is a blood bag that escapes with a traitor.”

Max’s partnering with the ‘traitor’ Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives the narrative of Fury Road as the

Immortan and his War Boys pursue them through the desert in one explosive set piece after another.

“It was bliss,” Keays-Byrne croons in his urbane British accent. “It was bliss on wheels. It was like winning everything at once.”

Key to Keays-Byrne’s return to the Mad Max franchise was the actor’s relationship with director and creative mastermind George Miller.

“Basically, we haven’t changed other than that we’ve aged 37 years,” he says. “We both think the same and George is a very open and interested director. He’s got a very broad intellect.”

Where the years have shown themselves is in the evolution of the industry and Miller’s own talents as a filmmaker. With its elaborate design and stunning, colourdrenched cinematography, the look and feel of Fury Road is a far cry from the series’ origins.

“It was George’s first and none of us had done a lot of stuff,” KeaysByrne admits. “It was very scrubby;

everyone shared rooms and we drove the bikes to work. On this [film] we’ve got the most modern equipment on the planet and a huge budget and a wonderful location, [but] it still had the same sense of darkness running through it, it still had the same sense of adventure, it still had the same vein of madness.”

A realisation dawns on him. “I think that must be in George Miller’s head as the actual creator of Mad Max, you know what I mean?” he laughs.

It seems apt given Miller’s choice of shooting location – a crew of hundreds took to Swakopmund on Namibia’s west coast to achieve his vision. “An extraordinary country,” Keays-Byrne says. “It can’t not affect you – it’s a very important part of the film.”

Equally vital was the relationships between the performers – so much so that Keays-Byrne would stage rallies with performer iOTA and the Immortan’s War Boys during rehearsal.

Game | On

Mad Max: Fury Road “They’re amazingly physically adept people, all of them. The Immortan is a god, and it’s only by [the War Boys] believing that that makes it true. I can’t be scarier than them, they make me scary.”

and of its relevance to today. “You can go to various parts of the world and it’s actually happening! There are warlords crashing about the hills and they’re chasing people, all of that’s happening,” he says.

Keays-Byrne is equally complimentary of the “very powerful” performances of his colleagues, particularly his female co-stars.

“They’re spectacular, aren’t they?

The most beautiful women in the world!” he laughs. “A joy to behold.”

He is careful, however, not to prescribe too much onto the film.

“Like a good poem, it’s not really defined, is it – what people get from it.”

His pride is clear when he speaks of how Fury Road has come together,

What: Mad Max: Fury Road (dir.

George Miller) Where: In cinemas now

Renae Smith

[GAMING] The Interactive Age By Tegan Jones

T

his year’s edition of Vivid Sydney will be playing host to local and international online stars as part of Game | On, a three-day event set to take place at Australian Technology Park. The program will involve a variety of panels, workshops and performances from industry professionals such as the Smosh Games team. Despite the name, however, Game | On is by no means exclusive to the realm of gaming.

random additions from the beauty, food and music sectors.

“The audience that we’re appealing to is anyone who is online,” says Game | On spokesperson (and former MasterChef finalist) Renae Smith.

“We have some world class Minecraft players, which is appealing to kids, but at the same time we have industry people who are talking about how to make games, musical performances, and cosplay demonstrations.”

She continues, “There will be presentations by people who have successfully built their presence online. There’s also going to be keynote addresses where these people will explain what they’ve done, how they did it and how they succeeded. So there’s that educational side of the event as well as the fun side.”

The speaker and workshop programs in particular promise a heavy focus on gaming as a business and how to break into the industry. However, there is also a large variety of seemingly

Game | On claims to be the first event of its kind in Australia, so where did the inspiration come from? “[Managing director] Blake Harris went to VidCon in America and he called

“I’m not a gamer or into any of that sort of stuff – I’m a cook and do PR so you would think there wouldn’t be anything there for me, but there’s cooking demonstrations, how to do correct filming and how to get an online audience. We’re really targeting anybody who goes online, who we believe is basically anybody.”

me from there sounding so excited,” laughs Smith. “When he came back we looked at events that could be supporting these creative industries and there wasn’t much like that in Australia. We thought that online culture is something that’s booming and there’s nothing here that really celebrates that, so we decided to create the event.”

With the existence of conventions such as PAX Australia and EB Expo that already celebrate gaming culture and tap into the same audience, it’s interesting to discover what made Vivid stand out as the host for Game | On. “I think Vivid is very creative and we went with them because we really thought it tied into the celebration of ideas,” says Smith. “We have speakers and people talking about how to be successful, how to be creative and how to stand out. We really think that ties in with the online part of what we do – whether it’s creating games, videos or getting an audience.”

But is it all about learning how to get an industry job or become internet-famous? The name of the event promises gaming, despite the abundance of non-gamer guests.

“There are gaming corners for the hardcore gamers, but then there’s really casual stuff as well for the general public. There’s going to be sections where people can challenge each other with the newest games and there will even be some exclusive releases at the event. There will also be green screens

that you’ll be able to play around with, the Oculus Rift, which are the glasses you put on for 3D games and motion capture displays. We also have the indie developers set up in a hub where they can talk to you about their games.

You can really learn from the hands-on side of it.”

Where: Australian Technology Park When: Friday May 22 – Sunday May 24

David Mitchell [LITERATURE] Voices In The Choir By Adam Norris be character-led. Sometimes a character will start acting out of character, which actually modifies your view of what the character is. It changes the borders of the character, and it’s good when that happens.

Other times the narrative will sit on top. You might have an idea you think is just great, and in order to get that in, you work on making a character a lot different. It depends on … a hunch, on instinct. Both these things are compulsive forces. Both are behind the reasons you can’t put books down, are what give momentum. Style and theme tend to be the brakes, while character and plot are the accelerator.”

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the allure is not simply the strength of his story, but his ability to instil even the most unremarkable of moments with almost metaphysical potential – a trait that requires not just imagination, but craft.

“Maybe narrative is a balance of plot and character,” Mitchell reflects.

“Sometimes, your development will

“I would wish to nurture a multiplicity of styles and a multiplicity of voices. I know I’ll fail. I am just one person and we are finite beings. We are defined by that. We would not be a person if we didn’t have beginnings and ends, with borders discrete. That limited discreteness is what allows us to imagine someone else’s skin, to imagine that multiplicity of

styles. For me, it’s the key to literary longevity, I suppose. The alternative is to keep rewriting Cloud Atlas until no-one wants to publish me anymore. I need that omnivoracity of style in all my books, which is why you should be voracious in your reading.”

Before reluctantly allowing Mitchell to get back to his own life, the fan in me needs to know what his future holds beyond the publication of Slade House in October.

“I know what my next four novels are probably going to be. At the speed I write that will take me into my 60s, which is a really sobering thought. Really sobering. Life is short,” Mitchell chuckles, “and you only get so much use out of it.”

What: David Mitchell: Bending Time as part of Sydney Writers’ Festival 2015 Where: City Recital Hall Angel Place When: Friday May 22

thebrag.com

David Mitchell photo by Paul Stuart

C

harting the course of our days is an inexact science. The mercurial nature of life and experience seems a gestalt theme for twice Man Booker-nominated author, David Mitchell, whose novels tend to suggest history is formed by many overlapping stories stitched curiously together. I am unabashedly a tremendous fan of his work, and

The notion of borders – where they lie, how readily they might be breached – is a recurrent concern not only in Mitchell’s writing, but in this very conversation. The unexpected intersection of lives is a fundamental tool of writing, but rarely has such transgression been so riddled with potential and peril – most notably, perhaps, in his latest novel, The Bone Clocks. The trick, as it were, is voices – not simply those on the page, but within the author himself.

“Write until you fi nd your voice, that’s true,” Mitchell says. “Write what you know, and then write what you don’t know. But once you fi nd your voice, well, which voice?

You have any number of different voices. Our minds are plural; we are not singular things. We are a multitude of different people in the course of a single day. All of these different selves have different voices, and if you’re only writing with one voice, well, what happens when you’re writing a character who isn’t at all like another character? If you applied that principle even mildly, everyone in your book would sound the same, and as we know people speak vastly differently.

Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town Xxxx

■ Theatre

The Wizard Of Oz

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Dorothy enters a stark, concrete set from a Perspex box in the corner of the stage to find a dead witch. Stealing her ruby shoes, she then encounters the three main characters. Scarecrow (Melita Jurisic) is a woman tied by her wrists, crazed and losing her mind. Tin Man (Jane Montgomery Griffiths) gives a haunting monologue of heartbreak from a crackling speaker attached to her chest, while Lion (Paul Capsis) needs help finding her voice, before singing Judy Garland’s ‘I’m Always Chasing Rainbows’. From here, the narrative skews across broad stokes of conceptual ideas, with no real linearity or purpose.

The play has little to no dialogue; instead using movement, sound and lighting to tell its story. This reconstruction uses the original myth to explore femininity from a range of viewpoints, with Dorothy on her journey to womanhood. She discovers her friends as oppressed women, all victims of constructs needing to be set free. Oz is their oppressor, while the (only) Witch ■ Theatre

SHIVERED Playing at PACT Theatre until Saturday May 30 British in-yer-face darling Philip Ridley tends to attract the best and the worst in young theatremakers. His violent, provocative plays cater to those who see straight to the emotional complexities at their core, as well as those merely seeking notoriety. There are definitely moments of the latter in Mad March Hare Theatre Company’s production, but director Claudia Barrie’s focus on social dynamics makes exploring the belly of this beast an enticing proposition.

Two young boys pick through the trash in search of monsters in an abandoned British car factory. Elsewhere in the building, an older couple engages in a torrid affair. As the timeline shifts and changes, two families are thrust together and torn apart from the inside by the changing landscape of their hometown, Draylingstowe, and a distant war that has claimed one of their own.

The pace of revelation within the text is alarming – around every corner is a new and darker secret – but the simplicity of Benjamin Brockman’s set and the clarity of the text keep the production focused.

Harsh, solid colour palettes dominate and accentuate the many shifts back and forth through history, and dictate the tone of each sequence.

Mad Max: Fury Road

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Playing at Belvoir St Theatre until Sunday May 31 We’re all aware of the folklore and mythology of The Wizard Of Oz – however, this production doesn’t exactly offer what it says on the tin. Director Adena Jacobs presents a dark and twisted world of grotesque characters, drenched in symbolism.

■ Film

(Luisa Hastings Edge) is a sexual and ambitious woman rather than an evil hunter.

The production values are rather high here, with Ralph Myers’ dark and minimalist set, while sound and lighting design by Max Lyandvert and Emma Valente respectively draws the audience into a visceral and almost edge-of-seat experience. The performances by the whole cast are equally grotesque and graceful simultaneously, using movement to convey multiple meanings.

When all elements work together, it’s a heightened experience, but even at a short 70 minutes, some parts become extremely slow and clunky. I’m still not sure what I saw, and what it all meant, or even if it was good, but it’s a memorable and symbolic exploration into a classic that seems fit for the 21st century mindset.

Julian Ramundi Barrie has assembled an excellent cast, and with the exception of a few, their accent work is exemplary. (Why accurate accents, or indeed such an emphatically British play, are relevant to the Australian stage is another question.) Best mates Ryan (Josh Anderson) and Jack (Liam Nunan) are the quintessential Ridley brothers – at once cruel and incredibly tender, and both extraordinarily passionate performers. The arcs of grieving mother Lyn (Libby Fleming), opportunistic carnie Gordy (Andrew Johnston) and the morally disgusting but captivating Evie (Rhonda Doyle) are infused with life and pathos. Joseph Del Re’s Alec is cut of a different cloth, and too furious to truly connect with, though he affects PTSD admirably.

In cinemas now Oh, what a day, what a lovely day! 36 years after the vengeful copper first took to the deserted roads of Victoria’s post-apocalypse, Mad Max is finally back on our screens. It may have languished in production purgatory for nearly ten years, but Mad Max: Fury Road has an undeniable force and style that draw attention from its surprisingly flawed construction.

The titular Max (Tom Hardy) is a broken man, having seen too much of the world after the fall.

Exhausted, he’s picked up from the wasteland by a cult of warriors to be used as a ‘blood pack’, but ends up being dragged into the escape plot of Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a soldier desperately trying to rescue five women from their captor, the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh KeaysByrne).

True to its name, Fury Road is a testament to madness – everything from the costumes, to the locations, to the car chase set pieces that make up two-thirds of the film is genuinely insane. In particular, iOTA’s performance as the craziest one-man marching

band you’ll ever see can’t be missed. It’s physically impossible not to be dragged into the excitement of the action. Safety supervisor Sean Rigby must have had his work cut out for him, as there’s very little CGI to pad the action: one of George Miller’s great achievements in this film is his reliance on live stunts and effects.

A good thing, really, as it seems that the postproduction process is where the wheels came off this beast. Continuity errors across the film are noticeable and distracting, but when it comes to vocals, the film really bares its scars.

The ADR is terrible across the board, with voices often out of sync or just performed without conviction. There’s a bitter irony to seeing Immortan Joe’s horse-teeth mask plague his otherwise intimidating performance,

considering that co-star Hardy’s role as Bane suffered from the same.

While the editing in the action scenes is stellar, it feels stilted when applied to Max’s flashback sequences.

Max is hardly the focus, however. One of Fury Road’s greatest assets is its surprisingly feminist tone, the core of which is Theron’s powerful central performance. She is the true star of the film and her female co-stars clearly look to her with admiration.

There’s also an assured performance from Nicholas Hoult as Nux, who looks wilder than ever.

Fury Road, like its characters, is broken, but its energy cannot be suppressed. Witness it.

David Molloy

There are scenes within that fall entirely flat, partly owing to the immaturity of the language when played to offend, and scenes where expectations established in the first half rob the second half of their gravity. But this is an impactful experience, grounded in a deep cynicism; one in which hope is as alien as the mysterious lights that float over the wastes of Draylingstowe.

If you can pierce the enveloping darkness, there’s bleak humour and true warmth to be found at the heart of this long and painful journey.

David Molloy

See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

Vivid Sydney Game Zone at Pyrmont and The Star Pyrmont and The Star, Friday May 22 – Monday June 8 Vivid Sydney will be extending its light displays this year into the city’s biggest casino and entertainment destination, The Star, and Australia’s most densely populated suburb, Pyrmont. The area will transform into a vibrant hub of creativity, offering audiences the chance to participate in an interactive digital fireworks display ay Pyrmont Bay Park and to wind down afterwards in the Vivid Lounge at The Star.

The fig-lined Murray Street will also see a ‘Wonderland’style makeover, and is set to be your connection to Darling Harbour. If you’re more into performing, you’ll be covered with the Face Off karaoke experience, which will see the lucky participants’ performances being projected onto an exterior wall of The Star Event Centre.

For more details on the festivities, visit thestar.com.au. thebrag.com

BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 19

Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK FAITH NO MORE Sol Invictus Reclamation/Ipecac

Between this album and Faith No More’s last (the confusingly titled Album Of The Year), 18 years have transpired. That’s most of my life, and it makes me feel pretty small.

The heavyweight champions of alternative rock return with a knockout blow.

SNOOP DOGG

Faith No More, though, are known for their experimental vivre. In the past, the band has gifted the world songs infl uenced by trip hop, jazz, rap and grunge – and let’s not forget that cover of that Commodores song. In other words, they’re not here for the small things.

That outward experimentation doesn’t really exist on Sol Invictus – although ‘Black Friday’ pulls a lot from Ipecac stablemates, Italian countrysomethings Guano Padano – but the band’s single-minded, determined method of doing things its own own way (with an alternative rock foundation) is still very much in place.

Before settling down to write Sol Invictus, Faith No More spent a few years on a reunion tour. A lot of the cobwebs would have been swept away then, and it shows on this album. There are parts now and again where WD-40 could have come in use, but for the most part the ageless rockers retain the sheen, belying the fact that it’s been almost a generation since their last originals.

means ‘unconquered sun’. I don’t have the room to really extrapolate on that poetry, so I’m just going to say it’s pretty bloody accurate.

When translated from Latin, the album’s name

Nicholas Hartman

PAUL WELLER

AS WE DRIFT APART

RAISED BY EAGLES

ZAC BROWN BAND

Saturns Pattern Parlophone/Warner

Dan Cribb & The Isolated Pee Records

Diamonds In The Bloodstream SlipRail/Vitamin

Jekyll + Hyde Big Machine/Universal

Forgive the painfully obvious pun, but Calvin ‘Snoop Dogg’ Broadus is evergreen. At this stage in his career, he’s equally as celebrated by elder hip hop heads as he is by kids who weren’t even born when the seminal Doggystyle came into the world. He can do as many trashy pop cameos and shitty movies as he likes – everyone’s got time for Uncle Snoop.

Since 2008’s 22 Dreams, Paul Weller has steered his sound away from the dad rock plod that plagued most of his albums in the early noughties.

Instead, the former Jam and Style Council frontman has embraced a more diverse range of styles and approaches. Saturns Pattern, Weller’s 12th solo effort, is the fourth album into this new phase of sonic adventure.

Earlier in the year, Perth muso Dan Cribb announced his departure from punk act The Decline. Focusing on more singer-songwriter-type material, he has assembled a backing band and released As We Drift Apart into the world.

Raised By Eagles aren’t new kids on the block – each member of the fourpiece has spent years honing their craft playing in noisy pubs and clubs around Melbourne’s CBD – and this experience shows up in spades on the eight exquisitely crafted tracks that make up their second LP, Diamonds In The Bloodstream.

For someone who had enough confidence to literally name a band after himself, Zac Brown is going through a major identity crisis on Zac Brown Band’s fourth studio album.

Bush, Snoop’s 13th studio album, is helmed by hit machine and recent defendant Pharrell Williams. It’s ten years removed from their last major collaboration, the worldwide smash of ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, and there’s something to be said about not retreading common ground. Rather, the pair have gone for a hugely melodic, windows-down California cruise, replete with state-oriented love letters (‘California Roll’) and elegantly wasted urban pop (‘Peaches N Cream’, ‘So Many Pros’). If the Doggfather’s last LP, Reincarnated, was guilty of anything, it was taking itself a little too seriously. Bush won’t have any similar issues.

The album starts off with the thunderous ‘White Sky’, a collaboration with production duo The Amorphous Androgynous. The title track follows, taking the tone down to a languid summery saunter.

Bush Doggystyle/Sony

It’s not a reinvention of the wheel by any means. It is, however, a slick customisation that allows for the rims to continue spinning long after the car has stopped.

Does it serve any greater functionality? Of course not – it’s not supposed to, dummy.

David James Young

‘Going My Way’ starts out as a ballad but soon reveals itself to be far more complex, bringing together three distinct movements for an end result that has an early ’70s McCartneyesque feel to it. Anchored by a steadfast groove over which vocals and instrumental flourishes come in and out of view, ‘Pick It Up’ gradually builds to a symphonic climax. At nearly six minutes, ‘Phoenix’ is an epic psychedelic soul workout.

Few artists at Weller’s age (56) or older – or younger, for that matter – make albums as vibrant and unfettered as Saturns Pattern. It’s not just another run through the motions by a heritage artist – it’s something far more rewarding.

Michael Hartt

Comparing this release to his last uncovers a massive graduation in sound. Whereas his debut EP The Memories Last relied on acousticdriven tracks and more intimate instrumentation, As We Drift Apart sees Cribb take full advantage of his backing band, turning these songs into full-on ’90s punk rock tunes.

The personal touch is lost in the translation, but the melodies are still there and perhaps even brought to fruition. The album is reminiscent of punk bands who are focused on melody, such as Lagwagon, Alkaline Trio and Blink-182.

Cribb’s vocals are definitely the highlight – they have a tone that conveys energy and emotion, especially on songs such as ‘Fall Apart’. When he sings, “I know I can see it’s not easy / It’s killing you / It’s killing me,” the conviction is clear.

Kisschasy frontman Darren Cordeux lends his voice to ‘Let’s Move To New York’, one of the album’s shining moments.

Cribb has taken the sound on his debut EP to the next level, making everything bigger in the process.

Spencer Scott

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK We All Want To are made up of stalwarts of the Brisbane music scene, with the unmistakable voice of Tim Steward leading the way. The former Screamfeeder frontman is well versed in the power of crunchy guitars and memorable melodies, and these are again his stock in trade for the band’s third album, The Haze.

WE ALL WANT TO The Haze MGM

20 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

The songs on The Haze are shorter and more direct than previous We All Want To albums, with a tune such as ‘Everybody’s Damaged’ being a study in simplicity while ‘Young Love’ has all the verve and punch that should be plastered all over the airwaves.

Steward has always been a great proponent of a memorable chorus

with boy/girl vocals and ‘Road To Ruin’ is no exception. It’s not all a case of running things at breakneck speed, though, with Skye Staniford taking over vocal duties for ‘Remove The Arrow’ to deliver a smouldering beast.

‘Falling Through’ sets the pace and tone of the record. While you could be forgiven for thinking that you’d unearthed a long-lost Dire Straits recording upon listening to the first few bars, lead vocalist Luke Sinclair’s distinctive style kicks in towards the chorus and commands your attention – and manages to hold it for the album’s entirety.

Throughout, Sinclair’s natural talent for storytelling is once again on display.

‘Jackie’ captures a moment in time when innocence is lost and love leads to heartache. The mood takes a haunting turn on ‘Waterlines’ thanks to the dual songwriting efforts of Sinclair and lead guitarist Nick O’Mara, before country-funk riffs on ‘Days Fall’ drive the album to its comfortable conclusion.

Diamonds In The Bloodstream showcases Raised By Eagles at their raw and gritty best. Less harmonica than before, but way more heart.

Natalie Rogers

The first third of the album alone feels like a polarising mixtape – there’s the Avicii-inspired country/ EDM hybrid ‘Beautiful Drug’, the good-ole-boy retread of ‘Homegrown’ and an inexplicable Michael Bublé homage in the form of the execrable ‘Mango Tree’.

Things get back on track with the jamming ‘Heavy Is The Head’, which brings in Chris Cornell to deliver a Superunknown-worthy hook, but it’s derailed again just as quickly with the Auto-Tuned Eurotrash of ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’.

At the very least, the title is reflective of the album’s nature – although, while it was probably meant as a playful nod to the record’s versatility, it’s more accurate on account of said diversity bordering on flat-out terrifying. At this stage in their career, perhaps it’s worth re-evaluating the Band’s strengths and weaknesses – just so the “piece of land out in the countryside” sung about in ‘Homegrown’ is a viable place to live, rather than a boast of wealth.

Jekyll + Hyde isolates original fans without any guarantee there will be new ones on the other side.

David James Young

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...

JOANNA GRUESOME - Peanut Butter THE NATIONAL - Boxer B.B. KING - Live At The Regal

The Haze is said to be the most difficult album that We All Want To have made, which has resulted in some lineup changes for future efforts.

Making authentic, reflective records isn’t meant to be easy business, but The Haze is worth any anguish that may have met it along the way.

ALABAMA SHAKES - Sound & Color OH MERCY - Great Barrier Grief

Chris Havercroft

thebrag.com

live reviews What we've been out to see...

Did any band provide the soundtrack for more 1980s prom slow dances than Spandau Ballet? Probably not – they were an era-defining, improbably fashionable cultural phenomenon at their peak and they’re still big enough to almost pack out this arena, with many of the punters from their 1985 show in the same room returning tonight.

They kick off with ‘Soul Boy’. It’s a blatant attempt at self-mythology, but it also just works. The lyrics about being forever young and dancing an endless dance seem far less ridiculous than they could given that Tony Hadley’s crooning voice retains every bit of its old smoothness.

tiers of the stadium to deliver ‘Empty Spaces’ and lead a brief sing-along of ‘Gold’. True to the nostalgic feel of the night, there’s also neon lighting recreating the signage of the influential Blitz nightclub and a video montage of the group in its New Romantic pomp – all tousled hair, soft focus photography, regrettable fashion and stadia filled with screaming fans.

Rather than trying to move with the times, Spandau Ballet have chosen to cling ever more tightly to their youthful glories. But on the inevitable set closer ‘True’, the softest of soft rock evergreens, and a fist-pumping encore of ‘Gold’, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that these songs are ageing better than anyone could have expected.

They remain quintessentially ’80s, but now that’s their selling point.

‘Raw’ is just silly, an unconvincing attempt at a more muscular sound, but most of the newer songs like the synth-heavy ‘This Is The Love’ and the refined ‘Steal’ prove more than reasonable facsimiles of peak Spandau. The classics like ‘Round And Round’ and the hook-filled ‘Communication’ remain bright and shiny crowd-pleasers.

At one stage, this reunion show seemed the longest of long shots as three of the band sued the Kemp brothers over songwriting royalties and the group descended into acrimony. But back together with their original lineup, still indestructibly popular and slick as ever, Spandau Ballet are now writing a much more dignified final chapter than their previous messy ending.

The crowd is even more pleased when the energetic Hadley moves into the upper

Daniel Herborn

frankie’s vinyl fair 17:05:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

GANG OF YOUTHS, ECCA VANDAL Oxford Art Factory Friday May 15

party profile

francisco’s fortune ep launch show It’s called: Francisco’s Fortune EP launch show

It sounds like: Think Coldplay, The Script, John Mayer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers thrown into a blender by your favourite Boost dude in his black bandana, with a sprinkling of indie pop, folk and jazz on top.

Acts: Francisco’s Fortune, The Dividers, Thund er Fox, The Underground Architect and The Strangerous Collective.

Sell it to us: We travelled from the suburbs of Sydney to entertain the city scene so we’re obliged to have a damn good set prepared. If all else fails you get five bands for the price of none. Enough said.

The bit you’ll remember in the AM: You’ll remember the roller coaster, the passion, the nostalgia, the stinging pain of loss, the sparks and those choruses that will ring until the sun goes down again.

Crowd specs: Those who want a new bunch of catchy hooks built upon moving stories.

Wallet damage: Damageless Where: Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington When: Friday May 22. Doors open at 7pm.

Main event at 10:45pm.

RED FANG, KING OF THE NORTH, LO!, LOS HOMBRES DEL DIABLO Manning Bar Thursday May 14 It was painful to watch Los Hombres Del Diablo. Not only because it was the un-rock’n’roll time of 7:30pm, but because the sound guy had presumably pushed every single level into the red and promptly buggered off for smoko. Openers are oft victims to poor mixes, but Los Hombres were cut one of the rawest deals in recent memory. A shame, given their blues-tinged stoner rock is formidable when it’s actually able to be made out.

Faring much better in the grand scheme of things were Lo!, the Sydney-based doom-and-gloom delinquents. Their approach to the genre concerns a taste for the sprawling and atmospheric as well as white-knuckled rampaging, working in tandem to great effect. Vocalist Sam Dillon was restless, parading about with all the confidence of an arena act like Alice Cooper, whose shirt he donned for the evening. As far as heavy music in Australia is concerned, Lo! rank considerably high.

King Of The North, to be frank, were a lot better when they were called Jackson Firebird. They were better when they were called The Fumes, too. Whatever happened there, anyway? Nevermind – we’ve got

up all night out all week . . .

the diluted equivalent right before our very eyes. The kind that the James Young (not to be confused with the writer of this article) crowd salivate over, claiming them the saviours of quote-unquote ‘real’ music in endless comment sections. It’s just all too similar to that summer we collectively thought Royal Blood were going to reinvent rock music – there’s no dynamics in this allegedly dynamic duo.

PICS :: AM

Qantas Credit Union Arena Friday May 15

thebrag.com/snaps

Gang Of Youths began their sold-out The Positions tour with a hometown show at Oxford Art Factory, where the audience unsurprisingly embraced the band with open arms. The local outfit returned the affection by delivering a set filled with the trademark high level of intensity and passion that has helped them become such quick and well-deserved successes.

Before that though, Ecca Vandal played a set that showed that if she wants to capitalise on her early buzz, she really needs to step it up. Aside from the baffling move of pairing Gang Of Youths’ anthemic indie rock with her prog-rap/rock hybrid material in the first place, her set never really distinguished itself, becoming a tuneless mush. It doesn’t matter how loud you play or how many fancy synthesisers you have onstage with you, dull music will only ever be dull music. Add to that her desperate attempts at crowd work for an audience that was never interested, and the set fell somewhere between boring and cringeworthy.

Thankfully the first note Gang Of Youths played wiped away all memory of the previous set. People have really latched onto this band, and there are many potential reasons why. Maybe it’s a display of triple j’s still present immense influence. Maybe people can’t get enough of Arcade Fire and The National, and a band that trades in the perfect mix between the two couldn’t not be successful. Maybe Australian audiences

will always help an Australian band succeed (although the multitude of brilliant but struggling Melbourne bands disproves this theory). Honestly, I think the real reason Gang Of Youths have found success so quickly is because they’re a talented band playing great music, which is a rarity, but the best possible reason.

Every song is greeted with cheers and every word is sung along to by the crowd. The best songs – ‘Poison Drum’, ‘Radioface’, ‘Vital Signs’ – highlight what the band do best; urgent rock with consistent waves of released tension played with full conviction and precision, alongside emotionally empowering lyrics. The players onstage flail around and literally crash into each other along with the music, as if their instruments can’t fully express the power of the songs.

Frontman Dave Leaupepe is obviously overjoyed by the reaction their hour-long, ten-track debut has garnered. A little too much, if his banter to the crowd is anything to go on, filled with clichés like “Live your dreams” and “Don’t let the man tell you what to do”. But they play unashamed, heart-on-their-sleeves rock, so why should the banter be any different? Besides, Leaupepe’s incredible vocal range more than makes up any MC shortfalls.

With a powerful performance that never wavered, choice covers of two Canadian women – a tease of Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman!’ and a sombre, solo version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case Of You’ – and a genuine love shown for the audience, Gang Of Youths marked themselves as a band that’s here to stay.

Leonardo Silvestrini

Red Fang are incrementally shifting toward the end of a two-year touring cycle in support of their last album, Whales And Leeches. Not that you could tell from their demeanour – this was a set full of raised fists, gargantuan riffs and rolling-thunder drums. It was a strongly built performance from a band that had every right to be worse for wear. Perhaps this is what made it so entertaining – Whales cuts such as ‘Blood Like Cream’ and ‘Crows In Swine’ still felt sharp, while a preview of their upcoming fourth album saw the band try out both Zeppelin-esque groove as well as a slow-mo Iommi pastiche.

At the head of a decidedly mixed bill – both in the sense of stylistic approach and in the sense of overall quality – Red Fang made the night theirs. Rightly so, too – not only are they keeping Portland weird, they’re doing the same for the greater metal scene.

David James Young

gang of youths

PICS :: AM

SPANDAU BALLET

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up all night out all week . . .

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live reviews What we've been out to see...

MÖTLEY CRÜE, ALICE COOPER, SMOKIN’ MIRRORS Allphones Arena Saturday May 16

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that there’s a citywide shortage of black eyeliner and hairspray across Sydney today. Over the weekend, thousands of leather-clad revellers were out in force to say sayonara to one of hair metal’s biggest acts.

Ever since word leaked out that all four members of the Crüe had signed a “cessation of touring agreement” (a legally binding document that would prohibit them from playing together ever again after New Year’s Eve 2015), the excitement and anticipation has been building, and emotions at the Sydney farewell were palpable.

The evening kicked off with the Central Coast’s Smokin’ Mirrors.

As the local winners of Triple M’s nationwide search to find an opening act, the young four-piece had their work cut out for them. Frontwoman Emmy Mack can clearly wail and seemed to handle the pressure well.

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

With the night getting on, and still no sign of the Godfather of Shock Rock, Alice Cooper, things started to get a little messy. A handful of drunken punters had already been ejected from the venue before Cooper took to the stage, basking in the uproar of the crowd. What followed was fifty minutes of all killer no filler from Cooper and his impressive band. He opened with ‘Department Of Youth’ and went straight into ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, before greeting the thoroughly warmed up audience. He brandished

a walking stick while belting out ‘I’m Eighteen’, before wielding a sword and throwing out wads of cash while we rocked to ‘Billion Dollar Babies’.

During the opening bars of ‘Feed My Frankenstein’, I looked around only to realise I wasn’t the only one having a “we’re not worthy” moment.

Only a few years off from becoming a septuagenarian, Alice Cooper is an absolute living legend.

A hush fell over the crowd as the speakers began to pump out The Sound Of Music’s ‘So Long, Farewell’.

The moment had arrived to say goodbye as Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee appeared in a haze of smoke and pyrotechnics.

Thousands of voices could be heard in unison as we sang along to all Mötley Crüe’s hits, while ‘Dr. Feelgood’, ‘Shout At The Devil’ and ‘Kickstart My Heart’ are clearly the enduring anthems.

Mars is a medical marvel – despite being riddled with ankylosing spondylitis, a condition that has plagued him for nearly 40 years, his ability to silence the crowd with his guitar solos remains unchanged. Sixx still looked every part the rock star, while Neil seemed flustered as he went through the motions.

Thankfully, to say that Lee’s drum solo – performed upside down on a purpose-built rollercoaster – kept the audience captivated is definitely an understatement. The night ended with high-fives all round and Lee at the piano for an emotional rendition of ‘Home Sweet Home’. Thanks for the memories.

Natalie Rogers

www.deeminor.com

22 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

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g g guide g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Sufjan Stevens

FRIDAY MAY 22

SATURDAY MAY 22 – MONDAY MAY 25

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Sydney Opera House

Sufjan Stevens $69. 8pm.

WEDNESDAY MAY 20 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Josue Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Daniel Tomalaris + Roland Kay-Smith The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Happy Hippies Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill.

6:30pm. Free.

SongsOnStage - feat: Russell Neal + Special Guests Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham.

7pm. Free.

Xxx

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

90s For Nepal - feat: Darryl Beaton + Mr Wilson + Amali Ward + Jeremy Gregory Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

5pm. Free.

Echo Deers Corridor Bar, Newtown. 5pm.

Free.

Killing Lennon + Mammoth + Transcendent Sea + Trapdoor Captive Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $5.

Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm.

Free.

Muso’s Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. thebrag.com

Brews N’ Roots - feat: Sally King + Sametribe Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 5pm. $10.

Electro Alley The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. Free.

The Groovemeisters Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

Clay Vetter Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 4pm. Free.

Katie Brianna + Adam Young The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Liz Stringer + Lucie Thorne Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $17.

Raised By Eagles + Ruby Boots Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $18.

SongsOnStage - feat: Mick Hambly + Chris Brookes + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

THURSDAY MAY 21 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Belinda Marks + Dee Donovan + Grooveworks + John Carlo Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free.

Cass Greaves Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $10.

Ruby Boots

Half Eaten Apple + Kill Your Heroes + Whacked Out + Hail To The Chimp Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Little Coyote + Thunder Fox + Sleeping Babys Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 8pm. Free.

Lurch & Chief Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. Free.

Mar Haze Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale.

8pm. Free.

Muso’s Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill.

8pm. Free.

Rock The World (Bar) - feat: Various Artists The World Bar, Kings Cross.

8pm. $15.

Tanned Christ + Jack Colwell + DJ Dong Bradman Standard Bowl, Surry Hills.

9pm. Free.

The Outdoor Type + Max Quinn’s Onomatopenis + Community Radio Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Aaleatha + The Audio Fix Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm.

Free.

Dave White Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm.

Free.

Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

7pm. Free.

Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point.

7pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Benn Gunn Panania Diggers, Panania.

8pm. Free.

Georgia White Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

5pm. Free.

Jack Horner The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free.

Kate Lush Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15.

Mick Daley’s Corporate Raiders + Dylan Hartas And The Blues Martyrs Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 8pm. $10.

Pat Powell The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. Free.

Rob Eastwood Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill.

6:30pm. Free.

Songsmiths Lentil On The Rocks, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

Steve Crocker Duo Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm.

Free.

Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

8pm. Free.

The Ramalamas + The Gloomchasers The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Lurch & Chief

AJ + Lochie Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 8pm.

Free.

Alex Hotel Mosman, Mosman.

9:30pm. Free.

AM 2 PM Windsor Leagues Club, Windsor South. 9pm. Free.

Ange Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 4:30pm. Free.

Anthems Of Oz Riverstone Memorial Club, Riverstone. 9pm. Free.

Armchair Travellers Duo Dooleys, Silverwater. 6pm.

Free.

BandsOnStage - feat: Crossroad Y + The Coastal Edge + Steve Tulinsky Duo Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 8pm.

Free.

Bill Kacir Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard.

7:30pm. Free.

Blake Tailor The Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill.

5pm. Free.

British India + Grenadiers + Tired Lion Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $30.35.

Craig Thommo Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 7pm. Free.

Dance Gavin Dance + Acrasia Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. $42.25.

Divine Ascension + Fenrir + Hemina + Lycanthia Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

Endless Summer Beach Party Club Cronulla, Cronulla.

8:30pm. Free.

Francisco’s Fortune Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 7pm. Free.

Glenn Esmond Duo Cronulla Leagues Club - Sharkies, Woolooware.

8:30pm. Free.

Hit Makers Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm.

Free.

Hits & Pieces St Marys Rugby Leagues Club, St Marys. 9pm. Free.

JJ Duo Pittwater RSL, Mona Vale.

8pm. Free.

John Vella Chatswood RSL, Chatswood.

5pm. Free.

Lurch & Chief Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $15.

Michael Bolton + 1927 State Theatre, Sydney.

7:30pm. $109.

Nickelback Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7pm. $99.

Panorama Moorebank Sports Club, Sydney. 9:30pm. Free.

Peter McWhirter Band Colonial Hotel, Werrington.

8:30pm. Free.

Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. Free.

Ryan Thomas Club Liverpool, Liverpool.

5:30pm. Free.

Shamanic + Rufflefeather + Taking Berlin + DJ Deckhead Standard Bowl, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Soundbird Blacktown Workers Club, Blacktown. 8:30pm. Free.

Stephanie Lea Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 8pm. Free.

Sufjan Stevens Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $69.

The John Denver Story Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. $35.

The Motor City Syndicate Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free.

The Tribe Ivanhoe Hotel, Manly. 10pm.

Free.

The Vanns + Space Monk Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. Free.

The Venusians Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. $15.

They Call Me Bruce Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill.

8pm. Free.

Vaporized + Death Sleds Coogee Diggers, Coogee.

8pm. Free.

SATURDAY MAY 23 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Mai Khoi + David Christopher The Newsagency, Marrickville.

8pm. $16.50.

Mojo House Band - feat: Jesse & James Mojo Record Bar, Sydney.

7pm. Free.

Paul Hayward Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. Free.

Rob Eastwood Marrickville Ritz Hotel, Marrickville. 8pm. Free.

Sam Joole & The Sting Rays The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 12pm. Free.

Skyscraper Stan The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5.

Vanessa Heinitz The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney.

7:30pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Chich & The Soul Messengers Vic On The Park, Marrickville.

9:30pm. Free.

Ribjla Corba + Gale + Najda Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 7pm. $60.50.

Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point.

7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

After Party Band Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free.

Alan Solomon Jazz Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm.

Free.

Blaming Vegas Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9pm. Free.

British India + Grenadiers + Tired Lion Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle.

8pm. $30.10.

Chase City + Little Coyote Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free.

Clinic 15 + The Desert Suns + Cold Vulture Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15.

Crossfire Hurricane Coogee Diggers, Coogee.

8pm. Free.

Dallas Frasca + Swamp Crocs + Bonney Read Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 23

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com 8pm. $19.

Dee Minor And The Dischords + Rock Godz Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $17.

Enter Shikari + Hands Like Houses + Hellion UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7pm. $60.

Evie Dean Novotel, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm.

Free.

Furnace & The Fundamentals Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

Glenn Esmond Trio Marlborough Hotel, Newtown.

11pm. Free.

James Thomson The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham. 7:30pm. Free.

JConnexion Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill.

8pm. Free.

Joey Equine + Buoy Oh Buoy + Gardens + DJ Losty Standard Bowl, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Kick INXS Show Pioneer Tavern, Penrith. 9pm.

Free.

King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $23.50.

Kye Brown Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm.

Free.

Let’s Groove Tonight Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm.

Free.

Macson Duo The Henry Sports Club, Werrington County. 8pm. Free.

Matt Lyon Brighton RSL, Brighton Le Sands. 8pm. Free.

Max Power Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm.

Free.

Melody Rhymes

Picton Bowling Club, Picton.

8:30pm. Free.

Michael Bolton + 1927 State Theatre, Sydney.

7:30pm. $109.

Penny Lane Panthers, Penrith. 5:30pm.

Free.

Peppermint Jam Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8:30pm.

Free.

Reckless Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

5:30pm. Free.

Royal Headache Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7pm. $35.

Rust + The Corpse + Eager 13 + Thug Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Ryan Enright Plough & Harrow, Camden.

8pm. Free.

Soul Nights Club Cronulla, Cronulla. 8pm.

Free.

Sufjan Stevens Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $69.

The Angels Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

7:30pm. $37.50.

The Chosen Few Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

9:30pm. Free.

The Former Suspects Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 7pm. Free.

The Jungle Giants Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $33.95.

The Spit Roasting Bibbers Picton Hotel, Picton. 8pm.

Free.

The Vacationists + Vesna Grace Lentil On The Rocks, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

Under Wraps Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 9pm. Free.

wed

VIP Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

Voyager + Klone Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

8pm. $23.

SUNDAY MAY 24 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

British India + Grenadiers The Basement, Circular Quay.

7pm. $30.90.

Buckshot Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm.

Free.

Duan & Only Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

3pm. Free.

Glenn Esmond Bella Vista, Pyrmont. 12pm.

Free.

Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks.

6pm. Free.

King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs Small Ballroom, Newcastle.

7pm. $24.

Luke Moseley The Forresters, Surry Hills.

2pm. Free.

Nick Woodford Plough & Harrow, Camden.

3pm. Free.

Peter Byrne Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. Free.

Rock N Roll Variety Bucket - feat: Eugine: The Band + Helens Gate + Scorpion Tailor + Sloom + Migrant Shop Boys Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm. $10.

Sufjan Stevens Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $69.

The Bootleg Beatles Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. Free.

The Chosen Few Pendle Inn, Pendle Hill. 4pm.

Free.

The Drones Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7pm. $39.

U2 Elevation Orient Hotel, The Rocks.

4:30pm. Free.

Vanity Riots Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm.

Free.

Vegas Nerve Coogee Diggers, Coogee.

3pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Bonnie Kay & The Bonafides The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $5.

Chris Stretton Ingleburn Hotel, Ingleburn.

5:30pm. Free.

Dave Debs Picton Hotel, Picton. 1pm.

Free.

From Street To Stage - feat: Joe Moore + Various Other Artists Soda Factory, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Leon Gort The Rivo Hotel, Riverstone.

1pm. Free.

Rob Eastwood Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 12pm. Free.

SongsOnStage - feat: Stuart Jammin + The Paulbearers + Special Guests Harlequin Inn, Pyrmont. 3pm.

Free.

SongsOnStage - feat: Andrew Denniston + Russell Neal + Guests Red Lion Hotel, Rozelle. 4pm.

Free.

Ted Nash The Mill Hotel, Milperra.

12am. Free.

The Fever Pitch Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free.

Vanessa Heinitz Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Black Bird Hum Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 4:30pm. Free.

Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free.

Kool Bananas Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 1am.

Free.

Public Opinion Afro Orchestra Secret Location, Sydney.

1pm. $10.

Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free.

MONDAY MAY 25 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Tom Trelawny Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

SongsOnStage - feat: Mick Hambly + Chris Brooke + Guests Kelly’s On King, Newtown.

8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Sufjan Stevens Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $69.

TUESDAY MAY 26 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Anton Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm.

Free.

Swing It Tuesdays - feat: The Basement Big Band The Basement, Circular Quay.

6pm. $8.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alma Music Presents Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

Live & Originals - feat: Ben Camden + Duncan Woods Trio + Drew + Katherine Vavahea Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm.

Free.

Morrissey Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $109.

thu

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22 May

(9:30PM - 1:30AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON

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(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(9:30PM - 1:15AM)

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25 May

24 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

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May

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thebrag.com

g g picks gig p up all night out all week...

WEDNESDAY MAY 20

SATURDAY MAY 23

The Angels Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

7:30pm. $37.50.

90s For Nepal - Feat: Darryl Beaton + Mr Wilson + Amali Ward + Jeremy Gregory Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm.

Free.

Dallas Frasca + Swamp Crocs + Bonney Read Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $19.

The Jungle Giants Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst.

8pm. $33.95.

Enter Shikari + Hands Like Houses + Hellion UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington.

7pm. $60.

THURSDAY MAY 21 Raised By Eagles + Ruby Boots Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

7pm. $18.

Joey Equine + Buoy Oh Buoy + Gardens + DJ Losty Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

Tanned Christ + Jack Colwell + DJ Dong Bradman Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 9pm.

Free.

King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

7:30pm. $23.50.

Jack Colwell

British India

FRIDAY MAY 22 British India + Grenadiers + Tired Lion Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $30.35.

Michael Bolton + 1927 State Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $109.

Royal Headache Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7pm. $35.

Voyager + Klone Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $23.

SUNDAY MAY 24 Vanity Riots Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

The Drones Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7pm. $39.

TUESDAY MAY 26 Morrissey Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $109.

Morrissey

Dance Gavin Dance + Acrasia Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst.

7:30pm. $42.25.

Lurch & Chief Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

7pm. $15.

Michael Bolton + 1927 State Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $109.

Shamanic + Rufflefeather + Taking Berlin + DJ Deckhead Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

Coming:

July 2015

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 25

brag beats

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

dance music news

free stuff

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin, Meggan Turner and Ayla Dhyani

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

off the record WITH

Kyle Hall

OZI BATLA FROM ASTRONOMY CLASS released was for the early Elefant Traks compilations in 1998. I was working with Rollerz Music’s DJ A.L.F., and producing tunes using an early tracker called Hammerhead.

I can’t even listen to those tracks now – my voice is wack, lyrics are lame and the production would blow your car speakers out!

The Last Thing I Recorded 4.

Our latest Astronomy Class album is Mekong Delta Sunrise, a tribute to the music of Cambodia’s “golden age” of rock’n’roll. It’s a concept album traversing 40 years of Cambodian history, given the Astronomers treatment by Chasm and Sir Robbo. It features the inimitable Srey Channthy from The Cambodian Space Project, one of the leading lights in the Khmer rock revival. Channthy will be joining us for the upcoming shows, along with long-time collaborator Vida Sunshyne.

The Record That Changed My Life 5.

Jorge Ben Jor’s A Tábua De

The First Record I Bought 1.

My mate and I went

The Last Record I Bought 2.

I bought Dawn by Emma

halves in Takes A Nation Of Millions… by Public Enemy and Mel and Kim’s ‘Respectable’ on 12-inch at the same time from Central Station Records on Pitt Street. We were both heaps into the emerging rap scene and dance music, I guess.

Over the years, Public Enemy has proved to be more of an inspiration than Mel and Kim – my life could have been very different if it were the other way around!

Donovan and The Putbacks after seeing them burn up the stage at WOMAD. Emma’s got a true soul voice and presence and The Putbacks are one of the grittiest, funkiest soul bands around.

It’s short and sweet; I can’t wait to hear more from this amazing collab. Sounds amazing on vinyl.

The First Thing I Recorded 3.

First stuff I recorded that was

HE’S ALL EARS

Street artist and experimental beatmaker Daniel O’Toole, also known as Ears, will be launching his new EP Floating Tokyo at Ambush Gallery as part of the Vivid Sydney 2015 program.

Esmeralda. I’ve had a love of Brazilian music since I was a child, and Jorge Ben was the king of bossa nova.

It wasn’t until years later that I discovered his more psychedelic work. A Tábua is absolutely epic, mystical in scope, spaced out but funky still. It closes with ‘Cinco Minutos’, famously sampled

by The Black Eyed Peas.

What: Mekong Delta Sunrise out now through Elefant Traks With: Joelistics Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday May 30

VIVID ERSKNVL PROGRAM

The Imperial Hotel and Spice Cellar are set to present VIVID ERSKNVL, bringing the Vivid Sydney festival to the Inner West for the first time. VIVID ERSKNVL will feature some super dance music talents at the Spice Cellar’s new home, including Yolanda Be Cool, Kyle Hall, Sandeman, Worldwide, Steve Bug, Cassian, Andras Fox and Harvey McKay. The event is also set to include a record fair alongside weeknight cabaret and drag shows, serving as an added hub of arts, music and light for the two-week-long festival that takes over Sydney each year. VIVID ERSKNVL will be taking place at the Imperial Hotel from Friday May 22 – Monday June 8. For the full program, head to thespicecellar.com.au.

music and film world. The launch will feature a live performance from Ears and a screening of the film clip for the title track of the EP. The launch will take place on Friday May 22.

STAFFORD BROTHERS

You can hardly blame the Stafford Brothers for chasing the Hollywood lifestyle. Their hometown of the Gold Coast is a party destination for young Australians, to be sure, but it’s in Los Angeles where the brightest lights and biggest stars really shine. LA is the city Stafford Brothers call home these days, but you can’t forget your roots, and so the EDM exports are on the circuit back Down Under. They’ll be delivering their signature progressive house and electro jams to Marquee on Saturday May 23.

ELEFANT TRAKS

From the hip dudes that brought you Australian sweethearts like Urthboy, The Herd, Hermitude and Jane Tyrrell come some talented fresh faces to the scene.

Thanks to the crew at Elefant Traks and Red Bull Music Academy, Vivid LIVE will be hosting a beats and bars invasion of the Sydney Opera House featuring the likes of Joyride, L-Fresh The Lion, Jayteehazard, DJ MK-1, Adit and Dggz. It’ll be a right-on celebration of everything hip hop and beats in Sydney and Australia, and we want to send you along for a great time.

Elefant Traks takes over the Studio, Sydney Opera House on Sunday May 31 and we’ve three double passes on offer. If you’re ready to bounce to some hip traks, hop on over to thebrag.com/freeshit.

Jayteehazard

Joyride

BACK TO BASSIC

Chinese Laundry’s weekly Bassic party has an international flavour about it this weekend, headlined by OWSLA’s own Valentino Khan.

The producer and DJ signed to Skrillex’s imprint last year for the release of his debut EP, In Khan We Trust, and he’ll be showcasing his versatility at Laundry alongside New Zealand’s Ian Munro. Representing the locals this Friday May 22 will be Aywy and Jia Lih, alongside a host of others including Hydraulix, Blackjack, Sippy, TDY and Altisko.

Shlohmo

Floating Tokyo is a six-track EP with an accompanying film clip that explores the exciting and vibrant streets of Tokyo. With extensive experience in painting, drawing and photography, O’Toole is extending his artistic talents to the Adverse, Makoto and Caratgold Gold Fields

THE GROOVE DEALERS

KLP

Two of Australia’s most hyped-about electronic acts, KLP and Gold Fields, have joined forces to announce a co-headlining live tour of the country. KLP, AKA Kristy Lee Peters, has been doing the hard yards on the electronic circuit for some time, but shot into national consciousness when she took over hosting duties of triple j’s Saturday night party mix, House Party. She’s been in collaboration behind closed doors with the likes of Skrillex and What So Not, but has been hitting stages live with an energetic show.

Meanwhile, Ballarat’s Gold Fields haven’t played live sets for almost two years, but their new single ‘Lakeside’ is as good a reason to bust out the instruments as any. KLP and Gold Fields play Newtown Social Club on Friday June 19.

26 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

SHLOHMO SIDESHOW

Shlohmo will return to Sydney with a full live band this July. Already announced for the sold-out Splendour In The Grass festival this winter, Shlohmo’s tour follows the release of his latest record, Dark Red. These dates promise 25-year-old Henry Laufer as no-one has seen before – the chopped and screwed conductor to a crazed live band. He’ll be joined

by D33J, Purple, Nick Melons and special guests. It goes down on Friday July 31 at the Metro Theatre.

thebrag.com

Astronomy Class photo by Chris Frape

KLP STRIKES GOLD

Sydney’s fattest breaks are back on the table this weekend thanks to a collective loosely known as The Groove Dealers, but more familiar to dancers as Adverse, Makoto and Caratgold. Adverse has been a gatekeeper on the local scene for some 15 years now, spreading the love in the form of Afro/hip hop music from his roots on the North Shore and now to every corner of town. Makoto’s experience stretches as far as Japan and the UK, where he’s built up followings to rival that of his Australian audience, while Nick Caratgold cut his teeth on the Canberra circuit before making the move to the big smoke. Together, they’ll be at Play Bar on Saturday May 23.

R.A. The Rugged Man For The Shepherds By Augustus Welby

I

n late 2004, R.A. The Rugged Man released his debut album, Die, Rugged Man, Die. Given that it was his first official LP, the New York rapper’s call for his own demise seemed somewhat hasty.

But the thing is, Die, Rugged Man, Die wasn’t the work of a newcomer pushing for shock value. Rather, it was the long-awaited debut from an artist who’d been embroiled in record label complications for more than a decade.

Fortunately, Rugged Man is still living, but his troubled relationship with the music industry hasn’t ended.

Despite lofty praise for Die, Rugged Man, Die, he’s delivered just one LP since – 2013’s Legends Never Die. Each of Rugged Man’s records is packed full of shrewd, profane lyricisms and rapid-fire wordplay. And not surprisingly, both albums contain plenty of scorn for the commercial music industry.

“When corporations get involved in the music, they’re no longer pushing the art form,” he says.

“They’re thinking, what could they mass market to people who don’t listen to rap music? So then the new school of MCs come on the scene and they’re trying to get a cheque by making hip hop for people that don’t like hip hop. So now they’re diluting and watering down the culture. I will never do that. Every song I make is something that I make for me, my fans and what I would want to hear and what I would want to perform.”

Rugged Man’s talents as an MC are undeniable, but his journey has never been easy. He started out in New York during what’s widely regarded as hip hop’s golden

age. Throughout his recording career, he’s teamed up with such heavyweights as The Notorious B.I.G., Talib Kweli and Wu-Tang affiliates Masta Killa and Killah Priest. But despite holding his own next to these MCs, he’s also encountered some heavy opposition.

“When I first started, there wasn’t many people doing it that was white,” he says. “You could count them on your fingers. It was in the ’80s – I was a little kid and people said, ‘Who do you think you are? You think you’re a N-word?’ That was real.

“Hip hop culture is a black culture, so when white folks like ourselves get involved in a culture, in black music, you have to respect the roots, you’ve got to respect the originators of the culture and you have to respect the art form. That’s the bottom line.”

It’s worth noting that the majority of artists who epitomise hip hop’s golden age have also enjoyed major mainstream success. This seems at odds with Rugged Man’s aggressive anti-commercial stance. However, he clarifies that he’s not flatly opposed to hip hop reaching a mass audience.

“When Public Enemy were selling millions of copies an album, I had no problem with that,” he says. “When Heavy D was making commercial records and doing hip hop and selling two million copies with his album Big Tyme, I was proud of him.

When Wu-Tang Clan was making hip hop records, they was underground as fuck. But they was the most successful hip hop group in the history of the culture.”

Along with deriding commercial trash, Legends Never Die intro ‘Still Diggin Wit Buck’ takes a swing at listeners who procure music through illegal means. By now, you could argue that the fight to stop downloading and streaming is a lost cause. And as it turns out, even Rugged Man is adjusting to this shift.

“People streaming my music and taking my music, I’d rather them put the money in my pocket, but at the same time, when I perform my songs all over the world, everybody knows the words to them. Maybe a lot of people wouldn’t have known about the record if it wasn’t for the mass streaming and illegal downloads. It’d be nice if they wanted to pay me, but I’m glad that they’re coming out to the shows.”

Australian fans will get another chance to see Rugged Man live when he returns Down Under this June. Stylistically, Rugged Man’s records are distinguished by sampleheavy boom-bap production and his bewildering rhyme speed. He takes no shortcuts replicating this live.

“Live performance is a just as important, if not a more important part of being an MC than just recording,” he says. “I pride myself at being able to do my songs and obliterate every MC live onstage.

I pride myself on being one of the best. I can spit a million syllables before I have to take a breath.”

Seeing as though Legends Never Die is just two years old, we probably shouldn’t bank on a new Rugged Man release anytime soon.

That’s not to say he hasn’t got something cooking.

I M A G I N E B E I N G M A D E TO

FE E L L I KE C RAP J U ST FOR

“I’ve been touring, touring, touring, and after I’m done touring I come back, I work on the album a little bit,” he says. “I’m getting it done piece by piece, and I’m planning on giving a masterpiece to the crowd. When Legends Never Die dropped, some people said it was the best album of the year and it was a classic.

Some people said it was one of

the greatest they ever heard. It got some incredible responses from the fans, but my job as an MC is to top myself, so I’m going to make the next one my Citizen Kane. It’s going to be my best ever.”

Where: Manning Bar When: Saturday June 6

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 BEING

thebrag.com

LEFT

H A N D E D.

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 27

club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Squarepusher

FRIDAY MAY 22 Sydney Opera House

Squarepusher 7:30pm. $49.

WEDNESDAY MAY 20 CLUB NIGHTS

Britney Dance Class (Slave 4 U) Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

6:30pm. $17.

Roland Tings Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.70.

Sosueme - feat: Montaigne + Generik + Gordi + Luen Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 9:30pm. $5.

The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. $5.

THURSDAY MAY 21 CLUB NIGHTS

Apres Ski @ Ruckus - feat: Joel Fletcher + A-Tonez + Mojo Man + DLE Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale.

8pm. free.

Pool Club Thursdays - feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm. free.

The World Bar Thursdays The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

FRIDAY MAY 22 HIP HOP & R&B

Friday Lite - feat: Sidechains + Grasps + Obseen B2B Luny P + Cache One + Baby Face Thrilla + Victoria Kim Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

10pm. free.

Hustler Fridays - feat: MC

28 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. free.

The Funkoars + Moosty + DJ Total Eclipse + MC Mathas + Eloji Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle.

8pm. free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Aaron Manhattan + Amanda Louise + Guests The Spice Cellar, Erskineville.

7pm. free.

Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free.

Bassic - feat: Valentino Khan + Ian Munro + Jia Lih + Hydraulix + Blackjack + Sippy + Tdy + Altisko Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $17.50.

Blvd Fridays - feat: Courtney Mills Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. free.

Champain Lyf (UK Garage Private Coaching Session) - feat: Lupr + Adrian E + Jon Watts + T-Syd + Danny Banger Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

11pm. $10.

DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free.

Easy Fridays - feat: Richie Ryan + Murray Lake + Lachie Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. free.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.

10pm. free.

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

7pm. free.

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

I Am Wolfpack Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. free.

L ‘ O A S I S - feat: Magda Bytnerowicz + Adi Toohey + Rohan Willard + Luke O’Connor + Mercedes The Sly Fox, Enmore. 10pm. $5.

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

Mutilate Rawstyle Party feat: Brkdwn + Duplex + Anton Vs Tommoe + DJ Medik + Dactiv8 + Tim Dawes + Mutilate DJs Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. free.

Phat Play Fridays - feat: Phil Toke + Mk-1 + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

Red Bull Music Academy Presents The Studio - feat: Onra + Dreems Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. free.

Squarepusher Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7:30pm. $49.

Tim Boffa Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

8pm. free.

SATURDAY MAY 23 CLUB NIGHTS

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

8pm. $10.

Canvas - feat: Mitch Fowler + Shacklo + Lee Novell + Harry Newbould Secret Location, Sydney. 9pm. $33.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills.

10pm. free.

Flex - feat: Amrita + Ollie Henderson + Luen + Laprats + Fingertips +

Chela Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

11pm. $10.

Infamous Saturdays - feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free.

Kyle Hall + Heavenly DJs + Zeus + Daniel Lupicia The Spice Cellar, Erskineville.

9pm. $20.

Lndry - feat: Clarian + Odd Mob + Ember + Knights Of Colombus + Crux + Sarkozy + Persian Rug + Jade Le Flay + DJ Just 1 + Mike Hyper Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $22.60.

Mad Racket - feat: Herbert + Zootie + Jimmi James + Ken Cloud + Simon Caldwell Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. $40.

Murray Lake + Husky Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

6pm. free.

Pacha - feat: Zac Waters + Reece Low + Dave Winnel + Jesabel + Natnoiz + Mo’Funk + Ben Morris + Jace Disgrace + Jeff Drake + Fingers + Troy T + Skoob + Jonathon Terrific + Nanna Does + Jade Le Flay + Heres Trouble + Heke Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $38.

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

9pm. free.

Social Hooliganz + Royaal + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + DJ Iko + DJ Seiz + J-Reyes Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. free.

Something Else This Afterparty - feat: My Digital Enemy + Summit DJs + Scruby & Chiarella Torbynik + Belvie + Leoch + Ron Maran + Dave Stuart + Tyson Brunn + Harry

Sanger + Aaron Robins + Donald Leicester Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $16.50.

Stafford Brothers Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.

The House Of Who - feat: Rotating DJs + Levins + The House Of Who + Nacho Pop + Kato’s Wig Shop Goodgod Small Club, Sydney.

8pm. free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Adverse + Makoto + Caratgold Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. free.

The Funkoars + Moosty + DJ Total Eclipse + MC Mathas + Eloji The Basement, Circular Quay.

8pm. $24.

Underground Fest Sydney feat: BJ Milli + Shortymain + King FJ + Sub & Creep + Electric Elements Crew + Sarah Connor + Izzy & The Profit feat DJ Maniak + DJ Jimmy New + 5 Finger Discount + Hard Evidence + T Wreckz + Beat Theory + Jae Druitt + Vito + Decypher Us + 316 + Mc Skhitlz & Two Slie Sub C + Danny Bars + Animal Child & Crooked Rookie + Mz Lush + Syllable Minded Boody B Feat. Hyst + Undretow + A Sh.P Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.

SUNDAY MAY 24 CLUB NIGHTS

Duan And Only + Alex Mac + Brenny B Side

Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly.

3pm. free.

Kate Monroe + Paris Groovescooter + Guests The Spice Cellar, Erskineville.

7pm. free.

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

8pm. free.

Pub Dub Club The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 3pm. free.

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

Sounds On Sunday - feat: Alter Ego Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 6pm. free.

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

MONDAY MAY 25 CLUB NIGHTS

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

Strobe Light Unicorns feat: Jonny Seymour + Paul Mac + Guests The Spice Cellar, Erskineville.

2pm. free.

TUESDAY MAY 26 CLUB NIGHTS

Chu The World Bar, Kings Cross.

9pm. free.

up all night out all week...

WEDNESDAY MAY 20

Herbert

Roland Tings Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.70.

FRIDAY MAY 22 Bassic - Feat: Valentino Khan + Ian Munro + Jia Lih + Hydraulix + Blackjack + Sippy + TDY + Altisko Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

8pm. $17.50.

Phat Play Fridays - Feat: Phil Toke + Mk-1 + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

Red Bull Music Academy Presents The Studio Feat: Onra + Dreems Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Erskineville. 9pm. $20.

Mad Racket - Feat: Herbert + Zootie + Jimmi James + Ken Cloud + Simon Caldwell Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9pm. $40.

Stafford Brothers Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.6 The Funkoars + Moosty

+ DJ Total Eclipse + MC Mathas + Eloji The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $24.

SUNDAY MAY 24 S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.

Stafford Brothers

SATURDAY MAY 23 Adverse + Makoto + Caratgold Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

Kyle Hall + Heavenly DJs + Zeus + Daniel Lupicia The Spice Cellar,

thebrag.com

Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

y a d n u S y r e Ev

Auntie Flo Africa. His debut album Future Rhythm Machine was released on Huntley & Palmers in 2013, and went on to be nominated as Scottish Album of the Year.

He also holds down regular radio show slots on Rinse FM and Radio Cómeme.

Catch him alongside Dreems and D&D on Friday May 29 at Goodgod Small Club.

an Whitford and Tim Hoey from Cut Copy have locked in a very rare Sydney headline show. Two of Australia’s most successful electronic exports, last year the duo released the critically acclaimed Oceans Apart compilation, showcasing a plethora of top-notch tunes from Australian dance producers. They’ve also performed on Boiler Room, released a fabriclive mix and, y’know, also conquered the globe alongside Ben Browning and Mitchell Scott as Cut Copy. They’ll be joined by Sleep D, Juno Mars, Babicka and Kali on Saturday June 13 at the Imperial Hotel.

D

For the first time ever Vivid Sydney is coming to Erskineville, as The Imperial Hotel and Spice Cellar are teaming up for VIVID ERSKNVL. From Friday May 22 – Monday June 8 the venue will be transformed as a melting pot of music, light and ideas takes over the venue. Over the fortnight there are set to be performances from high-level international artists, cabaret and drag shows and even a record fair.

Highlights include the UK’s Sandeman and Harvey McKay, Detroit techno don Kyle Hall and Germany’s Steve Bug alongside Australian dance royalty Cassian, Andras Fox, Yolanda Be Cool and Wordlife.

There’s going to be something going down every night of the week, so hit imperialersknvl.com.au for more details.

Afro-futurist Auntie Flo will hit Sydney next weekend. Held in the same regard as Daphni, Four Tet, Romare and Sinkane, over the course of his career the Londonbased Glaswegian has released on the likes of Kompakt, Permanent Vacation, Mule Musiq, Comeme and Autonomous

One of New Zealand’s most revered selectors, the one and only Frank Booker, will journey across the pond next month for a winter instalment of Mad Racket. Championed by global heavyweights such as Todd Terje, DJ Nature, Ashley Beedle, Mark E, Kon and Tim Sweeney, Booker held down the acclaimed Hit It & Quit It radio show alongside Recloose, and has also released on imprints such as Untracked, Sleazy Beats and Disco Deviance. He’ll be joined by Simon Caldwell, Ken Cloud, Jimmi James and Zootie on Saturday June 6 at the Marrickville Bowling Club.

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

Tour rumours: it’s been way too long in between visits for German techno god Ben Klock, hey? Expect that drought to end later this year. You can also expect another hard-hitting techno name, Answer Code Request, to hit Sydney in July.

Best releases this week: I simply cannot stop spinning Jahiliyya Fields’ Chance Life Moon Dance (on L.I.E.S.), while other highlights’ include 2 AM/FM’s Doomsday Initiative I (Nation), D.K.’s Love On Delivery (Antinote), Nebraska’s Stand Your Ground (Mister Saturday Night), Le Loup & Monsieur Georget’s Shape 4 (Adult Only) and Vester Koza’s PRISN (Maslo).

RECOMMENDED SATURDAY MAY 23

Tin Man TBA

Kyle Hall Imperial Hotel

TOKiMONSTA Oxford Art Factory

FRIDAY MAY 29

SATURDAY JUNE 13

Carmada Oxford Art Factory

Auntie Flo Goodgod Small Club

Cut Copy DJs Imperial Hotel

SATURDAY MAY 30

FRIDAY JUNE 26 Kobosil Bridge Hotel

Steve Bug Imperial Hotel

Justin Jay The World Bar

TOKiMONSTA

Basic Soul Unit Burdekin Hotel

Frank Booker Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY JUNE 6

SUNDAY JUNE 7

Andras Fox Imperial Hotel

Toddla T Spectrum

SATURDAY JUNE 27 Stephan Bodzin Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY AUGUST 22

Borrowed Identity Bridge Hotel

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

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

BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15 :: 29

snap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

up all night out all week . . .

party profile

jam fridays It’s called: Jam Fridays It sounds like: Hip hop, trap, tropical house , deep house and more.

Acts: Launch month – Van She DJs, Paces , LDRU, Akouo, Lindsay Lowend.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Van She DJs will be spinning some of your favorite Van She mixes alongside our resident DJs who will most likely play some of your fave bangers. Expect to hear Major Lazer feat. MØ & DJ Snake –‘Lean On’, Odesza feat. Zyra – ‘Say My Name’, Hayden James – ‘Something About You’.

And one you definitely won’t: Britney Spear s and Iggy Azalea – ’Pretty Girls’ Sell it to us: Jam Fridays kicks off this week with the Van She DJs at the top of the bill, plus MPC wizard Paces and D.C. trap head Lindsay Lowend booked in for the following weeks, supported by a rotation of Sydney’s best house DJs. Jam Fridays will bring some of that late-night, downtown clubbing atmosphere to the Eastern Suburbs’ backyard without breaking the bank!

There’s no lockout – open until 3am.

Crowd specs: The venue fits 650 at full capac ity. The best sound system in town with a custom-built seven-metre dome sub and laser lights.

Wallet damage: Free before 11pm or $10 after with a free drink. Under $10 deals available on food until 2am!

Where: Jam Gallery

s.a.s.h sundays

PICS :: AM

When: Every Friday, launching May 22

17:05:15 :: Home :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600

party profile

home bass It’s called: Home Bass It sounds like: Golden era, boom bap, bass, dub, soul, G-funk, future beat.

Acts: Big Village resident DJ 26th Letter and featur as Soul Benefits, Mathas, Loose Change, Subur e artists each month such ban Dark, Mantra and DJ Migz. Hosted by P.Smurf and Rapaport.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Soul Benefits – ‘Get Down’, Mathas – ‘White Sugar’, Naughty By Nature – ‘Holiday’ And one you definitely won’t: Crazy Town – ‘Butterfly’ Sell it to us: Paying tribute to old-school hip hop, while keeping you up to date with the best of what’s new, DJs spinn ing tunes, MCs keeping it live, and a top new feature artist each month.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Those classic tunes you haven’t heard in years.

Crowd specs: All types of hip hop/music lovers .

Where: Newtown Hotel When: Thursday May 21 and the third Thurs day each month

hot dub time machine

PICS :: AM

Wallet damage: Free entry, cheap drinks.

14:05:15 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 30 :: BRAG :: 613 :: 20:05:15

thebrag.com

IT'S TIME TO PLAY

Vivid Sydney Game Zone at Pyrmont & The Star 2 2 M AY – 8 J U N E Introducing you to a world of amazing lighting – and the best part is, you can be in control.

Interactive installations, games and pop-up eateries will treat your senses at every turn, from Pyrmont Bridge all the way up to The Star’s spectacular rooftop venue, Sky Terrace.

There’s fun for the whole family, so get ready to light up your night!

STAR.COM.AU/VIVIDSYDNEY

#VIVIDSYDNEYATTHESTAR

80 PYRMONT STREET, PYRMONT The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be aged 18 years or over to enter the casino.

Think! About your choices. Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au