Brag#627

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ISSUE NO. 627 AUGUST 26, 2015

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

HOL DING T HE M A N

A love that dares to speak its name.

JE S S R IBEIRO

The Melbourne songwriter’s haunting new project.

R ICK I A ND T HE F L A SH

Rick Springfield is back on the big screen, baby.

SUI ZHEN

A case of multiple identities and endless socks.

Plus

GOL D CL A S S SIL ICON L O W T IDE

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Featuring: INTERVIEWS, SHOW PROFILES, FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS AND MORE

26TH AUGUST

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marion bay

byron

VICTORIA

TASMAN IA

NEW SOUTH WALES

dec 28 2015

dec 29 2015

dec 31 2015

Until

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jan 01 2016

jan 03 2016

jan 01 2016

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

ALPINE THE AVENER BIRDS OF TOKYO BLOC PARTY BØRNS COURTNEY BARNETT DISCLOSURE DJANGO DJANGO FOALS GANG OF YOUTHS GARY CLARK JR. HALSEY HIATUS KAIYOTE HILLTOP HOODS KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS LITTLE MAY THE MACCABEES MAC DEMARCO THE MERRI SOUL SESSIONS FEATURING CLAIRY BROWNE • DAN SULTAN • KIRA PURU • VIKA & LINDA BULL MEG MAC OH WONDER PAUL KELLY PRESENTS RÜFÜS SETH SENTRY TORO Y MOI YOUNG FATHERS BOOGIE NIGHTS ART VS SCIENCE EL VEZ FLEETMAC WOOD ‘WEIRD AL’ YANKOVIC PLUS PLENTY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

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BACHELOR OF ARTS (SCREEN) #1 IN AUSTRALIA # OPPORTUNITY # LIFECHANGING

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, Sam Caldwell and Vanessa Papastavros

songwriters’ secrets WITH

JAMES TEAGUE The First Song I Wrote The Song That Makes Me Proud Oh, God… I think the first song I wrote I’m not sure I have a favourite song – 1. 4. was about a break-up when I was 17. I don’t it’s kind of like asking a parent which of their recall the title, but I know it was a super cheesy lament in the key of G. I may or may not remember how to play it. Maybe if you get me drunk. The Last Song I Released I’ve recently put out ‘Heaven’ – the 2. first single from my forthcoming album. It features some dreamy pedal steel lines by Shane Reilly (Lost Ragas and Voix D’or) and was mixed by Tony Dupé (Grand Salvo, Jack Ladder and Holly Throsby) in an old parish hall. Songwriting Secrets I usually write a melody/chord 3. progression first, which lends itself to certain

Tame Impala

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: Gloria Brancatisano, Jena Marino, Vanessa Papastavros, Jade Smith

GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)

TAMING THE FORECOURT

Though Kevin Parker may feel like he only goes backwards, from everyone else’s point of view, Tame Impala have definitely been moving from strength to strength of late. After an excellent set at Splendour, some universally loved collaborations with Mark Ronson and the critical acclaim of their fourth effort Currents, the Perth rockers have announced that they will now play the iconic Sydney Opera House Forecourt this November, joined by Mini Mansions. The contemporary music program at the Opera House this year has been a big one, so far having featured the likes of Morrissey, Sufjan Stevens, Bill Callahan and TV On The Radio. And November is certainly a month to look forward to – also seeing shows from Chet Faker and Florence + The Machine. Tame Impala take over the Forecourt on Wednesday November 11.

AWESOME INTERNS: Vanessa Papastavros, Elias Kwiet, Jade Smith, Bridget Lutherborrow 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, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Kate Robertson, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Lucy Watson, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227 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 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 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600 PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 follow us:

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Smith and revelled in his beautiful gloom for weeks without coming up for air. There’s also the early morning on my way back from an altered state, when a friend of mine put on Venus In Cancer by Robbie Basho – that record really changed me, but I couldn’t articulate how. His music is like an Easterninfluenced impressionist painting that transports you to another world entirely. Where: Petersham Bowling Club When: Friday August 28

continue on to Melbourne and Brisbane. It’ll also be our first chance to hear the American touring veterans’ new studio album The Light In You. Joining them in the support slot will be DJ James Dela Cruz of Melbourne electro cult heroes The Avalanches. The Sydney show goes down on Monday December 7 at Oxford Art Factory.

IT’S ON, FATHER JOHN

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com Krystal Le - 0421 662 486 / (02) 9212 4322 krystal@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

The Song That Changed My Life So many moments come flooding 5. back; the time I discovered XO by Elliott

xxx

words and sounds. The most liberating thing for me is to forget about key signatures and structure and allow the unborn song to possess me, even if it’s unintelligible at first. You’ll find that your subconscious has a way of leading you through the dark.

children they love most. It also depends on the mood I’m in, the audience I’m performing for and the emotions I’m feeling. Currently, my favourite song is the new single, ‘Heaven’. I’ve written a clarinet part for my friend Seb to accompany me with. It kills me.

FAIRLY FESTIVE

The regional New South Wales town of Berry is about to get an injection of local and international music. The new Fairgrounds Festival is making its way to the South Coast region this summer, boasting a fine selection of food, wine and beer and an impressive lineup of local and international performers. It’s an eclectic program spanning folk, garage and psych, featuring the likes of C.W. Stoneking, Father John Misty, Ratatat, Royal Headache and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Fairgrounds takes over Berry on Saturday December 5.

JONESTOWN IN TOWN

Iconic psych rockers The Brian Jonestown Massacre and their enigmatic leader Anton Newcombe have announced a trip Down Under as part of their 25-year anniversary lap of the globe. Since their last visit in 2013, the outfit have gone and released a new album – Revelation – which came out last year. But rest assured, they’ll also be playing tunes from their extensive back catalogue, and even some old songs that have never been played live before. They’re also releasing a limited edition ten-inch EP called The BJM Mini Album, which will only be sold from venues – a real collectors’ item. See them take over the Metro Theatre on Thursday November 19.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

Apart from being announced for this year’s Fairgrounds Music Festival, Unknown Mortal Orchestra have added a run of national dates to their visit this December. The Portland-viaNew-Zealand trio have also been locked in for Meredith Music Festival in Victoria, and will play headline shows in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. These will be their first shows in these parts since their exclusive appearance at last year’s Laneway Festival, and the first chance Aussie audiences will have to hear them

play songs from their latest effort Multi-Love. Catch them at the Metro Theatre on Friday December 4.

TURN UP THE REV

Neo-psychedelic masters Mercury Rev are on the way for their first Australian headline tour in well over a decade. Last here in 2002, their highly anticipated December tour will see the outfit stopping off at the newly minted Fairgrounds Festival in Berry, as well at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory, before they

Father John Misty AKA songwriter Josh Tillman has locked in a debut performance at the Sydney Opera House. The sharply cutting Baltimore singer-songwriter’s second album, I Love You, Honeybear, landed earlier this year to rave reviews, and remains a contender for the inevitable end-of-year best album lists. Misty’s work follows in the footsteps of John Lennon, Scott Walker and Randy Newman, all with a humorous undercurrent. Misty will play the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday December 8.

JULIA’S WILDERNESS

Following the release of her new album Have You In My Wilderness, Julia Holter will return to Australia this December. As well as headline shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, she will also make an appearance at this year’s Meredith Music Festival in Victoria. Have You In My Wilderness, Holter’s fourth album, was produced by Grammy Award winner Cole Greif-Neill, and features an assortment of electronic and acoustic instruments played by an ensemble of Los Angeles musicians. Holter will hit Newtown Social Club on Wednesday December 9.

PRATT IS BACK

Jessica Pratt will follow up her debut solo Aussie tour from last summer with a string of national dates this December. This time, the Californian folk singer will be joined by her sideman, guitarist Cyrus Gengras. See her at Newtown Social Club on Tuesday December 8.

Megadeth

MEGADETH ON TOUR

Megadeth have announced their return to Australian stages this October in line with the planned release of their as-yet-unnamed 15th album. Said album will be the band’s first with its new lineup, featuring Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Megadeth are widely regarded among the founding fathers of metal, alongside the likes of Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica. Having sold more than 50 million records worldwide, earned platinum certification in the US for five albums and received 11 Grammy nominations, they truly are certified thrash legends. Joining Megadeth in Oz will be Finnish group Children Of Bodom, who are also gearing up to drop a new album in October. Be at the Hordern Pavilion on Sunday October 18.

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T W E LV E F O U R THE NEW ALBUM

OUT AUGUST 28 T O U RI N G N AT I O N A LLY O C T/ NO V thep a p er ki tes . co m. a u

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live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, Jena Marino and Vanessa Papastavros

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit xxx

speed date WITH

ZOE GAULT FROM GINGER & DRUM mountains and snow, with two Nepal trekking trips in the bag and a lot of powder thrown between us. Keeping Busy Busy, busy, busy – the last three or four months have been packed with creating our live show off the back of a bunch of new tracks (and a trekking trip to Nepal). We’ve recently downsized from four to two as our siblings deserted us, so we’ve had quite a bit of tinkering to do! It’s been a super enjoyable process just having the freedom to bring the songs live without being too restricted by the recordings. Coming up is a tour in late September/October and we’re pumped to start sharing our stuff from the upper echelons of the stage again! Best Gig Ever One of the best gigs we ever played was our first EP launch at FBi Social – a DIY bill with all our mates onstage and a cracking sell-out crowd. It was one of our last as a four-piece, and we knew the band in its old format was coming to an end, so it was a real opportunity to embrace the journey the band had been on so far. Our favorite gigs are definitely when the crowd is there for the

2.

Your Profile Our music is a bit like walking into a big 1. South American cave lit with sunlight, and 3. walls glittering with green moss. But there’s a shiteload of spider webs so you know it’s hiding a bunch of evil and when the light fades there’s a killer suspense… Or you could say our music is restrained, singer-songwriterdriven indie-pop that floats over melodies but is always hooked into the beat. For a city job/ city-living band we’re strangely obsessed with

music, deeply involved and connecting with the band. Current Playlist Currently playing on the Walkman is a bit of Eves The Behavior and Lupa J. As always, we’re absolutely loving Seakae. Their latest album is enthralling and fits any scenario. We also recently discovered the best playlist on Spotify ever to be created called ‘Throw Back Dance Party’ with TLC, Destiny’s Child and Nelly, to name a few! Anything with Daniel Radcliffe rapping is also a priority. Your Ultimate Rider Our ultimate rider would be 100 individually wrapped craft beers with no bottle under the retail price of $50 and some Tooheys cans thrown in the mix just to keep things real. Additionally, blow-up versions of ourselves to help play the instruments as we always need more hands onstage.

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What: Rare Finds #5 With: Ocean Alley, March Of The Real Fly Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday August 28

The Pride

WOLLOMBI MUSIC FESTIVAL

This year’s Wollombi Music Festival has announced a cracking lineup, headlined by Marshall Okell and The Pride and featuring Knox Fiji, Righteous Voodoo, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate and more. The festival combines a beautiful mountain setting with an adjacent campsite, all packed with two stages and an eclectic mix of Australian bands and international talent. It’s a colourful, family-friendly festival with tasty bites and market stalls. What more could you ask for? The festival will be taking place on Saturday September 26, just two minutes outside the historic convict-built village of Wollombi. We’ve got a double pass to give away to one lucky winner (and their mate) – visit thebrag.com/freeshit to enter the draw. The Daphne Rawling Band photo by Colin Lucas

THE HORROR, THE HORROR Mojo Juju

It’s a big week ahead at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel, with the regular Wednesday night Sosueme event revealing its surprise headliner: none other than Miami Horror. Their gig this Wednesday August 26 marks the final addition to a massive homecoming album launch tour for the April release, All Possible Futures. Meanwhile, the free live music continues on Friday August 28 with three-piece Queensland punks Columbus, and on Saturday August 29 with headliners The Vanns and supporting act Akouo.

Dead Letter Circus

BASICS INSTINCT

MOJO’S NEW GROOVE

Mojo Juju has announced an intimate, stripped-back run of shows to see out the year, spread from September to December. In the first four months of this year the enigmatic performer released two singles and an album, saw the German film Bestefreunde premiere featuring a soundtrack of her back catalogue, and completed a full band national tour. This time she’ll be at The Basement on Saturday November 7.

As tight as a gang of old war buddies, or so they call themselves, Melbourne trio The Basics are touring around the country in October. Wally de Backer, Tim Heath and Kris Schroeder will be hitting the road in support of their latest album, The Age Of Entitlement – their first studio album in six years and already a staple on the radio airwaves. See them at The Basement on Friday October 16.

NEVER HAD TO LOCK ON WOOD

To celebrate the release of new EP Sirens, Woodlock have announced they will be hitting the road throughout October and November for a run of shows. The folk-rock trio, originally from New Zealand and Yarrawonga, met while they were travelling overseas and decided to relocate to Melbourne. After writing songs together, they bought an old caravan and travelled up and down the East Coast playing music wherever they could and making a

Gay Paris

A DEAD LETTER DAY

Another band has been confirmed for the 2016 incarnation of Soundwave. Australia’s own Dead Letter Circus have been locked in for the 2016 lineup, following the release of their most recent album Aesthesis. They join the recently announced first act, Bullet For My Valentine. After spanning two days in 2015, the festival will return to a one-day format next year. Soundwave 2016 comes to Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday January 24.

name for themselves on the busking scene. As a result the band has sold more than 26,000 EPs and racked up more than a million Spotify streams. Woodlock play Newtown Social Club on Friday October 23.

PRIMED TO IGNITE

The official launch of the 2015 Sydney Fringe Festival will see Erskineville Road transformed into an enormous musical feast. Fringe Ignite: Heat The Street is an afternoon and evening of eclectic live local music on Erskineville Road, with performances cropping up all along the strip – inside venues, cafés, restaurants and the 1920s-themed Festival Hub bar. The impressive lineup curated by Thirsty Merc frontman Rai Thistlethwayte includes Nacho Pop & Stale Biskitz Crew, Woodes, Morgan Evans, On The Stoop, Tina Harrod, Dean Lewis, Simon Day, Betty & Oswald, Phil Stack, Marcello Maio, Martha Marlow and Matt Formatt. It is the first time the Sydney Fringe is presenting a Festival Village in Erskineville courtesy a range of pop-up spaces, shop fronts and street activations, breathing creative energy into the streetscapes of the Inner West. Take a trip down Erskineville Road, Erskineville on Saturday September 5.

MASTERS OF THE DARK ARTS

Gay Paris will this September be releasing their latest album, Ladies And Gentlemen: May We Present To You The Dark Arts, and to celebrate they’re heading on tour for the three months following. The huge tour will see the Satanic-worshipping metallers play 19 shows from September to December, kicking things off in Wollongong and playing a tonne of regional and capital city venues before wrapping things up in Launceston. Their Sydney date is at Newtown Social Club on Saturday September 26.

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ALL ABOARD THE LAGWAGON

Santa Barbara punk rockers Lagwagon have already toured their latest record across America and Europe, and now it is Australia’s turn. They’ll play eight shows while they are here, kicking things off in Byron Bay. Hang is the band’s first record in nine years and has

taken on a darker and more hard-charging sound than some of Lagwagon’s best-known work. Joining the five-piece on the road are Canadian quartet The Flatliners. See the show at the Metro Theatre on Saturday November 28.

Bully

BULLY TO YOU

Pop-punk outfit Bully intend to leave a bruise on Aussie fans this December. Taking to the stage this year all across the US, including a spot at the 2015 incarnation of Lollapalooza, nothing is stopping the Nashville performers as they head to our shores for the first time. With a busy schedule on their hands including a spot on this year’s Meredith Music Festival lineup, Bully are continuing to go from strength to strength. They’ll take over Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday December 9.

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THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS GROUP Strong coarse language

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IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 3 # STRAIGHTOUTTACOMPTON

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR

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* With entertainment figures from the past being investigated for possible sex abuses, how many planned autobiographies have been shelved? * Which Australian website has been gleefully identifying top names in the consumer electronics field caught in the Ashley Madison mess by typing in familiar email addresses? * What was behind the brawl between two sets of road crews? * 5 Seconds Of Summer guitarist Michael Clifford has explained new single ‘She’s Kinda Hot’ sounds similar to My Chemical Romance’s 2006 song ‘Teenagers’ because of the

“12-bar blues� and “it might be in the same key as well�. * In the meantime, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has revealed he got a letter from someone claiming to be Samm Culley of ’70s funk outfit Skull Snaps, saying the drum intro for track ‘Eventually’ has an unauthorised sample from their 1973 track ‘It’s A New Day’. Parker says he played the intro himself. * The most photographed street in Australia last week was Azalea Street in Mullumbimby. The media descended on the small town in northern NSW for stories around Iggy Azalea’s return to Oz. The family lived on Azalea Street, which inspired the former Amethyst Kelly’s change of name.

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APRA AMCOS has introduced three new additions to its $1 million music grants program. The largest of the new initiatives is worth $135,000 for composers of ‘art’ music – jazz, experimental and classical. APRA board member and chair of the Australian Music Centre, Nigel Westlake, said art music was being recognised for its “influence ‌ toward the creation of innovative and vibrant works, and [APRA] acknowledges the need to nurture and embrace this contribution toward a healthy ecosystem, thereby promoting a diverse and fertile foundation for musical practice in Australia.â€? In order to commission up to eight new Australian or New Zealand composers, the fund will invest $100,000 in its first year, with plans to expand on this as partners come on board with matched funding. An Art Music Fund advisory group will be established in the coming months.

VEVO GROWS DOWN UNDER

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The Vevo platform has witnessed a significant growth in users and revenue in the first half of 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. According to Authentic Entertainment, which manages Vevo in Australia and NZ, June reported a 14% year on year growth. The two countries account for 147 million monthly streams, 115 million of which come from Australia. Vevo has also had a 205% increase in monthly revenue in the past 18 months. Authentic predicts hitting the 200 million monthly streams mark in the next 12 months.

SNOWTUNES HITS BACK AT ‘BREACHES’ CLAIMS

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Organisers of Jindabyne’s inaugural Snowtunes, which drew 4,000 people, have hit back at claims of breaches by the Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (OLGR). The OLGR says it’s taking action, alleging that “seriously lacking and insufficient� security staff at the festival were so busy trying to catch fence-jumpers that they didn’t control acts of drunken behaviour including vomiting and urinating in front of other patrons. It also cited instances of underage drinking, including a 13-year-old being intoxicated in the toilets. Snowtunes’ organisers have responded, saying they are “shocked� at the “inaccuracies� of the OLGR report, and that they have received “positive feedback� from St John, Red Cross Save A Mate, police and security after the event. “[We] reiterate that safety and responsible service of alcohol are always our highest priority during any event. The Snowtunes event met all security requirements with a high concentration of qualified personnel.� They challenged the OLGR “to provide clarity and evidence to support their claims�.

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Artist First Pty Ltd is a new online music merchandise company launched in Australia. It specialises in personalised band, brand and event webstores and online fulfilment. It is headed by Dave Jiannis of Epitaph Australia, with Love Police ATM and the Staple Group as partners. Day-to-day operations are run by Caz Worsley, ex-head of marketing at Shock Entertainment, and recently consumer marketing manager at Converse

* Byron band Valhalla Lights’ 32-minute documentary Shades Of Black was selected from hundreds of entries as one of ten finalists in the Salt Lake International Film Festival. The doco chronicles their challenges in recording and releasing their debut album Krypton after the tragic death of vocalist Phoebe Black, whom they replaced with Ange Saul. * After Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson, Jr. played his old man in the new N.W.A box office smash biopic Straight Outta Compton, one of its producers is discussing the two starring in an LA riots thriller. * Among the South Australian recipients of the second Stigwood Fellowships are Oisima, Timberwolf, LK

Australia. Visit artistfirst.com.au.

BOOMERANG RETURNS TO BLUESFEST Indigenous music and arts festival Boomerang is back at Bluesfest 2016. “The Boomerang precinct at Bluesfest is all about cherishing culture and ending the disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia,� said Bluesfest director Peter Noble. Boomerang debuted as a standalone festival in 2013 and was nominated for Best New Event at the 2014 Australian Events Awards and Best Indigenous Tourism for the 2014 NSW State Tourism Awards. Due to funding issues, however, it was not held this year. See boomerangfestival.com.au.

CAROLINE LEARNS GOOD MANNERS Caroline Australia/Universal has announced its latest label partnership with Melbourne’s Good Manners Records. Good Manners started in early 2014 as a management company (Banoffee, I’lls, Klo, Lucianblomkamp, Planète) and recently started doing live shows and publicity (Oscar Key Sung, Chet Faker’s Detail Co. label). The first release by Good Manners Records will be Lucianblomkamp’s second album Bad Faith in early 2016.

LIVE MUSIC DISCUSSION Live Music Frontiers is a panel discussion by Music Australia and the Live Music Office with Sydney Fringe and MusicNSW. It will feature Mark Gerber (Oxford Art Factory), Bill Cullen (OneLouder), Damian Cunningham (Live Music Office), Sybil Bell (Independent Venue Week, UK) and Yvette Myhill (AAM) as speakers. Take part on Sunday September 6 at Erskineville Town Hall. It’s free but you need to register at musicnsw.com.

VILLAGE ROADSHOW/ANIMAL LOGIC INTERNSHIP Australians In Film, the Los Angelesbased guild for Australian entertainment pros, has opened applications to the Village Roadshow Entertainment Group and Animal Logic Internship for Aussie undergrad students and recent graduates in the film business. It involves working with Village Roadshow Pictures and Animal Logic execs in LA from January to March 2016 (travel and living costs covered), gaining experience in developing, acquiring, packaging and producing feature films for the international market. Deadline is Friday October 2, see australiansinfi lm.org.

MUSIC VIDEOS FOR BYRON FILM FESTIVAL The tenth Byron Bay International Film Festival will run next October. This year’s incarnation, which went down in March, saw 225 films selected, of which 24 were world premieres, 91 Aussie premieres and 17 by filmmakers aged under 25. It also has a Best Music Video category, which has included such past nominees as Deadmau5, Massive Attack, Goyte, Air and Goldfrapp. Entries are open now – go to bbff.com.au for full details.

DOT DASH/REMOTE CONTROL SIGNS BANOFFEE Dot Dash/Remote Control Records

McKay, Grenadiers, Horror My Friend, Skies, and industry people Ash Wilson of Young Muscle management, Kate Cudbertson of Somefriendly PR and Steve Pitkin of Scumfest. * Diplo says Major Lazer’s hit ‘Lean On’ was turned down by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. * Activist group Collective Shout, which put the brakes on Tyler, The Creator’s Australian tour, has also managed to get lads’ magazine Zoo pulled off Coles shelves. * Singer-songwriter Mike Waters wants people to send him their best festival photos for inclusion in his video for new single ‘Feels Like Home’, which was inspired by his visit to last year’s Splendour In The Grass.

has signed Banoffee for the worldwide release of her October-due second EP, Do I Make You Nervous?. Banoffee is the solo project of Melbourne singer and producer Martha Brown. First single ‘With Her’ was produced by long-time collaborator Oscar Key Sung.

Lifelines Married: Ronan Keating and Australian TV producer Storm Uechtritz, in a Scottish mansion. Married: Gold Coast singer Ricki-Lee Coulter and Richard Harrison, during a holiday in Paris. Expecting: overcome while singing ‘Piece By Piece’ about her strained relationship with her dad, Kelly Clarkson announced at a LA show that she is expecting her second child, saying “I’m totally pregnant.â€? Recovered: after being rushed to hospital with severe dehydration, Slipknot bassist Alessandro ‘Vman’ Venturella has been given the all clear. Injured: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s US tour was cancelled following the guitarist Giraldo’s emergency eye surgery. Ill: Black Flag/Misfits guitarist Dez Cadena has throat cancer. Hospitalised: two punters at Darwin’s Lostfest, after taking an unknown purple pill. In Court: Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay has won a restraining order against “unpredictableâ€? and “aggressiveâ€? Australian stalker Ilona Angel, who camped outside his house for two weeks. She denied the charges but was fined ÂŁ1,045 in total. Sued: A$AP Rocky is being sued for US$75,000 by a fan for a crowd-surfing incident during which she fractured her spine. In Court: a family dispute between Jimi Hendrix’s stepsister Janie (who runs the guitar legend’s estate) and brother Leon over the sale of his merchandise through hendrixlicensing.com has been settled. Died: British manager Jazz Summers (Wham!, The Verve, Snow Patrol) after a two-year battle with lung cancer, 71. Died: US producer Bob Johnston, 83, best known for his work on landmark records like Bob Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde, Simon & Garfunkel’s Sounds Of Silence and Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison. Died: Karolyn Ali, 70, who produced the Oscar-nominated 2003 documentary Tupac: Resurrection.

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Gold Class All About You By Lachlan Kanoniuk

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t’s Monday night in Melbourne’s north. A decent turnout fills the newly renovated Northcote Social Club – the venue’s Monday Night Mass program usually draws a strong showing, but there’s a certain energy in tonight’s atmosphere. It’s been a while since the last Gold Class performance; not too long, but long enough. We’re on the cusp of their debut album, It’s You, and even for the initiated, this show is something special. This is the start of something good.

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The week prior, guitarist Evan James Purdey and vocalist Adam Curley sit at a Fitzroy bar. It wasn’t too long ago – around a year and a half – that they put together the initial idea that became Gold Class, debuting last year with the single ‘Michael’. “It was one of our first songs,” Purdey says. “That was after three rehearsals. There was one rehearsal where it was long, dirgey ten-minute jams, then after that we pieced together song ideas. After a few rehearsals, that was one of two or three songs we had. In terms of deciding to release it, we just thought it had a chorus.” “That was October last year,” adds Curley. “We started playing in January, with our first show in April. We were sitting around, and Evan said he had some guitar ideas he’d been playing around with. I think I wrote some vocal stuff to those parts, then that was all scrapped by the time the four of us got together. We just started from scratch.” “That’s been the modus operandi: to put something together then deconstruct it completely until there’s a song,” Purdey says. “It’s laborious, but it’s good. You think, ‘Thank fuck!’ when you get to the end and you have a song.”

There’s a sense that Gold Class arrived fully formed in the live setting – a notion compounded by It’s You, resolute in its vision and dynamic. “I don’t think any of us are particularly interested in releasing three EPs then a record,” says Curley. “What’s the point of that? The record should just be the songs you have, the songs you’re playing live, on an album.” “It made it harder to separate the songs,” says Purdey. “We couldn’t have done an EP or two EPs – this is a body of work and we put it out as one whole package.” “There aren’t any loose ideas that go through, we’re all pretty dedicated,” Curley says. “There’s no messing around,” laughs Purdey. The live force of Gold Class’ performances is undeniable, a frenzy of elements anchored by Curley’s stoic and soaring vocal prowess. “I don’t think the show itself has changed, I think we’re better at it,” says Purdey. “Less nervous. We’re starting to play again on Monday, so I’m getting those first show jitters all over again.” “It’s nice in that sense, having not really played, having talked about the record then jamming again, realising that’s just what we are,” Curley says. “We don’t have to think about it too much.” On record and in the live setting, Gold Class comprise each member’s distinct element – puzzle pieces that can stand in isolation, but click together so wonderfully. “Mark [Hewitt, drums]

is a mind reader,” Purdey laughs. “He can play everything. We’re jealous, so we make him play drums. A huge part of getting him to play in this band and a reason we’re thankful he was available is that he is so easy to communicate with as a musician. You can say something pretty abstract and he’ll go, ‘Oh yeah,’ and know what you’re talking about. You can get all Captain Beefheart – ‘Play like a yellow tree,’ sort of thing.” “That’s probably the case with all of us,” Curley says. “There aren’t many musical terms that get thrown about, they’re all pretty abstract ideas. Everyone seems to be on the same page generally, understanding what each other is talking about. We do talk about keeping things pretty minimal. If anything gets too elaborate, or too

grandiose, it gets cut down pretty quickly.” “Space is important, making sure everything has its little room to play in,” explains Purdey. “When it gets too big, that’s when we start to strip it back, that’s when the deconstruction happens.” Gold Class exude strains of the post-punk greats, yet still with distinctly Australian elements of tone. “I think in the past few decades there have been a million Australian bands we have been infl uenced by,” says Curley, himself a Queensland expat. “I don’t think it’s a post-punk thing,” says Purdey. “It might be a Melbourne thing, or a Brisbane thing. For whatever reason, it’s been interpreted as post-punk,

by us and people listening to it. There’s not much getting around the fact that it has that feel to it. It’s just a product of watching Bird Blobs or Dirty Three or The Drones. You listen to that when you’re younger and then turn that into something else when you work with different people.” What: Volumes 2015 With: Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders, The Laurels, Blank Realm, Canyons and many more Where: Oxford Square (Oxford Art Factory, Brighton Up Bar and The Cliff Dive) When: Saturday August 29 And: It’s You out Friday September 4 through Spunk

Jess Ribeiro Unfamiliar Ground By Augustus Welby

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elbourne-based singersongwriter Jess Ribeiro established her name with 2012’s My Little River – an album of acoustic alt-country recorded with her Darwin-based backing band, The Bone Collectors. This month, Ribeiro returned with her follow-up LP, Kill It Yourself. Having recently inked a deal with Remote Control Records, Ribeiro is witnessing perhaps more interest in her music than ever before. She has an undeniable knack for penning incisive, heart-stirring songs, and Kill It Yourself shows she’s committed to unlocking new areas of creativity. However, making music hasn’t yet become her primary occupation.

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“I think that songwriting will always be a part of my life, but when you talk about the security of performance and recording as a vocation – there’s a lot of people doing it now in a way that I suppose in the past we didn’t do it,” she says. “Maybe songwriting and performing was more communal, and now it’s more individualistic. I would love this to be my main vocation in life, however I’m also a trained Steiner teacher. Two days a week I’ll try to teach at school so that I know that I have a little bit of income to pay for what I love to do.” The strength of any artistic enterprise is highly dependent on the creator’s love for it. However, it’s not uncommon that the quest to turn music into one’s chief vocation quashes the genuine love of creativity. Kill It Yourself was produced by ex-Bad Seeds member and regular PJ Harvey collaborator Mick Harvey – a man who’s spent his entire adult 12 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

life making music. Witnessing Harvey at work filled Ribeiro with confidence. “He’s just so industrious and his enthusiasm for making things was really inspiring to me,” she says. “He’s a maker and a doer. I always find it’s great to be around older people who have done – and continue to do – things that you aspire towards getting better at doing. They’re usually more mature and a bit more relaxed. He was just quite reassuring: ‘Don’t be so precious, let’s make some songs. We make some things and they’re shit and we make some things and they’re good, and we keep making stuff, because we’re not brain surgeons. We’re musicians.’” Although Ribeiro’s emotionally resonant vocals still occupy centre stage, there are a number of conspicuous differences between Kill It Yourself and My Little River. The first thing that stands out is the diversified instrumentation – in contrast to the acoustic bent of My Little River, Kill It Yourself embraces electric guitars and a range of different textural elements that enhance the melancholic, ironic and tense demeanour of the songs. “I went to Mick with these halfconstructed, really simple songs that I had either composed on guitar or on the keyboard, or songs that I’d workshopped with my original band in Darwin,” Ribeiro says. “They were really sparse and we kept it pretty small – it was me, my friend Jade [McInally] on bass and Mick on drums. I think the thing that changed it was that Mick discovered a bass organ in this warehouse [A Secret Location Sound Recorders in Melbourne].

“There was all of these different types of instruments hanging around and I have a feeling it was probably the piano and the organ that he brought in. I haven’t had much previous experience with that and it just anchored the sound in a different way.” The updated textural palette is a clear example of the benefits of collaboration. However, Ribeiro and Harvey weren’t always on the same page. “I’ve got good string player friends, so that stuff was in my mind,” Ribeiro says. “I think that freaked Mick out a bit, because I probably came across as being really disorganised. I said, ‘I want strings on these parts,’ and he just said, ‘How the hell do you think you’re going to have strings on these songs? Do you even know how to arrange strings?’ I was like, ‘No, but I know how to work with

my friends.’ I think he was quite cynical about it. Then I just played them my song and talked to them about what I wanted roughly and they came in and both [Harvey] and the audio engineer thought it was great.” Another feature that separates Kill It Yourself from its predecessor is its darker tone. While you could draw comparisons to the likes of Cat Power or Scott Walker, if Ribeiro’s lyrics are taken to be at least partly autobiographical, reallife experiences are what set her on this path. “I think I was going through my Saturn return. You know, they say when you’re 28 that you just kind of fall apart or things change. I was in America and I was visiting my brother, and I think it was more the photography of Cindy Sherman,

and reading all of these books about Patti Smith. I went to Hotel Chelsea and I met this fortune teller there and he took me upstairs and his friends cut my hair, and I ran around the building and I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is where all of my heroes come from – Patti Smith and Leonard Cohen and all of these amazing artists.’ “But I don’t think I’m very good at premeditating and creating a concept album. Maybe I will next time, and go, ‘OK, I’m going to replicate David Bowie,’ or something.” What: Kill It Yourself out now through Barely Dressed/Remote Control Where: Red Rattler When: Friday September 4

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Sui Zhen Socks Appeal By George Nott

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here is a weird detail in Sui Zhen’s recent music videos. OK, there’s a whole lot of weirdness – see her holding a dead fish while naked from the waist down, laying in contemplation of a loaf of sliced bread, or scooping pink jelly into her mouth with condom-covered fingers – but one particular detail stands out. She is never wearing shoes, but always wearing socks. Even by the pool. Plain socks. Are they a clue to decipher all the pastel-coloured bizarre banality of her promotional films? “Yes. Yes. Yes,” she says. “It’s like a little thing. A misplaced detail. I’m also really into socks. I’m always like, ‘What socks shall I wear today?’ I have equal amount of socks to everything else. I have two big drawers of socks. I have heaps of socks. Also, people know that they can ask me when they’ve run out of socks. I’ve got every kind of sock and I don’t even like patterned socks. I’m very specific.” Sui Zhen is a Chinese-Malaysian name (given to her by her grandfather) and the middle names of Melbourne-based artist Becky Freeman. Performing under both her birth monikers, as well as DJ Susan and in various lineups including Sui Et Sui, Fox + Sui, Andrew & Rebecca and NO ZU, last year as Sui Zhen she released two EPs on cassette tape – Female Basic and Body Reset – through Tokyo-based labels. She now has a new guise and a new album, Secretly Susan. It’s Susan who is the besocked protagonist of Freeman’s surreal videos. “It is an alter ego,” explains Freeman, who wears a blonde wig and blue contact lenses when playing the role. “Susan actually started before any of the visuals, in the mixing phase. I was listening back to the songs and trying to find a link – I was just listing girls’ names. I wrote a synopsis for her, like, ‘Susan lives in a post-apocalyptic world and there’s no water left on the planet and it’s all pink’ – this sci-fi thing.” Susan introduces herself in ‘Take It All Back’, her hand posed self-consciously on cheek as if in an awkward dating video: “Hi. My name’s Susan. I love the water. Sunrise. Sunset.” The character developed as Freeman worked on the album’s visual elements, which she takes full control of.

“This album is more about experiences from my life and different events that have happened. It’s more emotional.” thebrag.com

“I can see things audio-visually often. It’s another component of the music,” she says. “It’s so specific now that if somebody else were to do it, it wouldn’t be quite right. “Susan emerged. She’s an amalgamation of how people might represent themselves in their digital documentation. It was a way of characterising that. The more time I had, the deeper I went into crafting this person. In the visual media, I definitely take on her role. It’s nice to have a limitation to work within. It gives you a direction. It’s more defined in terms of what belongs and what doesn’t belong.” Although Freeman is often in disguise in her self-produced and directed output, the songs on Secretly Susan come from the ‘real’ her. Taking influences from Japanese lovers rock, ’80s electro/bossa nova and dubby lounge music, it is laced with danceable beats and tropical, poolside pop. “The songs relate to specific things to me personally,” she says. “This album is more about experiences from my life and different events that have happened. It’s more emotional in that sense. Though I didn’t always realise. You might be using your art form to process some emotional thing that you’re not actually aware of. Later you listen back and you’re like, ‘Holy crap, I was totally singing about that!’” As for the socks, they’re more than just an eccentric passion. In the uncanny and confusing dystopia of Sui Zhen’s ‘Infinity Street’ and ‘Take It All Back’ videos, one can’t help but try to find meaning and make metaphors. The socks must have significance. They are the owls in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. The carpet pattern in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. “I feel like it’s quite representative of a lot of things I do, because I really like really simple pleasures and really enjoying them,” she explains. “There’s this not-scientifically-proven condition that people claim to have – it’s a bit of a fetish, and it’s one of the influences on the videos. It follows this idea of people speaking really softly and talking about everything they’re doing and tapping on things and making sounds. Like when you go to the doctor’s and they talk through the process: ‘I’m just going to bring my hand up here and it’s going to be a little bit cold.’ You feel calm because you know what to expect. You feel like things are under control. But it can make you hypersensitive. People are said to get this tingly rush. “It leads back to the sock thing. I feel I’m labouring on, but it’s the smallest, minutest part of your day. For me, there’s nothing better than a fresh pair of socks. You put them on and you’re like, ‘I feel ready.’” What: Secretly Susan out Friday August 28 through Dot Dash/Remote Control

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The Sword A Mighty Slice By Mathew Drogemuller writing really long songs these days. Maybe my attention span is getting shorter as I’m getting older. I was listening to some Tom Petty records the other day, and some of his classic hits are less than three minutes long. You realise you don’t need to play a riff a million times to make a song.” By drawing on a wide range of influences from blues to funk, Cronise and co. landed on a specific sound, which is overall surprisingly lacking in darkness. “To me it’s just fun music to play – that’s really the whole point,” he says. “A lot of the songs on the album are pretty straightforward and to the point. Some of the songs are more dynamic and go from really subtle to really heavy, but then there are songs like the first track, ‘Unicorn Farm’. That one we just made up in the studio. Our producer thought it would be really cool if the album started with a track that made people wonder if they were even listening to the right album.” With The Sword planning to tour the record to Australia early next year, the new flavour of its tracks has led them to suggest some songs might be left off the setlist altogether. “Some of the songs on the record are not really even rock’n’roll songs,” says Cronise. “There’s a synthesiser instrumental, an acoustic instrumental, a ballad. There might come a time and place where it would be cool to play those, but when we first hit the road it will be the full-band numbers.”

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ince the release of their acclaimed debut Age Of Winters, The Sword have thrust their way into the hearts of doom metal lovers everywhere, even earning a support slot on Metallica’s 2013 tour of Australia and New Zealand. The band’s latest album, High Country, has already received positive reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone, which compared the track ‘Empty Temples’ to the work of Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top. Lead singer and guitarist John ‘J.D.’ Cronise is happy with the reviews so far, noting that on this album The Sword have chosen to swing

their weapons in a slightly different direction. “I definitely hear the differences, but as far as trying to describe exactly what it is, I’ll leave that to others,” says Cronise. Those others have gone as far as to define the album as melodic Southern rock as opposed to metal – and Cronise accepts it’s a fair description. “It’s much more of a rock’n’roll album. It has a little moodiness here and there; it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Overall it’s meant to be mellow. It has its moments of intensity and

heaviness, but it’s not just beating your brains out from start to finish.” Now almost a decade into their career, The Sword are feeling more comfortable and confident in their capabilities, which has resulted in a more dynamic and variable fifth album. Despite its 15-song duration, the record is not overly long, due to the general brevity of the individual tracks. “The longest song on the record is barely five minutes,” says Cronise. “People seem to be into

Apart from the album’s stylistic expansion, High Country also represents a growing confidence in the band’s abilities and a maturity in its goals. “I would say we have better control now; I feel evolved,” Cronise says. “What we’re trying to do as songwriters now is not what we were trying to do initially. Back then, we were trying to make a much louder noise sonically; it was more about the riffs and the driving assault of the thing.” Still, he’s quick to clarify that they’re still metalheads at heart. “We still like stuff heavy, but it’s not heaviness for heaviness’ sake.” What: High Country out now through Razor & Tie/Cooking Vinyl

Lowtide Two For The Price Of One By Augustus Welby

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idway through last year, Lowtide emerged from the Melbourne underground with their fully formed, deftly constructed self-titled debut LP. For many fans of shoegazey dream-pop, the band was a fresh discovery. However, two releases preceded the album – 2010’s You Are My Good Light EP and 2011’s double A-side ‘Underneath Tonight’/‘Memory No.7’ – making it a lengthy gap before the first full-length. In light of this, it was a surprise to see Lowtide return last month with a new double A-side seven-inch, ‘Julia’/‘Spring’. “We had a lot of the songs from the album written and recorded in some form or another for a while, so I guess we’d already started work on new ideas while the album was coming out,” says one of the band’s two bassplaying vocalists, Giles Simon. “So we felt more equipped to deal with some new stuff, but we don’t really run to any schedule in terms of releases and plans for how we’re going to put music out. It just happens as it happens.”

Despite revolving around a strong pop hook, ‘Julia’ won’t be an obvious cover for listeners unfamiliar with the original. There can be a stigma attached to releasing covers as singles, but Lowtide inhabit the song to the point it doesn’t really matter who wrote it. “We had a friend Alan [Solly, of Simon’s other project, Orange] send us the song via email, then we started playing around with it in rehearsals,” says Simon. “We weren’t worried about whether or not it was a cover as much as making it our own version, given that we have a limited palette in terms of what we’re prepared to do musically. We wanted to keep the music live, to use instruments that we play live and not to overproduce things in a recording sense.

“I like the economy of using and releasing all of the music that we’ve been writing and recording,” says Simon. “We ummed and ahhed about it a little bit, but we really like the songs and feel like it’s a good way to have a record of all the music we’ve been making. We’re not really a band that writes music and then discards it.”

Although they didn’t alter their technical set-up to match the original, in terms of tone and structure Lowtide haven’t deviated too far. “It’s definitely a homage in that sense,” says Simon. “The point is, we feel like whenever we play a song, it’s going to sound like Lowtide given the way the band is set up.”

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The world has become a vastly different place since the original ‘Julia’ was released 27 years ago. So from a thematic point of view, Lowtide’s version gives the song a new significance. “I was thinking about it as maybe a nostalgia for the Gillard era,” says Simon. “I like re-establishing a song that had nothing to do with the context in which we are, [with] which we can then make contextual relationships to what our situation is. I’m interested in the idea of how songs can become traditional. Say the way that folk music became traditional, and it was more the recordings and interpretations and performances of songs than the authorial originality of the music.” The other half of the disc, ‘Spring’,

picks up precisely where Lowtide left off. It’s hard to find any critical feedback on the album that doesn’t use the descriptors ‘shoegaze’ and ‘dream-pop’. But while the sound of the band suggests the members have a deep interest in those genres, taste and creativity don’t always directly correspond. “Songwriting-wise, I feel like I really cemented the way I write and approach writing music probably over ten years ago,” says Simon. “But at the same time, I’ve been listening to a pretty broad range of music recently. With Lowtide, we come together with mutual interests in these broadly defined genres of guitar pop music and that’s where we try to keep it focused. Everyone has their own interests – Lucy

[Buckeridge, co-vocalist] has a pretty deep soft spot for country music and I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic music, like Laurie Spiegel and Éliane Radigue. But I see a relationship still between the music that we make and my music interests generally. “But it’s more that we have a certain approach to making music and we use basic musical tropes to approach our songwriting. We’re playing bass, guitar, drums and singing – it’s not a groundbreaking set-up for a rock band. We’re not trying to be too experimental in any sense.” With: Terza Madre, Raindrop Where: Newtown Social Club When: Sunday August 30 thebrag.com

Lowtide photo by Callum Thomson

The two tracks aren’t quite brand new – ‘Julia’ is a cover of French post-punk/coldwave band Asylum Party (whose original version came out in 1988), while ‘Spring’ was left over from the Lowtide sessions. Nevertheless, these songs were shown just as much love as all the band’s previous releases.

“I was looking at the YouTube clip, that amazing video that was released for Asylum Party’s ‘Julia’ in ’88, and one of the comments was, ‘Back then everyone and his dog had a Yamaha DX7,’ which is the keyboard you see front and centre of the video clip. Gabe [Lewis] prides himself on making as wild an amount of sound as he can out of his guitar and nothing else. That’s the kind of thing we’re interested in, more so than whether or not strategically it’s a good idea to be releasing a cover as a single.”

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The Delta Riggs Double Dipping By Erin Rooney

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ex, drugs, rock’n’roll? If only it were that simple. Despite the influence of ’70s and ’80s bands like The Clash, The 101ers and Primal Scream on the look and feel of Melbourne rockers The Delta Riggs, there’s much more to them, according to bassist Michael ‘Monty’ Tramonte. “Although we do have sex, take drugs and play rock’n’roll, we’re pretty tame,” he says. “We’re not actually very wild – we’re not one of those kind of bands.”

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In general, The Delta Riggs try not to take themselves too seriously – at the end of the day, they’re all just mates hanging out, and that’s what they find most exciting about creating music together. But don’t be fooled – though they are certainly laid-back and humble, the Riggs have had some amazing opportunities thrust upon them. They’ve joined forces on tour with Kasabian, Foo Fighters, and even met Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page by chance backstage at one of their shows. Tramonte is still in awe of touring with a band like the Foo Fighters, as the Riggs did in February and March this year, and can hardly believe they were given the opportunity. “The touring on that level was just ridiculous,” he recalls. “It was so well-oiled, there were so many crew involved, it was just amazing. You can do that forever, that kind of style of touring – you wouldn’t get sick of it.” But Tramonte also holds memories of the 2014 tour with Kasabian very

dear, listing it as one of his favourites so far because of how at ease the headliners made their counterparts feel. “They kind of reminded us of us, in a way! They were just a bunch of really great mates, and got all personal. They were silly – like they carry on with a bunch of really silly stuff.” Indeed, The Delta Riggs can be pretty silly too. Though the name of their second album, Dipz Zebazios, was intended to be left open for interpretation, Tramonte admits there is a bit of a story behind it. “Dipz Zebazios is a person that’s like the god of celebrities. He’s pulling all the puppet strings and he’s up in the clouds, and the name just came from our artist friend who had a piece of artwork that had a title that was similar. Then there was a pile of dips next to it, like Jatz and dips, so we were like, ‘Dipz Zebazios’! It’s kind of silly – we’re a silly band. People think we’re really serious, but we’re not!” It’s this quirkiness that gives the band its spark. Though there’s a wide spread of musical interests in the group, like hip hop, punk and alternative, different sounds get meshed together in the writing process and it all comes together to form a united sound. “It obviously has to end up sounding cohesive, like we are the same band, which I think we do quite well in the end,” says Tramonte. “We’ve got those punk songs, and rock’n’roll songs, and just kind of groovy songs

and stuff, but it all sounds like the same band.” For Record Store Day in April, the band put out a new collection, Dipz From The Zong. Again, the Riggs made the name of the mini-album an in-joke – they were listening to Cyprus Hill’s Hits From The Bong on tour and figured they should pay tribute. Despite the fact Dipz Zebazios was still fresh on the scene, the choice to follow it up so quickly was inspired by the likes of Kurt Vile and The War On Drugs, who’ve similarly released extra tracks after an album and given a platform to songs that didn’t quite make the initial cut. “There was a couple [of songs] that were looming but didn’t really fit, but were still kind of cool and weird,” Tramonte explains. “There’s this fucking turbo song on there – ‘3D Jetfighter’ – it’s this crazy song! And there’s a song on there called ‘Hey Victor’ that just didn’t fit on that record at that time, and it was just a good excuse.” The Delta Riggs will be playing at Wollongong’s Yours & Owls Festival in October alongside the likes of The Rubens, Gang Of Youths and more Aussie rock acts. After appearances at Groovin The Moo and Splendour In The Grass earlier this year, the Riggs have made their way all around the festival circuit, and are sure to bring their best once again. “Groovin The Moo was just an amazing festival – we saw all our friends, like the DMA’s and The Preatures, and we became really good friends with Sticky Fingers,”

“Although we do have sex, take drugs and play rock’n’ roll, we’re pretty tame. We’re not actually very wild.”

says Tramonte. “That was a great family vibe festival.” But as much as they love hanging out, The Delta Riggs really are all about transporting people through their music. “I just hope that we can kind of take people away from the mundane, their everyday lives,” Tramonte says. “Like you’re with us for an hour, and that’s all that matters right now.”

What: Yours & Owls Festival With: The Preatures, Cloud Control, The Rubens, Gang Of Youths and more Where: Stuart Park, North Wollongong When: Friday October 2 – Sunday October 4 And: Dipz From The Zong out now through Inertia

21.8.15

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Apply now

Trimester 3 commences

07 09 15

Australian Institute of Music For more information visit aim.edu.au or call Sydney: 02 9219 5444, Melbourne: 03 8610 4222 C CO CR CRI COS C OS O S 00 006 66 665 65C 65

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1–30 ER B M E T P SE 2015

Sydney Fringe Festival 2015

e Spiriety rn The FeBsytiv Annie Mu

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or all Sydney’s big shiny venues and fashionable watering holes, it’s a city full of overlooked nooks and undiscovered crannies. That’s where Sydney Fringe Festival comes in. Throughout the month of September, the Fringe puts the focus on Sydney’s independent arts sector. With the Fringe now in its sixth year, festival director Kerri Glasscock explains how it’s found a new sense of confidence. “Last year was more about welcoming the community into the world of independent artists – to get people to go to smaller spaces,” she says. “This year we’re hitting the streets. We’re going to be a lot more visual than we have been in past years.” The beating heart of this year’s festival will be the Festival Village, taking up residence for the first time in Erskineville. “We have partnered with the local businesses and will be creating a hub for the entire festival,” says Glasscock. “We are building a custom-built 60-seat theatre, a little speakeasy lounge and a 1920s-themed bar, and we’re doing some amazing site-specific work in the church hall.”

With first-time Fringe-goers in mind, the festival program has been broken up into weekly themes. From a week spotlighting the inner city through to one packed with family-friendly events, the program is designed to facilitate maximum engagement between artists and audiences. “We had a focus on geographical precincts last year as a way of navigating through the city,” says Glasscock. “And from those precincts, we found themes arose quite naturally. We try to highlight the natural identity of spaces; we try to put things where they naturally fit. We’ve gone with our intuition, so hopefully that offers audiences a clearer and more concise experience.” The Sydney Fringe remains an infant compared to other more worldly and well-established Fringe festivals in other cities. This has its advantages and disadvantages, as Glasscock explains. “The benefit is we can tailor the festival to work for our city,” she says. “Unlike Adelaide and their Fringe Festival, Sydney is quite spread out. So we work hard to create dense pockets of activity like the Festival Village in Erskineville and our other mini-hubs. On the flipside, there is a preconception about what a Fringe

Festival is, and we sit slightly outside that. We’re not attached to a main stage festival, obviously. For us, it’s more about highlighting the independent artists of the city. It’s an opportunity for them to come together and make a lot of noise.” Of course, staging an ambitious event doesn’t come without hurdles. Sydney is quickly becoming a city of struggling performance venues and stifling bureaucratic regulations. “The lack of suitable and dedicated venues is the most crucial problem affecting our sector, in my opinion,” says Glasscock. “It’s highlighted in a program like this because there is an intense amount of artists that want to put on shows. The reality is we live in one of the most expensive cities in the world now. Suburbs that were culturally friendly are becoming gentrified. It’s making it difficult for venues to survive.” However, there is hope on the horizon. Glasscock sees the Sydney Fringe as an exercise in cultural and logistical innovation. “We’re tackling the problem head-on this year and have partnered with the City Of Sydney to test a pop-up temporary theatre licence project. We’re looking forward to breaking down barriers, testing practical solutions and opening up affordable spaces for artists.”

fit. We’ve gone with to put things where they naturally try we ; ces spa of y ntit ide l ura experience.” “We try to highlight the nat iences a clearer and more concise aud rs offe t tha lly efu hop so , our intuition As one of the star Fringe attractions, performance artist and so-called festival mascot Peter Baecker echoes Glasscock’s concern for Sydney’s struggling cultural scene. “I think the city just needs to take it easy,” he says. “Many things criminalised in Sydney are not crimes. It is a very controlled environment. Of course, violence on the streets is terrible but I’m not so sure more control brings more security.” Dividing his time between Sydney and Berlin, the Viennese artist is passionate about improvised spaces and making the most of every moment. He began working as a DJ and, unable to resist the lure of throwing hot shapes to ’80s pop classics, became a go-go dancer. “I started as a bearded tranny because I saw Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert and was completely addicted,” he says. “Me and a friend started DJing in drag and creating a good time for people, which apparently I’m still doing.” Baecker is celebrating 20 years of performance this year. Constantly developing new artistic approaches, he has pushed the limits of public engagement. “I see myself in the tradition of the Fluxus movement of the ’60s, where the real art happens within the audience,” he says. “The artist simply creates the setting that makes things possible.” The project he has developed for the Fringe will be an open-ended performance roaming across three venues close to the Sydney CBD. “When you work in public spaces with random people – Broadway Shopping Centre, for example – anything can happen,” he says. “The idea is to ship Peter Baecker to Sydney where he creates a living space out of a shipping crate.”

Baecker’s performance persona is channelled through a flamboyant silver body suit and mohawk hairstyle. “The suit plays with people’s prejudices; it’s not a particularly spectacular costume but it’s high-impact,” he says. As a specialist in generating good vibes, Baecker pairs this ensemble with his love for ’80s music. “When I heard ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer for the first time, I was shaken to the core,” he says. “Pop beats are my heartbeat.”

In addition to Baecker, the Fringe program is packed with diverse acts, advocating art of all shapes and sizes. For instance, Loose: A Private History Of Booze And Iggy Pop 1996 – 2015 will be staged at Eliza Street in Newtown. The pseudobiography features New Zealand’s awardwinning comedian Jonny Potts. Over at Giant Dwarf, Winter Is Coming is a spoof show that ought to lure in fans of the wildly popular HBO series, Game Of Thrones. And on a subtler note, 6 Degrees Of Ned Kelly is an elusive play built around bushranger ancestry, to be staged at Erskineville Town Hall. Peter Baecker

More: For the full Sydney Fringe program, visit sydneyfringe.com 18 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

In terms of musical highlights, Cold Chisel’s Don Walker and his band will be performing a set of blues covers and original tunes. Singer-songwriter Wes Carr

Peter Baecker photo by Florian Groehn

Spontaneity is an essential part of Baecker’s artistic formula. “I don’t want to make art in safe places,” he says. “In galleries, you have this big sign that says, ‘This is art – treat it with respect.’ But if you encounter my art in a public space, you might think I’m a crazy homeless guy. Every possible association can happen because you don’t have those preconceptions. I want my art to be as free-floating as I can make it.”

will be presenting Here Comes The Sun, a moving interpretation of George Harrison’s songbook. And dialling up the tempo a notch, Redfern Groove is an open-invite celebration of indigenous music, culture and community. Even beyond music, theatre and comedy, this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival is bursting with colourful events. Aimed at raising the underground scene to the surface, it is also an opportunity to counteract the negative impact of funding cuts and lockout laws. Glasscock sums up the ethos: “It’s great to write statements to the Senate, but the best way to support the independent sector is to support their work.”

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2015 SYDNEY FRINGE FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS SUN

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POP-UP FRINGE CHIPPENDALE

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PARTY 6:00PM VENUE 505 SURRY HILLS

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7:00PM & 9:30PM VENUE 505 SURRY HILLS

3:00PM-7:00PM ERSKINEVILLE ROAD

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8:30PM OLD 505 THEATRE SURRY HILLS

7:00PM REGINALD THEATRE CHIPPENDALE

PLOT KINSKI AND I

IMPACT

8:30PM 505 @ 5 ELIZA ST NEWTOWN

THE GREAT BIG STORY BOOK

11:00AM FRINGE KIDS MARRICKVILLE TOWN HALL

VANILLA

JUNGLE

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BRITANNIA WAVES THE RULES

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SCREAMERS!

DINNER

7:00PM THE IMPERIAL HOTEL ERSKINEVILLE

7:00PM MARRICKVILLE TOWN HALL

DELUX EDITION

PARTY

TOMMY

DEAN

LESSONS LEARNED

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8:15PM FACTORY THEATRE MARRICKVILLE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

SYDNEYFRINGE.COM thebrag.com

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That’s Showbiz

Best Of The Fest…

[CABARET]

With Jade Smith and Vanessa Papastavros

The Entertainment Game By Tegan Jones

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urlesque and comedy are two mediums that have always gone hand in hand. Or perhaps we should say, tassels in hand? The Lowdown Hokum Orchestra and Burlesque Dancers will be reviving this classic style as part of this year’s Sydney Fringe. Their debut stage show, That’s Showbiz, will explore the nature of the music scene and relationships in a fun-filled light. Show creator and long-time jazz musician Doc White chats about his first foray into burlesque and what he hopes audiences will take away. “I first floated the idea in 2013 and it took nearly a year to get it up and running. I had been playing blues and related music for more years than I care to remember, and I wanted to take that to a wider audience and make it a piece of theatrical entertainment. “It seems to have worked, because people have been exposed to blues music and early jazz that they otherwise wouldn’t have. That’s one of the comments that comes back frequently; people asking where the music came from.”

Despite his background on the Australian jazz and blues circuit, White has found the feedback overwhelmingly positive for his first venture into the wider world of theatre.

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#1

“The theatrical piece really developed a life of its own as well, which was a bit surprising to me,” he says. “People who come from a theatrical appreciation aspect are enjoying the show too, which is a bonus for us.” Seeing as the Sydney Fringe attracts an array of different audiences, I wonder whether the Lowdown Hokum team hopes to introduce a younger crowd to the mysteries of jazz and blues. “The blues and jazz audience tends to be much older and who grew up with the bands from the English blues explosion and then explored and went back through,” White explains. “Younger audiences come to that blues and roots music through the younger guys like Ash Grunwald. I wanted to expose a younger audience to the music and felt they would like it if they had a chance to listen to it. So we are bringing a

Project Ugly Wall by Neil Tomkins younger crowd, which is really nice.” This is also White’s first attempt at burlesque, a style that was new to him as even a viewer. “I didn’t know much about the tradition of burlesque and when I was researching it I found that there were all these subgenres, so that was a bit of an eye-opener.” But despite being new to the style, his background in jazz and blues proved ideal. “Jazz and blues grew up in New Orleans; it was the music of the boarding houses and the bordellos, so

it had a relationship with burlesque in the sense that it grew out of those similar roots. They kinda developed in parallel with one another and crossed paths during various points of time … In the French nightclub scene, early jazz and blues were the big thing. So it seemed pretty logical to stick them together.” But the question is, what is That’s Showbiz actually all about? “It’s about a jazz singer, Dee Dee Delore [Nichaud Fitzgibbon], and her husband, who decide to stage a show to resurrect her failing

career. But she’s more concerned about her marriage, and unbeknownst to her husband, she hires an ex-musical partner and lover, played by me, who she’s using to make her husband jealous.

PRODUCED BY

Kithara Music Association AS PART OF

SYDNEY FRINGE FESTIVAL When keen utopian and nostalgic feelings freely meet, music cuts through to higher reality: the lucid dream of what Humanity stands for is already real existent life.

A Russian Dream: Europe, Asia – neither?

This music program contributes to the growing stream of culture bridging the current gaps created by political misunderstood differences.

Leichhardt and Annandale, Tuesday September 1 – Wednesday September 30

The Sydney Fringe has a diverse range of events happening all over the map, and Leichhardt Fringe has not disappointed us with its satellite program. A highlight on the Leichhardt Town Hall Civic Precinct bill is Project Ugly: Past Present & Future, a pop-up art trail curated by Tony Kenny. Founded in 2009, the project utilises an old advertising billboard to bring legal street art the general public. One of the artists exhibiting during the Fringe, Dan O’Toole – commonly known as Ears – will be DJing on the opening night, Wednesday September 16. Other Leichhardt picks include a visit from Ted Noffs Street University, which will be selling T-shirts made by the young people attending the program, as well as a forum addressing the issues around the ethical procurement and sale of indigenous art. Meanwhile, over at Parramatta Road, Annandale, Parramatta Road Goes Pop is a month-long exhibition that celebrates the history of movement, transportation and travel. Head to leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/leichhardtfringe to check out the full program.

“So there’s this underlying rivalry going throughout the show. It’s really about struggling in the music business and not losing sight of the big picture – families and relationships are important.” Where: Seymour Centre When: Tuesday September 8 – Saturday September 12

A Russian Dream

[MINI-HUB]

Leichhardt Fringe

PRESENTED BY

GOTTHARD KILLIAN CELLO

DANAË KILLIAN PIANO

Shostakovich Sonata Schnittke Sonata, ‘Sounding Letters’ Killian Five Russian Songs THU

FRI

SAT

Sept 3 4 5

TICKETS:

7pm $33 FULL $22 CONC SEYMOUR CENTRE Sound Lounge

Schnittke as well as Shostakovich certainly stand up for humanity in the East of Europe. The Russian Songs which are premiered in these concerts show their place between Europe and China, from where the composer Gotthard Killian just returned.

SEYMOUR CENTRE Sound Lounge Cnr Cleveland St & City Rd, Chippendale INFO & TICKETS: www.sydneyfringe.com 20 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

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A D A M B R A N D T H E M C C LY M O N T S M O R G A N E VA N S SUNNY COWGIRLS THE WOLFE BROTHERS ADAM ECKERSLEY BAND

T H E P I G S + 2 D AY S O F E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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ut our short films. rt films – we’re quite selective abo sho of e typ our w kno ple peo t l stuff.” “I think tha g that we screen really weirdo, coo win kno ple peo of ure cult a of bit We’ve gotten a selective about our short films,” he says. “We’ve gotten a bit of a culture of people knowing that we screen really weirdo, cool stuff. “We’ve always screened short films and we really like to support up-and-comers, but beyond that there’s a lot of freedom in short films, especially now with technology. And it shows too that a lot of the works that are in there are from students or from people who just graduated, because I think they don’t have the normal boundaries. These shorts are really liberated – they just kind of go all-out. Some of them are actually really, really controversial, some of the ones that I’m worried could well get banned.”

Digging Up The Marrow [FILM]

Sydney Underground Film Festival

nd Short Of Itn The Long ABy Kate Robertso Sydney Underground Film Festival is a celebration of the most subversive, experimental, controversial and generally hard-to-find cinema. This year, there are more than 100 films screening over four days in between the opening and closing night parties. “You’ll come out a little bit shell-shocked, in a good way,” predicts festival director Stefan Popescu. Timed to run alongside the Sydney Fringe, Sydney Underground Film Festival “sits in a historical tradition of underground cinema … [which] was always about independent

filmmaking, provocation, just general weirdo cinema, experimental stuff – some of it was just home artists,” says Popescu. The overarching aim of the festival is “to find films that are a bit more adventurous and push boundaries, whether it’s aesthetics, storyline, political – some sort of provocation”. The intention to provoke and challenge viewers will be established from this year’s opening night party, which commences with a 3D screening of Love, written and directed by Gaspar Noé. “We love Gaspar Noé, and we screened his last film Enter The Void, and we were tracking [Love’s] release for a while, and we’re also seeing the difficulties other festivals have,” Popescu says. “We always love a challenge – whenever there’s a film that no-one can get, we work really hard trying to get it. “[Noé is] really the highbrow version of underground cinema. He’s quite eccentric in his form and how he puts his films together, and he’s also on the margins of the mainstream.” However, what will probably be the most discussed aspect of Love is its inclusion of non-

simulated sex scenes. “It is pornographic, but he contextualises that pornography – I guess that’s the difference between something that wouldn’t be shown in public and something that is shown in public,” says Popescu. “With this particular film, you really do understand why he used unsimulated sex, and his character, because it tends to be autobiographical, is the character in the film – [that] contextualises [it] as well.”

Less likely to be controversial – though Popescu expects them to be just as popular – are the screenings of older classics. “[It’s] the 20th anniversary of Kids, and we love Harmony Korine – we’ve shown her before – and Larry Clark as well, so that was just a no-brainer. And of course Russ Meyer’s Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” For the first time, the 2015 program will also feature a series of masterclasses. “Some of the filmmakers will be running classes, and there will also be Q&As after their own films. We sort of decided this because a lot of our patronage have usually got some interest beyond watching films.” Specific aspects of filmmaking will be covered, such as independent film distribution, drone cinematography and special effects. “We’ve got the filmmaker from What Lola Wants, so he’ll be there to present that. There’s the filmmaker from Alvin’s Harmonious World Of Opposites and [Suzanne Crocker] from All The Time In The World is coming out from Canada as well.”

This year’s Sydney Underground Film Festival has scored several Australian premieres. Popescu points to highlights like Deep Dark, We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!, Digging Up The Marrow, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, Hellions and Knock Knock. The latter is the latest directorial offering from exploitation maven Eli Roth (Hostel), starring Keanu Reeves as an ‘everyman’ husband and father who is seduced and then tormented by two beautiful young women.

The message is clear: it’s time to explore the underground.

The program also includes a series of themed short film sessions. Popescu points to the return of the regular Love/Sick event, alongside the increasingly popular WTF Shorts. “I think that people know our type of short films – we’re quite

What: Sydney Underground Film Festival 2015 Where: Factory Theatre When: Thursday September 17 – Sunday September 20 And: For the full program, visit suff.com.au

[THEATRE]

Become A Functional Adult In 45 Minutes PACT Emerging Artist Hub, Tuesday September 1 – Saturday September 5 Finally, the show every struggling 20-something and beyond has been waiting for. While this isn’t a straightforward, how-to guide, there will educational videos and handy tricks to help us all along the way toward adult life. Centring around the story of Sophie, a borderline incompetent 22-year-old on the road to (hopefully) becoming a respectable adult, Become A Functional Adult In 45 Minutes is a bizarre yet relatable look at what it means to grow up and be the adult you want to be – all while doing taxes and cooking spaghetti Bolognese along the way.

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The Liberators

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[MUSIC]

Venue 505, Thursday September 24

#3

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Sydney-based tenpiece The Liberators will be playing a special show at Venue 505, a highlight of the Fringe musical lineup. Inspired by American funk and the Nigerian Afrobeat sound of the ’70s, and with a fierce debut album in tow, The Liberators create an array of heavy grooves that make for a deep, layered sound. Playing a one-off show for the Fringe, you can expect music that traverses the boundaries between reggae and funk and delivers soulful sonic treats straight to your ears. thebrag.com

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popUP

FRINGE This year we are popping up in temporary venues, street installations and art activations all over town as part of POP-UP Fringe.

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ART PHARMACY BAFCAT CLOCKFIRE THEATRE WORKSHOP CRAZY BRAVE DISSOCIA FUNKY BLOSSOM WORKSHOP HELLO PETAL KINSKI AND I LOOSE PETER BAECKER RESIN JEWELLERY WORKSHOP STILL EMERGING TEA COSY WORKSHOP YOKE PRESENTS POP-UP MAGAZINE

Featuring a series of talks, meditation, yoga photography and art

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

See sydneyfringe.com for more details PETER BAECKER: Merging dance, DJing, performance art, Vox-pop and multi media, Peter will be spreading oodles of good vibes across Sydney.

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[MUSIC]

Marrickville Town Hall, Saturday September 26

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Erskineville Road, Erskineville, Saturday September 5 For a must-see experience at this year’s Fringe, you can’t go past the opening festivities where performers will be taking to the streets for Ignite, a delightfully noisy affair along Erskineville Road. Live music and performance art will be bursting from shopfronts, venues, cafés and restaurants alike to get you into the colour and creativity of Sydney and surrounds. With four hours’ worth of gigs and performances, rock up at any time to watch a performance from the street, duck in for a little shopping or curl up somewhere nice and warm to watch the revelry unfold. [MUSIC] #6

Redfern Groove

Redfern Community Centre, Saturday September 12 In another Fringe event that upholds the celebrated trinity of culture, music and free things, Redfern Groove will be providing an afternoon of independent indigenous music and creative achievements – as well as a jumping castle (just for kids, unfortunately) and food trucks, all for free. With the Redfern Community Centre located just two minutes from Redfern Station, there are no excuses for missing out on this one – head over and soak up that springtime sun while engaging with the community and the bright talent coming out of our own backyard, including performers Radical Son and Marcus Corowa. #7

No technology, no talking, no other noise of any kind. While this might not sound too interesting by itself, throw in the chance to creatively communicate with others over a delicious three-course meal and you’ve got something special. Fresh from booked-out runs across the globe, Silent Dinner Party will return home to Sydney as the Fringe’s keynote closing event and featuring meals prepared by Sydney’s Studio Neon chefs. Presented at Marrickville Town Hall, Silent Dinner Party is sure to make for an inspirational evening of shuffled-around social norms and new, innovative connections between individuals.

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Little Fictions

[SPOKEN WORD]

Knox Street Bar, Monday September 7 – Monday September 28 Are you a fan of short and sharp literature? Well, look no further than Knox Street Bar during the Sydney Fringe for some prime microfiction. Featuring a range of live readings by professional actors, you can expect one-minute micro tales to short stories up to 15 minutes long, and everything in between. Chippendale collective Spineless Wonders has published hundreds of Australian short fiction works and is incredibly committed to getting the otherwise little-known genre of microfiction out there in new and creative ways. Themed nights will run each Monday in September for the Sydney Fringe. [COMEDY] #8

[COMEDY]

Fringe Ignite

Eddie Sharp’s Big Time Magic

Giant Dwarf, Monday September 14 – Wednesday September 16 If his show Versus on FBi Radio is anything to go by, Eddie Sharp’s live show is set to be a little awkward, a tad self-deprecating, a bit too honest and all up absolutely hilarious. From making you simultaneously squirm and laugh aloud at your radio every Sunday morning to hosting Erotic Fan Fiction, there isn’t much Sharp can’t do – or at least nothing he won’t try his hand and regale us with his failed attempts about later.

[SHOW PROFILES]

Silent Dinner Party

Dane Hiser – Days Since Incident: Zero The show: According to brainy types, a ‘Black Swan’ is a highly improbable event. Comedian Dane Hiser is not in control. His life is full of “shitloads of black swans” – a river of black swans, if you will. And Hiser has no paddle. Join him as he uses his manky hands to paddle out. The talent: Dane Hiser is a lispy, awkward and loveable hero of the people. You would have seen him on the bus and train. Comedy star Tommy Dean says: “When I first met Dane, I thought, ‘He’ll never be funny,’ then BAM! Like a superhero out of a phone booth…”. The crowd: Anybody who wants to feel better about their problems… and likes puns! Price: $15 adult / $12 concession Where: The Bunker, Factory Theatre When: Wednesday September 30, Friday October 2 and Sunday October 4

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[COMEDY]

[COMEDY]

[COMEDY]

[COMEDY]

The Minorities Report I’m Sorry The show: James Flavin is married, straight, middle-class, middle-aged and white, therefore everything is his fault and he needs to apologise. The show follows a narrative where he thought he was doing the right thing, or did nothing but he was wrong. The world today is broken and it is his fault. The talent: This is James Flavin’s first public show. Up until now he has played corporate gigs, so if you are a not-for-profit industry expert, accountant or financial services executive, you may be familiar with his work. The crowd: The show is crossgenerational. Younger people will hear how Flavin’s generation has broken everything and older folk will share his pain. There is very mild coarse language. Price: $15 Where: The World Bar When: Saturday September 5, Wednesday September 9 and Saturday September 12

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#Porky4PM The show: Justin Jones is a fresh face in comedy with some big ideas. His mother told him he could do anything he wanted. Fed up with politics in this country, his alter ego Porky thinks he is the man for the job, and he’s here to tell you all about it. The talent: Jones plays his alter ego, Porky, a happy-go-lucky individual who is just trying to enjoy living life. With a skewed perspective on the world, join him as he starts down the campaign trail in his first-ever solo shows. The crowd: Anyone disillusioned with politics. Anyone who knows that we can do better and who is frustrated that we’re not. Anyone who can handle a bit of swearing and a good laugh. Price: $5 Wednesday / $10 adult Friday and Saturday ($8 concession) Where: Hive Bar When: Wednesday September 16, Saturday September 19 and Friday September 25

The show: The Minorities Report is the debut solo show by Soame Chopra, exploring the minority groups to which he belongs. As a half-Indian financial planner, mature-age comedian and punster, that makes for plenty. Expect puns, word association and some witty observational comedy. The talent: Soame Chopra has been involved in financial services for 35 years and stand-up comedy for 11. He’s a regular on the Newcastle comedy circuit, running the fortnightly free comedy night at the Oriental Hotel, Cooks Hill. His name? It comes from his Indian father and Australian mother’s anglicising of his birth name, Som, to Soame – which, as it turned out, made him the only Soame Chopra on the planet. Now that’s a minority.

The Murphy Family Wake The show: It’s stand-up but it’s a bit different – it’s a complete narrative told in an hour. Grandma’s dead and no-one really liked her. How do you celebrate someone’s life when you never celebrated it when they were alive? Sounds hilarious, right? The talent: Thomas Murphy; you may have seen him on the Sydney University comedy circuit.

The crowd: People who enjoy puns, and possibly financial advice.

The crowd: The best audience would be people who like to laugh, but also feel a bit sad.

Price: $10 Where: The Container, Factory Theatre When: Saturday September 26 – Sunday September 27

Price: $15 adult / $10 concession Where: The Container, Factory Theatre When: Wednesday September 2 – Sunday September 6

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[THEATRE]

Traffic Street Acting Sketchy By David Molloy

“I should’ve prepared,” mumbles Alana Hicks by way of apology as I click on my dictaphone. As the head of The Kvetch Set Sketch Collective, she’s responsible for much of the output on their website, directing their upcoming Sydney Fringe show Traffic Street, and being a mum to a 14-month-old who is only ever referred to as Baby. She’s clearly juggling many balls at once. I ask her what the Fringe experience has been like, and for a moment, the Surry Hills café around us grows silent. We share a look that only those who’ve survived the harrowing and surreal experience of working on fringe theatre shows could share. I make the suggestion that theatre can only ever be serious, prompting Hicks’ best robot voice – “We are so serious” – and we agree that one doesn’t go to the theatre to laugh.

“No, I go there to cry,” says Hicks. “And masturbate.” So why should audience members seek out Traffic Street? Hicks makes popping noises with her mouth for a while. Eventually, she says, “Why not? Uh, no, that’s not a good reason. There are some really interesting emerging creative voices participating in the creation and execution of this show – some people who, I think, will go on to do really great things. There’s comedians, filmmakers, musicians; a lot of hands went into the making of this production.” The Kvetch Set has been working on this model for nearly four years, incorporating a broad array of artists into its outlandish sketch comedy stylings – and the members always keen to meet new additions. The driving forces of the set are Hicks, her husband Raphael Stephens, and the aforementioned Baby.

puppet show meets a bunch of non “It’s a half-arsed musical meets a t written by about six to nine differen sequiturs. It was self-devised and ” ht? Rig . OK t’s sense, but tha people, so at times it won’t make

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Kara Schlegl – Kara Makes You A Sandwich “Shout out to my husband!” Hicks yells into the recorder. “Anyway, Raph has a camera, he’s an editor, and so when you’ve got all your own equipment, you don’t have much excuse not to be creative in this day and age. “Baby’s been at a lot of the script developments and contributing some material – some of it useful, most of it not. Baby is very fussy.” As for the production, Traffic Street is The Kvetch Set’s first foray into live performance, replicating the madcap manner of Kvetch’s online shenanigans. “It’s a half-arsed musical meets a puppet show meets a bunch of non-sequiturs,” Hicks clarifies. “It was self-devised and written by about six to nine different people, so at times it won’t make sense, but that’s OK. Right?” This seems rather apt, given the source of inspiration for Traffic Street’s overarching plot is another project that makes no sense: the rapidly deteriorating WestConnex motorway scheme. “I was reading a lot of WestConnex stuff and laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of it, and I thought it just seemed so farcical that it was ripe for satire,” says Hicks. “So essentially Traffic Street is the real stuff from WestConnex and how crazy, batshit crazy that is.” Though her political stance is well researched, Hicks plays down the seriousness of the show. “Maybe there’s a serious side to it, but I dunno, you’d struggle to find it, really,” she says. “Obviously it’s a silly show.” And silly shows about serious matters are important: after all, if we can’t laugh about it, all we can do is cry. And masturbate. Where: 107 Projects When: Friday September 4 – Sunday September 6

[COMEDY] [THEATRE]

Factory Theatre, Wednesday September 23 – Sunday September 27

One ticket buys a sandwich, a juice box and a show, need we say more? Part stand-up, part history lesson and part cooking show, Kara Schlegl’s debut solo show at Fringe Comedy will take audience members on a culinary adventure through stories on some of history’s greatest feminist warriors – all the while making you a sandwich. With the potential for messy food fights to keep you on your toes, this comedy writer, storyteller and frequent FBi Backchat contributor promises to deliver delicious food and riveting tales.

A Snowflake On The Tongue Of Oberon [THEATRE]

The show: A sequel to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this fantastical rhyming comedy transports the audience to the magical land of Faeries. Mourning his wife Titania, King Oberon plunges the forest into an eternal winter, leaving its fate in the hands of loyal elf Puck, and his duplicitous split personality Robin Goodfellow. The talent: An eight-person all-female ensemble of up-and-coming local talent. The crowd: Kids, teens, adults, anyone who loves a good yarn. Like the Shakespeare it sequelises, there’s something in the show for everyone – and of course the language is just a little more accessible. Price: $20 adult / $15 concession and groups Where: Kings Cross Hotel When: Tuesday September 22 – Sunday September 27

Strip! The show: Strip! is a play about making a choice to hide part of the self in the name of ambition. Set in contemporary Sydney, it follows Victoria, a young politician with a secret love of stripping in public as a burlesque dancer. Dominic, her ruthless political adviser, is leading her through the minefield towards preselection for the next safe seat, while Lily is coaching her to win a national burlesque competition. Her poetic friend Monty sees the dilemma facing Victoria but when he tries to help she just won’t listen. Strip! sees her making a choice on whether to lead with her heart, her head, or both, and asks if we can take our leaders seriously once we see their true selves revealed. The talent: Strip! stars Sydney-based actors Hannah Raven Smith, Cody Ross, Bradley Stevens and Sharney Emma Nougher. The cast has a wealth of experience working across stage, film and television in Australia and overseas. The crowd: Burlesque dancers and scenesters, young professionals, theatregoers interested in politics, anyone leading a double life. Price: $25 adult / $20 concession / $20 preview Where: Kings Cross Theatre When: Tuesday September 1 – Sunday September 6

I’m Sorry A married, straight, middle class, middle aged white man apologises for everything

y ced bic t produ s ta s Trash ons ay i t c u Prod of Sydne partge 2015 Frin

Saturdays September 5 & 12 @ 6pm Wednesday September 9 @ 7pm

The World Bar, 24 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross James Flavin Comedy - find us on Facebook!

8.30pm September 17, 18 & 19

The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre Tickets $16 - 24 :HEVLWH KWWS ZZZ VH\PRXUFHQWUH FRP HYHQWV HYHQW VFL ¿ ORYH VWRU\ %RRN RQOLQH RU FDOO thebrag.com

sydneyfringe.com fi BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15 :: 29

[THEATRE]

1–30 ER SEPTEMB 2015

[PERFORMANCE ART]

[COMEDY]

[CABARET]

The Mannequint

The crowd: Fans of theatre and/or black comedy (think Arrested Development meets It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) are sure to enjoy this show. There’s a lot of laughs even as it touches on some darker topics in a light-hearted fashion. Price: $25 adult / $20 concession Where: Kings Cross Hotel When: Tuesday September 1 – Sunday September 6

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The 5 Step Program Two Brunettes And A Gay… The show: From the presenters of 2014 and 2015 Adelaide Fringe sensation Three Brunettes And A Gay… this hilarious cabaret-comedy starring three sensational performers is set to ruffle the feathers of show-goers from all walks of life. Two Brunettes And A Gay… is willing to go where no show has gone before, guaranteed to have you laughing and singing along in your seats. The talent: Aaron Collis, Celeste Carbone and Deanna Kangas have been working the local circuit for years. From Adelaide to Port Lincoln and every gutter and gay bar in between, these three divas have been around the block, and now they are here waiting for you at the Sydney Fringe. Price: $22 adult / $19 concession / $19 group Where: Knox Street Bar When: Friday September 4 – Saturday September 5

The show: Circaholics Anonymous presents to you an open therapy session for people obsessed with playing with fire. What can go wrong? Like with any ‘problem’ you need to get ‘professional help’, but when you are combined with others as crazed as yourself, the situation heats up fast and soon you have flames out the wazoo! The talent: There is no single person who shines out, everyone in the group is as awesome as the last, and has their own areas of expertise. That said, you may have seen some of them in previous years’ Sydney Fringe Festivals, on Australia’s Got Talent, The 7PM Project, Yolanda Be Cool video clips as well as various other performances across New South Wales. The crowd: Those who like free warmth, dangerous stunts, awesome circus skills and a good laugh (not necessarily in that order). Price: Free Where: Forecourt, Seymour Centre When: Friday September 4 – Saturday September 5, Friday September 18

A Case Study The show: A Case Study is a hilarious observational and improvisational take on the life of a 30-something man meeting the challenges of marriage, mortgages, mayhem and medicine. Resonating with audiences young and old, Casey Talbot will leave you laughing. The talent: Talbot’s distinct style of storytelling ensures that no two shows are ever quite the same. Through charming interactions with his audience, he winds his tales of adventures and misadventures together into an hour of merriment, with audience members treated more as long lost friends than punters. Talbot has been performing comedy around Australia and the world for almost a decade. With credits ranging from little pubs in towns you’ve never heard of through to performing on the legendary MacDougal Street in New York’s Greenwich Village, Talbot has been there. The crowd: 15-plus to 100. Price: $8-$16 Where: Bunker, Factory Theatre When: Tuesday September 1 – Saturday September 5

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The 5 Step Program photo by Liam O’Keefe

The show: A black comedy play about a well-meaning man in a family of compulsive liars, who must deal with his father and half-brother masquerading as private detectives, while he’s just trying to win back his elusive fiancé who’s just run off with the wedding photographer. Audiences can expect a fast-paced farce with plenty of absurdism and laughs. The talent: David Todman, the writer and one of the actors, is an award-winning stand-up comedian from Brisbane. The other actors, Matt Hendry, Becky Morgan and Noel Thompson, have all been heavily involved in comedy and theatre throughout South-East Queensland. Director Clay English has been directing and choreographing shows all over Brisbane and the Gold Coast for several years to great critical acclaim.

FREE FIRE SHOW

SUITABLE FOR

ALL AGES

Circaholics Anonymous presents

‘THE 5 STEP PROGRAM’ a therapy session for Ȩre loving pyromaniacs working to become ‘cured’

AMAZING

STUNTS

with daring equipment such as

FLAMING NUN-CHUCKS FLAMING SCYTHE and even the

‘HOOP OF DEATH’

SEYMOUR THEATRE FORECOURT - 4, 5 & 18 SEPT 8PM Check out www.CircaholicsAnonymous.com or stalk us on Facebook for more details on the Circaholics and their shows.

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Available for lessons and all types of performances.

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More: For the full Sydney Fringe program, visit sydneyfringe.com [MUSIC]

Passing Time A Russian Dream The show: Russian music-loving concertgoers will be thrilled with A Russian Dream’s focus on the soul drama of the 20th century – the best and the worst century in human history. The Russian people contributed a great deal to this in both ways. The show is a one-hour intense musical experience of dialogue between East and West, between cello and piano, between warm sadness and cold and cynical battle.

The crowd: A chamber music-loving audience with a love of the Russian dream drama. Price: $32 adult / $22 concession Where: The Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre When: Thursday September 3 – Saturday September 5

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The show: Passing Time is a one-act existentialist play aimed at young adults who have just left high school or are going through university. It deconstructs teenage clichés and explores the sense of loss and wonder of the bigger world. Set in a street that could be anyone’s, the characters are all lost and find they have little to live for – that is, until a parcel is set in front of a postbox. Described as “Waiting For Godot for teenagers”, Passing Time is inspired by the works of Samuel Beckett and Tom Stoppard. The themes of pointlessness, questioning reason and finding meaning are all addressed. The talent: Passing Time stars Mon Sans Productions mainstay Nathaniel Hole (Kore Productions: Jesus Christ Superstar), Lauren Blenkinship (Mad Cow Theatre Company) and artistic director and Mon Sans co-founder Liviu Monsted (Not A Word, A Broken Law, web series Sam And Sammy). The crowd: For lovers of all things existential and absurd, Passing Time is a great experience for young and old. A relatable lesson on the importance of taking action. Price: $20 Where: Factory Theatre When: Wednesday September 2 – Sunday September 6

Bushfire The show: In the foreseeable future, the world is ravaged by plague of biblical proportions. Then everyone calms down, the drugs are distributed and life goes on as normal – but with substantially less poor people, because, you know, drugs are expensive. In this post-post-apocalyptic Sydney, the Wilson family slipped through the pandemic relatively unscathed and now live a life of relative luxury in their gated, perfectly manicured community. Life outside, however, is far less glamorous and waiting just beyond their barbed wire fences a gang of interracial motley youths calling themselves the Refined Young Cannibals are advancing, ready to shake up the system, one rich family at a time. The talent: A talented ensemble cast of various ages and backgrounds includes Paulina Faustorilla, Abbie-lee Lewis, Penny Day, Joseph Taylor, Zoran Jevtic, Isabella Jessup, Daniel Cottier, Ellen Wiltshire, Declan Clow and Caitlin A. Kearney.

[MUSICAL THEATRE]

Sci-Fi Love Story The show: Sci-Fi Love Story is a sci-fi/ rom-com mini-musical, full of tongue-incheek references to many of our fave pop culture sci-fi shows: Hitchhiker’s Guide, Star Wars, Lost In Space, Futurama, Red Dwarf, Star Trek and Flash Gordon, to name a few. It’s an uber-fun tale from 2065, told through some of the best space songs of the 20th century – from ‘Starman’ to ‘Space Oddity’, from ‘Calling Occupants’ to ‘Out Of Space’. The talent: Leanne Mangan and Cameron Withers. Magnan wrote, produced and starred in the mini-musical In Between Days for Sydney Fringe 2013. Her big claim to fame is getting married onstage at the 2005 Big Day Out in a purple PVC cyber outfit – and yes, she is still married! Withers has performed in bands ranging from pop through to experimental, metal and electronica. A qualified vocal coach and audio engineer, he has taught for years, specialising in correct growling/ screaming technique and rock/metal attitude.

The crowd: The humour is quite dark so the show is not necessarily very childfriendly, but ideal for anyone else who loves a good home invasion comedy.

The crowd: Anyone who loves sci-fi, comedy, glam rock, synths, sarcasm, and doesn’t mind a bit of camp.

Price: $25 adult / $20 concession Where: PACT Centre For Emerging Artists When: Tuesday September 1 – Saturday September 5

Price: $16-$24 Where: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre When: Thursday September 17 – Saturday September 19

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A Russian Dream photo by Angus O’Callaghan

The talent: Danae Killian PhD is renowned for her work with contemporary piano music, and has just released the complete Schoenberg piano solo oeuvre on CD (Move Records). Gotthard Killian (cello) has just returned form three years workshopping and playing in Beijing and the whole of China, where he also contributed to a CD with authentic traditional Tibetan children songs.

[THEATRE]

[THEATRE]

Album Reviews

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK CD OF THE WEEK MUSTERED COURAGE xxx

White Lies & Melodies Universal

Mustered Courage have just returned from the mecca of bluegrass festivals. Hidden in the mountains of Colorado, Telluride boasts a mythic reputation founded on innovative shows and the stellar lineups it attracts.

Mustered Courage position themselves to become bluegrass legends.

SZYMON Tigersapp Eloper/EMI

A humbling experience in album form, Tigersapp is a tribute to the Newcastle producer Szymon Borzestowski, who sadly passed away in 2012 following a fouryear struggle with depression. Curated by family and friends, Szymon’s songs shimmer with a vulnerability and radiant old-soul quality noticeable even without prior knowledge of his story. Varied while remaining entirely whole, the album ties in the seemingly disparate elements of folksy melodies, simple percussion and a touch of trumpet and turns them into arty pop as well as softer introspective numbers. Szymon proves excellent at both, through waves of gentle electronics that wash over delicate guitar strings. His feather-light vocals also have a shining, brilliant quality to them that simultaneously uplift and weigh down with a sharp sense of loss. The release of Szymon’s album serves several purposes: closure for a mourning family, a call to action to check up on the people around you, and a reminder that asking for help in hard times – heck, at any time – is one of the bravest, most selfsustaining things a person can do.

Landing a spot there could be a watershed moment for the Melbourne-based Mustered Courage, so it’s only fi tting that their subsequent release is masterful enough to become a classic of the genre.

This is because, like Telluride, White Lies & Melodies pushes the genre as much as it celebrates it. The gospel piano in ‘Another Dawn’ feels as natural an accompaniment to the banjo as a mandolin ever could, while the erudite picking and Nick Keeling’s soulful voice carry us forward. Keeling has a knack for refreshing the lilting harmonies that distinguish bluegrass, best evidenced in ‘The Future’ when his falsetto intertwines with Audra Mae in a bittersweet song of heartache. After all, what would a bluegrass album be without songs of regret? Mustered Courage struggle with the fall-out from alcoholism, lost loves and depression, striking a delicate balance between heartfelt sadness and the need to move on. It’s as touching as the music

THE WAIFS

STORIES

Beautiful You Jarrah/MGM

The Youth To Become UNFD

On the cover of The Waifs’ live album A Brief History, the core trio are bundled up together in the back of what appears to be a touring van; grinning and carefree. The album art for their seventh LP, however, paints a different tale – the band members are walking through a field, keeping distance from one another, awkwardly halfsmiling. The rhythm section is there, too, almost imposing. Yes, don’t judge a book by its cover. Still, something is quite clearly up on Beautiful You – and it shows in the songs themselves.

Sometimes, a band just can’t outrun its influences, try as it might. It becomes so prevalent within what the members do musically that it’s impossible to discuss the group without mentioning an overshadowing forebear.

This album feels as though it stems from obligation rather than inspiration – a slow waltz through the motions without any of the spirit and warmth that brought them to acclaim to begin with. ‘Dark Highway’ and ‘Cracks Of Dawn’ aimlessly meander and drag along structurally, while an attempt at misfit love storytelling (‘Rowena And Wallace’) is bitched from the start due to its cringeworthy opener: “A skateboard boy from a skateboard town / Wore his hoodie up, pants hangin’ down”.

Last but not least, Tigersapp honours a life gone too soon and gives voice to an artist before his time, whose beautiful music would otherwise remain unheard.

The Waifs have penned their share of folk rock anthems in the past, but there are none to be found on Beautiful You. Perhaps a clean break is needed to maintain dignity.

Jade Smith

David James Young

As far as Stories are concerned, it’s Underoath – the Floridian posthardcore sextet clearly left quite the indelible impression on the Sydneysiders, serving as a clear guiding light throughout The Youth To Become in terms of vocals (mixing the guttural and harsh with the brightly melodic), as well as guitar tones and the use of shimmering ambience to draw contrast in heavier moments. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of – as far as this style of posthardcore goes, there are far worse acts to study. It does, however, hold the album back somewhat in terms of being a product that is unmistakably theirs. Rather, The Youth To Become is a product of its environment – for better and for worse. However capable Stories are, they need to take their influences and regenerate them into a sound that is willing to branch out and evolve into something all-encompassing. Moments on The Youth To Become allude to it, but they don’t linger.

BAD//DREEMS Dogs At Bay Ivy League

An early highlight on their debut album is ‘Bogan Pride’, on which frontman Ben Marwe announces, “Friday thebrag.com

One thing is for certain, though. You won’t regret giving it multiple listens. James Ross

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Venom RCA/Sony Known for being purveyors of reasonably friendly, non-violent metalcore, these Welsh boys have really stuck an Exocet missile up their collective arse on this, their fifth album. And it’s done them the world of good. After an eerie, building intro, the album explodes into opening cut ‘No Way Out’, and ‘Army Of Noise’ maintains the fury and the frenetic speed. ‘Worthless’ is more groove-based, but still hits like a sledgehammer wielded by Ronda Rousey. Have BFMV morphed into a melodic thrash band? Well, not really, but it takes until track seven, the title track, for the band to let up on the throttle slightly. ‘The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks)’ is more of a slow-burner, before the album piledrives once again to the end. An argument could be made for Venom being Bullet For My Valentine’s hardest-edged record of them all. However, traditional fans need not be concerned – there are still plenty of grooves and soaring melodic choruses to keep you happy. This is still very much a Bullet For My Valentine album; they’ve just upped the aggressive ante slightly more on this one.

THE PAPER KITES Twelvefour Wonderlick/Sony When Melbourne’s folk rock hopefuls The Paper Kites released their debut album States in 2013, they were already being positioned as the next Middle East. While there are certainly far less flattering stylistic comparisons one could make to what they were going for on that record, its followup suggests they are far more interested in simply being the first Paper Kites. There’s still plenty of touching, harmonious Simon & Garfunkelesque balladry on offer (‘Turns Within Me, Turns Without Me’, ‘A Silent Cause’). Where Twelvefour truly shines, however, are the moments where the band members look to the wild blue yonder to see what awaits – which, as it turns out, are some of the best songs they’ve ever written. ‘Revelator Eyes’ is glistening sunset pop, while opener ‘Electric Indigo’ is a scented love letter to fenceswinging ’80s grandeur, complete with gated snare and warm beds of reverb.

A sharp, if somewhat conflicted, debut.

In a nutshell, Venom lives up to its name, is a worthy addition to this band’s growing catalogue and will please existing fans whilst garnering a few new ones.

Twelvefour is indicative of there being more to The Paper Kites than their surface value had led to believe. It’s merely gazed upon here, however, which means the band must transfix its focus upon newer territory in order to maintain a spot ahead of its peers.

David James Young

Rod Whitfi eld

David James Young

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK Ahh; take a deep breath and suck in the smell of stale beer, man sweat and fetid urinals – pub rock is back and it’s as welcome as an icy stubby to a parched throat in the summertime. Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems are perfectly placed to provide Aussie rock with a shot in the arm, having put in the hard yards touring at home and overseas and recently soaking the Splendour stage in much of the contents of their rider. The result is that their music is no longer left of the dial, as their songwriting hero Paul Westerberg would say, but easily accessible to anyone with a penchant for heart-on-sleeve rock and wonderfully raw live shows.

is uplifting.

night and I’m five pills deep, I can’t think straight,” before questioning the motives of those overly muscular boneheads every festivalgoer loves to hate. Gutsy singles ‘Cuffed & Collared’ and ‘Dumb Ideas’ provide the rockier moments, but the real magic is to be found among the nostalgic ‘Hume’ and ‘Ghost Gums’; moments of sunburnt Australiana which mark this album as a guitar rock classic. Top-drawer production by the legendary Mark Opitz helps their honest and often bleak Australian worldview come to the fore on an album that will sound just as good at home as it will down the pub. Tip: best served with a refreshing pint of West End.

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... RADIOHEAD - OK Computer THE CONTORTIONIST - Language THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - Severe Tire Damage

BEACH HOUSE - Bloom MISSY HIGGINS - Oz

Paul McBride BRAG :: 627 :: 26:06:15 :: 33

arts in focus

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

five minutes WITH

SISTERS GRIMM FROM LA TRAVIATA show drinking in the lobby and tagging the shit out of the place. We don’t know what to do. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Sisters Grimm

L

a Traviata is better known as a largescale opera. What’s the idea behind your theatre version? We thought that Belvoir’s 80-seat Downstairs

Theatre was roomier than it actually is. As it turns out, we can barely fit oneeighth of the 60-piece orchestra we’ve hired – no mind the 100-plus chorus. They spend most of the

For those who aren’t familiar with Sisters Grimm, what makes you ‘loud, opinionated homosexualists’? Distant fathers, overbearing mothers. A lot of red wine helps too. Is there still a sibling rivalry after all this time? We get along very nicely, thank you – we’re a

Thank You For Being A Friend

regular Ursula and Sabina Eriksson. (Look it up.) Can you imagine yourself expanding to much bigger productions? Absolutely! After La Traviata we’re applying to Senator Brandis’ new National Program for Excellence in the Arts to stage 100 lost Baroque cello compositions inside a giant Ferrero Rocher. If anyone can think of anything fancier, please tell us – we’re really broke and need that money. What: La Traviata Where: Belvoir St Theatre When: Thursday August 27 – Sunday September 20

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

As music films go, this one justifies the considerable hype. Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of a rising hip hop group that would go on to revolutionise music and pop culture. N.W.A’s first studio album, Straight Outta Compton, stirred controversy with its brutally honest depiction of life in Southern Los Angeles. The retrospective film, starring an impressive cast including Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson, Jr., is directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Friday, Set It Off), who himself grew up only a few miles from Compton in an underprivileged family, yet worked his way up to being one of Hollywood’s most prominent figures. Straight Outta Compton hits cinemas on Thursday September 3, and we’ve got five in-season double passes up for grabs. Head to thebrag.com/freeshit to be in the draw.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND

Thank You For Being A Friend will see Miami’s four favourite Golden Girls reunited as puppets for a live tribute show. Promising to be the ultimate Golden Girls experience, Thank You For Being A Friend is set to deliver all the classic dialogue, razor-sharp gags and taboo-breaking stories you’d expect from the much-loved characters. On the night, the fabulous foursome will be brought to life by acclaimed theatre performers Donna Lee (Les Misérables, Menopause The Musical), Meredith O’Reilly (The Producers), Darren Mapes (Cabbaret) and Julia Dray (Avenue Q), joined by Nigel Turner-Carroll (The Tap Pack, Hot Shoe Shuffle). So whether you’re a first-timer or a die-hard devotee, Thank You For Being A Friend will have you rolling in the aisles. Thank You For Being A Friend will run at the Glen Street Theatre from Tuesday September 1 – Sunday September 6.

award-winning US comedians and real-life married couple are best known for their roles as Ron Swanson (Parks And Recreation) and Karen Walker (Will And Grace). The two met in 2000 at rehearsals for play The Berlin Circle and married three years later. Having recently toured their Summer Of 69: No Apostrophe comedy stage tour around the globe, they will bring it to Australia in early 2016. Catch them at the State Theatre on Friday January 29.

SET THE BAR HIGH IVANOV AT BELVOIR

This September, Sydney Bar Week will showcase some of the best bars, indie spirits and guest speakers this city has to offer, for a city-wide

Eamon Flack is bringing his Anton Chekhov adaptation, the four-act drama Ivanov, to the Sydney stage this September. Adapting this great black comedy for an Australian context has long been an ambition for Flack, and it’s come at a pertinent time. Featuring Ewen Leslie, Zahra Newman, John Bell, Fayssal Bazzi (The Government Inspector), Blazey Best (Medea) and Airlie Dodds (The Bleeding Tree), this adaptation will take Chekhov’s ideas of idiocy, meanness and the pursuit of happiness and align them with current Australia. Ivanov runs from Saturday September 19 – Sunday November 1 at Belvoir St Theatre.

celebration of one of Sydney’s favourite things: a good place to drink and chat. From Indie Tastings at Frankie’s Pizza featuring a generous selection of over 40 brands of artisan and craft spirits, to conferences ranging from marketing to how to build your own booze empire, Sydney Bar Week has you covered for all your booze, bar and bartender needs. Also featured will be bartenders battling it out through barefoot bowls and cocktail fights – as well as awards, conferences and masterclasses. Sydney Bar Week should be an absolute treat for everyone from the casual spirit appreciator to the master mixologist. The frivolity will run from Saturday September 19 – Tuesday September 22. For the full program and tickets, visit barweek.com.au.

God Willing

ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The Lavazza Italian Film Festival is returning with 32 films lined up for this year, including the newest comedies, dramas, fantasies and more. Opening the 2015 program will be box office hit God Willing (Se Dio Vuole), starring Alessandro Gassman and Laura Morante, while acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist (Il Conformista) will close up the festival, following the story of Mussolini based on Alberto Moravia’s novel. Other movies to feature at this year’s festival will include Perez, Black Souls (Anime Nere), An Italian Name (Il Nome Del Figlio), Latin Lover, and the winner of the Best Comedy award at the Italian Golden Globes, The Legendary Giulia And Other Miracles (Noi E La Giulia). The Lavazza Italian Film Festival will take place at Palace Cinemas from Tuesday September 15 – Sunday October 11. For the full program and tickets, visit italianfilmfestival.com.au.

John Safran’s hit live show Murder In Mississippi – exploring his book of the same name – will return for an extra special Sydney encore. Safran’s true crime novel Murder In Mississippi is the product of cruising around American white supremacist websites, stumbling on the news of the murder of a Southern racist who Safran knew personally (and had sued him), and the subsequent befriending of the man’s killer. Naturally, Safran immediately moved to Jackson, Mississippi for the best part of six months to pursue the story of man and murderer. Featuring never-before-seen footage from his escapades in the South, the live edition of Murder In Mississippi will take you through the story of race, poverty and incarceration, all through Safran’s unique and humorous lens. Murder In Mississippi will run at Giant Dwarf from Thursday October 29 – Sunday November 1.

Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally will tour Australia for the first time early next year. The 34 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

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God Willing photo by Claudio Iannone

MEET RON AND KAREN

John Safran

MURDER, HE WROTE

SYDNEY ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL

The Sydney Architecture Festival is back for its ninth year this October with an updated vision and condensed program. Running from Friday October 2 – Monday October 5, the festival promises to bring inner Sydney to life with an event-packed long weekend of activities. This year’s festival is a mix of free and ticketed events, with talks, competitions and tours to help you see your city through different eyes. The 2015 program is directed by Sydney design collective Archrival in partnership with JOC Consulting, giving the festival a fresh perspective. See the full program at sydneyarchitecturefestival.org.

Ivanov photo by Ella Parinder

Ivanov

Was paring it back to the small stage as great a challenge as it sounds? Well, we managed to eliminate most of the challenges in the libretto and musical score by not using either of them. Our show is actually a response to La Traviata – looking at the themes of the opera, but in a contemporary context. When you strip this story away from all the trappings of grand-scale opera, it’s a very simple narrative about the value of ideology in a hostile,

money-driven world – and we think that resonates a lot in Australia 2015. In doing this we had a lot of help from our pretty amazing team of artists, including singer/actor Zindzi Okenyo, opera luminary Michael Lewis and Emma Maye Gibson (AKA surreal showgirl Betty Grumble).

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arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Jade Smith, Elias Kwiet and Vanessa Papastavros

Holding The Man [FILM] Love Speaks Its Name By David Molloy

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he thing that makes any film romance work, much like any real-life romance, is natural chemistry – an affinity with another that can’t be emulated. It’s precisely this aura that draws us to one another, keeps us burning with curiosity and fuels our passions. I’m reminded of this as I sit in the AIDS Council of New South Wales office opposite Ryan Corr and Craig Stott, the leads in the Neil Armfield screen adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s beloved memoir Holding The Man – particularly when I realise they’ve hardly taken their eyes off each other throughout our time together. They share such an easy camaraderie with each other that it makes them positively glow. “That’s the sort of stuff you can’t act: it has to be there, and we had it sort of from the start of the audition process,” says Corr, mostly to Scott. “I remember looking up and going, ‘Wow, this guy’s looking at me, Ryan’ – you can really work towards creating fully grounded people if you’ve got that to start with.” This magnetism alone, of course, wouldn’t be enough to sell the heady romance between Conigrave and his paramour John Caleo, the sadly deceased lovers on whom the biography is based. The intimacy Corr and Stott share on screen took months of work in order to make their affections read as genuine. “We went to the bank as a couple, you know?” Stott says, grinning boyishly at his own recollections. “We’d go get lunch as a couple, holding hands –” “We’d go to family dinners,” interrupts Corr, making Stott laugh. “Ryan invited me as his plus-one

to a family dinner,” Stott explains. “No-one had seen him in a while and he walked in holding my hand and –” “I’d had an ex-relationship six months ago and we just came in as a new couple,” laughs Corr. “Copped a few eyeballs that night,” says Stott. This is likely to become a more common occurrence in their lives after Holding The Man hits Aussie screens – it’s a potent, paradigm-shifting kind of film with an inbuilt audience of devotees to Conigrave’s memoir. Corr shrugs off the ‘pressure’ of living up to both Conigrave’s book and screenwriter Tommy Murphy’s award-winning play. “In the end, we’re doing our job and we had each other to rely on. I mean, at least for myself, when I sorta got neurotic or worried, I had Craig to come back and rely on.” “The fact that we developed such a strong relationship was the benchmark,” says Stott, attributing much of their success to the safety of the rehearsal environment created by Armfield. “It was conducive to learning and exploring, and there was never any talk about, ‘Oh, you’ve gotta do this and you’ve gotta do that.’” That safety is vital for a film so uniquely physical, too – the film’s open sexuality and frequent nudity meant that Corr and Stott’s ‘getting to know you’ work was just the tip of the iceberg. “He touched me – it was horrible!” Stott cries, making Corr laugh. “In terms of the sex scenes – honestly, it gets beaten around all the time, but it’s just another scene, you know?” he continues. “Except your balls and dick are wrapped up in a

sock and you’ve got masking tape in your pubes.” “It’s like a giant Band-Aid – Craig first came out, it looked like he was wearing a cabbage,” laughs Corr. “You can’t help but laugh at those sorts of things, at the absurdity. My first day on set was sorta like, ‘Hi Andrew, hi such-and-such, so we’ll be coating each other in baby oil and I’ll be biting your nipple, do you mind if I top you today?’ And the absurdity of that is never lost on anyone.” Particularly not on Armfield, it seems. “There was one day I remember,” Corr says, “we came in, we’re like rehearsing one of the intimate scenes – I don’t remember – and he’s like, ‘OK, pants off!’ “You need trust, you need to innately trust each other, and I think that what Craig and I focused on most was developing a trust, and then… I pretended to like him,” Corr grins. “I consider Ryan one of my mates – I’m always gonna look out for him,

you know what I mean? That doesn’t just stop because the job is over,” says Stott.

States but pushed back by the Coalition government here, Holding The Man could not be more relevant.

Corr finishes his sentence: “We’re not playing pretend anymore.”

“I think very rarely governments actually represent their people,” says Stott, “and there’s a broad consensus in Australia – 72 per cent of the population support gay marriage according to the Crosby poll … it’s coming out in an environment where people are open to equality. Unfortunately, our leaders aren’t, and they’re perhaps the ones that need an education. Love is love.”

And they hardly were to begin with – as Conigrave and Caleo’s families are their living legacies, the rehearsal process had to focus on recreating them accurately. “You find the essence of who these boys were,” says Corr, “and we had all these hands on deck to try and help us do that. And, you know, ultimately coming out and having Tim’s family come out and say ‘thank you’, or giving us their blessing – that was our job done. “Scripts like this, stories like this, come along very, very rarely – if we’ll ever see one again – and I think we sorta felt like it was a blessing to be a part of this story.” And what a timely story it is – with the marriage equality movement racking up a victory in the United

“Love doesn’t discriminate,” says Corr, a sentiment Stott echoes. “People discriminate, but love doesn’t. It transcends politics, it transcends Parliament House, it transcends senators, all of that shit, and hopefully one day our politicians will catch up with it.” What: Holding The Man (dir. Neil Armfield) Where: In cinemas Thursday August 27

Ricki And The Flash [FILM] Triple Threat By Adam Norris

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rom pining for Jessie’s girl, to the creepy cosmetics of his True Detective character, to acting alongside Meryl Streep in new film Ricki And The Flash, Rick Springfield is a man of many faces. We meet in a small, charmless room in The Rocks, which, despite being spitting distance from the water, is tucked completely out of sight. It’s oddly fitting; here, engulfed by one of the most recognisable vistas in the world, we are hidden, and Springfield can choose his mask at leisure. Yet no matter what the character or environment, there will always be some shade of truth peering from behind the curtain. “Everybody uses a different approach in acting,” he reflects, his accent an unexpected blend of Californian and Australian. “But whatever that approach is, the idea is to make it seem as real as possible. You need to react in a truthful manner. We would do scenes and Meryl would do different things every time, trying to find the truth of the character. I liken it to playing Cops and Robbers as kids. You believe it at the time with such ease, and what we’re doing here is just an extension of that. Whatever it takes to turn off the critic in your mind so that you can believe your part. “I’ve been hurt before, so I know the feeling, and when Meryl delivers hard lines like that, it hurts. It really does. You use whatever you can to make it real – I think that’s the bottom line. It’s whatever you can pull in to make that moment work.” While his latest role as Streep’s

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bandmate and love interest in Ricki And The Flash is the most prominent billing Springfield has taken of late, he has long been adept at wearing another’s skin. His recurring role on General Hospital spanned many years, and though he attempts to bring as much depth to characters as possible, he finds a truly memorable performance depends on the author. “In the end, it depends on the writing. I wouldn’t be the first one to say this, but soap opera writing isn’t exactly the best in the world, mainly because it’s a difficult job. To write 60 pages a day is hard. Obviously, the better the writing the better the performance. I just had a role in True Detective, where I only had a couple of scenes, but it moves pretty drastically from scene to scene, and the writing is incredible. So it made those transitions more organic. deep resonance with genre fiction. “You can’t be stumbling over the writing. If you’re overthinking while you’re working, you’re not connecting. If I’m thinking, say, ‘Wow, this is Meryl Streep,’ you won’t connect. You’ve got to get past all that stuff. I think the writer in me goes over it all when I first read it, and certainly on something like a soap opera they allow you to make changes to make it feel better in your mouth. Writing for TV used to be just terrible, but now it’s pretty amazing.” Curiously, though his output is firmly placed in real-world representations – the familiar jealousy of ‘Jessie’s Girl’, for instance, or his pub band guitarist in Ricki – Springfield’s writing sensibilities derived from a

“I used to go into a second-hand bookstore when I was a young teenager in Melbourne,” he chuckles, “and I’d buy one book and stack a bunch under it and walk out. My mum knew I was stealing these books, because I had this big cardboard box just full of them. She’d say to my dad, ‘You know, I’m sure Richard’s stealing.’ But I’d read Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke – I love sci-fi and horror. H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker. That was what helped give me a love of the written word, which I then translated into lyrics. I was a big horror fan – I couldn’t get enough Stephen King.” The mention of King suddenly takes the conversation to another level – it

seems we’re both not-so-closeted fanboys. Springfield trumps my own long-distance infatuation, however, having actually met the man. “Well, when my first novel came out last year, my publisher called and said, ‘You’ve got to look at this.’ It was King’s book, Danse Macabre, and it had been signed, ‘To Rick Springfi eld. I don’t watch General Hospital, but I sure love your music. Stephen King, 1981.’ I’d been on tour with the record while he’d been promoting his book, and we met at a hotel somewhere. He signed it for me and I kept it, but I guess in one of our moves it got lost somewhere. But it found its way to eBay, so my publicist said, ‘We’ll add 600 bucks to your advance, go buy the book.’”

Between Springfield’s writing, the music and the acting, there is great talent and dedication, to be sure – but the overarching lesson he wishes to impart is more practical. “I think courage. That’s the only thing that can really be traded across them all. I think of them all as being various parts of the same career choice. They come from the same place in me, there’s no hard division. They might each require slightly different tools, but they’re stored in the same place. It’s still me.” What: Ricki And The Flash (dir. Jonathan Demme) Where: In cinemas Thursday August 27

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Film & Theatre Reviews

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

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ast week, GetUp! made headlines when it sent glitter to Coalition MP Craig Laundy (and every other MP against marriage equality, but Laundy was the only one to make a fuss). Laundy, thinking it was a suspicious package, called authorities, and six police cars, six fire trucks and a hazmat unit responded. For glitter. Glitter. So after Laundy was made to look like a complete idiot, I’ve decided this week I will dedicate my column to glitter. Glitter and I have a long, strong relationship, and we’ve certainly had our ups and downs.

■ Film

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. In cinemas now The nature of recreating stories from past eras is that those stories are often structured around the values of the time – now that we’re seeing more remakes and reimaginings than ever, we’re continually exposed to bygone principles restaged with no contextualisation. This is an overworded way of saying that Guy Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feels dated – but it manages to be a sufficiently entertaining spy flick. Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill), former art smuggler and top C.I.A. agent, works alone. But in the midst of Cold War tensions he is forced by his superiors to pair with surly KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to prevent a far greater threat to the world – stolen information that could lead to the construction of nuclear bombs. Off the bat, the name of the film is terrible – sure, it’s the name attached to the original property, but to a person who judges books by covers, it’s not a thrilling proposition. ’60s attitudes are dragged along with the title and show up poorly in the light of the modern age – this is especially true when a late set piece sees Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), previously established as confident and capable, locked up as a classic bird-in-the-cage plot device.

The chemistry between the leads is enjoyable, as both Cavill and Hammer carry themselves with a certain selfawareness that makes them just a little more amusing than the characters would hope. Their conversations on the whole are filled with so much innuendo and cock-fencing that you’d be forgiven for wishing they’d just make out and get it over with, but this is a film by Guy Ritchie, not Sam Mendes. Ritchie’s directorial prowess shines through when crafting the visual gags that make the movie worth seeing. Of particular note are an impromptu picnic during a chase sequence, and a fruitless debate over hostage etiquette. Otherwise, the film’s humour is based in eyebrow-raising quips and classic oneupmanship that are just on the right side of overdone. There’s also an inimitable style that Ritchie brings to the screen that shines through; Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki) sliding catlike onto the back of a lounge is elegantly framed and supremely sinister. It’s this that lightens the exposition and keeps the film enjoyable. The more Ritchie allows for his personal style to shine through, the more this series will flourish, given time (and it will be given time, no doubt). For now, it is comfortable if unchallenging spy viewing. David Molloy

■ Theatre

THE WOMEN

The Women

Playing at New Theatre until Saturday September 12 It’s extremely rare, indeed something of a privilege, to see a cast of 18 women call the stage their own under the guiding hand of another. It is a shame, then, that such laudable effort should be applied to a dated and irrelevant text that, despite its womenonly cast, fails even to pass the Bechdel test. Mrs. Mary Haines (Helen Stuart) lives the classic high-society lifestyle, caring for her two children in her beautiful Manhattan apartment while her stockbroker husband is away on business. But when her friends, all of whom thrive on gossip, uncover her husband’s secret affair with a ‘common girl’, her world is shattered. New Theatre has come into some money of late – this is made clear from the getgo by John Cervenka’s rotating set design. This veneer of professional stature extends into the dressing rooms, as each actor emerges in utterly lavish attire that changes from scene to scene. The New is clearly emulating the realist sets coming out of Sydney Theatre Company, and the obsession with remounting classics is beginning to rub off, too. The cast, however, is a mixed bag. Stuart carries her role as Mary with strength and integrity, and her gossipy counterpart Sylvia (Jess Loudon) is one of the show’s greatest draws, an exquisitely deplorable figure played with almost Vaudevillian emphasis. Edith (Emma Louise), too, is a delight,

particularly in the play’s second half where her comic moments are more liberal. On the whole, though, there is still an amateur air to the play, evidenced by its tiring length, and those moments when the actors speak out to the fourth wall instead of to each other. Again, the big question rears its ugly head: why this play? Why is every variant of American dialect and beyond attempted on this small Aussie stage? Why is emphasis placed on the text’s weakest moments, such as the spotlighted plea from Mary’s daughter? Why are there 90 costumes in a two-hour play? And why oh why is so much money poured into mounting a play that bears no relevance to anyone today, female or otherwise, outside of the audience for Sex And The City 2? The opening night crowd was appreciative, even laughing at references my grandmother would struggle to place. I can’t imagine that a play so out of touch will find an audience of its like again. These creatives deserve greater relevance, and I hope to see them out in such numbers again. David Molloy

There was the time she outed me to the children I was working with. At a particularly celebratory Mardi Gras one year, I was very liberal with the glitter, and especially the glitter hairspray. It remained stuck to my scalp for days afterward, and I was at the home of the children I was tutoring, when one turned to me, saying accusingly, “Why do you have glitter all over your scalp?” Her older sister immediately seized on that thought: “Are you covered in glitter? Were you at Mardi Gras on the weekend? Ooooooh!” Thankfully, children living in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs aren’t so concerned with the concept of Mardi Gras, and were relatively nonplussed by my admission that yes, I had been in the parade. Then there was the time I covered myself in body paint and decided to have a glitter shower on the steps of Town Hall. It did make the body paint look extra special, but it also clogged my shower drain to the point Drainbo was useless. It also meant that I couldn’t go to bed without waking up with at least a speck of glitter on me for about the next year. I was at a party recently when a friend covered me in glitter. I returned to the friends I’d arrived at the party with, shining (bright, like a diamond, to quote Queen Rih). They were instantly jealous, and so I spent much of the next part

of the evening shaking my hair over my friends, showering them with glitter dandruff. A few days after this party, I went to a job interview. As the interviewer was explaining my role, the types of things expected of me and the skills I needed to have, she paused momentarily. “Sorry,” she said. “Sorry, I just have to stop for a second. It’s just that… there’s a piece of glitter on your forehead.” Embarrassed, I moved quickly to rub it off. “No, it’s not a problem!” she rushed. “It’s a little distracting, yes, but that’s because it’s just catching the light quite nicely!” (I got the job). We’ve all had our moments with glitter. Whether it’s fi nding it in your belly button two months after Mardi Gras, turning over your mattress and a puff of it escaping alongside the dust, trying to get it out of your nipple piercing or scabby knee; we always manage to fi nd glitter where we least expect it. Some could view this as a symptom of glitter’s annoying persistence, like a friendly stalker, a bad smell, or the one night stand who won’t take a hint and leave. But I choose to see it as a symbol of glitter’s long-lasting commitment to me. I always know I can fi nd glitter when I need it. If ever I’m feeling down and in need of some sparkly happiness, I know that all I need to do is scratch my head, and there the glitter will appear, raining down, or under my nails, or both. Always there, always when I need her. Unlike the members of the Coalition, who appear will never make their commitment to me.

this week… Currently happening at Sydney University is its Radical Sex and Consent Week. On Wednesday August 26 and Thursday August 27 there are a series of workshops around consent, safe sex, kink, BDSM, pleasure physiology, assault and more, all happening on campus. There’s also the closing night party at Manning Bar, featuring Dweeb City, Yung Pliny and drag favourite Toxique Haze.

Day so dress in your best lilac! Finally for this week, on Monday August 31, ACON is hosting a special screening of the new film, Holding The Man, at

Dendy Newtown. Tickets are only $10 and sure to sell out because the movie has so far received rave reviews – including a five-star write-up here in the BRAG – so get in quick!

Also on the Sydney Uni campus is the Queer Revue, happening at the Seymour Centre from Thursday August 27 – Saturday August 29. Entitled Straight To Hell, the show is a series of comedic sketches based on the concept of a postapocalyptic world where the last heterosexuals are left to fend for their lives in a queer wasteland. On Friday August 28, Heaps Gay presents its third party in as many weeks with Heaps Good for Oxjam. Taking place at Goodgod Small Club, the night will feature all your favourite Heaps Gay regulars, and as the organisers point out, it’s Wear It Purple

Dweeb City

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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

verna’s keep

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

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23:08:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

20:08:15 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587

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PICS :: AM

baio

PICS :: AM

20:08:15 :: Manning Bar :: Manning Rd Camperdown 9563 6000

19:08:15 :: The Basement :: 29 Reiby Pl Sydney 9251 2797

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: JAMES AMBROSE :: KATRINA

CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR ::

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

HIATUS KAIYOTE, SEX ON TOAST, JAALA Metro Theatre Friday August 21

I like it when celebrities use their money and power for cool and pointless shit. Nixon putting bowling alleys in the White House, Branson putting hotels in space and Prince commissioning private Hiatus Kaiyote shows at his house. Well, apparently he’s been bugging the band via email. I’m glad they keep turning him down to play shows for us (although, I don’t know what they’re waiting for). The Metro packed out early for Hiatus’ second of two Sydney shows on their Choose Your Weapon tour. Jaala were up first and it’s no surprise their loose, gritty and cool reincarnation of Hiatus-type songwriting was hand-chosen by the headliners. They’re the latest slice out of that Melbourne pie that’s already given us Mangelwurzel. They nailed their songs and you could see they were having fun. Sex On Toast had matching uniforms and choreographed dancing, but it was all a little cheesy. They were obsessed with putting on a

spectacular show rather than simply playing some solid music. Hiatus, Hiatus, Hiatus. Seriously sick shit. Seriously sick, slick, polyrhythmic gangster shit. ‘Choose Your Weapon’, the title track from the 2015 LP, kicked things off by lowering the ceiling and casting a heavy shadow over the crowd. If it was indeed some sort of rabbit hole the band was leading us down, ‘Laputa’ greeted us at the very bottom of the dystopic labyrinth. ‘Breathing Underwater’ was synthetically precise as it was potently mind-altering. Nai Palm’s vocals were as accurate as they are on the records and the Dilla jams thumped hard. Sorry, the Hiatus jams – it’s easy to think you’re witnessing a selection of the American forefathers and sisters of hip hop and soul exchange blows. But no, just four musicians from Melbourne. Closing with an extended ‘The World It Softly Lulls’, the stage was doused in neon red, a rhythm section jam and a last sighting of their demented underworld before it was back out into the bright lights of George Street.

wed

27 Aug (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

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28 Aug (10:00PM - 1:40AM)

6:00PM  9:00PM

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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6:00PM  9:00PM

29 Aug

They’ve had the tick of approval from Q-Tip, Chance The Rapper and Prince, but more will follow. Elias Kwiet

thu

26 Aug

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

sun

30 Aug

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

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tue

31 Aug

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

01 Sept

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

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g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week

THURSDAY AUGUST 27

The Drones

Factory Theatre

The Drones + Batpiss 8pm. $40. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC The Groovemeisters Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dark Claw + Smitty & B.Goode + Dan Dunhill Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Live Music (Faces From The Crowd) feat: Donny Benet Art Gallery Of New South Wales, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Regurgitator

Nicole Brophy + Direwolf Batch Brewing Co, Marrickville. 6pm. Free. The Stiffys The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham. 8:30pm. Free. They Call Me Bruce Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY,

BLUES & FOLK Kirsty Bolton Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Mary Chapin Carpenter + Tift Merritt Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $76.36. Stephen Fisher King Penrith RSL, Penrith. 11am. $8. The Ukes Of Hazzard The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC David Ryan Harris + Dylan Wright Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $28.60. Maxine Kauter Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15. Thursdays In Jam - feat: El Moro + DJ Av El Cubano Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

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FRIDAY AUGUST 28 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC David Ryan Harris + Rin Mcardle Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7:30pm. $30. Matt Keegan Band The Sound Lounge, Sydney. 8:30pm. $20. Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free. Soul Nights Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free.

Free. Blow Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 8:30pm. Free. Cath & Him Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Chaos Divine + Alithia + Hemina + The Winter Effect Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $11. Crossroad Heritage Hotel, Bulli. 7:30pm. Free. Darren Johnstone The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free. Darren Middleton + Sahara Beck The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $33.80. Funk Engine Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free. Kite + Bollywood Babes + Lakoda Burn Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $10. Motion City Soundtrack + Awaken I Am + Oslow Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $49.50. Oh Mercy Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $24. One World Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 8pm. Free. Rare Finds #5 feat: Ocean Alley + Ginger & Drum + March Of The Real Fly + DJ Stonedog Millionaire + DJ Robster The Lobster Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. Free. Razor Fairies + Lakoda Burn + Bollywood Blondes Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $10. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. Free. Rob Henry Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Rockin Eddie Penrith RSL, Penrith. 8pm. Free. Soul Tattoo Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, Ryde. 6pm. Free. Step-Panther + Polish Club + John Dory Waywards, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Summonus + Transcendent Sea + Sour Cream + Bloody Kids + Hypergiant Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. The Groove Depot + 3bpm + The Simon

Kinney-Lewis Band + The PJ O’Brien Band Feat. Matt Ross The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $15. The Preatures + The Creases + Low Lux Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $39.05. The Scientists Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40. The Overtones + The Broken Hands Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 7:30pm. Free. Whole Lotta Love Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford. 8pm. $66.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK The Continental Blues Trio + Tiana Martel Band. Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. Betty & Oswald + Liam Gale & The Pony Tails + Jason Lowe + Dom Kelly Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 8pm. $10. Damien Leith + The Black Velvet Band The Juniors, Kingsford. 8:30pm. $30. Nicky Kurta Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 10pm. Free. The Maybes + Los Romeos Oxidados The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

SATURDAY AUGUST 29 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Leanne Paris Band The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.50. Lloyd Swanton’s Ambon The Sound Lounge, Sydney. 8:30pm. $40. Naturally 7 State Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $70.21. Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Clive Hay Plough & Harrow,

Camden. 8pm. Free. Damien Leith + The Black Velvet Band Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 8:30pm. $30. Jayesslee Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50. Mary Chapin Carpenter + Tift Merritt Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. $66.98. Men With Day Jobs The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5. Mojo House Band feat: Jesse & James Mojo Record Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Paul Hayward Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Super Best Friends Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. 4 Kings The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. Free. Alan Solomon Jazz Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Ange Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Crossroad Picton Bowling Club, Picton. 8:30pm. Free. Endless Summer Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. Free. Grenadiers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15. Ivan Drago + The Bottlers + The Playbook + Wasters + Dividers Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $10. Jebediah + Lunatics On Pogosticks Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi. 7:30pm. $32. Jed Zarb Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 10pm. Free. Jonathan Lee Jones Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9:30pm. Free. Magic Bones The Vic, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Oh Mercy Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle. 8pm. $24. One World Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free. Regurgitator Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $44.90. Safia Small Ballroom, Newcastle. 7pm. $24.

Mustered Courage

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Banquet - feat: West Thebarton Brothel Party + Hunch + Little Horn + Goonz + Desir + Hersher + Oh Dear DJs The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Bears With Guns + The Vacationists + Lacey Cole & The Lazy Colts The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm.

Xxx

Chris Connor Presents Elvis Live In Concert Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 7:30pm. $55. Dave White Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Dream Delay The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $19.20. Flaccid Mohawk Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Greg Hooper + Dee Donavon Penrith RSL, Penrith. 11am. $8. Hellyeah + Bellusira + Carbon Black Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $66.60. Jamie Hutchings + Sophie Hutchings Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $20.70. Joseph Liddy And The Skeleton Horse + Twin Fires + Good Counsel + Aquila + Young + 24 Hour Cynics Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $10. Le Pie + Solo + Myami Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 6pm. $11.80. Liam Gray The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 7pm. Free. Live At The Sly (Pre Psyfari Party) - feat: The Double Shadows + Bin Juice + Narla + Firesaint Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Millar Jukes And The Bandits Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Mustered Courage + Cruisin’ Deuces + William Crighton Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $23. Recovery Unit Trio + DJs Aden Mullens And Brenny B Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. Free. The Drones + Batpiss Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40. Winters End + The Blackbird Collective + Oscar And The Grouches The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $23.80.

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g g picks gig p

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

up all night out all week...

Oh Mercy Chaos Divine

SUNDAY AUGUST 30 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK From Street To Stage - feat: Frank Sultana + Daniel Tomalaris Band + Cuzn Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6:30pm. $5. Hawaiian Cowboy Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 6:30pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Duan And Only + DJ Somatik Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. Free. Trio Mokili Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dead Set Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 5pm. $23.50. Jackie Brown + Seedy Dunes + Jungle Bones Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 3pm. thebrag.com

$10. Kanoa + Skankdaddy The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $13.80. King Parrot Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 5pm. $23.50. Lowtide + Terza Madre + Raindrop Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $12. Older Kids Fest - feat: Colourspacecolour + Fox And The Hound + Aves + Jara + Laura Elise Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Open Mic Night Nag’s Head Hotel, Glebe. 5:30pm. Free. Recovery Unit Trio The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 3pm. Free. Safia Small Ballroom, Newcastle. 7pm. $24. Self Defense Family Hombre Records, Newcastle. 8:30pm. $23.90. Sidebar Sundays feat: Dave White Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. The Lazys Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free. U2 Elevation Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. UK Anthems Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free.

MONDAY AUGUST 31 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK John Maddox Duo Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Frankie’s World Famous House

Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Steve Twitchin Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sunset Jazz - feat: Jazz Society Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 6pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Adam Gottlieb + Charlie Keller + Zana Rose & Jenna Murphy + The Iron Horses Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Bucket Lounge Presents – Live & Originals Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Rock ‘N’ Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

SYDNEY’S FINEST JAZZ CLUB

616 HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO

AUGUST: TUES 25

Jazzgroove Presents:

Keegan/ Farrar/ Cross/Waples WEDS 26

The Pocket Trio THURS 27

Daina Demillo:

James Bond meets Quentin Tarantino

FRI 28

The Unforgettable Experience: The music of Michael Buble and Natalie Cole - Together

SAT 29

Tricia Evy: Je Me Suis Fait Toute… Petite Tribute to Brassens, Gainsbour et Salvador

SEPTEMBER: TUES 1

Jazzgroove Presents:

Michael Griffin Quintet / The Cooking Club WEDS 2

Mary Jane Guiney “Stay True” Album Launch

THURS 3

The Rachel Collis Trio (Sydney Fringe)

FRI 4

The Umbrellas:

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 Live Music (Faces From The Crowd) - Feat: Donny Benet Art Gallery Of New South Wales, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Nicole Brophy + Direwolf Batch Brewing Co, Marrickville. 6pm. Free.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27 Dream Delay The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $19.20. Hellyeah + Bellusira + Carbon Black Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $66.60. Jamie Hutchings + Sophie Hutchings Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $20.70. Joseph Liddy And The Skeleton Horse + Twin Fires + Good Counsel + Aquila + Young + 24 Hour Cynics Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $10. Le Pie + Solo + Myami Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 6pm. $11.80. Live At The Sly (Pre Psyfari Party) - Feat: The Double Shadows + Bin Juice + Narla + Firesaint Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

+ Cruisin’ Deuces + William Crighton Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $23. Winters End + The Blackbird Collective + Oscar And The Grouches The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $23.80.

Newtown. 8pm. $15. Ivan Drago + The Bottlers + The Playbook + Wasters + Dividers Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $10. Jayesslee Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $50.

FRIDAY AUGUST 28

Naturally 7 State Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $70.21.

Chaos Divine + Alithia + Hemina + The Winter Effect Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $11.

Regurgitator Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $44.90.

Darren Middleton + Sahara Beck The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $33.80. Motion City Soundtrack + Awaken I Am + Oslow Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $49.50. Oh Mercy Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $24. Step-Panther + Polish Club + John Dory Waywards, Newtown. 8pm. Free. The Preatures + The Creases + Low Lux Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $39.05. The Scientists Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40.

Mary Chapin Carpenter + Tift Merritt Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $76.36.

SATURDAY AUGUST 29

Mustered Courage

Grenadiers Newtown Social Club,

30 Years

SAT 5

Super Best Friends + Horror My Friend Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Volumes 2015 - feat: Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders + The Laurels + Blank Realm + Canyons + Lower Spectrum + Friendships + The Walking Who + Shining Bird + Methyl Ethel + Step-Panther + many more Oxford Square, Darlinghurst. 2pm. $64.30.

SUNDAY AUGUST 30 King Parrot Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 5pm. $23.50. Lowtide + Terza Madre + Raindrop Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $12. The Lazys Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Matt Baker Quartet (New York)

COMING IN SEPT

Self Defense Family Red Rattler, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $23.90. Silver Cream Insanity + Cigars Of The Pharaoh Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $10.20. Super Best Friends + Horror My Friend Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Volumes 2015 - feat: Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders + The Laurels + Blank Realm + Canyons + Lower Spectrum + Friendships + The Walking Who + Shining Bird + Methyl Ethel + StepPanther + Many More Oxford Square, Darlinghurst. 2pm. $64.30. Whole Lotta Love Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford. 8pm. $66.

SUN 6 from 12 noon

Sunday

Jazz Salon Join us for the first Spring session! F U L L P R OGR A M:

The Preatures

www.foundry616.com.au BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15 :: 41

brag beats

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

dance music news

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Vanessa Papastavros, Sam Caldwell and Chris Martin

five things WITH

ELECTRO CIRCUS

Slum Sociable

JOY.

Dotcom

GET SOCIAL WITH SOCIABLE

Growing Up I didn’t grow up in a musical 1. household, although we did have a piano and my parents listened to a lot of vinyl – records from Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Enya and the Eagles especially. I started learning piano from a super young age, which definitely helped with and influences my production now. Inspirations I really vibe D’Angelo and 2. Bon Iver. I always have. I first heard the new D’Angelo Black Messiah record when I went camping with a couple of friends for a few days and it was the only CD we had. So we absolutely rinsed it that week. I first heard Bon Iver when I’d just started high school, and that’s what inspired me to explore soundscapes. I get inspired from dope texture and pretty visuals as well.

3.

Your Crew I kind of got myself into music. None of my friends did it, I pretty much just used it as an excuse to procrastinate from schoolwork. I worked at a cupcake shop for like four years and saved up to buy some different bits of gear, but now I do music full-time. So I don’t really have a ‘crew’ – I have a lot of dope mates, but

TURN UP THE VOLUME

A massive hip hop bill is making its way around Australia this summer under the Funk Volume banner. Fresh from the release of his fourth record, Pound Syndrome, Hopsin will lead the line with his characteristically intense yet inclusive style of performance. But that’s only the start of it: joining the California native will be Dizzy Wright, Jarren Benton and DJ Hoppa for an all-in celebration of hip hop supremacy. The Sydney show takes place at the Enmore Theatre on Friday December 18.

they’re all scattered in different places around Australia and the world now and have different interests than me. The Music You Make I make a variety of different 4. shit, but I only release a small

Life in the slums ain’t that bad. Not when it’s Slum Sociable you’re talking about, the two-piece purveyors of jazz-infused electronica/hip hop. The magnetic Melburnians first turned heads with ‘Anyway’, their debut single released in January, and have now followed it up with ‘All Night’, a timely call-to-arms ahead of their September headlining tour. Fresh from showcasing up north at Bigsound, Slum Sociable will roll into Goodgod Small Club on Saturday September 26. Their debut EP, TQ, will drop on Friday October 9.

Basenji

Mantra Collective’s vinyl-only night Black Gold is bringing you the very best in analogue grooves at The Civic Underground. After a massively successful debut, Black Gold is back with a slight tweak to the formula. This time around, Mantra has invited its favourite selectors to get in on the action with Aboutjack going back-to-back with Venda, Whitecat with Jossy, and Space Junk with Grand Jeté. As before, the Allen & Heath V6 Rotary mixer will be the perfect tool to accompany their warm analogue wax selections. Round two takes place on Saturday September 12.

portion of it. I make a lot of hip hop and grungey trap, but I’m saving it for later. I vibe on a lot of funky Kaytranada beats and soft jazzy house at the moment, as well as artists that explore trippy soundscapes, which I’m also currently exploring in my live show with my band. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The music scene is pretty dope in Sydney, let alone Australia, let alone the world. Everyone is just doing their thing and it’s tight. I feel like it can be hard starting out though, having all these goals and aspirations but not having the money and resources to fund it, but it will work out eventually. You have to start somewhere. My favourite act that I’ve seen lately was Kirin J Callinan supporting TV On The Radio at the Opera House. He is a crazy entertainer. His show was rad! What: Ode out Friday August 28 through Sony

GREAT MINDS IN THE NIGHT

Voena is a Sydney-based creative agency that knows how to throw a really good party. To prove it, on the first Friday of every month, Voena will take over Bondi Junction’s Jam Gallery with a club night, Nightminds. This new lockout-proof party is being launched next month, with a lineup that includes Human Movement, Kato (one half of Wordlife), Friendless and Voena DJs. Hit up Jam Gallery on Friday September 4 for the first Nightminds.

EMC FIRST ROUND SPEAKERS BASENJI ON BOARD

42 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

The Asia-Pacific’s leading electronic music industry event, Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference, has announced a long list of speakers

Electro Circus will be held at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney’s west on Saturday September 5. Head to thebrag.com/freeshit to be in the running for an Electro Circus prize pack, which includes a T-shirt, cap and double pass to the festival. who will be coming Down Under this December. Pioneer techno DJ Carl Cox was revealed as the keynote speaker earlier this year, and he’ll now be joined by the likes of label boss and DJ Gilles Peterson, local producer Ta-ku, Liz Miller from Beatport, Tigerlily, Ministry Of Sound’s Anna Fitzgerald, Purple Sneakers’ Martin Novosel and many more. Check thebrag.com for the full lineup. EMC 2015 is taking place at Ivy on Tuesday December 1 and Wednesday December 2.

Just as Basenji was coming down from his support tour with Hermitude, he’s revealed details of a big ol’ headline schedule around the country. It’s all in conjunction with ‘Petals’, the new single from the Future Classic signee that once again explores his trademark kawaii-style ear for composition and production. Basenji is well on the way to releasing his debut EP, Trackpad, but in the meantime has locked in an Oxford Art Factory show on Friday October 16. Rae Sremmurd

WHAT YOU SAY, RAE

ESCAPE TO SOUNDSCAPE

A new one-day music festival in Sydney has been announced on the same day as Stereosonic, with a solid lineup to boot. It’s called Soundscape and it’s taking place north of the bridge, outside of the lockout zones, at the Greenwood Hotel – a place you may remember from the notorious North Sydney Thursdays of your late teens. Boasting such headliners as Basenji, Touch Sensitive and UV Boi, this is definitely a worthwhile alternative to Stereo, or (for the wild’uns among us) as an afterparty. It goes down on Saturday November 28. Check out the full lineup at thebrag.com.

BLACK GOLD ROUND TWO

Featuring more than 25 international and local acts across three stages, Electro Circus is a dance festival like no other. The circus-inspired event boasts an incredible lineup with some of the best international and local DJs around, including Los Angeles natives Gladiator, up-andcoming producer Dotcom, local legends Carmada and Torro Torro, bringing a stack of original productions and remixes that have gained support from some of the biggest artists around the world. Expect world-class dance music and spectacular performances by the quirkiest circus freaks.

UV Boi

You’ve gotta love a sibling band. Apparently concerned that prospective fans wouldn’t be able to pronounce their real names, brothers Khalif and Aaquil Brown decided to call themselves Rae Sremmurd, and if you think that’s a mouthful, then you should see what they can rap. The energetic youngsters taught themselves to DJ and produce before moving onto the microphone, signing to Mike Will Made-It’s label Ear Drummer Records and climbing to the number one spot on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop album charts in January with SremmLife. These lads are on the rise, so catch a break of your own at the Metro Theatre on Friday October 2.

thebrag.com

Andrei Eremin Blue Is The Colour By Augustus Welby

O

ver the past four years, Melbourne’s Andrei Eremin has spent a lot of time in the studio, mixing, mastering and producing records for the likes of Oscar Key Sung, I’lls, Hiatus Kaiyote, Miami Horror and Banoffee. He recently wrapped up production on his debut solo EP Pale Blue, due out this Friday. Even though the 23-yearold Eremin has already established his name as a studio wiz, the completion of Pale Blue happened sooner than he expected. “Honestly, there was probably a time about two years ago when production stuff started getting really full-on and I thought I was going to stop making music altogether,” he says. “I’ve been making music all my life pretty much, but once I was working 60 hours a week in the studio I was like, ‘Oh God, I don’t have time to keep up with all of this.’ So a lot of these songs have been collected over that time period. I went off writing and then I came back on and now I’ve collected this set of songs that I’m really proud of.” Eremin’s studio commitments might have momentarily delayed his creative activities, but being involved with a diverse range of artists is largely what pushed him to get stuck into his own tracks. “I find that I get more inspiration out of the people who I directly

work with than the people I listen to,” he says. “Just because you see a creation from start to finish, and I find that really inspiring. People like Hiatus influenced me a little bit, and Oscar Key Sung and I’lls, they’re probably right up there.” Along with Fractures and Kučka – who feature on the singles ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Anhedoniac’ respectively – I’lls’ Simon Lam (under the guise Nearly Oratorio) sings on the EP’s final track, ‘Two Dones’. Eremin’s tracks tend to begin as instrumentals, but he realised these ones would benefit from the addition of vocals. “Part of what I’ve been aiming for with the EP is a real minimalist aesthetic,” he says. “For instance, the song with Simon on it, if you take out the vocal there’s a harp and a synth chord for the first minute and a half, which people would just get bored of and tune out. So I wanted to get them on board to try and add a story to it and just another dimension of interest. All three of them just totally killed it.” Fractures and Nearly Oratorio are both Melbourne-based, which made the creative process fairly easy. However, collaborating with Perth’s Kučka was a new challenge for Eremin. “Having people in the studio, everything happens quite

quickly and naturally, but with long distance you’ve got to email back and forth. But it was a good challenge and I’m really happy with what she’s done with the track. I think it’s wild.”

taking total control over a project often leads to fixating on minor details. Making this EP has taught Eremin a lot about self-discipline.

Working on other people’s projects gives you a priceless level of distance, which speeds up the decision-making process. But

“The thing that I’m slowly learning as I go is just to create anchor points for myself. So if I make a demo and there’s one section that everyone universally loves, I’ll keep that in mind and don’t mess

but also just the band politics and dynamics. When it came to working or touring or playing, it was just not fun, I guess.

“In a way, I just went back to that default mode and just tried to start making music in that way again, which was pretty carefree.”

“[Silicon] was just sort of getting on with my own thing and doing it for fun, rather than having expectations of what people would think or having to plan it for a group. I guess it just ended up being a whole new project. I was just banging away at it in my spare time.”

Despite the sequencer being a close accomplice during the albummaking procedure, Nielson would still conceive the basic outline of songs before putting anything to tape.

with it – build the rest of the song around that and just remember that one time when everyone loved it. Even if I forget that it’s good, I still remember that other people had a really good first impression of it.” What: Pale Blue out Friday August 28 independently

Silicon Burning The Candle At Both Ends By Augustus Welby

K

ody Nielson’s career path has moved through a series of stylistic mutations. After leading art-punk/power-pop outfit The Mint Chicks, he jumped over to the clean, pop eclecticism of Opossum, and then released a jazz-inspired instrumental solo EP, Devils, in 2013. Earlier this year, he gave his brother Ruban a hand with the third album for his band, Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Now, Kody Nielson is gearing up to release Personal Computer – an LP of funked-up, lo-fi electronic pop music – under the moniker Silicon. Although his stylistic focus has undergone some distinct shifts over the last decade or so, one constant has been Nielson’s keen melodic capacity, which has given everything a sense of cohesion. “I just like songs,” he says. “Whatever the production or style or whatever, it still actually needs a song. I’ve always tried to keep melodic songs throughout different projects. I suppose I just enjoy that kind of music to listen to.”

Silicon photo by Ralph Brown

Meanwhile, Personal Computer certainly isn’t lacking in experimental flourishes. For instance, the album begins with a monologue recited by an android voice; the chirpy 60-second sequence ‘Little Dancing Baby’ combines childlike female vocals with a club-ready bass groove; and ‘Love Peace’ fluctuates between plaintive piano balladry and stabs of whacked-out disco funk. However, as with past projects, Nielson’s attention to songcraft keeps his experimental tendencies from becoming overwhelming. “Everything I work on, I try to keep a similar approach,” he says. “I just take extra things here and there, whatever is inspiring at the time, and just try to run with that. Whatever’s inspiring or excited me to keep making music, I’ll just try to run with that.” With this in mind, one wonders what catalysed the Silicon project. After a handful of years leading Opossum (which also featured New Zealand pop singer Bic Runga and former Mint Chicks bassist Michael thebrag.com

Logie), a combination of necessity and frustration led Nielson to break away. “Having broken up with Opossum – or everyone in Opossum got a bit too busy – I just continued trying to write music and make music on my own again,” he says. “I wanted the music to be the finished music. I didn’t want to write more demos. I was kind of doing it all as I went along. With this, there was a bit more freedom to just do it and finish it. I didn’t really have to consider anyone else’s ideas or feelings or anything. I just wanted to do something very simple.” But while Nielson had a few aims for what this new outlet of expression would encompass, he didn’t bank on it evolving into a fully-fledged project. “To be honest, I was just getting a bit sick of band music. I was getting a little bit sick of not just bands,

Personal Computer steers clear of the slick muscularity of 21st century studio productions. Instead, the album makes heavy use of keyboards, synth bass, drum programming and other electronic elements. “I used to make electronic music on my own with a Roland W-30 sequencer and put it to four-track. This was before The Mint Chicks. That’s when I first started recording.

“Most of the time it was a song I’d written on keyboard or written on drums and I’d start trying to layer it all up like that. I tried to start off with the song kind of written, so it’s got more of a skeleton to it. Then there’s more messing around with recording – it can be a separate thing. Having said that, I still muck around with beatmaking, samples and stuff like that. I try to mix them together a little bit – little ideas I come up with from a production point of view or beatmaking, I just try to apply them to the songs.”

Silicon started out more or less as a hobby, and the album is the direct result of the recording experiments Nielson carried out in his spare time. However, a combination of Nielson’s stimulating track record and his recent involvement with Unknown Mortal Orchestra means there’s already a lot of attention directed at the project. “Hopefully it does allow me to keep going and make more Silicon albums,” he says. “I’m keen to keep going. I do music full-time now, but I work with other people and have to do just whatever mixing jobs or produce other bands, stuff like that. But I’d like to keep making Silicon music, definitely.” What: Personal Computer out Friday August 28 through Domino/ EMI

BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15 :: 43

club guide g

club picks p up all night out all week...

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

Paces

FRIDAY AUGUST 28 Newtown Social Club

HIP HOP & R&B

Xxx

Paces + Leon Osborn + Moonbase Commander

8pm. $20. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 CLUB NIGHTS Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Side Bar Wednesdays - feat: Bangers & Mash Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY AUGUST 27 HIP HOP & R&B New DMC Finals 2015 - feat: DJ Total Eclipse + Adverse + Waxn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS

HIP HOP & R&B Skattedskullz + 5 Finger Discount + Metaforensic + Brutal Audio + Harjot Singh + P Crazy + Trip M + Skhitlz + Twoslie + Sub’z + Tiny Tonez Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. The Chop (Todays Future Sound Beat Battle Fundraiser) - feat: Philthybeats + Blum + Monsatry + Mumbles & Beat Battle + Raine Supreme + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. $7.

CLUB NIGHTS Bassic - feat: Safia DJs + Lolo Bx + A-Tonez + Oski + Snillum + Blue Grass DJs + Goldbrixx + Whyse Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Blvd Fridays - feat: Jay Karama Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Brenny B Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free. Derriere - feat: Rotating DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Feel Good Fridays -

44 :: BRAG :: 627 :: 26:08:15

feat: DJs Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Florida Blanca Supper Club + Bar Publico - feat: DJs Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Fridays - feat: Rock ‘N’ Roll DJs Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Fridays Frothers feat: Babysham + Jesse Sewell Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Heaps Good For Oxjam - feat: Baby Face Thrilla + Bad Ezzy + Cache One + Lakemba Ladies + 110% + Chic Bones + Levins + Del + Victoria Kim + Torrie Torrie + Lazer Gunne Funke + Wisteria Histeria + Heaps Gay DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $15. Hubert Clarke Jr. + Andy Webb Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Bondi. 8pm. Free. Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm. Free. Paces + Leon Osborn + Moonbase Commander Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $20. Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Student DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm. Free.

SATURDAY AUGUST 29 CLUB NIGHTS Disco Inferno - feat: DJs Aden Mullens + Raye Antonelli Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Florida Blanca Supper Club + Bar Publico - feat: DJs Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Saturdays - feat: DJs Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Frat Saturdays - feat: Jonksi + Guests Side Bar, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. I Oh You Presents Versus - feat: Sam Shaw + Harry White + Gab Ryan + Adam Lewis + I Oh You DJs + Michael Tramonte + Tim Baker + Jack Rule Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale. 10pm. Free. Joel Fletcher Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70. Le Fruit DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Lndry - feat: Sirus Hood + Indian Summer + Friendless + Acaddamy + Hausenet + Helena Ellis + Blackjack + Noy-C Andee + Just One + DJ Eko + King Lee

SUNDAY AUGUST 30 CLUB NIGHTS Picnic Social Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. S.A.S.H Sundays feat: Various Artists Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 6pm. $10. Sunday Sessions feat: DJ Somatik Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 5pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Safia

FRIDAY AUGUST 28

Joel Fletcher Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70.

Bassic - Feat: Safi a DJs + Lolo Bx + A-Tonez + Oski + Snillum + Blue Grass DJs + Goldbrixx + Whyse Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70.

Lndry - Feat: Sirus Hood + Indian Summer + Friendless + Acaddamy + Hausenet + Helena Ellis + Blackjack + Noy-C Andee + Just One + DJ Eko + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Blvd Fridays - Feat: Jay Karama Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Heaps Good For Oxjam Feat: Baby Face Thrilla + Bad Ezzy + Cache One + Lakemba Ladies + 110% + Chic Bones + Levins + Del + Victoria Kim + Torrie Torrie + Lazer Gunne Funke + Wisteria Histeria + Heaps Gay DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $15. The Chop (Todays Future Sound Beat Battle Fundraiser) - Feat: Philthybeats + Blum + Monsatry + Mumbles & Beat Battle + Raine Supreme + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. $7.

SATURDAY AUGUST 29 112 Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $65.40.

NLV Presents International Edition Feat: Djemba Djemba + Monki + Mssingno + Nina Las Vegas Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $33.30. Pacha - Feat: Savage + Ember + Glover + Jesabel + Friendless + Jaysounds + Samrai + Matt Nugent + Skoob + Jade Le Flay + DLE + Mike Hyper + CBU + Fingers + Elly K + Jack Bailey + Bronx + Danny Lang Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.

SUNDAY AUGUST 30 S.A.S.H Sundays - Feat: Various Artists Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 6pm. $10. Tuka Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

Tuka

Ginuwine Marquee, Pyrmont. 8pm. $43.95. Tuka Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

MONDAY AUGUST 31 CLUB NIGHTS Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Tuka photo by Cole Bennetts

Five Dollar Thursdays - feat: DJs Steve Zappa + Skinny Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Kicks The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. Mixed Tape - feat: DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm. Free. The Midnight Swim Sessions - feat: Thomas Studdy Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

FRIDAY AUGUST 28

112 Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $65.40. RG Wings + Spacely + Lmxec + Jackel + DJ Satanism & Kara Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Triple One + Capital Coast + Pidey N Devel Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Coda Conduct photo by Cole Bennetts

club pick of the week

Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. NLV Presents International Edition - feat: Djemba Djemba + Monki + Mssingno + Nina Las Vegas Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $33.30. Pacha - feat: Savage + Ember + Glover + Jesabel + Friendless + Jaysounds + Samrai + Matt Nugent + Skoob + Jade Le Flay + DLE + Mike Hyper + CBU + Fingers + Elly K + Jack Bailey + Bronx + Danny Lang Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Scubar Saturdays feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Volumes 2015 (Siberia Late Night Takeover) - feat: Null + DJs Pelvis + Tennis Boys + Siberia Records Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 10:30pm. $11.60.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1 CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. thebrag.com

Off The Record

RECOMMENDED SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray album Hello Clouds. Expect to hear a banquet of new material when he hits Sydney on Saturday November 21 at Chinese Laundry.

Nina Kraviz

Already planning your Halloween? Those legends over at Parkside have thrown together an all-treat no-trick party with two of Melbourne’s finest electronic talents: Harvey Sutherland and Andy Hart. Sutherland’s penchant for analogue synths has seen him score a twice-sold-out release on Motor City Drum Ensemble’s MCDE label, while Hart is one half of the duo that runs one of Australia’s best record labels, the Melbourne Deepcast. The dress-up party goes down on Saturday October 31 at Towradgi Beach Hotel’s Waves.

T

he Russian queen of techno Nina Kraviz has locked in a return to Sydney. Born and raised in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Kraviz has been one of the biggest breakthrough acts of the past decade – a journey that began after she took part in the Red Bull Music Academy in Melbourne in 2006. Recently she’s performed at such festivals as Amsterdam Dance Event, Coachella, Sonar and Decibel alongside holding down regular appearances at major clubs such as Berghain, Fabric and The Warehouse Project. Catch her on Saturday November 14 at the Greenwood Hotel.

More dance music royalty coming our way: the one and only Felix Da Housecat will

return to our shores next month. Best known for his groundbreaking 2001 album Kittenz And Thee Glitz, the tour news follows the announcement of his upcoming record Resurrection, set to drop on Crosstown Rebels on Friday September 18. It’s his first Australian sojourn in five years, so don’t miss out when he hits Manning Bar on Saturday September 12. Already announced for Victoria’s Strawberry Fields festival, Justin Martin has locked in a Sydney show to coincide with his visit to our shores. The San Francisco house don is the co-founder of the infamous Dirtybird crew, and has spent the year scouring the globe in promotion of his forthcoming sophomore

Pan-Pot The ArtHouse

Felix Da Housecat Manning Bar Mark Henning Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Kangding Ray Bridge Hotel

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Mark Henning Goodgod Small Club

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31 Baauer Oxford Art Factory

Tour rumours: two artists who have served up some of my favourite releases this year – Hunee and Mr. G – will be visiting Sydney over the summer. Oh, and you can also expect to see Huxley and Jonas Rathsman coming our way in February.

Harvey Sutherland, Andy Hart Waves

Essential listening: Melbourne’s own Tornado Wallace has served up one hell of a Boiler Room mix while he’s over in Berlin. The hour-long mix is jam-packed with gems such as Jiraffe’s ‘Out’A The Box’, Jephté Guillaume and The Tet Kale Orkestra’s ‘Ibo Lélé’ and Sasha’s (no, not that Sasha) ‘A Key To Heaven For A Heavenly Trance’. Go and give it a spin at boilerroom.tv.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20

Best releases this week: hoooboy, Ali Nasser’s All We Need (on Pleasure Zone) is one of the best groovy and melodic minimal releases I’ve heard all year. Other highlights include Willie Burns’ Single Life (Off Minor), Art Alfie & Mr. Tophat’s KVC-4 (Karlovak Chrome), Black Rain & Shapednoise’s Apophis (Cosmo Rhythmatic) and Deego Fresh’s Urgent 001 (Underground Enigmatic Techno).

Eric Cloutier Marrickville Bowling Club

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 Nina Kraviz Greenwood Hotel Lapalux Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 Justin Martin Chinese Laundry

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27

FRIDAY DECEMBER 4 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 6

Subsonic Music Festival: KiNK, Dop, Rick Wade, Roman Flügel + more Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort, Barrington Tops

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon.

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

CODA CONDUCT + S.KAPE + DAWN LAIRD Brighton Up Bar Friday August 21

Being an Aussie hip hop fan can be hard. While recent crews like One Day and Big Village have done heaps to legitimise the genre, in many ways skip hop is still fi nding its feet. Not to mention the stigma associated with the Australian accent is a difficult hurdle to overcome. So it’s refreshing when up-and-comers of the New South Wales scene aren’t afraid to push things that little bit further, while paying their dues to the staples that make hip hop great. If you’re wondering what that means, Dawn Laird has the answer. She’s an adherent to the classic boombap sound but the beats are grimier, the raps are harder. Spitting vitriolic punchlines with emotional intensity, Laird takes aim at her enemies as much as she turns the microscope on herself. S.kape is a much different type of MC. Laughing as his band busts out its first track, his vibe is laid-back, but what he lacks in venom he makes up for in charisma and diverse rhyme schemes. The Sydney-born artist isn’t afraid to learn from American icons, switching from the exultant party anthems of Childish Gambino to the cool drawl of Joey Bada$$. What’s great is that he

absorbs their styles, but eschews the arrogance that is intrinsic to the US scene. S.kape leaves graciously, after cheering for Coda Conduct to take the stage. Facing one another while they deliver witty exchanges of rap bravado, Coda Conduct epitomise great hip hop duos. Clearly switched on, the pair blister through multi-syllable raps that are reminiscent of TZU’s self-aware sarcasm, poking fun at clicktivism by aping the rhetoric of protest songs. It’s fun, and they write such excellent hooks that the crowd enthusiastically joins them for the tongue-in-cheek calland-response. There’s something about Coda Conduct that has inspired their fans to fervent idolatry. Bootleg T-shirts are everywhere (made by stapling the band’s photo to a shirt) and the fl oor is heaving as the MCs rap straight from a classic hip hop medley into a heavy club banger. It ends the official set, until the chants come for more and they whip out the only other song left in their repertoire; a remix of the iconic theme to Round The Twist. It’s a cacophonous sing-along, and the fi nale demonstrates that Erica Mallet and Sally Coleman have not only got the smarts to push the genre forward, but the pride to keep it Aussie as well. James Ross

PICS :: AM

lndry ft. crooked colours djs + elizabeth rose

sosueme - ft. remi

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